Towards a theoretical framework on sensorial place brand identity

Purpose: This paper proposes a new framework on sensorial place brand identity. Design/Methodology/Approach: This conceptual paper draws from sensory marketing and brand identity theories to propose an integrative model to develop sensorial place brand identity. Findings: By relying on a broad spectrum of literature the study supports the notion that sensorial place brand identity is a bottom-up approach to branding that involves several enactment stakeholders and key influences as co-creators in the process of delivering sensory place branding messages based on a strong and unique place brand identity. This leads to the presentation of a provisional framework linking sensorial place identity, experiencescapes and multisensory place brand image. Originality/Value: This novel approach to place brand identity follows a holistic approach by considering several enactment stakeholders and key influencers as co-creators in the process of branding a place through the senses

Ecological Processes Shaping Bulk Soil and Rhizosphere Microbiome Assembly in a Long-Term Amazon Forest-to-Agriculture Conversion.

Forest-to-agriculture conversion has been identified as a major threat to soil biodiversity and soil processes resilience, although the consequences of long-term land use change to microbial community assembly and ecological processes have been often neglected. Here, we combined metagenomic approach with a large environmental dataset, to (i) identify the microbial assembly patterns and, (ii) to evaluate the ecological processes governing microbial assembly, in bulk soil and soybean rhizosphere, along a long-term forest-to-agriculture conversion chronosequence, in Eastern Amazon. We hypothesized that (i) microbial communities in bulk soil and rhizosphere have different assembly patterns and (ii) the weight of the four ecological processes governing assembly differs between bulk soil and rhizosphere and along the chronosequence in the same fraction. Community assembly in bulk soil fitted most the zero-sum multinomial (ZSM) neutral-based model, regardless of time. Low to intermediate dispersal was observed. Decreasing influence of abiotic factors was counterbalanced by increasing influence of biotic factors, as the chronosequence advanced. Undominated ecological processes of dispersal limitation and variable selection governing community assembly were observed in this soil fraction. For soybean rhizosphere, community assembly fitted most the lognormal niche-based model in all chronosequence areas. High dispersal and an increasing influence of abiotic factors coupled with a decreasing influence of biotic factors were found along the chronosequence. Thus, we found a dominant role of dispersal process governing microbial assembly with a secondary effect of homogeneous selection process, mainly driven by decreasing aluminum and increased cations saturation in soil solution, due to long-term no-till cropping. Together, our results indicate that long-term no-till lead community abundances in bulk soil to be in a transient and conditional state, while for soybean rhizosphere, community abundances reach a periodic and permanent distribution state. Dominant dispersal process in rhizosphere, coupled with homogeneous selection, brings evidences that soybean root system selects microbial taxa via trade-offs in order to keep functional resilience of soil processes

An open‑source low‑cost sensor for SNR‑based GNSS reflectometry : design and long‑term validation towards sea‑level altimetry

Monitoring sea level is critical due to climate change observed over the years. Global Navigation Satellite System Reflectometry (GNSS-R) has been widely demonstrated for coastal sea-level monitoring. The use of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) observations from ground-based stations has been especially productive for altimetry applications. SNR records an interference pattern whose oscillation frequency allows retrieving the unknown reflector height. Here we report the development and validation of a complete hardware and software system for SNR-based GNSS-R. We make it available as open source based on the Arduino platform. It costs about US$200 (including solar power supply) and requires minimal assembly of commercial off-the-shelf components. As an initial validation towards applications in coastal regions, we have evaluated the system over approximately 1 year by the Guaíba Lake in Brazil. We have compared water-level altimetry retrievals with independent measurements from a co-located radar tide gauge (within 10 m). The GNSS-R device ran practically uninterruptedly, while the reference radar gauge suffered two malfunctioning periods, resulting in gaps lasting for 44 and 38 days. The stability of GNSS-R altimetry results enabled the detection of miscalibration steps (10 cm and 15 cm) inadvertently introduced in the radar gauge after it underwent maintenance. Excluding the radar gaps and its malfunctioning periods (reducing the time series duration from 317 to 147 days), we have found a correlation of 0.989 and RMSE of 2.9 cm in daily means. To foster open science and lower the barriers for entry in SNR-based GNSS-R research and applications, we make a complete bill of materials and build tutorials freely available on the Internet so that interested researchers can replicate the system

Deciphering Human Heat Shock Transcription Factor 1 Regulation via Post-Translational Modification in Yeast

