Showing papers by "Federal University of Roraima published in 2021"

Phase 2 randomized study on chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine or ivermectin in hospitalized patients with severe manifestations of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Abstract: Objective: Given the urgent need for strategies to minimize the damage caused by this pandemic, this study performed a randomized, double-blind phase 2 study to assess the safety of the effectiveness of chloroquine (CQ), hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) or ivermectin in severe forms of COVID-19, in addition to identifying predictors of mortality in this group of patients.Methods: Phase 2, double-blind, randomized study to assess the safety and efficacy of enteral CQ, HCQ or ivermectin in patients hospitalized for SARS-CoV-2 infection, admitted to a Reference Hospital in Roraima (Brazil) in may 2020. Patients were randomized in a 1:1:1 ratio. The endpoints were need of supplemental O2, invasive ventilation, admission in ICU and death. The study was approved by an independent IRB.Results: 168 patients were randomized. The mean age was 53.4 years (±15.6), most participants were male (n = 95; 58.2%). Therapy with corticosteroid, anticoagulant or antibiotics was a decision of the attending physicians, and there was no difference between the groups. The mortality was similar in three groups (22.2%; 21.3% and 23.0%) suggesting ineffectiveness of the drugs. No difference in the incidence of serious adverse events were observed. To be older than 60 years of age, obesity, diabetes, extensive pulmonary involvement and low SaO2 at hospital admission due to independent risk factors for mortality.Conclusion: Although CQ, HCQ or ivermectin revealed a favorable safety profile, the tested drugs do not reduce the need for supplemental oxygen, ICU admission, invasive ventilation or death, in patients hospitalized with a severe form of COVID-19.

Medical students' perceptions and motivations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Abstract: BACKGROUND: There has been a rapid increase in the number of cases of COVID-19 in Latin America, Africa, Asia and many countries that have an insufficient number of physicians and other health care personnel, and the need for the inclusion of medical students on health teams is a very important issue. It has been recommended that medical students work as volunteers, undergo appropriate training, not undertake any activity beyond their level of competence, and receive continuous supervision and adequate personal protective equipment. However, the motivation of medical students must be evaluated to make volunteering a more evidence-based initiative. The aim of our study was to evaluate the motivation of medical students to be part of health teams to aid in the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We developed a questionnaire specifically to evaluate medical students' perceptions about participating in the care of patients with suspected infection with coronavirus during the COVID-19 pandemic. The questionnaire had two parts: a) one part with questions on individual characteristics, year in medical school and geographic location of the medical school and b) a second part with twenty-eight statements assessed on a 5-point Likert scale (totally agree, agree, neither agree nor disagree, disagree and totally disagree). To develop the questionnaire, we performed consensus meetings with a group of faculty and medical students. The questionnaire was sent to student organizations of 257 medical schools in Brazil and answered by 10,433 students. We used multinomial logistic regression models to analyze the data. Statements associated with greater odds ratios for participation of medical students in the COVID-19 pandemic were related to a sense of purpose or duty ("It is the duty of the medical student to put himself or herself at the service of the population in the pandemic"), altruism ("I am willing to take risks by participating in practice in the context of the pandemic"), and perception of good performance and professional identity ("I will be a better health professional for having experienced the pandemic"). Males were more prone than females to believe that only interns should participate in the care of patients with COVID-19 (odds ratio 1.36 [coefficient interval 95%:1.24-1.49]) and that all students should participate (OR 1.68 [CI:1.4-1.91]). CONCLUSIONS: Medical students are more motivated by a sense of purpose or duty, altruism, perception of good performance and values of professionalism than by their interest in learning. These results have implications for the development of volunteering programs and the design of health force policies in the present pandemic and in future health emergencies.

Stingless bee honey (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Meliponini): a review of quality control, chemical profile, and biological potential

Abstract: Products made by bees are well-known for their beneficial properties and nutritional value. This association has been proven by scientific studies that describe their composition and biological activities. The aim of this study is to portray the state of the art on research regarding stingless bee honey. The search for standards that guide the trade of these products is still portrayed as a future perspective, since there are significant differences in relation to honey from Apis mellifera and it often requires additional treatments.

