Brazilian Project Research Articles

The impact of hourly pricing for renewable generation projects in Brazil

The hourly price of the Brazilian electricity market came into operation in 2021, changing the previous pricing policy that worked in a weekly basis. The impact that this change has on wind and solar generators' business may be a cause for attention, since in an hourly price scenario with collateral and daily financial settlements, wind and solar power generators may be subject to a large financial exposure into the short-term market. Thus, the present article has as its main goal the evaluation of the impact caused on the intrinsic value of wind and solar power projects with the adoption of the new hourly pricing policy in the electricity sector compared to the old weekly pricing policy. To this end, a financial economic model was developed for generic and hypothetical wind and solar farms in the Brazilian electricity sector to find its fair value operating under two different pricing scenarios. The value of these farms was also sensitized through Monte Carlo simulations, after assigning probability distributions for certain model inputs. As a result of this work, wind power projects presented a negative impact on their values and solar power plants tend to present positive results, varying according to region. However, it is also discussed that this variation caused by hourly prices is a correction to the inefficient allocation of risks that previously existed.

Assessment of the failure to implement a much-needed rural water and sanitation project in Brazil

ABSTRACT The National Rural Water and Sanitation Project was implemented in Brazil in the 1980s. It did not succeed because it did not become an institutionalized public policy that reached the entire national territory, and it was discontinued a few years later. This article assesses the factors explaining this failure using the 5C Protocol. The results show that the flaws in the implementation impaired the sustainability of the established systems. Political reasons compromised the principles idealized during the conception of the project. Also, technical and institutional limitations constrained the implementation of the recommended innovations, such as social participation, and adaptive technologies.

Títulos de impacto social como política pública: panorama internacional e contribuições para a implementação no Brasil

Abstract Despite being launched in 2011, the social impact bond (SIB) is an instrument under development that faces numerous challenges. This article presents the characteristics of SIBs and challenges related to their implementation as mechanisms to finance public projects with a social purpose. After a bibliographical and documentary review, three international cases of SIBs that have completed their maturity cycles, relevant for critical analysis of possible projects in Brazil, were selected. Ethical, methodological, metrics, results, and actor networks are analyzed in the three SIBs. Implications for projects in Brazil were considered from the analysis of these international cases.

Port capacity expansion under real options approach: a case study in Brazil

Investments in port container terminals are sensitive to uncertainties. Public investments in infrastructure have been significantly reduced in the last decade in developing countries. The Brazilian government infrastructure investment was only 1.85 % of GDP in 2019, representing the lowest level in the last fifty years. Nonetheless, the regulatory framework of the port sector in Brazil has undergone significant changes over time, increasing the number of private port container terminal leases. The expansion capacity of the private port facilities is strongly linked to the demand uncertainty, which impacts the financial return to the long run. In this scenario, the uncertainty of global cargo transportation can discourage infrastructure investments in this class of project in Brazil. To overcome these issues, the financial modelling applying real options approach is better suited than the traditional valuation methods based on Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) analysis. The present study aims to value flexibilities of anticipating, or postponing, or interrupting investments of an existing operational port terminal in Brazil with expansion capacity under the demand uncertainty. The financial decision to invest in a port expansion is modeled by an American option. The results demonstrate that the investor adds significant value to the project by having the possibility to postpone investments. The proposed model presents the contribution of optimizing the decision of sequential expansions of capacity in port terminals, at any time and according to scenarios' revelation. In addition, the model allows the government authorities to review lease contracts, considering the relevance of timing to invest in project expansion decisions. The proposed model can also be extended to other infrastructure projects in emerging economies.

