Search results for: Mario Aquino Alves

Authors: Francesca La Rosa , Marina Saresella, Mario Clerici, Michael Heneka

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Neuroinflammation plays a key role in the modulation of the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorder such as Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Microglia, the main immune effector of the brain, are able to migrate to sites of Amyloid-beta (Aβ) deposition to eliminate Aβ phagocytosis upon activation by multiple receptors: Toll like receptors and scavenger receptors. The issue of whether microglia are able to eliminate pathological lesions such as neurofibrillary tangles or senile plaques from AD brain still remains the matter of controversy. Recent data suggest that the Nod Like Receptor 3 (NLRP3), multiprotein inflammasome complexes, plays a role in AD, as its activation in the microglia by Aβ triggers. IL-1β is produced as a biologically inactive pro-form and requires caspase-1 for activation and secretion. Caspase-1 activity is controlled by inflammasomes. We investigate about the importance of inflammasomes complex in the Aβ phagocytosis and its degradation. The preliminary results of phagocytosis assay and immunofluorescent experiment on primary Microglia cells to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) an Aβ exposure show that a previous treatment with LPS reduce Aβ phagocytosis. Different results were obtained in Primary Microglia wild type, NLRP3 and ASC Knockout suggesting a real inflammasomes involvement in Alzheimer's pathology. Inflammasomes inactivation reduces the production of inflammatory cytokines prolonging the protective activity of microglia and Aβ clearance, featuring a typical microglia phenotype of the early stage of AD disease.

Keywords: Alzheimer disease, innate immunity, neuroinflammation, NLRP3

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Authors: Graziela D. de Azevedo, Livia M. Pagotto, Mario P. Monzoni, Neto

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This article aims to discuss partnerships between public administration and private social investment aimed at territorial development. There has been some approximation in Brazil from private social investors with initiatives aiming at territorial development policies in highly vulnerable territories or in places where the business sector operates. This represents this paper’s major justification: on the advance of academic debate about how businesses, institutes, and foundations have been working alongside local governments, taking the territory as the reference for joint action. The research was based on the literature on governance and territorial development and adopted a mixed iterative approach (inductive and deductive) through an interpretative lens so as to develop an analysis structure that complements and expands knowledge about the contribution of public policies and private social investments for territorial development in Brazil. The analysis of 15 cases based on three distinct blocks (territorial development plans, articulation for education, and thematic approaches) has made it possible to identify common elements regarding the motivations of partnerships, the specific needs of the actors involved, and the priority drivers for stimulating development. Findings include discussion on the leading role of territories in their development paths, on the institutionalization and strengthening of capacities, and on long-term perspectives in development strategies.

Keywords: private social investment, public administration, territorial governance, territorial development

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Authors: C. Malça, P. Gonçalves, N. Alves, A. Mateus

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Regardless of the manufacturing process used, subtractive or additive, material, purpose and application, produced components are conventionally solid mass with more or less complex shape depending on the production technology selected. Aspects such as reducing the weight of components, associated with the low volume of material required and the almost non-existent material waste, speed and flexibility of production and, primarily, a high mechanical strength combined with high structural performance, are competitive advantages in any industrial sector, from automotive, molds, aviation, aerospace, construction, pharmaceuticals, medicine and more recently in human tissue engineering. Such features, properties and functionalities are attained in metal components produced using the additive technique of Rapid Prototyping from metal powders commonly known as Selective Laser Melting (SLM), with optimized internal topologies and varying densities. In order to produce components with high strength and high structural and functional performance, regardless of the type of application, three different internal topologies were developed and analyzed using numerical computational tools. The developed topologies were numerically submitted to mechanical compression and four point bending testing. Finite Element Analysis results demonstrate how different internal topologies can contribute to improve mechanical properties, even with a high degree of porosity relatively to fully dense components. Results are very promising not only from the point of view of mechanical resistance, but especially through the achievement of considerable variation in density without loss of structural and functional high performance.

Keywords: additive manufacturing, internal topologies, porosity, rapid prototyping, selective laser melting

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Authors: A. F. Alves, L. Schmidt, J. Ferrao

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Portugal is one of the more vulnerable European countries to the impacts of climate change. These include: temperature increase; coastal sea level rise; desertification and drought in the countryside; and frequent and intense extreme weather events. Hence, adaptation strategies to climate change are of great importance. This is what was addressed by ClimAdaPT.Local. This policy-oriented project had the main goal of developing 26 Municipal Adaptation Strategies for Climate Change, through the identification of local specific present and future vulnerabilities, the training of municipal officials, and the engagement of local communities. It is intended to be replicated throughout the whole territory and to stimulate the creation of a national network of local adaptation in Portugal. Supported by methodologies and tools specifically developed for this project, our paper is based on the surveys, training and stakeholder engagement workshops implemented at municipal level. In an 'adaptation-as-learning' process, these tools functioned as a social-learning platform and an exercise in knowledge and policy co-production. The results allowed us to explore the nature of local vulnerabilities and the exposure of gaps in the context of reappraisal of both future climate change adaptation opportunities and possible dysfunctionalities in the governance arrangements of municipal Portugal. Development issues are highlighted when we address the sectors and social groups that are both more sensitive and more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. We argue that a pluralistic dialogue and a common framing can be established between them, with great potential for transformational adaptation. Observed climate change, present-day climate variability and future expectations of change are great societal challenges which should be understood in the context of the sustainable development agenda.

