Teaching astronomy in an informal space: observing the Sun and its sunspots

O presente artigo analisa os resultados obtidos num minicurso sobre o Sol e sua dinâmica realizado no Observatório Astronômico do Centro de Divulgação Científica e Cultural (CDCC) pertencente à Universidade de São Paulo (USP) na cidade de São Carlos para alunos do ensino fundamental. As atividades foram desenvolvidas na recente inaugurada, Sala Solar. Ela é dedicada ao estudo do Sol, enfatizando a observação de manchas solares e do espectro do Sol. A metodologia adotada no minicurso consistiu em pequenos experimentos, observações e diálogos expositivos. Isto incentivou os estudantes a tomarem decisões, fazerem questionamentos e refletirem gerando pensamentos mais críticos e produzindo um maior número de conexões entre o real e o abstrato que contribuiu para níveis de maior complexidade conceitual verificados durante entrevistas semiestruturadas e nas respostas ao questionário final.The current article analyses the results obtained following a short course about the Sun and its dynamics for middle and junior high school students promoted at the Astronomical Observatory at the University of São Paulo (Observatório Astronômico do CDCC/USP) in the city of São Carlos in Brazil. The activities were developed in a recently launched room, the Solar Room. It is totally dedicated to the study of the Sun, focusing on sunspots and solar spectrum. The adopted methodology consisted of experiments, observations and discussions in small groups allowing students to reflect upon what was being studied. It fostered students' critical thinking by means of a larger number of connections between real and abstract concepts contributing to higher levels of conceptual complexity. Data were gathered by semi-structured interviews and answers to questionnaires.CNPqFundação Vita

ANAC’S degenerate mathematical model: a sensitivity analysis

As missões de fiscalização da Agência de Aviação Civil do Brasil (ANAC) são de grande conquista para a eficácia de sua atuação. Assim, diversos estudos já objetivaram otimizar esse processo, e modelos matemáticos são concebidos para esse fim. No entanto, alguns modelos de programação linear possuem uma estrutura degenerada, o que compromete sua análise de sensibilidade em relação ao modelo dual e posterior análise dos cenários do modelo. Assim, o objetivo deste trabalho é apresentar um estudo de caso que consiste em formas de realizar análises de sensibilidade nos modelos matemáticos da ANAC com soluções degeneradas. Para esse fim,o método de análise de sensibilidade proposto por Koltai e Tatay (2011) é aplicado em um modelo matemático elaborado para auxiliar na designação de fiscais para missões de fiscalização na Superintendência de Normas Operacionais (SPO) da ANAC, conforme proposto por Pinheiro (2018). Por fim, o objetivo a ser alcançado e este artigo contribui com a Academia e o mercado ao apresentar uma referência de como realizar uma análise de sensibilidade mais assertiva em um caso degenerado

Antiviral and antioxidant activity of a hydroalcoholic extract from Humulus lupulus L.

A hydroalcoholic extract from female inflorescences of Humulus lupulus L. (HOP extract) was evaluated for its anti-influenza activity. The ability of the extract to interfere with different phases of viral replication was assessed, as well as its effect on the intracellular redox state, being unbalanced versus the oxidative state in infected cells. The radical scavenging power, inhibition of lipoperoxidation, and ferric reducing activity were assayed as antioxidant mechanisms. A phytochemical characterization of the extract was also performed. We found that HOP extract significantly inhibited replication of various viral strains, at different time from infection. Viral replication was partly inhibited when virus was incubated with extract before infection, suggesting a direct effect on the virions. Since HOP extract was able to restore the reducing conditions of infected cells, by increasing glutathione content, its antiviral activity might be also due to an interference with redox-sensitive pathways required for viral replication. Accordingly, the extract exerted radical scavenging and reducing effects and inhibited lipoperoxidation and the tBOOH-induced cytotoxicity. At phytochemical analysis, different phenolics were identified, which altogether might contribute to HOP antiviral effect. In conclusion, our results highlighted anti-influenza and antioxidant properties of HOP extract, which encourage further in vivo studies to evaluate its possible application