Computer-assisted assessment in teletandem interactions

Assessment constitutes an essential dimension of learning and in teletandem interactions inasmuch as it helps interactants to verify indications of language development and the achievement of learning goals. In this paper I review computer-aided assessment (CAA) in foreign language learning with a focus on data from a partnership in the Teletandem Brazil Project: foreign languages for all. I draw on the literature on language assessment and CAA, the latter defined as any type of activity in which computers are used to support assessment beyond their functions to store and transmit information. Then I discuss excerpts from a teletandem session, considering occasions in which teletandem interactants evaluate each other’s linguistic performances. Assessment in that session is mainly characterized by different types of feedback provided by the most proficient interactant. The less proficient interactant is given feedback based on principles that underpin conversation, distance learning and teletandem, such as the use of technological resources and negotiation about how and when assessment should occur. These principles do not characterise a new paradigm in language assessment, since the conversational and linguistic criteria on which evaluation is based are similar to criteria for assessment in other contexts, for example, in face-to-face lessons.

Education, Sexuality and Anti-gender Movements in Latin America

This article analyses the discourses of anti-gender movements circulating in Brazil and Argentina. The aim of our research is to determine the regularities and specificities of these movements. Specifically, it analyses the representations that are mobilised in the political sphere about gender and sexuality and the role that is attributed to the school institution in these matters. Therefore, an analysis is made of the discussion relating to legislative bills and the parliamentary debates that took place on the Escola Sem Partido (ESP) in Brazil between 2014 and 2017 and on the InterrupciĂłn Voluntaria del Embarazo (IVE) in Argentina in 2018. The focus here is exclusively on the discourse employed in favour of the ESP project in Brazil and against the IVE in Argentina, since the ESP and the IVE are opposed to the expansion of rights relating to gender and sexuality. Finally, we concluded that the anti-gender discourse in these countries shares with the religious discourse its precepts relating to gender and sexuality issues. However, the current discourse of this movement is not positioned grounded in religious discourse. Instead, it appeals to scientific and legal discourses as a mechanism of establishing legitimacy and as a way of attracting a wider audience.

A perspective for advancing climate prediction services in Brazil

AbstractThe Climate Science for Service Partnership Brazil (CSSP‐Brazil) project provides Brazil and UK partners the opportunity to address important challenges faced by the climate modeling community, including the need to develop subseasonal and seasonal prediction and climate projection services. This paper provides an overview of the climate modeling and prediction research conducted through CSSP‐Brazil within the context of a framework to advance climate prediction services in Brazil that includes a research‐to‐services (R2S) and a services‐to‐research (S2R) feedback pathway. The paper also highlights plans to advance scientific understanding and capability to produce beneficial climate knowledge and new products to improve climate prediction services to support decisions in various industries in Brazil. Policy‐relevant outcomes from climate modeling and prediction exercises illustrated in this paper include supporting stakeholders with climate information provided from weeks to months ahead for (a) improving water management strategies for human consumption, navigation, and agricultural and electricity production; (b) defining crop variety and calendars for food production; and (c) diversifying energy production with alternatives to hydropower.

BINOMIAL REAL OPTIONS MODEL WITH DYNAMIC PROGRAMMING APPLIED TO THE EVALUATION OF RAILWAY INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS IN BRAZIL

This paper presents a methodology for evaluating public investments in railway infrastructure based on the theory of real options, using the binomial model combined with dynamic programming procedures and Monte Carlo simulation. This modelling was proposed in order to overcome the inefficiencies in the evaluation process of projects conducted by the Brazilian public agencies, as pointed out by World Bank studies. According to these studies, there is evidence that the various managerial and regulatory instances of the Brazilian government have been limited to applying classical analysis techniques, considering only the discounted cash flow indicators, instead of paying more attention to risk issues, as well as to the possibilities of managerial flexibility. The proposed analytical procedures are recommended to support infrastructure investment decisions that can be transferred to the private sector or to guide the formation of public-private partnerships (PPPs).

