Contributions of decolonial thinking about science and its praxis in the context of indigenous people and local communities

The universe of scientific research involving Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLC) is not limited to the conditions established by Law 13.123 of 2015, which regulates investigations on traditional knowledge associated with genetic heritage (CTA). From anthropological interest to ethnosciences (ethnobiology, ethnobotany etc.) there is already a great accumulation of knowledge and practices in the field of studies of the culture-nature relationship. In this context, we deal not only with ethical issues, much debated and with considerable progress, but also with the disputes inherent within science, added to the tensions generated by inter-epistemic encounters. A scenario that increasingly requires dialogical practices, co-production of knowledge and the right of access to scientific spaces by IPLCs as subjects of knowledge. Reflect on learning and ongoing changes in the universe of ethnosciences, and from an academic place, we start from the three domains of coloniality (of being, knowledge and power) to build a critical reflection on science and its practice in this context. At first, we make an ontological discussion (domain of being), which can be useful to situate the place of research in the complex reality of IPLCs, and then, through the domain of knowledge, we look at issues that touch epistemology and its theories and methodologies, evoking the role of 'Southern epistemologies' in this scenario. Finally, through the domain of power, we bring aspects of the reality that structure scientific practice, such as access and democratic participation, conquered rights and post-research relations.O universo das pesquisas científicas que envolvem Povos e Comunidades Tradicionais (PCT) não se limita às condições estabelecidas pelo Marco da Biodiversidade (Lei 13.123 de 2015) sobre o acesso ao conhecimento tradicional associado ao patrimônio genético (CTA). Do interesse antropológico às etnociências (etnobiologia, etnobotânica etc), já existe um grande acúmulo de conhecimentos e práticas no campo de estudos da relação cultura-natureza. Nesse contexto de pesquisa, lidamos não apenas com questões éticas, muito debatidas e com considerável avanço, mas também com as disputas inerentes ao interior da ciência, somadas às tensões geradas pelos encontros interepistêmicos. Cenário que exige cada vez mais práticas dialógicas, coprodução de conhecimento e direito ao acesso aos espaços da ciência pelos PCT enquanto sujeitos de conhecimento. Ao refletir sobre aprendizados e mudanças em curso no universo das etnociências, e desde um lugar acadêmico, partimos dos três domínios de colonialidade (do ser, do saber e do poder) para construir uma reflexão crítica sobre a ciência e sua prática nesse contexto. De início, fazemos uma discussão ontológica (domínio do ser), que pode ser útil para situar o lugar da pesquisa na realidade complexa dos PCT para, na sequência, pelo domínio do saber, olharmos para questões que tocam a epistemologia e suas teorias e metodologias, evocando o papel das “epistemologias do Sul” nesse ambiente. Finalmente, pelo domínio do poder, trazemos aspectos da realidade que estrutura a prática científica, a exemplo do acesso e da  participação democrática, dos direitos conquistados e das relações pós-pesquisa

Effects of Brazil's political crisis on the science needed for biodiversity conservation

The effects of Brazil’s political crisis on science funding necessary for biodiversity conservation are likely to be global. Brazil is not only the world’s most biodiverse nation, it is responsible for the greater part of the Amazon forest, which regulates the climate and provides rain to much of southern South America. Brazil was a world leader in satellite monitoring of land-use change, in-situ biodiversity monitoring, reduction in tropical-forest deforestation, protection of indigenous lands, and a model for other developing nations. Coordinated public responses will be necessary to prevent special-interest groups from using the political crisis to weaken science funding, environmental legislation and law enforcement. Keywords: Brazil, biodiversity, climate change, governance, fundin

Disease-Modifying Therapies and Coronavirus Disease 2019 Severity in Multiple Sclerosis

