Evaluating global interest in biodiversity and conservation.

The first target of the Convention for Biological Diversity (Aichi target 1) was to increase public awareness of the values of biodiversity and actions needed to conserve it-a key prerequisite for other conservation targets. Monitoring success in achieving this target at a global scale has been difficult; however, increased digitization of human life in recent decades has made it easier to measure people's interests at an unprecedented scale and allows for a more comprehensive evaluation of Aichi target 1 than previously attempted. We used Google search volume data for over a thousand search terms related to different aspects of biodiversity and conservation to evaluate global interest in biodiversity and its conservation. We also investigated the correlation of interest in biodiversity and conservation across countries to variables related to biodiversity, economy, demography, research, education, internet use, and presence of environmental organizations. From 2013 to 2020, global searches for biodiversity components increased, driven mostly by searches for charismatic fauna (59% of searches were for mammal species). Searches for conservation actions, driven mostly by searches for national parks, decreased since 2019, likely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Economic inequality was negatively correlated with interest in biodiversity and conservation, whereas purchasing power was indirectly positively correlated with higher levels of education and research. Our results suggest partial success toward achieving Aichi target 1 in that interest in biodiversity increased widely, but not for conservation. We suggest that increased outreach and education efforts aimed at neglected aspects of biodiversity and conservation are still needed. Popular topics in biodiversity and conservation could be leveraged to increase awareness of other topics with attention to local socioeconomic contexts.

Evaluación del interés mundial en la biodiversidad y la conservación Resumen La primera meta del Convenio sobre la Diversidad Biológica (Meta 1 de Aichi) era aumentar la conciencia pública sobre los valores de la biodiversidad y las acciones necesarias para conservarla, un requisito previo clave para otras metas de conservación. Ha sido difícil monitorear el éxito en la obtención de esta meta a escala mundial; sin embargo, la creciente digitalización de la vida humana en las últimas décadas ha facilitado la medición de los intereses de la gente a una escala sin precedentes y permite una evaluación más exhaustiva de la Meta 1 de Aichi que la que se había intentado previamente. Utilizamos datos sobre el volumen de búsquedas en Google de más de mil términos relacionados con distintos aspectos de la biodiversidad y la conservación para evaluar el interés mundial en la biodiversidad y su conservación. También investigamos la correlación del interés por la biodiversidad y la conservación en los distintos países con variables relacionadas a la biodiversidad, la economía, la demografía, la investigación, la educación, el uso del internet y la presencia de organizaciones ambientalistas. Las búsquedas mundiales sobre los componentes de la biodiversidad aumentaron de 2013 a 2020, impulsadas sobre todo por búsquedas de especies carismática (el 59% de las búsquedas correspondían a especies de mamíferos). Las búsquedas de acciones de conservación, impulsadas principalmente por búsquedas de parques nacionales, han disminuido desde 2019, probablemente debido a la pandemia de COVID-19. La desigualdad económica se correlacionó negativamente con el interés en la biodiversidad y la conservación, mientras que el poder adquisitivo se correlacionó indirectamente de manera positiva con niveles más altos de educación e investigación. Nuestros resultados sugieren un éxito parcial en la obtención de la Meta 1 de Aichi en el sentido de que aumentó ampliamente el interés por la biodiversidad, pero no por la conservación. Sugerimos que se necesitan mayores esfuerzos de divulgación y educación dirigidos a aspectos desatendidos de la biodiversidad y la conservación. Los temas populares de biodiversidad y conservación podrían aprovecharse para aumentar la conciencia sobre otros temas si se presta atención a los contextos socioeconómicos locales.

Attitudes of Physicians and Individuals Toward Digital Mental Health Tools: Protocol for a Web-Based Survey Research Project.

