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In soils, pH stands as the main factor modulating bacterial communities’ composition. However, most studies address its effects in bulk soils in natural systems, with few focusing on its effects in the rhizosphere of plants. Predicting pH effects in the rhizosphere is an important step towards successful microbiome manipulation, aiming to increase crop production. Here, we modulated an acidic soil’s pH to four different ranges (4.7, 5.2, 7.5 and 8.2), while correcting for fertility differences among ranges, thus isolating pH effects from other physicochemical characteristics. Then, two crops with distinct metabolisms (maize and bean) were cultivated in a greenhouse experiment and the effects of pH and cover crops on the rhizosphere bacteriome after 90 days explored through 16S rRNA gene sequencing, aiming to characterize pH effects on the rhizosphere of two different plants across this gradient. Alpha diversity indexes (OTU richness and Shannon index) were statistically different with pH but not crop species, with an interaction among factors. For beta diversity, both pH and crop species were significant modulators of community composition, without an interaction, but pH effects were 2.5 times bigger than those of plant species. Additionally, strong and significant positive correlations were observed between pH and Bacteroidetes and Deltaproteobacteria, while Actinobacteria, Planctomycetes and Acidobacteria were negatively correlated with pH. Regarding OTUs, 27 and 46 were correlated with pH in maize and bean’s rhizosphere, respectively, while 11 were shared between them. Altogether, these results provide valuable information on the isolated effect of pH in the rhizosphere of important crop plants, aiding future microbiome manipulation studies.

Abstract This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of alterations in self-perceived mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic and their associated factors in four Latin American countries. This is a cross-sectional study based on data collected from adults in 2021 through the Collaborative Response COVID-19 Survey by the MacDonnell Academy at Washington University in St. Louis (United States). The sample was composed of 8,125 individuals from Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, and Chile. A generalized linear model for a binary outcome variable with a logistic link and fixed country effects was used. There were 2,336 (28.75%) individuals who considered having suffered alterations in self-perceived mental health. Unemployed individuals (OR = 1.40; 95%CI: 1.24-1.58), those with bad/regular quality of life (OR = 5.03; 95%CI: 4.01-6.31), and those with high socioeconomic status (OR = 1.66; 95%CI: 1.41-1.96) had a higher risk of self-perceived mental health alterations than those with full-time employment, excellent quality, and low socioeconomic status. According to the fixed-effects model, Brazilians living in the country during the pandemic, who disagreed with their government’s decisions (OR = 2.05; 95%CI: 1.74-2.42) and lacked trust in their government (OR = 2.10; 95%CI: 1.74-2.42) had a higher risk of having self-perceived mental health alterations. Nearly 30% of respondents indicated that the COVID-19 pandemic altered their self-perceived mental health. This outcome was associated with political, sociodemographic, and health risk factors. These findings should help policymakers develop post-pandemic community interventions.

This study analyzed the differences regarding adopting sustainability-oriented innovation practices and the business model of industrial companies considering their degree of internationalization. Quantitative research was developed with a descriptive design using a survey, and the sample comprised 104 Brazilian industrial companies. Significant differences were observed concerning products, demonstrating the consumers’ concerns regarding these aspects. As for the business model, differences were noted regarding a financial model responsible for the company’s ecological and social impacts. This aspect shows that companies operating in foreign markets include sustainability’s social, environmental, and economic dimensions in their business models. From a theoretical point of view, this study connects sustainability-oriented innovation practices and the business model by considering the degree of internationalization. As for originality, the present study relates the themes of sustainable innovation and internationalization while analyzing a developing country, whereas most articles have covered developed countries

