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This work focuses on evaluating the spatial variability of chemical attributes of soils under different agricultural use and native forest, indicating which are the possible indicator attributes of changes in environmental, through the use and management of the soil. The study was carried out in the southern region of the Amazonas state, in an Argissolo Vermelho-Amarelo (Ultisol). Sampling grids were established measuring: 90 m × 70 m with regular soil collection spacing of 10 m for the guarana and forest areas; 90 m × 56 m spaced at 10 m × 8 m for annatto area; and 54 m × 42 m with spacing between points of 6 m for the cupuaçu area, totaling 80 sampling points in each area, with soil samples collected at depths of 0.0-0.05; 0.05-0.10 m and 0.10-0.20 m. The following attributes were determined: pH, Al3+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, P, H + Al, CEC, V% and m%. Descriptive, geostatistical and multivariate statistical analyzes were performed. The results show that it is possible to state that the descriptive, geostatistical and multivariate statistical techniques were able to identify the difference between the spatial variability of the attributes according to each specific use of individual soils. The multivariate analysis made it possible to select the attributes that most contribute to the variability of these soils, and with that, it was found that the forest showed less spatial variability in the surface layer, with higher reach values by scaled semivariograms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The number of papers focusing on ecological interactions in urban environments has increased in recent years. This review aimed to address the panorama of urban ecology and biological surveys in Brazil. A systematic search was carried out using the Web of Science and Scopus platforms for papers on urban ecology to understand which institutions, authors, themes, cities, biomes, states, and regions have addressed the theme in Brazil to date. A total of 932 articles were found, in 196 scientific journals. Most papers were published between 2010 and 2019. This involved 350 municipalities in the five Brazilian regions, with Curitiba, São Paulo, and Rio de Janeiro being the municipalities with the most papers. São Paulo was the state that presented the most papers, with 23.7% of the total, and the Southeast region was the most representative with 36.6%. The biome with the highest concentration of papers (61.2%) was the Atlantic Forest. A total of 2537 authors were registered, affiliated with a total of 413 institutions from 19 countries. The institutions with the most papers were the Federal University of Paraná and University of São Paulo. The most discussed topic was related to botany (69%), and the most used keyword was "urban afforestation". The number of papers published was greater in municipalities with higher human development index, number of inhabitants and relative urbanized area. This review revealed the scarcity of studies in low-income areas, and the need for greater incorporation of the social aspect, landscape ecology and ecological interactions in urban ecology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last decades, geostatistics has been widely used for precision agriculture (PA) producing quite exciting results. Research on this topic is important for sustainable agriculture growth in Brazil. The objective of the review is an attempt to outline the current state of using geostatistical tools for PA applications in Brazil in the last 20 years (2002–2022), but not to provide an exhaustive review of models. We analyzed the scientific literature on this field in Brazil to identify their merits and weaknesses in the present, and to conjecture on future developments. We analyzed 151 proceeding papers and 144 peer-reviewed journal articles regarding applications of geostatistics in PA in Brazil from 2002 to 2022 using bibliometric techniques to reveal current research trends and hotspots. We detected using geostatistics for PA has been limited, mostly for univariate interpolation purposes. The co-citation analysis reveals four broad research clusters in the literature: (i) spatial variability, semivariogram, soil management, (ii) soil fertility, ordinary kriging, spatial dependence, (iii) coffee plant, coffee, Coffea arabica, and (iv) glycine max, zea mays, management zones. The presented review is a springboard to future modeling developments useful for geostatistics applications to PA in Brazil. We suggest expanding the use of geostatistics for smart agricultural technology by adding new potential approaches in new research. Combined with other approaches, such as machine learning, uncertainty modeling, efforts for more geostatistical training, and data fusion from multi-sensor and multi-source are a new frontier to be explored more often by the Brazilian PA community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This systematic review aims to give an overview of the diversity of research areas related to human biometeorology in Brazil. The main focus of this paper addresses research trends, represented by published papers with national and international authorship, main contributions and shortcomings, as well as challenges and prospects of research in this area of study. An extensive literature search was conducted in the Scopus, Web of Science, and Science Direct databases so as to identify relevant publication output up to July 2021 related to the research area. The screening resulted in 96 studies chosen for full-text reading. Overall, results indicated a reduced amount of articles on the subject matter published internationally, with noticeable gaps in research in some regions of the country, such as the Amazon region and in the Brazilian Midwest region. Research gaps in relevant areas have been identified with limited output in the climate dimensions of tourism, vector-borne diseases, mortality and morbidity in urban centers. Such gaps should further encourage researchers to engage in research focused on those areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the predictions of real business cycle theory on the roles of total factor productivity (TFP) and financial frictions to explain business cycles in emerging market economies (EMEs). I obtain evidence about TFP, price of capital, risk premium, and collateral constraint shocks by estimating structural vector autoregressions (SVARs) on a Brazilian sample from 1999Q1 to 2018Q4 and a Mexican sample from 1997Q1 to 2018Q4. On each sample, two SVARs are estimated. One SVAR identifies shocks by imposing restrictions on their short-run impact. The other SVAR is grounded on restrictions that shocks have long-run effects on business cycles in EMEs. Estimates of the SVARs show the TFP shock is the main driver of business cycle movements in Brazil and Mexico. However, this evidence is produced by the SVAR under the long-run restrictions, which indicates the identification of shocks matters to the explanation of business cycles in EMEs. Next, the Brazilian and Mexican business cycles are markedly different, as the contributions of shocks to aggregate fluctuations vary across the two countries. Hence, findings of this paper suggest although not all business cycles are alike in EMEs, "the cycle is the trend" view on aggregate fluctuations in EMEs remains valid. The empirical results of this paper are in support of the economic policies that aim to robustify the productivity process of EMEs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What is the relationship between financial development, political instability, trade openness and economic growth and how does it change over time? This paper examines these links using a new econometric approach and unique data set. In this paper, we apply the logistic smooth transition model (LST) to annual data for Brazil from 1890 to 2003. The main finding is that financial development has a time-varying effect on economic growth, which depends significantly on (jointly estimated) trade openness thresholds. In addition, political instability displays a negative effect on growth whereas trade openness a positive one. Finally, our estimates show that in 56% of the years in which financial development has a 'below the mean' effect, we find that trade openness experiences a substantial 'above the mean' change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a methodology