BACKGROUND: Digital transformation is impacting health care delivery. Great market dynamism is bringing opportunities and concerns alike into public discussion. Digital health apps are a vibrant segment where regulation is emerging, with Germany paving the way with its DiGA (Digitale Gesundheitsanwendungen, in German, meaning digital health apps) program. Simultaneously, mental ill-health constitutes a global health concern, and prevalence is expected to worsen due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its containment measures. Portugal and its National Health System may be a useful testbed for digital health interventions. OBJECTIVE: The paper outlines the protocol for a research project on the attitudes of physicians and potential users toward digital mental health apps to improve access to care, patient outcomes, and reduce the burden of disease of mental ill-health. METHODS: Web surveys will be conducted to acquire data from the main stakeholders (physicians and the academic community). Data analysis will replicate the statistical analysis performed in the studies from Dahlhausen and Borghouts to derive conclusions regarding the relative acceptance and likelihood of successful implementation of digital mental health apps in Portugal. RESULTS: The findings of the proposed studies will elicit important information on how physicians and individuals perceive digital mental health app interventions to improve access to care, patient outcomes, and reduce the burden of disease of mental ill-health. Data collection ran between September 26 and November 6, 2022, for the first study and September 20 and October 20, 2022, for the second study. We obtained 160 responses to the first study's survey and 539 answers to the second study's survey. Data analysis is concluded, and both studies' results are expected to be published in 2023. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the studies projected in this research protocol will have implications for researchers and academia, industry, and policy makers concerning the adoption and implementation of digital health mental apps and associated interventions. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/41040.

COVID-19 Contact Tracing as an Indicator for Evaluating a Pandemic Situation: Simulation Study.

BACKGROUND: Contact tracing is a fundamental intervention in public health. When systematically applied, it enables the breaking of chains of transmission, which is important for controlling COVID-19 transmission. In theoretically perfect contact tracing, all new cases should occur among quarantined individuals, and an epidemic should vanish. However, the availability of resources influences the capacity to perform contact tracing. Therefore, it is necessary to estimate its effectiveness threshold. We propose that this effectiveness threshold may be indirectly estimated using the ratio of COVID-19 cases arising from quarantined high-risk contacts, where higher ratios indicate better control and, under a threshold, contact tracing may fail and other restrictions become necessary. OBJECTIVE: This study assessed the ratio of COVID-19 cases in high-risk contacts quarantined through contact tracing and its potential use as an ancillary pandemic control indicator. METHODS: We built a 6-compartment epidemiological model to emulate COVID-19 infection flow according to publicly available data from Portuguese authorities. Our model extended the usual susceptible-exposed-infected-recovered model by adding a compartment Q with individuals in mandated quarantine who could develop infection or return to the susceptible pool and a compartment P with individuals protected from infection because of vaccination. To model infection dynamics, data on SARS-CoV-2 infection risk (IR), time until infection, and vaccine efficacy were collected. Estimation was needed for vaccine data to reflect the timing of inoculation and booster efficacy. In total, 2 simulations were built: one adjusting for the presence and absence of variants or vaccination and another maximizing IR in quarantined individuals. Both simulations were based on a set of 100 unique parameterizations. The daily ratio of infected cases arising from high-risk contacts (q estimate) was calculated. A theoretical effectiveness threshold of contact tracing was defined for 14-day average q estimates based on the classification of COVID-19 daily cases according to the pandemic phases and was compared with the timing of population lockdowns in Portugal. A sensitivity analysis was performed to understand the relationship between different parameter values and the threshold obtained. RESULTS: An inverse relationship was found between the q estimate and daily cases in both simulations (correlations >0.70). The theoretical effectiveness thresholds for both simulations attained an alert phase positive predictive value of >70% and could have anticipated the need for additional measures in at least 4 days for the second and fourth lockdowns. Sensitivity analysis showed that only the IR and booster dose efficacy at inoculation significantly affected the q estimates. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated the impact of applying an effectiveness threshold for contact tracing on decision-making. Although only theoretical thresholds could be provided, their relationship with the number of confirmed cases and the prediction of pandemic phases shows the role as an indirect indicator of the efficacy of contact tracing.