Abstract Background This study examined the strength, shape and direction of associations of accelerometer-assessed overall, school- and non-school-based moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sedentary time (ST) with BMI among adolescents across the world. Second, we examined whether these associations differed by study site and sex. Methods Cross-sectional data from the IPEN Adolescent study, an observational multi-country study, were used. Participants wore an accelerometer for seven days, reported height and weight, and completed a socio-demographic survey. In total, 4852 adolescents (46.6% boys), aged 11–19 years (mean age = 14.6, SD = 1.7 years) were included in the analyses, using generalized additive mixed models. Results Adolescents accumulated on average 41.3 (SD = 22.6) min/day of MVPA and 531.8 (SD = 81.1) min/day of ST, and the prevalence of overweight and obesity was 17.2% (IOTF), but these mean values differed by country. Linear negative associations of accelerometer-based MVPA and ST with standardized BMI scores and the likelihood of being overweight/obese were found. School-based ST and non-school-based MVPA were more strongly negatively associated to the outcomes than non-school based ST and school-based MVPA. Study site moderated the associations; adolescent sex did not. No curvilinear associations were found. Conclusions This multi-country study confirmed the importance of MVPA as a potential protective factor against overweight/obesity in adolescents. Non-school-based MVPA seemed to be the main driver of these associations. Unexpected results were found for ST, calling for further examination in methodologically sound international studies but using inclinometers or pressure sensors to provide more precise ST measures.

Heme-regulated inhibitor (HRI), an eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2 alpha (eIF2α) kinase, plays critical roles in cell proliferation, differentiation, adaptation to stress, and hemoglobin disorders. HRI phosphorylates eIF2α, which couples cellular signals, including endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, to translation. We previously identified 1,3-diarylureas and 1-((1,4-trans)-4-aryloxycyclohexyl)-3-arylureas (cHAUs) as specific activators of HRI that trigger the eIF2α phosphorylation arm of ER stress response as molecular probes for studying HRI biology and its potential as a druggable target. To develop drug-like cHAUs needed for in vivo studies, we undertook bioassay-guided structure-activity relationship studies and tested them in the surrogate eIF2α phosphorylation and cell proliferation assays. We further evaluated some of these cHAUs in endogenous eIF2α phosphorylation and in the expression of the transcription factor C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP) and its mRNA, demonstrating significantly improved solubility and/or potencies. These cHAUs are excellent candidates for lead optimization for development of investigational new drugs that potently and specifically activate HRI.

O estudo aborda as relações entre o direito sucessório e o direito processual civil, dando realce à importância do negócio jurídico processual típico do art. 665 do CPC/15. Objetiva-se fazer uma abordagem analítica do novel dispositivo de lei e demonstrar que ele representa mais um passo no caminho da desburocratização do rito do inventário e da partilha, que é necessária para a concretização dos direitos constitucionais de herança e do acesso célere à ordem jurídica justa, com destaque para as pessoas incapazes. O método utilizado é o bibliográfico, tendo como principal fonte a teoria do fato jurídico de Pontes de Miranda, com aplicações no processo civil realizadas por autores contemporâneos. Como conclusão, verifica-se que, diante do todo burocrático que é o procedimento judicial do inventário e da partilha, o art. 665 do CPC/15 ainda representa uma flexibilização procedimental acanhada, havendo muito a avançar no processo desburocratizante da seara sucessória.

Abstract Background Microscale environmental features are usually evaluated using direct on-street observations. This study assessed inter-rater reliability of the Microscale Audit of Pedestrian Streetscapes, Global version (MAPS-Global), in an international context, comparing on-street with more efficient online observation methods in five countries with varying levels of walkability. Methods Data were collected along likely walking routes of study participants, from residential starting points toward commercial clusters in Melbourne (Australia), Ghent (Belgium), Curitiba (Brazil), Hong Kong (China), and Valencia (Spain). In-person on the street and online using Google Street View audits were carried out by two independent trained raters in each city. The final sample included 349 routes, 1228 street segments, 799 crossings, and 16 cul-de-sacs. Inter-rater reliability analyses were performed using Kappa statistics or Intraclass Correlation Coefficients (ICC). Results Overall mean assessment times were the same for on-street and online evaluations (22 ± 12 min). Only a few subscales had Kappa or ICC values