Amazon tree dominance across forest strata

Abstract: The forests of Amazonia are among the most biodiverse plant communities on Earth. Given the immediate threats posed by climate and land-use change, an improved understanding of how this extraordinary biodiversity is spatially organized is urgently required to develop effective conservation strategies. Most Amazonian tree species are extremely rare but a few are common across the region. Indeed, just 227 ‘hyperdominant’ species account for >50% of all individuals >10 cm diameter at 1.3 m in height. Yet, the degree to which the phenomenon of hyperdominance is sensitive to tree size, the extent to which the composition of dominant species changes with size class and how evolutionary history constrains tree hyperdominance, all remain unknown. Here, we use a large floristic dataset to show that, while hyperdominance is a universal phenomenon across forest strata, different species dominate the forest understory, midstory and canopy. We further find that, although species belonging to a range of phylogenetically dispersed lineages have become hyperdominant in small size classes, hyperdominants in large size classes are restricted to a few lineages. Our results demonstrate that it is essential to consider all forest strata to understand regional patterns of dominance and composition in Amazonia. More generally, through the lens of 654 hyperdominant species, we outline a tractable pathway for understanding the functioning of half of Amazonian forests across vertical strata and geographical locations. Most Amazon tree species are rare but a small proportion are common across the region. The authors show that different species are hyperdominant in different size classes and that hyperdominance is more phylogenetically restricted for larger canopy trees than for smaller understory ones.

Respiratory Viral Shedding in Healthcare Workers Reinfected with SARS-CoV-2, Brazil, 2020.

Abstract: We documented 4 cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 reinfection by non-variant of concern strains among healthcare workers in Campinas, Brazil. We isolated infectious particles from nasopharyngeal secretions during both infection episodes. Improved and continued protection measures are necessary to mitigate the risk for reinfection among healthcare workers.

Tannin-rich forage as a methane mitigation strategy for cattle and the implications for rumen microbiota

Abstract: Context Methane from ruminant livestock systems contributes to the greenhouse effect on the environment, which justifies the adoption of novel feed strategies that mitigate enteric emissions. Aims We investigated the effects of the condensed tannin (CT)-rich legumes Flemingia macrophylla, Leucaena leucocephala, Stylosanthes guianensis, Gliricidia sepium, Cratylia argentea, Cajanus cajan, Desmodium ovalifolium, Macrotyloma axillare, Desmodium paniculatum and Lespedeza procumbens on in vitro methane emissions and rumen microbiota for beef cattle. Methods Four rumen-cannulated Nellore cattle grazing a tropical grass pasture were used as inoculum donors. Key results Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis revealed that the abundance of Ruminococcus flavefaciens, methanogenic archaea and protozoa populations were reduced (P £ 0.05), whereas total ruminal bacteria were enhanced in the presence of CT. Our study also revealed a positive (P £ 0.05) relationship between CT and Fibrobacter succinogenes abundance. Reactive CT from L. leucocephala, D. paniculatum and L. procumbens resulted in decreased (P £ 0.05) isoacid content and methane production. Conclusions L. leucocephala, D. paniculatum and L. procumbens have the potential to suppress rumen methanogenesis. However, in vitro fermentation of L. leucocephala resulted in greater (P £ 0.05) degradability percentages than the other two species. Implications CT in legume species will have potential as part of an overall nutritional strategy to manipulate rumen microbiota and mitigate enteric methanogenesis in livestock production systems.

Intelligent energy management in a prosumer community considering the load factor enhancement

Abstract: In prosumers’ communities, the use of storage batteries (SBs) as support for photovoltaic (PV) sources combined with coordination in household appliances usage guarantees several gains. Although these technologies increase the reliability of the electricity supply, the large-scale use of home appliances in periods of lower solar radiation and low electricity tariff can impair the performance of the electrical system. The appearance of new consumption peaks can lead to disturbances. Moreover, the repetition of these events in the short term can cause rapid fatigue of the assets. To address these concerns, this research proposes a mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) model aiming at the optimal operation of the SBs and the appliance usage of each prosumer, as well as a PV plant within a community to achieve the maximum load factor (LF) increase. Constraints related to the household appliances, including the electric vehicle (EV), shared PV plant, and the SBs, are considered. Uncertainties in consumption habits are simulated using a Monte Carlo algorithm. The proposed model was solved using the CPLEX solver. The effectiveness of our proposed model is evaluated with/without the LF improvement. Results corroborate the efficient performance of the proposed tool. Financial benefits are obtained for both prosumers and the energy company.