for jointly optimizing the sizing and operation of AC microgrids. The methodology is applied to the CAMPUSGRID microgrid, which is currently being developed at the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP) in Brazil. The distributed energy resources (DERs) considered in the study include a battery energy storage system (BESS), a dispatchable gas generator, and photovoltaic (PV) generation. The proposed energy management system (EMS) minimizes the costs associated with day-ahead operation of the DERs in an unbalanced three-phase AC microgrid. To develop the EMS as a mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) model, the MATLAB Link module of HOMER Pro and the AMPL API are used. Heuristic rules are also developed for contingency and post-contingency operations in case of unintentional disconnection from the main grid. The sizing simulations combine tariff regimes, contingencies, and dispatch strategies. The results demonstrate the influence of the tariff on the net present cost (NPC) and the importance of resilience in sizing DERs. Additionally, the proposed model is capable of assessing the impact of DERs on the electrical grid. Finally, the joint strategy proposed in this paper leads to a reduction in microgrid investment cost, improvement in voltage magnitude profile, and reduction in active power losses when compared to the default dispatch strategies of HOMER Pro. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Zika virus (ZIKV) is a serious global public health crisis. A major control challenge is its multiple transmission modes. This paper aims to simulate the transmission patterns of ZIKV using a dynamic process-based epidemiological model written in ordinary differential equations, which incorporates the human-to-mosquito infection by bites and sewage, mosquito-to-human infection by bites, and human-to-human infection by sex. Mathematical analyses are carried out to calculate the basic reproduction number and backward bifurcation, and prove the existence and stability of the equilibria. The model is validated with infection data by applying it to the 2015–2016 ZIKV epidemic in Brazil. The results indicate that the reproduction number is estimated to be 2.13, in which the contributions by mosquito bite, sex and sewage account for 85.7%, 3.5% and 10.8%, respectively. This number and the morbidity rate are most sensitive to parameters related to mosquito ecology, rather than asymptomatic or human-to-human transmission. Multiple transmission routes and suitable temperature exacerbate ZIKV infection in Brazil, and the vast majority of human infection cases were prevented by the intervention implemented. These findings may provide new insights to improve the risk assessment of ZIKV infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The judiciary is a foundation of democracy, upholding the rule of law and protecting rights. Efficient court administration is vital for public trust, justice, and timely proceedings. Currently, courts face challenges such as inconsistencies, adjournments, and absence of transparency, undermining the justice system. Traditional manual processes and paper-based documentation cause significant backlogs, slow resolutions, and limited public access. As case volumes and complexities rise, modernizing court administration through digital transformation is progressively critical. Currently, many countries are integrating technologies in the courts for its administration and other activities. In recent years, courts and judges have been subjected to pressure to improve performance, uplifting judicial effectiveness to a top priority. Subsequently, several countries have integrated simplification and digitization strategies in judicial initiatives to enhance court efficiency. Switzerland's Justitia 4.0 and Brazil's PJE are notable initiatives that focused to strengthen court administration through digitalization. These aspects motivated this study to examine the detailed integration of industry 4.0 technologies such as the Internet of things, cloud computing, blockchain, big data analytics, robotics, drones, Metaverse, digital twins, and artificial intelligence for court administration with digitalized infrastructure. According to the study, integrating these technologies in less complex cases helps minimize expenditures and save time, making to resolve cases conveniently, efficiently, and superiorly. The study also identified the challenges and issues associated with industry 4.0 technologies such as evidence gathering, evidence preservation, robot judges for pre-judgment analysis, and judgment delivery, which future studies need to be explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Faced with the accelerated growth of cities and the consequent increase in the number of motor vehicles, urban noise levels caused by vehicular traffic have increased considerably. To assess noise levels in cities and implement noise control measures or identify the problem's location in different urban areas, it is necessary to obtain the noise levels to which people are exposed. Noise maps are tools that have applications as they are cartographic representations of the noise level distribution in an area and over a period of time. This article aims to identify, select, evaluate, and synthesize information, through a systematic literature review, on using different road noise prediction models, in sound mapping computer programs in countries that do not have a standard noise prediction model. The analysis period was from 2018 to 2022. From a previous analysis of articles, the choice of topic was based on identifying various models for predicting road noise in countries without a standardized sound mapping model. The papers compiled by a systematic literature review showed that studies concentrated in China, Brazil, and Ecuador, the most used traffic noise prediction models, were the RLS-90 and the NMPB, and the most used mapping programs were SoundPLAN and ArcGIS with a grid size of 10 × 10 m. Most measurements were carried out during a 15-min period at a height from the ground level of 1.5 m. In addition, it was observed that research on noise maps in countries that do not have a local model has been increasing over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we derive estimating equations for modeling unbalanced correlated data sets in which the marginal distributions follow the one parameter unit-Lindley distributions with domain on the interval (0,1). A class of regressions models is proposed for modeling the location parameter and a reweighted iterative process is developed for the joint estimation of the regression coefficients and the correlation structure. Simulation studies are performed to assess the empirical properties of the derived estimators and diagnostic procedures, such as residual analysis and sensitivity studies based on conformal local influence are given. Finally, we analyze the proportion of people in households with inadequate water supply and sewage within federation units of Brazil by the procedures developed in the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the macroeconomic effects of oil demand and supply shocks on an emerging market economy using a Bayesian vector autoregressive model combining zero and sign restrictions. The empirical analysis relies on a rich set of macroeconomic indicators mirroring the economic performance in Brazil. The effects on the Brazilian output of oil price changes driven by global demand shocks are much larger and more persistent than those driven by oil production. Oil price changes that are not related to changes in oil supply or global economic activity have a small impact on the Brazilian variables. The main policy implication of this study is that emerging market economies should identify correctly the source of oil price fluctuation for implementing the best economic policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies on zooplankton in lakes, ponds, and rivers have always received more attention, while zooplankton from streams remains understudied worldwide. Therefore, the role of zooplankton in neotropical stream functioning is still poorly understood. In order to remedy this situation, we aimed to answer the following questions: (1) How many papers have been published on the zooplankton from Brazilian streams? (2) In which hydrographic regions were these studies conducted? (3) Are there specific patterns of zooplankton species occurrence