Nuclear decommissioning in Brazil and China: Regulatory development, incompleteness and future synergy

Abstract The law and regulation of nuclear infrastructure decommissioning is developing worldwide. At the international level, safety standards for the decommissioning process were established under the auspices of the International Atomic Energy Agency, which also encourages international co-operation and gives expert advice for Member States’ projects. Advanced jurisdictions such as the UK, US and Japan have made substantial progress in the elaboration of national legislation covering issues related to the risks for safety and the environment. This article aims at assessing the Brazilian and Chinese efforts, achievements and challenges in the establishment of national decommissioning legal regimes using the analytical lenses developed by probing into the strengths exhibited by selected advanced jurisdictions’ decommissioning regulations and experiences, in namely the UK, USA and Japan. As a result, the structural perspective developed enables the assessment of the effectiveness of the decommissioning framework of jurisdictions at an earlier stage. Brazil and China have just started to build their national decommissioning nuclear power plant regimes. Besides sharing a common nuclear power plant decommissioning regulatory momentum, both countries’ asymmetric capacities in the technology sector can be reciprocally combined to create a mutually beneficial relationship.</jats:p

Evaluating regulatory strategies for mitigating hydrological risk in Brazil through diversification of its electricity mix

Hydroelectricity provides approximately 65% of Brazil’s power generating capacity, making the country vulnerable to droughts, which are becoming increasingly frequent. Current energy law and policy responses to the problem rely on a sectorial approach and prioritise energy security and market regulation. Brazil has opted to increase energy security levels during periods of hydrological variability with national grid interconnection and thermal plants backup. Additionally, Brazil has created the Energy Reallocation Mechanism (MRE) to manage the generators’ financial impacts in times of insufficient water. This policy, however, was unable to avoid the high financial exposure of generators in the spot market during the severe droughts experienced in the period 2013-2017. To explore how a more diversified electricity matrix can contribute to reducing hydrological risk, this article uses Integrated Assessment Modelling (IAM) techniques to analyse future macroeconomic and energy scenarios for Brazil in a global context, aligned with the Brazilian Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) under the 2015 Paris Agreement on Climate Change. We show that the addition of non-hydro renewables is an advantage from the integrated Water-Energy-Food nexus perspective because it reduces trade-offs amongst the water and energy sectors. Our conclusions suggest that a nexus perspective can provide useful insights on how to design energy laws and policies.Philomathia Foundation; Cambridge Humanities Research Grant

Governmental surveillance system of healthcare-associated infection in Brazil

Objective: This study aimed to describe the structure of governmental surveillance systems for Healthcare Associated Infection (HAI) in the Brazilian Southeastern and Southern States. Method: A cross-sectional, descriptive and exploratory study, with data collection by means of two-phases: characterization of the healthcare structure and of the HAI surveillance system. Results: The governmental teams for prevention and control of HAI in each State ranged from one to six members, having at least one nurse. All States implemented their own surveillance system. The information systems were classified into chain (n=2), circle (n=4) or wheel (n=1). Conclusion: Were identified differences in the structure and information flow from governmental surveillance systems, possibly limiting a nationwide standardization. The present study points to the need for establishing minimum requirements in public policies, in order to guide the development of HAI surveillance systems

Contextual and individual factors associated with dental services utilisation by Brazilian adults: A multilevel analysis

BACKGROUND: Inequalities in the utilisation of dental services in Brazil are remarkable. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of contextual and individual factors with the utilisation of dental services by Brazilian adults using the Andersen's behavioural model. METHODS: Individual-level data from 27,017 adults residents in the State capitals who were interviewed in the 2013 Brazilian National Health Survey were pooled with contextual city-level data. The outcomes were non-utilisation of dental services and last dental visit over 12 months ago. Individual predisposing variables were age, sex, race/skin colour, schooling and social network. Individual enabling variables included income, health insurance and registration in primary health care. Individual need variables were self-perceived dental health and self-reported missing teeth. Multilevel logistic regression models were performed to estimate odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) of the association of contextual and individual predisposing, enabling and need-related variables with dental services outcomes. RESULTS: Predisposing (OR = 0.89; 95% CI 0.81-0.97) and enabling (OR = 0.90; 95% CI 0.85-0.96) contextual factors were associated with non-utilisation of dental services. Individual predisposing (sex, race/skin colour, schooling), enabling (income, health insurance) and need (self-perceived oral health, missing teeth) were associated with non-utilisation of dental services and last dental visit over 12 months ago. The latter was also associated with other individual predisposing (age, social network) and need (eating difficulties due to oral problems) characteristics. CONCLUSIONS: Individual and contextual determinants influenced dental services utilisation in Brazilian adults. These factors should be on the policy agenda and considered in the organisation of health services aiming to reduce oral health inequalities related to access and utilisation of dental services