Detecting wildlife trafficking in images from online platforms: A test case using deep learning with pangolin images

E-commerce has become a booming market for wildlife trafficking, as online platforms are increasingly more accessible and easier to navigate by sellers, while still lacking adequate supervision. Artificial intelligence models, and specifically deep learning, have been emerging as promising tools for the automated analysis and monitoring of digital online content pertaining to wildlife trade. Here, we used and fine-tuned freely available artificial intelligence models (i.e., convolutional neural networks) to understand the potential of these models to identify instances of wildlife trade. We specifically focused on pangolin species, which are among the most trafficked mammals globally and receiving increasing trade attention since the COVID-19 pandemic. Our convolutional neural networks were trained using online images (available from iNaturalist, Flickr and Google) displaying both traded and non-traded pangolin settings. The trained models showed great performances, being able to identify over 90 % of potential instances of pangolin trade in the considered imagery dataset. These instances included the showcasing of pangolins in popular marketplaces (e.g., wet markets and cages), and the displaying of commonly traded pangolin parts and derivates (e.g., scales) online. Nevertheless, not all instances of pangolin trade could be identified by our models (e.g., in images with dark colours and shaded areas), leaving space for further research developments. The methodological developments and results from this exploratory study represent an advancement in the monitoring of online wildlife trade. Complementing our approach with other forms of online data, such as text, would be a way forward to deliver more robust monitoring tools for online trafficking.

Effects of leadership and reward systems on employees' motivation and job satisfaction: an application to the Portuguese textile industry

Purpose>This study explores the perception of employees in textile industry firms in Northern Portugal regarding the influence of leadership and reward systems (RS) on their motivation (intrinsic and extrinsic) and job satisfaction (JS).Design/methodology/approach>A questionnaire was addressed to the employees of 12 firms, obtaining a sample of 256 valid responses, for which a structural equation model was estimated.Findings>The results showed that leadership and RS influence JS only through the mediating effects of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation.Originality/value>This study makes empirical and theoretical contributions, testing the relationship between leadership and employees' JS and how this relationship can be mediated by RS, and motivation – both intrinsic and extrinsic. Moreover, this study was conducted in Portugal, country where these issues have not been researched jointly before.

SARS-CoV-2 requires acidic pH to infect cells.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) cell entry starts with membrane attachment and ends with spike (S) protein-catalyzed membrane fusion depending on two cleavage steps, namely, one usually by furin in producing cells and the second by TMPRSS2 on target cells. Endosomal cathepsins can carry out both. Using real-time three-dimensional single-virion tracking, we show that fusion and genome penetration require virion exposure to an acidic milieu of pH 6.2 to 6.8, even when furin and TMPRSS2 cleavages have occurred. We detect the sequential steps of S1-fragment dissociation, fusion, and content release from the cell surface in TMPRRS2-overexpressing cells only when exposed to acidic pH. We define a key role of an acidic environment for successful infection, found in endosomal compartments and at the surface of TMPRSS2-expressing cells in the acidic milieu of the nasal cavity.

FHIR Based Interoperability of Medical Devices.

Although FHIR has been designed to be easy to implement, it requires knowledge that is still hard to find. We aim to evaluate the use of FHIR in Portuguese projects for the integration of medical devices. Two projects were selected, including easyHealth4Covid (EH4C) and Chronic Diseases Management Platform (CDMP). The evolution of each project and the FHIR resources used were analyzed. 11 different sensors of 5 companies were used in the sum of both projects. Previously, none of them used FHIR to integrate and the teams had little to no experience in doing so. The FHIR Observation resource was used for all. There is a general lack of knowledge of the FHIR standard and terminologies of most of the device companies involved in the projects.

Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 and assessment of epidemiologic determinants in Portuguese municipal workers.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in municipal employees of Northern Portugal during the first pandemic wave (May-June 2020) and its association with potentially related risk factors for infection. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The authors assessed municipal employees of 2 cities in Northern Portugal, in whom serological tests to SARS-CoV-2 and an epidemiological survey were applied. The authors assessed the proportion of individuals presenting IgM and/or IgG antibodies to SARS-CoV-2, and evaluated the association between having positive serological test results, epidemiologic variables and clinical presentations. Reported symptoms were evaluated on their sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values. RESULTS: The authors assessed 1696 employees, of whom 22.0% were firefighters, 10.4% were police officers, 10.3% were maintenance workers, and 8.1% were administrative assistants. The seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection was 2.9% (95% CI: 2.1-3.7%). Administrative assistants comprised the professional group with highest seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 (OR = 1.9 in the comparison with other occupational groups, 95% CI: 0.8-4.3, p = 0.126). The seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection among those who were in direct contact with COVID-19 patients in their professional activity was 3.9%, compared to 2.7% among those who were not in direct contact with such patients (OR = 1.5, 95% CI: 0.8-2.8, p = 0.222). The highest risk of infection was associated with the presence of a confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection in the household (OR = 17.4, 95% CI: 8.3-36.8, p < 0.001). Living with a healthcare professional was not associated with a higher risk of infection (OR = 1.0, 95% CI: 0.4-2.5, p = 0.934). Anosmia/ dysgeusia was the symptom with the highest positive predictive value (52.2%, 95% CI: 31.8-72.6, p < 0.001) and specificity (99.3%, 95% CI: 98.9-99.7, p < 0.001), while cough was the most prevalent symptom among SARS-CoV-2 seropositive participants (36%). CONCLUSIONS: The authors observed a SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence of 2.9% among assessed municipal employees. Anosmia/dysgeusia was the COVID-19 symptom which displayed the highest positive predictive value and specificity. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2022;35(3):297-307.

