Reflections of the COVID-19 pandemic on the acquisition costs of agricultural inputs: an empirical investigation using the Total Cost Ownership methodology

The Covid19 disease, resulting from contamination by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, impacted on the economy, especially in the agricultural sector, which has become more susceptible to these impacts through the rise in costs that are not easily perceived. This study aims to analyze the impact on input acquisition costs, caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, in small family farms, from the perspective of the Total Cost Ownership (TCO) methodology. The methodology used in this research was a case study in 12 family farms, located in the southern region of Brazil, with data collected from April 2017 to March 2020. Four inputs common to all properties were analyzed. The results showed that there was an increase of 39.47% in the acquisition costs of inputs and a weighted average increase of 34.7%, which had a negative impact on the monetary result of family properties. It was concluded that the properties were affected by the effects of the pandemic with regard to the purchase of inputs, mainly with an increase in acquisition costs, due to the shortage of essential supplies for the basic operations of small rural properties.- (undefined

Vulnerability of caregivers for the elderly with dementia: integrative review

Objective: To analyze the vulnerability of caregivers of elderly with dementia. Method: This is an integrative review of quantitative and qualitative nature. The data collection period was from 01/09/14 to 10/30/14. Results: Of the articles analyzed, 26% point interventions to relieve overload; 20% analyze the depression load; 16% of studies address caregiver burden; 14% guided their discussions in physical and spiritual well-being, psychological and social well-being and damage to quality of life; 12% adress stress. Conclusion: Researchers from several countries show the care impact on the life of the caregiver, highlighting: the emotional overload, routine stress, and depressive symptoms. However, there are mitigation measures identified through the research that can contribute to the everyday stress relief, such as the daily practice of yoga meditation, religion, the positive relationship between the family, the elderly and the caregiver

IUC Independent Policy Report: At the End of the End of History

The IUC Independent Policy Report was drafted by the IUC Legal Standards Research Group, organized by a Steering Committee chaired by Ugo Mattei (International University College of Turin), coordinated by Edoardo Reviglio (International University College of Turin) and Giuseppe Mastruzzo (International University College of Turin), and composed by Franco Bassanini (University of Rome “La Sapienza”), Guido Calabresi (Yale University), Antoine Garapon (Institut des Hautes Etudes sur la Justice, Paris), and Tibor Varady (Central European University, Budapest). Contributors include Eugenio Barcellona (Eastern Piedmont University), Mauro Bussani (University of Trieste), Giuliano G. Castellano (Ecole Polytechnique Preg/CRG), Moussa Djir´e (Bamako University), Liu Guanghua (Lanzhou University), Golnoosh Hakimdavar (University of Turin), John Haskell (SOAS), Jedidiah J. Kroncke (Yale Law School), Andrea Lollini (Bologna University), Alberto Lucarelli (Federico II University), Boris N. Mamlyuk, (University of Turin), Alberto Monti (Bocconi University), Sergio Ariel Muro (Torquato di Tella University), Domenico Nicol`o (Mediterranean University of Reggio Calabria), and Nicola Sartori (University of Michigan). The IUC Independent Policy Report argues for a radical change of perspective, capable of restoring the supremacy of the law over the economic system. It is not only about finance, nor is it only about economics or policy. In this sense a transnational set of normative principles is needed in order to establish a global legal system capable of controlling economic processes, rather than being controlled by them. Within this framework a series of policy proposals are presented in order to effectively implement a new system of global standards. The current Western standard of living is unsustainable. Should the rest share the model of development of the West, our planet will simply not be capable of resisting the growth in consumption and pollution. Within this fundamental setting of scarcity in resources, using the rhetoric of the end of history as the polar star for growth, development and ultimately happiness of the whole world is simply a cynical lie. We argue here for the beginning of a necessary process aimed at the development of a legal system that is much less about creating an effcient backbone for an exploitive economy and much more about a vision of civilization, justice and respect where the laws of nature and those of humans converge in a sustainable long-term philosophy. Principles of justice, responsibility and long term environmental protection, rather than short term economic contingency and strong interests must set the legal agenda. A new governance and bottom-up inclusive integration of knowledge-based economies (wherever located), which is crucial to the very survival of humankind, cannot happen without defning new terms of a widely accepted standard of long term justice in the transnational context, hence the urgency to conceive legitimate transnational legal structures and possibly some apparatus of “superlegality.” The report is composed of fve sections. After having presented the pitfalls of the prevailing theoretical apparatus, an alternative cultural grid upon which policy actions should be shaped is presented. In this sense several normative proposals - revisiting the key characteristics of the current system - are offered aiming at acquiring a wider perspective over the actual global crisis