Mulheres e a violência de gênero no contexto sociocultural e laboral: referência à realidade de Roraima

Abstract: O estudo tem por objetivo visibilizar a realidade das mulheres no âmbito laboral, social e coletivo, enfocando a questao da discriminacao de genero, influenciada por fatores historico-culturais, politicos e religiosos transmitidos atraves dos seculos, por um modelo patriarcal de submissao feminina. A investigacao abordara o tema da mulher destacando o fator humano, ou seja, as mulheres como agentes capazes de realizar qualquer tipo de atividade, nao importando os rois de genero e modelos de masculinidades ou feminidades. Nesse aspecto, considerando as mulheres como seres aptos a realizar, tambem, atividades tipicamente masculinizadas em um ideal de forte tradicao conservadora de discriminacao. Foi realizada investigacao bibliografica e documental como procedimento metodologico, utilizando-se a abordagem qualitativa e o metodo dedutivo. A pesquisa conta com uma investigacao bibliografica multidisciplinar, como a historia, as ciencias juridicas, a biologia e etc. A presente pesquisa conclui pela existencia de discriminacoes para as mulheres no Brasil, em especial no Estado de Roraima.

Ensino remoto: o uso do google meet na pandemia da covid-19

Abstract: This article is about the issue of education in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, reflecting on the use and applicability of the digital tool Google Meet and the difficulties that teachers and the students have had regarding your use as a teaching and learning tool. In this sense, the research has the general objective of analyzing the potential of Google Meet as a teaching and learning tool. The methodology is based on descriptive bibliographic and documentary research under a systemic methodological approach, with an exploratory and participatory nature based on content analysis. This way, the study leads the researcher to propose discussions on the quality of education proposed by remote learning, reflecting on the strategies and methodologies adopted as the applicability of the Google Meet tool in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, showing that the Google Meet tool promotes collaborative activities, enabling interaction with quizzes and gamifications, facilitating the association with several other tools that help organize the classroom and make the class more dynamic. This way, it is essential that teachers and students acquire the culture of remote teaching or online class, in which students need to have discipline to be able to have good income, or otherwise, education may suffer negative impacts in relation to absence and dropout. Therefore, it is suggested that teachers and students work together remotely over the internet, interspersing face-to-face activities as activities through virtual learning environments such as Google Meet and Google Classrom.

Shading and slow release fertiliser affect early growth in seedlings of Pau-marfim

Abstract: The aim of this study was to evaluate the initial growth of Agonandra brasiliensis Miers ex Benth. & Hook. F. in response to different levels of shading and doses of controlled-release fertiliser (CRF). The experiment was conducted at Embrapa Roraima in Boa Vista, in a completely randomised experimental design and a 2 x 5 factorial scheme, of two luminosity levels (50 and 30%) and five doses of CRF (formulation 18-05-09, NPK) (0, 0.5, 1, 2 and 3 g L-1 substrate), with five replications, each consisting of five plants. At 240 days after transplanting, the growth characteristics were evaluated, and the influence of the light levels and the CRF dose was recorded on these characteristics, either individually or interactively. It is suggested that plants of Agonandra brasiliensis be fertilised with a dose of 2 g L-1 CRF and grown in an environment with 50% of luminosity to maximize growth and efficiency in the production of high-quality seedlings.

A rhamnose-binding lectin from Rhodnius prolixus and the impact of its silencing on gut bacterial microbiota and Trypanosoma cruzi.

