Characterization of familiar agroindustry of meat products in Rio Grande do Sul

A agroindústria familiar é uma alternativa de diversificação de renda e manutenção de jovens no campo através da agregação de valor da matéria-prima. Frequentemente seu surgimento está atrelado à necessidade de incremento de renda ou baixo desempenho das outras atividades agrícolas. Entretanto, há problemas latentes com as pequenas agroindústrias, tais como falta de economia de escala, disponibilidade de capital, matéria-prima e padronização dos produtos. Por outro lado, inúmeras são as oportunidades para este seguimento, com programas governamentais de crédito e apoio, serviços de extensão e possibilidade de produzir alimentos com valor agregado. Sendo assim, o objetivo deste estudo é caracterizar as agroindústrias familiares de produtos cárneos do Estado. Para tanto, se realizou pesquisa de caráter descritivo aplicando-se um questionário, na forma de entrevista, a quinze proprietários de agroindústrias familiares e participantes de uma feira agropecuária no Rio Grande do Sul. Para tanto, realizou-se um estudo descritivo através da entrevista com proprietários de 15 agroindústrias familiares. A despeito de limitações reportadas pelos entrevistados, as oportunidades para as agroindústrias familiares são viáveis à médio e longo prazo.The small agroindustry is an alternative of income diversification and maintenance of young people in the countryside through the aggregation of raw material value. Often its appearance is linked to the need to increase income or underperform the other agricultural activities. However, there are latent problems with the small agro-industries, among them, it is possible to emphasize the absence of feasibility studies before the implantation, lack of economy of scale, capital availability, raw material and product standardization. On the other hand, there are countless opportunities for this follow-up, with government credit and support programs, extension services, and the possibility of producing value-added food. Therefore, the objective of this work was to characterize the family agro-industries of meat products of Rio Grande do Sul. For that, a descriptive research was conducted in the form of a questionnaire to fifteen owners of family agro-industries. The family agroindustry was demonstrated as a very strong reality in the rural environment. Despite the reported limitations, the opportunities for family agro-industries are many, and are feasible in the medium and long term

Long-term effects of grazing intensities on soil aggregation and organic matter in a no-tilled integrated soybean-cattle system

Grazing intensity in integrated crop-livestock systems (ICLS) can affect soil aggregation and C stabilization and, consequently, the soil condition and agricultural sustainability. This study evaluate the infuence of 13 years of different grazing intensities on (i) soil aggregation, (ii) C content in different aggregate size, and (iii) C and N content in different fractions of soil organic matter (SOM), in a no-tilled with integrated soybean-beef production system on a subtropical Oxisol. Treatments consisted of four steers grazing intensities defned by sward height of 10, 20, 30 and 40 cm on mixed black oat and Italian ryegrass pasture in the winter under continuous stocking, plus an ungrazed treatment, in a randomized complete block design with three replicates. Soil aggregation was not affected by grazing intensities. There was no effect of the grazing intensities on organic C content in all aggregate-size fractions and in all soil layers evaluated, being lower in microaggregates than in large and small macroaggregates. The macroaggregates were predominant, representing 97% of the soil mass, of which 74% were large macroaggregates (>2 mm). The high macroaggregates stability contributed to the lack of difference in the C and N content on free light fraction and the light occlusal fraction of SOM. Most of C and N were observed heavy fraction of SOM (53–68%), with greater stock in the no grazing compared to the grazed treatments. Even with the animal trampling in the grazed systems, the soil maintained high stability of aggregates and conse- quently the labile forms of SOM

O Processo de formação profissional frente à pandemia da Covid-19 / The vocational training process in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic

A Extensão Universitária tem sido idealizada como uma das formas de aprofundar a relação das universidades com a sociedade por meio do ingresso do estudante na realidade cotidiana e nos seus contextos políticos, sociais e econômicos favorecendo a compreensão de problemas regionais e nacionais, ampliando sua visão de mundo e capacidade crítica. No contexto atual, em meio à crise pandêmica da Covid-19, exacerba-se sua importância atrelada as necessidades necessárias, mobilizando instituições, docentes e discentes para o desenvolvimento de práticas extensionistas. Nesta direção, a Universidade Federal da Fronteira Sul em decorrência de lacunas do sistema de saúde, das instituições e em especial de estratos populacionais, associado à necessidade de inserção comunitária dos estudantes e formação crítica, fez emergir a publicação de editais de extensão com vistas a contribuir neste período de crise mundial. Assim sendo, este projeto, objetivou refletir a partir do desenvolvimento de ações extensionistas frente à Pandemia da Covid 19 sobre a extensão e o processo de formação profissional. As vantagens com o grupo de trabalho possibilitaram reconhecer alguns achados que se destacaram como resultado: Melhor reconhecimento da realidade, aperfeiçoamento e desenvolvimento no processo comunicacional, fortalecimento de resultados que dão maior segurança e confiança ao futuro profissional, consolidação da formação profissional e destaque para a importância de reconhecimento a extensão como fundamental enquanto papel social das universidades

The intersection of COVID-19 and autoimmunity

Acute coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by SARS-CoV-2, is characterized by diverse clinical presentations, ranging from asymptomatic infection to fatal respiratory failure, and often associated with varied longer-term sequelae. Over the past 18 months, it has become apparent that inappropriate immune responses contribute to the pathogenesis of severe COVID-19. Researchers working at the intersection of COVID-19 and autoimmunity recently gathered at an American Autoimmune Related Disease Association (AARDA) Noel R. Rose Colloquium to address the current state of knowledge regarding two important questions: Does established autoimmunity predispose to severe COVID-19? And, at the same time, can SARS-CoV-2 infection trigger de novo autoimmunity? Indeed, work to date has demonstrated that 10 to 15% of patients with critical COVID-19 pneumonia exhibit autoantibodies against type I interferons, suggesting that preexisting autoimmunity underlies severe disease in some patients. Other studies have identified functional autoantibodies following infection with SARS-CoV-2, such as those that promote thrombosis or antagonize cytokine signaling. These autoantibodies may arise from a predominantly extrafollicular B cell response that is more prone to generating autoantibody-secreting B cells. This review highlights the current understanding, evolving concepts, and unanswered questions provided by this unique opportunity to determine mechanisms by which a viral infection can be exacerbated by, and even trigger, autoimmunity. The potential role of autoimmunity in post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 is also discussed