Background In Brazil, a substantial number of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases and deaths have been reported. It has become the second most affected country worldwide, as of June 9, 2020. Official Brazilian government sources present contradictory data on the impact of the disease; thus, it is possible that the actual number of infected individuals and deaths in Brazil is far larger than those officially reported. It is very likely that the actual spread of the disease has been underestimated. Objective This study investigates the underreporting of cases and deaths related to COVID-19 in the most affected cities in Brazil, based on public data available from official Brazilian government internet portals, to identify the actual impact of the pandemic. Methods We used data from historical deaths due to respiratory problems and other natural causes from two public portals: DATASUS (Department of Informatics of the Unified Healthcare System) (2010-2018) and the Brazilian Transparency Portal of Civil Registry (2019-2020). These data were used to build time-series models (modular regressions) to predict the expected mortality patterns for 2020. The forecasts were used to estimate the possible number of deaths that were incorrectly registered during the pandemic and posted on government internet portals in the most affected cities in the country. Results Our model found a significant difference between the real and expected values. The number of deaths due to severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) was considerably higher in all cities, with increases between 493% and 5820%. This sudden increase may be associated with errors in reporting. An average underreporting of 40.68% (range 25.9%-62.7%) is estimated for COVID-19–related deaths. Conclusions The significant rates of underreporting of deaths analyzed in our study demonstrate that officially released numbers are much lower than actual numbers, making it impossible for the authorities to implement a more effective pandemic response. Based on analyses carried out using different fatality rates, it can be inferred that Brazil’s epidemic is worsening, and the actual number of infectees could already be between 1 to 5.4 million.

This study fills demand for data on access and use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in the Brazilian legal Amazon, a region of localities with identical economic, political, and social problems. We use the 2010 Brazilian Demographic Census to compile data on urban and rural households (i) with computers and Internet access, (ii) with mobile phones, and (iii) with fixed phones. To compare the concentration of access to ICT in the municipalities of the Brazilian Amazon with other regions of Brazil, we use a concentration index to quantify the concentration of households in the following classes: with computers and Internet access, with mobile phones, with fixed phones, and no access. These data are analyzed along with municipal indicators on income, education, electricity, and population size. The results show that for urban households, the average concentration in the municipalities of the Amazon for computers and Internet access and for fixed phones is lower than in other regions of the country; meanwhile, that for no access and mobile phones is higher than in any other region. For rural households, the average concentration in the municipalities of the Amazon for computers and Internet access, mobile phones, and fixed phones is lower than in any other region of the country; meanwhile, that for no access is higher than in any other region. In addition, the study shows that education and income are determinants of inequality in accessing ICT in Brazilian municipalities and that the existence of electricity in rural households is directly associated with the ownership of ICT resources.

Abstract-With advances in information technology for health and wellness, Smart Home-based solution providers using Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, have increased in importance and become accepted as an alternative means of saving energy when based on Home Energy Management Systems (HEMS). This paper defines a modern architecture (SmartCoM), which is implemented to monitor and manage residential dwellings by using IoT technologies. This involves setting out the parameters that can make interoperability possible between measurement and management , and the layers of data communication, which are the features necessary for the hardware required for monitoring and measurement. In addition, an interface is defined by a middleware layer to integrate the management of external installations and the visualization of data by means of a cloud service. The SmartCoM end-to-end architecture is defined in detail from the standpoint of the consumer and optimization strategies are employed for both the end customer and the utility. The main advantages of using SmartCoM were confirmed by the numerical results obtained from the proposed architecture. This paper ends by showing the current position of SmartCoM as well as suggesting further stages for this line of research.Index Terms-device software platforms, Internet of Things, middleware, Smart Home. I. INTRODUCTIONIn recent years, the panorama of the power systems has been subject to change following the introduction of new business models, for example, electric power distribution. These new models enable consumers to be actively involved on the basis of Smart Grid experiences. This participation makes the scenario more complex with respect to services since it raises serious challenges -for example, when integrating, software and hardware features. This is because the power systems and power companies operate in heterogeneous environments which is an essential strategic factor in ensuring a certain degree of safety (an inherent feature of the electricity sector). As well as this, there is also a need to include services that can outperform those of the traditional electricity networks. Belém, Pará, Brazil, rodrigo.alfaia@itec.ufpa.br, anderson.souto@itec.ufpa.br, marcelino@ufpa.br, rfrances@ufpa.br N. L. VijaykumarNational Institute for Space Research (INPE), São José dos Campos, São Paulo, Brazil, ZIP: 12227-010, Email: vijay.nl@inpe.br Journal of Microwaves, Optoelectronics and Electromagnetic Applications, Vol. 16, No. 3, September 2017 In general, Smart Grid can be regarded as a network that can manage electrical devices in several domains, and provide efficiency, reliability, safety and quality of services. It has a set of seven interconnected domains [2]. The first four (large-scale generation, transmission, distribution and end consumers or customers) are responsible for generation, transmission and distribution. These domains must ensure bi-directional communication between the customers and Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) to provide a "full...

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