Abstract: Lectins are ubiquitous proteins involved in the immune defenses of different organisms and mainly responsible for non-self-recognition and agglutination reactions. This work describes molecular and biological characterization of a rhamnose-binding lectin (RBL) from Rhodnius prolixus, which possesses a 21 amino acid signal peptide and a mature protein of 34.6 kDa. The in-silico analysis of the primary and secondary structures of RpLec revealed a lectin domain fully conserved among previous insects studied. The three-dimensional homology model of RpLec was similar to other RBL-lectins. Docking predictions with the monosaccharides showed rhamnose and galactose-binding sites comparable to Latrophilin-1 and N-Acetylgalactosamine-binding in a different site. The effects of RpLec gene silencing on levels of infecting Trypanosoma cruzi Dm 28c and intestinal bacterial populations in the R. prolixus midgut were studied by injecting RpLec dsRNA into the R. prolixus hemocoel. Whereas T. cruzi numbers remained unchanged compared with the controls, numbers of bacteria increased significantly. The silencing also induced the up regulation of the R. prolixus defC (defensin) expression gene. These results with RpLec reveal the potential importance of this little studied molecule in the insect vector immune response and homeostasis of the gut bacterial microbiota.

Chemical Composition and Cytotoxic Evaluation of the Essential Oil of Phyllogonium viride (Phyllogoniaceae, Bryophyta).

Abstract: The present study aimed to determine the chemical composition and biological activity of the essential oil obtained from Phyllogonium viride Brid. (Phyllogoniaceae, Bryophyta), whose samples were collected in southern Brazil. For the first time, the cytotoxic activity of the essential oil of P. viride in breast and colorectal tumor cells (MCF-7 and HCT-116) was evaluated, as well as the cytotoxic potential of this oil in non-tumoral cells of human immortalized keratinocytes (HaCaT) via MTT assay. The compounds majorly found in P. viride essential oil were β-bazzanene (20.30 %), β-caryophyllene (17.06 %), β-chamigrene (14.02), and germacrene B (11.72 %). Treatment with P. viride essential oil in the different tested cell lines did not induce any toxicity in most of the tested concentrations. These data contribute to generating new scientific information about this understudied plant species. Furthermore, the chemical characterization of the compounds present in the essential oil of P. viride can lead to greater elucidation of its biotechnological potential.

Characterization of the antimicrobial activity produced by Bacillus sp. isolated from wetland sediment.

Abstract: Bacteria of the genus Bacillus sp. present the potential for inhibiting various pathogens, making them a promising starting point in the search for new antimicrobial substances. In this study, bacteria were isolated from sediment samples from humid areas of a Natural Conservation Unit in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The isolate Bacillus sp. sed 1.4 was selected for production of antimicrobial activity, and was characterized by MALDI-TOF and 16S rDNA sequencing. Phylogenetic analysis showed that Bacillus sed 1.4 was closely related to Bacillus altitudinis and Bacillus pumilus. The cell-free supernatant was partially purified using ammonium sulfate precipitation, gel filtration chromatography (Sephadex G-200) and an ultrafiltration membrane. Partial purification resulted in specific activity of 769.23 AU/mg, with a molecular mass of approximately 148 kDa. This antimicrobial substance showed stability at 100°C for 5 min, and was inactivated by proteolytic enzymes. An antimicrobial effect against Listeria species was observed. Considering the importance of the Listeria genus in the area of food safety, this antimicrobial activity should be further explored, specifically in the field of dairy products and with a focus on food biopreservation studies.

Four-manifolds with positive curvature

Abstract: In this note, we prove that a four-dimensional compact oriented half-conformally flat Riemannian manifold M 4 is topologically or , provided that the sectional curvatures all lie in the interval In addition, we use the notion of biorthogonal (sectional) curvature to obtain a pinching condition which guarantees that a four-dimensional compact manifold is homeomorphic to a connected sum of copies of the complex projective plane or the 4-sphere.