in neotropical streams? (4) What are the main types of studies and what are the main environmental factors influencing zooplankton in streams? In order to answer these questions, we performed a systematic review of indexed scientific papers. We indeed observed a paucity of studies on zooplankton in Brazilian streams. But despite the low number of studies (24), many species (276 taxa) were reported from seven Brazilian hydrographic regions. The species composition showed great variability within the hydrographic regions and fourteen environmental variables (physical, chemical, and spatial), which can represent environmental filters and influence dispersion processes, were related to zooplankton occurrences. These bibliographic data helped to clarify patterns in species composition and community structure of zooplankton in these streams. More studies are needed to further investigate the role of zooplankton in neotropical streams, which can help to develop conservation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research on Amazon wood waste focuses on the species' individual characteristics, not considering the conditions usually found in the industries, such as variations in the storage method and the waste's condition after exposure to the environment. Accordingly, the objective of this paper was to analyze the management of waste generated by wood industries located in Mato Grosso, Brazil, and to determine the physical and chemical properties of the stocked particulate waste for energy-generation purposes. Twenty-four industries located in eight cities were investigated regarding the generation, management, and trade of wood waste, and samples of the particulate waste were collected for characterization. Each of the evaluated industries processed an average of 857.92 m2 of wood logs per month, and 51.13% of this volume was waste. The species Erisma uncinatum and Qualea spp. stood out due to their greater processing volumes. The types of waste found were of firewood (in 100% of the industries), sawdust (87.5%), wood shavings (16.5%), and wood chips (12.5%). The main destinations of the traded waste were: intermediate buyers (30%), bioenergy plants (22%), cold rooms (18%), and grain dryers (16%). The humidity and bulk density of sawdust and wood chips were, respectively, over 41% and 236 kg m−3. The ash content of 76.7% of the waste was under 2.0%. If the 24 evaluated industries performed the thermochemical conversion of their wood waste, it would be possible to supply electricity to approximately 63 houses with average consumption of 162 kWh/month. The effective management of the waste will result in its commercial appreciation and increase its energy potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discrete Element Method (DEM) has been successfully utilized to model rock behavior based on particle flow code (PFC), which is extensively employed in solving various problems related to rock engineering and geomechanics. Therefore, a convenient method for selecting appropriate microparameters of PFC for model generation is necessary. The present study aims to develop a novel approach that calculates proper micro-strength parameters for the contact bond model (CBM). Firstly, based on Plackett–Burman (PB) design, qualitative research is conducted and it is found that the main factors that influence the Brazilian tensile strength is microscopic tensile strength. We analyzed the stress conditions of a Brazilian disc's vertical diameter using both continuum models and DEM. From this analysis, we establish a theoretical relationship between rock tensile strength and micro-strength parameters. Subsequently, a large number of numerical Brazilian tests were conducted to obtain the statistical relationship between the geometric parameters of balls, micro-strength parameters and the Brazilian tension strength. The results of the numerical simulation were then used to refine the theoretical equation mentioned above, resulting in a modified equation for rock tensile strength and micro-strength parameters. Finally, after verification, we confirm the feasibility of the method in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper finds qualified support for the use of Skarbek's (2011, 2014) governance theory to understand the emergence of prison gang-like groups in Kyrgyzstan, Northern Ireland and Brazil. However, Skarbek's (2011, 2014) governance theory has little to say about how many prison gangs emerge and how they organise comparatively outside the US context. This paper argues that variation in the number of gangs and their monopolization of informal governance can only be explained by considering importation and deprivation theories alongside governance theories. These theories factor in variation in prison environments and pre-existing societal divisions imported into prison, which affect the costs on information transmission and incentives for gang expansion. In particular, the paper pays attention to the wider role social and political processes play in influencing whether monopoly power by prison gangs is supported and legitimized or not. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bee surveys bring valuable information regarding species distribution, phenology, and their interactions with host plants, and thus are important to bee conservation, especially in the present scenario of drastic declines reported worldwide. The Brazilian bee fauna has been surveyed intensively since the late 1960s, but the state-of-the-art of this research topic has not been explored in detail. Our main goal is to analyze the scientific literature through a systematic review of Brazilian bee surveys, describing (i) spatial sampling gaps; (ii) preferred sampling frequency and methods; (iii) species identification and vouchering practices; (iv) gender participation; and (v) how the studies are distributed among scientific journals. Our review includes 213 published studies, of which half targeted the entire bee fauna (Apoidea: Apidae sensu lato) while the other half targeted the orchid bees (Euglossini). Sampling sites are predominant in eastern Brazil, particularly within the Atlantic Forest. Hand netting bees for 1 year long was the most frequent sampling protocol to capture bees. Taxonomic identification and voucher deposition practices were mentioned in most of the papers. Men and women published almost the same number of papers, but women were less frequent as lead or senior authors and appeared less as prolific researchers. Most papers were published in a few Brazilian journals. We highlight that surveys in understudied areas are needed, especially in Amazon. Monitoring bees in previously surveyed locations is also encouraged to investigate temporal changes in bee assemblages, such as population declines, impacts of land-use changes, and effects of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction and the World Meteorological Organization launched in 2022 the executive plan of the world program "Early Warning Systems for All" to be implemented from 2023 to 2027. This program champions an investment of USD 3.1 billion into the four pillars of warning systems and calls for multi-hazard and people-centered warning systems (PCWS). However, there is a scientific gap concerning interdisciplinary approaches to promoting them. Motivated by the call for action of "Early Warning Systems for All" and warning research gaps on the lack of interdisciplinarity, a workshop series "Interdisciplinary Approaches for Advancing People-Centered Warning Systems" was held in early 2023. This short article shares the preliminary findings and recommendations of this research, which involved a transnational virtual dialogue between one scientific organization in Brazil and one from the United States. The findings and recommendations discussed in three virtual sessions and one collective working paper were centered on three aspects: promoting interdisciplinary integration in research; the need to discuss the characteristics of a PCWS; and promoting problem- and solution-based programs with people to integrate them at all phases of the warning system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present our study into how teaching practices in chemistry are socially stratified under the center–suburban divide in a medium-sized city, located in the State of São Paulo, Brazil. The paper mainly draws upon the Bourdieusian-inspired concepts of institutional habitus and symbolic capital