Brazilian University Research Highlights Sustainable Rural Education and Nanotech Pesticide Sensors

A doctoral dissertation by Magda Gonçalves Ferreira at the Federal University of Oeste explores environmental education in Brazil's fundamental schools, focusing on Marechal Cândido Rondon. The study examines curriculum integration, teacher roles, and climate‑change education as tools for promoting sustainable rural development, using mixed methods including surveys, interviews, and classroom observations.

A master’s thesis by Paulo Brito Oliveira Lira Junior investigates the structural, electronic, and energetic properties of gallium nitride nanotubes interacting with the pesticides acephate and glyphosate. First‑principles density‑functional calculations reveal that both pesticides adsorb onto the nanotube wall, alter its band structure and reduce the energy gap, suggesting potential use of GaN nanotubes as sensors or filters for pesticide removal from the environment.