ATAUDIW - Uma ferramenta de autoria para auxiliar o uso da lousa digital interativa

A utilização de recursos tecnológicos no ensino tem provocado mudanças positivas na elaboração de novas metodologias, a fim de melhorar o processo de ensino e aprendizado. Neste contexto, tecnologias como a Lousa Digital Interativa (LDI), que possibilita a utilização de conteúdos multimidiáticos, podem atuar facilitando o aprendizado, pois incorpora várias funcionalidades, como simulações, tutoriais didáticos, animações, entre outras. Porém a simples presença destes recursos tecnológicos, como é o caso da LDI no ambiente educacional não garante benefícios para o processo de aprendizado do aluno, levantando dúvidas se os recursos disponíveis são utilizados de maneira satisfatória. Sendo assim, se faz necessário refletir acerca de formas que possam possibilitar uma melhor utilização dos recursos da LDI. Ao longo desta pesquisa foi possível verificar que existem poucas ferramentas próprias para o contexto da LDI e muitas apresentam problemas de usabilidade e qualidade de conteúdo, o que pode, em muitos casos, inviabilizar o uso desta ferramenta no ambiente educacional. Sendo assim, uma forma de facilitar a elaboração de conteúdos para serem utilizados na LDI é por meio de Ferramentas de Autoria (FAs). Para verificar se a utilização de FAs promove um melhor uso da LDI foi desenvolvido, por meio desta pesquisa, uma FA para auxílio do uso da LDI, que possibilita a criação de atividades que otimiza o uso dos recursos disponibilizados pela LDI. Para avaliar o uso da ferramenta foram realizadas duas avaliações, uma com docentes para verificar a usabilidade da FA, e uma com os discentes que tencionava verificar a efetividade da FA no engajamento dos alunos. Após análise dos resultados das avaliações, notou-se que a FA pode facilitar a elaboração de atividades na LDI. Além disso foi possível verificar um maior engajamento por parte dos alunos, quando comparado com o modelo tradicional de ensino. Desse modo, a partir da pesquisa realizada foi possível constatar que empregar FAs para auxiliar na elaboração de atividades pode ser uma boa forma de proporcionar uma melhor utilização da LDI.Sociedad Argentina de Informática e Investigación Operativa (SADIO

Computer vision applied to agriculture.

Introduction. Perception: pattern recognition in images: Identification of plant diseases; Detection of animals in pastures; Detection and counting of fruits. Three-dimensional mapping and reconstruction. Combination of structure and recognition. Performance and intervention: field robotics. Final considerations

Sialic Acid Glycobiology Unveils Trypanosoma cruzi Trypomastigote Membrane Physiology.

Trypanosoma cruzi, the flagellate protozoan agent of Chagas disease or American trypanosomiasis, is unable to synthesize sialic acids de novo. Mucins and trans-sialidase (TS) are substrate and enzyme, respectively, of the glycobiological system that scavenges sialic acid from the host in a crucial interplay for T. cruzi life cycle. The acquisition of the sialyl residue allows the parasite to avoid lysis by serum factors and to interact with the host cell. A major drawback to studying the sialylation kinetics and turnover of the trypomastigote glycoconjugates is the difficulty to identify and follow the recently acquired sialyl residues. To tackle this issue, we followed an unnatural sugar approach as bioorthogonal chemical reporters, where the use of azidosialyl residues allowed identifying the acquired sugar. Advanced microscopy techniques, together with biochemical methods, were used to study the trypomastigote membrane from its glycobiological perspective. Main sialyl acceptors were identified as mucins by biochemical procedures and protein markers. Together with determining their shedding and turnover rates, we also report that several membrane proteins, including TS and its substrates, both glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored proteins, are separately distributed on parasite surface and contained in different and highly stable membrane microdomains. Notably, labeling for α(1,3)Galactosyl residues only partially colocalize with sialylated mucins, indicating that two species of glycosylated mucins do exist, which are segregated at the parasite surface. Moreover, sialylated mucins were included in lipid-raft-domains, whereas TS molecules are not. The location of the surface-anchored TS resulted too far off as to be capable to sialylate mucins, a role played by the shed TS instead. Phosphatidylinositol-phospholipase-C activity is actually not present in trypomastigotes. Therefore, shedding of TS occurs via microvesicles instead of as a fully soluble form

