CoronaVac was the first COVID-19 vaccine deployed at scale in Brazil, yet evidence on its real-world impact and the durability of immune responses in small municipalities remains limited. Understanding vaccine performance in diverse settings is essential for informing public health strategies. This study aimed to evaluate the seroprevalence and durability of the immune response and investigate the real-world impact of the CoronaVac vaccine in adults from a small municipality in Northeast Brazil. This is an analytical, observational, population-based study comprising a cross-sectional seroepidemiological survey and a retrospective cohort analysis conducted in Guaramiranga, Ceará, between September 2021 and August 2022. A total of 1,714 individuals who had received two doses of CoronaVac were included. Serological survey (anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG), molecular testing (RT‒PCR), and linkage of official vaccinations and notification records were performed. The analyses included Fisher’s Exact Test for categorical comparisons and Poisson regression with robust variance to estimate prevalence ratios. The seroprevalence of neutralizing IgG antibodies was 83.1% (95% CI: 79.7–86.0). Seropositivity showed a significant temporal decline, decreasing from 94.3% (≤ 180 days post-vaccination) to 79.4% (181–270 days post-vaccination) (p = 0.0012). RT‒PCR positivity was 15.3% (95% CI: 12.8–18.2%), increasing to 29.0% 270 days after the second dose (p = 0.0006). In multivariable Poisson regression, time since D2 (PR = 0.9987; p < 0.001), age (PR = 0.9924; p < 0.001), and male sex (PR = 0.9176; p = 0.018) were associated with lower seropositivity. A total of 116 symptomatic cases and 2 severe cases (0.117%) were confirmed, corresponding to an observed incidence of severe disease of 117 per 100,000 person-years (95% CI: 14–422). This population-based surveillance study demonstrates that universal CoronaVac vaccination was followed by a robust initial humoral immune response, which subsequently declined over time. The observed low incidence of severe disease in this fully vaccinated population is consistent with protection against severe outcomes. These findings reinforce the need for booster doses and ongoing epidemiological surveillance in small municipalities. Not applicable.

Freshwater ecosystems are globally threatened, necessitating effective biomonitoring. Planktonic metazoans are key bioindicators; however, the potential of protists within the zooplankton community remains largely overlooked. We assessed the relative contribution of testate amoebae to net-zooplankton richness and density across a hydrodynamic gradient, comparing 34 lentic environments (reservoirs) with 44 lotic environments (from first- to sixth-order rivers) from a large geographic scale in Brazil. We tested the hypotheses that (i) Metazoans (rotifers, cladocerans, and copepods) would dominate in lentic systems and (ii) the contribution of testate amoebae would be greater in lotic systems, showing an inverse relationship with river order due to the exchange of fauna between compartments. The first hypothesis was confirmed, with conventional zooplankton increasing in reservoirs. The second was partially supported, while testate amoebae richness and density peaked in intermediate-order rivers, their relative contribution to the entire community was highest in lower order streams (exceeding 90%) and decreased to a maximum of 20% in larger rivers and reservoirs. Our study demonstrated that lotic ecosystems show a remarkable relative contribution of testate amoebae in plankton samples, compared with other zooplanktonic groups. Our findings emphasize the importance of incorporating protists, at least testate amoebae, into ecological assessment and river monitoring, conservation, and restoration programs. Further research is needed to elucidate how testate amoebae (and other protists) respond to different anthropogenic stressors, ideally through functional approaches and multicommunity analyses.

Background: Coeliac disease (CD) is an autoimmune chronic condition that requires a strict diet without gluten as a single effective treatment. However, adherence to a life-long gluten-free diet (GFD) may promote psychological suffering and disordered eating. The Coeliac Disease Food Attitudes and Behaviours Scale (CD-FAB) is the only instrument specifically designed to evaluate these aspects in individuals with CD. Objective: This study aimed to translate the CD-FAB and test its reliability in the Brazilian population. Methods: The research was conducted in three stages: (i) translation and cultural adaptation of CD-FAB into Brazilian Portuguese; (ii) pretesting with Brazilian individuals diagnosed with CD to assess item understanding; and (iii) psychometric evaluation through reproducibility (test–retest reliability) via intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and internal consistency via Cronbach’s alpha. Results: The CD-FAB was successfully adapted to the Brazilian CD population (Child CD-FAB-BR) and demonstrated strong internal consistency (α = 0.807) and an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC = 0.928). Conclusions: The Brazilian version of CD-FAB proved to be reliable for assessing food attitudes and behaviours in people with CD, potentially allowing for the identification of factors to guide research and clinical practice by driving behaviour-based strategies to improve nutritional education and strategic policies for coeliac patients. Studies with larger and more diverse samples are recommended to provide external validation of the instrument.