Neste estudo, apresentamos um panorama do espalhamento do novo Coronavírus (SARS-Cov-2) nos municípios da microrregião Alto Solimões no Estado do Amazonas, Brasil. Os dados utilizados são oriundos do Sistema Monitoramento de casos de infecção por Covid-19 nos municípios do estado do Amazonas e do Sistema Monitoramento de casos de Covid-19 nos povos indígenas do Brasil, organizados em um banco de dados e no WebSig, coordenados por pesquisadores das universidades federais do Rio Grande do Sul e do Amazonas, e da Universidade do Estado do Amazonas. Sistematizamos e analisamos informações disponibilizadas por organismos públicos municipais e estaduais, responsáveis pela prevenção e combate à pandemia, com destaque para os dados divulgados sobre a saúde indígena, presentes nos boletins da Secretaria Especial de Saúde Indígena, mas questionados por informes de organizações indígenas. Confrontados com as características geográficas, políticas e socioeconômicas da microrregião do Alto Solimões, os dados de contágio do novo coronavírus e os óbitos resultantes de complicações da doença projetam um cenário de vulnerabilidade e de risco para a população, em especial, a indígena. A ineficácia das políticas para a saúde pública em contexto de pandemia revela o agravamento de situações nas quais os serviços e atuação de profissionais da saúde são deficitários, o que favorece o espalhamento do vírus num contexto transfronteiriço.

A rede transfronteiriça pode ser entendida como um processo de articulação e colaboração efetiva entre pesquisadores e instituições universitárias nos três países que formam a tríplice fronteira entre Brasil, Colômbia e Peru. O seu objetivo fundamental é sistematizar informações, pesquisar, monitorar e divulgar resultados sobre a pandemia de forma conjunta, ou seja, pensar nessas localidades e municípios fronteiriços dos três países como uma única região transfronteiriça. Essa perspectiva de pesquisa e análise dos dados visa romper com o nacionalismo metodológico tão presente nas pesquisas nas zonas fronteiriças internacionais. Isso coloca uma série de desafios na sistematização conjunta informação, à medida que as instituições de cada Estado-nação desenvolvem diferentes metodologias e diferentes prazos para publicação de dados oficiais, além de problemas de subnotificação em alguns casos. Essas dificuldades tornaram-se muito presentes no processo de produzir boletins de covid 19 na região, como evidenciado aqui durante a diálogo com os pesquisadores.

INTRODUÇÃO: O bullying é um fenômeno que sugere atos de violência física e/ou verbal que ocorrem de forma repetitiva com uma ou mais vítimas, tal fenômeno começou a ganhar notoriedade a partir dos estudos publicados em 1980. OBJETIVO: Identificar dentro do contexto escolar, a partir das falas de acadêmicos o papel da Educação Física em relação ao combate ao bullying. MÉTODOS: O estudo tem uma abordagem exploratória e qualitativa em que participaram 20 acadêmicos de Educação Física da Universidade do Estado do Pará. A partir da realização de entrevistas, empregou-se a análise de conteúdo. RESULTADOS: Os resultados mostraram que a prática e a teoria no que se referem a conceitos são alinhados ao combate do bullying, além de refletir que mesmo os agressores por vezes passam por algum tipo de abuso em outros ambientes, entende-se as principais motivações para a prática estão relacionadas ao fenótipo e comportamento e que a Educação Física pode ser uma disciplina a colaborar para a melhoria dos estudantes. CONCLUSÃO: Conclui-se que o papel da Educação Física no combate ao bullying está diretamente ligada à forma que o professor se posiciona em relação a esta prática.

An assessment was carried out at Nuclear Technology Development Centre to evaluate the capacity of the plant species Epipremnum pinnatum to uptake, translocate and accumulate Th and U. The experiments were conducted under controlled conditions in a greenhouse, using cultivation in soil from uranium mine and cultivation in nutrient solution (hydroponic technique) using standards of the elements of interest. The plant species was analysed by Neutron Activation , k0 standardization method. The ANOVA test, R software and Tukey's correction were applied, the results of which showed that the candidate biomonitor plant presented good Th and U uptake in both experiments, indicating a preference for accumulate in the roots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Mis-implementation (i.e., the premature termination or inappropriate continuation of public health programs) contributes to the misallocation of limited public health resources and the sub-optimal response to the growing global burden of chronic disease. This study seeks to describe the occurrence of mis-implementation in four countries of differing sizes, wealth, and experience with evidence-based chronic disease prevention (EBCDP). Methods A cross-sectional study of 400 local public health practitioners in Australia, Brazil, China, and the United States was conducted from November 2015 to April 2016. Online survey questions focused on how often mis-termination and mis-continuation occur and the most common reasons programs end and continue. Results We found significant differences in knowledge of EBCDP across countries with upwards of 75% of participants from Australia (n = 91/121) and the United States (n = 83/101) reporting being moderately to extremely knowledgeable compared with roughly 60% (n = 47/76) from Brazil and 20% (n = 21/102) from China (p