to examine how institutional discourses and norms are embodied and implemented by chemistry teachers in their pedagogical practices, and the way in which this affects the distribution of chemistry knowledge in the classroom. This study is a comparative ethnographic-based investigation which employs multiple qualitative methods to investigate chemistry classes in two public schools in Brazil. The schools were selected based on their achievements in large-scale assessment tests and socioeconomic composition. Based on the results obtained from the analysis of four months of observational data of chemistry classes, school routines, 12 focus groups composed of high school students, and four semi-structured interviews conducted with teachers and staff, we argue that chemistry teaching is partially influenced by two interrelated dimensions of the school's institutional habitus—the schools' reputation and their students' social profile. Students in different schools tend to have unequal opportunities for learning and identification with chemistry. For instance, in the suburban school, students are seen as having learning deficiencies and are given deficit explanations on scientific concepts during classes, while the students from the school in the city center are taught under a pervasive culture centered around academic achievements, intense competition and individuality. The aforementioned factors largely shape chemistry teaching in the two public schools investigated. We conclude by presenting our final considerations on how educational institutions play an influential role in shaping chemistry teaching practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores collaborative spatial data as an alternative data source for hydrodynamic model calibration, specifically concerning flood risk mapping. This study is motivated by the multiple uncertainties in the modeling process, especially in the relevant calibration and validation stages. Furthermore, information shared collaboratively can play a fundamental role when data are scarce, which is a usual modeling limitation. This paper tackled aspects like developing a collaborative platform (a mobile app) to collect flood marks; identifying strategies to motivate and engage potential collaborators; developing tools to analyze data consistency; and assessing the capability and restrictions in collaborative information use. Results validate the hypothesis that collaborative spatial data can be an alternative in hydrodynamic model calibration. Developing mechanisms to assess data consistency was crucial for achieving a good performance in the results, as simulations using collaborative data presented errors (RMSE) below 10 cm. Finally, regarding public motivation and engagement, elementary school students performed the best in data collection, highlighting the importance of direct actions, such as face-to-face workshops. Thus, the study hopes to reduce uncertainty in hydrological risk mapping, focusing specifically on observed data scarcity and its influence on model calibration and validation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a blockchain solution for some activities currently performed by notary offices under the Civil Law judiciary that is technically viable. The architecture is also planned to accommodate Brazil's legal, political, and economic requirements. Notaries are responsible for providing various intermediation services for civil transactions, where their primary role is to be the trusted party capable of guaranteeing the authenticity of these transactions. This type of intermediation is common and demanded in Latin American countries, such as Brazil, which is regulated by a Civil Law judiciary. The lack of adequate technology to meet such legal demands leads to an excess of bureaucracy, dependence on manual document and signature checks, and centralized and face-to-face actions in the physical dependence of the notary. To deal with this scenario, this work presents a blockchain-based solution to make some of the activities performed by notaries automatic, guaranteeing non-modification and adherence to civil laws. Thus, the suggested framework was evaluated in accordance with Brazilian legislation and provides an economic evaluation of the proposed solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Open water transposition channels in hot and arid regions, like those in the São Francisco River Integration Project (PISF) in Brazil, suffer significant water losses through evaporation. This paper proposes covering these channels with photovoltaic (PV) panels to reduce evaporation while simultaneously generating clean energy. The research aims to quantify water savings and energy generation potential across all channel lengths and assess whether the generated solar power can substitute grid electricity for powering the transposition pumps during peak hours, thereby enhancing energy efficiency. This study analyzed the state-of-the-art of PV generation and calculated their solar potential. Identified the specific characteristics of PISF channels and watercourses considering the regional geography, meteorology, irradiation, and social peculiarities. And, finally, assessed the feasibility of covering the watercourses with solar panels. The results reveal that covering all current PISF channels with PV panels could save up to 25,000 cubic meters of water per day, significantly contributing to water security and improving the quality of life for the local population. Additionally, the project could generate 1200 gigawatt-hours of electricity annually, meeting the energy demands of the transposition pumps during peak hours and promoting energy efficiency within the project. This research paves the way for utilizing PV technology to address water scarcity challenges and enhance the sustainability of water infrastructure projects in arid regions worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the increasing use and inadequate disposal of plastic by humans, aquatic environments have become receptacles for pollutants such as plastic. This study aimed to perform an analysis of plastic particles pollution in Brazilian aquatic ecosystems with special attention to inland aquatic environments and fish in order to identify information gaps in this field. Manuscripts published in the last 21 years and indexed in the Web of Science database were consulted. A total of 185 met the proposed inclusion criteria, such as having empirical data, being conducted in Brazil, and dealing with plastic pollution. In general, the number of studies increases over the years, and this increasing number of publications is accompanied by declared financial support; the Southeast and Northeast regions are the regions that publish the most on the topic, with São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and Pernambuco being the main states; the main focus of the studies is the detection of plastic particles mainly in biota (51%) and sediment (34%), and the most frequent ecosystem is the marine (89%); regarding the taxa, the majority is about plastic detection in fish (75%). Only 18% of the papers studying fishes consider their bio-ecological data, and only 17% of the manuscripts carried out the chemical characterization of the particles. However, 99% of the papers considered the shape of the plastic particle. We emphasize the need for more research and grants for studies with Brazilian inland aquatic ecosystems on the effects of plastic particle pollution on freshwater fish. Regional and national research funding agencies are very important to encourage an increase in the number of grants and specific calls for studies on plastic pollution and its impact on freshwater biota, considering the different macro-regions in Brazil, especially in the northern region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Brazilian state of São Paulo, contaminated sites (CSs) constitute threats to health, environment and socioeconomic situation of populations. Over the past two decades, the Environmental Agency of São Paulo (CETESB) has monitored these known CSs. This paper discusses the produced dataset through digitising the CETESB reports and making them accessible to the public in English. The dataset reports on qualitative aspects of contamination within the registered sites (e.g., contamination type and spread) and their management status. The data was extracted from CETESB reports using a machine-learning computer vision algorithm. It