University of São Paulo

The metaphor of culture as a space or environment of meaning is widely employed. Going beyond metaphor, we present a model of culture as a 3-dimensional Euclidean space, using data from Brazil on cultural models of life goals. The dimensions of this space are defined by degree of sharing of culture (cultural competence); alternate configurations of that shared meaning (residual agreement); and social practice (cultural consonance). A cultural distance metric calculated within those dimensions identifies an individuals' proximity to prototypical goals; greater distance from these goals is associated with higher psychological distress. Cultural distance is in turn influenced by one's sense of personal agency. Finally, in a set of open-ended interviews, the more individuals employ spatial metaphors in talking about culturally defined life goals, the higher their sense of personal agency and cultural consonance. This model moves the discussion of culture as a space of meaning from metaphor to measurement.

Resumo: O presente artigo avalia a importância de algumas variáveis que influenciam a adoção de sistemas integrados de produção, em especial, os Sistemas Agroflorestais (SAFs), nos estabelecimentos agropecuários brasileiros. Com esse intento, utilizam-se dados em painéis agregados a nível de municípios e modelos da econometria espacial. Os dados são provenientes dos censos agropecuários referentes aos anos de 2006 e 2017. Os resultados do modelo SARAR apontam que a dimensão do rebanho bovino em um município associa-se negativamente com a adoção dos SAFs. De outro lado, ajuntam-se positivamente, com a adoção dos SAFs, a concessão do crédito rural, a associação do produtor à cooperativa ou entidade de classe, a maior presença de estabelecimentos direcionados à atividade econômica florestal, a maior ocorrência de produtor com idade de 45 anos em diante, maiores presenças de áreas com pastagens degradadas e de produtor com posse estável da terra, bem como maior frequência de estabelecimentos com adoção de boas práticas agrícolas. Adicionalmente, constataram-se maiores efeitos diretos do que os indiretos nos transbordamentos espaciais (entre municípios) das variáveis explicativas supracitadas.

This article examines the development of Brazilian unemployment insurance from 1986 to 2019. First, it discusses legal changes, considering the economic conditions and sociopolitical conflicts of each period. Second, it presents the main indicators of the insurance’s effectiveness, notably coverage, duration and wage replacement. Finally, it presents a calculation of the Decommodification Index of the unemployment insurance, following Esping-Andersen’s (1990) proposal. The goal is to analyze Brazilian unemployment insurance from 1996 to 2017 and compare it with current models in OECD countries. The results reveal the weakening of unemployment protection in 2017, a year that ranks second worst in the historical series due to the labor market disruption and a restrictive reform of unemployment insurance in 2015. Furthermore, Brazil has the lowest Index in the database, owing to its residual effective coverage due to the distance between insurance rules – designed for structured labor markets – and the characteristics of the national workforce. unemployment insurance; decommodification index; labor market; social welfare; employment policies

Researchers must decide on how they will model the non-linear material response in a Finite Element simulation to assess seismic vulnerability. This paper aims at giving an insight into these modelling decisions by comparing Fiber and Lumped Plasticity Finite Element Models in static and dynamic non-linear analysis in a RC frame. The methodology is based on the performance-based earthquake engineering to determine the expected damage on structures. The results indicate that both models are in good agreement with the static analysis, and when considering Extensive and Complete Damage Limit States on the dynamic analysis. The choice between them depends on the main goals of the research and resources available, since they have a significant difference in processing time.

Design loads for parking garages should be reviewed every few years due to changes in fleet characteristics and the impact of design loads on carbon emissions by the built environment. Specifically for Brazil, the authors are unaware of existing studies to justify the design values and corresponding exceedance probabilities stated in NBR 6120:2019 - Design Loads for Structures. In this paper, a simplified probabilistic model for live loads in parking garages is presented. A set of updated statistics characterizing the gross curb weight of the fleet in circulation was obtained based on technical specifications and sales reports between 2003 and 2022. These statistics and the probabilistic load model are employed to derive the equivalent uniform design load corresponding to a 30% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, according to the definition stated in NBR 6120:2019 and NBR 8681:2003. The results provide support for a significant reduction of the current design load for light-duty vehicle parking garages, from the current 3.0 kN/m2 to at least 2.5 kN/m2. Such a reduction has a significant impact on new building construction costs and carbon emissions and would not compromise the structural safety of parking garages built in Brazil.