Introduction Only international studies can provide the full variability of built environments and accurately estimate effect sizes of relations between contrasting environments and health-related outcomes. The aims of the International Physical Activity and Environment Study of Adolescents (IPEN Adolescent) are to estimate the strength, shape and generalisability of associations of the community environment (geographic information systems (GIS)-based and self-reported) with physical activity and sedentary behaviour (accelerometer-measured and self-reported) and weight status (normal/overweight/obese).Methods and analysis The IPEN Adolescent observational, cross-sectional, multicountry study involves recruiting adolescent participants (ages 11–19 years) and one parent/guardian from neighbourhoods selected to ensure wide variations in walkability and socioeconomic status using common protocols and measures. Fifteen geographically, economically and culturally diverse countries, from six continents, participated: Australia, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, Czech Republic, Denmark, Hong Kong SAR, India, Israel, Malaysia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Portugal, Spain and USA. Countries provided survey and accelerometer data (15 countries), GIS data (11), global positioning system data (10), and pedestrian environment audit data (8). A sample of n=6950 (52.6% female; mean age=14.5, SD=1.7) adolescents provided survey data, n=4852 had 4 or more 8+ hours valid days of accelerometer data, and n=5473 had GIS measures. Physical activity and sedentary behaviour were measured by waist-worn ActiGraph accelerometers and self-reports, and body mass index was used to categorise weight status.Ethics and dissemination Ethical approval was received from each study site’s Institutional Review Board for their in-country studies. Informed assent by adolescents and consent by parents was obtained for all participants. No personally identifiable information was transferred to the IPEN coordinating centre for pooled datasets. Results will be communicated through standard scientific channels and findings used to advance the science of environmental correlates of physical activity, sedentary behaviour and weight status, with the ultimate goal to stimulate and guide actions to create more activity-supportive environments internationally.

In the current competitive scenario, organizations have been using techniques capable of increasing their production capacities and maintaining a level of competitiveness that ensures their survival. One such technique is known as continuous improvement. Following this line of reasoning, the current study aims to describe how a continuous improvement team (quality control circle), one of the pillars of the integrated management system of a steel company, can reduce the time performing chemical analyses by the chemical laboratory in which the project was carried out. Through improvement actions to mitigate the causes prioritized by the continuous improvement team, a reduction of 27% between 2014 and 2015 was obtained in the number of samples´ analysis that were not within the maximum acceptable time of 4.5 minutes. In the period that all the improvement actions for the prioritized causes had already been implemented, there was a reduction of the analyses time of 4.26 minutes, below the target of 4.5 minutes. The best practices were standardized by reviewing the technical procedure in order to keep the time to perform analyses under the target (4.5 minutes) over the next years. According to the calculations made by the engineers, the company prevented the loss of an annual value of R$ 2.2 M with the conclusion of the project.

Abstract: The objective of this work was to evaluate the use of regularized quantile regression (RQR) to predict the genetic merit of pigs for asymmetric carcass traits, compared with the Bayesian lasso (Blasso) method. The genetic data of the traits carcass yield, bacon thickness, and backfat thickness from a F2 population composed of 345 individuals, generated by crossing animals from the Piau breed with those of a commercial breed, were used. RQR was evaluated considering different quantiles (τ = 0.05 to 0.95). The RQR model used to estimate the genetic merit showed accuracies higher than or equal to those obtained by Blasso, for all studies traits. There was an increase of 6.7 and 20.0% in accuracy when the quantiles 0.15 and 0.45 were considered in the evaluation of carcass yield and bacon thickness, respectively. The obtained results are indicative that the regularized quantile regression presents higher accuracy than the Bayesian lasso method for the prediction of the genetic merit of pigs for asymmetric carcass variables.