comprises two components: an optical character recognition (OCR) engine for text extraction and a convolutional neural network (CNN) image classifier to identify checked boxes. The digitisation was followed by harmonisation and quality assurance processes to ensure the consistency and validity of the data. Making this dataset accessible will allow future work on predictive analysis and decision-making and will inform the required policy-making to improve the management of the CSs in Brazil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Private policing is generally used to curb crime in certain neighbourhoods. The impact of an increase in these services on the city as a whole is unclear, as crime could shift from protected to unprotected targets, causing greater social harm. In practice, estimating this effect at the city level encounters at least two problems. First, the simultaneity between the demand for private policing and criminal activity requires appropriate instrumental variables to mitigate endogeneity biases. Second, the dependent and endogenous variables can have an excessive number of zeros at the same time, requiring the use of more specialized econometric models. In this paper, I combine Clotfelter's theoretical model for private policing and crime with Amemiya's econometric model for simultaneously censored outcomes, linking structural and reduced forms and discussing identification issues. Then, a regular Bitobit is modified to estimate reduced forms with many zeros outcomes in a set of copulas to improve censoring specifications with endogeneity. Finally, I conduct an empirical study examining an exclusive database from Brazil to discuss the copula approach, and the hypothesis that more private policing reduces crime at the city level is not rejected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigated exchange rate and stock price volatility connectedness and spillover in Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS) during pandemic-induced crises. We first extracted volatility using the Generalized Auto-Regressive Conditional Heteroskedasticity (GARCH) model. Then volatility connectedness and spillover were investigated by using (Diebold and Yilmaz, International Journal of Forecasting, 28(1), 57–66, 2012) method. We find that exchange rate volatility and stock return volatilities are connected during pandemic-induced crises. The study also finds volatilities spillover among countries in the sample. Russia has strong volatility connectedness with India in these financial markets. The direction of volatility spillover is from Russia to India. Similarly, Brazil has strong volatility connectedness with South Africa and the direction volatility spillover is from Brazil to South Africa. Finally, China has a weak volatility connection with the remaining BRICS countries. Thus, the volatility transfer in these financial markets and across BRICS countries has economic implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crop canopy optical reflectance and ultrasonic sensors provide a means of estimating the spatial variability of biomass and nitrogen uptake by sugarcane during the in-season period. The objective of this paper is to assess the crop canopy reflectance and ultrasonic crop height for predicting sugarcane biomass and N-uptake until the later fertilization stages. An ultrasonic sensor was deployed to measure canopy height, which were combined with optical reflectance sensor to characterize the spatial variability of the crop growth in four commercial fields in southeast Brazil during three different growing stages for dry and wet seasons. Ten sampling location points in each field were defined to determine plant biomass and N-uptake through traditional measurements. The points in each field were used to relate the actual biomass and N-uptake with the sensor data and compare them using the coefficient of determination and standard errors; this defined the best approach in each situation according to the multivariable statistics. It was found that both sensor systems enable to correlate its data with sugarcane biomass and N-uptake. Canopy reflectance sensor produced a better assessment of crop growth at the earlier growth stage whereas the ultrasonic sensor resulted in more accurate predictions at the later growing stages. It was proven that canopy height is season dependent whereas the reflectance data is growth stage dependent. The integration of both sensing systems improved the predictions of sugarcane biomass and N-uptake. It could be an alternative to guide local interventions by sugarcane industry during the growing season. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The textile sector is considered one of the most polluting sectors of society. In order to generate a transformation in value-added products from the textile production chain, the educational sector plays a strategic role. This paper validates theoretical propositions about teaching good practices in sustainability and circular economy. The theoretical assumptions that supported this study are circular economy and sustainable fashion. The study was carried out in Brazil, and it includes Fashion Design courses at the undergraduate level. Primary data was obtained by the application of a questionnaire with teachers, coordinators and students of 54 courses. The main results show the absence of the term teaching of good sustainability practices within the political pedagogical projects of the analyzed courses. We conclude that, although there is an internalization of sustainability and circular economy practices, it is still necessary to evolve a higher maturity stage in the type of practices disseminated and in the emphasis on practices associated with the core of the circular economy. Practices are capable of generating a new meaning in the fashion sector, circulating materials and retaining value in resources in a strategic way and generating innovative solutions for the sustainable fashion segment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Brazil, most photovoltaic generation systems are owned by small consumers connected to the distribution network. These consumers are, in fact, prosumers, since they have the right to be financially compensated for providing power to the grid. This paper describes a stochastic bilevel optimal power flow model that can be used to analyze the impact of independent actions of such prosumers on power system steady-state performance. Simulations are conducted using real feeders of a Brazilian distribution company. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID - 19 affected severely worldwide. The pandemic has caused many causalities in a very short span. The IoT-cloud-based healthcare model requirement is utmost in this situation to provide a better decision in the covid-19 pandemic. In this paper, an attempt has been made to perform predictive analytics regarding the disease using a machine learning classifier. This research proposed an enhanced KNN (k NearestNeighbor) algorithm eKNN, which did not randomly choose the value of k. However, it used a mathematical function of the dataset's sample size while determining the k value. The enhanced KNN algorithm eKNN has experimented on 7 benchmark COVID-19 datasets of different size, which has been gathered from standard data cloud of different countries (Brazil, Mexico, etc.). It appeared that the enhanced KNN classifier performs significantly better than ordinary KNN. The second research question augmented the enhanced KNN algorithm with feature selection using ACO (Ant Colony Optimization). Results indicated that the enhanced KNN classifier along with the feature selection mechanism performed way better than enhanced KNN without feature selection. This paper involves proposing an improved KNN attempting to find an optimal value of k and studying IoT-cloud-based COVID - 19 detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Covid-19 pandemic has negatively disrupted the way our economy and society functions. Nonetheless, there have also been some positive externalities of the pandemic on the environment. This paper aims to evaluate the concentration of nitrogen dioxide in Brazilian metropolitan regions after the policies adopted to confront Covid-19. In terms of methodological approach, the study employs cross-sectional quantitative analyses to compare the period of 36 days, i.e., 12 March to 16 April—before (in 2019) and after (in 2020) the pandemic