Which marketing condition makes organic products more accessible? A case study in Brazil.

Abstract: Concern over health and environmental and social problems generated by the production of conventional agricultural products, promotes expansion of the organic market. At the same time, it is necessary to understand how and under which conditions the market valorises local production, strengthening organic family farming. This study analyses the commercialisation of organic food production in Vitoria (Brazil), evaluating the diversity and prices of these products in different marketing channels, such as supermarkets, grocery stores and organic farmers markets. It also compares the price of organic products with conventional products in these establishments. The results demonstrated that organic farmers markets had the greatest product diversity, in addition tobetter prices. It concluded that this channel valorises organic family production, helping to empower producers and promoting access to healthy food for local consumers, meeting the goals of Organic 3.0

Agricultura orgânica do estado do Espírito Santo: diversidade e comercialização de seus produtos na região metropolitana de Vitória.

Resumo: O presente estudo apresenta a análise da diversidade das formas de comercialização de produtos orgânicos em Vitória (ES), além da discussão sobre essa temática da pesquisa. O objetivo é entender como e em que condições o mercado valoriza a produção local, fortalece a produção familiar ecológica e a soberania alimentar. A metodologia da pesquisa levou em consideração dados quantitativos e qualitativos, utilizando informações públicas disponíveis e dados adquiridos na pesquisa de campo. A avaliação mostra que os produtos orgânicos são comercializados por vendas diretas, em feiras livres de orgânicos e feiras de exposição, e por vendas indiretas em supermercados, lojas especializadas e restaurantes. Dentre os canais de comercialização avaliados, foram as feiras livres de produtos orgânicos que apresentaram a maior diversidade de produtos, além do melhor preço, que foi até cinco vezes menor do que nos supermercados. Ainda, os preços dos produtos orgânicos, quando comparado com os convencionais equivalentes, apresentaram-se sempre com valores maiores em canais de comercialização indiretos. Porém, entre feiras livres convencionais e orgânicas encontraram-se preços de produtos orgânicos maiores, iguais ou menores que seus equivalentes convencionais. Portanto, conclui-se que esse canal de comercialização valoriza a produção familiar orgânica, promovendo o empoderamento dos produtores familiares e o acesso à alimentação saudável para o consumidor local.Dissertação (Mestrado em Agroecologia e Desenvolvimento Rural) - Programa de Pós-graduação em Agroecologia e Desenvolvimento Rural, UFSCar, Araras. Orientadora: Lucimar Santiago de Abreu (CNPMA)

Low-frequency dilatational wave propagation through unsaturated porous media containing two immiscible fluids

An analytical theory is presented for the low-frequency behavior of dilatational waves propagating through a homogeneous elastic porous medium containing two immiscible fluids. The theory is based on the Berryman-Thigpen-Chin (BTC) model, in which capillary pressure effects are neglected. We show that the BTC model equations in the frequency domain can be transformed, at sufficiently low frequencies, into a dissipative wave equation (telegraph equation) and a propagating wave equation in the time domain. These partial differential equations describe two independent modes of dilatational wave motion that are analogous to the Biot fast and slow compressional waves in a single-fluid system. The equations can be solved analytically under a variety of initial and boundary conditions. The stipulation of 'low frequency' underlying the derivation of our equations in the time domain is shown to require that the excitation frequency of wave motions be much smaller than a critical frequency. This frequency is shown to be the inverse of an intrinsic time scale that depends on an effective kinematic shear viscosity of the interstitial fluids and the intrinsic permeability of the porous medium. Numerical calculations indicate that the critical frequency in both unconsolidated and consolidated materials containing water and a nonaqueous phase liquid ranges typically from kHz to MHz. Thus engineering problems involving the dynamic response of an unsaturated porous medium to low excitation frequencies (e.g. seismic wave stimulation) should be accurately modeled by our equations after suitable initial and boundary conditions are imposed

Mechanisms of goethite dissolution in the presence of desferrioxamine B and Suwannee River fulvic acid at pH 6.5