VO2 Tungsten Doped Film IR Perfect Absorber

We investigated infrared reflectivity of undoped and Tungsten (W) doped Vanadium dioxide (VO2) films at varying temperatures. Undoped VO2 exhibited a clear phase transition at 100°C, achieving near 0% reflectivity, or perfect light absorption. As W doping concentration increased, the phase-transition temperature decreased, maintaining the zero-reflectivity condition. Only a 0.75% W doping enabled room temperature perfect absorption without heating the film

High Human Papillomavirus DNA loads in Inflammatory Middle Ear Diseases

Background. Previous studies reported human papillomaviruses (HPVs) in middle ear tumors, whereas these viruses have been poorly investigated in chronic inflammatory middle ear diseases. The purpose of this study was to investigate HPVs in non-tumor middle ear diseases, including chronic otitis media (COM). Methods. COM specimens (n=52), including chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) (n=38) and cholesteatoma (COMC) (n=14), as well as normal middle ear specimens (NME) (n=56) were analyzed. HPV DNA sequences and DNA loads were analyzed by quantitative PCR. HPV genotyping was performed by direct sequencing of the amplimers. Results. HPV DNA was detected in 23% (12/52) of COM and in 30.4% (17/56) NME (p>0.05). Specifically, HPV DNA sequences were revealed in 26.3% (10/38) of CSOM and in 14.3% (2/14) COMC (p>.05). Interestingly, the HPV DNA load was higher in COMC (mean 7.47 copy/cell) than in CSOM (mean 1.02 copy/cell), and NME (mean 1.18 copy/cell) (P=.03 and P=.017 versus CSOM and NME, respectively). HPV16 and HPV18 were the main genotypes detected in COMC, CSOM and NME. Conclusions. This data indicates that HPV-positive CSOM and COMC are generally associated with higher viral DNA loads as compared to NME. In addition, for the first time, HPVs were detected in normal middle ear mucosa specimens. This result suggests that NME is an additional epithelial tissue that can be HPV infected

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Mental Health of Healthcare Workers in Italy: Analyzing the Role of Individual and Workplace-Level Factors in the Reopening Phase After Lockdown

IntroductionItaly is one of the high-income countries hit hardest by Covid-19. During the first months of the pandemic, Italian healthcare workers were praised by media and the public for their efforts to face the emergency, although with limited knowledge and resources. However, healthcare workers soon had to face new challenges at a time when the national health system was working hard to recover. This study focuses on this difficult period to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of Italian healthcare workers. Materials and MethodsHealthcare workers from all Italian regions [n = 5,502] completed an online questionnaire during the reopening phase after the first wave lockdown. We assessed a set of individual-level factors (e.g., stigma and violence against HCWs) and a set of workplace-level factors (e.g., trust in the workplace capacity to handle COVID-19) that were especially relevant in this context. The primary outcomes assessed were score >= 15 on the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and score >= 4 on the General Health Questionnaire-12, indicators of clinically significant depressive symptoms and psychological distress, respectively. Logistic regression analyses were performed on depressive symptoms and psychological distress for each individual- and workplace-level factor adjusting for gender, age, and profession. ResultsClinically significant depressive symptoms were observed in 7.5% and psychological distress in 37.9% of HCWs. 30.5% of healthcare workers reported having felt stigmatized or discriminated, while 5.7% reported having experienced violence. Feeling stigmatized or discriminated and experiencing violence due to being a healthcare worker were strongly associated with clinically significant depressive symptoms [OR 2.98, 95%CI 2.36-3.77 and OR 4.72 95%CI 3.41-6.54] and psychological distress [OR 2.30, 95%CI 2.01-2.64 and OR 2.85 95%CI 2.16-3.75]. Numerous workplace-level factors, e.g., trust in the workplace capacity to handle COVID-19 [OR 2.43, 95%CI 1.92-3.07] and close contact with a co-worker who died of COVID-19 [OR 2.05, 95%CI 1.56-2.70] were also associated with clinically significant depressive symptoms. Similar results were found for psychological distress. ConclusionsOur study emphasizes the need to address discrimination and violence against healthcare professionals and improve healthcare work environments to strengthen the national health system's capacity to manage future emergencies

Beyond BRCA1 and BRCA2: deleterious variants in DNA repair pathway genes in italian families with breast/ovarian and pancreatic cancers

