Race, Ethnicity and Multiculturalism: Teaching Sociology through the Digital Podcast Resource

The objective of this article is to present and discuss the use of the digital resource podcast as a sociology teaching practice. For that, I will bring the experience report carried out with ten classes of the 1st year of high school in a college of the federal education network in remote teaching circumstances. The activity took place during the third quarter of 2021 and had as its theme "Race, Ethnicity and Multiculturalism", cross-curricular contents that permeate the study of Afro-Brazilian and indigenous history and culture according to Law n 11.645/2008. However, in this experience report, the disciplinary approach to the content learning process was emphasized from the mobilization of concepts, authors and themes discussed by Sociology, recognizing that the potential of teaching the discipline fully meets the Competencies and Abilities present in the National Curricular Common Base (BNCC/EM) (Bodart, 2021). In view of the context of the last High School Reform determined by Law No. 13,415, of February 16, 2017, guided by the BNCC/EM approved on December 17, 2018, as well as the process of changes in education due to the Covid-19 pandemic, I will discuss the potentials and challenges of using the so-called Digital Information and Communication Technologies (TDIC), as well as some active learning methodologies engaged in this teaching practice (Oliveira, 2020). The results obtained are relevant to raise the hypothesis that the use of digital resources in remote environments does not dispense with face-to-face contact, since it enables an effective construction of the relationship between student and subject.

Want to learn at school: impacts of distance learning on students

The purpose of this article is to analyze the perception of mothers and teachers about the implications of distance learning activities in the routine of elementary school students during the period of social distancing experienced in 2020. Mothers and/or teachers from different schools participated in this research, mainly from Parana. The data collection instrument was an online questionnaire, with objective and descriptive questions, which was disseminated and applied through social networks and obtained 174 responses. The results indicate that the participants noted the fatigue and the difficulty of adapting children and teenagers to the "new" teaching format and to the study routine, which, added to the whole situation imposed by the Coronavirus pandemic, proved to be exhausting and stressful for students, who are eager to go back to school. We conclude that, in the perception of the participants, despite being the only option for this moment, remote teaching is not suitable for elementary school students.

The role of probiotics in maintaining immune homeostasis

The immune system is a complex architecture of a collective and coordinated network regulated by various pathways to thermodynamically maintain immune homeostasis. The gut microbiota plays a pivotal role that offers significant stimuli (i.e., gut-brain, gut-lung, and gut-liver axis) for both innate and adaptive immunity, mediating immune and metabolic homeostasis. An intricate correlation between changes in the gut microbiota (dysbiosis) and common diseases/disorders have been attributed to the invasion of pathogens, constant use of antibiotics, and hypercytokinemia—a hallmark of immune homeostasis imbalance. These factors contribute to the severity of inflammatory diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, neurological disorders, and of late the coronavirus disease, Covid-19. Probiotics (Lactobacillus spp. and Bifidobacterium spp.) have been considered as alternative and/or adjuvant therapeutic in restoring the balance of gut microbiota for maintaining immune homeostasis and integrity. The probiotics catalyze dietary fibers and proteins to generate short-chain fatty acids and tryptophan to promote antiinflammatory cytokines, reduce epithelium permeability, reinforcing immunity in the gut mucosa, and regulating the systemic immune response. Herein, we review our overarching understanding of current applications of probiotics in amelioration of gut microbiome, and the improvement of gut barrier function and maintaining immune homeostasis. We also highlight clinical trials on probiotics with reported results for the treatment of inflammatory diseases. Additionally, the looming global Covid-19 pandemic makes it prudent to highlight the role of probiotics in both the innate and adaptive human immune responses, especially amid the Covid-19 vaccination paradigm. © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Neuropsychological manifestations of long COVID in hospitalized and non-hospitalized Brazilian Patients.

BACKGROUND: There has been a significant increase in number of patients seeking neuropsychological rehabilitation months after the acute phase of COVID-19 infection. OBJECTIVE: Identify the cognitive and psychiatric disorders in patients with long COVID or Post-Acute Sequelae of COVID (PASC) and explore the association between disease severity during the acute phase and persistent neuropsychological manifestations. METHODS: 614 adults were assessed an average of eight months post-infection. Participants were, on average, 47.6 y.o., who sought rehabilitation for neuropsychological problems. Patients were evaluated using the Barrow Neurological Institute Screen for Higher Cerebral Functions (BNIS), Phonemic Verbal Fluency and Clock Drawing tests (NEUPSILIN) for executive functions, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). RESULTS: The BNIS score was significantly below reference values in all subscales, especially affect and memory. Verbal Fluency and Clock Drawing subtest results were also lower. Patients with PASC tested high for anxiety/depression, but there was no statistically significant relationship between HADS and BNIS scores. Neuropsychological evaluations showed no differences in cognitive or psychiatric profiles between hospitalized and non-hospitalized patients. CONCLUSIONS: Neuropsychological results suggest executive function problems and high incidence of anxiety/depression, irrespective of acute-phase severity, underscoring a need for neurorehabilitation programs while providing data for public policy initiatives.