Resumo Neste artigo, investiga-se a financeirização da economia brasileira em escala macroeconômica. Para isso, cinco indicadores de financeirização são analisados. Posteriormente, constrói-se um modelo econométrico com base no índice de financeirização de Bruno et al (2009), abrangendo os anos 1996 a 2017, para relacionar a financeirização com variáveis macroeconômicas. Com a utilização do VEC, por meio de relações de longo prazo (cointegração) e Funções Impulso Resposta, observa-se que a financeirização impacta de forma negativa o crescimento econômico. Resultados secundários também apontam nessa direção, com a financeirização atingindo de forma desfavorável a oferta e a demanda agregada.

Biomass conversion to renewable hydrogen by aqueous phase reforming based process

The development of valid measures of pregnancy intentions has been an important priority in the reproductive health field. A validated measure, the Desire to Avoid Pregnancy (DAP) scale, was developed in the USA to assess preferences regarding future pregnancy and childbearing, but it has not yet been validated in Brazil. This psychometric study aimed to adapt and evaluate the DAP scale in Brazilian Portuguese using both Item Response Theory and Classical Test Theory methods. Reproductive-aged women who had ever reported sexual activity, had not had a hysterectomy, were not sterilized, and had no partner with a vasectomy (n = 1,596) responded to an online survey with the 14 DAP scale items in March and April 2021. The items were comprehensible, even among women with lower education levels. Internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.958) and test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.95) were both excellent. Exploratory factor analysis confirmed a one-factor model. Based on confirmatory factor analysis and the Item Response Model, items 3 (Thinking about becoming pregnant in the next 3 months makes me feel unhappy) and 5 (Becoming pregnant in the next 3 months would bring me closer to my main partner) did not perform well. However, testing a version without these items did not show substantial improvement in the psychometric parameters. The analysis showed significant differences in DAP scores according to age, educational status, and relationship status. As hypothesized, women with higher DAP scores were more likely to use contraception than those with lower scores [OR=2.12; 95%CI = 1.90–2.35]. The DAP scale, validated in Brazil, should be used in its full 14-item version until future studies are available. The scale has the potential to generate more accurate estimates of prospective pregnancy intention in Brazil and can be used to assess the outcomes of unintended pregnancies in maternal and infant health, providing an improvement over previous approaches.

This study examines sexual prejudice in sport within Brazilian and Portuguese contexts, cross-culturally validating the Scale of Sexual Prejudice in Sport (SPSS). The study included 618 university student-athletes (348 Brazilian; 270 Portuguese). Confirmatory factor analysis corroborated the three-factor structure of the instrument in both countries, with adequate fit indices. Male athletes demonstrated greater sexual prejudice in both countries (p &lt; .05), reinforcing the heteronormative nature of the sporting environment. Right-wing political orientation emerged as a significant predictor of negative attitudes in both samples, while religiosity proved significant only in Portugal (β = .185, p &lt; .01). Important differences were observed regarding political interest: in Brazil, greater interest was associated with elevated levels of prejudice (ε² = .033, p &lt; .01), contrasting with Portugal. Hierarchical regressions revealed that attitudes toward lesbians and gays constituted the strongest predictor of sexual prejudice in both Brazil (β = -.475, p &lt; .001) and Portugal (β = -.256, p &lt; .001). The results contribute to the understanding of sexual prejudice in sport in Portuguese-speaking countries and suggest the need for specific interventions considering the sociocultural particularities of each context.