Objective: This study was undertaken to assess the impact of immunosuppressive and immunomodulatory therapies on the severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS). Methods: We retrospectively collected data of PwMS with suspected or confirmed COVID-19. All the patients had complete follow-up to death or recovery. Severe COVID-19 was defined by a 3-level variable: mild disease not requiring hospitalization versus pneumonia or hospitalization versus intensive care unit (ICU) admission or death. We evaluated baseline characteristics and MS therapies associated with severe COVID-19 by multivariate and propensity score (PS)-weighted ordinal logistic models. Sensitivity analyses were run to confirm the results. Results: Of 844 PwMS with suspected (n = 565) or confirmed (n = 279) COVID-19, 13 (1.54%) died; 11 of them were in a progressive MS phase, and 8 were without any therapy. Thirty-eight (4.5%) were admitted to an ICU; 99 (11.7%) had radiologically documented pneumonia; 96 (11.4%) were hospitalized. After adjusting for region, age, sex, progressive MS course, Expanded Disability Status Scale, disease duration, body mass index, comorbidities, and recent methylprednisolone use, therapy with an anti-CD20 agent (ocrelizumab or rituximab) was significantly associated (odds ratio [OR] = 2.37, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.18-4.74, p = 0.015) with increased risk of severe COVID-19. Recent use (<1 month) of methylprednisolone was also associated with a worse outcome (OR = 5.24, 95% CI = 2.20-12.53, p = 0.001). Results were confirmed by the PS-weighted analysis and by all the sensitivity analyses. Interpretation: This study showed an acceptable level of safety of therapies with a broad array of mechanisms of action. However, some specific elements of risk emerged. These will need to be considered while the COVID-19 pandemic persists

DMTs and Covid-19 severity in MS: a pooled analysis from Italy and France

We evaluated the effect of DMTs on Covid-19 severity in patients with MS, with a pooled-analysis of two large cohorts from Italy and France. The association of baseline characteristics and DMTs with Covid-19 severity was assessed by multivariate ordinal-logistic models and pooled by a fixed-effect meta-analysis. 1066 patients with MS from Italy and 721 from France were included. In the multivariate model, anti-CD20 therapies were significantly associated (OR = 2.05, 95%CI = 1.39–3.02, p < 0.001) with Covid-19 severity, whereas interferon indicated a decreased risk (OR = 0.42, 95%CI = 0.18–0.99, p = 0.047). This pooled-analysis confirms an increased risk of severe Covid-19 in patients on anti-CD20 therapies and supports the protective role of interferon

COVID-19 Severity in Multiple Sclerosis: Putting Data Into Context

Background and objectives: It is unclear how multiple sclerosis (MS) affects the severity of COVID-19. The aim of this study is to compare COVID-19-related outcomes collected in an Italian cohort of patients with MS with the outcomes expected in the age- and sex-matched Italian population. Methods: Hospitalization, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and death after COVID-19 diagnosis of 1,362 patients with MS were compared with the age- and sex-matched Italian population in a retrospective observational case-cohort study with population-based control. The observed vs the expected events were compared in the whole MS cohort and in different subgroups (higher risk: Expanded Disability Status Scale [EDSS] score > 3 or at least 1 comorbidity, lower risk: EDSS score ≤ 3 and no comorbidities) by the χ2 test, and the risk excess was quantified by risk ratios (RRs). Results: The risk of severe events was about twice the risk in the age- and sex-matched Italian population: RR = 2.12 for hospitalization (p < 0.001), RR = 2.19 for ICU admission (p < 0.001), and RR = 2.43 for death (p < 0.001). The excess of risk was confined to the higher-risk group (n = 553). In lower-risk patients (n = 809), the rate of events was close to that of the Italian age- and sex-matched population (RR = 1.12 for hospitalization, RR = 1.52 for ICU admission, and RR = 1.19 for death). In the lower-risk group, an increased hospitalization risk was detected in patients on anti-CD20 (RR = 3.03, p = 0.005), whereas a decrease was detected in patients on interferon (0 observed vs 4 expected events, p = 0.04). Discussion: Overall, the MS cohort had a risk of severe events that is twice the risk than the age- and sex-matched Italian population. This excess of risk is mainly explained by the EDSS score and comorbidities, whereas a residual increase of hospitalization risk was observed in patients on anti-CD20 therapies and a decrease in people on interferon

Association of kidney disease measures with risk of renal function worsening in patients with type 1 diabetes