AVALIAÇÃO DE DNA CIRCULANTE TUMORAL EM UMA COORTE PROSPECTIVA DE PACIENTES COM LINFOMA DIFUSO DE GRANDES CÉLULAS B: ANÁLISE PRELIMINAR

Objetivos: implementar a biópsia líquida em linfoma difuso de grandes células B (LDGCB) ao diagnóstico e seguimento prospectivamente. Relacionar seus achados com características clínicas e patológicas. Material e métodos: foram incluídos pacientes com LDGCB, sem disfunção orgânica tratados com RCHOP ou RminiCHOP. Antes do início do tratamento e 2 meses após seu término foram coletados 20 mL de sangue, para análise de DNA livre circulante. Desse material foi feita a pesquisa de DNA circulante tumoral (DNAct). Além disso, foi feita a extração do DNA tumoral da biópsia diagnóstica para comparação com o DNAct. A pesquisa de mutações foi feita por NGS com um painel de genes (KMT2D, TP53, CREBBP, PIM1, MYD88, PCLO, EZH2, B2M, CARD11, CD79B e HIST1H1E). A amostra inicial foi chamada de DNA1 e a final de DNA2. Resultados: Até agora foram incluídos 22 pacientes na pesquisa. Idade mediana ao diagnóstico: 61 anos (26-88), 40% do sexo masculino. Sintomas B em 50% e 32% com lesão bulky. Acometimento extranodal em 17 pacientes (77%), sendo 7 com acometimento gástrico. A maioria tinha IPI-NCCN 2-3 (40%) e nenhum teve infiltração de medula óssea. Até agora 20 pacientes completaram o tratamento e 1 destes ainda fará PET de fim de terapia para atestar resposta. São 11 pacientes em remissão completa (RC), 2 refratários, 2 recaídas e 6 óbitos (2 por progressão de doença, 1 de causa desconhecida e 3 por infecção). Mediana de seguimento dos pacientes vivos: 23.5 meses (3-33). Análise de DNAct completa em 5 casos. Desses, na pesquisa de célula de origem pelo algoritmo de Hans, 4 são do tipo ABC. Nenhum paciente era duplo expressor de MYC e BCL2. A média de mutações detectadas presumivelmente somáticas no DNA1 foi de 35. O gene mais frequentemente mutado foi o PCLO, na sua maioria mutações missense. Apenas 1 teve aumento do número de mutações detectadas entre o DNA1 e DNA2. A média de redução de mutações foi de 20 entre o DNA1 e DNA2. Em 2 pacientes com doença localizada, as mutações encontradas no material de biópsia não foram vistas no DNA circulante. Todos esses 5 casos analisados seguem em remissão completa. Discussão: A população avaliada foi similar à literatura em relação a idade, com uma proporção um pouco maior de pacientes com doença extranodal e acometimento gástrico. Houve um excesso de mortes por causas infecciosas, notadamente no período da pandemia por Covid-19. Nos 5 casos com análise de DNAct, o teste foi factível e correlacionou com os achados clínicos. A maioria dos pacientes teve redução substancial da quantidade de mutações, congruente com a remissão completa. Na doença localizada, em amostra reduzida e com avaliação preliminar, o DNAct não detectou todas as mutações vistas na biópsia. Conclusão: Nessa avaliação preliminar com poucos casos, a biópsia líquida em LDGCB teve correlação com a evolução clínica e se mostrou factível.

Tourism and the pandemic context: analysis of virtual tours in the official social networks of Maranhao destination (Brazil)

Tourism is a sector largely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and requires changes to be implemented with great agility. This article aimed to analyze the virtual behavior, on instagram, of the State Tourism Office, amid a pandemic, to promote the State of Maranhao. Methodologically, the research was undertaken in two main moments: (1) bibliographic research, discussing the topics related to covid-19, tourism, tourist communication, internet, photographs;(2) netnographic research verified the posts, images and videos, on Secretariat of Tourism of the State of Maranhao instagram. This study is characterized as exploratory, with a quantitative and qualitative analysis. It was possible to verify that in the pandemic context, there was a considerable increase in posts on instagram @ seturmaranhao and @materradeencantos, with content that contributes to virtual tours to Maranhao.

Controversies around the origin of SARS-CoV-2: A study from the actor-network theory

The cartography of controversies proposal based on Actor-Network Theory, was used in this study as a methodology to follow the traces of human and non-human actors (or actants) involved in the controversy surrounding the origin of the virus that causes COVID-19. The research consisted of selecting reports that circulated in the mainstream media in the 2020 year, in the identification of the human and non-human actors involved and their respective interests, in the establishment of networks formed by the relationship of the actors among themselves based on the Gephi app, and in the delimitation of the cosmos, being they: 1) laboratory origin, 2) natural selection and 3) unknown origin, and a last group considered “opportunist”, since it didn't have an own point of view. Thus, we defend the cartography of controversies as a methodology for dealing with controversial issues in science education, as it allows the different positions around these issues to be explicit, in order to enhance the citizen participation of students in issues related to science and technology. © 2021 Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Instituto de Fisica. All rights reserved.