COVID-19 surveillance data quality issues: a national consecutive case series.

OBJECTIVES: High-quality data are crucial for guiding decision-making and practising evidence-based healthcare, especially if previous knowledge is lacking. Nevertheless, data quality frailties have been exposed worldwide during the current COVID-19 pandemic. Focusing on a major Portuguese epidemiological surveillance dataset, our study aims to assess COVID-19 data quality issues and suggest possible solutions. SETTINGS: On 27 April 2020, the Portuguese Directorate-General of Health (DGS) made available a dataset (DGSApril) for researchers, upon request. On 4 August, an updated dataset (DGSAugust) was also obtained. PARTICIPANTS: All COVID-19-confirmed cases notified through the medical component of National System for Epidemiological Surveillance until end of June. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Data completeness and consistency. RESULTS: DGSAugust has not followed the data format and variables as DGSApril and a significant number of missing data and inconsistencies were found (eg, 4075 cases from the DGSApril were apparently not included in DGSAugust). Several variables also showed a low degree of completeness and/or changed their values from one dataset to another (eg, the variable 'underlying conditions' had more than half of cases showing different information between datasets). There were also significant inconsistencies between the number of cases and deaths due to COVID-19 shown in DGSAugust and by the DGS reports publicly provided daily. CONCLUSIONS: Important quality issues of the Portuguese COVID-19 surveillance datasets were described. These issues can limit surveillance data usability to inform good decisions and perform useful research. Major improvements in surveillance datasets are therefore urgently needed-for example, simplification of data entry processes, constant monitoring of data, and increased training and awareness of healthcare providers-as low data quality may lead to a deficient pandemic control.

Social media data reveals multiple cultural services along the 8.500 kilometers of Brazilian coastline

Cultural ecosystem services (CES) are benefits that people receive from ecosystems, for example, through spiritual enrichment, cognitive development, recreation, and aesthetic experiences. These are important contributors to human well-being, but are challenging to measure due to their intangible nature and because they may vary spatially depending on ecosystem condition and restrictions on use. Here, we employ a big data methodology to identify CES over a large scale case study with the purpose of providing insights for marine and coastal management. First, we used machine learning to identify features present in 21,789 Flickr photographs taken across approximately 8,500 km of the Brazilian coastline. Then, we associated the keywords describing the identified features with broad CES categories allowing us to identify and map the geographical distribution of cultural services. We found that CES related to aesthetic experiences were more represented in photographs taken in protected areas, while other forms of cultural value (e.g. sport recreation, social recreation) were more frequent in unprotected areas. Notwithstanding the unavoidable biases in favour of certain CES representations, our results illustrate diverse forms of cultural services generated by the Brazilian coast. While there was a generally higher provision of CES per user in protected areas reflecting their enhanced potential to support tourism and other CES-related activities, the image classification algorithm was not able to identify CES which are less dependent on the biophysical domain such as spiritual values, inspiration, education and arts. We believe that our approach can be applied at broader scales (continental and global) in order to uncover cultural services in multiple environments while strongly recommending integration with social science based methodologies and expertise. We further advocate for the employment of such automatic evaluation at local scale as a tool to complement other approaches in support of protected area management, including resource allocation and investments to potentialize CES (i.e. recreational infrastructure, wildlife observation posts) or other relevant ecosystem services.

