Indicadores e Análise Multidimensional do Processo de Integração do Cone Sul

No trabalho são desenvolvidos indicadores de integração regional com o principal objetivo de apresentar uma analise multidimensional do Mercosul no período de 1991 a 2006. A pesquisa parte da premissa que o Mercosul não é um caso sui generis de integração regional, e sim um exemplo de organização de integração regional assim como, por exemplo, a União Européia ou a Comunidade Andina de Nações. Assim, embora os indicadores sejam desenvolvidos para serem aplicados no Mercosul, eles poderiam potencialmente ser aplicados para outros casos de processos de integração regional.

Use efficiency of variable rate of nitrogen prescribed by optical sensor in corn

ABSTRACT The efficiency of nitrogen fertilizer in corn is usually low, negatively affecting plant nutrition, the economic return, and the environment. In this context, a variable rate of nitrogen, prescribed by crop sensors, has been proposed as an alternative to the uniform rate of nitrogen traditionally used by farmers. This study tested the hypothesis that variable rate of nitrogen, prescribed by optical sensor, increases the nitrogen use efficiency and grain yield as compared to uniform rate of nitrogen. The following treatments were evaluated: 0; 70; 140; and 210 kg ha-1 under uniform rate of nitrogen, and 140 kg ha -1 under variable rate of nitrogen. The nitrogen source was urea applied on the soil surface using a distributor equipped with the crop sensor. In this study, the grain yield ranged from 10.2 to 15.5 Mg ha-1, with linear response to nitrogen rates. The variable rate of nitrogen increased by 11.8 and 32.6% the nitrogen uptake and nitrogen use efficiency, respectively, compared to the uniform rate of nitrogen. However, no significant increase in grain yield was observed, indicating that the major benefit of the variable rate of nitrogen was reducing the risk of environmental impact of fertilizer.

Flexibilidade e modelagem de processos de negócio: uma relação multidimensional

A abordagem de gestão de processos de negócio ganhou grande popularidade e ampla disseminação nas últimas décadas. Uma análise dessa abordagem mostra que ela persegue dois objetivos de difícil conciliação: por um lado, visa à formalização dos processos em modelos - a fim de estruturar efetivamente o trabalho - e, por outro lado, visa dar flexibilidade à organização - mantendo a sua capacidade de responder a situações novas e imprevistas. O presente artigo examina a relação entre formalização e flexibilidade na modelagem de processos de negócio, por meio de uma pesquisa empírica em uma companhia de manutenção de aeronaves na Alemanha, adotando um enfoque qualitativo em diálogo com a Teoria Ator-Rede. A análise deste caso oferece duas contribuições principais: (a) evidencia e ilustra a complexidade sociotécnica envolvida na modelagem de processos de negócio e (b) apresenta os contornos de uma compreensão multidimensional sobre a relação entre formalização e flexibilidade na gestão de processos de negócio.

Multilevel and multidimensional scale for online trust

This paper examines the nature of the construct of consumers' trust toward the electronic channel of their financial institution. Through a study of a total of 372 individual users of Internet banking in Spain, we have managed to develop a third-order measuring instrument that integrates a total of seven dimensions. The exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used to test the validation and reliability of the proposed scale. Findings provide useful information to professionals who seek to identify how customer's trust is formed in the online channel and in the financial sector.

Pobreza multidimensional nos municípios da Região Nordeste

Na abordagem das capacitações de Sen (1981, 1985, 2000, 2001), a pobreza significa privação em diferentes aspectos da vida. O objetivo deste estudo é mensurar a pobreza multidimensional nos municípios da Região Nordeste por meio da teoria dos conjuntos fuzzy e dados do Censo Demográfico (IBGE, 2010). São utilizados 19 indicadores (funcionamentos) distribuídos em quatro dimensões: educação, saúde, condições habitacionais e renda. Os resultados indicam pobreza, com destaque nas dimensões da renda e da educação, principalmente nos estados de Maranhão, Alagoas, Piauí e Paraíba. Políticas de redução da pobreza precisam considerar quais são as privações sofridas pelas pessoas e as particularidades do local onde vivem.

Multidimensional aspects related to shiftworkers' health and well-being

The impact of shift and night work on health shows a high inter- and intra-individual variability, both in terms of kind of troubles and temporal occurrence, related to various intervening factors dealing with individual characteristics, lifestyles, work demands, company organisation, family relations and social conditions. The way we define "health" and "well-being" can significantly influence appraisals, outcomes and interventions. As the goal is the optimisation of shiftworkers' health, it is necessary to go beyond the health protection and to act for health promotion. In this perspective, not only people related to medical sciences, but many other actors (ergonomists, psychologists, sociologists, educators, legislators), as well as shiftworkers themselves. Many models have been proposed aimed at describing the intervening variables mediating and/or moderating the effects; they try to define the interactions and the pathways connecting risk factors and outcomes through several human dimensions, which refer to physiology, psychology, pathology, sociology, ergonomics, economics, politics, and ethics. So, different criteria can be used to evaluate shiftworkers' health and well-being, starting from biological rhythms and ending in severe health disorders, passing through psychological strain, job dissatisfaction, family perturbation and social dis-adaptation, both in the short- and long-term. Consequently, it appears rather arbitrary to focus the problem of shiftworkers' health and tolerance only on specific aspects (e.g. individual characteristics), but a systemic approach appears more appropriate, able to match as many variables as possible, and aimed at defining which factors are the most relevant for those specific work and social conditions. This can support a more effective and profitable (for individuals, companies, and society) adoption of preventive and compensative measures, that must refer more to "countervalues" rather than to "counterweights".