Domain choice in an experimental nested modeling prediction system for South America

The purposes of this paper are to evaluate the new version of the regional model, RegCM3, over South America for two test seasons, and to select a domain for use in an experimental nested prediction system, which incorporates RegCM3 and the European Community-Hamburg (ECHAM) general circulation model (GCM). To evaluate RegCM3, control experiments were completed with RegCM3 driven by both the NCEP/NCAR Reanalysis (NNRP) and ECHAM, using a small control domain (D-CTRL) and integration periods of January–March 1983 (El Niño) and January–March 1985 (La Niña). The new version of the regional model captures the primary circulation and rainfall differences between the two years over tropical and subtropical South America. Both the NNRP-driven and ECHAM-driven RegCM3 improve the simulation of the Atlantic intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) compared to the GCM. However, there are some simulation errors. Irrespective of the driving fields, weak northeasterlies associated with reduced precipitation are observed over the Amazon. The simulation of the South Atlantic convergence zone is poor due to errors in the boundary condition forcing which appear to be amplified by the regional model. To select a domain for use in an experimental prediction system, sensitivity tests were performed for three domains, each of which includes important regional features and processes of the climate system. The domain sensitivity experiments were designed to determine how domain size and the location of the GCM boundary forcing affect the regional circulation, moisture transport, and rainfall in two years with different large scale conditions. First, the control domain was extended southward to include the exit region of the Andes low level jet (D-LLJ), then eastward to include the South Atlantic subtropical high (D-ATL), and finally westward to include the subsidence region of the South Pacific subtropical high and to permit the regional model more freedom to respond to the increased resolution of the Andes Mountains (D-PAC). In order to quantify differences between the domain experiments, measures of bias, root mean square error, and the spatial correlation pattern were calculated between the model results and the observed data for the seasonal average fields. The results show the GCM driving fields have remarkable control over the RegCM3 simulations. Although no single domain clearly outperforms the others in both seasons, the control domain, D-CTRL, compares most favorably with observations. Over the ITCZ region, the simulations were improved by including a large portion of the South Atlantic subtropical high (D-ATL). The methodology presented here provides a quantitative basis for evaluating domain choice in future studies

WW Domains of the Yes-Kinase-Associated-Protein (YAP) Transcriptional Regulator Behave as Independent Units with Different Binding Preferences for PPxY Motif-Containing Ligands

YAP is a WW domain-containing effector of the Hippo tumor suppressor pathway, and the object of heightened interest as a potent oncogene and stemness factor. YAP has two major isoforms that differ in the number of WW domains they harbor. Elucidating the degree of co-operation between these WW domains is important for a full understanding of the molecular function of YAP. We present here a detailed biophysical study of the structural stability and binding properties of the two YAP WW domains aimed at investigating the relationship between both domains in terms of structural stability and partner recognition. We have carried out a calorimetric study of the structural stability of the two YAP WW domains, both isolated and in a tandem configuration, and their interaction with a set of functionally relevant ligands derived from PTCH1 and LATS kinases. We find that the two YAP WW domains behave as independent units with different binding preferences, suggesting that the presence of the second WW domain might contribute to modulate target recognition between the two YAP isoforms. Analysis of structural models and phage-display studies indicate that electrostatic interactions play a critical role in binding specificity. Together, these results are relevant to understand of YAP function and open the door to the design of highly specific ligands of interest to delineate the functional role of each WW domain in YAP signaling.This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science [grant BIO2009-13261-CO2], the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitivity [grant BIO2012-39922-CO2] including FEDER (European Funds for Regional Development) funds and the Governement of Andalusia [grant CVI-5915]. Marius Sudol was supported by PA Breast Cancer Coalition Grants (#60707 and #920093) plus the Geisinger Clinic