Brazilian Management Research Articles

Oral healthcare management practices in Brazil

Universal health coverage is a global target included in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals agenda for 2030. Healthcare in Brazil has universal coverage through the Unified Health System (SUS), which guarantees health as basic right to the Brazilian population. Considering the principles of SUS, public oral healthcare management is a huge challenge. Aim: To identify good management practices for quality care adopted by local public oral healthcare managers and teams around Brazil. Methods: This study was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42017051639). Five databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus and Lilacs) as well as the reference lists and citations of the included publications were searched according to PRISMA guidelines. Results: A total of 30,895 references were initially found, which were evaluated according to the defined eligibility criteria. Twenty qualitative studies, eight surveys and two mixed-model studies were selected. The practices (codes) were organized into three main groups (families), and the Frequency of the Effect Size (FES) of each code was calculated. Among the 20 codes identified, the most relevant ones were: Diagnosis and Health Planning (FES=80%) and Family Health Strategy (FES=66,7). The Intensity of the Effect Size of each study was also calculated to demonstrate the individual contribution of each study to the conclusions. Conclusion: The evidence emerging from this review showed that healthcare diagnosis, planning, and performance based on the family health strategy principles were the most relevant practices adopted by public oral healthcare managers in Brazil. The widespread adoption of these practices could lead to improved oral healthcare provision and management in Brazil.

Drivers of successful common-pool resource management: A conjoint experiment on groundwater management in Brazil

Carefully designed common-pool resource (CPR) management systems can improve water security, but many NGOs and governments do not have the resources and logistical capacity to implement all important features of a system at once. In addition, users’ perception of management features is important to increase buy-in and adoption of a new system. Which aspects of a commons management system do users perceive to be most important? We conduct a conjoint survey experiment about groundwater management with rural residents in the semi-arid region of Northeast Brazil. We randomly vary five features of a water management system: 1) discussion, 2) social sanctions for overuse, 3) rules and penalties, 4) payment, 5) monitoring and dissemination of conditions to users. Each feature increases perceived likelihood of collective well management and individual water conservation. We find that features act as complements or substitutes; in particular, discussion complements monitoring, and payment substitutes for rules. Our results have implications for how to study and prioritize the features of CPR management systems to improve water security in other rural, semi-arid regions with groundwater reliance when it is infeasible to implement all recommended features.

Intense Pasture Management in Brazil in an Integrated Crop-Livestock System Simulated by the DayCent Model

Process-based models (PBM) are important tools for understanding the benefits of Integrated Crop-Livestock Systems (ICLS), such as increasing land productivity and improving environmental conditions. PBM can provide insights into the contribution of agricultural production to climate change and help identify potential greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation and carbon sequestration options. Rehabilitation of degraded lands is a key strategy for achieving food security goals and can reduce the need for new agricultural land. This study focused on the calibration and validation of the DayCent PBM for a typical ICLS adopted in Brazil from 2018 to 2020. We also present the DayCent parametrization for two forage species (ruzigrass and millet) grown simultaneously, bringing some innovation in the modeling challenges. We used aboveground biomass to calibrate the model, randomly selecting data from 70% of the paddocks in the study area. The calibration obtained a coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.69 and a relative RMSE of 37.0%. During the validation, we used other variables (CO2 flux, grain biomass, and soil water content) measured in the ICLS and performed a double validation for plant growth to evaluate the robustness of the model in terms of generalization. R2 validations ranged from 0.61 to 0.73, and relative RMSE from 11.3 to 48.3%. Despite the complexity and diversity of ICLS results show that DayCent can be used to model ICLS, which is an important step for future regional analyses and large-scale evaluations of the impacts of ICLS.

Common bacterial blight of beans: an integrated approach to disease management in Brazil

Common bacterial blight of beans: an integrated approach to disease management in Brazil

Governance failures and knowledge asymmetries in the state river basin committees and their impacts on water resource management in Brazil

ABSTRACT This study reports the results of a nationwide survey of how representatives of the state river basin committees in Brazil perceive their involvement in the decision-making process. The survey revealed failures in governance caused by a lack of understanding of the water management system, limited technical knowledge and a deficit of accountability by committee members. These flaws weaken the exchange of ideas and the fair balance of members’ participation, whilst reflecting particularistic interests of certain groups or individuals in decision-making. Unless these problems are addressed, the OECD Principles on Water Governance cannot be implemented in Brazil’s river basins.