Participation of Coastal Villages in the Eia Process on Wind Energy Projects in Brazil: The Case of Municipality of Trairi

Participation of Coastal Villages in the Eia Process on Wind Energy Projects in Brazil: The Case of Municipality of Trairi

Using Publicly Available Remote Sensing Products to Evaluate REDD+ Projects in Brazil

The perpetuity and improvement of REDD+ projects for curbing deforestation require rigorous impact evaluations of the effectiveness of existing on-the-ground interventions. Today, a number of global and regional remote sensing (RS) products are publicly available for detecting changes in forest cover worldwide. In this study, we assess the suitability of using these readily available products to evaluate the impact of REDD+ local projects targeting smallholders (owning plots of less than 100 ha) in the Brazilian Amazon. Firstly, we reconstruct forest loss for the period between 2008 and 2017 of 17,066 farms located in the Transamazonian region, using data derived from two landcover change datasets: Global Forest Change (GFC) and Amazon Deforestation Monitoring Project (PRODES). Secondly, we evaluate the consistency between the two sources of data. Lastly, we estimate the long-term impact of a REDDA project using both RS products. Results suggest that the deforestation estimates from the two data-sets are statistically different and that GFC detects systematically higher rates of deforestation than PRODES. However, we estimate that an average of about 2 ha of forest were saved on each participating farm during the first years of the program regardless the source of data. These results suggest that these products may not be suitable for accurately monitoring and measuring deforestation at the farm-level, but they can be a useful source of data on impact assessment of forest conservation projects.

The right to leisure and the city. The experience of a social tourism project in Brazil

An extension project has provided tourist experiences for students/staff of Fluminense Federal University who have some limitations. This article is the result of an investigation of how the tours influenced the daily life of the people who participated. It is an exploratory qualitative study based on semi-structured interviews with the tourists who visited some tourist spots. The relevance of the study is its demonstration that access to touristic leisure can bring physical, psychic and emotional benefits, such as different perception of places visited previously, change of habits, and possibility of experiencing contemplative moments to escape from everyday problems. The results show that access to the different tourist attractions and cultural facilities brought different contributions and perspectives. Subjects to the stress of the academic routine, the practice of touristic leisure helps them to ameliorate emotional/physical exhaustion and the sense of belonging, in relation to the university and the places visited.

TRANSFORMATION OF FREE AND OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS: GOVERNANCE BETWEEN THE CATHEDRAL AND BAZAAR

ABSTRACT It is common for community-based free software projects to be associated with an organizational scenario that resembles “a bazaar more than a cathedral,” and to differ from the traditional, or ‘bureaucratic’ way of organizing work. This paper analyzes the governance of these organizations from the perspective of their structure and control, considering the development trajectory of three community-based free software projects in Brazil. Results show that the constant need to produce modern technologies gives rise to external pressures that promote change - albeit temporary - in the governance of these projects, making them resemble a cathedral more than a bazaar. Governance does not follow a cycle of sequential improvement; it changes depending on the external organizational actors present, such as sponsors. This suggests the need for strategic and flexible governance to deal with the acquisition and allocation of organizational resources. Governance of the projects described here varies along a spectrum of (in)formality that allows both production models - cathedral or bazaar - to exist in the same organization at different periods.

Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE): first steps in the process of the engagement in research projects in Brazil.

Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) – sometimes called Community Engagement and Involvement (CEI) – comes as a big challenge but one that can be very helpful for health care professionals and stakeholders in planning better health policies for attending to the main needs of the community. PPIE involves three pillars: public involvement, public engagement, and participation. Public involvement occurs when members of the general population are actively involved in developing the research question, designing, and conducting the research. Public engagement tells people about new studies, why they are important, the impact of results, the possible implication of the main findings for the community, and the possible impact of these new findings in society, as well as, in the dissemination of knowledge to the general population. Participation is being a volunteer in the study. Our experience with PPIE, to the best of our knowledge the first initiative in Brazil, is a partnership with the University of Birmingham, the University of Liverpool, and the NIHR Global Health Group on Atrial Fibrillation (AF) Management focusing on the AF care pathway exploring the important aspects of diagnosis and treatment in the primary care system from a low-middle income area in São Paulo. The involvement of patients/public in the research represents a new step in the process of inclusion of all segments of our society based on patient illness and the gaps in knowledge aiming to open new horizons for continuous improvement and better acceptance of research projects.

