PROPOSAL OF A SEQUENTIAL METHOD FOR SPATIAL INTERPOLATION OF MODE CHOICE

The main objective of this study is to propose a sequential method for spatial interpolation of mode choice for household locations where choices are unobserved based on Decision Tree analysis and Geostatistics. Initially, Decision Tree analysis was applied in order to estimate the probability of mode choice in surveyed households, thus determining the numeric variable to be estimated by Ordinary Kriging. The data used is from the Origin-Destination Survey and Urban Transportation Evaluation Survey, carried out in 2007/2008 in the city of São Carlos (São Paulo/Brazil). The study area selected for geoestatistical modeling is a small region of the city with 110 sampling points. The mode choice was estimated for the study area revealing a tendency of increasing the probability of car usage from the center to the periphery of region. The proposed method can be an alternative to traditional approaches in both non-spatial modeling, especially for the case of lack of data from stated preference survey, as in spatial modeling, allowing estimation in various geographic coordinates

Differential distribution in vitamin D receptor gene variants and expression profile in Northeast Brazil influences upon active pulmonary tuberculosis

Tuberculosis is an infectious disease with variable outcomes. This variability is due to host immune capacity in containing the infection process initiated by the Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB). Vitamin D is able to modulate a very specific immune response against MTB infection, and its action relies on vitamin D receptor (VDR) binding. Altered VDR forms may compromise vitamin D pathway and proper immune response after MTB infection. Herein we assessed the relationship of five potentially functional polymorphisms from VDR: rs2228570 FokI, rs11568820 Cdx-2, rs2248098, rs1540339 and rs4760648, with tuberculosis susceptibility. The SNP rs4760648 T/T was associated with differential susceptibility to tuberculosis (OR\u2009=\u20092.50, 95%CI\u2009=\u20091.20-5.36, p\u2009=\u20090.01). The SNP rs1540339 presented association to both T allele (OR\u2009=\u20090.55, 95%CI\u2009=\u20090.35-0.88, p\u2009=\u20090.01) and the T/T genotype (OR\u2009=\u20090.404, 95%CI\u2009=\u20090.20 - 0.78, p\u2009=\u20090.005). The FokI T allele was identified as associated to diminished susceptibility (OR\u2009=\u20090.67, 95% CI\u2009=\u20090.45-0.99, p\u2009=\u20090.04) to active TB, as well as T/T genotype (OR\u2009=\u20090.15, 95%CI\u2009=\u20090.04-0.45, p\u2009=\u20099.58\u2009 7\u200910-5). We also performed the expression analyses and observed a down-regulation of VDR in patients (-10.717 FC, p\u2009=\u20098.42e-12), and according to the presence of associated FokI SNP, we observed that the C/T and T/T genotypes presence increases VDR expression (+\u20091.25 and\u2009+\u20092.35 FC, p\u2009=\u20090.425 and p\u2009=\u20090.506, respectively). This study shows that vitamin D receptor variants can influence upon pulmonary tuberculosis susceptibility and VDR mRNA levels are decreased in those patients

Chemical Composition, Antioxidant, Antimicrobial and Antidiabetic Potential of Philodendron Bipinnatifidum Schott ex Endl

Many of the species used in popular medicine do not have their biological activities already proven by scientific studies. Among these species, the endemic South American Philodendron bipinnatifidum Schott ex Endl deserves special attention since it is already in use in popular medicine for inflammation cases, such as erysipelas, orchitis and ulcers. This study evaluated the antioxidant, antimicrobial and antidiabetic activities of extracts of the hastes de P. bipinnatifidum. The ethanolic extract showed a significant antioxidant potential. The ethyl acetate extract resulted in high antimicrobial activity against Streptococcus pyogenes. The most significant biological activity of ethyl acetate extract relates to its chemical composition when compared with ethanolic extract, which showed the highest concentration of bioactive compounds. In vitro antidiabetic activity was only evaluated for ethyl acetate extract, resulting in inhibition of intestinal disaccharidases (maltase and sucrase) at concentration of 500 μg/mL

Rising rural body-mass index is the main driver of the global obesity epidemic in adults