Nutraceutical potential, quality and sensory evaluation of camu-camu pure and mixed jelly

Abstract: The objective of this work was to formulate and to characterize chemically and physically different formulations of camu-camu jellies, with or without mixture of other fruits. Their sensory acceptance was evaluated by identifying the formulations with greater acceptability while maintaining their nutraceutical potential. The formulations were: camu-camu jelly, camu-camu jelly with jabuticaba, camu-camu jelly with guava, camu-camu jelly with acerola, camu-camu jelly with passion fruit and camu-camu jelly with papaya. Untrained tasters were used to assess consumer acceptability. In a second scale the purchase intention was evaluated. The following variables were also analyzed: pH, soluble solids, titratable acidity, ratio (SS/TA), ascorbic acid, total anthocyanins and flavonoids, phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity by the DPPH and FRAP methods. The results showed that camu-camu jelly without mixtures was not well accepted in the sensory test when compared to the others. The greatest preference was for mixed jams of camu-camu with guava and jabuticaba, in which they obtained greater acceptance and purchase intention. Jellies with higher levels of bioactive compounds and antioxitant activity obtained low acceptance and purchase intention, perhaps due to their high astringency.

Bioeconomia: Um novo caminho para a sustentabilidade na Amazônia?

Abstract: Os pressupostos da segunda lei da termodinâmica alicercam o entendimento biofisico da teoria economica, em que evidencia a biodegradacao do meio ambiente devido aos efeitos da entropia gerados pela economia. Os acontecimentos mundiais ocorridos entre 1950 e 1970 tornaram mais evidentes os efeitos negativos do padrao economico dominante. Assim, tornou-se imperativo pensar o meio ambiente em termos mais orgânicos, no sentido de compreender o papel do homem e a importância de suas acoes para o desenvolvimento sustentavel. Este artigo busca analisar a bioeconomia como um caminho para a sustentabilidade na Amazonia, por ser promissora em conciliar objetivos sociais, economicos e ambientais. Delimitou-se a area de estudo na Amazonia Legal, ao considerar sua representatividade nacional nas questoes que envolvem a sustentabilidade. Como suporte a analise de dados qualitativos e quantitativos, as pesquisas bibliograficas e descritivas permitiram a interpretacao dos fenomenos atuais que envolvem a bioeconomia na regiao. Para apresentar os resultados e discussao, utilizou-se a estatistica descritiva do uso de serie temporal (2010-2019). Conclui-se que a bioeconomia na Amazonia e promissora para a geracao de valor adicionado ao produto nacional, bem como gera emprego local e contribui para os objetivos ambientais por meio de atividades com baixo impacto. Nao obstante, ha desafios no campo do conhecimento avancado em bioeconomia, bioindustria e infraestrutura necessaria para os avancos em todos os niveis.

Análise das coberturas vacinais de crianças menores de um ano em Roraima, 2013-2017

Abstract: Resumo Objetivo: Analisar as coberturas vacinais de criancas menores de 1 ano em Roraima, Brasil, entre 2013 e 2017, e expor as percepcoes dos profissionais de saude quanto as barreiras que influenciaram no alcance de elevadas coberturas vacinais do estado em 2017. Metodos: Estudo descritivo que analisou as coberturas vacinais para bacilo de Calmette e Guerin (BCG), rotavirus, poliomielite, febre amarela, pentavalente, meningococica conjugada C e pneumococica 10-valente, baseado em dados dos sistemas de informacoes de imunizacoes. As barreiras percebidas pelos profissionais foram mensuradas por questionario com respostas em escala de Likert. Resultados: A maior cobertura foi da BCG (146,1%) em 2014; e a mais baixa, da vacina contra o rotavirus (70,4%) em 2013. A principal barreira (56/100) identificada pelos profissionais atuantes no programa (100 respondentes) para melhores coberturas foi a dificuldade de acesso a internet. Conclusao: As baixas coberturas vacinais refletem a influencia das barreiras de acesso a vacinacao.

