Rio de Janeiro Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology

Research on racial diversity in organizations stands at a critical juncture. While the ‘business case for diversity’ has been supported empirically over decades, the field now faces significant headwinds. Political and institutional pressures, particularly in the Global North, are challenging the legitimacy of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, creating a complex environment for scholars and practitioners alike. To navigate these tensions and explore the field’s horizons, we sat down with Orlando C. Richard, a leading business management scholar at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Professor Richard is arguably one of the most influential scholars worldwide in the study of racial diversity dynamics within business institutions. In this interview, we sought to understand the historical foundations of his work and his perspective on the field’s future. He offers provocative insights into how the current U.S. context regarding DEI challenges creates opportunities that scholars at more progressive universities and researchers from the Global South, particularly in Brazil, can leverage. To this audience, his message offers an opportunity to lead discussions by grounding research in local realities and expanding the boundaries of theoretical frameworks. Furthermore, he outlines a compelling research agenda focused on intersectionality, mega-threats, and racial diversity effects on non-financial metrics.

The development of functional yogurts has expanded considerably in recent years, incorporating a wide range of bioactive ingredients and formulation strategies. However, the application of sensory methods in this field remains heterogeneous and fragmented. Therefore, this scoping review aimed to map the sensory methods used in studies on functional yogurts, identify methodological trends, and highlight existing research gaps. A systematic search was conducted in the Scopus and Web of Science databases, resulting in 44 eligible studies. The data were analyzed using Multiple Factor Analysis (MFA) to explore relationships between sensory methods and evaluator profiles. The results showed a clear predominance of hedonic tests, while descriptive, discriminative, and projective methods were less frequently applied. Consumer acceptance was influenced by factors such as formulation strategies, including the use of encapsulation and flavor-masking techniques to mitigate undesirable sensory attributes associated with functional ingredients. The review also revealed important methodological limitations, including insufficient reporting of panel characteristics, limited use of integrative sensory approaches, and low cross-cultural representation. Although emerging technologies such as encapsulation and formulation strategies have been explored to improve sensory acceptance, their application remains inconsistent across studies. The main contribution of this review lies in providing a structured methodological overview of sensory evaluation in functional yogurts, supported by multivariate analysis, and in identifying critical gaps that should be addressed in future research to improve the robustness and applicability of sensory studies in this field.

Abstract This essay examines the social position of black women, particularly in primary health care (PHC), and highlights how racism, sexism, and inequalities of class and geography contribute to their vulnerability. Using intersectionality as a theoretical-political tool and a critique of the coloniality of care, the text demonstrates how the universalist logic, based on supposed neutrality and an insufficiently developed approach to racial equity, renders the vulnerabilities of these women invisible, along with the impacts on their living conditions, especially in contexts such as the streets, favelas, and incarceration. It questions the effectiveness of approaches that, by failing to consider the multiple layers of oppression, reinforce stereotypes and contribute to the perpetuation of social disadvantages. The essay emphasizes the leadership of black women in denouncing institutional racism and in creating collective and ancestral care technologies. It underscores the urgency of articulating and mainstreaming public policies, with emphasis on the National Policy for the Comprehensive Health of the Black Population and the National Policy for the Comprehensive Health of Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals, Transvestites, and Transsexuals, highlighting significant ongoing initiatives. It concludes that equitable care requires confronting racism within PHC practices grounded in black feminist epistemologies and the valorization of re-existence experiences within the territories.

O letramento digital configura-se um desafio para o acesso e conectividade das pessoas idosas. Neste cenário, terapeutas ocupacionais intervêm em processos educativos para promover a emancipação das pessoas idosas para o uso seguro, crítico e confiável das tecnologias. Este estudo analisou se as intervenções terapêuticas ocupacionais de letramento digital direcionadas a pessoas idosas impactam no nível de proficiência para o uso de dispositivos móveis digitais e identificou os fatores associados à aprendizagem. Participaram 40 pessoas idosas, das cidades do Rio de Janeiro e Curitiba. Os participantes foram acompanhados por 10 a 12 semanas e responderam ao Mobile Device Proficiency Questionnaire, versão brasileira, para identificar os conhecimentos no uso dos dispositivos móveis digitais (Smartphones). Os resultados indicaram um aumento significativo na proficiência digital em ambos os municípios, com maior ganho entre os participantes de Curitiba. O estudo indicou que fatores como escolaridade e renda facilitam significativamente o desenvolvimento das competências digitais. Por sua vez, outros fatores como suporte e metodologia centrada nas demandas das pessoas idosas também podem favorecer o processo de aprendizagem no uso das novas tecnologias. O letramento digital é um caminho primordial para promover a autonomia, inclusão e senso de autoeficácia das pessoas idosas no contexto tecnológico atual.

The use of bauxite ores with high silica content has emerged as a critical aspect in meeting the growing demands of the aluminum industry. However, the presence of reactive silica, predominantly occurring as kaolinite, presents major challenges in processing Brazilian bauxite ores, leading to increased red mud production during alumina refining. This study investigates the beneficiation of bauxite from Pará, Brazil, with emphasis on the selective removal of reactive silica through grinding and washing techniques. A thorough physicochemical characterization was conducted employing a suite of characterization techniques, including wet chemical analysis, XRD, FTIR, XRF, SEM-EDS, thermal analysis (TGA-DTG), and zeta potential measurements. The results revealed kaolinite as the dominant silicate phase, closely associated with gibbsite particles. The beneficiation process reduced reactive silica content from 10.4 wt% to 5.3 wt%, with granulometric analysis confirming its preferential concentration in finer fractions. Zeta potential measurements indicated positive surface charges across a wide pH range (2.0 to 10.5), suggesting favorable electrostatic interactions between kaolinite and gibbsite. These findings provide insights into the behavior of silicate minerals in bauxite and support the development of silica-targeted beneficiation strategies to improve alumina production efficiency and reduce environmental impact.