To examine the psychometric properties of the Mackey Childbirth Satisfaction Rating Scale (MCSRS), previously translated and adapted to Brazilian Portuguese. A methodological and cross-sectional study with data collected at a low-risk maternity hospital, period of 2017 and 2018. The inclusion criteria were early postpartum, maternal age between 18 and 34 years, birth of a live infant, and birth over 36 weeks' gestation. The Brazilian Portuguese version of the MCSRS with 34 items in six subscales (self, partner, baby, nurse, physicians, and overall childbirth satisfaction) was administered in a face-to-face interview. Psychometric analyses assessed internal consistency using Cronbach's alpha and McDonald's omega, and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) examined dimensionality. The population included 411 participants. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) indicated a good fitness for the model, comparative fit index (CFI) and goodness-of-fit index (GFI)=0.99; root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) (0.07; 95% CI 0.07-0.08); incremental fit index (IFI) and Tucker-Lewis index (TLI)=0.99, which confirmed the six subscales identified in the original scale. The factorial loads of the items were all above 0.70. For the questionnaire's overall reliability, Cronbach's alpha was 0.96 and McDonald's omega was 0.97. The MCSRS is a valid instrument, being that all subscales had good reliability indexes. CFA inclusion criteria also encompassed women who underwent an unplanned cesarean section, thus extending the use of the MCSRS.

Abstract Introduction Ultrahypofractionated radical radiotherapy for prostate cancer, also known as stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT), is an unprecedented modality of prostate radiotherapy and is still used very sparsely in Brazil. The use of fiducial implants and spacers may make it even more difficult to implement prostate SBRT on a large scale in Brazil. We describe a completely non-invasive technique for the treatment of localized prostate cancer with stereotactic body radiotherapy. Materials and Methods This is a case series study with 9 patients and 48 SBRT fractions analyzed. In our treatment protocol, we use the Elekta Versa-HD linear accelerator (Elekta, Stokholm, Sweden), a transperineal ultrasound (TPUS) with tracking and synchronization capabilities (Clarity 4D ultrasound system, Elekta), and the Monaco Planning System (Elekta). Displacements were measured in the three axes (lateral, longitudinal, and vertical). The discrepancy between the initial ultrasound location of the prostate and the location of the cone beam has also been documented. Results The mean displacements were 2.02 mm, 3.12 mm, and 2.93 mm for the lateral, longitudinal, and vertical directions, respectively. The data show that treatment was interrupted in 14 of the 48 treatment fractions (29.17%), 8 (57%) with displacements greater than 5 mm and 6 (43%) with displacements between 3 and 5 mm.The initial TPUS image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) and its mean displacements for localization with the cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) were 1.3 mm, 1.9 mm, and 1.5 mm, for the lateral, longitudinal, and vertical directions, respectively. Using van Herk formula, a margin of 7.3 mm in the lateral directions, 9.35 mm longitudinally, and 7.74 mm vertically, would be required Conclusion Here we describe an SBRT technique for prostate cancer that is completely non-invasive and allows for a high level of accuracy. Transperineal 3D ultrasound provides real-time position data to the prostate that can be used to gate the SBRT treatment, allowing for smaller, more personalized planning target volume (PTV) margins even without fiducial markers or spacers, which may be more applicable for low- and middle-income countries.

ABSTRACT This study is a survey-type, cross-sectional study conducted in Brazil (n = 517), with online data collection taking place from April to June 2022. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the death anxiety in users and non-users of psychedelics. To this end, we also assessed the validity and reliability of the Death Anxiety Scale in Brazil. The following instruments were used for data collection: a questionnaire for sociodemographic characterization, Death Anxiety Scale, Death Transcendence Scale, and Spiritual Well-Being Scale. Our main results indicated the following: 1) increased death anxiety is associated with never or almost never having used psychedelics; 2) death transcendence, especially creative and religious factors, was the only constant variable in all the explanatory models of the variation in death anxiety; 3) there is a negative relationship between death anxiety and mystical and religious factors of death transcendence. We interpret these results as follows: it’s not psychedelics that reduce death anxiety – psychedelics can favor the experience of transcending death. And it’s the possibility of transcending death, (idea of continuity beyond physical death, taking both spiritual and symbolic forms) that helps reduce death anxiety. These findings offer valuable insights into the role of psychedelics in human mortality perception.

