A comparative analysis of corporate social responsibility between the banking sector and others in Brazil

Este artigo objetiva estudar a Responsabilidade Social Corporativa (RSC) nos bancos brasileiros comparativamente a empresas de outros setores, utilizando dados de ações sociais da empresa brasileira relativos ao período 1996-2008, fazendo uso de análise uni e multivariada. Os resultados de comparação de médias mostraram mais elevados índices de RSC em empresas do setor bancário relativamente aos demais segmentos. Estimando-se modelos de regressão linear, os resultados indicam que o fato de a empresa ser um banco (variável dummy) afeta positivamente a intensidade de RSC, controlando por outras variáveis explicativas apontadas pela literatura com possível poder de influência sobre a RSC (ROA, oportunidades de crescimento, tamanho). Analisando- se separadamente as distintas vertentes de ação social, verifica-se que a RSC interna, a mais forte da empresa brasileira, é bastante destacada no setor bancário, comparativamente a outras empresas, o que faz com que seu indicador de RSC total seja superior. No entanto, a situação inverte-se ao se analisar a ação ambiental que é superior para os demais setores. _________________________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACTThis article presents a study on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in Brazilian banks compared to companies in other industries, using data from the Brazilian company’s social actions for the period 1996-2008, based on uni and multivariate analysis. The results on mean comparison showed higher levels of CSR in companies in the banking sector in relation to other segments. Estimating linear regression models the results indicate that the fact that the company is a bank (dummy variable) positively affects the intensity of RSC, controlling for other explanatory variables presented in literature with possible influence over CSR (ROA, growth opportunities, size). Analyzing separately the different strands of social action, one can observe that the internal CSR, the strongest in the Brazilian company, is quite prominent in the banking sector compared to other companies which leads to the superior CSR indicator in the banking segment. However, the situation is reversed when analyzing environmental action that is superior to firms from other sectors

Influência de diferentes dietas hipercalóricas sobre o estresse oxidativo cardíaco/ Influence of different hypercaloric diets on cardiac oxidative stress

A alta ingestão de dietas hipercalóricas vem sendo mundialmente observada, acarretando aumento do tecido adiposo abdominal com concomitante quadro inflamatório sistêmico de baixo grau, desequilíbrio de citocinas, complicações metabólicas e cardiovasculares. Além disso, observa-se aumento da produção de radicais livres, que associado a diminuição das defesas antioxidantes, resultam em estresse oxidativo. Essa revisão sistemática objetiva analisar estudos que utilizam intervenções nutricionais por meio de dietas hipercalóricas e sua influência no estresse oxidativo cardíaco. A busca virtual foi realizada nas bases de dados Medline, via Pubmed e Bireme, ScienceDirect, Lilacs, e Scielo utilizando como descritores “oxidative stress”, “heart”, “myocardial”, “cardiac”, “high-fat diet”, “high-carbohydrate diet” e “diet”. Foram identificados 739 artigos, os quais após critérios de elegibilidade resultaram em 19 estudos. Estes foram separados em estudos experimentais envolvendo diferentes protocolos de dietas hipercalóricas ricas em gordura e/ou carboidratos.  Os estudos demonstram relação entre consumo de dietas hipercalóricas e estresse oxidativo cardíaco, baseadas em gorduras saturadas ou insaturadas, acrescidas ou não de açúcar observado pelo aumento da lipoperoxidação, carbonilação proteica e elevação das espécies reativas de oxigênio in situ, reporta-se possível envolvimento da enzima NADPH oxidase neste processo, bem como redução das defesas antioxidantes porém há carência de informações sobre as possíveis vias sinalizadoras envolvidas nesse processo.

Comparison of different delivery systems of DNA vaccination for the induction of protection against tuberculosis in mice and guinea pigs

The great challenges for researchers working in the field of vaccinology are optimizing DNA vaccines for use in humans or large animals and creating effective single-dose vaccines using appropriated controlled delivery systems. Plasmid DNA encoding the heat-shock protein 65 (hsp65) (DNAhsp65) has been shown to induce protective and therapeutic immune responses in a murine model of tuberculosis (TB). Despite the success of naked DNAhsp65-based vaccine to protect mice against TB, it requires multiple doses of high amounts of DNA for effective immunization. In order to optimize this DNA vaccine and simplify the vaccination schedule, we coencapsulated DNAhsp65 and the adjuvant trehalose dimycolate (TDM) into biodegradable poly (DL-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) microspheres for a single dose administration. Moreover, a single-shot prime-boost vaccine formulation based on a mixture of two different PLGA microspheres, presenting faster and slower release of, respectively, DNAhsp65 and the recombinant hsp65 protein was also developed. These formulations were tested in mice as well as in guinea pigs by comparison with the efficacy and toxicity induced by the naked DNA preparation or BCG. The single-shot prime-boost formulation clearly presented good efficacy and diminished lung pathology in both mice and guinea pigs

Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear un derstanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5–7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8–11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world’s most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepre sented in biodiversity databases.13–15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may elim inate pieces of the Amazon’s biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological com munities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple or ganism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region’s vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most ne glected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lostinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Impact of COVID-19 on cardiovascular testing in the United States versus the rest of the world