Grout is a material usually applied to enhance the mechanical properties of structural masonry. As such, the demand for grout has been growing parallel to the demand for structural masonry. Without guidelines for grout mixing design, these products are often prepared on-site based on the same concepts used for preparing ordinary Portland cement-based concretes. Several grout properties still need to be investigated and understood due to this mixing-design approach, and consequently, the production of ecoefficient grouts is a secondary priority. Due to these obstacles, there is a demand for technical-scientific studies to aid with developing grout design guidelines. This work evaluates the rheological and hardened properties of grout compositions that simulate in-field conditions to show the inadequacy of the mixing design method and a way to understand this lack in the technology. The research investigates how the changes in the water-to-cement ratio, to increase the strength, would affect the fresh and hardened state properties of grouts for structural masonry. The grout’s mixing was done in a rheometer which made it possible to determine the rheological behaviour and parameters during mixing and under different shear conditions. Compressive strength, porosity, and air-permeability were evaluated in the hardened state. The results showed that compositions with more cement content does not necessarily reflect enhanced mechanical properties since the differences were not statistically significant, because other variables were also changed. The research findings suggest that the design method used in practice may not be appropriate and potentially result in the waste of cementitious materials and no-eco-friendly compositions.

This study assessed the efficacy of an intra-articular injection of allogeneic adipose tissue-derived from mesenchymal stem cells (AD-MSCs) for the treatment of hip dysplasia in dogs. The study group included 12 otherwise healthy dogs of different breeds, ages, weights, and degrees of hip dysplasia diagnosed using radiography. An orthopedic assessment was performed on all dogs before and at 30, 60, and 90 days after infusion of AD-MSCs(2 × 106cells). On the same days, each dog’s owner answered a questionnaire based on theHelsinkiChronic Pain Index. The data were converted to ordinal data based on the score for each variable, and the Friedman test for multiple comparisons was used to verify the results. Compared with the corresponding values on day 0, orthopedic and gait assessments and owners’ reported pain indexes improved over the 90-day observation period. These results suggested that treatment with allogeneic AD-MSCs significantly reduced the clinical signs associated with hip dysplasia during the study period. However, long-term studies are needed to determine the optimal therapeutic protocol for routine clinical use of AD-MSCs in hip dysplasia.

Introduction Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic inflammatory degenerative disease, characterized by progressive degeneration of the articular cartilage, affecting mostly the knee joint. The elderly population is the most affected, intensifying the aging process. The concentration of intramuscular adipose tissue in the thigh muscles and knee OA at different ages remains under investigation. Objective Investigate the cross-sectional area of thigh muscles at different ages with the relationship of the presence of intramuscular fat and knee OA. Methods 80 participants were paired into 4 groups: Young Osteoarthritis Group and Old Osteoarthritis Group, both sedentary with knee OA diagnosis II or III; Healthy Young Group and Healthy Old Group, both healthy and sedentary. The groups were paired according to gender and body mass index, submitted to physiotherapeutic evaluation, WOMAC questionnaire, knee X-ray and thigh CT scans. Morphometric analysis was performed manually with ITK-SNAP software (version 3.6), by a single evaluator. Statistical analysis used the one-way ANOVA test followed by Bonferroni post-hoc for dependent variables (p≤0.05). Results Comparison of the cross-sectional area of the rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, semitendinosus, sartorius and gracilis muscles between the groups indicated no significant differences (p>0.05). The study of attenuation for muscle adipose tissue indicated no significant difference in the values of between the OA-Young and Aged-S groups for all the muscles evaluated. Conclusion Young individuals with knee OA present muscle morphological characteristics similar to those found during the aging process, characterizing early aging of the thigh muscles. Level of Evidence III; Retrospective cross-sectional and observational study. Keywords: Knee Joint; Fats; Tomography; X-Ray Computed; Aging; Osteoarthritis

