THE ROLE OF AREA-YIELD CROP INSURANCE IN FARMERS' ADJUSTMENT AGAINST RISK IN A DRYLAND REGION OF PORTUGAL

This research develops a mathematical programming model to maximize the expected utility of the farmers' wealth-producing cereals in the Alentejo dryland region of Portugal, and it is used to determine the premium rate that crop farmers are willing to pay for reducing the variability of their incomes, and the Portuguese government subsidy of the premium rate in the case where the farmer is not willing to pay the totality of this.Research Methods/ Statistical Methods, Risk and Uncertainty,

CUMULATIVE PROSPECT THEORY: A STUDY OF THE FARMERS' DECISION BEHAVIOR IN THE ALENTEJO DRYLAND REGION OF PORTUGAL

The mid-term review of the Common Agricultural Policy will change the way the European Union supports its farm sector. The new Common Agricultural Policy will be geared towards consumers, and taxpayers, while giving farmers the freedom to produce what the market wants. In the future, the majority of the subsidies will be paid independentlty from the volume of production. To avoid abandonment of production, Member States may choose to maintain a limited link between subsidy and production under well conditions and within clear limits. These new "single farm payment" will be linked to the respect of environmental, food safety and animal welfare standards. Severing the link between subsidies and production will make farmers more competitive and market oriented, while providing the necessary income stability. As the subsidy becomes a common component of all the alternatives of decision, the farmer will segregate that common component of the problem in the edition phase, starting to make decisions with base in negative results, what can determine the abandonment of the farming activity. This research work intends to know, to characterize and to identify the farmers' behavior in the Alentejo dryland region of Portugal, when they face to the emerging reality of the new Common Agricultural Policy. The Cumulative Prospect Theory allows to model the farmers' behavior, because besides defining that the results are appraised in agreement with variations in relation to the initial wealth, this theory treats in a differentiated way gains and losses. The value functions and the weighting probabilities are elicited by the Trade-off and Certainty Equivalent methods for a group of farmers in the Alentejo dryland region. These functions will constitute the objective function of a discrete sequential stochastic programming model, whose restrictions describe the crop and livestock farms in their productive, financial, commercial and taxes components. Model results show that the introduction of the total decoupling payments leads to the abandonment of the crop production in the Alentejo dryland region and an increase of the livestock production in the natural pastures. The crop farms stop producing, except the farms that have good soils continue to produce, although these farms do not produce durum wheat and they start to produce barley and oats. With respect to the beef cattle farms, these farms maintain the number of cattle heads, they increase the pasture and forage areas and they substitute durum wheat for oats and barley. The sheep farms reduce the number of cattle heads drastically and they substitute durum wheat for barley and oats.Farm Management,

The Role of area-yield crop insurance program face to the Mid-term Review of Common Agricultural Policy

The mid-term review of Common Agricultural Policy increases the complexity of the decision-making process of farmers. The subsidies are substituted for a single decoupled income payment. The farmers decide what crops and livestock will produce based on climate, soils conditions and agricultural market signals and not based on subsidies granted to each one of the crop and livestock activities. The area-yield crop insurance program might have an important role on increasing production and facing natural catastrophes. This paper studies the introduction of the area-yield crop insurance program to reduce the risk originating from the variability of farmers' income and to compare this alternative with other agricultural policy alternatives in the context of the mid-term review of Common Agricultural Policy. The comparison of the introduction of the area-yield crop insurance program with other agricultural policy alternatives is made through an approach using concepts of the Cumulative Prospect Theory, because besides defining that the results are appraised in agreement with changes in relation to the initial wealth, this theory treats in a differentiated way gains and losses. A discrete sequential stochastic programming model with five states of nature is developed to study agricultural policy alternatives. The objective function is constituted by a set of functions (the value function and the probability weighting function) differentiated for gains and losses, in that the total value of the game is given by the sum of the positive and negative components. The value functions and the weighting probabilities are elicited by the Trade-off and Certainty Equivalent methods for a group of farmers in the Alentejo dryland region of Portugal. The set of constraint restrictions describes the environment in which the Alentejo farmers develop their crop and livestock activities in all their components: production, financial, marketing and taxes. Model results show the introduction of the area-yield crop insurance program with full decoupling of income payments from agricultural production under the mid-term review of the Common Agricultural Policy has positive effects in the agricultural production. This new Agricultural Policy guarantees a minimum farm income, while the area-yield crop insurance program allows making face to the agricultural production variability and avoids the abandonment of the farming activity in the Alentejo dryland region.Cumulative Propospect Theory, Mid-Term Review of the Common Agricultural Policy, Discrete Sequential Stochastic Programming Model, Area-Yield Crop Insurance program, Risk and Uncertainty,

