Soil Fungi in Sustainable Agriculture

Project EXCALIBUR funded from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Program under grant agreement No. 817946EU project SUSTAINABLE, EU grant agreement no. 101007702Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG), grant number APQ-02351-23Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq), grant number 407793/2021-

Evaluating the implementation of quality management systems in supply networks in Brazil

The development of relationships between organizations through Supply Chain Management, with a view to delivering products and services and consumers has led quality management to go beyond the boundaries of the individual firm and thus spread to the various network actors in which the organization is involved. This has been called Supply Chain Quality Management (SCQM) and consists in developing a quality policy applicable to the whole supply chain. Quality management systems have been successfully implemented within individual companies, but how has this actually affected suppliers, within SCM? This paper conducted a survey in thirteen companies operating in Brazil to assess the effectiveness of SCQM. The results show that companies are still very concerned about quality within their individual companies and ensuring quality from their suppliers still involves performance indicators and depends on the availability of suppliers for each item required

Chemical and Physical Mechanisms of Fungal Bioweathering of Rock Phosphate

This research has investigated fungal transformations of rock phosphate (RP) by geoactive fungi, with particular emphasis on Aspergillus niger. Direct hyphal interaction with RP particles induced morphological and mineralogical changes, as revealed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. The formation of the oxalate mineral calcium oxalate monohydrate (whewellite, CaC2O4 center dot H2O) on RP surfaces showed that mycogenic oxalic acid was driving the chemical dissolution of apatite, with consequent phosphate release and secondary mineral formation. This was supported by abiotic testing of common fungal excreted organic acids which confirmed that oxalic acid was the only effective RP transforming agent and therefore responsible for the morphological and mineralogical changes observed in RP when exposed to fungal colonization. Cryogenic SEM provided evidence of fungal penetration and tunneling through RP particles demonstrating that physical interactions are also important for RP bioweathering, as well as biochemical mechanisms. These findings emphasize the important role of fungi in P cycling, with active participation in the transformation of mineral phosphates through physicochemical mechanisms and secondary oxalate biomineral formation

Supply chain strategies in the context of an e-commerce chain (e-chain)

This paper purpose to explore the relationships between supply chain strategies and product performance in retail e-commerce. In this case, we concern that in current, in order to bear up under competition, organizations have to manage their supply chains so that they meet the needs of their final customers. With this concept in mind, the research presented in this study focuses on establishing the right strategy for supply chains according to their product segment. Thus, after a Literature Review, the paper explain a methodology based in different authors studies. Finally the article focuses on a pratical case in e-commerce retail that describes its application in this field. The research shows that it is possible to use a methodology for classifying supply chains using chain strategies and product features. The use of the right strategy for supply chains will improve the competitive advantage of businesses. One limitation is that the methodology study focuses on only two e-commerce segment; future studies may go further in refining the proposed framework for other segments. The aim of this research is to offer businesses a model for evaluating supply chains, allowing them to improve the performance of their products and services by using the right strategy for supply chains. The classification proposal of this paper presents an original model for classification of supply chains based on different studies on the theme

Responsiveness and value chain in sugar-ethanol production

Brazil is the world’s major sugarcane producer. In 2018/19, the country will have produced about 47.34 million tons of sugar and 58.8 billion liters of ethanol. Sugar and ethanol are produced in the same production process and the definition of both quantities is pre-established to sugarcane agro-industry. The purpose of this paper is to identify how managers define the production mix of sugar-ethanol in an agro-industry and how this decision adds value to its operations. The results showed that the searched mill adds value to its production through responsiveness and flexibility while orienting the production to sugar and/or ethanol according to the most profitable market during the moment of the decision making

Qualidade da carne e desempenho de frangos de corte alimentados com dietas contendo selênio levedura e selenito de sódio

The objective of this work was to evaluate performance parameters, carcass and cut yields, meat quality, plasma glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity, and selenium tissue deposition for broilers fed with Se from organic (Se-yeast) and inorganic (sodium selenite) sources. A total of 1,200 Cobb 500 chicks, males with one day of age, were randomly distributed into four treatments with ten replicates. The treatments consisted of two Se-yeast levels (3,000 and 2,000 ppm), sodium selenite (45.7%), and the combination between sodium selenite and 3,000 ppm Se-yeast. All diets, based on corn and soybean meal, were supplemented with 0.3 ppm Se. Among treatments, there were no differences for performance, carcass and cut yields, and meat quality. Diets containing only Se-yeast provided meat with lower values of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances. A higher GSH-Px activity was observed with 3,000 ppm Se-yeast and a greater deposition of Se in the muscle tissue with Se-yeast. The sources of Se do not affect performance parameters and carcass yield; however, the organic source 3,000 ppm Se-yeast results in a greater deposition of the mineral in the muscle and in a greater oxidative stability in the meat.O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar parâmetros de desempenho, rendimento de carcaça e cortes, qualidade de carne, atividade plasmática de glutationa peroxidase (GSH-Px) e deposição tecidual de selênio em frangos de corte alimentados com Se de fontes orgânica (Se-levedura) e inorgânica (selenito de sódio). Um total de 1.200 pintos Cobb 500, machos com um dia de idade, foram distribuídos inteiramente ao acaso em quatro tratamentos, com dez repetições. Os tratamentos consistiram de dois níveis de Se-levedura (3.000 e 2.000 ppm), de selenito de sódio (45,7%), e da combinação entre selenito de sódio e 3.000 ppm de Se-levedura. Todas as dietas, à base de milho e farelo de soja, foram suplementadas com 0,3 ppm de Se. Entre os tratamentos, não houve diferenças quanto a desempenho, rendimento de carcaça e de cortes, e qualidade de carne. Dietas apenas com Se-levedura proporcionaram carnes com menores valores de substâncias reativas ao ácido tiobarbitúrico. Observaram-se maior atividade de GSH-Px com 3.000 ppm Se-levedura e maior deposição muscular de Se com Se-levedura. As fontes de Se não afetam os parâmetros de desempenho e o rendimento de carcaça; no entanto, a fonte orgânica 3.000 ppm de Se-levedura resulta em maior deposição do mineral no músculo e maior estabilidade oxidativa da carne