Heat shock transcription factor 1 (HSF1) plays an important role in the cellular response to proteotoxic stresses. Under normal growth conditions HSF1 is repressed as an inactive monomer in part through post-translation modifications that include protein acetylation, sumoylation and phosphorylation. Upon exposure to stress HSF1 homotrimerizes, accumulates in nucleus, binds DNA, becomes hyper-phosphorylated and activates the expression of stress response genes. While HSF1 and the mechanisms that regulate its activity have been studied for over two decades, our understanding of HSF1 regulation remains incomplete. As previous studies have shown that HSF1 and the heat shock response promoter element (HSE) are generally structurally conserved from yeast to metazoans, we have made use of the genetically tractable budding yeast as a facile assay system to further understand the mechanisms that regulate human HSF1 through phosphorylation of serine 303. We show that when human HSF1 is expressed in yeast its phosphorylation at S303 is promoted by the MAP-kinase Slt2 independent of a priming event at S307 previously believed to be a prerequisite. Furthermore, we show that phosphorylation at S303 in yeast and mammalian cells occurs independent of GSK3, the kinase primarily thought to be responsible for S303 phosphorylation. Lastly, while previous studies have suggested that S303 phosphorylation represses HSF1-dependent transactivation, we now show that S303 phosphorylation also represses HSF1 multimerization in both yeast and mammalian cells. Taken together, these studies suggest that yeast cells will be a powerful experimental tool for deciphering aspects of human HSF1 regulation by post-translational modifications

AS REPERCUSSÕES DO ESTADO NEOLIBERAL BRASILEIRO SOBRE CONSUMIDORES E TRABALHADORES NO CONTEXTO DA PANDEMIA DA COVID-19

O presente artigo possui o objetivo de analisar alguns dos graves efeitos da pandemia da Covid-19 nas relações consumeristas e laborais inseridas na estrutura estatal brasileira, que, atualmente, é assumidamente neoliberal, e que, em diversos aspectos, deixou os cidadãos desassistidos, senão mediante ampla pressão social. Há uma nova realidade em curso imposta pela pandemia, com novas tendências já se concretizando e se projetando para o futuro, a exemplo de um maior consumo pelas plataformas de consumo compartilhado, bem como a ampliação do trabalho remoto. Neste particular, cumpre ressaltar a importância da efetiva proteção da parte mais vulnerável das relações econômicas e produtivas, mormente os consumidores e trabalhadores. Como pergunta central do problema de pesquisa, questiona-se se é possível reconfigurar a realidade social, para melhor, dentro de um Estado Neoliberal, que possui um projeto que dificilmente coincide com os interesses dos cidadãos – vulneráveis se comparados ao mercado. O método da pesquisa foi o hipotético-dedutivo e a metodologia de pesquisa a qualitativa, de viés exploratório e transdisciplinar, suscitando-se as categorias do Direito do Consumidor, do Direito do Trabalho e no âmbito da Ciência Política que definem a atuação de um Estado Neoliberal. Também foram utilizados dados recentes sobre os impactos da pandemia em diversos setores. Conclui-se que não será possível alcançar uma nova realidade social senão por meio de uma reconfiguração da atuação estatal, buscando-se a compatibilização dos interesses dos cidadãos com as práticas econômicas, com vistas a uma sociedade mais solidária, inclusiva e preocupada com o meio ambiente

As Repercussões do Estado Neoliberal Brasileiro Sobre Consumidores e Trabalhadores no Contexto da Pandemia da COVID-19

O presente artigo possui o objetivo de analisar alguns dos graves efeitos da pandemia da Covid-19 nas relações consumeristas e laborais inseridas na estrutura estatal brasileira, que, atualmente, é assumidamente neoliberal, e que, em diversos aspectos, deixou os cidadãos desassistidos, senão mediante ampla pressão social. Há uma nova realidade em curso imposta pela pandemia, com novas tendências já se concretizando e se projetando para o futuro, a exemplo de um maior consumo pelas plataformas de consumo compartilhado, bem como a ampliação do trabalho remoto. Neste particular, cumpre ressaltar a importância da efetiva proteção da parte mais vulnerável das relações econômicas e produtivas, mormente os consumidores e trabalhadores. Como pergunta central do problema de pesquisa, questiona-se se é possível reconfigurar a realidade social, para melhor, dentro de um Estado Neoliberal, que possui um projeto que dificilmente coincide com os interesses dos cidadãos – vulneráveis se comparados ao mercado. O método da pesquisa foi o hipotético-dedutivo e a metodologia de pesquisa a qualitativa, de viés exploratório e transdisciplinar, suscitando-se as categorias do Direito do Consumidor, do Direito do Trabalho e no âmbito da Ciência Política que definem a atuação de um Estado Neoliberal. Também foram utilizados dados recentes sobre os impactos da pandemia em diversos setores. Conclui-se que não será possível alcançar uma nova realidade social senão por meio de uma reconfiguração da atuação estatal, buscando-se a compatibilização dos interesses dos cidadãos com as práticas econômicas, com vistas a uma sociedade mais solidária, inclusiva e preocupada com o meio ambiente