Keywords: adaptation, ClimAdaPT.Local, climate change, Portugal, sustainable development

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Authors: Mario Sergio de Andrade Zago, Javier Mazariegos Pablos, Eduvaldo Paulo Sichieri

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This research project accomplished a study on the technical feasibility of recycling industrial solid waste generated by the discharge of casting sand agglomeration with clay, blast furnace slag and sugar cane bagasse ash. For this, the plan proposed a methodology that initially establishes a process of solid waste encapsulation, by using solidification/stabilization technique on Portland cement matrices, in which the residuals act as small and large aggregates on the composition of concrete, and later it presents the possibility of using this concrete in the manufacture of concrete pieces (concrete blocks) for paving. The results obtained in this research achieved the objective set with great success, regarding the manufacturing of concrete pieces (blocks) for paving urban roads, whenever there is special vehicle traffic or demands capable of producing accentuated abrasion effects (surpassing the 50 MPa required by the regulation), which probes the technical practicability of using waste from sand casting agglomeration with clay and blast furnace slag used in this study, unlocking usage possibilities for construction.

Keywords: industrial solid waste, solidification/stabilization, Portland cement, reuse, bagasse ash in the sugar cane, concrete

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Authors: Sandra Figueiredo, Margarida Alves Martins, Carlos Silva, Cristina Simões

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This study integrates a larger research empirical project that examines second language (SL) learners’ profiles and valid procedures to perform complete and diagnostic assessment in schools. 102 learners of Portuguese as a SL aged 7 and 17 years speakers of distinct home languages were assessed in several linguistic tasks. In this article, we focused on writing performance in the specific task of narrative essay composition. The written outputs were measured using the score in six components adapted from an English SL assessment context (Alberta Education): linguistic vocabulary, grammar, syntax, strategy, socio-linguistic, and discourse. The writing processes and strategies in Portuguese language used by different immigrant students were analysed to determine features and diversity of deficits on authentic texts performed by SL writers. Differentiated performance was based on the diversity of the following variables: grades, previous schooling, home language, instruction in first language, and exposure to Portuguese as Second Language. Indo-Aryan languages speakers showed low writing scores compared to their peers and the type of language and respective cognitive mapping (such as Mandarin and Arabic) was the predictor, not linguistic distance. Home language instruction should also be prominently considered in further research to understand specificities of cognitive academic profile in a Romance languages learning context. Additionally, this study also examined the teachers representations that will be here addressed to understand educational implications of second language teaching in psychological distress of different minorities in schools of specific host countries.

Keywords: home language, immigrant students, Portuguese language, second language, writing assessment

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Authors: Fabiane Alves Farias Guimarães, Rodrigo Otávio Moretti-Pires, Ana Lúcia Schaefer Ferreira de Mello

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Introduction: Considering the last changes in Brazilian Health and Higher Educational Systems, the production of scientific knowledge regarding dental education and training has been increasing. The National Curriculum Guidelines for undergraduate courses in Dentistry established in 2002 the principles and procedures to perform a more generalist dental professional profile. Objectives: To perform a systematic review of the Brazilian scientific literature about dental education and training. Methods: The systematic review was conducted considering the Lilacs - Latin American Literature in Health Sciences and SciELO - Scientific Electronic Library Online data bases, using the combination of key words dentistry, education, teaching or training. It was select original research articles, published between 2010 and 2013, in Portuguese. Results: Based on the selection criteria, it was found 23 articles. In order to organize the outcomes, the analysis was separated in three themes: Ethical aspects of education (3 articles), integrating dental service with training (10 articles) and Dental education and the Brazilian curriculum guidelines (10 articles). Most of the studies were published between 2011 and 2012 (35% each) and were held in public universities. The studied populations included dental students, teachers, universities directors, health managers and dentists. The qualitative methodological approach was predominant. Conclusion: It was possible to identify a transience time in Brazilian undergraduate courses in Dentistry after curricular changes. The produced literature shows some advances, as the incorporation of ethical values on dental education and the inclusion of new practices environments for students by integrating education and training in diversified dental services scenarios.

Keywords: Teaching, Dental Students, Human resources in dentistry

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Authors: Maria C. Proença, Maria T. Rebelo, Marília Antunes, Maria J. Alves, Hugo Osório, Sofia Cunha, João Casaca

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Using a geographic information system (GIS), the relations between a georeferenced data set of Culex pipiens sl. mosquitoes collected in Portugal mainland during seven years (2006-2012) and meteorological and physiographic parameters such as: air relative humidity, air temperature (minima, maxima and mean daily temperatures), daily total rainfall, altitude, land use/land cover and proximity to water bodies are evaluated. Focus is on the mosquito females; the characterization of its habitat is the key for the planning of chirurgical non-aggressive prophylactic countermeasures to avoid ambient degradation. The GIS allow for the spatial determination of the zones were the mosquito mean captures has been above average; using the meteorological values at these coordinates, the limits of each parameter are identified/computed. The meteorological parameters measured at the net of weather stations all over the country are averaged by month and interpolated to produce raster maps that can be segmented according to the thresholds obtained for each parameter. The intersection of the maps obtained for each month show the evolution of the area favorable to the species through the mosquito season, which is from May to October at these latitudes. In parallel, mean and above average captures were related to the physiographic parameters. Three levels of risk could be identified for each parameter, using above average captures as an index. The results were applied to the suitability meteorological maps of each month. The Culex pipiens critical niche is delimited, reflecting the critical areas and the level of risk for transmission of the pathogens to which they are competent vectors (West Nile virus, iridoviruses, rheoviruses and parvoviruses).