Body-mass index (BMI) has increased steadily in most countries in parallel with a rise in the proportion of the population who live in cities(.)(1,2) This has led to a widely reported view that urbanization is one of the most important drivers of the global rise in obesity(3-6). Here we use 2,009 population-based studies, with measurements of height and weight in more than 112 million adults, to report national, regional and global trends in mean BMI segregated by place of residence (a rural or urban area) from 1985 to 2017. We show that, contrary to the dominant paradigm, more than 55% of the global rise in mean BMI from 1985 to 2017-and more than 80% in some low- and middle-income regions-was due to increases in BMI in rural areas. This large contribution stems from the fact that, with the exception of women in sub-Saharan Africa, BMI is increasing at the same rate or faster in rural areas than in cities in low- and middle-income regions. These trends have in turn resulted in a closing-and in some countries reversal-of the gap in BMI between urban and rural areas in low- and middle-income countries, especially for women. In high-income and industrialized countries, we noted a persistently higher rural BMI, especially for women. There is an urgent need for an integrated approach to rural nutrition that enhances financial and physical access to healthy foods, to avoid replacing the rural undernutrition disadvantage in poor countries with a more general malnutrition disadvantage that entails excessive consumption of low-quality calories.Peer reviewe

Height and body-mass index trajectories of school-aged children and adolescents from 1985 to 2019 in 200 countries and territories: a pooled analysis of 2181 population-based studies with 65 million participants

Summary Background Comparable global data on health and nutrition of school-aged children and adolescents are scarce. We aimed to estimate age trajectories and time trends in mean height and mean body-mass index (BMI), which measures weight gain beyond what is expected from height gain, for school-aged children and adolescents. Methods For this pooled analysis, we used a database of cardiometabolic risk factors collated by the Non-Communicable Disease Risk Factor Collaboration. We applied a Bayesian hierarchical model to estimate trends from 1985 to 2019 in mean height and mean BMI in 1-year age groups for ages 5–19 years. The model allowed for non-linear changes over time in mean height and mean BMI and for non-linear changes with age of children and adolescents, including periods of rapid growth during adolescence. Findings We pooled data from 2181 population-based studies, with measurements of height and weight in 65 million participants in 200 countries and territories. In 2019, we estimated a difference of 20 cm or higher in mean height of 19-year-old adolescents between countries with the tallest populations (the Netherlands, Montenegro, Estonia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina for boys; and the Netherlands, Montenegro, Denmark, and Iceland for girls) and those with the shortest populations (Timor-Leste, Laos, Solomon Islands, and Papua New Guinea for boys; and Guatemala, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Timor-Leste for girls). In the same year, the difference between the highest mean BMI (in Pacific island countries, Kuwait, Bahrain, The Bahamas, Chile, the USA, and New Zealand for both boys and girls and in South Africa for girls) and lowest mean BMI (in India, Bangladesh, Timor-Leste, Ethiopia, and Chad for boys and girls; and in Japan and Romania for girls) was approximately 9–10 kg/m2. In some countries, children aged 5 years started with healthier height or BMI than the global median and, in some cases, as healthy as the best performing countries, but they became progressively less healthy compared with their comparators as they grew older by not growing as tall (eg, boys in Austria and Barbados, and girls in Belgium and Puerto Rico) or gaining too much weight for their height (eg, girls and boys in Kuwait, Bahrain, Fiji, Jamaica, and Mexico; and girls in South Africa and New Zealand). In other countries, growing children overtook the height of their comparators (eg, Latvia, Czech Republic, Morocco, and Iran) or curbed their weight gain (eg, Italy, France, and Croatia) in late childhood and adolescence. When changes in both height and BMI were considered, girls in South Korea, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and some central Asian countries (eg, Armenia and Azerbaijan), and boys in central and western Europe (eg, Portugal, Denmark, Poland, and Montenegro) had the healthiest changes in anthropometric status over the past 3·5 decades because, compared with children and adolescents in other countries, they had a much larger gain in height than they did in BMI. The unhealthiest changes—gaining too little height, too much weight for their height compared with children in other countries, or both—occurred in many countries in sub-Saharan Africa, New Zealand, and the USA for boys and girls; in Malaysia and some Pacific island nations for boys; and in Mexico for girls. Interpretation The height and BMI trajectories over age and time of school-aged children and adolescents are highly variable across countries, which indicates heterogeneous nutritional quality and lifelong health advantages and risks