Abstract Background The ability to ‘age in place’ is dependent on a range of inter-personal, social and built environment attributes, with the latter being a key area for potential intervention. There is an emerging body of evidence that indicates the type of built environment features that may best support age friendly communities, but there is a need to expand and consolidate this, while generating a better understanding of how on how research findings can be most effectively be translated in to policy and practice. Methods The study is based on two case study cities, Curtiba (Brazil) and Belfast (UK), which have highly contrasting physical, social and policy environments. The study deploys a mix methods approach, mirrored in each city. This includes the recruitment of 300 participants in each city to wear GPS and accelerometers, a survey capturing physical functioning and other personal attributes, as well as their perception of their local environment using NEWS-A. The study will also measure the built environments of the cities using GIS and develop a tool for auditing the routes used by participants around their neighbourhoods. The study seeks to comparatively map the policy actors and resources involved in healthy ageing in the two cities through interviews, focus groups and discourse analysis. Finally, the study has a significant knowledge exchange component, including the development of a tool to assess the capacities of both researchers and research users to maximise the impact of the research findings. Discussion The HULAP study has been designed and implemented by a multi-disciplinary team and integrates differing methodologies to purposefully impact on policy and practice on healthy ageing in high and low-middle income countries. It has particular strengths in its combination of objective and self-reported measures using validated tools and the integration of GPS, accelerometer and GIS data to provide a robust assessment of ‘spatial energetics’. The strong knowledge exchange strand means that the study is expected to also contribute to our understanding of how to maximise research impact in this field and create effective evidence for linking older adult’s physical activity with the social, built and policy environments.

We aimed to evaluate different orders of fixed and random effects in random regression models (RRM) based on Legendre orthogonal polynomials as well as to verify the feasibility of these models to describe growth curves in Nellore cattle. The proposed RRM were also compared to multi-trait models (MTM). Variance components and genetic parameters estimates were performed via REML for all models. Twelve RRM were compared through Akaike (AIC) and Bayesian (BIC) information criteria. The model of order three for the fixed curve and four for all random effects (direct genetic, maternal genetic, permanent environment, and maternal permanent environment) fits best. Estimates of direct genetic, maternal genetic, maternal permanent environment, permanent environment, phenotypic and residual variances were similar between MTM and RRM. Heritability estimates were higher via RRM. We presented perspectives for the use of RRM for genetic evaluation of growth traits in Brazilian Nellore cattle. In general, moderate heritability estimates were obtained for the majority of studied traits when using RRM. Additionally, the precision of these estimates was higher when using RRM instead of MTM. However, concerns about the variance components estimates in advanced ages via Legendre polynomial must be taken into account in future studies.

Abstract Background Relationships between several built environment factors and physical activity and walking behavior are well established, but internationally-comparable built environment measures are lacking. The Microscale Audit of Pedestrian Streetscapes (MAPS)-Global is an observational measure of detailed streetscape features relevant to physical activity that was developed for international use. This study examined the inter-observer reliability of the instrument in five countries. Methods MAPS-Global was developed by compiling concepts and items from eight environmental measures relevant to walking and bicycling. Inter-rater reliability data were collected in neighborhoods selected to vary on geographic information system (GIS)-derived macro-level walkability in five countries (Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Hong Kong-China, and Spain). MAPS-Global assessments (n = 325) were completed in person along a ≥ 0.25 mile route from a residence toward a non-residential destination, and a commercial block was also rated for each residence (n = 82). Two raters in each country rated each route independently. A tiered scoring system was created that summarized items at multiple levels of aggregation, and positive and negative valence scores were created based on the expected effect on physical activity. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was computed for scales and selected items using one-way random models. Results Overall, 86.6% of individual items and single item indicators showed excellent agreement (ICC ≥ 0.75), and 13.4% showed good agreement (ICC = 0.60–0.74). All subscales and overall summary scores showed excellent agreement. Six of 123 items were too rare to compute the ICC. The median ICC for items and scales was 0.92 with a range of 0.50–1.0. Aesthetics and social characteristics showed lower ICCs than other sub-scales, but reliabilities were still in the excellent range (ICC ≥ 0.75). Conclusion Evaluation of inter-observer reliability of MAPS-Global across five countries indicated all items and scales had “good” or “excellent” reliability. The results demonstrate that trained observers from multiple countries were able to reliably conduct observations of both residential and commercial areas with the new MAPS-Global instrument. Next steps are to evaluate construct validity in relation to physical activity in multiple countries and gain experience with using MAPS-Global for research and practice applications.