Keywords: Culex pipiens, ecological niche, risk assessment, risk management

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Authors: Mario C. Nierras

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This study aimed to determine the extension services’ needs of small farmers in Biliran province, Philippines. It also sought to find out other issues/concerns of the small farmers. Extension services’ needs of small farmers were gathered through personal interviewing and observational analysis of randomly-selected small farmers in Biliran, Philippines. Biliran small farmers extension services’ needs include: raising fruits, raising legumes, raising vegetables, raising swine, raising cattle, and raising chicken (as priority broad skills). For the specific skills, diagnosing symptoms on fertilizer deficiencies, controlling plant pests and diseases, diagnosing signs on specific pest and disease damage, controlling animal pests and diseases, and doing artificial insemination were the priority skills. They considered an on-farm trial of new technology as most needed to be coupled with industry and quality-orientedness, as positive behaviors needed in farming success. The farmers still adhere to the so-called wait-and-see attitude, thus they are more convinced to follow a particular technology if they see a concrete result of the introduced changes. Technical needs prioritization of Biliran small farmers showed that they have a real need for crop and animal production skills to include the other issues/concerns. Extension service program planning for small farmers should be patterned after their technical needs giving due attention to some issues/concerns so that extension work could deliver the right skills for the right needs of the farmers.

Keywords: extension, extension service, extension service needs, extension service program, farmers, small farmers, marginal farmers

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Authors: Ligia Florio, João Mauricio Castaldelli-Maia

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Background: Food addiction (FA) emerged in the 1990s as a possible contributor to the increasing prevalence of obesity and overweight, in conjunction with changing food environments and mental health conditions. However, FA is not yet listed as one of the disorders in the DSM-5 and/or the ICD-11. Although there are controversies and debates in the literature about the classification and construct of FA, the most common approach to access it is the use of a research tool - the Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS) - which approximates the concept of FA to the concept diagnosis of dependence on psychoactive substances. There is a need to explore the dimensional phenotypes accessed by YFAS in different population groups for a better understanding and scientific support of FA diagnoses. Methods: The primary objective of this project was to investigate the construct validity of the FA concept by mYFAS 2.0 in individuals who underwent bariatric surgery (n = 100) at the Hospital Estadual Mário Covas since 2011. Statistical analyzes were conducted using the STATA software. In this sense, structural or factor validity was the type of construct validity investigated using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and item response theory (IRT) techniques. Results: EFA showed that the one-dimensional model was the most parsimonious. The IRT showed that all criteria contributed to the latent structure, presenting discrimination values greater than 0.5, with most presenting values greater than 2. Conclusion: This study reinforces a FA dimension in patients who underwent bariatric surgery. Within this dimension, we identified the most severe and discriminating criteria for the diagnosis of FA.

Keywords: obesity, food addiction, bariatric surgery, regain

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Authors: Olatokunbo Shoyemi, Mario Brito, Ian Dawson

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In recent times, the Nigerian motor insurers have experienced high volume of motor insurance claim pay-outs and insignificant contribution to the net premium income of the Nigerian insurance market, which has been a major concern for the shareholders/stakeholders. It has been argued that there are many factors that have brought about these concerns. However, anecdotal evidence (ongoing debates among industry practitioners) suggests prevalence of fraud due to poor practices in motor insurance business in Nigeria. This study is therefore aimed to carry out an assessment of fraud in motor insurance claims as perceived by experts in the Nigerian insurance market. This study adopted a descriptive research design, and the analysis was built on a survey among insurance experts in Nigeria using a designed questionnaire. A purposive and snowball sampling were used to select our sample (N = 120) - representing a selection of all professionally qualified insurance experts in Nigeria insurance industry. The study found that Nigerian insurance experts (i) largely agree that there is a problematic level of fraud in the Nigerian motor insurance industry; (ii) perceive soft fraud to be about 3 times more common than hard fraud in the Nigerian motor insurance industry, and (iii) strongly agree there are problematic impacts from fraud on the solvency of the Nigerian motor insurers. This paper has provided an empirical understanding of the existence, extent, and impact of fraud risks within the Nigerian insurance market based on expert knowledge and insights rather than, as has often been the case, a reliance on individual anecdotes.

Keywords: claims, net premium income, motor insurance, soft fraud, hard fraud

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Authors: Mario A. Blanco, Nicholas Burkhardt

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An important problem in satellite communication systems which operate in the Ka and EHF frequency bands consists of the overall degradation in link performance of mobile terminals due to various types of degradations in the link/channel, such as fading, blockage of the link to the satellite (especially in urban environments), intentional as well as other types of interference, etc. In this paper, we focus primarily on the interference problem, and we develop a very efficient and cost-effective solution based on the use of fountain codes. We first introduce a satellite communications (SATCOM) terminal uplink interference channel model that is classically used against communication systems that use spread-spectrum waveforms. We then consider the use of fountain codes, with focus on Raptor codes, as our main mitigation technique to combat the degradation in link/receiver performance due to the interference signal. The performance of the receiver is obtained in terms of average probability of bit and message error rate as a function of bit energy-to-noise density ratio, Eb/N0, and other parameters of interest, via a combination of analysis and computer simulations, and we show that the use of fountain codes is extremely effective in overcoming the effects of intentional interference on the performance of the receiver and associated communication links. We then show this technique can be extended to mitigate other types of SATCOM channel degradations, such as those caused by channel fading, shadowing, and hard-blockage of the uplink signal.