COVID-19 and Cybersecurity: Finally, an Opportunity to Disrupt?

COVID-19 has challenged cybersecurity to meet the ultimate need of guaranteeing the privacy and security of human beings. Although personal and sensitive health data are needed to better understand, detect, and control the disease, many related cybersecurity challenges and vulnerabilities require further analysis and proper discussion. The aims of this viewpoint are to explore the consequences of COVID-19 on cybersecurity and health care as well as to foster awareness regarding the need for a change in paradigm on how cybersecurity is approached. Education and information technology literacy are important when they are suitably provided; however, they are certainly not a complete solution. Disruption needs to occur at the core of human-device interactions. Building trust, providing novel means to interact with technology (eg, digital humans), and supporting people-the most important cybersecurity asset-are only some of the recommendations for a more human and resilient approach to cybersecurity, during or after the pandemic.

Uncovering assets in Brazilian national parks.

Protected areas (PAs) are the cornerstone of global conservation policy and have expanded dramatically over the last century. Though unequivocally beneficial for biodiversity, gazetting land for protecting nature can also be seen as an 'opportunity cost' that some politicians are unwilling to pay. One of the most effective strategies to increase the political resilience of PAs in the face of such threats is to demonstrate their broader value to society. This is one of the objectives of the recently proposed 'PA asset framework'. The framework conceptualizes PAs as being composed of suites of biophysical, human, infrastructure, institutional and cultural assets that interact with individuals and institutions to generate different forms of tangible and intangible value. Here, we test the utility of the framework by conducting an asset-based analysis of Brazilian National Parks (NPs) at two different scales (NP system and NP unit). Assets were identified at the system level through a systematic review of 49 Management Plans (MPs) using a typology of PA asset classes as a tool for characterising the presence and state of assets in or associated with NPs. At the NP unit level, assets were identified through semi-structured interviews with local managers of the Chapada Diamantina National Park. Biophysical and infrastructure assets were the most represented asset classes at both scales. Our analysis successfully revealed: (i) which assets can be managed to generate wider forms of values at local scale (e.g. natural spectacles, iconic species, park volunteers) (ii) relational values between assets (e.g. trails and outdoor recreational features), and (iii) value generating practices (VGPs) to capture values from the interaction between different assets (i.e. restoration of degraded areas through voluntary programmes, etc.). We conclude by discussing how the PA asset framework can be operatively integrated into NP management to improve the future allocation of limited financial resources.

"Practical and reflexive" challenges for occupational therapy's undergraduate courses in pandemic times

The Rede Nacional de Ensino e Pesquisa em Terapia Ocupacional - RENETO (National Network of Education and Research in Occupational Therapy), Brazil, attentive to the issues involved in the formation and production of knowledge in the field, has been searching with peers for ways to carry out a complex reading of reality and, from this, create and implement strategies to be able to deal with the demands imposed, respecting the regionalities and institutional nature in which the undergraduate courses are running on. [...]based on a survey carried out with the coordinators of Occupational Therapy courses, which aimed to understand how the undergraduate courses have adhered or not to teaching through digital platforms, this paper reflects on decision making about pedagogical, ethical, and political dimensions in the scope of academic activities not only in the context of the pandemic, but also considering the projections of the new reality imposed by the pandemic. Palavras-chave: Terapia Ocupacional, Ensino, Pesquisa, Covid-19. 1Introduction The World Health Organization (WHO) declared a state of pandemic worldwide on March 11, 2020, due to the increasing incidence of contagion by SARS-CoV-2. [...]several governors in Brazil followed guidelines for social distancing as a measure to slow down contagion and, consequently, not to collapse the health care system. Even though the task of evaluating the possibility of implementing curriculum content through virtual environments and technological tools has been guided by Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), the challenges immediately presented to the courses were the unfamiliarity of the academic community with the resources available in the virtual environments, the reorganization of ongoing research and projects - which meet the new specificities of the context of the sanitary, economic and humanitarian crisis - and the different socio-economic conditions of students who sharply express the inequality of access to technology resources and quality internet, but also social goods, such as housing, income, health, social support, ensuring equal conditions for home studies. [...]since its institutionalization, in the middle of the 20th century, occupational therapy in Brazil has been a profession for women. [...]most professors and students are of this gender group.