Interview with Patrick Sutton and Brian Maguire

This interview took place on 15th September 2015, at the Universityof São Paulo, when the Director Patrick Sutton and the painter and actor Brian Maguire arrived from Rio de Janeiro where Beckett’s play Waiting for Godot was performed.Keywords: Patrick Sutton; Brian Maguire; Waiting for godot

Development of a Database of Educational Games Applicable to Production Engineering

Discussion over the years regarding the quality of newly graduated engineers in Brazil has concluded that there are gaps between learning and market expectations. Analyzing the current scenario, the Ministry of Education (MEC) has approved new national curriculum guidelines that emphasize skills development and the adoption of active methodologies. The aim is to develop students as protagonists of their own learning. One of these methodologies is game-based learning (GBL), which utilizes games for educational purposes to integrate theory and practice. GBL simulates reality and presents concepts in a playful way, resulting in greater student engagement and interest. However, research shows that a lack of knowledge and difficulty accessing such games are barriers to implementing this methodology. Previous research has focused on the development of serious game metadata (SGM), the establishment of controlled vocabularies, and the identification of educational games targeting production engineering (PE). The authors of the present paper developed a database focused on the disciplines and content covered in production engineering courses. The paper describes the database and its aims to: (a) increase the use of games in the teaching-learning process; (b) make the process more effective; and (c) prepare better professionals

Quantifying responses of dung beetles to fire disturbance in tropical forests:the importance of trapping method and seasonality

Understanding how biodiversity responds to environmental changes is essential to provide the evidence-base that underpins conservation initiatives. The present study provides a standardized comparison between unbaited flight intercept traps (FIT) and baited pitfall traps (BPT) for sampling dung beetles. We examine the effectiveness of the two to assess fire disturbance effects and how trap performance is affected by seasonality. The study was carried out in a transitional forest between Cerrado (Brazilian Savanna) and Amazon Forest. Dung beetles were collected during one wet and one dry sampling season. The two methods sampled different portions of the local beetle assemblage. Both FIT and BPT were sensitive to fire disturbance during the wet season, but only BPT detected community differences during the dry season. Both traps showed similar correlation with environmental factors. Our results indicate that seasonality had a stronger effect than trap type, with BPT more effective and robust under low population numbers, and FIT more sensitive to fine scale heterogeneity patterns. This study shows the strengths and weaknesses of two commonly used methodologies for sampling dung beetles in tropical forests, as well as highlighting the importance of seasonality in shaping the results obtained by both sampling strategies

Early palliative care for improving quality of life and survival in patients with advanced cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective: The main goal was to evaluate the effectiveness of early palliative care in patients with advanced cancer. Methods: The search in the MEDLINE/PubMed, CRD, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, EMBASE, Google Scholar, ICTRP and ClinicalTrials.gov databases was conducted in June 2017. Two reviewers independently screened titles and abstracts with consensus agreement. We undertook quality assessment according to GRADE criteria. Randomized Controlled Trials (RCT) that assessed the effectiveness of EPC in adult patients with a diagnosis- advanced cancer were included. The quantitative evidence was summarized in a meta-analysis using random effect models. Results: The selection phase retrieved 14,026 records, 7 papers were included in the meta-analysis. The standardized mean difference the outcomes assessed were: improvement quality of life (0.17 higher; 95% CI; 0.05, 0.29) after 3 months, (0.42 higher; 95% CI; 0.21, 0.63) after 6 months, and (0.16 higher; 95% CI; -0.20, 0.53) after 12 months; improvement of symptom intensity (-0.13 lower; 95% CI; -0.26, 0.00) after 3 months, (-0.27 lower; 95% CI; -0.53, -0.01) after 6 months, and (-0.39 lower; 95% CI; -0.76, -0.03) after 12 months; improve depressive mood (-0.19 lower; 95% CI; - 0.36, -0.01) after 3 months, (-0.21 lower; 95% CI; -0.45, 0.04) after 6 months, and (-0.09 lower; 95% CI; -0.81, 0.63) after 12 months; and survival (OR = 0.71 higher; 95% CI; 0.51, 0.99). Conclusion: Our findings suggest that EPC effectively improves quality of life and consequently increases the likelihood of survival of patients with advanced or metastatic cancer. However, due to worsening of the disease stage over time, a limited effect was observed after 12 months of follow-up

A Estrutura institucional do APL de confecções do agreste Pernambucano e seus reflexos sobre a cooperação e ainovação- o caso do Município de Toritama