Introduction Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic inflammatory degenerative disease, characterized by progressive degeneration of the articular cartilage, affecting mostly the knee joint. The elderly population is the most affected, intensifying the aging process. The concentration of intramuscular adipose tissue in the thigh muscles and knee OA at different ages remains under investigation. Objective Investigate the cross-sectional area of thigh muscles at different ages with the relationship of the presence of intramuscular fat and knee OA. Methods 80 participants were paired into 4 groups: Young Osteoarthritis Group and Old Osteoarthritis Group, both sedentary with knee OA diagnosis II or III; Healthy Young Group and Healthy Old Group, both healthy and sedentary. The groups were paired according to gender and body mass index, submitted to physiotherapeutic evaluation, WOMAC questionnaire, knee X-ray and thigh CT scans. Morphometric analysis was performed manually with ITK-SNAP software (version 3.6), by a single evaluator. Statistical analysis used the one-way ANOVA test followed by Bonferroni post-hoc for dependent variables (p≤0.05). Results Comparison of the cross-sectional area of the rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, semitendinosus, sartorius and gracilis muscles between the groups indicated no significant differences (p>0.05). The study of attenuation for muscle adipose tissue indicated no significant difference in the values of between the OA-Young and Aged-S groups for all the muscles evaluated. Conclusion Young individuals with knee OA present muscle morphological characteristics similar to those found during the aging process, characterizing early aging of the thigh muscles. Level of Evidence III; Retrospective cross-sectional and observational study. Keywords: Knee Joint; Fats; Tomography; X-Ray Computed; Aging; Osteoarthritis

Resumo Reunindo intelectuais gramscianos oriundos dos partidos comunistas, as revistas Pasado y Presente (1963-1965/1973) e Presença (1983-1992) buscaram oferecer um espaço de elaboração crítica dos dilemas postos pelos contextos de crise nos quais se localizavam, de modo autônomo às direções partidárias. A despeito do hiato de duas décadas que as separam, ambas possuem como traço comum o fato de repensarem a história de seus países a partir de analogias histórico-culturais promovidas por categorias gramscianas e por mobilizarem estas mesmas categorias modificando o seu sentido original. Tendo como fontes empíricas os textos de seus principais articulistas, José Aricó e Luiz Werneck Vianna, este artigo tem como objetivo avaliar o alcance de seus resultados face o desafio compartilhado de renovação teórico-política. A intenção é contribuir para a reflexão a respeito das condições de produção teórica em contextos nacionais periféricos a partir da tradução de conceitos de Gramsci.

Steel-concrete composite bridges are a popular solution due to the structural benefits of both steel and concrete. The typical system of a concrete slab and steel I-girders for small and medium-span bridges often displays the most economical results. However, other solutions emerge as innovative alternatives for bridge construction, such as composite beams with composite dowels and pre-cambered composite beams. This paper aims to develop a comparative study of these composite beam solutions to delimitate their efficiency, performance, and economy. Thus, a case study for the superstructure of a two-way simply supported railway bridge is detailed to define the composite beam’s performance indicators. The innovative alternatives presented benefits when compared to the traditional system, demonstrating the positive impact of their use on bridges.