Among the long-acting reversible contraceptives available on the market, the copper IUD is the method that the Ministry of Health recommends for the Unified Health System (SUS) service network. Although it is a highly effective and safe contraception option, including in adolescents and women who have never had children, the IUD is still used on a smaller scale in Brazil. Describe how women receiving care in primary care access the IUD; analyze the main barriers that women face in accessing the IUD. This is a systematic review carried out in the Virtual Health Library Base with a time frame between 2014 and 2024 with the following descriptors: Women's Health, IUD and Primary Health Care, totaling 9 articles included. After the survey, the data was analyzed and processed, which were classified by thematic area, such as: women's access to the IUD in the Unified Health System; barriers to IUD insertion; nurse's role in inserting the IUD. It is observed that there are obstacles that prevent the insertion of the copper IUD among PHC users, such as inadequate eligibility criteria, the lack of a care protocol, lack of training of health professionals and insecurity in the technique.

This study evaluates the performance of subseasonal forecasts for dry spells and heatwaves at a regional scale in Brazil. The forecasts’ verification was designed to provide end-users with relevant information about the forecasts’ quality. The U.K. Met Office model was assessed using a significant sample of weekly forecasts: 552 for dry spells and 240 for heatwaves. The analysis reveals that the overall performance of the forecasts is low, with a chance of detecting an event close to 0.2, indicating that only one out of five observed dry spells is accurately predicted on average. The application of quantile mapping corrections demonstrates improvements in predicting shorter dry spells (up to 5 days) and longer lead times, although the timing of these forecasts often remains inaccurate, leading to increased false alarms. A significant improvement in the forecast quality occurs when categorization by duration is disregarded. The detection chances increase to 0.5−0.7 for dry spells and 0.5 for heatwaves. The Brier Score indicates that the probabilistic forecasts issued by the model are equivalent or less skilful than climatological probabilities. Overall, the findings underscore the challenges in forecasting dry spells and heatwaves in Brazil and highlight the need for ongoing improvements in forecasting methodologies to enhance their reliability and utility for regional decision-making. This research contributes to understanding subseasonal climate forecasting and its implications for managing climate-related risks in Brazil.

This work aims to present a methodological proposal to estimate the level of food insecurity at the municipal scale in Brazil. Multiple Linear Regression calibrated by data from POF 2017/2018 of IBGE was adopted, at the level of states and sample strata. The response variable generated was the proportion of the population in a situation of food insecurity and, the explanatory variables were indicators that could be obtained from various sources at the municipal scale for the year 2020. The indicators with the highest weights in the resulting model equation were age-grade/year distortion, schooling, and job without contract, in addition to the relevance of the territorial distribution of food insecurity, verified in the comparison between capitals and the rest of the state. It is estimated that 93.5 million people faced food insecurity in Brazil in 2020, equivalent to 44.2% of the total population. The municipalities and states with the highest proportions of population in a situation of food insecurity are concentrated in the North and Northeast regions of the country.

Virus discovery in cultured portunid crabs: Genomic, phylogenetic, histopathological and microscopic characterization of a reovirus and a new bunyavirus

BackgroundThe success of collaborative quality improvement (QI) projects in healthcare depends on the context and engagement of health teams; however, the factors that modulate teams’ motivation to participate in these projects are still unclear. The objective of the current study was to explore the barriers to and facilitators of motivation; the perspective was health professionals in a large project aiming to implement evidence-based infection prevention practices in intensive care units of Brazilian hospitals.MethodsThis qualitative study was based on content analysis of semistructured in-depth interviews held with health professionals who participated in a collaborative QI project named “Improving patient safety on a large scale in Brazil”. In accordance with the principle of saturation, we selected a final sample of 12 hospitals located throughout the five regions of Brazil that have implemented QI; then, we conducted videoconference interviews with 28 health professionals from those hospitals. We encoded the interview data with NVivo software, and the interrelations among the data were assessed with the COM-B model.ResultsThe key barriers identified were belief that improvement increases workload, lack of knowledge about quality improvement, resistance to change, minimal involvement of physicians, lack of supplies, lack support from senior managers and work overload. The primary driver of motivation was tangible outcomes, as evidenced by a decrease in infections. Additionally, factors such as the active participation of senior managers, teamwork, learning in practice and understanding the reason for changes played significant roles in fostering motivation.ConclusionThe motivation of health professionals to participate in collaborative QI projects is driven by a variety of barriers and facilitators. The interactions between the senior manager, quality improvement teams, and healthcare professionals generate attitudes that modulate motivation. Thus, these aspects should be considered during the implementation of such projects. Future research could explore the cost-effectiveness of motivational approaches.