Evaluation of the nutrients supplied by veterinary diets commercialized in Brazil for obese dogs undergoing a weight loss program.

During a weight loss program, energy restriction is performed, which can result in nutrient intake below the minimum recommendations if a proper diet is not offered. A common recommendation for dogs undergoing energy restriction is to use a veterinary diet formulated for the management of obesity to potentially reduce the likelihood of nutritional deficiencies. The objective of this study was to perform bromatological and essential mineral analysis in veterinary diets for the management of canine obesity available in the Brazilian market and to analyse whether these diets provide the recommended amount of nutrients per kg of metabolic body weight (kg BW0.75 ) for animals undergoing energy restriction. Samples of all veterinary diets for the management of canine obesity available in the Brazilian pet food market were analysed (n=8). The nutrient supply per kg BW0.75 was calculated and compared with the NRC recommended allowance and FEDIAF recommendations by descriptive statistics. For this purpose, the weight loss energy requirement equations of 70kcal/target body weight0.75 and 63kcal/target body weight0.75 were used, in which target body weight corresponds to 10%-40% of the initial body weight according to the body condition score. The manufacturers' intake recommendations were also evaluated and compared to the NRC and FEDIAF recommendations. Almost all of the diets (n=7/8) had at least one nutrient below the NRC and FEDIAF recommendations when target weight of minus 10%, 20% or 30% was considered, and all diets had at least one nutrient deficiency when the target weight was minus 40%. When the energy intake was restricted a further 10%, all diets had at least one nutrient below recommendations at the minus 30% target weight. The nutrients for which the recommendations were not met were as follows: calcium, magnesium, potassium, selenium, sodium, protein and fat. When compared to the manufacturers' recommendations, nutrient deficiencies were observed in all of the diets when compared to the NRC and in 7/8 when compared to FEDIAF, and all diets had at least one deficiency when compared to both NRC and FEDIAF after an extra 10% calorie restriction. It was concluded that the majority of veterinary diets formulated for weight loss/obesity management in Brazil did not meet all the recommendations of the analysed nutrients, which reinforces that diets for weight loss should be used according to veterinary prescription and should ideally be prescribed by nutrition specialists that can better understand the limitations of the diet's composition.

Household Solid Waste: an Assessment Of the Impacts of Covid-19 on Preventive Practices In Brazilian Public Management

The World Health Organization recommends home care for patients with Covid-19 who have mild symptoms. In home confinement, the infected continue their routine of consumption and generation of waste. Public services must be adjusted to deal with the collection and management of contaminated waste and thus reduce likely additional impacts. In order to verify whether Brazilian municipalities are aware of the recommendations for the protection of urban solid waste collectors, this study analyzed the capacity of municipalities to adapt to the set of official recommendations for the management of contaminated household solid waste by Covid 19. Using a hypothetical-deductive method of bibliographic, documentary and exploratory character, theoretical aspects related to the management of solid waste are initially addressed; second, documentary research in the SNIS 2018, ANVISA, CONAMA, ABES and ABRELPE databases. It was found that Covid-19 exposed the pre-existing problems and deficiencies in public cleaning and MSW management in Brazil. It was clear that the management of MSW in small Brazilian municipalities is similar, as well as the indicators of MSW management reveal problems when compared to the PNRS of Brazil. Such disorder is aggravated by the lack of planning for the integrated management of urban solid waste.