The defense of workers' rights in times of Covid-19: the case of the work of the Public Ministry of Labor of the 3rd Region (Minas Gerais)

The article analyzes the resistance action of the Public Ministry of Labor (MPT) to Provisional Measures 926, 927 and 936/2020 and Law 14200/2020, created to confront the effects of Covid-19. As a sample, they were chosen as Technical Notes of the MPT, Public Civil Actions and Annulment Actions of Conventional Clauses related to Covid-19, in the period from March 2020 to February 2021, authored by the Regional Labor Attorney of the 3rd Region (PRT / Minas Gerais). The study confirms the hypothesis that the MPT's actions oppose the deconstruction of labor law, a process that was deepened by the legislation of the emergency period.

The Geographical Distance between Producers and Consumers of the Organic Street Markets: The Case of Belo Horizonte, Brazil

The organic street markets are considered a short food supply chain, and their importance gained new proportions since COVID-19 brought difficulties to the traditional supply chain. The organic street markets represent a place to sell the product for organic family farmers and an opportunity to obtain better quality and variety of organic products at a lower price. This work aimed to analyze the geographical distance from producers and consumers of organic street markets in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, identifying the organic street market characteristics that influence the organic consumers. The research methods used descriptive statistics, a chi-squared test, and the measurement of the geographical distance. Results allowed us to conclude the organic street markets with more producers attract more consumers and consumers willing to travel long distances. Additionally, the factors related to a street market location, product, and consumer behavior are associated. Finally, results indicated the location of organic street markets contributes to displacements by non-motorized modes. The results indicated that the organic street market characteristics can contribute to a sustainable, short, organic food supply chain in Belo Horizonte.

Gamification in Remote Teaching of SE Courses: Experience Report

Distance education is understood as well-planed online learning mediated by computer technologies. Online learning involves more planning and design decisions and thus it is more rigorous than Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT). Given the COVID-19 pandemic several undergraduate and graduate classroom courses had to adapt their traditional classes to ERT. In this context, we have adapted our methodology based on face-To-face classes to incorporate the gamification as a strategy to deal with ERT. The goal of this paper is to present the remote methodology based on the gamification that we have applied on two Computer Science courses. To use the gamification, we have selected a free online gamification, called Classcraft, that enable us to use asynchronous tools. In our methodology, we first organized the course' contents into modules and then, for each module, we defined the activities to work the module's topics;the interactions between the professor and students;and the evaluation criteria. The results showed that the gamification as ERT strategy is effective to engage the students during the pandemic. However, they had difficulties to understand the purpose of using asynchronous tools such as forum. © 2020 ACM.

Remote, but not far: the reinvention of teaching in Higher Education in times of COVID-19

This article aims to investigate what were the challenges and solutions to reinvent teaching in Higher Education, in the face of the overwhelming scenario of contamination by COVID-19, using Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). Data were collected by an electronic questionnaire and interviews. The survey was answered by 41 students. The information was systematized and analyzed using the content analysis that was proposed by Bardin (2010), it is possible to identify three categories: 1) Application of ICTs in the teaching and learning processes, 2) Pedagogical mediations that were necessary for the students' development and 3) Students' autonomy. The results revealed that many students underutilized digital technologies and that the pandemic provided opportunities for attitudinal changes. Teachers had to reinvent didactic strategies for remote teaching, as well as the use of ICTs in collaborative spaces that fostered empowerment, autonomy and intellectual emancipation in the students.

Identification of priority groups for COVID-19 vaccination in Brazil

In a context of community transmission and shortage of vaccines, COVID-19 vaccination should focus on directly reducing the morbidity and mortality caused by the disease. It is thus essential to define priority groups for vaccination by the National Immunization Program (PNI in Portuguese), based on the risk of hospitalization and death from the disease. We thus calculated overrisk according to sex, age group, and comorbidities using hospitalization and death records from severe acute respiratory illness with confirmation of COVID-19 (SARI-COVID) in all of Brazil in the first six months of the epidemic. Higher overrisk was associated with male sex (hospitalization=1.1 and death=1.2), age over 45 years for hospitalization (OvRag ranging from 1.1 to 8.5), and age over 55 year for death (OvRag ranging from 1.5 to 18.3). In the groups of comorbidities, chronic kidney disease, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, and chronic lung disease were associated with overrisk, while there was no such evidence for asthma. Chronic kidney disease or diabetes plus age over 60 showed an even stronger association, reaching overrisk of death 14 and 10 times greater than in the general population, respectively. For all the comorbidities, there was higher overrisk at older ages, with a downward gradient in the oldest age groups. This pattern was reversed when examining overrisk in the general population, for both hospitalization and death. The current study provided evidence of overrisk of hospitalization and death from SARI-COVID, assisting the definition of priority groups for COVID-19 vaccination.