declaration. The data were obtained from the Sentinel 5-P low-Earth polar satellite concerning Brazilian metropolitan regions (n = 24). Thorough spatial and statistical analyses were undertaken to identify the pre- and during pandemic nitrogen dioxide concentrations. Complementarily, Spearman's correlation test was performed with variables that impact air quality. The study results a fall in nitrogen dioxide concentration levels in 21 of the 24 metropolitan regions which was observed. The Spearman's correlation coefficient between the nitrogen dioxide variation and the vehicle density was 0.485, at a significance level of 0.05. With these findings in mind, the paper advocates that while the pandemic has a significant negative consequence on the health of population globally, a series of measures that result in a new social organization directly interfere in the reduction of air pollution that contributes to the quality of the air we breathe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainability standards have been one of the hopefuls for decades when it comes to ensuring the sustainability of biomass for the bioeconomy, especially in the wake of their evolvement from voluntary, non-governmental to hybrid, public–private governance instruments in recent years. In addition to doubts regarding their legitimacy and effectiveness, however, they have also been associated with a neoliberalization of nature that integrates natural resources into a free market logic. Drawing on a conceptual framework that builds on political ecology and the political sociology of policy instruments, this paper challenges this notion. To this end, it examines sustainability standards in three countries/regions particularly prominent for the bioeconomy—the EU, Brazil, and Indonesia—to illustrate how these can be differentiated in terms of their neoliberal orientation, and what can be inferred from this for the orientation and state of the respective bioeconomies. The results show that the introduction of sustainability standards is not necessarily accompanied by a neoliberalization of nature. Rather, it is shown that the standards and their specific designs—and thus also their intrinsic understanding of sustainability as integration—are primarily intended to serve the material interests of the state and the respective industrial factions, for which neoliberal configurations are sometimes seen as rather obstructive, sometimes as rather useful. The sustainability standards, and thus the bioeconomies for which they stand, therefore, rather serve as instruments to stay on the path of modernization and industrial development already taken or envisaged, or, put differently, as strategies to avoid social–ecological transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coconut residues have been widely recognized as a promising source of bioproducts and bioenergy, but full access to its potential polymeric matrix, in general, depends upon some pretreatment stage. Organosolv procedure gained recent attention for being eco-friendly combined with an efficient delignification of lignocellulosic biomass. In this regard, this study proposed a literature review on the Scopus database to track the studies focused on the application of organosolv for coconut residues. A total of 17 studies were identified on this subject, then scoping analysis showed that coconut residue, mainly fibers, treated by organosolv under different conditions, have been tested as an adsorbent, source of nanowhiskers, in ethanol production, and in the reinforcement of product properties. Bibliometric analyses, by means of VOSviewer, revealed that Brazil was the country with the highest number of published papers; along with the terms organosolv and coconut, lignin appeared within the most occurred keywords, which highlights the strong association of the organosolv as a route to extract coconut lignin. In addition, the present work also allowed us to enter into a comprehensive discussion of the future challenges and perspectives toward the development of research that aim to enhance coconut residue end uses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Working conditions of musicians are marked by several specific characteristics that differ the occupation from most others in the labor market. For instance, non-pecuniary aspects of the profession may have a greater influence on the individuals who pursue musical activities than in most other occupations. Moreover, musicians are more susceptible to uncertainties in the short run and regarding the duration of their careers. Besides, informality and underemployment rates tend to be higher in the music industry when compared to the rest of the labor market. This paper aims to better understand musician's labor market participation using primary data. We conducted an online survey between February and December 2020, gathering data about working conditions, in particular job satisfaction and turnover, with all the musicians from Belo Horizonte who were registered and not were registered in musician's association. Belo Horizonte is known as a unique city and a highly heterogeneous environment for the development of the music industry. Thus, using work satisfaction indicators and Kaplan–Meier survival model, controlled by personal and work-position variables, this study highlights that most musicians were neither satisfied nor dissatisfied with their work. However, satisfaction was positively correlated with the following characteristics: being protected by social security, having a music career as main occupation, and holding a degree in music. These traits were also important for musicians to remain in the occupation throughout 2020, an atypical period due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses the impact of a Brazilian reform that guaranteed for domestic workers the same labour rights that other employees already had access to. In 2013, the first change was to establish a limit to weekly working hours and the obligation to pay overtime. Two years later, other rights became enforceable after the implementation of a system that unified payroll taxes and social contributions to be collected by domestic workers' employers. We analyse the institutional reform through a difference-in-differences approach controlling for individual fixed effects. The analysis is carried out with microdata from the Continuous National Household Sample Survey from 2012 through 2016. Our results suggest that the policy induced a small reduction in working hours and had no effect on wages or formality. Impacts on the transition from domestic labour to unemployment after the reform are found, but they are not robust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Leptophlebiidae family of mayflies is diverse, with over 640 species and 140 genera worldwide. One of its subfamilies, Terpidinae, is restricted to the Neotropical region and consists of three genera, including Fittkaulus, which have four South American species. This paper redescribes the male imago and proposes a new synonym based on the rearing of nymphs identified as F. cururuensis collected in streams in the Caatinga and Amazon Forest regions of northern and northeastern Brazil. The male imago can be differentiate by having the following combination of characteristics: upper portions of eyes on short stalk; forewing with reddish brown maculae in costal, subcostal and radial sectors; abdomen whitish, with black stripes on posterior margin and dark brown maculae on lateral margins on terga I–VII; penis with proximal half fused; distal half divided, tubular and apically pointed, with latero-dorsal lobes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Countries have pledged to different national and international environmental agreements, most prominently the climate change mitigation targets of the Paris Agreement. Accounting for carbon stocks and flows (fluxes) is essential for countries that have recently adopted the United Nations System of Environmental-Economic Accounting - ecosystem accounting framework (UNSEEA) as a global statistical standard. In this paper, we analyze how spatial carbon fluxes can be used in support of the UNSEEA carbon accounts in five case countries with available in-situ data. Using global multi-date biomass map products and other remotely sensed data, we mapped the 2010–2018 carbon fluxes in Brazil, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Sweden and the USA using National Forest