Impact of the socioeconomic activities on sea turtle conservation in the Potiguar Basin, north-eastern Brazil (2010–2019)

Brazil has a coast that is threatened by economic activities and accelerated urbanisation process, causing ecosystem unbalance and decreasing socioenvironmental quality. We analysed data collected from 2010 to 2019 during the Beach Monitoring Project in north-eastern Brazil to quantify sea turtle strandings with signs of anthropogenic interaction, verify the impact of economic activities on the strandings, and analyse a possible relation between socioeconomic conditions and the strandings. Anthropogenic interaction was classified into 12 categories (eight related to fishing activities). We analysed 6007 strandings, including four sea turtle species and anthropogenic interaction was observed in 12.88% (n = 774) of the strandings. Chelonia mydas represented 94.05% of the total records with anthropogenic interaction and fishing-related strandings accounted for 81.65%. Juvenile individuals were more affected than adults; likewise, females were more affected than males. Icapuí and Areia Branca are very populous municipalities, and showed large number of strandings with signs of anthropogenic interaction. Our analyses revealed that fishing-related strandings were reported throughout the year; however, a larger number of records occurred in the dry season and during the lobster-fishing season. Our study brings knowledge on sea turtle strandings in north-eastern Brazil, providing results that support public policies to mitigate anthropogenic impacts on sea turtles.

Do Haiti ao Planalto: os militares e a relação com a ONU no primeiro ano do governo Bolsonaro

This article aims to analyze the relations between the UN and Bolsonaro government in 2019 in the scope of foreign policy –considering the importance that the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) has for the Armed Forces and the international projection of Brazil. The methodology used in this article consists of bibliographical research relating primary and secondary materials (theses, articles, and dissertations) with recent journalistic material on federal management. The result found in this article demonstrates that, despite the divergence between sectors of the federal government regarding the directions of Brazilian foreign policy, due to issues of realignment at the international level, the approximation of the viability of relations with the UN through peace missions it’s not present in the plans of the Executive and the Armed Forces, although the military has prestige for this type of operation.

The lack of knowledge on acute stroke in Brazil: A cross-sectional study with children, adolescents, and adults from public schools

ObjectiveStroke is an important cause of disability and death in adults worldwide. However, it is preventable in most cases and treatable as long as patients recognize it and reach capable medical facilities in time. This community-based study investigated students' stroke knowledge, Emergency Medical Services (EMS) activation, associated risk factors, warning signs and symptoms, and prior experience from different educational levels in the KIDS SAVE LIVES BRAZIL project. MethodsThe authors conducted the survey with a structured questionnaire in 2019‒2020. ResultsStudents from the elementary-school (n = 1187, ∼13 y.o., prior experience: 14%, 51% women), high-school (n = 806, ∼17 y.o., prior experience: 13%, 47% women) and University (n = 1961, ∼22 y.o., prior experience: 9%, 66% women) completed the survey. Among the students, the awareness of stroke general knowledge, associated risk factors, and warning signs and symptoms varied between 42%‒66%. When stimulated, less than 52% of the students associated stroke with hypercholesterolemia, smoking, diabetes, and hypertension. When stimulated, 62%‒65% of students recognized arm weakness, facial drooping, and speech difficulty; only fewer identified acute headache (43%). Interestingly, 67% knew the EMS number; 81% wanted to have stroke education at school, and ∼75% wanted it mandatory. Women, higher education, and prior experience were associated with higher scores of knowing risk factors (OR = 1.28, 95% CI: 1.10‒1.48; OR = 2.12, 95% CI: 1.87‒2.40; OR = 1.46, 95% CI: 1.16‒1.83; respectively), and warning signs- symptoms (OR = 2.22, 95% CI: 1.89‒2.60; OR = 3.30, 95% CI: 2.81‒3.87; OR = 2.04, 95% CI: 1.58‒2.63; respectively). ConclusionHaving higher education, prior experience, and being a woman increases stroke-associated risk factors, and warning signs and symptoms identification. Schoolchildren and adolescents should be the main target population for stroke awareness.