Abstract: The objective of this work was to evaluate the criteria for the formation of contemporary groups (CGs) in the genetic evaluation of body weight at weaning in Nellore cattle. A total of 713,474 records from 3,066 herds located in Midwestern and Northern Brazil were used. Data were obtained from the genealogical registry of zebu breeds of the Brazilian association of zebu breeders. Data structures were defined based on the number of standard deviations (SDs) for outlier removal (±2.0, ±2.5, ±3.0, and ±3.5) and on the minimal number of animals per CG (3, 7, and 15). Genetic evaluation was performed with an animal model using Bayesian inference. Data structures with ±3.5 SDs and CG with at least 15 animals presented the highest additive genetic variance (82.65±2.93), and those with ±2.0 SDs and CG with at least 3 animals showed the lowest one (60.23±1.96). The proper formation of CGs results in better-quality data archives, allowing to obtain more trustable estimates for the genetic parameters. Better selection responses are obtained when the following criteria are adopted for the removal of outliers: 2.5, 3.0, and 3.5 standard deviations and a minimum of 15 animals per contemporary group.

Cessar a reprodução dos atuais problemas sociais, ambientais e econômicos exige uma transformação da maneira de abordar a educação e a vida, o que evidencia a importância da Educação para a Sustentabilidade (EpS). Ao analisar a formação de profissionais de gestão, a importância da EpS fica ainda mais manifesta, considerando os impactos das decisões destes profissionais sobre o meio ambiente e sociedade. Assim, para que objetivos da EpS sejam alcançados, novas propostas pedagógicas são necessárias, a EpS encontra oportunidades nas abordagens de aprendizagem de epistemologia construtivista, como a Aprendizagem Experiencial (AE). Assim, a presente pesquisa tem como objetivo analisar a capacidade contributiva da Aprendizagem Experiencial para a Educação para a sustentabilidade em uma iniciativa interdisciplinar desenvolvida no ensino de gestão. A partir da realização de entrevistas e aplicação de questionário, levantou-se dados a respeito de iniciativa interdisciplinar, composta por duas disciplinas (Projeto Interdisciplinar 1 e 2) e sua relação com a AE. Os resultados indicam que ao adotar a AE como pano de fundo para o desenvolvimento da iniciativa é possível alcançar os resultados almejados pela EpS, podendo contribuir com o desenvolvimento discente no que tange ao pensamento crítico, visão sistêmica, perspectiva de futuro, entre outros.

Background: Understanding the contextual factors that influence the dissemination and implementation of evidence-based chronic disease prevention (EBCDP) interventions in public health settings across countries could inform strategies to support the dissemination and implementation of EBCDP interventions globally and more effectively prevent chronic diseases. A survey tool to use across diverse countries is lacking. This study describes the development and reliability testing of a survey tool to assess the stage of dissemination, multi-level contextual factors, and individual and agency characteristics that influence the dissemination and implementation of EBCDP interventions in Australia, Brazil, China, and the United States.Methods: Development of the 26-question survey included, a narrative literature review of extant measures in EBCDP; qualitative interviews with 50 chronic disease prevention practitioners in Australia, Brazil, China, and the United States; review by an expert panel of researchers in EBCDP; and test-retest reliability assessment.Results: A convenience sample of practitioners working in chronic disease prevention in each country completed the survey twice (N = 165). Overall, this tool produced good to moderately reliable responses. Generally, reliability of responses was higher among practitioners from Australia and the United States than China and Brazil.Conclusions: Reliability findings inform the adaptation and further development of this tool. Revisions to four questions are recommended before use in China and revisions to two questions before use in Brazil. This survey tool can contribute toward an improved understanding of the contextual factors that public health practitioners in Australia, Brazil, China, and the United States face in their daily chronic disease prevention work related to the dissemination and implementation of EBCDP interventions. This understanding is necessary for the creation of multi-level strategies and policies that promote evidence-based decision-making and effective prevention of chronic diseases on a more global scale.

Abstract INTRODUCTION: Female sex workers (FSWs) are considered a bridge for transmission of pathogens from high-risk to general populations. We assessed the epidemiological status of syphilis in FSWs along the Pará highway system. METHODS: Two hundred and twenty-two FSWs were interviewed and samples were analyzed using rapid qualitative tests and real-time polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: The prevalence of syphilis was high (36.94%). The high rate of prostitution, use of illicit drugs, and search for financial resources increased Treponema pallidum transmission through unprotected sex. CONCLUSIONS: Several characteristics of FSWs were identified, which reinforce the need for measures guaranteeing their health and protection.