Desenvolvimento e validação de questionário multidimensional para medir não-adesão ao tratamento com medicamentos

O estudo objetivou desenvolver e validar instrumento capaz de medir não-adesão ao tratamento com medicamentos em suas múltiplas dimensões. O Questionário de Adesão a Medicamentos com três perguntas foi aplicado a 46 pessoas com hipertensão arterial em Blumenau, SC, 2006. Compararam-se as medidas de não-adesão obtidas com outros quatro métodos: testes de Haynes, Morisky, contagem de comprimidos e desfecho clínico. As medidas de não-adesão variaram de acordo com o método. A medida composta obtida a partir do questionário desenvolvido resultou em não-adesão de 47,8% (IC 95%: 32,9;63,1), enquanto o padrão-ouro foi 69,6% (IC 95%: 54,3;82,3). As medidas de acurácia para detectar não-adesão mostraram sensibilidade de 62,5% e especificidade de 85,7%, área sob a curva ROC de 74,1% e valor preditivo positivo de 90,9%. Os resultados sugerem bom desempenho do Questionário de Adesão a Medicamentos.

Questionário do ELSA-Brasil: desafios na elaboração de instrumento multidimensional

O artigo apresenta o processo de elaboração do questionário utilizado no Estudo Longitudinal de Saúde do Adulto (ELSA-Brasil). Iniciamos pelo relato sobre a "Seleção de Temas" abordados no questionário, cujo conteúdo teria que abranger o conhecimento disponível acerca da complexa rede de causalidade dos desfechos de interesse, assim como possibilitar a comparabilidade com estudos semelhantes. Contextualizamos a "tradução e a adaptação de instrumentos de medida", necessárias no caso de escalas de avaliação de vizinhanças, do instrumento para diagnóstico de transtornos depressivos e de ansiedade, e do questionário de frequência alimentar. A seguir, comentamos os critérios que nortearam a "ordem dos blocos temáticos" e finalmente a importância prática dos "pré-testes e estudos-piloto". As relações entre o conjunto de informações reunidas no ELSA poderão constituir contribuição original sobre os fatores que causam ou agravam os desfechos de interesse no contexto brasileiro, assim como sobre seus fatores de proteção.

Common variable immunodeficiency and isosporiasis: first report case

We report a severe case of diarrhea in a 62-year-old female HIV-negative patient from whom Giardia lamblia and Isospora belli were isolated. Because unusual and opportunistic infections should be considered as criteria for further analysis of immunological status, laboratory investigations led to a diagnosis of common variable immunodeficiency (CVID). This is the first reported case of isosporiasis in a patient with CVID and illustrates the importance of being aware of a possible link, particularly in relation to primary immunodeficiency.

Comparative Histopathology of Biomphalaria glabrata, B. tenagophila and B. straminea with Variable Degrees of Resistance to Schistosoma mansoni Miracidia

A comparative histopathological study of three snails species - Biomphalaria glabrata, B. tenagophila and B. straminea - which had been infected with Schistosoma mansoni miracidia revealed similar qualitative features, consisting of areas of sporocyst proliferation and differentiation associated with reactive host reaction, at the time they were actively eliminating great number of cercariae. However, in specimens that were exposed to miracidia but failed to eliminate cercariae later on, different histopathological pictures were observed in different snail species. While B. glabrata exhibited frequent focal (granulomatous) proliferation of amebocytes in several organs, B. tenagophila and B. straminea only rarely showed such reactive changes, suggesting that the mechanism of resistance to miracidial infection probably follows different pathways in the snail species studied

Spoligotyping and variable number tandem repeat analysis of Mycobacterium bovis isolates from cattle in Brazil

We performed spoligotyping and 12-mycobacterial interspersed repetitive unit-variable number tandem repeats (MIRU-VNTRs) typing to characterise Mycobacterium bovis isolates collected from tissue samples of bovines with lesions suggestive for tuberculosis during slaughter inspection procedures in abattoirs in Brazil. High-quality genotypes were obtained with both procedures for 61 isolates that were obtained from 185 bovine tissue samples and all of these isolates were identified as M. bovis by conventional identification procedures. On the basis of the spoligotyping, 53 isolates were grouped into nine clusters and the remaining eight isolates were unique types, resulting in 17 spoligotypes. The majority of the Brazilian M. bovis isolates displayed spoligotype patterns that have been previously observed in strains isolated from cattle in other countries. MIRU-VNTR typing produced 16 distinct genotypes, with 53 isolates forming eight of the groups, and individual isolates with unique VNTR profiles forming the remaining eight groups. The allelic diversity of each VNTR locus was calculated and only two of the 12-MIRU-VNTR loci presented scores with either a moderate (0.4, MIRU16) or high (0.6, MIRU26) discriminatory index (h). Both typing methods produced similar discriminatory indexes (spoligotyping h = 0.85; MIRU-VNTR h = 0.86) and the combination of the two methods increased the h value to 0.94, resulting in 29 distinct patterns. These results confirm that spoligotyping and VNTR analysis are valuable tools for studying the molecular epidemiology of M. bovis infections in Brazil.