Las mujeres cuidadoras inmigrantes: un análisis en datos de 1992 - 2009 por el mundo, en especial sobre la realidad de España

Abstract: El estudio tiene como objetivo visualizar la realidad de las mujeres inmigrantes en los ambitos laboral, social y colectivo, centrandose en el tema de la discriminacion de genero, influenciada por factores historico-culturales. Muchos de ellos transmitidos a lo largo de los siglos, por un modelo patriarcal de sumision femenina en diferentes sociedades. La investigacion abordara el tema de las mujeres, destacando el factor humano en el desempeno de la actividad laboral femenina de la atencion, especialmente en el contexto espanol. Se llevo a cabo una investigacion bibliografica y documental como procedimiento metodologico, utilizando el enfoque cualitativo y cuantitativo. La investigacion tiene una investigacion bibliografica multidisciplinar, como historia, ciencias juridicas y etc. Esta investigacion concluye por la existencia de discriminacion para las mujeres en el desempeno de la actividad laboral, razon por la cual se necesitan mas estudios para visualizar estos problemas para el cambio de paradigma.

A global analysis of ecological and evolutionary drivers of the use of wild mammals in traditional medicine

Abstract: Ingredients derived from wild mammals are widely used in traditional remedies. Large datasets of traits, geographic ranges, and phylogeny are also available for mammals. Therefore, mammals are an ideal group in which to explore the ecological (e.g. range size, body mass) and evolutionary (i.e. shared ancestry) correlates of the use of animal‐derived products in traditional medicine. In a global analysis of correlates of the use of wild mammals in traditional medicine, we tested how life‐history traits relate to the use of mammal products to treat disease. We compiled data from the primary literature about folk remedies based on mammals via a literature search using ISI Web of Knowledge, Scopus, and Google Scholar. Then, we used modern phylogenetic comparative methods to estimate phylogenetic signals in the diseases that mammal body parts are used to treat and to test whether geographic range size and body mass are related to medicinal use. We tested whether mammalian species that are used more in medicine are also those that are more threatened by extinction. Our results show that 521 mammalian species are used to source products to treat 371 ailments. We found support for the hypothesis that phylogenetic relatedness correlates with the use of mammal‐derived remedies in traditional medicines. Specifically, we confirm our hypotheses that closely related species are more similar in terms of their perceived medical versatility than distantly related species and are used to treat similar diseases. Furthermore, we demonstrated that large marsupials are more versatile and are used to treat more diseases than smaller marsupials. In our database, 155 mammalian species are considered threatened (Vulnerable, Endangered, or Critically Endangered), and a further 46 are Near Threatened, suggesting that overexploitation for medicinal use could be an overlooked source of threat that should be considered in mammal species conservation assessments. We demonstrate that phylogenetic relatedness correlates with the use of mammalian species as remedies in traditional medicine, and urge future researchers to evaluate the negative effects of overexploitation of mammals for medical purposes. Such overexploitation could cause non‐random extinction patterns in the mammalian tree of life.

Factors associated with latent tuberculosis among international migrants in Brazil: a cross-sectional study (2020)

Abstract: Migrants are a high priority group for TB control measures due to their high exposure to risk factors such as poverty and social vulnerability. The study aimed to identify factors associated with latent TB among international migrants living in four Brazilian state capitals. This was a cross-sectional study conducted in September and October 2020 in a sample of 903 international migrants living in four Brazilian state capitals: Boa Vista/RR (458), Manaus/AM (136), Sao Paulo/SP (257), and Curitiba/PR (52). Data were collected with a questionnaire consisting of open and closed questions on personal characteristics, information on TB, and use of preventive measures. Tuberculin skin test (TST) was performed, with reading after 72 h by trained nurses and using 5 mm induration as the positive cutoff. Chi-square test (X2) and Fisher's exact test, both two-tailed, were used to compare statistically significant levels of association between the migrants´ sociodemographic characteristics, vulnerability, and latent TB infection (LTBI). Binary logistic regression was applied to calculate odds ratios and respective 95% confidence intervals. For all the tests, type I error of 5% was defined as statistically significant (p < 0.05). Prevalence of LTBI among migrants was 46.1% in Manaus/AM, 33.3% in Sao Paulo/SP, 28.1% in Curitiba/PR, and 23.5% in Boa Vista/RR. Factors associated with latent infection were age, male gender, and brown or indigenous race. The study showed high prevalence of latent TB among international migrants.