The acai oil, extracted from Euterpe oleracea, has a wide range of promising biological activities, being produced on a large scale in Brazil, mainly in the Amazon region. Studies highlight its health benefits, including antimicrobial activity, anticancer action, antiatherogenic, anti-hypercholesterolemic, anti-hypertriglyceridemic, anti-inflammatory, and antinociceptive. Acai berry oil also shows potential in technological production. This technological prospecting was carried out between 2014 and 2023 to identify patents related to its use. 15 patent registrations were found, with applications in various sectors such as food, pharmaceutical and cosmetics. Brazil's supremacy in this field, especially by higher education institutions, reflects the country's scientific and innovative potential, highlighting the fundamental role of universities and research centers in generating applied knowledge and in the search for sustainable solutions. It is essential to continue supporting and encouraging research and innovation, promoting strategic partnerships between academia, industry and government, so that the knowledge generated contributes effectively to social, economic and environmental progress, both in Brazil and globally.

Os Anti-inflamatórios não esteroides (AINES) são a classe de medicamentos mais prescritos e vendidos no mundo, são utilizados para evitar e/ou dificultar um processo inflamatório causado por uma infecção ou lesão. A nimesulida surgiu em 1985 e passou a ser comercializada em mais de 50 países. Em virtude de seu potencial terapêutico, este medicamento acaba sendo usado em larga escala no Brasil. Seu mecanismo de ação está associado à inibição das enzimas ciclo-oxigenases, preferencialmente da COX-2. A menor afinidade pela COX-1 reduz os efeitos adversos que os AINEs podem causar Contudo, com o passar dos anos, alguns estudos científicos demonstraram a presença de uma grave reação adversa: são evidenciados problemas gastrintestinais, cardiovasculares, hepáticas, cerebrovasculares, renais, trombóticos, gestacionais e fetais, aumentando o índice de morbimortalidade. É nessa circunstância que entra a importância da atuação do farmacêutico, assumindo papel essencial na avaliação e orientação do paciente quanto à farmacoterapia prescrita pelo médico.

Purpose This study aims to evaluate Netemeyer and colleagues' much cited financial well-being scale in Brazil and India and compare responses from different demographics. It also compares the results using two analysis techniques, item response theory (IRT) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Design/methodology/approach A total of 994 survey responses from Brazil and 1,081 from India were collected. IRT and CFA models were used to analyse the data. Findings The results demonstrate the two-dimensional structure of the financial well-being scale and show that different items are differentially useful in measuring the construct across different groups. These findings may support the scale's future refinement and use in applied studies that will target specific groups (e.g. males, females, younger respondents and older respondents). Research limitations/implications This study serves as an example to others who can explore the advantages of IRT over classical test theory methods to assess the psychometric properties of scales aimed at measuring latent constructs of interest in the field of marketing. Practical implications The correct diagnosis of financial well-being is important to guide interventions by governments and non-governmental entities, as well as by financial institutions interested in better understanding individuals. Originality/value The authors show how the identification of the characteristics of scale items provided by the IRT technique allows for a better understanding of its properties and how it can be improved.

Plant-parasitic nematode community and enzyme activities in soils under no-till soybean crops in Brazil

Stigma towards people with mental illness is also present among health professionals. The study validated and estimated the reliability, dimensionality and structure of the Opening Minds Stigma Scale for Health Care Providers (OMS-HC) scale in Brazil. In this methodological study, health professionals (n = 199) from Family Health Units in Brazil were recruited by convenience sampling. The EFA conducted with 16 items resulted in four factors. The Cronbach’s Alpha for the OMS scale was 0.74, which is considered to reflect reasonable reliability. The data presented contribute to the use of the scale in studies that investigate the level of stigma among health professionals towards people with mental illness, as well as in the development of anti-stigma interventions in this context.