The 5-10% of breast/ovarian cancers (BC and OC) are inherited, and germline pathogenic (P) variants in DNA damage repair (DDR) genes BRCA1 and BRCA2 explain only 10-20% of these cases. Currently, new DDR genes have been related to BC/OC and to pancreatic (PC) cancers, but the prevalence of P variants remains to be explored. The purpose of this study was to investigate the spectrum and the prevalence of pathogenic variants in DDR pathway genes other than BRCA1/2 and to correlate the genotype with the clinical phenotype. A cohort of 113 non-BRCA patients was analyzed by next-generation sequencing using a multigene panel of the 25 DDR pathways genes related to BC, OC, and PC. We found 43 unique variants in 18 of 25 analyzed genes, 14 classified as P/likely pathogenic (LP) and 28 as variants of uncertain significance (VUS). Deleterious variants were identified in 14% of index cases, whereas a VUS was identified in 20% of the probands. We observed a high incidence of deleterious variants in the CHEK2 gene, and a new pathogenic variant was detected in the RECQL gene. These results supported the clinical utility of multigene panel to increase the detection of P/LP carriers and to identify new actionable pathogenic gene variants useful for preventive and therapeutic approaches

DORMANCY OF SEEDS AND PLANTS PRODUCTION OF Dimorphandra mollis Benth.

Dimorphandra mollis Benth. \ue9 uma esp\ue9cie florestal nativa, encontrada nos biomas Cerrado e Caatinga, de grande import\ue2ncia em fun\ue7\ue3o de sua utilidade econ\uf4mica e ecol\uf3gica, o que justifica a exist\ueancia de programas de produ\ue7\ue3o de mudas. Este trabalho teve por objetivo estudar metodologias eficientes para supera\ue7\ue3o da dorm\ueancia das sementes e avaliar, em viveiro florestal, os efeitos de diferentes substratos e da fertiliza\ue7\ue3o sobre o crescimento inicial das mudas. Foram realizados os seguintes tratamentos para supera\ue7\ue3o de dorm\ueancia: T1 - testemunha (sementes sem escarifica\ue7\ue3o); T2 - escarifica\ue7\ue3o manual com lixa no50; T3 - imers\ue3o em \ue1gua a 80\ub0C e (T4) a 100\ubaC at\ue9 atingir a temperatura ambiente; T5 - fervura em \ue1gua a 100\ubaC durante 10, (T6) 30 e (T7) 60 segundos; T8 - escarifica\ue7\ue3o qu\uedmica com \ue1cido sulf\ufarico durante 20, (T9) 30 e (T10) 40 minutos. Para a produ\ue7\ue3o de mudas, o delineamento experimental adotado foi o inteiramente casualizado, em arranjo fatorial 4 x 2 (quatro substratos: Tropstrato\uae puro, e os demais: Tropstrato\uae, p\uf3 de coco e vermiculita com composto org\ue2nico; sem e com fertiliza\ue7\ue3o). Os melhores resultados para a supera\ue7\ue3o da dorm\ueancia s\ue3o obtidos com a escarifica\ue7\ue3o manual com lixa para metal n\uba50 ou fervura em \ue1gua durante 10 segundos. O p\uf3 de coco e a vermiculita, combinados com composto org\ue2nico, s\ue3o bons substratos para produ\ue7\ue3o de mudas de Dimorphandra mollis.Dimorphandra mollis Benth. is an important native forest species coming from Cerrado and Caatinga due to its economical and ecological use, what justifies the existence of programs of seedling production. This paper aimed to study the efficient methodology to overcome dormancy in seeds and to evaluate, in natural nursery, the effects of distinct substrates and the fertilization on the initial growth of plants. The following treatments applied: T1 - control (seeds whithout scarification); T2 \u2013 manual scarification with sandpaper number 50; T3 - immersion in water at 80 and (T4) at 100\ubaC; T5 - boil in water at 100\ubaC for 10, (T6) 30 and (T7) 60 seconds; T8 - chemical scarification with sulfuric acid for 20, (T9) 30 and (T10) 40 minutes. For the seedling production, the experiment was arranged in 4 x 2 factorial, complete randomized design (4 substrates: Tropstrato\uae pure, and the others: Tropstrato\uae, coconut fiber and vermiculite with organic compost; without and with fertilization). The best results for overcoming dormancy are obtained with the manual scarification with sandpaper n\uba50 or boil in water at 100\ubaC for 10 seconds. The coconut fiber and the vermiculite with organic compost are good substrates for the seedling production of Dimorphandra mollis