Siderophores are Fe3+ specific low MW chelating ligands secreted by microorganisms in response to Fe stress. Low MW organic acids such as oxalate have been shown to enhance siderophore mediated dissolution of Fe3+ oxides. However, the effect of fulvic acid presence on siderophore function remains unknown. We used batch dissolution experiments to investigate Fe release from goethite in the goethite-fulvic acid desferrioxamine B (goethite-SRFA-DFOB) ternary system. Experiments were conducted at pH 6.5 while varying reagent addition sequence. FTIR and UV-Vis spectroscopy were employed to characterise the Fe-DFOB, Fe-SRFA and DFOB–SRFA complexes. Iron released from goethite in the presence of SRFA alone was below detection limit. In the presence of both SRFA and DFOB, dissolved Fe increased with reaction time, presence of the DFOB-SRFA complex, and where SRFA was introduced prior to DFOB. FTIR data show that in the ternary system, Fe3+ is complexed primarily to oxygen of the DFOB hydroxamate group, whilst the carboxylate C=O of SRFA forms an electrostatic association with the terminal NH3+ of DFOB. We propose that SRFA sorbed to goethite lowers the net positive charge of the oxide surface, thus facilitating adsorption of cationic DFOB and subsequent Fe3+ chelation and release. Furthermore, the sorbed SRFA weakens Fe-O bonds at the goethite surface, increasing the population of kinetically labile Fe. This work demonstrates the positive, though indirect role of SRFA in increasing the bioavailability of Fe3+

The research on young people in Brazil: setting new challenges from quantitative data

A partir de análise da Pesquisa Nacional por Amostra Domiciliar (PNAD), abrangendo dois períodos (2004 e 2014), este artigo explora mudanças e permanências na situação de jovens nos campos da educação, do trabalho e da vida familiar. Ao mesmo tempo, explicita como essas dimensões são experimentadas de modo variado por moças e rapazes e segundo clivagens como idade, raça/cor e renda familiar. É considerando esse exercício que se busca delinear, ainda que em caráter preliminar e exploratório, novos desafios para a pesquisa sobre a condição juvenil e os jovens brasileiros. Faz parte dessa agenda a compreensão sobre como as mudanças socioeconômicas experimentadas na última década, bem como sua recente inflexão, declinam na experiência da atual geração de jovens, seja em termos de um conjunto de novas expectativas, seja em desafios para satisfação de tais aspirações. Por outro lado, destaca-se a necessidade de uma perspectiva atenta à compreensão desses indivíduos em suas trajetórias, de seus modos de vida, dos desafios comuns que lhes são propostos e do modo como são por eles respondidos nesse momento do percurso de vida.Based on an analysis of data from the National Survey of Household Sampling (PNDA) covering two periods (2004 and 2014), this article explores changes and continuities in the situation of youths in the fields of education, labor and family life. At the same time, it attempts to clarify how these dimensions of life are experienced in different manners by young males and females, and according to criteria such as age, race/color and family income. This exercise is taken into consideration so that this study may outline, even if preliminarily and exploratorily, new challenges for the research on what it is like to be a young person in Brazil today. This agenda includes an effort to understand how socio-economic changes brought about during the last decade, as well as their more recent reversal, unfold into the experiences of the current young generation, both in terms of a whole set of new expectations and in challenges to fulfill such aspirations. Another highlight is the need for a wary way of understanding these individuals in their life paths, their lifestyles, the challenges they share and how they react to them at this specific moment of their lives

Cations extraction of sandy-clay soils from Cavado valley, Portugal, using sodium salts solutions