Identificação de bactérias em ambulâncias: riscos assistenciais à segurança do paciente

The aim was to identify microorganisms through the microbial cultivation of bacteria inside ambulances in two municipalities in Baixada Fluminense, in the State of Rio de Janeiro, and to test the sensitivity of these microorganisms to antimicrobials. Samples were obtained from nine specific points inside 6 ambulances. They were inoculated onto salt and blood mannitol agar and were analyzed using matrix-assisted laser desorption and ionization techniques. The sensitivity of seven samples was tested using the disk diffusion method on Muller-Hinton agar. Of the fifty-two samples collected, thirty-one (59.6%) were positive for some genus of bacteria, two (3.80%) were not recognized by MALDI and nineteen (36.6%) were negative. Infection prevention and control practices need to be reinforced, as contamination can result in possible complications for patients.Objetivou-se identificar microrganismos por meio do cultivo microbiano de bactérias do interior de ambulâncias em dois municípios da Baixada Fluminense, no Estado do Rio de Janeiro, e testar a sensibilidade desses microrganismos a antimicrobianos. Amostras foram obtidas de nove pontos específicos do interior de 6 ambulâncias. Elas foram inoculadas no ágar manitol salgado e de sangue, e foram analisadas por meio de técnica de ionização e dessorção a laser assistida por matriz. Foi testada a sensibilidade de sete amostras com o método de difusão em disco em ágar Muller-Hinton. Das cinquenta e duas amostras coletadas, trinta e uma (59,6%) positivaram para algum gênero de bactéria, duas (3,80%) não foram reconhecidas pelo MALDI e dezenove (36,6%) negativaram. É preciso que sejam reforçadas as práticas de prevenção e controle de infecções, dado que a contaminação pode resultar em possíveis complicações para os pacientes

Hypertension and diabetes treatment affordability and government expenditures following changes in patient cost sharing in the Farmacia popular program in Brazil: an interrupted time series study

BACKGROUND: Increasing medicines availability and affordability is a key goal of Brazilian health policies. Farmacia Popular (FP) Program is one of the government\u27s key strategies to achieve this goal. Under FP, antihypertension (HTN) and antiglycemic (DM) medicines have been provided at subsidized prices in private retail settings since 2006, and free of charge since 2011. We aim to assess the impact of sequential changes in FP benefits on patient affordability and government expenditures for HTN and DM treatment under the FP, and examine their implications for public financing mechanisms and program sustainability. METHODS: Longitudinal, retrospective study using interrupted time series to analyze: HTN and DM treatment coverage; total and per capita expenditure; percentage paid by MoH; and patient cost sharing. Analyzes were conducted in the dispensing database of the FP program (from 2006 to 2012). RESULTS: FP has increased its coverage over time; by December 2012 FP covered on average 13% of DM and 11.5% of HTN utilization, a growth of over 600 and 1500%, respectively. The overall cost per treatment to the MoH declined from R$36.43 (R$ = reais, the Brazilian currency) to 18.74 for HTN and from R$33.07to R$15.05 for DM over the period analyzed, representing a reduction in per capita cost greater than 50%. The amount paid by patients for the medicines covered increased over time until 2011, but then declined to zero. We estimate that to treat all patients in need for HTN and DM in 2012 under FP, the Government would need to expend 97% of the total medicines budget. CONCLUSIONS: FP rapidly increased its coverage in terms of both program reach and proportion of cost subsidized during the period analyzed. Costs of individual HTN and DM treatments in FP were reduced after 2011 for both patients (free) and government (better negotiated prices). However, overall FP expenditures by MoH increased due to markedly increased utilization. The FP is sustainable as a complementary policy but cannot feasibly substitute for the distribution of medicines by the SUS