Keywords: SATCOM, interference mitigation, fountain codes, turbo codes, cross-layer

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Authors: Mario Jose Paillacho Silva, José Ángel Pérez López

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This article delves into the critical role of circular economy principles in unlocking sustainable growth and addressing environmental inequalities in emerging markets. Circular economy practices, rooted in regenerative systems and resource conservation, offer a transformative pathway for dynamic economies to achieve prosperity while minimizing environmental impact. The article comprehensively explores the understanding of the circular economy in emerging markets, emphasizing its economic benefits, social implications, and environmental advantages. It highlights key challenges and opportunities faced by these markets and emphasizes the crucial role of governments in creating supportive policy frameworks. It emphasizes how circular economy practices empower local communities and promote social inclusion and equality. Furthermore, the article underscores how the adoption of circular economy practices can mitigate waste, pollution, and resource scarcity, thus contributing to climate change mitigation and adaptation. Integrating circular economy principles with the United Nations' sustainable development goals (SDGs), the article showcases the potential of circularity in fostering responsible consumption and production, sustainable economic growth, and environmental protection. Overall, the article advocates for cross-sector collaboration and knowledge sharing to overcome barriers and scale circular economy practices in emerging markets, ultimately leading to a more equitable, prosperous, and environmentally sustainable future.

Keywords: circular economy, sustainability, emerging markets, circularity

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Authors: Plinio Martins Dias Da Silva, Bruno Barbosa Castro, Andre Leibsohn Martins, Rosane Alves Fontes, Joao Vicente Martins de Magalhaes, Fernando Salatiel de Oliveira, Helga Elisabeth Pinheiro Schluter, Alexandre Zacharias Ignacio Pereira

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Inorganic scale is a relevant cause for production losses in offshore operations. In the development of pre-salt fields calcium carbonate crystallization, especially when the flow is submitted to abrupt depressurization, often cause problems in reservoir selectivity and production string obstruction. The conventional strategy for this kind of problem is to continuously inject chemicals to prevent precipitation. The low reliability of injection devices, which frequently fail, and the possibility of adopting downhole completion configurations which do not allow injection at the lower zones stimulated the industry to search for alternative mitigation strategies. The use of magnetic fields to help in minimizing the adhesion of calcium carbonate crystals to downhole surfaces. The proposed mechanisms include the effect of the magnetic field in generating fewer adhesive polymorphs (vaterite) in relation to the more stable ones (calcite). A discussion on this topic has been widely addressed in the literature. The goal of the present article is to describe the construction of real scale prototypes of a magnetic sub, a device to be attached to the production string to generate the necessary magnetic field to achieve the scale mitigation requirements. The strategy for magnetic and mechanical design is described. In addition, a protocol to establish the strategy for field installation in a field development project is detailed. The focus is to equip a given well with several subs and compare the production records with a correlation well with no subs installed. Finally, an update of the status of field installations is presented, with the proposed evaluation methodology customized for each field.

Keywords: magnetic subs, downhole, scale, inorganic, mitigation

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Authors: Mario Isaza-Ruget, Claudia C. Colmenares-Mejia, Nancy Yomayusa, Camilo A. González, Andres Cely, Jossie Murcia

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Quantification of risks associated with complications development from chronic kidney disease (CKD) through accurate survival models can help with patient management. A retrospective cohort that included patients diagnosed with CKD from a primary care program and followed up between 2013 and 2018 was carried out. Time-dependent and static covariates associated with demographic, clinical, and laboratory factors were included. Deep Learning (DL) survival analyzes were developed for three CKD outcomes: CKD stage progression, >25% decrease in Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR), and Renal Replacement Therapy (RRT). Models were evaluated and compared with Random Survival Forest (RSF) based on concordance index (C-index) metric. 2.143 patients were included. Two models were developed for each outcome, Deep Neural Network (DNN) model reported C-index=0.9867 for CKD stage progression; C-index=0.9905 for reduction in eGFR; C-index=0.9867 for RRT. Regarding the RSF model, C-index=0.6650 was reached for CKD stage progression; decreased eGFR C-index=0.6759; RRT C-index=0.8926. DNN models applied in survival analysis context with considerations of longitudinal covariates at the start of follow-up can predict renal stage progression, a significant decrease in eGFR and RRT. The success of these survival models lies in the appropriate definition of survival times and the analysis of covariates, especially those that vary over time.

Keywords: artificial intelligence, chronic kidney disease, deep neural networks, survival analysis

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Authors: Claudeny Simone Alves Santana, Alexandre Simas De Medeiros, Marcelino Aurélio Vieira Da Silva

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The aim of the study was to assess the performance of pavements over time, considering the principles of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and the ability to withstand vehicle loads and associated environmental impacts. Within the study boundary, pavement design was conducted using the Mechanistic-Empirical Method, adopting criteria based on pavement cracking and wheel path rutting while also considering factors such as soil characteristics, material thickness, and the distribution of forces exerted by vehicles. The Ecoinvent® 3.6 database and SimaPro® software were employed to calculate emissions, and SICRO 3 information was used to estimate costs. Consequently, the study sought to identify the service that had the greatest impact on greenhouse gas emissions. The results were compared for design life periods of 10 and 30 years, considering structural performance and load-bearing capacity. Additionally, environmental impacts in terms of CO2 emissions per standard axle and construction costs in dollars per standard axle were analyzed. Based on the conducted analyses, it was possible to determine which pavement exhibited superior performance over time, considering technical, environmental, and economic criteria. One of the findings indicated that the mechanical characteristics of the soils used in the pavement layer directly influence the thickness of the pavement and the quantity of greenhouse gases, with a difference of approximately 7000 Kg CO2 Eq. The transportation service was identified as having the most significant negative impact. Other notable observations are that the study can contribute to future project guidelines and assist in decision-making regarding the selection of the most suitable pavement in terms of durability, load-bearing capacity, and sustainability.

Keywords: life cycle assessment, greenhouse gases, urban paving, service cost

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Authors: Frederick Kobe O. Obar, Preity B. Quinzon, Trisha B. Tumbokon, Mario Joshua D. Marron, Kenichi Katsuo Kichiro A. Rimorin

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The Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP) is a program meant to reform the current state of the Philippines’ public transportation sector. This study determined the impact of the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program on San Fernando City, La Union's jeepney drivers, interviewing six individuals, three with traditional vehicles and three with modernized units. This study used a descriptive qualitative research design and employed purposive sampling to select the six participants suited for the study, who were then subjected to a semi-structured face-to-face interview. The gathered data was then analyzed through thematic analysis. The findings highlighted evidence that the jeepney drivers experienced abrupt and prevailing changes in their routine and in their everyday work. This study concludes that while the sentiment of the program was appreciated, it has changed the environment for jeepney drivers drastically, provoking many reactions. These changes have, of course, shifted the daily lives of the jeepney drivers significantly, but through adaptability, they found ways. Recommendations include flexible compliance policies, educational initiatives, and support for drivers, providing valuable insights for informed decision-making in the ongoing transportation modernization discussion. This study concluded that while the drivers are not opposed to reform, they are not entirely in approval of the current effects of the program as it is being implemented in their local area.

Keywords: transport reform, transport modernization, public transport, jeepney drivers, PUVMP, urban planning, public utility vehicles

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Authors: Maria C. Proença, Maria T. Rebelo, Maria J. Alves, Sofia Cunha

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Vector-borne diseases are transmitted to humans by mosquitos, sandflies, bugs, ticks, and other vectors. Some are re-transmitted between vectors, if the infected human has a new contact when his levels of infection are high. The vector is infected for lifetime and can transmit infectious diseases not only between humans but also from animals to humans. Some vector borne diseases are very disabling and globally account for more than one million deaths worldwide. The mosquitoes from the complex Culex pipiens sl. are the most abundant in Portugal, and we dispose in this moment of a data set from the surveillance program that has been carried on since 2006 across the country. All mosquitos’ species are included, but the large coverage of Culex pipiens sl. and its importance for public health make this vector an interesting candidate to assess risk of disease amplification. This work focus on ports and airports identified as key areas of high density of vectors. Mosquitoes being ectothermic organisms, the main factor for vector survival and pathogen development is temperature. Minima and maxima local air temperatures for each area of interest are averaged by month from data gathered on a daily basis at the national network of meteorological stations, and interpolated in a geographic information system (GIS). The range of temperatures ideal for several pathogens are known and this work shows how to use it with the meteorological data in each port and airport facility, to focus an efficient implementation of countermeasures and reduce simultaneously risk transmission and mitigation costs. The results show an increased alert with decreasing latitude, which corresponds to higher minimum and maximum temperatures and a lower amplitude range of the daily temperature.

Keywords: human health, risk assessment, risk management, vector-borne diseases

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Authors: Leo Latasch, Mario Di Gennaro

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Introduction: The goal of this project was to increase the resilience of the population as well as rescue organizations to make both quality and time-related improvements in handling crises. A helper network was created for this purpose. Methods: Social questions regarding the structure and purpose of helper networks were considered - specifically with regard to helper motivation, the level of commitment and collaboration between populations and agencies. The exchange of information, the coordinated use of volunteers, and the distribution of available resources will be ensured through defined communication and cooperation routines. Helper smartphones will also be used provide a picture of the situation on the ground. Results: The helper network was established and deployed based on the RESIBES information technology system. It consists of a service platform, a web portal and a smartphone app. The service platform is the central element for collaboration between the various rescue organizations, as well as for persons, associations, and companies from the population offering voluntary aid. The platform was used for: Registering helpers and resources and then requesting and assigning it in case of a disaster. These services allow the population's resources to be organized. The service platform also allows for a secure data exchange between services and external systems. Conclusions: The social and technical work priorities have allowed us to cover a full cycle of advance structural work, gaining an overview, damage management, evaluation, and feedback on experiences. This cycle allows experiences gained while handling the crisis to feed back into the cycle and improve preparations and management strategies.

Keywords: coordination, disaster, resilience, volunteers

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Authors: Ana Maria Girotti Sperandio, Jussara Conceição Guarnieri, Lauro Luiz Francisco Filho, Ana Claudia Martins Alves, Adriana Aparecida Carneiro Rosa

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The urban planning of a city should contemplate the construction of healthy spaces to provide quality of life for people. In a Brazilian municipality located 180 km from the capital of São Paulo with around 27,000 thousand inhabitants, the federal government made possible a program that allows the improvement of the quality of life of the inhabitants through the practice of physical activity. To describe health promotion strategies in the city that collaborate in the reduction of chronic non-communicable diseases (CDNT) and the improvement the quality of its residents. Considering the CDNT as a fundamental public health concern in different countries, the methodology of this work considered the different actions of health promotion that occurred in the city for the implementation of the Polo Health Academy with the objective of increasing the population's access to places that could develop targeted physical activities. As an instrument, it used records of participants of this academy such as: assessment sheets, evolution, photos, filming and daily reports of physical activities. Results: The implantation and implementation process of the Polo Health Academy in the city of Conchal / SP / Brazil was in accordance with the principles and values of the National Health Promotion Policy (PNaPS) in Brazil and with the city statute, that provides improvement in the quality of life of the Brazilian population. An increase was observed in the number of participants in different hours practicing physical activities in the territory linked to one of the five Health Units, showing the program provides that happiness and well-being to the students. The Brazilian health promotion policy, combined with the city’s development policy, provides the population with access to programs that stimulate the reduction of CDNTs, confirming the urban planning of a healthy city.

Keywords: health city, health promotion, physical activity, urban planning

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Authors: Elzo Alves Aranha, Marcio M. Araki

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Business model (BM) is a term that has been receiving the attention of scholars and practitioners and has been consolidating itself as a field of study and research. Although there is no agreement in the academic literature on the definition of BM, at least there is an explicit agreement: BM defines a logical structure of how an organization creates value, capture value and delivers value for the customers and stakeholders. The lack of understanding about connections and elements among BM and higher education, university, and entrepreneurship education opens a gap in the academic literature. Thus, it is interesting to analyze how BM has been approached by the literature and applied in higher education, university, and entrepreneurship education aimed to know the main streams of research. This is because higher education institutions are characterized by innovation, leading to a greater acceptance of new and modern concepts such as BM. Our research has the main motivation to fill the gap in the academic literature, making it possible to increase the power of understanding about connections and aspects among BM and higher education, university, and entrepreneurship education. The objective of the research is to analyze the main aspects among BM and higher education, university, and entrepreneurship education in academic literature. The research followed the systematic literature review (SLR). The SLR is based on three main factors: clarity, validity, and auditability. 82 academic papers were found in the past 10 years, from 2009-2019. The search was carried out in Science Direct and Periodicos Capes databases. The main findings indicate that there are links between BM and higher education, BM and university, BM, and entrepreneurship education. The main findings are inserted within seven aspects. The findings are innovative and contribute to increase the power of understanding about the connection among BM and higher education, university, and entrepreneurship education in academic literature. The research findings addressed to the gap exposed in academic literature. The research findings have several practical implications, and we highlight only two main ones. First, researchers will be able to use the research findings to mitigate a BM research agenda involving connections between BM and higher education, BM and university, and BM and entrepreneurship education. Second, directors, deans, and university leaders will be able to carry out BM awareness programs, BM professors training programs, and makers planning for the inclusion of BM, as one of the components of the curricula of the undergraduate and graduate courses.

Keywords: business model, entrepreneurship education, higher education, university

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Authors: Marcio Mesquita, Diogo Henrique Morato de Moraes, Henrique Fonseca Elias de Oliveira, Rilner Alves Flores, Mateus Rodrigues Ferreira, Dalva Graciano Ribeiro

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This study aimed to analyze the movement of water in irrigated and non-irrigated rice (Oryza sativa L.) leaves, from the xylem to the stomata, through numerical simulations. Through three-dimensional modeling, it was possible to determine how the spacing of parenchyma cells and the permeability of these cells influence the apoplastic flow and the opening of the stomata. The thickness of the cuticle and the number of vascular bundles are greater in plants subjected to water stress, indicating an adaptive response of plants to environments with water deficit. In addition, numerical simulations revealed that the opening of the stomata, the permeability of the parenchyma cells and the cell spacing have significant impacts on the energy loss and the speed of water movement. It was observed that a more open stoma facilitates water flow, decreasing the resistance and energy required for transport, while higher levels of permeability reduce energy loss, indicating that a more permeable tissue allows for more efficient water transport. Furthermore, it was possible to note that stomatal aperture, parenchyma permeability and cell spacing are crucial factors in the efficient water management of plants, especially under water stress conditions. These insights are essential for the development of more effective agricultural management strategies and for the breeding of plant varieties that are more resistant to adverse growing conditions. Computed fluid dynamics has allowed us to overcome the limitations of conventional techniques by providing a means to visualize and understand the complex hydrodynamic processes within the vascular system of plants.

Keywords: numerical modeling, vascular anatomy, vascular hydrodynamics, xylem, Oryza sativa L.

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Authors: Iahtasham Khan, Vania Lucia De Assis Santana, Marcilia Maria Alves De Souza, Mabel Hanna Vance Harrop, Fernando Leandro Dos Santos, Cecília Maria Souza Leão E. Silva, Pedro Paulo Silveira, Marcelo Brasil, Marcus Vinícius, Hélio Cordeiro Manso Filho, Muhammad Younus, Aman Ullah Khan

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Glanders ranks high on clinical lists in some regions of Brazil as a cause of respiratory and lymphatic disease in equids. Glanders is caused by Burkolderia mallei (B. mallei) Gram-negative bacterium. B. mallei was first biological agent used in World War I in 20th century. The complement fixation test (CFT) is a serodiagnostic tool prescribed by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE)for the diagnosis of glanders in the international trade of equids. The aim of the present study was to monitor the serological responses in equines naturally infected with B. mallei using the CFT. A total of 574 equids were tested with CFT, 30 days apart in a total of 12 samplings. One hundred thirty-four sera tested negative in all samplings; 192 sera tested positive in one sampling and 125 sera tested positive in two or more samplings. Remaining 123 samples showed uncertain results. Thus, CFT results can vary over a period of time. These variations could be the consequence of the effects of the natural immune response in each animal. The findings of the present study demonstrate difficulties regarding the simultaneous implementation of CFT and test and slaughter policies to eradicate glanders. Another constraint to control this disease is the presence of carrier/transitory CFT-negative animals, which are a potential source of disease in glanders-free areas. Serodiagnostic tests of higher sensitivity and specificity like immunobloat should be implemented to achieve success in the eradication of glanders.