Inventory (NFI) and local biomass maps from airborne LiDAR as reference data. We identified areas that are unsupported by the reference data within environmental feature space (6–47% of vegetated country area); cross-validated an ensemble machine learning (RMSE=9–39 Mg C ha - 1 and R 2 =0.16–0.71) used to map carbon fluxes with prediction intervals; and assessed spatially correlated residuals (<5 km) before aggregating carbon fluxes from 1-ha pixels to UNSEEA forest classes. The resulting carbon accounting tables revealed the net carbon sequestration in natural broadleaved forests. Both in plantations and in other woody vegetation ecosystems, emissions exceeded sequestration. Overall, our estimates align with FAO-Forest Resource Assessment and national studies with the largest deviations in Brazil and USA. These two countries used highly clustered reference data, where clustering caused uncertainty given the need to extrapolate to under-sampled areas. We finally provide recommendations to mitigate the effect of under-sampling and to better account for the uncertainties once carbon stocks and flows need to be aggregated in relatively smaller countries. These actions are timely given the global initiatives that aim to upscale UNSEEA carbon accounting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Brazilian Amazon faces three dominant governance challenges that have become increasingly interconnected over time and now affect each other: managing agricultural expansion, reducing deforestation, and mitigating urban floods. This region exemplifies that the governance of one social-ecological system (SES) in the Anthropocene can no longer be thought of in isolation of others because, together, they form a complex network of flows and spillovers to manage. Studying the interconnection of different decision-making areas, however, calls for an intertemporal examination of governance that integrates different methodological approaches. We use the Network of Adjacent Action Situations (NAS), Combined IAD-SES (CIS) framework, and the telecoupling framework to study these three interrelated processes in the Amazon. Employing mixed-methods research, including fieldwork covering each of these processes, we demonstrate how the governance of multiple SESs represents an intertemporal governance challenge. Our paper contributes to the SES governance and NAS literature by linking governance issues generally looked at separately and offering an understanding of the governance connections between telecoupled processes. Beyond its contribution to Brazilian Amazon governance, this paper offers an integrated framework that may be useful to study the interconnection of governance of NAS in other places. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Development economics has long focused on growth patterns to explain countries' ability to catch up and forge ahead. We argue, however, that resilience to economic shrinking matters more. Using the examples of Brazil and Indonesia, we propose that a framework consisting of social capabilities—namely structural transformation, autonomy, and inclusion—can explain why Indonesia is more resilient to economic shrinking than Brazil and why the country is more likely to be successful in its catching-up process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The literature emphasizes that motivations for having a child are an important factor in mother-child adaptation post-adoption. Unfortunately, there are no instruments on motivations to have a child adapted to this population that can contribute to new evidence with quantitative research. Therefore, this paper aimed to adapt and investigate evidence of validity and reliability of the MCS scale (Brenning et al., 2015) within a sample of expectant adoptive mothers. The transcultural adaptation followed eight rigorous steps, including experts, focus groups, back-translation, and a pilot study conducted with biological mothers and soon-to-be adoptive mothers. For evidence of reliability, the scale was applied to a sample of 267 women waiting to adopt a child, with an average age of 38.7 years. The five-factor structure was confirmed, and the factors correlated as in a continuum, supporting the Self-Determination Theory. The MCS is valid and reliable for assessing the quality and intensity of the motivation to have a child in Brazil and in the context of adoptive motherhood, and it is suitable for future empirical research and practical application. Highlights: This study validated the MCS scale to the context of adoptive motherhood and, by doing so, provided an efficient tool for future empirical research. The MCS scale has good psychometric properties for use in Brazil in the context of soon-to-be adoptive mothers. The five-factor structure was confirmed, supporting the Self Determination Theory in this sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last decade, Brazil witnessed disasters relating to tailings dams. This led to changes in the National Dam Safety Policy, which regulates a set of measures to improve dam safety management. In this context, this paper presents a case study of the Ribeirão João Leite dam. The dam consists of a concrete gravity structure with embankment fill at both abutments, placed on a foundation composed of gneiss with quartzite veins. The study aims to investigate its seepage behavior and assess the performance of the seepage control system in the concrete and embankment cross-sections at the right abutment. Two-dimensional seepage analyses under steady-state and transient conditions were performed using the finite element method. A straightforward approach based on monitoring data was proposed to validate seepage analyses and estimate the efficiency of the seepage control system. It was concluded that the foundation of the dam has a significant influence on the pore water pressures and seepage flow behavior due to the presence of markedly fractured materials. The analyses indicated that the efficiency of the grout curtain in the right abutment foundation is not noticeable. On the other hand, the foundation drains play an important role in controlling pore water pressures throughout the dam foundation, even in unfavorable geological conditions. The efficiency of these drains was 28% at the drainage line of Block 2, preventing pressure increases of 36% in the foundation of Block 2 and 160% in the horizontal filter drain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The Health Gym Program is the main health promotion strategy in the Brazilian public health system. This paper aims to measure the impact of the Health Gym Program on hospital admission expenses for stroke in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil. Subject and methods: This public health impact evaluation used a panel of socioeconomic, demographic, and epidemiological data from 2007 to 2019 for all 185 municipalities in the state of Pernambuco. The empirical strategy used pre-tests, ordinary least-squares econometric modeling, and quantile regression as a robustness test. Results: The municipalities that implemented the Health Gym Program spent an average of 21.04% less on hospitalizations for stroke than the municipalities that did not, and this result was statistically significant at the 1% level. Further, the density of program coverage within the municipality also impacts the reduction of expenses. This saving is directly proportional to the number of hubs of the program in the municipalities. An increase of one program hub for every 10,000 inhabitants results in a 4.57% reduction in expenditure on stroke hospitalizations in the municipalities. Conclusion: The presence of the Health Gym Program led to a reduction in expenses related to hospital admissions for stroke, which may indicate that this program effectively expands the scope of health promotion actions in primary healthcare. The evidence generated from this study can be used to implement evidence-based policies aimed at preventing and controlling chronic diseases in Brazil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large quantities of mango peel and seed are generated worldwide, representing up to 60% of the total weight of the fruit. However, despite being undervalued, these by-products have a high nutritional and bioactive potential of interest for multiple applications. This paper evaluated for the first time the trend on research approaches for the use of mango peel and seed. For this purpose, a mixed