Prevalence of Vitamin D and Calcium Deficiency and Insufficiency in Women of Childbearing Age and Associated Risk Factors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency as well as low serum calcium levels can trigger negative health outcomes in women of childbearing age. Therefore, we aimed to estimate the prevalence of serum vitamin D and calcium deficiencies and insufficiencies and associated risk factors in Brazilian women of childbearing age and to assess whether there are differences in prevalence according to regions of the country and the presence or absence of pregnancy. The systematic literature review was performed using the following databases: PubMed, LILACS, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science. Cross-sectional, cohort, and intervention studies were included. Among pregnant women, the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency ranged from 0% to 27% and of vitamin D insufficiency from 33.9% to 70.4%. Among non-pregnant women, the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency ranged from 0% to 41.7% and of vitamin D insufficiency from 38.5% to 69.3%. We found a high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency in women of childbearing age, with insufficiency affecting more than half of these women. The highest prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency was observed in the South region. It was not possible to assess the prevalence and factors associated with calcium deficiency

Internação por diabetes mellitus no Brasil entre 2016 e 2020 / Hospitalization for diabetes mellitus in Brazil between 2016 and 2020

Introdução: O diabetes mellitus (DM), inserido no grupo das Doenças Crônicas não Transmissíveis (DCNT), configura-se hoje como uma epidemia mundial, representando grande desafio para os sistemas de saúde de todo o mundo. Caracteriza-se por ser uma síndrome que abrange um grupo heterogêneo de distúrbios metabólicos, cuja característica central é a hiperglicemia, resultante da deficiência total ou parcial da produção de insulina ou de defeitos na ação do próprio hormônio, ou ainda de ambos. Objetivo: Analisar os dados oficiais disponíveis acerca das internações hospitalares no Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS) decorrentes do DM no Brasil, entre 2016 a 2020. Metodologia: Trata-se de um estudo ecológico, de natureza retrospectiva, descritivo, com abordagem quantitativa. Foram analisados dados secundários referentes as hospitalizações, obtidos no Sistema de Informações Hospitalares – SIH (SIH/SUS), referente ao DM (diagnóstico principal CID-10 E10), disponíveis no Departamento de Informática do SUS (DATASUS). Os dados foram analisados no programa Microsoft Office Excel 2007 para elaboração de tabelas, contendo o valor absoluto e percentual. Resultados: No período de 2016 a 2020, os dados das internações por DM no Brasil, foram distribuídos por regiões: Norte (12.312), Nordeste (38.887), Sul (17.949), Sudeste (46.633) e Centro-oeste (8.679), portadores de DM não Especificado (categoria CID-10 E10.9. Observou-se redução nas internações no primeiro semestre de 2020. Dentre as 2.327 hospitalizações registradas em 2020 por DM, na Paraíba, aconteceram no hospital de referência 191 internações neste período. Conclusão: Os resultados reforçam tendências identificadas em outros estudos e em outros países, que destacam predominância de diabéticos nas hospitalizações, como destaque na redução das internações de pacientes com doenças crônica durante o início da pandemia por covid-19. Reforçando a necessidade de difusão e consolidação de estratégias preventivas, articuladas intersetorialmente, para prover cobertura mais adequada da população, amenizar as hospitalizações e, sobretudo, reduzir o impacto psicossocial e econômico causado pelo DM.  

Biodegradação de matéria orgânica em lama sedimentada - definição de parâmetros na lagoa de piratininga, RJ: Biodegradation of organic matter in the sedimented mud - parameters definition at the piratininga lagoon, RJ

Entre março e julho/22, duas tecnologias complementares, EM® e Pulmão™, foram testadas para estudar a biorremediação na camada de lama da Lagoa de Piratininga, Niterói, RJ. Dados ortométricos, matéria orgânica, carbono orgânico, nitrogênio Kjeldahl total, fósforo e biopolímeros foram quantificados na superfície do sedimento. As concentrações crescentes de nitrogênio Kjeldahl indicaram aportes de esgoto doméstico ao sistema. O fósforo orgânico predominou sobre o total, pois foi consumido no processo de biorremediação. Ocorreram mudanças quali- quantitativas na composição da matéria orgânica lábil, com consumo de lipídio, molécula recalcitrante, e produção de proteínas e carboidratos. Os dados altimétricos indicaram maior tendência de consumo da lama na área que reuniu as tecnologias EM1®+Pulmão™, onde o aporte sedimentar foi praticamente anulado. Houve uma diminuição da espessura da lama, refletindo no aumento sutil de profundidade superficial da camada sedimentar. Estas modificações nas áreas experimentais indicam que o processo de restauração ambiental está ocorrendo