Construindo corpora bilíngues quimbundo- português-quimbundo / Building Kimbundu-Portuguese-Kimbundu bilingual corpora

Abstract: Resumo: Discute-se neste artigo as possibilidades para a construcao de corpora bilingues quimbundo-portugues-quimbundo para o estudo de fenomenos de contato linguistico entre essas duas linguas. Faz-se uma aproximacao entre as areas da Linguistica de Corpus e da Linguistica Africana, enfatizando-se o caso dos contatos linguisticos presentes nos corpora em vista. Defende-se que o quimbundo e o portugues tem uma relacao historica que permite a elaboracao de um corpus escrito a partir de sua tradicao descritiva iniciada no seculo XVII e de um corpus de fala decorrente de projetos de pesquisa recentes que se ocupam de variedades vernaculares do portugues e sua relacao com a lingua africana deste estudo. Para tanto, buscou-se fazer um estudo do estado da arte da descricao do quimbundo e do portugues angolano com o objetivo de demonstrar a necessidade e viabilidade da producao de corpora bilingues escrito e de fala quimbundo-portugues-quimbundo. Espera-se que a producao de corpora bilingues quimbundo-portugues-quimbundo possa contribuir para o conhecimento da situacao de contato visualizado entre as duas linguas, pautando-se em material empirico necessario para o entendimento da real situacao de contato entre essas linguas de Angola alem de embasar com dados empiricos hipoteses como a de um continuum afro-brasileiro de portugues. Palavras-chave: corpora bilingues; quimbundo; portugues; contato linguistico; Angola. Abstract: This article discusses the possibilities for building Kimbundu-Portuguese-Kimbundu bilingual corpora in order to studying language contact phenomena between these two languages. An approximation is made between the areas of Corpus Linguistics and African Linguistics, emphasizing the case of linguistic contact in the corpora in sight. It is argued that Kimbundu and Portuguese have a historical relation that allows the elaboration of written corpus based on the documents of its descriptive tradition that started in the 17th century and a spoken corpus resulting from recent research projects that deal with vernacular varieties of Portuguese and its relation to the African language of this study. To this end, we sought to study the state of the art of the description of Kimbundu and Portuguese in Angola in order to demonstrate the need and feasibility of building bilingual written and spoken Kimbundu-Portuguese-Kimbundu corpora. It is hoped that the production of these bilingual corpora may contribute to the knowledge of the situation of contact between both Angolan languages under study, based on empirical material necessary to understand the real situation of contact between these languages of Angola besides to support hypothesis about an Afro-Brazilian continuum of Portuguese. Keywords: bilingual corpora; Kimbundu; Portuguese; Language contact; Angola.

Vulnerabilidades sociais expostas pelo Covid-19 no Brasil

Abstract: O surgimento do Covid-19, responsavel pelas mais severas e repentinas mudancas globais e individuais das ultimas decadas, representa ameacas tangiveis a vida, ao equilibrio emocional e psicologico da populacao e na estabilidade economica, politica e social das nacoes. De um lado, em virtude das dimensoes de contagio e letalidade que alcancou essa doenca, em termos globais e locais, e do outro lado, em funcao das medidas politicas e economicas adotadas pelos representantes dos governos, considerados em uns casos oportunos e eficientes, e em outros casos, inapropriados. De certo, o ano 2020 trouxe a tona a grave crise preexistente na saude, sendo agravada pela pandemia, deixando ao descoberto uma serie de fragilidades estatais e humanas, relacionadas a emergencia sanitaria no Brasil. Situacao essa que incita a reflexao e discussao de diversos questionamentos sociopoliticos, morais e constitucionais ao evidenciar profundas desigualdades sociais que vao em contradicao com a Carta Magna de 1988. Nessa essa direcao, o presente artigo se propoe discutir no âmbito brasileiro a ligacao existente entre a composicao da carta magna com a manutencao das desigualdades sociais, as quais ficaram em evidencia, mediante a falta de infraestrutura fisica e humana para atender com celeridade e assertividade as exigencias da pandemia atual ocasionada pelo Covid-19.