methodology based on a literature review and bibliometric analysis with VOSviewer was used. Most of the studies on this topic are carried out by researchers from institutions in India, Mexico and Brazil, due to the high level of mango production in these countries. In addition, due to the importance of the subject, these studies are published in journals with high impact. According to the keyword co-occurrence analysis, the studies focus on the bioactive compounds of mango peel and seed, mainly phenolic compounds and carotenoids, in addition to their antioxidant activity, suitable for combating various diseases. Taking advantage of these properties, it was determined that these by-products (as powder or extract) are generally used as an ingredient in the elaboration of functional foods, showing promising results. Finally, this review also detailed some current challenges and future trends in the topic, which are of crucial importance to give the deserved valorization to mango peel and seed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A portfolio associated with a balanced signed graph that contains both positive and negative edges is more predictable and risk-averse, and is therefore likely to require less turnover. In this paper, we use a method based on spectral graph theory to determine whether a portfolio is balanced or not. Moreover, we combine this with spectral clustering to propose a strategy to build a balanced portfolio with hedging assets. This is applied to stocks listed on the Brazil Stock Exchange. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the use of resistivity method to quantify the thickness of the freshwater aquifer for supply in a coastal region, where saltwater intrusion is constant. The results obtained have unusual clarity and quality in the literature, being a historical case. vertical electrical sounding (VES) technique was used to determine water table and saltwater intrusion depths. Sandy sediments thicker than 120 m and smooth topography are constant, where an area of approximately 2.7 × 2.2 km with 15 well-distributed VES was studied. The area is located between Lagoa dos Patos (brackish water) and the Atlantic Ocean. The only possibility of obtaining fresh water is the exploitation of the water table with the drilling of shallow wells in places, where the freshwater layer is thicker. The VES results quantified the water level depths between 3.5 and 6.0 m and the saltwater intrusion between 12.5 and 21.0 m, obtaining the thickness of the freshwater stratum. This work also approaches considerations about the depth of investigation of the VES, showing that this depth does not depend only on the openings between the current electrodes, but also on the distribution of the geoelectric strata. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper develops a model wherein parents choose the number of children, enroll some children in school at indivisible education costs, and receive supplemental earnings from uneducated children. The model accounts for the positive relationship between enrollment ratios and parental earnings and the N-shaped relationship between fertility and parental earnings in Brazil and Indonesia. When children's living costs are high (low) relative to education costs and children's earnings, fertility increases (decreases) with parental earnings due to a dominant income (substitution) effect. A decline in the ratio of child earnings to parental earnings or a rise in education subsidy rates can increase enrollment ratios and decrease fertility. Under progressive income taxes and favorable education subsidies for poor families, educated parents' fertility could be higher than that of illiterate parents' when incomes are low. However, the relationship will be reversed partially because of the rising education subsidy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to present an action research (AR) study of the Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) implementation in a mid-sized automotive components company located in Brazil. This study provides a detailed empirical exploration of the S&OP implementation steps, challenges and results obtained in the researched context. An AR method was adopted in this work, seeking: (1) to find effective solutions to the dynamics of the specific context faced during the S&OP implementation, and (2) to promote large-scale changes through the engagement of the company and the researcher in the problem. The S&OP implementation presented significant results in the organization, streamlining inventory, and maintaining the service level desired by the company. The reactivity of the S&OP process also led to a quick adaptation to the COVID-19 challenges, which stands out in the operational key performance indicators (KPIs) analyzed in the period. This work contributes to theory and practice by reporting in-depth empirical research on S&OP implementation and its benefits. Practitioners and researchers can benefit from this research by understanding the best practices, challenges, and potential outcomes of implementing S&OP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessing scientific research advancement is indispensable for structuring future goals and rationalizations. We carried out a literature review in the Scopus database using vos-viewer (version 1.6.16.) and Biblioshiny 2.0. The purpose was to analyse data on the use of essential oils with Drosophila species, and observe research trends on this topic. Between 2001 and 2022, 110 articles were published, with the Industrial Crops and Products as the most outstanding journal. The country with the greatest number of publications on the topic in the analysed period was Brazil (n=22), followed by United States (n=15) and the China (n=11). Keywords that stood out the most were essential oil, animals, Drosophila melanogaster, non-human, controlled study, unclassified drug, insecticidal activity and chemical composition. The current paper delineates the scientific information regarding essential oils and Drosophila species all over the world. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first bibliometric survey which aimed to visualize the scientific progress, spatial distribution of the researches, key word analysis and addresses research gaps associated with the work on essential oils and Drosophila. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a new hybrid SVR-ANN model for water demand forecasting. Where an adaptation of the methodology proposed by Zhang (Neurocomputing 50:159–175, 2003) is used to decompose the time series of 10 reservoirs that supply the Metropolitan Region of Salvador (RMS). The data used are from the historical consumption from January 2017 to February 2022, obtained from the local supply company, Empresa Baiana de Águas e Saneamento, and meteorological data obtained from the National Institute of Meteorology of Brazil. The results demonstrated the feasibility of using the proposed model, compared to other traditional models such as the multilayer perceptron (MLP), support vector regression (SVR), short long-term memory (LSTM) and autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Differential access to life-saving COVID-19 vaccines reveals the inequitable distribution of wealth and power in the global system. While several countries have developed homegrown vaccines to avoid being priced out of markets dominated by transnational drug companies, Brazil—a country with a significant research and pharmaceutical base—lagged behind those of other middle-income countries. Why? This paper blends insights from dependency theory and the theory of global capitalism to demonstrate how political coalitions, leadership, and normative frameworks negatively affect state capacity and technological development. First, austerity in public investment in research, development, and innovation prior to and during the pandemic limited the amount of resources necessary to create homegrown vaccine candidates. Second, political leadership informed by science denialism did not prioritize the development of vaccines and even discouraged their use. The analysis of vaccine development in Brazil reveals that having a pharmaceutical base and strong leadership committed to scientific principles and backed by a political coalition seeking to expand social democratic rights play a vital role in developing treatments and responding to health crises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]