Worldwide trends in underweight and obesity from 1990 to 2022: a pooled analysis of 3663 population-representative studies with 222 million children, adolescents, and adults

Background Underweight and obesity are associated with adverse health outcomes throughout the life course. We estimated the individual and combined prevalence of underweight or thinness and obesity, and their changes, from 1990 to 2022 for adults and school-aged children and adolescents in 200 countries and territories. Methods We used data from 3663 population-based studies with 222 million participants that measured height and weight in representative samples of the general population. We used a Bayesian hierarchical model to estimate trends in the prevalence of different BMI categories, separately for adults (age ≥20 years) and school-aged children and adolescents (age 5–19 years), from 1990 to 2022 for 200 countries and territories. For adults, we report the individual and combined prevalence of underweight (BMI <18·5 kg/m2) and obesity (BMI ≥30 kg/m2). For schoolaged children and adolescents, we report thinness (BMI <2 SD below the median of the WHO growth reference) and obesity (BMI >2 SD above the median). Findings From 1990 to 2022, the combined prevalence of underweight and obesity in adults decreased in 11 countries (6%) for women and 17 (9%) for men with a posterior probability of at least 0·80 that the observed changes were true decreases. The combined prevalence increased in 162 countries (81%) for women and 140 countries (70%) for men with a posterior probability of at least 0·80. In 2022, the combined prevalence of underweight and obesity was highest in island nations in the Caribbean and Polynesia and Micronesia, and countries in the Middle East and north Africa. Obesity prevalence was higher than underweight with posterior probability of at least 0·80 in 177 countries (89%) for women and 145 (73%) for men in 2022, whereas the converse was true in 16 countries (8%) for women, and 39 (20%) for men. From 1990 to 2022, the combined prevalence of thinness and obesity decreased among girls in five countries (3%) and among boys in 15 countries (8%) with a posterior probability of at least 0·80, and increased among girls in 140 countries (70%) and boys in 137 countries (69%) with a posterior probability of at least 0·80. The countries with highest combined prevalence of thinness and obesity in school-aged children and adolescents in 2022 were in Polynesia and Micronesia and the Caribbean for both sexes, and Chile and Qatar for boys. Combined prevalence was also high in some countries in south Asia, such as India and Pakistan, where thinness remained prevalent despite having declined. In 2022, obesity in school-aged children and adolescents was more prevalent than thinness with a posterior probability of at least 0·80 among girls in 133 countries (67%) and boys in 125 countries (63%), whereas the converse was true in 35 countries (18%) and 42 countries (21%), respectively. In almost all countries for both adults and school-aged children and adolescents, the increases in double burden were driven by increases in obesity, and decreases in double burden by declining underweight or thinness. Interpretation The combined burden of underweight and obesity has increased in most countries, driven by an increase in obesity, while underweight and thinness remain prevalent in south Asia and parts of Africa. A healthy nutrition transition that enhances access to nutritious foods is needed to address the remaining burden of underweight while curbing and reversing the increase in obesit

Persuasão no contexto consumidor para consumidor : a efetividade das mensagens de dois lados na plataforma online enjoei

Estudos sugerem que ao incluir informações de atributos negativos juntamente com atributos positivos (i.e. mensagens de dois lados), os esforços de comunicação podem ser mais efetivos no que tange a persuasão do que aqueles que consideram apenas características positivas do produto (i.e. mensagens de um lado), pois poderá aumentar a credibilidade da fonte. Isso porque, os consumidores tendem a ver o vendedor ou anunciante como menos sincero quando ele destaca apenas pontos positivos, pois acreditam que há um motivo oculto para comentários favoráveis: persuadi-los a comprar o produto ou serviço. Entretanto, poderá vir a acontecer o chamado trade off das mensagens de dois lados: um aumento na credibilidade e uma diminuição na intenção de compra. Tendo isso em vista, este trabalho se investigou experimentalmente se o tipo de mensagem (de um e de dois lados) impacta na intenção de compra, percepção de persuasão e na credibilidade do vendedor pelo consumidor. O contexto escolhido foi o C2C, pois neste o vendedor poderia ser visto pelo cliente como outro consumidor e isso trazer reações diferentes do já estudado. Foram feitos dois experimentos. Houve uma diversificação no tipo de produto, para verificar se isso poderia influenciar os resultados, e de fato, nos cenários do produto batom se obteve maior intenção de compra (no primeiro estudo) e credibilidade (no segundo estudo) e no tipo de perfil do anunciante, levando em consideração que a reputação também poderia causar impactos nos resultados. No primeiro, anúncios foram colocados na plataforma de vendas Enjoei, com ambos os tipos de mensagem: de um lado e de dois lados para dois produtos de categorias de preço diferentes (um batom e uma jaqueta) e em um perfil com reputação e outro nunca utilizado antes. O primeiro experimento desse trabalho, trouxe como resultados, uma menor intenção de compra e um maior incentivo à barganha (desconto e frete grátis) quando se fez uso da mensagem de dois lados, o que pode ser interessante ao vendedor. Além disso, um questionário foi criado para investigar quanto à credibilidade de tais anúncios. Nesse experimento foi visto um aumento de credibilidade quando se fez uso de uma mensagem de dois lados (vs uma mensagem de um lado). Não foram verificadas influências do tipo de mensagem na percepção da persuasão, nem na intenção de compra. Esses resultados podem ser benéficos, principalmente, quando se objetiva manter um relacionamento à longo prazo com o consumidor. Talvez, pudesse ser melhor observado e apreciado em contextos B2B e B2C online, nos quais a relação não é tão superficial quanto dessa plataforma. Mesmo no C2C, mas onde há maior possibilidade desse tipo de relacionamento, devido à partilha de opiniões, ratings, reviews, o uso das mensagens de dois lados pode ser vantajoso

Persuasão no contexto consumidor para consumidor : a efetividade das mensagens de dois lados na plataforma online enjoei

Estudos sugerem que ao incluir informações de atributos negativos juntamente com atributos positivos (i.e. mensagens de dois lados), os esforços de comunicação podem ser mais efetivos no que tange a persuasão do que aqueles que consideram apenas características positivas do produto (i.e. mensagens de um lado), pois poderá aumentar a credibilidade da fonte. Isso porque, os consumidores tendem a ver o vendedor ou anunciante como menos sincero quando ele destaca apenas pontos positivos, pois acreditam que há um motivo oculto para comentários favoráveis: persuadi-los a comprar o produto ou serviço. Entretanto, poderá vir a acontecer o chamado trade off das mensagens de dois lados: um aumento na credibilidade e uma diminuição na intenção de compra. Tendo isso em vista, este trabalho se investigou experimentalmente se o tipo de mensagem (de um e de dois lados) impacta na intenção de compra, percepção de persuasão e na credibilidade do vendedor pelo consumidor. O contexto escolhido foi o C2C, pois neste o vendedor poderia ser visto pelo cliente como outro consumidor e isso trazer reações diferentes do já estudado. Foram feitos dois experimentos. Houve uma diversificação no tipo de produto, para verificar se isso poderia influenciar os resultados, e de fato, nos cenários do produto batom se obteve maior intenção de compra (no primeiro estudo) e credibilidade (no segundo estudo) e no tipo de perfil do anunciante, levando em consideração que a reputação também poderia causar impactos nos resultados. No primeiro, anúncios foram colocados na plataforma de vendas Enjoei, com ambos os tipos de mensagem: de um lado e de dois lados para dois produtos de categorias de preço diferentes (um batom e uma jaqueta) e em um perfil com reputação e outro nunca utilizado antes. O primeiro experimento desse trabalho, trouxe como resultados, uma menor intenção de compra e um maior incentivo à barganha (desconto e frete grátis) quando se fez uso da mensagem de dois lados, o que pode ser interessante ao vendedor. Além disso, um questionário foi criado para investigar quanto à credibilidade de tais anúncios. Nesse experimento foi visto um aumento de credibilidade quando se fez uso de uma mensagem de dois lados (vs uma mensagem de um lado). Não foram verificadas influências do tipo de mensagem na percepção da persuasão, nem na intenção de compra. Esses resultados podem ser benéficos, principalmente, quando se objetiva manter um relacionamento à longo prazo com o consumidor. Talvez, pudesse ser melhor observado e apreciado em contextos B2B e B2C online, nos quais a relação não é tão superficial quanto dessa plataforma. Mesmo no C2C, mas onde há maior possibilidade desse tipo de relacionamento, devido à partilha de opiniões, ratings, reviews, o uso das mensagens de dois lados pode ser vantajoso