Background: Albuminuria has been classically considered a marker of kidney damage progression in diabetic patients and it is routinely assessed to monitor kidney function. However, the role of a mild GFR reduction on the development of stage 653 CKD has been less explored in type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) patients. Aim of the present study was to evaluate the prognostic role of kidney disease measures, namely albuminuria and reduced GFR, on the development of stage 653 CKD in a large cohort of patients affected by T1DM. Methods: A total of 4284 patients affected by T1DM followed-up at 76 diabetes centers participating to the Italian Association of Clinical Diabetologists (Associazione Medici Diabetologi, AMD) initiative constitutes the study population. Urinary albumin excretion (ACR) and estimated GFR (eGFR) were retrieved and analyzed. The incidence of stage 653 CKD (eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2) or eGFR reduction > 30% from baseline was evaluated. Results: The mean estimated GFR was 98 \ub1 17 mL/min/1.73m2 and the proportion of patients with albuminuria was 15.3% (n = 654) at baseline. About 8% (n = 337) of patients developed one of the two renal endpoints during the 4-year follow-up period. Age, albuminuria (micro or macro) and baseline eGFR < 90 ml/min/m2 were independent risk factors for stage 653 CKD and renal function worsening. When compared to patients with eGFR > 90 ml/min/1.73m2 and normoalbuminuria, those with albuminuria at baseline had a 1.69 greater risk of reaching stage 3 CKD, while patients with mild eGFR reduction (i.e. eGFR between 90 and 60 mL/min/1.73 m2) show a 3.81 greater risk that rose to 8.24 for those patients with albuminuria and mild eGFR reduction at baseline. Conclusions: Albuminuria and eGFR reduction represent independent risk factors for incident stage 653 CKD in T1DM patients. The simultaneous occurrence of reduced eGFR and albuminuria have a synergistic effect on renal function worsening

Certificação do manejo florestal comunitário : desafios na definição de indicadores para a avaliação local

Dissertação (mestrado)—Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Tecnologia, Departamento de Engenharia Florestal, 2006.Dentre as alternativas para o uso e a conservação da biodiversidade com desenvolvimento social está o manejo florestal praticado por comunidades. Na Amazônia brasileira vêm surgindo experiências de sucesso em projetos que envolvem moradores de Reservas Extrativistas e de Projetos de Assentamento Agroextrativistas. Em alguns casos, o manejo florestal comunitário (MFC) desses empreendimentos tem conseguido lograr a certificação florestal através de ações por parte de organizações governamentais e não governamentais. Para receber a certificação, os projetos precisam atender a um padrão mínimo de exigência, que é checado em campo por certificadoras credenciadas. No Brasil, o sistema de certificação mais acessado pelos projetos comunitários é o do FSC e através de um padrão nacional são orientadas as certificações desses projetos na Amazônia. Este trabalho investigou um caso de um projeto de MFC que desenvolve atividades para alcançar a certificação FSC e por meio de pesquisas etnográficas procurou encontrar semelhanças e divergências do contexto local com o que está sendo exigido pelo padrão de certificação. Apesar de o padrão demonstrar que, em grande parte, contém elementos capazes de medir a sustentabilidade local, evidenciaram-se indicadores que precisam ser revisados e modificados. Além disso, verificou-se a necessidade de serem criados, por parte dos auditores, procedimentos de certificação que permitissem maior participação de membros da comunidade no processo de avaliação e minimizassem a interferência externa no modo de vida local. __________________________________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACTAmongst the alternatives for the use and conservation of natural resources with social development there is the community forest management. In the Brazilian Amazon there are experiences that involve local people in these economic alternatives. In some cases, these projects have obtained the forest certification, stimulated many times by governmental and non-governmental organizations. For the assessment of forest certification, the projects need to observe a standard, which is checked by certification bodies. In the Brazilian Amazon, the FSC certification system is the most accessed by forest communities’ projects and there is a national standard that guides the certification. This work investigated a community that works to reach the FSC certification. Using ethnographic field research, it looked for similarities and divergences between the local context and the standard’s contents. Although the standard demonstrates that, to a large extent, it contains good thresholds to verify the sustainable forest management, there are some indicators that must be revised. Moreover, a good point for the certification bodies could be an revision of the procedures of audit which allow more participation of the community members and which minimize the external interference in the local traditions

Signs and symptoms of COVID-19 in patients with multiple sclerosis

Clinical outcomes of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients affected by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have been thoroughly investigated, but a further analysis on main signs and symptoms and their risk factors still needs attention. The objective of this study was to group together and describe based on similarity the most common signs and symptoms of COVID-19 in MS patients and identify all factors associated with their manifestation