Browsing by Autor "Mohammed A. Mostajo-Radji"

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Balancing production and culture: Sustainable agriculture in the Amazon
(2020) Omar Gandarilla; Giovanni A. Carosso; Mohammed A. Mostajo-Radji
Sustainable food production in developing countries is challenging, as it requires balancing scalability with respect for local culture and traditions. Bolivia represents a particularly interesting example; with over 36 recognized indigenous groups encompassing over 70% of the country’s population in a relatively small territory, Bolivia is considered one of the most diverse countries in the world (Ferreira et al., 2019). Agriculture in Bolivia employs over 5% of the country’s population and represents over 14% of its GDP. Yet, the introduction of new agribusiness approaches has often been met with resistance by the local communities. For example, the use of transgenic seeds in Bolivia is forbidden by law, with a single exception in soybean production (Avila and Izquierdo, 2006). As result, Bolivia is at a disadvantage in relation to its neighbors in agricultural production. In addition, high costs of transport and export of produce due to the landlocked nature of the country, compounded by logistic difficulties of exporting through a third country, highlight the need of policies that facilitate a larger and more efficient food production.
Developing Brains, Developing Nations: Can Scientists Be Effective Non-state Diplomats?
(Frontiers Media, 2019) Giovanni A. Carosso; Leonardo M. R. Ferreira; Mohammed A. Mostajo-Radji
OPINION article Front. Educ., 03 September 2019Sec. STEM Education Volume 4 - 2019 | https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2019.00095
High-altitude populations need special considerations for COVID-19
(Nature Portfolio, 2020) Arnar Breevoort; Giovanni A. Carosso; Mohammed A. Mostajo-Radji
Plasma-based COVID-19 treatments in low- and middle-income nations pose a high risk of an HIV epidemic
(Nature Portfolio, 2020) Leonardo M. R. Ferreira; Mohammed A. Mostajo-Radji
Plasma-based COVID-19 treatments in low- and middle-income nations pose a high risk of an HIV epidemic
(2020) Leonardo M. R. Ferreira; Mohammed A. Mostajo-Radji
Convalescent plasma therapy holds promise as a transient treatment for COVID-19. Yet, blood products are important sources of HIV infection in low- and middle-income nations. Great care must be taken to prevent plasma therapy from fueling HIV epidemics in the developing world.
Pseudoscience in the Times of Crisis: How and Why Chlorine Dioxide Consumption Became Popular in Latin America During the COVID-19 Pandemic
(Frontiers Media, 2021) Mohammed A. Mostajo-Radji
62 Yes No Upper-middle income Medium Costa Rica 33.51 56 48.00 91 Yes No Upper-middle income Low Brazil 31.94 62 53.90 75 Yes No Upper-middle income Low Colombia 30.84 68 50.40 66 Yes No Upper-middle income Low Uruguay 30.84 69 39.70 98 Yes No High income Low Panama 29.04 73 49.20 84 Yes No High income Low Peru 28.79 76 42.80 72 Yes Discussed but not approved Upper-middle income High
Pseudoscience in the times of crisis: How and why chlorine dioxide consumption became popular in Latin America during the COVID-19 pandemic
(2020) Mohammed A. Mostajo-Radji
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the economic and political landscape of the world (Blofield et al., 2020; Greer et al., 2020). Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) have been particularly vulnerable to the effects of the disease (Breevoort et al., 2020; Dahab et al., 2020; Elhadi, et al., 2020; Loayza and Pennings, 2020). Yet, LMIC regions have different approaches to disease response, control and monitoring. For instance, while Africa centralizes these roles in the Africa Centres for Disease Control (Africa CDC) (Wadvalla, 2020), Latin American countries lack a common health administration, making them more susceptible to complications due to poverty, comorbidity and political dynamics (Pablos-Mendez et al., 2020).Traditional and social media have been important to disseminate information related to disease containment and treatment (Basch et al, 2020; Hopman et al., 2020). Yet, these tools have also served to spread misinformation, conspiracy theories and “miracle cures” for COVID-19 (Malinverni and Brigagão 2020; Moreno-Castro, et al., 2020; Oliveira et al., 2020; Pereira et al., 2020). In Latin America, there are several instances in which media trends have shaped policy and resulted in dangerous interventions to fight the pandemic (Oliveira et al., 2020). These have included the administration of hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin (Mega, 2020), as well as the use of untested convalescent plasma as therapy for COVID-19 (Ferreira and Mostajo-Radji, 2020).While the world was horrified by President Donald Trump’s suggestion of drinking household disinfectants to prevent COVID-19, less has been mentioned about the extensive use of chlorine dioxide as treatment in Latin America. Chlorine dioxide is a disinfectant commonly used to clean medical equipment and treat residual waters (Smith et al., 2001). At high concentrations and non-physiological pH, chlorine dioxide effectively inhibits microbial and viral activity (Hauchman et al., 1986; Zoffoli et al., 2005). Exposure to high doses of chlorine dioxide has been shown to cause thyroid suppression, DNA damage and neurotoxicity in several animal models (Abdel-Rahman et al., 1984; Bercz et al., 1982; Harrington et al., 1986; Orme et al., 1985; Toth et al, 1990). It is therefore understood that chlorine dioxide is not safe for human consumption. At the global scale, the dissemination of pseudoscience and post-truth phenomena is often associated with income inequalities (Rijs and Fenter, 2020). Interestingly, however, while Latin American countries often have similar levels of inequality, the use of chlorine dioxide as COVID-19 treatment varied significantly across countries (Table 1). In this opinion article, I use chlorine dioxide consumption to further dissect the contribution of additional variables to pseudoscience dissemination, including scientific literacy and the democratic state of internal politics.
Scientists as non-state actors of public diplomacy
(Nature Portfolio, 2019) Giovanni A. Carosso; Leonardo M. R. Ferreira; Mohammed A. Mostajo-Radji
Transnational youth networks: an evolving form of public diplomacy to accelerate the Sustainable Development Goals
(2020) Matias Acosta; Zsófia Szlamka; Mohammed A. Mostajo-Radji
According to the United Nations (UN), 41% of the world’s population is under the age of 24 (United Nations Population Division). Despite being a considerably large group, the youth has been commonly underrepresented in decision-making in the public and private sectors. To combat this situation, the UN launched the Youth 2030 strategy in 2018 thereby recognizing the need to empower the youth to reach their full potential (Youth 2030: The UN Youth Strategy). In this contribution, we provide a brief description of some of the recent transnational youth networks (TYNs) and their features in order to discuss the role of such networks to empower the youth. We propose here that such networks constitute a novel and powerful form of public diplomacy (PD) because of their experiential educational aspects that they develop in their members. Moreover, these networks also offer a rather unique opportunity of building interpersonal relationships among global prominent individuals thereby influencing the international agenda. We further discuss how such networks can advance substantially the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) agenda (Sustainable Development Goals).
Youth Networks' Advances Toward the Sustainable Development Goals During the COVID-19 Pandemic
(Frontiers Media, 2020) Kevin M. Barber; Mohammed A. Mostajo-Radji
OPINION article Front. Sociol., 29 October 2020Sec. Media Governance and the Public Sphere Volume 5 - 2020 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fsoc.2020.589539
Youth Networks' Advances Toward the Sustainable Development Goals During the COVID-19 Pandemic
(2020) Kevin Barber; Mohammed A. Mostajo-Radji
From countries closing their borders, to ventilator “piracy” and accusations of conspiracy, the COVID-19 pandemic has made significant impacts on traditional international relations. Youth networks have emerged as a powerful tool for improving people-to-people diplomacy among countries, and present a system capable of managing unique difficulties associated with the pandemic. For instance, young bioengineers have developed 3D-printed personal protective equipment and ventilators to serve as inexpensive supplies to combat the malignancies of the disease. In complement, volunteer groups have developed solutions towards patient care of especially vulnerable populations such as those displaced in refugee camps. This work discusses the impact these initiatives have had on public diplomacy and how they are advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals amid the pandemic.