From the late 1960’s airport engineers developed special paving material for arresting aircraft gears in event of overrun as a partial extension of a runway end safety area. Such pavement surface material, inverting a general concept, should be crushed over the first pass of gear wheels resulting the aircraft to sink and being promptly arrested resulting in abrupt loss of velocity, preferability avoiding loss of lives and injuries as well as with minimum risks for the airplane structural integrity. Herein is analyzed and discussed the possible application of pervious concrete for such a task by simulating an actual situation (Congonhas airport) and understanding the structural effects on the crushable concrete surface layer, pointing out stresses, deflections and required strengths for the material. Simulations regarded the critical aircraft A 320-200 as well as fire-fighters cars over the pavements. Analysis complied to Federal Aviation Administration requirements for non-standard pavement structures as well simulation of stresses trough the finite element method for medium-thickened plates. Compressive stresses along with flexural excessive stresses, besides predictable punching shear stresses allowed to conclude by the feasibility of using low strength pervious concrete as alternative for engineered material to be built as arresting system.

BACKGROUND The epidemiology of potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) in critical care units remains limited, especially in terms of the factors associated with their use. OBJECTIVE To estimate the incidence and factors associated with PIMs use in intensive care units. DESIGN AND SETTING Historical cohort study was conducted in a high-complexity hospital in Brazil. METHODS A retrospective chart review was conducted on 314 patients aged ≥ 60 years who were admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) at a high-complexity hospital in Brazil. The dates were extracted from a “Patient Safety Project” database. A Chi-square test, Student’s t-test, and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to assess which factors were associated with PIMs. The statistical significance was set at 5%. RESULTS According to Beers’ criteria, 12.8% of the identified drugs were considered inappropriate for the elderly population. The incidence rate of PIMs use was 45.8%. The most frequently used PIMs were metoclopramide, insulin, antipsychotics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and benzodiazepines. Factors associated with PIMs use were the number of medications (odds ratio [OR] = 1.17), length of hospital stay (OR = 1.07), and excessive potential drug interactions (OR = 2.43). CONCLUSIONS Approximately half of the older adults in ICUs received PIM. Patients taking PIMs had a longer length of stay in the ICU, higher numbers of medications, and higher numbers of potential drug interactions. In ICUs, the use of explicit methods combined with clinical judgment can contribute to the safety and quality of medication prescriptions. KEY WORDS (MeSH terms): Aged; Inappropriate prescribing; Intensive care units; Potentially inappropriate medication list AUTHORS’ KEY WORDS: Potentially inappropriate medications; Older adults; Beers criteria; ICU intensive care units

Studies have shown a worrisome condition as to the conservation of Civil Engineering Structures (CESs) in Brazilian highways. This situation mainly results from the lack of an efficient system for managing such structures, specifically during their operational stage, when periodic maintenance is required. As a solution, the Bridge Information Modeling (BrIM) has proven to be an efficient system for managing CESs, integrating different technologies into this process. The purpose of this paper is to assess how BrIM can contribute to improve the management procedures of these structures. The research methodology has been divided into two stages. The first one is the literature review detailing the management scenario of CESs in the country, as well as the analysis of the BrIM used as a tool to manage such structures in a general context. The second stage is a case study addressing the operational and maintenance process of CESs used by a highway concessionaire in an important Brazilian state. The analysis concluded that, although recent, the adoption of BrIM has been growing in several countries, and it can substantially contribute to improving the operational and maintenance stages of CESs.

Objective Considering the importance of the beginning of the academic trajectory for children to reach their full development, this work aims to evaluate the school readiness of preschool-age children and identify which factors influence these results, in order to contribute to the proposition of strategies that allow improving the teaching-learning process and child development. Methods This is a cross-sectional, descriptive and analytical study with 443 preschool children belonging to the West Region Cohort (ROC Cohort), from the public school system of the city of São Paulo. School readiness was assessed by the International Development and Early Learning Assessment (IDELA) tool. Non-parametric techniques were used for the correlation analysis between IDELA scores and sociodemographic and socioeconomic conditions: Spearman's parametric correlation, Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests. Results The children's mean age was 69 months (standard deviation — SD=2.8; ranging from 55 to 72 months) and most of them came from families with low socioeconomic level. Most children showed adequate readiness in the overall score (65%) and in most domains, except for emergent literacy, in which most (56.9%) were classified as “emergent”. The highest percentage of insufficiency was identified in executive functions (4.1%), which showed a correlation only with the caregiver's education. Conclusions Children had adequate school readiness scores, except for emergent literacy, but the insufficiency in executive functions may compromise the future schooling of these children. Thus, pedagogical proposals should consider these aspects for learning and pediatricians need to reinforce the habit of reading and playing games to stimulate child development. Keywords: School; Executive function; Literacy; Learning; Child development