Keywords: glanders, equids, horses, immunological, mules

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Authors: Lissette Alejandra Lara, Mario Gomez, Jose Carlos Rodriguez

Abstract:

ransnational corporations (TNCs) as units in which it is possible technology and knowledge transfer across borders and the potential for generating innovation and contributing in economic development both in home and host countries have been widely acknowledged in the foreign direct investment (FDI) literature. Particularly, the accelerated expansion of emerging countries TNCs in the last decades has guided an uprising research stream that measure the presence of reverse technology transfer, defined as the extent to which emerging countries’ TNCs use outward FDI in a host country through certain mechanisms to absorb and transfer knowledge thus improving its technological capabilities in the home country. The objective of this paper is to test empirically the presence of reverse technology transfer and its impact on the innovation capabilities in Mexican transnational corporations (MXTNCs) as a part of the emerging countries TNCs that have successfully entered to industrialized markets. Using a panel dataset of 22 MXTNCs over the period 1994-2015, the results of the econometric model demonstrate that the amount of Mexican outward FDI and the research and development (R&D) expenditure in host developed countries had a positive impact on the innovation capabilities at the firm and industry level. There is also evidence that management of acquired brands and the organizational structure of Mexican subsidiaries improved these capabilities. Implications for internationalization strategies of emerging countries corporations and future research guidelines are discussed.

Keywords: emerging countries, foreign direct investment, innovation capabilities, Mexican transnational corporations, reverse technology transfer

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Authors: Mario Spremic

Abstract:

Despite the financial crisis and ongoing need for cost cutting, companies all around the world heavily invest in information systems (IS) and underlying information technology (IT). Information systems (IS) play very important role in modern business organizations supporting its organizational efficiency or, under certain circumstances, fostering business model innovation and change. IS can influence organization competitiveness in two ways: supporting operational efficiency (IS as a main infrastructure for the current business), or differentiating business through business model innovation and business process change. In either way, IS becomes very important to the business and needs to be aligned with strategic objectives in order to justify massive investments. A number of studies showed that investments in IS and underlying IT resulted in added business value if they are truly connected with strategic business objectives. In that sense proliferation of governance of enterprise IT helps companies manage, or rather, governs IS as a primary business function with executive management involved in making a decision about IS and IT. The quality of IT governance is rising with the large number of decisions about IS made by executive management, not IT departments. The more executive management is engaged in making a decision about IS and IT, the IT governance is of better quality. In this paper, the practice of governing the enterprise IT will be investigated on a sample of the largest 100 Croatian companies. Research questions posed here will reveal if there are some formal IT governance mechanisms, are there any differences in perceived role of IS and IT between CIOs (Chief Information Officers) and CEOs (Chief Executive Officers) of the sampled companies and what are the mechanisms to govern massive investment in enterprise IT.

Keywords: IT governance, governance of enterprise IT, information system auditing, operational efficiency

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Authors: Daniel Mueller, Melanie Breitbach, Stefan Cornelius, Sarah Pakulla-Dickel, Margaretha Koenig, Anke Prochnow, Mario Scherer

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The European STR standard set (ESS) of loci as well as the new expanded CODIS core loci set as recommended by the CODIS Core Loci Working Group, has led to a higher standardization and harmonization in STR analysis across borders. Various multiplex PCRs assays have since been developed for the analysis of these 17 ESS or 23 CODIS expansion STR markers that all meet high technical demands. However, forensic analysts are often faced with difficult STR results and the questions thereupon. What is the reason that no peaks are visible in the electropherogram? Did the PCR fail? Was the DNA concentration too low? QIAGEN’s newest Investigator STR kits contain a novel Quality Sensor (QS) that acts as internal performance control and gives useful information for evaluating the amplification efficiency of the PCR. QS indicates if the reaction has worked in general and furthermore allows discriminating between the presence of inhibitors or DNA degradation as a cause for the typical ski slope effect observed in STR profiles of such challenging samples. This information can be used to choose the most appropriate rework strategy.Based on the latest PCR chemistry called FRM 2.0, QIAGEN now provides the next technological generation for STR analysis, the Investigator ESSplex SE QS and Investigator 24plex QS Kits. The new PCR chemistry ensures robust and fast PCR amplification with improved inhibitor resistance and easy handling for a manual or automated setup. The short cycling time of 60 min reduces the duration of the total PCR analysis to make a whole workflow analysis in one day more likely. To facilitate the interpretation of STR results a smart primer design was applied for best possible marker distribution, highest concordance rates and a robust gender typing.

Keywords: PCR, QIAGEN, quality sensor, STR

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Authors: Mario Perez-Won, Roberto Lemus-Mondaca, Fernanda Marin, Constanza Olivares

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This study presents the simultaneous application of high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) and osmotic dehydration of jumbo squid (Dosidicus gigas) slice. Diffusion coefficients for both components water and solids were improved by the process pressure, being influenced by pressure level. The working conditions were different pressures such as 100, 250, 400 MPa and pressure atmospheric (0.1 MPa) for time intervals from 30 to 300 seconds and a 15% NaCl concentration. The mathematical expressions used for mass transfer simulations both water and salt were those corresponding to Newton, Henderson and Pabis, Page and Weibull models, where the Weibull and Henderson-Pabis models presented the best fitted to the water and salt experimental data, respectively. The values for water diffusivity coefficients varied from 1.62 to 8.10x10⁻⁹ m²/s whereas that for salt varied among 14.18 to 36.07x10⁻⁹ m²/s for selected conditions. Finally, as to quality parameters studied under the range of experimental conditions studied, the treatment at 250 MPa yielded on the samples a minimum hardness, whereas springiness, cohesiveness and chewiness at 100, 250 and 400 MPa treatments presented statistical differences regarding to unpressurized samples. The colour parameters L* (lightness) increased, however, but b* (yellowish) and a* (reddish) parameters decreased when increasing pressure level. This way, samples presented a brighter aspect and a mildly cooked appearance. The results presented in this study can support the enormous potential of hydrostatic pressure application as a technique important for compounds impregnation under high pressure.