Human Dimensions of the Reintroduction of Brazilian Birds

People's acceptability for wildlife, stakeholders' engagement and involvement are acknowledged as key factors for the success of wildlife reintroduction projects. We analyzed the main National Action Plans (NAPs) (the Brazilian management participatory instrument for the conservation of endangered species) for eight bird species and conducted an online questionnaire with researchers and practitioners involved in those species reintroduction programs. The assessment of the main Brazilian bird's reintroduction programs showed that, in general, efforts have been made to integrate local people into it. Nevertheless, the actions were disconnected, isolated and fragmented. A formal protocol, designed, discussed and approved by experts aiming to address the human dimensions (HD) of human-bird interactions (HBI), preferably to be used in each stage of the reintroduction programs, was not found. Actions considered related to human dimensions are mainly under the umbrella of environmental education interventions or campaigns, more directed to children and youth; correspond to activities performed by locals with the birds and/or captive birds facilities; or, fostering artcraft production or bird watching activities. The weak or sometimes absent human dimensions approach to this important conservation tool may indicate either the novelty for Brazilian researchers and managers of the science of human dimensions within the field of wildlife management or the lack of dialogue between natural and social sciences when wildlife conservation is at stake. Reintroductions are expensive, sensitive, and labor-intensive processes. It becomes necessary due the conservation status of the species and its implementation follows a careful research of biological, ecological and socio-institutional regional background that identifies the drivers of species extinction and plans according to it. Understanding and predicting people's behaviors and its triggers are paramount to successful reintroduction projects. Thus, making use of well-planned HD studies in HBI may be the watershed between success or failure of reintroduction programs. This study was a pioneer initiative of its kind and it aimed to provide sound recommendations for managers, researchers and practitioners to acknowledge the relevance of HD and its core role in the reintroduction of endangered bird species.

Pasture weed biology and management in Brazil

The livestock production model historically practiced in Brazil has a strong extractive bias, wherein the premise is to produce livestock with absolutely no concern for the preservation or renewal of environmental resources. The absence of technical criteria for the use of pastures has generated low productivity rates, making the activity unsustainable from both economic and environmental points of view. This scenario led the several sectors linked to the production chain to develop a package of strategies to solve the problems faced by livestock farmers. This package of strategies is conventionally called postmodern or corporate farming, in which the extractive process gives way to the business logic of avoiding waste and recovering profit margins mainly through pasture perpetuation. However, there is still a technical gap in corporate cattle farming related to problems caused by pasture weeds because all the concepts applied are derived or copied from concepts generated in agriculture. Furthermore, few researchers have studied or scientific articles written on elucidating the real problem of weeds in livestock production. Thus, the goal of the present review was to present some aspects related to weed ecology, their interference, and management alternatives in pasture areas, thereby collaborating with corporate livestock farming in Brazil because solutions to weed problems are crucial to increase commitment in all sectors of the production chain.

A Perspective of the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Plastic Waste Management and Cooperatives of Waste Pickers in Brazil

Brazil is the fourth largest producer of plastic waste in the world. Among all the challenges the country had faced in the development of public policies for the banning of single-use plastics, the new coronavirus pandemic scenario determined the suspension of these laws indefinitely. In 2020, Brazil became the global epicenter of COVID-19. This scenario changed the habit and behavior of Brazilian consumers, who increased the consumption of plastics due to their importance in applications as protective material. The country also has social problems related to waste management that depend mainly on waste pickers. These workers need social visibility and protection not only to face the current health crisis but also to guarantee their income and survival. This work aims to discuss the increase in single-use plastics that are not intended for recycling and the respective environmental, economic, and social impacts for the country. We demonstrate the lack of data on waste management in Brazil and highlight the importance of the social inclusion of waste pickers for a circular economy. Especially after the change of scenario with the COVID-19 pandemic, the country must have adequate planning and improvements in waste management, recycling programs, and political intervention to raising awareness among the population and guaranteeing social rights for waste pickers.

Scaling up investigation and treatment of household contacts of tuberculosis patients in Brazil: a cost-effectiveness and budget impact analysis

In Brazil, investigation and treatment of tuberculosis infection (TBI) in households contacts (HHC) of TB patients is not a priority. We estimated the cost-effectiveness and budget-impact of scaling-up an enhanced HHC management in Brazil. We conceptualized a cascade-of-care that captures how HHC of tuberculosis patients are investigated in Brazil (status quo) and two enhanced strategies for management of HHC focusing on: (1) only tuberculosis disease (TBD) detection and, (2) TBD and TBI detection and treatment. Effectiveness was the number of HHC diagnosed with TBD and completing TBI treatment. Proportions in the cascades-of-care were derived from a meta-analysis. Health-system costs (2019 US$) were based on literature and official data from Brazil. The impact of enhanced strategies was extrapolated using reported data from 2019. With the status quo, 0 (95% uncertainty interval: 0-1) HHC are diagnosed with TBD and 2 (0-16) complete TBI treatment. With strategy(1), an additional 15 (3-45) HHC would be diagnosed with TBD at a cost of US$346 each. With strategy(2), 81 (19-226) additional HHC would complete TBI treatment at a cost of US$84 each. A combined strategy, implemented nationally to enhance TBD detection and TBI treatment would result in an additional 9,711 (845-28,693) TBD being detected, and 51,277 (12,028-143,495) more HHC completing TBI treatment each year, utilizing 10.9% and 11.6% of the annual national tuberculosis program budget, respectively. Enhanced detection and treatment of TBD and TBI among HHC in Brazil can be achieved at a national level using current tools at reasonable cost. None.

Municipal solid waste management decision-making during COVID-19 pandemic: a comparison between Brazil and Portugal

Decisions related to waste management were affected to contain the advance of the new coronavirus pandemic. Different measures have been adopted between countries around the world. This study aims to assess changes in decision-making on solid waste management in Brazil and Portugal during the COVID-19 pandemic, considering the socioeconomic differences and the context of waste management in each country before the health crisis. A literature review was carried out on scientific bases, PubMed, Google Scholar and Web of Science. Differences were noted in decisions and guidelines for good practices in waste management, with measures being observed in a decentralized manner in Brazil, differently from what was observed in Portugal. In this way, the understanding of urban waste management during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil becomes complex, in addition to the territorial extension and the diverse social composition, due to the decentralization of decision-making, while Portugal centralizes decisions related to waste management and has a smaller population and territorial extension.

Remote Sensing-Based Evapotranspiration Modeling Using Geesebal for Sugarcane Irrigation Management in Brazil

Remote Sensing-Based Evapotranspiration Modeling Using Geesebal for Sugarcane Irrigation Management in Brazil

Geosystem approach assisting water resources management in Brazil

Geosystem approach assisting water resources management in Brazil

Solid waste policy in Brazil: learnings and challenges after a decade of implementation

The Brazilian National Solid Waste Policy (NSWP) was established in 2010. This article evaluates the NSWP influence on generation, collection, sorting and treatment of household solid waste (HSW), healthcare solid waste and construction and demolition (C&D) solid waste. We evaluated, by a segmented regression analysis, whether Brazilian per capita HSW generation changed after the NSWP. We found a statistical rupture on HSW generation rate, which decreased from 2012 to 2017. In contrast, more than 65% of HSW were disposed of in landfill in the last years, exceeding 80% in 2017, and there was a low efficacy of solid waste sorting at household level. The disposal of about 50% of the healthcare solid waste and 70% of the C&D solid waste are unknown. The solid waste management in Brazil has not shown optimistic advances in recent years despite the existence of the NSWP.

Management plans for Protected Areas in Brazil reveal similarity between specific objectives and mammals as the main focus of conservation

Protected Areas, including conservation units (UCs), are among the main strategies for maintaining biodiversity worldwide. Their management plans are an essential instrument for the suitable functioning of these areas. In this context, the present study analyses the Brazilian management plans to identify differences between their goals, and to investigate target biological groups for conservation. We identified 2544 Protected Areas in Brazil, of which only 496 (19.5%) have management plans. However, only 62% of these management plans (307) were fully available. The category with the fewest management plans is the Wildlife Refuge (only 5.95% of the Protected Areas with management plans) and the least represented biome, in terms of a number of management plans, is the Caatinga one, with 10.35% of Protected Areas with management plans. Among the categories of UCs, the Private Natural Heritage Reserve (RPPN) stands out, with 85 units with management plan. This category is among the most recently established UCs, and also presents most updated plans. There were no differences in the specific goals by category of UC and by biome between Protected Areas with management plans. Mammals and birds were the main umbrella species, sheltering the high diversity of species. Therefore, we have identified that only 20% of the UCs in Brazil have management plans. In relation to UCs without management plans, even if their main goals are ecological and have mammals as focal species, which globally present positive results as umbrella species, it is necessary to update the management plans periodically.

Impact of COVID-19 on Brazilian women in teleworking

The COVID-19 pandemic had an impact on the personal, professional, and academic routines of female Brazilian teleworkers. This study aims to analyze the impact of teleworking on the lives of Brazilian women amid the pandemic. The method was a quantitative and exploratory approach, and an online cross-sectional survey conducted with 478 women. The results showed a positive correlation between academic routines and teleworking (p < 0.05; r > 0.00) and a significant association between emotional health and academic routines (p < 0.001). Black women were shown to expend more effort toward academic activities than White women (p < 0.044). The study results contribute to the social sciences by demonstrating the impact of COVID-19 on Brazilian women in teleworking and indicate potential implications for policy formulation and public management in Brazil.

The challenge of urban solid waste management in Brazil

The National Solid Waste Policy (PNRS) and its regulation originated a new reference for the integrated and sustainable solid waste management in the country and new challenges for the implementation and improvement of the selective collection service provision in the municipalities. The purpose of this research is to identify the efficiency level of urban solid waste management in the Brazilian capitals during the period from 2002 to 2016. To measure the efficiency, the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) technique was used. The sample consisted of 20 Brazilian capitals. After measuring efficiency, the logistic regression technique was used to measure the contribution of each variable used in the DEA technique. As a result, it was observed that the number of materials recovered is very low compared to the number of materials collected, the municipality that collected the most materials was Vitória in 2015 and the municipality that recovered the most waste was Florianópolis in 2013.

Pollution Credit Certificates Theory: An Analysis on the Quality of Solid Waste Management in Brazil

Purpose: This paper aims to introduce an economic instrument called Theory of Pollution Credit Certificates in the management of municipal solid waste in Brazil, in order to create opportunities to achieve the goal established in the above mentioned policy at lowest possible social costs. Methodology/Approach: The methodology adopted has as a starting point the “constructo” of a scenario in which a city comprised of five brazilian districts produces its urban solid waste made up of 50% organic material. In the proposed scenario, similar to what happens in practice, a fee for collection and treatment of organic material would be charged for two different situations. Findings: The result showed that the use of Pollution Credit Certificates Theory has a better cost-effectiveness for solid waste management because it allows reaching the environmental goal at a lower cost to society. Research Limitation/Implication: Subjectivity of the analysis, due to the “constructo” proposition in the studies. Originality/Value of paper: From the results obtained, we inferred that the use of the Pollution Certificates Theory for the management of brazilian municipal solid waste benefits from economies of scale as it allows in the scenario determined, that districts sell their spaces at the landfill and parallel to this, to promote the practice of composting organic waste in the municipality.

Knowledge and perception of different plastic bags and packages: A case study in Brazil

The growing demand for plastics, for packaging and consumption, is a current environmental issue. Although there are many scientific developments concerning material science, knowledge about the public's perception is low, which can delay society's efforts to face this challenge. This study aimed to understand if Brazilians who practice different sustainable actions perceive differently biodegradable, recycled, and common plastics and have different purchase intentions for each specific type of packaging. A total of 1080 Brazilian adults were first classified by their day-to-day attitudes regarding sustainability efforts. Then, their purchase intention and perception about different plastics were assessed. Regardless of sustainability practices, people associate common plastic bags with negative attributes and biodegradable plastic bags with positive attributes. This shows that there is a well-established concept about these types of bags, even if there are some misconceptions (e.g. recyclable) or controversies (e.g. non-polluting). On the other hand, results showed that consumers who adopted more sustainable practices were 3.5 times more willing to pay for biodegradable packages, even though no differences were observed in the accepted price for biodegradable bags between consumer's groups. Finally, the purchase intention comparisons for products packaged in recycled and biodegradable plastics showed the consumers were more interested in those biodegradable plastics and the purchase intention was lower for perishable food (e.g. products that can have higher safety risks). The results are important for understanding environmental policy management in Brazil, highlighting the importance to improve the population's knowledge about different types of plastic, leading to more conscious choices.