Objectives: This study sought to quantify and compare the decline in volumes of cardiovascular procedures between the United States and non-US institutions during the early phase of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the care of many non-COVID-19 illnesses. Reductions in diagnostic cardiovascular testing around the world have led to concerns over the implications of reduced testing for cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality. Methods: Data were submitted to the INCAPS-COVID (International Atomic Energy Agency Non-Invasive Cardiology Protocols Study of COVID-19), a multinational registry comprising 909 institutions in 108 countries (including 155 facilities in 40 U.S. states), assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on volumes of diagnostic cardiovascular procedures. Data were obtained for April 2020 and compared with volumes of baseline procedures from March 2019. We compared laboratory characteristics, practices, and procedure volumes between U.S. and non-U.S. facilities and between U.S. geographic regions and identified factors associated with volume reduction in the United States. Results: Reductions in the volumes of procedures in the United States were similar to those in non-U.S. facilities (68% vs. 63%, respectively; p = 0.237), although U.S. facilities reported greater reductions in invasive coronary angiography (69% vs. 53%, respectively; p < 0.001). Significantly more U.S. facilities reported increased use of telehealth and patient screening measures than non-U.S. facilities, such as temperature checks, symptom screenings, and COVID-19 testing. Reductions in volumes of procedures differed between U.S. regions, with larger declines observed in the Northeast (76%) and Midwest (74%) than in the South (62%) and West (44%). Prevalence of COVID-19, staff redeployments, outpatient centers, and urban centers were associated with greater reductions in volume in U.S. facilities in a multivariable analysis. Conclusions: We observed marked reductions in U.S. cardiovascular testing in the early phase of the pandemic and significant variability between U.S. regions. The association between reductions of volumes and COVID-19 prevalence in the United States highlighted the need for proactive efforts to maintain access to cardiovascular testing in areas most affected by outbreaks of COVID-19 infection

Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear understanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5,6,7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8,9,10,11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world's most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepresented in biodiversity databases.13,14,15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may eliminate pieces of the Amazon's biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological communities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple organism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region's vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most neglected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lost

Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear understanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5,6,7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8,9,10,11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world's most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepresented in biodiversity databases.13,14,15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may eliminate pieces of the Amazon's biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological communities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple organism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region's vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most neglected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lost

O sítio de fossas da Horta do Cabral 6. Contribuição para o conhecimento da Idade do Bronze na região do Torrão (Alcácer do Sal, Portugal)

A Horta do Cabral 6 localiza-se próximo da vila do Torrão, numa faixa aplanada com substrato de calcreto (caliço), no qual foram abertas e, posteriormente, colmatadas, estruturas negativas de tipo fossa. Nas 17 estruturas intervencionadas recuperaram-se elementos cerâmicos, pedra lascada e afeiçoada e fauna mamalógica, entre a qual se conta um veado juvenil completo e articulado, depositado intencionalmente numa das fossas e atribuível ao Bronze Final do Sudoeste, através da datação pelo radiocarbono de uma amostra do seu material ósseo. Foram ainda recolhidos e identificados elementos vegetais carbonizados. O carácter doméstico da ocupação do sítio parece evidente. Insere-se num conjunto de sítios caracterizados pelo agrupamento de estruturas negativas e, normalmente, sem estruturas positivas, que têm vindo a ser identificados em diversos locais do Sudoeste peninsular. Este tipo de jazida da Pré-História recente permaneceu desconhecido até muito recentemente.The Horta do Cabral 6 site is located near the town of Torrão. It covers a flat area with a calcrete bedrock, in which some filled-up pit features were identified. The 17 excavated features yielded pottery sherds, flaked and ground stone artefacts as well as mammal remains, including a complete and articulated, intentionally deposited juvenile deer. Radiocarbon dating of a sample of this deer’s skeleton places the site in the Southwestern Bronze Age. Charred plant remains were also found. The domestic nature of the occupation is apparent. Similar sites, characterized by concentrations of negative features and, often, lacking positive ones, have been identified in several areas of Southwestern Iberia. Until recently, this type of late prehistoric site was virtually unknown.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Carbon Nanomaterials-Based Screen-Printed Electrodes for Sensing Applications

Electrochemical sensors consisting of screen-printed electrodes (SPEs) are recurrent devices in the recent literature for applications in different fields of interest and contribute to the expanding electroanalytical chemistry field. This is due to inherent characteristics that can be better (or only) achieved with the use of SPEs, including miniaturization, cost reduction, lower sample consumption, compatibility with portable equipment, and disposability. SPEs are also quite versatile; they can be manufactured using different formulations of conductive inks and substrates, and are of varied designs. Naturally, the analytical performance of SPEs is directly affected by the quality of the material used for printing and modifying the electrodes. In this sense, the most varied carbon nanomaterials have been explored for the preparation and modification of SPEs, providing devices with an enhanced electrochemical response and greater sensitivity, in addition to functionalized surfaces that can immobilize biological agents for the manufacture of biosensors. Considering the relevance and timeliness of the topic, this review aimed to provide an overview of the current scenario of the use of carbonaceous nanomaterials in the context of making electrochemical SPE sensors, from which different approaches will be presented, exploring materials traditionally investigated in electrochemistry, such as graphene, carbon nanotubes, carbon black, and those more recently investigated for this (carbon quantum dots, graphitic carbon nitride, and biochar). Perspectives on the use and expansion of these devices are also considered