"Este trabalho busca investigar a estrutura institucional do Arranjo Produtivo de Confecções de Pernambuco, enfatizando o caso do município de Toritama, integrante importante do ramo de confecções na região do agreste deste estado, cuja atividade principal é a produção de peças jeans. Baseando-se no enfoque neo-schumpeteriano/ evolucionista e na teoria institucionalista, utilizados na construção da abordagem teórica de arranjos produtivos e inovativos locais, pretende-se demonstrar que o intenso crescimento apresentado por Toritama, somente terá longo curso se houver a presença de capacidades tecnológicas e inovativas endógenas, as quais são fortalecidas e desenvolvidas a partir das relações de cooperação local e do estímulo de um adequado e dinâmico ambiente institucional. Para tanto, a metodologia adotada consiste na realização de uma pesquisa empírica em empresas localizadas no município e em instituições de apoio e fomento situadas em Toritama e em outras localidades do arranjo, especificamente, Santa Cruz do Capibaribe e Caruaru, bem como em Recife, capital do estado de Pernambuco. Os resultados apontam que as práticas cooperativas ainda são incipientes tanto entre as empresas, como entre as instituições, bem como destas últimas com as próprias empresas. E que existem esforços por parte de alguns atores produtivos e institucionais na busca e introdução de inovações, de modo a se manterem no mercado da moda, o qual se caracteriza por ser bastante competitivo e extremamente propenso a rápidas mudanças. Recentemente, novas entidades institucionais foram criadas em face à expansão da atividade e da necessidade de suprir certas carências existentes, sobretudo, de qualificação e capacitação da mão-de-obra, cujos reflexos só poderão ser sentidos no longo prazo. "

Efeito da irrigação na produtividade da cultura do trigo

This paper deals with the effect of supplemental irrigation on the final productivity of wheat crop. It is based on an experiment having a variable duration of irrigation periods. All the periods started at the sowing date. The experiment was installed at Botucatu, São Paulo State, Brazil, on shallow, flat, purple latosol, without fertilizer and without liming, using the BH 1146 cultivar. The crop was grown under good climatic conditions having completed its cycle within 118 days. Final yield of the crop was correlated with the height of applied water in periods whose duration varied from 20 until 110 days. Forty-nine simple, linear equations between the height of applied water and the yield of wheat grain were obtained. Variation of wheat crop yield caused by the increase of 1 mm in the height of applied water was studied. A 767.7% - index of variation in the water profitableness ratio was observed. The increment of crop yield by the application of 1 mm of water height in each ten days of duration of concerned period was analysed. The crop yield increments showed a variation of 600.5%. At last, the level of irrigation was estimated to obtain certain wheat crop yields.Estudou-se o efeito da irrigação na produtividade final da cultura do trigo por meio de um ensaio, com duração variável do período em que foram feitas as irrigações. Todos os períodos tiveram início na data do plantio. O ensaio foi instalado em Botucatu, Estado de São Paulo, em Latossolo Roxo, plano, de baixada, sem adubação e sem calagem, usando a cultivar BH 1146. A cultura se desenvolveu sob boas condições climáticas, tendo completado o ciclo de 118 dias. Correlacionou-se a produtividade final da cultura com a água aplicada em períodos com durações que variaram de 20 a 110 dias. Foram obtidas 49 equações lineares simples entre a altura de água aplicada e a produtividade de grifos de trigo. Estudou-se a variação da produtividade da cultura para aumentos de 1 mm na altura de água aplicada nos períodos referidos, encontrando-se uma variação de 767.7% na taxa de aproveitamento da água. Analisou-se o incremento de produtividade da cultura para a aplicação de 1 mm de altura d'água em cada dez dias de duração do período considerado. Os incrementos de produtividade apresentaram uma variação de 600,5%. Por fim, estimou-se o nível de irrigação necessário para atingir determinados níveis de produtividade de trigo

Determinação do período crítico de irrigação na cultura do trigo

The scope of this work was to determine the critical periods of wheat crop with respect to water requirement. It is based on an experiment having duration of irrigation period as treatment. The wheat crop showed to have two antagonistic critical periods with respect to water supply. The first one, from affiliation up to first half of flowering stage, when the water supply is benefic to yield; and the other one, from the second half of flowering until before the milk stage, when the water supply is harmful to yield. Wheat crop yield equations as a function of applied water in periods of ten days, were calculated. The equation that showed the highest correlation coefficient was: W = 362.4 + 13.866 P(50-69)                                   r = 0.9049 where W is the wheat yield in kg/ha and P(50-59) the applied water in the period (50-59) days, in milimeters. The variation of wheat yield per encrease of 1 milimeter in the applied water was analysed. The greatest value of variation was + 17.028 kg/ha.mm to the (30-39) days period.O trabalho teve como objetivo determinar os períodos críticos da cultura do trigo com respeito às necessidades hídricas. Foi feito um ensaio de irrigação em que se variou a duração do período de irrigação. Verificou-se que ocorrem dois períodos críticos antagônicos. Um, da fase de perfilhamento ao início da floração, que exige abundância de água, e outro, da segunda metade da fase de floração ao início do estágio de grão leitoso, em que a adição de água é prejudicial à produtividade. Calcularam-se equações de produtividade da cultura em função da água aplicada em períodos de dez dias. A equação que apresentou o maior coeficiente de correlação foi: W = 362,4 + 13.866 P(50-59)                                  r = 0,9049 onde W é a produtividade de trigo em kg/ha e P(50-59) a água aplicada no período (50-59) dias, em milímetros. Analisou-se a variação de produtividade da cultura para o aumento de 1 mm na água aplicada. O maior valor de aumento de produtividade foi de 17,028 kg/ha. mm para o período (30-39) dias