Optical crop sensor for variable-rate nitrogen fertilization in corn: i - plant nutrition and dry matter production

Variable-rate nitrogen fertilization (VRF) based on optical spectrometry sensors of crops is a technological innovation capable of improving the nutrient use efficiency (NUE) and mitigate environmental impacts. However, studies addressing fertilization based on crop sensors are still scarce in Brazilian agriculture. This study aims to evaluate the efficiency of an optical crop sensor to assess the nutritional status of corn and compare VRF with the standard strategy of traditional single-rate N fertilization (TSF) used by farmers. With this purpose, three experiments were conducted at different locations in Southern Brazil, in the growing seasons 2008/09 and 2010/11. The following crop properties were evaluated: above-ground dry matter production, nitrogen (N) content, N uptake, relative chlorophyll content (SPAD) reading, and a vegetation index measured by the optical sensor N-Sensor® ALS. The plants were evaluated in the stages V4, V6, V8, V10, V12 and at corn flowering. The experiments had a completely randomized design at three different sites that were analyzed separately. The vegetation index was directly related to above-ground dry matter production (R² = 0.91; p<0.0001), total N uptake (R² = 0.87; p<0.0001) and SPAD reading (R² = 0.63; p<0.0001) and inversely related to plant N content (R² = 0.53; p<0.0001). The efficiency of VRF for plant nutrition was influenced by the specific climatic conditions of each site. Therefore, the efficiency of the VRF strategy was similar to that of the standard farmer fertilizer strategy at sites 1 and 2. However, at site 3 where the climatic conditions were favorable for corn growth, the use of optical sensors to determine VRF resulted in a 12 % increase in N plant uptake in relation to the standard fertilization, indicating the potential of this technology to improve NUE.

Optical crop sensor for variable-rate nitrogen fertilization in corn: II - indices of fertilizer efficiency and corn yield

Generally, in tropical and subtropical agroecosystems, the efficiency of nitrogen (N) fertilization is low, inducing a temporal variability of crop yield, economic losses, and environmental impacts. Variable-rate N fertilization (VRF), based on optical spectrometry crop sensors, could increase the N use efficiency (NUE). The objective of this study was to evaluate the corn grain yield and N fertilization efficiency under VRF determined by an optical sensor in comparison to the traditional single-application N fertilization (TSF). With this purpose, three experiments with no-tillage corn were carried out in the 2008/09 and 2010/11 growing seasons on a Hapludox in South Brazil, in a completely randomized design, at three different sites that were analyzed separately. The following crop properties were evaluated: aboveground dry matter production and quantity of N uptake at corn flowering, grain yield, and vegetation index determined by an N-Sensor® ALS optical sensor. Across the sites, the corn N fertilizer had a positive effect on corn N uptake, resulting in increased corn dry matter and grain yield. However, N fertilization induced lower increases of corn grain yield at site 2, where there was a severe drought during the growing period. The VRF defined by the optical crop sensor increased the apparent N recovery (NRE) and agronomic efficiency of N (NAE) compared to the traditional fertilizer strategy. In the average of sites 1 and 3, which were not affected by drought, VRF promoted an increase of 28.0 and 41.3 % in NAE and NRE, respectively. Despite these results, no increases in corn grain yield were observed by the use of VRF compared to TSF.

Quantification of permanent and variable charges in reference soils of the State of Pernambuco, Brazil

The electrical charges in soil particles are divided into structural or permanent charges and variable charges. Permanent charges develop on the soil particle surface by isomorphic substitution. Variable charges arise from dissociation and association of protons (H+), protonation or deprotonation, and specific adsorption of cations and anions. The aim of this study was to quantify the permanent charges and variable charges of Reference Soils of the State of Pernambuco, Brazil. To do so, 24 subsurface profiles from different regions (nine in the Zona da Mata, eight in the Agreste, and seven in the Sertão) were sampled, representing approximately 80 % of the total area of the state. Measurements were performed using cesium chloride solution. Determination was made of the permanent charges and the charges in regard to the hydroxyl functional groups through selective ion exchange of Cs+ by Li+ and Cs+ by NH4+, respectively. All the soils analyzed exhibited variable cation exchange capacity, with proportions from 0.16 to 0.60 and an average of 0.40 when related to total cation exchange capacity.