Age and growth of Zapteryx brevirostris (Elasmobranchii: Rhinobatidae) in southern Brazil

Age and growth studies are fundamental to successful fisheries management. Zapteryx brevirostris (Muller & Henle, 1841) is distributed off the Brazilian continental shelf and this species is assessed as "Vulnerable" in the Red List of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Thus, the objective of this study was to present previously unknown information about the age and growth of Z. brevirostris that can be used for its management, conservation, and fisheries. A total of 162 specimens were sampled, with total lengths (TL) varying between 35.7 cm and 56 cm. The vertebrae were embedded in resin, sectioned in cuts with 0.5 mm thickness and the growth bands of the vertebrae were read under a light microscope. In the studied area, Z. brevirostris ages were estimated from 4 to 10 years according to vertebrae patterns. The species reaches its maximum asymptotic size (Linf) around 56 cm (56 cm for females and 50.37 cm for males). This is the first estimate of age and growth for a species of the Zapteryx genus, and the results support the hypothesis that this ray requires future management conservation, particularly due to its slow growth rate and consequent susceptibility to overexploitation.Coordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior (CAPES); Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia) [IF/00253/2014

LA PERICIA MÉDICO LEGAL COMO FORMA DE PRODUCIR LA VERDAD Y SUS ADVERSARIOS EN LOS TRIBUNALES BRASILEÑOS DE ENTREGUERRAS

The medico-legal examination ensured the existence and the social impact of the biological positivist approaches to criminology that gained influence in Brazil during the interwar period. This examination turned scientific knowledge into accepted and acceptable documents that were also intelligible and useful. Examinations were social currencies used to facilitate the relationship between the power and knowledge of legal medicine and criminology. They disciplined the relationship between law and medicine and made feasible the power of judging. However, along the way they had to assert themselves against other traditions and knowledge. Their main opponents were the information obtained by the police from an offense or crime suspect through coercion, especially by means of torture; the decisions made by the jury and the evidence obtained from witnesses; and the delinquent's knowledge. What all these forms of truth production had in common was their non-expert origin, which became the main argument of forensic medical examiners against them.The aim of this article is to discuss the dispute over the prerogatives to produce the truth in institutional spaces that dealt with combating antisocial acts, and to point out the medico-scientific strategies used to prevail over the lay forms present in that shared environment.Universidade Federal de São Paulo, UNIFESP, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, UNIFESP, São Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc

The impact of energy transition in integrated oil companies

Sustainability and the need for an energy transition are among the most talked topics worldwide due to the repercussions it may have in future generations. As governments and international entities push towards a more sustainable framework, change is inevitable, and the Energy sector must accept the progress and be prepared to embrace new regulations and business models. However, such deep changes, impactful to the foundations in which society is built, are not sudden and will require time. Integrated Oil Companies should aim to understand the pace of transformation and how to redesign its own structures. This paper attempts to identify the main key issues and factors, how they currently affect these companies, and how they should be addressed. The analysis assumes a rational economic and social point of view, considering the principle of continuity, with companies having the objective of extending their economic activity and adapting to market conditions if required, and the principle of maximizing the value creation for all stakeholders, from consumers to shareholders or members of the society in which they operate

Análise Objetiva ao Desempenho do Monofilamento de Semmes-Weinstein de 10 gf para Avaliação da Sensibilidade Cutânea Protetora no Pé Diabético