Cases of contamination by metals in the water wells of the Cavado Valley in north-west Portugal can be attributed to the heavy leaching of clay soils due to an excess of nitrogen resulting from the intensive use of fertilisers in agricultural areas. This work focuses on the natural weathering characteristics of soils, particularly the clay material, through the study of samples collected near the River Cavado. Samples taken from various sites, after physico-chemical characterisation, were subjected to clay dissolution tests, using sodium salts of different ionic forces, to detect the relationship between certain physico-chemical parameters of water, such as pH, nitrate, chloride and sulphate content, in the dissolution of clay and the subsequent extraction of such cations as Al, Fe and K. In acidic sandy clay soils, the mineralogical composition of which was characterised by a predominance of quartz, micas, kaolinite and K-feldspars, decreases of the clay material/water pH ratio increases dissolution of the micaceous and K-feldspars phases. The presence of nitrates in the aqueous solution apparently advanced the extraction of all three cations Al, Fe and K. The specific surface area of the clay material showed a significant correlation with the main kinetic parameters of cation extraction.Têm ocorrido casos de contaminações de águas de poços, por metais, no vale do Rio Cávado, região noroeste de Portugal. A princípio, poderiam ser explicáveis pela elevada lixiviação dos solos arenoargilosos da região, quando da prática de adubações intensivas de nitrogênio em áreas agrícolas. Assim, estudaram-se as características do intemperismo natural dos solos, particularmente da fração argila, característica da margem norte do rio Cávado. Coletaram-se amostras de vários locais, que foram submetidas, após caracterização físico-química, a ensaios de dissolução a partir de soluções de sais de sódio com diferentes forças iônicas. O objetivo foi observar as relações de determinados parâmetros físico-químicos da água, tais como: pH, nitratos, cloretos e sulfatos na dissolução das argilas e a conseqüente extração de espécies químicas tais como Al, K e Fe. Para solos areno-argilosos, ácidos, cuja composição mineralógica se caracteriza por um predomínio de quartzo, micas, caulinita e feldspato-K, o abaixamento do pH da suspensão solo/água promove a solubilização das fases micáceas e feldspáticas. A presença do nitrato nas soluções aquosas promoveu aparentemente a extração de todos os três cátions: Al, K e Fe. O efeito da área superfícial específica das partículas dos solos condicionou fortemente vários dos parâmetros cinéticos estudados relativos à extração dos cátions.(undefined

Towards design guidelines for physical interfaces on industrial exoskeletons: Overview on evaluation metrics

On exoskeletons, physical interfaces with the body are one of the key enabling component to promote user acceptance, comfort and force transmission efficiency. A structured design workflow is needed for any application-driven product, such as industrial exoskeletons. In this paper, we review objective and subjective evaluation metrics that can be applied to physical interfaces. These indexes can be evaluated to create an ordered list of requirements to guide their future design. Pressure magnitude, duration, distribution, direction and time to don and doff are relevant objective indexes related to interfaces. Pain, comfort and ease of operation are subjective indexes. We propose that collecting a suitable set of metrics will lay the foundation for effective design guideline for industrial exoskeletons

Statin short-term inhibition of insulin sensitivity and secretion during acute phase of ST-elevation myocardial infarction

Hyperglycemia during myocardial infarction (MI) has a strong and direct association with mortality. In stable patients and experimental models, statins favor the elevation of glycaemia. The present study investigated whether short-course treatment with statins during MI can influence glucose homeostasis and thus the clinical outcome. In this prospective study, euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp (EHC) was performed at second (D2) and sixth (D6) day after MI in patients randomized to simvastatin (S)10 or 80 mg/day during hospitalization (n = 27). In addition, patients (n = 550) were treated without (WS) or with simvastatin (S) at 20, 40 or 80 mg/day had HOMA2S on admission (D1) and fifth (D5) day after MI. According to EHC, insulin sensitivity increased by 20 +/- 60% in S10 and decreased by -6 +/- 28% in S80 (p = 0.025). Consistently, the changes in HOMA2S between D1 and D5 were 40 +/- 145% (WS), 22 +/- 117% (S20), 16 +/- 61% (S40) and -2% +/- 88% (S80) (p = 0.001). In conclusion, statin during the acute phase of MI reduces insulin sensitivity in a dose-dependent manner.9CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICO - CNPQ301465/2017-