The knowledge in virtual networks with social media to promote open education: habitat of collective intelligences

This exploratory study examines how knowledge is created in virtual networks with social media in the context of resilience and adversity, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this study is to explore social network interactions to improve informal learning. Participants were members of the COLEARN community including educators, students, researchers and professionals from Brazil interested in Open Education enhanced by technologies for Responsible Research and Innovation. This community, started in 2008 on the OpenLearn Moodle platform, became an open education network in 2012 expanded with FaceBook. It is currently focused on the open schooling approach to promote partnerships between universities, schools and society on real socio-scientific issues with the multi-network platform of the CONNECT project in Brazil and Europe. Findings suggest that informal learning can be enriched with the possibility of establishing networks of investigation, knowledge and innovation based on the understanding of how knowledge is constructed in virtual social networks and by observing the movement of collective intelligences instituted in them.
 
 Keywords: Social networks. Open schooling. Informal Learning. Collective intelligence. Responsible Research and Innovation.

Civil Construction workers' struggles at COMPERJ: issues for union action and occupational health.

The Rio de Janeiro Petrochemical Complex is one of the most significant heavy civil construction projects in Brazil. In 2014, we witnessed a significant strike for improved working conditions, which exposed different perspectives on workers and union representation. This study analyzes the meanings exposed by worker and union action in their implications for the collective defense of health in this strike experience. Qualitative social research employed investigation techniques such as participant observation, documentary survey, and interviews with workers and union leaders. The results produced a brief reconstruction of these struggles from the workers' perspective, analyzing the strike agendas such as the organization, mobilizations, and tensions between base workers and the union representing the category. Noteworthy was establishing a Base Commission decided by the very workers to act independently from the official union. We observed different responses from the State, companies, and the representative union to stifle the workers' struggle. Finally, we identified a struggle for improved working conditions and the collective defense of health by workers' organizations in the workplace.

Revisiting the location bias and additionality of REDD+ projects: the role of project proponents status and certification

Since the establishment of REDD+, hundreds of projects have emerged around the globe. Much attention has been given to REDD+ projects in the literature, but the conditions under which they are likely to be effective are still not well known. In particular, the location bias concept states that projects are more likely to be implemented in remote areas, where development pressure is low, hence questioning the additionality of these projects. In this article, we examine this concept, assessing how the status of REDD+ project proponents and the project certification influence the choice of location and the project's additionality. Using a sample of six REDD+ projects in Brazil, we show that these two dimensions can impact location choice toward areas with higher or lower opportunity costs and that this choice can impact additionality. We also show that the selection of an area with low opportunity costs, which is frequently presented as a location bias, does not necessarily preclude additionality.

TRANSLATING MACHADO DE ASSIS: AN INTERVIEW WITH FLORA THOMSON-DEVEAUX ON THE POSTHUMOUS MEMOIRS OF BRÁS CUBAS AND OTHER DISCOVERIES

Brazilian literature celebrated a milestone in 2020 with two new translations of the novel The Posthumous Memoirs of Brás Cubas by Machado de Assis. One of the translators behind this feat is literary scholar and Brazilianist Flora Thomson-DeVeaux, who granted us this interview with insights on her motivation, translation process, the publishing market, and reception of the translation – the latter exceeding both DeVeaux’s and the publisher’s expectations. Thomson-DeVeaux also shared some of her current and burgeoning projects in Brazil, and how she sees translation and research as forms of "discovery".
 Keywords: Interview. Translation studies. The Posthumous Memoirs of Brás Cubas. Machado de Assis. Brazilian literature.