9º Congresso Nacional de BiomecânicaA perda de sensibilidade protetora no pé diabético obriga a um diagnóstico precoce devido à eminente possibilidade de ulceração e amputação do membro afetado. Na avaliação da perda de sensibilidade protetora, o monofilamento de Semmes-Weinstein (MSW) de 10 gf é o instrumento de primeira linha mais utilizado. Este estudo foi conduzido com o objetivo de realizar uma análise objetiva e metrológica ao desempenho do MSW de 10 gf, recorrendo a um equipamento de medição previamente desenvolvido para o efeito. Procedeu-se a uma verificação metrológica de três MSW de 10 gf através de um método automatizado sob condições controladas. A força de compressão dos MSW revelou-se altamente dependente do número de utilizações, da temperatura ambiente e da velocidade de deslocamento e contacto com a região cutânea a avaliar. Efetivamente todos os MSW testados manifestaram dependência de fatores externos na sua força de compressão e registaram erros relativos superiores a 10 %, valor considerado crítico para discriminar uma possível evolução da patologia.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Ecological assessment of executive dysfunction in anxiety

Introduction: The specialized literature states that anxiety can interfere with cognition, particularly in complex cognitive processes such as those related to executive functioning. Neuropsychological studies in anxiety disorders have confirmed the presence of deficits in executive functions, with significant changes in its components. The main aim of this study was to compare the executive performance of a sample with anxiety disorder to a control group, using an instrument that differs from the others by high ecological validity, revealing a higher predictive evidence on daily tasks.Methods: This study included 60 participants aged between 18 and 53 years that were allocated to an experimental group (n=30; mean = 31.93; standard deviation [SD] =10.99) and a control group (n=30; mean = 29.63; SD=9.07). Anxiety symptoms and the executive functioning were assessed using the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and the Behavioural Assessment of the Dysexecutive Syndrome (BADS), respectively.Results: Participants with anxiety disorders presented a significant impairment on executive functioning in general. However, we found a significant impact in tasks that involve control inhibition, design of action strategies according to the functionality and probability of success, the ability to predict or estimate and the ability to plan the action. In addition, the EG required significantly more time to execute all the tests (mean = 440.33, SD = 97.17), compared to the CG (mean = 320.90; SD = 51.27).Conclusions: Individuals with anxiety disorders have a significant impairment in their executive functioning in general, which is reflected in activities of daily living. Keywords: Anxiety disorders; executive functions; BADS; cognitive and affective evaluationIntroduction: The specialized literature states that anxiety can interfere with cognition, particularly in complex cognitive processes such as those related to executive functioning. Neuropsychological studies in anxiety disorders have confirmed the presence of deficits in executive functions, with significant changes in its components. The main aim of this study was to compare the executive performance of a sample with anxiety disorder to a control group, using an instrument that differs from the others by high ecological validity, revealing a higher predictive evidence on daily tasks.Methods: This study included 60 participants aged between 18 and 53 years that were allocated to an experimental group (n=30; mean = 31.93; standard deviation [SD] =10.99) and a control group (n=30; mean = 29.63; SD=9.07). Anxiety symptoms and the executive functioning were assessed using the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and the Behavioural Assessment of the Dysexecutive Syndrome (BADS), respectively.Results: Participants with anxiety disorders presented a significant impairment on executive functioning in general. However, we found a significant impact in tasks that involve control inhibition, design of action strategies according to the functionality and probability of success, the ability to predict or estimate and the ability to plan the action. In addition, the EG required significantly more time to execute all the tests (mean = 440.33, SD = 97.17), compared to the CG (mean = 320.90; SD = 51.27).Conclusions: Individuals with anxiety disorders have a significant impairment in their executive functioning in general, which is reflected in activities of daily living.Keywords: Anxiety disorders; executive functions; BADS; cognitive and affective evaluatio

INTRODUCCIÓN: SABER Y PODER EN LA PERIFERIA DE OCCIDENTE

Consejo Nacl Invest Cient & Tecn, RA-1033 Buenos Aires, DF, ArgentinaUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, UNIFESP, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, UNIFESP, São Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc