Dielectric Anomaly Origin Study for Ferroelectric Ceramic of Type PZT52/48 Erbium-doped at High-temperatures

In present work, erbium-doped PZT 52/48 ceramics at sites A and B were prepared by the Pechini method in order to study their dielectric properties. The aim was investigated the dielectric anomalies of interfacial origin in these ferroelectrics. The ceramics were also submitted to electrical measurement analysis. The dielectric response of the grains showed characteristics of materials that follow Curie-Weiss law which is typical of ferroelectrics. In high temperatures and low frequencies, it was detected the dielectric anomaly phenomenon for the ceramic samples. Impedance spectroscopy analyzes through equivalent circuit (brick-layer model), grain and grain boundary in series, exposed a predominance of dielectric properties of intergranular interfaces as the cause of this anomaly. The electrical characterization showed a peculiar ferroelectric-paraelectric phase transition around 390 °C for both samples

UMA PROPOSTA COM ARDUINO PARA INVESTIGAR A DUALIDADE ONDA-PARTÍCULA DA LUZ

In this work we have investigated the conceptions of 3rd grade high school students about the nature of Light. To access the understanding of these students about light, we applied an essay questionnaire where students had 55 minutes to describe the subject. The result showed that the students presented diversified answers, but with similar conceptions. That is, we identified that 98% of the subjects investigated present primitive models about the nature of light. To intervene in this result, we applied a didactic sequence anchored in an open laboratory methodology to modify the student conceptions about light. We built a set of low-cost teaching experiments as an educational practice. For this purpose, we use the Arduino platform to control and interface with the computer. And we investigated how the experimental practices promoted the change of wave-particle duality concepts of light with the same questionnaire. Our results showed that students went on to explain the nature of light using either a corpuscular electromagnetic model or a dual electromagnetic model. Additionally, no student used the primitive model. In summarizing, the methodology used in this work contributed positively to the students learning process.Neste trabalho investigamos as concepções de alunos da 3a série do Ensino Médio sobre a natureza da Luz. Para acessar o entendimento destes alunos sobre luz, aplicamos questionário dissertativo onde os alunos tiveram 55 minutos para descrever sobre o assunto. O resultado mostrou que os alunos apresentaram respostas diversificadas, mas com concepções similares. Entretanto, nós identificamos que 98% dos sujeitos investigados apresentam modelos primitivos acerca da natureza da luz. Para intervir neste resultado, aplicamos uma sequência didática ancorada na abordagem investigativa a partir da metodologia de laboratório aberto a fim de modificar as concepções dos alunos sobre luz. Nós construímos um conjunto de experimentos didáticos de baixo custo como uma prática educacional. Para esta finalidade, nós utilizamos a plataforma Arduino para o controle e interfaceamento com o computador. E, investigamos como as práticas experimentais promoveram a mudança de conceitos de dualidade onda-partícula da luz com mesmo questionário. Nossos resultados mostraram que os alunos passaram a explicar a natureza da luz usando ou um modelo eletromagnético corpuscular ou um modelo eletromagnético dual, mas nenhum estudante usou o modelo primitivo. Podemos concluir que a metodologia utilizada neste trabalho contribuiu positivamente para o processo de aprendizagem dos alunos

Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear un derstanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5–7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8–11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world’s most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepre sented in biodiversity databases.13–15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may elim inate pieces of the Amazon’s biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological com munities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple or ganism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region’s vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most ne glected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lostinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

2 nd Brazilian Consensus on Chagas Disease, 2015

Abstract Chagas disease is a neglected chronic condition with a high burden of morbidity and mortality. It has considerable psychological, social, and economic impacts. The disease represents a significant public health issue in Brazil, with different regional patterns. This document presents the evidence that resulted in the Brazilian Consensus on Chagas Disease. The objective was to review and standardize strategies for diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and control of Chagas disease in the country, based on the available scientific evidence. The consensus is based on the articulation and strategic contribution of renowned Brazilian experts with knowledge and experience on various aspects of the disease. It is the result of a close collaboration between the Brazilian Society of Tropical Medicine and the Ministry of Health. It is hoped that this document will strengthen the development of integrated actions against Chagas disease in the country, focusing on epidemiology, management, comprehensive care (including families and communities), communication, information, education, and research

ATLANTIC-PRIMATES: a dataset of communities and occurrences of primates in the Atlantic Forests of South America

Primates play an important role in ecosystem functioning and offer critical insights into human evolution, biology, behavior, and emerging infectious diseases. There are 26 primate species in the Atlantic Forests of South America, 19 of them endemic. We compiled a dataset of 5,472 georeferenced locations of 26 native and 1 introduced primate species, as hybrids in the genera Callithrix and Alouatta. The dataset includes 700 primate communities, 8,121 single species occurrences and 714 estimates of primate population sizes, covering most natural forest types of the tropical and subtropical Atlantic Forest of Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina and some other biomes. On average, primate communities of the Atlantic Forest harbor 2 ± 1 species (range = 1–6). However, about 40% of primate communities contain only one species. Alouatta guariba (N = 2,188 records) and Sapajus nigritus (N = 1,127) were the species with the most records. Callicebus barbarabrownae (N = 35), Leontopithecus caissara (N = 38), and Sapajus libidinosus (N = 41) were the species with the least records. Recorded primate densities varied from 0.004 individuals/km 2 (Alouatta guariba at Fragmento do Bugre, Paraná, Brazil) to 400 individuals/km 2 (Alouatta caraya in Santiago, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil). Our dataset reflects disparity between the numerous primate census conducted in the Atlantic Forest, in contrast to the scarcity of estimates of population sizes and densities. With these data, researchers can develop different macroecological and regional level studies, focusing on communities, populations, species co-occurrence and distribution patterns. Moreover, the data can also be used to assess the consequences of fragmentation, defaunation, and disease outbreaks on different ecological processes, such as trophic cascades, species invasion or extinction, and community dynamics. There are no copyright restrictions. Please cite this Data Paper when the data are used in publications. We also request that researchers and teachers inform us of how they are using the data. © 2018 by the The Authors. Ecology © 2018 The Ecological Society of Americ

Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear understanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5,6,7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8,9,10,11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world's most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepresented in biodiversity databases.13,14,15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may eliminate pieces of the Amazon's biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological communities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple organism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region's vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most neglected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lost

Rationale, study design, and analysis plan of the Alveolar Recruitment for ARDS Trial (ART): Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Background: Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is associated with high in-hospital mortality. Alveolar recruitment followed by ventilation at optimal titrated PEEP may reduce ventilator-induced lung injury and improve oxygenation in patients with ARDS, but the effects on mortality and other clinical outcomes remain unknown. This article reports the rationale, study design, and analysis plan of the Alveolar Recruitment for ARDS Trial (ART). Methods/Design: ART is a pragmatic, multicenter, randomized (concealed), controlled trial, which aims to determine if maximum stepwise alveolar recruitment associated with PEEP titration is able to increase 28-day survival in patients with ARDS compared to conventional treatment (ARDSNet strategy). We will enroll adult patients with ARDS of less than 72 h duration. The intervention group will receive an alveolar recruitment maneuver, with stepwise increases of PEEP achieving 45 cmH(2)O and peak pressure of 60 cmH2O, followed by ventilation with optimal PEEP titrated according to the static compliance of the respiratory system. In the control group, mechanical ventilation will follow a conventional protocol (ARDSNet). In both groups, we will use controlled volume mode with low tidal volumes (4 to 6 mL/kg of predicted body weight) and targeting plateau pressure <= 30 cmH2O. The primary outcome is 28-day survival, and the secondary outcomes are: length of ICU stay; length of hospital stay; pneumothorax requiring chest tube during first 7 days; barotrauma during first 7 days; mechanical ventilation-free days from days 1 to 28; ICU, in-hospital, and 6-month survival. ART is an event-guided trial planned to last until 520 events (deaths within 28 days) are observed. These events allow detection of a hazard ratio of 0.75, with 90% power and two-tailed type I error of 5%. All analysis will follow the intention-to-treat principle. Discussion: If the ART strategy with maximum recruitment and PEEP titration improves 28-day survival, this will represent a notable advance to the care of ARDS patients. Conversely, if the ART strategy is similar or inferior to the current evidence-based strategy (ARDSNet), this should also change current practice as many institutions routinely employ recruitment maneuvers and set PEEP levels according to some titration method.Hospital do Coracao (HCor) as part of the Program 'Hospitais de Excelencia a Servico do SUS (PROADI-SUS)'Brazilian Ministry of Healt

Study of the crystal structure of the high Tc superconductor Hg1-xRe xBa2Ca2Cu3O8+δ by using EXAFS, XANES and XRD

Hg based superconducting ceramics present the highest critical temperatures ever reported, particularly the phase 1223 with the highest Tc so far obtained -135 K. However, these compounds are obtained by a complex synthesis route and suffer degradation at ambient atmosphere. This disadvantage may be overcome by doping with an appropriate amount of Re. Samples of nominal composition Hg0.82Re0.18Ba2Ca2Cu3O8+δ having different oxygen contents were studied by X ray absorption and diffraction techniques. Using XANES we determined the Re valence = +7 in an octahedral distorted coordination. We determined the distances of Re-O bonds (1.85 Å and 2.10 Å) by EXAFS. XRD Rietveld fits showed segregation of two superconducting phases with distinct lattice parameters. The main phase is associated with Hg, Re-1223 with higher oxygen content, and the secondary superconducting phase is related to undoped Hg-1223