Experimental determination of satellite bolted joints thermal resistance

The thermal resistance was experimentally determined of the bolted joints of the first Brazilian satellite (SCD 01). These joints, used to connect the satellite structural panels, are reproduced in an experimental apparatus, keeping, as much as possible, the actual dimensions and materials. A controlled amount of heat is forced to pass through the joint and the difference of temperature between the panels is measured. The tests are conducted in a vacuum chamber with liquid nitrogen cooled walls, that simulates the space environment. Experimental procedures are used to avoid much heat losses, which are carefully calculated. Important observations about the behavior of the joint thermal resistance with the variation of the mean temperature are made

DATORRO’S NATURAL REVERBERATOR

Architecture & Allied Art

DATORRO’S NATURAL REVERBERATOR

Architecture & Allied Art

The Rise and Halt of Economic Development in Brazil, 1945-2004: Industrial Catching-up, Institutional Innovation and Financial Fragility

development, catch-up, institutions

Comparison between laser-cutting or molded polyoxanone thread in facial lifting

There is no literature comparing the effectiveness of laser-cutting or molded barbed polydioxanone (PDO) threads when used in protocols for facial lifting. The objective of this study was to compare the efficiency of laser-cutting (n=10) or molded (n=15) threads in facial lifting procedures. Adverse events, quality of treatments, and self-perception facial improvement were investigated immediately and after 90 days of the clinical procedures. Data pointed that the most prevalent adverse events reported by the patients, for both threads, were pain and sensation of skin traction at the intervention sites (56%). According to the Numeric Visual Scale (NVS), the molded thread received score 10 in 42.8% of the patients. It was observed more reports of major (n=32) and noticeable (n=46) facial aesthetic improvement by patients who received laser-cutting threads. The results suggest that both, laser-cutting or molded threads, cause few adverse events, allow good acceptance by patients, and permit to treat successfully different facial areas. 

Physical activity and quality of life of amputees in southern Brazil

Physical activity is a positive component of human health. Its effects are associated with improvement in physical, psychological and social aspects of quality of life. Physical activity is therefore an important factor in the rehabilitation of amputees. To analyse the relationship between physical activity and quality of life for amputees in southern Brazil. Descriptive, cross-sectional design with nonrandomized sample. A total of 40 questionnaire instruments were distributed to subjects who met the inclusion criteria, with a response rate of 55% (22 individuals, n = 15 males, n = 7 females). Outcome measurements were obtained through the International Physical Activity Questionnaire and World Health Organization Quality of Life–Bref. The sample was characterized by physically active adult male prosthetic users with positive quality of life, and amputation below the right knee caused by mechanical trauma related to traffic accidents with motorcycles. Significant correlations were identified between all domains of quality of life and between level of physical activity and psychological quality of life. No correlation was identified between gender and quality of life variables or physical activity levels. This study showed that in very active amputees of both genders, level of physical activity is not associated with quality of life except for the psychological domai

Impact of environmental law enforcement on deforestation, land use and natural regeneration in the Brazilian Amazon

Humankind is facing one of the most challenging periods in its short history on Planet Earth. These challenges have largely arisen as a result of climate change and the loss of tropical forests. Indeed, these challenges present two of the greatest environmental challenges of all time. Nevertheless, Brazil has recently adopted policies that have greatly reduced forest loss over the past decade or more. A strong combination of different policies and actors have made this achievement possible, and environmental law enforcement is thought to have played a key role. Therefore, the central questions for this thesis is to determine the influence of environmental law enforcement, mostly ground operations in the Brazilian Amazon region, on reducing deforestation, reshaping land use change, through livestock, agriculture and natural restoration, and the persistence of natural regeneration. First, I assess the influence of law enforcement on forest loss reduction through a spatial analysis at the municipality level. The results confirmed that law enforcement, along with other factors, is an important influence on reducing forest loss. However, law enforcement also has to tackle some administrative limitations, as a shift and modernization of the environmental police strategy is imperative to face the new challenges, and the appropriate implementation of the rural environmental registry policy will be crucial. Second, I explore the possible influence of law enforcement on reshaping land use change, focusing on annual crops, livestock and natural regeneration, using a difference-in-differences with an entropy balance approach at the municipality, private property and settlement levels. I have evaluated the priority municipality policy implemented in 2008 that led to an intensification of law enforcement on target municipalities. The results show an increased persistence of agriculture and clean pastures, as a substantial increase in natural regeneration occurs through abandonment, a reduction of dirty pastures, and suggests an influence of law enforcement on this land use dynamic. Annual crops, mostly soy, turned to be an agglomerated economy in the central area of Mato Grosso, while extensive pastures are more widespread with low levels of occupation and also as part of land speculation. Both activities are showing signs of intensification and land sparing, at least for natural regeneration. So, conservation policies based on law enforcement have contributed to the reshaping of land use systems in the Brazilian Amazon. Although certainly not alone, but in combination with other policies and initiatives. This study shows that law enforcement became a stronger component of farmers’ land use investments and decision-making processes. Thus, while pockets of illegality still prevail, environmental and land tenure law enforcement will be mandatory. Only with this will it be possible to ensure the effectiveness of a sustainable intensification, reduction in forest loss, and fulfil the role of spare lands for conservation, agriculture and ultimately achieve a balanced land use system. Third, I present results of the possible influence of law enforcement on the persistence of over 41,000 km2 of natural regeneration during the past 10 years of this study. This question has received much less attention than the others, and it is not clear what is driving this persistence of regeneration. Therefore, this thesis sought to investigate if this persistence could be a co-benefit of the environmental police actions against deforestation. The results suggest a positive effect of command and control on the persistence of natural regeneration. This observation has important implications for the Brazilian climate change policies and restoration commitments under the Paris Agreement. Furthermore, it could represent a substantial contribution to the global restoration targets established at CBD, Bonn Challenge and New York Declaration on Forests. I conclude where I started, with the conviction that is possible to balance conservation and production. The results of this thesis are encouraging and suggest the strong influence of law enforcement, as catalyst, on reshaping land use system dynamics towards intensification, forest loss reduction and increased natural regeneration persistence in the Brazilian Amazon region. However, it is also clear that this can be an unstable balance and any political and/or policy perturbations may cause big losses and quickly reverse the consistent advances seen during study period. So, the challenge ahead is to make this balance consistent and stable, and less vulnerable to perturbations.Cambridge Trusts (including overrun fund), Corpus Christi College (overrun fund

EVOLUÇÃO DAS POLÍTICAS AGRÍCOLAS E O INCENTIVO À INICIATIVA PRIVADA NA AGRICULTURA BRASILEIRA

A proposta deste ensaio é apresentar uma discussão das transformações estruturais e institucionais da agricultura brasileira no período de reformulação do padrão de intervenção pública no setor agrícola, quando se passou de forte coordenação, para um cenário de desregulamentação e esvaziamento das funções do setor público, com maior participação da iniciativa privada na regulação do processo produtivo. Na primeira parte é feita uma síntese do contexto de crise e reforma na base da política agrícola, definindo um novo ambiente institucional influenciado pelas questões de redução das barreiras às importações e formação de blocos econômicos regionais. Na segunda parte apresenta-se uma visão mais detalhada das mudanças nos instrumentos tradicionais de política agrícola, crédito preferencial e garantia de preços, fundamentalmente a redução da participação do setor público e o crescimento da participação do mercado. -------------------------------------------------------The proposal of this rehearsal is to present a discussion of the structural and institutional transformations of the Brazilian agriculture in the period of reformulation of the pattern of public intervention in the agricultural section, when happened of strong coordination Rio Branco – Acre, 20 a 23 de julho de 2008 Sociedade Brasileira de Economia, Administração e Sociologia Rural for a deregulation scenery and emptying of the functions of the public section, with larger participation of the private initiative in the regulation of the productive process. In the first part it is made a synthesis of the crisis context and it reforms in the base of the agricultural politics, defining a new institutional atmosphere influenced by the reduction subjects of the barriers to the imports and formation of regional economical blocks. In the second part comes a more detailed vision of the changes in the traditional instruments of agricultural politics, preferential credit and warranty of prices, fundamentally the reduction of the participation of the public section and the growth of the participation of the market.Setor agrícola, ambiente institucional, desregulamentação, Agricultural section, institutional atmosphere, deregulation, Agricultural and Food Policy,

TECHNOLOGICAL CAPABILITY IN THE BRAZILIAN NAVAL INDUSTRY: A METRIC FOR OFFSHORE SUPPORT VESSELS

The objective of this study is to present an adapted technological capability metric for the offshore support vessel construction segment. Based on a literature review, a preliminary metric was developed and used to interview a group of researchers, professors, and managers from the naval industry. Through a qualitative approach, the collected empirical evidence was analyzed and organized in an analytical framework. A pilot test of the metric was then carried out at a shipyard in the city of Rio de Janeiro. The study’s results indicate that the metric’s application can offer firm managers and government policy-makers relevant information for the design and implementation of business and technological strategies for the supply vessel segment