Keywords: colour, diffusivity, high pressure, jumbo squid, modelling, texture

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Authors: Alma Lucero Ortiz, Mario Gomez

Abstract:

Technological advances contribute to the well-being of humanity by allowing man to perform in a more efficient way. Technology offers tangible advantages to countries with the adoption of information technologies, communication, and the Internet in all social and productive sectors. The Internet is a networking infrastructure that allows the communication of people throughout the world, exceeding the limits of time and space. Nowadays the internet has changed the way of doing business leading to a digital economy. In this way, e-commerce has emerged as a commercial transaction conducted over the Internet. For this inquiry e-commerce is seen as a source of economic growth for the country. Thereby, these research aims to answer the research question, which are the main variables that have affected the development of e-commerce in Mexico. The research includes a period of study from 1990 to 2017. This inquiry aims to get insight on how the independent variables influence the e-commerce development. The independent variables are information infrastructure construction, urbanization level, economic level, technology level, human capital level, educational level, standards of living, and price index. The results suggest that the independent variables have an impact on development of the e-commerce in Mexico. The present study is carried out in five parts. After the introduction, in the second part, a literature review about the main qualitative and quantitative studies to measure the variables subject to the study is presented. After, an empirical study is applied through time series data, and to process the data an econometric model is performed. In the fourth part, the analysis and discussion of results are presented, and finally, some conclusions are included.

Keywords: digital economy, e-commerce, econometric model, economic growth, internet

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Authors: Isa Raquel Alves Soeiro, Cristina Isabel Branco de Sá

Abstract:

In Portugal, since 2008, there has been a requirement to export the Standard Audit File for Tax Purposes (SAF-T) standard file (in XML format). This file thus gathers tax-relevant information from a company relating to a specific period of taxation. There are two types of SAF-T files that serve different purposes: the SAF-T of revenues and the SAF-T of accounting, which requires taxpayers and accounting firms to invest in order to adapt the accounting programs to the legal requirements. The implementation of the SAF-T accounting file aims to facilitate the collection of relevant tax data by tax inspectors as support of taxpayers' tax returns for the analysis of accounting records or other information with tax relevance (Portaria No. 321-A/2007 of March 26 and Portaria No. 302/2016 of December 2). The main objective of this research project is to verify, through quantitative analysis, what is the cost of compliance of Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) in the district of Leiria in the introduction and implementation of the tax obligation of SAF-T - Standard Audit File for Tax Purposes of accounting. The information was collected through a questionnaire sent to a population of companies selected through the SABI Bureau Van Dijk database in 2020. Based on the responses obtained to the questionnaire, the companies were divided into two groups: Group 1 -companies who are self-employed and whose main activity is accounting services; and Group 2 -companies that do not belong to the accounting sector. In general terms, the conclusion is that there are no statistically significant differences in the costs of complying with the accounting SAF-T between the companies in Group 1 and Group 2 and that, on average, the internal costs of both groups represent the largest component of the total cost of compliance with the accounting SAF-T. The results obtained show that, in both groups, the total costs of complying with the SAF-T of accounting are regressive, which appears to be similar to international studies, although these are related to different tax obligations. Additionally, we verified that the variables volume of business, software used, number of employees, and legal form explain the differences in the costs of complying with accounting SAF-T in the Leiria district SME.

Keywords: compliance costs, SAF-T accounting, SME, Portugal

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Authors: Victor Alves Barros Galvão, Israel Da Silveira Rego, Antonio Carlos Oliveira, Paulo Gilberto De Paula Toro

Abstract:

The Brazilian hypersonic aerospace vehicle 14-X B, VHA 14-X B, is a vehicle integrated with the hypersonic airbreathing propulsion system based on supersonic combustion (scramjet), developing in Aerothermodynamics and hypersonic Prof. Henry T. Nagamatsu Laboratory, to conduct demonstration in atmospheric flight at the speed corresponding to Mach number 7 at an altitude of 30km. In the experimental procedure the hypersonic shock tunnel T3 was used, installed in that laboratory. This device simulates the flow over a model is fixed in the test section and can also simulate different atmospheric conditions. The scramjet technology offers substantial advantages to improve aerospace vehicle performance which flies at a hypersonic speed through the Earth's atmosphere by reducing fuel consumption on board. Basically, the scramjet is an aspirated aircraft engine fully integrated that uses oblique/conic shock waves generated during hypersonic flight, to promote the deceleration and compression of atmospheric air in scramjet inlet. During the hypersonic flight, the vehicle VHA 14-X will suffer atmospheric influences, promoting changes in the vehicle's angles of attack (angle that the mean line of vehicle makes with respect to the direction of the flow). Based on this information, a study is conducted to analyze the influences of changes in the vehicle's angle of attack during the atmospheric flight. Analytical theoretical analysis, simulation computational fluid dynamics and experimental investigation are the methodologies used to design a technological demonstrator prior to the flight in the atmosphere. This paper considers analysis of the thermodynamic properties (pressure, temperature, density, sound velocity) in lower surface of the VHA 14-X B. Also, it considers air as an ideal gas and chemical equilibrium, with and without boundary layer, considering changes in the vehicle's angle of attack (positive and negative in relation to the flow) and bi-dimensional expansion wave theory at the expansion section (Theory of Prandtl-Meyer).

Keywords: angle of attack, experimental hypersonic, hypersonic airbreathing propulsion, Scramjet

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