BACKGROUND Medical students demonstrate higher rates of substance use than other university students and the general population. The challenges imposed by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic raised significant concerns about mental health and substance use. OBJECTIVES Assess the current prevalence of substance use among medical students at the University of São Paulo and evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on drug consumption. DESIGN AND SETTING A cross-sectional study was conducted on 275 medical students from the University of São Paulo Medical School (São Paulo, Brazil) in August 2020. METHODS Substance use (lifetime, previous 12 months, and frequency of use before and during the COVID-19 pandemic) and socioeconomic data were assessed using an online self-administered questionnaire. Symptoms of depression were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. RESULTS Alcohol was the most consumed substance in their lifetime (95.6%), followed by illicit drugs (61.1%), marijuana (60%), and tobacco (57.5%). The most commonly consumed substances in the previous year were alcohol (82.9%), illicit drugs (44.7%), marijuana (42.5%), and tobacco (36%). Students in the first two academic years consumed fewer substances than those from higher years. There was a decreasing trend in the prevalence of most substances used after the COVID-19 pandemic among sporadic users. However, frequent users maintained their drug use patterns. CONCLUSION The prevalence of substance use was high in this population and increased from the basic to the clinical cycle. The COVID-19 pandemic may have affected the frequency of drug use and prevalence estimates. KEY WORDS (MeSH terms): Students, medical; Prevalence; COVID-19; Mental health; Education, medical AUTHORS’ KEY WORDS: Substance use; Psychoactive substances; University student drinking

Objective: To evaluate the psychometric properties and reliability of the Brazilian version of the tool Parent Attitudes about Childhood Vaccine (PACV-BR). Methods: The sample included 110 parents of children up to two years old served by Family Health Basic Units. The tool’s internal consistency and factor validity were respectively assessed by Cronbach’s alpha and exploratory factor analysis (EFA). The test-retest reliability was assessed by the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Results: The EFA results indicated a proper structural adequacy of the PACV-BR (15 items and two factors). The reliability generated Cronbach’s alpha values between 0.715 and 0.854 for the items, of 0.918 for the tool as a whole, of 0.877 for factor 1 and of 0.825 for factor 2, in addition to an ICC of 0.984. Conclusions: The PACV-BR showed evidence of construct validity and reliability

Brazil, despite its recent advances in the regulatory sphere for Privacy and Data Protection, still remains unregulated regarding the use of artificial intelligence. In 2020, two years after the enactment of the General Law on Data Protection (LGPD), a Bill emerged that was the first Brazilian attempt not only to regulate, but also to define, classify, and identify AI-powered tools. However, among confusing meanings and vague typifications, the proposal failed to become the prototype that would generate a regulatory framework that encompasses both preventive compliance methods and possible remedial solutions for eventual disputes. Thus, the need emerges to seek pre-existing solutions in the Brazilian legislation that, although still undefined and precariously implemented, may be consolidated in the future as indispensable tools for the identification of eventual failures. This is where the mandatory implementation of the impact assessment comes in as a potential solution for the detailed analysis of AI-powered systems. Software architectures that are programmed to make automated decisions by means of machine learning techniques, for example, present certain risks, but the level of risk is unknown, precisely because of the lack of transparency about how their internal architectures work. Thus, a continuous and properly documented risk assessment will provide essential analysis both to substantiate a preventive system that survives the wear and tear of time in relation to inexorable technological advancement, and to serve as a broad and precise regulation, which will work as a legal instrument for any legal dispute that may arise in the years to come.