Daytime school guided visits to an astronomical observatory in Brazil

This article analyzes the activity Daytime School Guided Visits at an astronomical observatory in Brazil with pupils from primary school. The adopted research methodology relied on questionnaire applications and semistructured interviews. The objectives were to identify the influences of the visits on learning of astronomical concepts and on pupils’ motivation toward science. This study showed that it is difficult for children to\ud understand scale distances in the Solar System and beyond. In order to cope with this problem, this article highlights the relevance of science centers’ partnership with schools to achieve the goal of improving scientific education by relying on two main participants for a successful visit to a science museum: Guides and teachers

Tópicos de física solar no ensino médio: análise de um curso com atividades práticas no Observatório Dietrich Schiel

Este trabalho analisa resultados obtidos em um curso sobre física solar para alunos do ensino médio promovido pelo Observatório Dietrich Schiel da USP. O curso foi elaborado pelos autores com a intenção de investigar concepções sobre o Sol, ensinar tópicos de física moderna relacionados ao Sol e conhecimentos gerais sobre o astro rei. A metodologia de coleta de dados consistiu em gravação em áudio e vídeo das aulas e das entrevistas semi-estruturadas, e respostas a questionários escritos. Os resultados mostraram que a maioria dos participantes concebeu o Sol como constituído por fogo e as manchas\ud solares como buracos na superfície solar. Embora alguns alunos soubessem que um espectro pode ser formado por um prisma ou rede de difração, a maior parte deles desconhecia a natureza das linhas espectrais. Ao longo do curso, este tema foi trabalhado com uma abordagem prática com observação do espectro solar e de lâmpadas e em aulas expositivo-dialogadas. Os resultados obtidos no curso apontam para a importância dos centros de ciências como parceiros da educação formal. Neste caso específico, a\ud Sala Solar do Observatório Dietrich Schiel é um ambiente propício para o ensino de física moderna no ensino médio.This work analyses results obtained in a solar physics course for high school students\ud promoted at the Dietrich Schiel Observatory of the University of São Paulo (USP). The course was elaborated by the authors with the intention of investigating student’s concepts about the Sun, teaching topics of modern physics related to the Sun and providing students with knowledge about our star as well. The methodology of data gathering consisted of audio and video records of classes and of semi-structured interviews, and analysis of answers to written questionnaires. The results showed that most high school\ud students conceived the Sun as made of fire, while sunspots were thought to be holes in the Sun. Even though some students did know that a spectrum is formed using a prism or diffraction grating, most of them ignored the nature of the observed spectral lines. Through the course, this topic was developed by means of a practical approach with solar and lamp spectra observations. The results obtained in the course point to the importance of science centers as partners in formal education. In this specific case, the Solar Room at the Dietrich Schiel Observatory is as a favorable environment for teaching modern physics\ud in high school.CNPqFundação Vita

Working conditions of nurses in the Family Health Strategy

Background: To describe the working conditions of the nurses of the Family Health Strategy, characterizing the forms and modalities of work contract, types of bond, working hours, benefits, career plan and salaries. Method and Findings: Exploratory qualitative approach study. Participants were 18 nurses from the teams of the Family Health Strategy of a municipality in the countryside of Mina Gerais, Brazil. The data collection took place in July 2018 through interviews, using a script with closed questions. The Ethics Committee of the proposing Institution according to Official Letter 090/2018, CAAE 83419418.2.0000.5393, approved the study. Two forms of work contracts have been identified represented by the city hall and outsourced companies, the latter being the mode that offers the most benefits to workers. In addition, there was a lack of commensurate links, in addition to units with physical infrastructure that were compromised, lack of basic materials and supllies essential for the provision of care, absence of essential benefits for this category, insalubrity, commission for productivity, long journeys and overload of work, neglect and devaluation of the worker. Conclusions: This study should promote the managers' reflection on the working conditions offered to nurses in basic care, rethinking management models that help them cope with problems related to their work context, stimulating a healthy environment, mitigating possible occupational risks that could compromise physical or mental health of the worker.   &nbsp

Epidemiology and clinical course of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection in cancer patients in the Veneto Oncology Network: The Rete Oncologica Veneta covID19 study

Introduction: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic started in Italy with clusters identified in Northern Italy. The Veneto Oncology Network (Rete Oncologica Veneta) licenced dedicated guidelines to ensure proper care minimising the risk of infection in patients with cancer. Rete Oncologica Veneta covID19 (ROVID) is a regional registry aimed at describing epidemiology and clinical course of Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in patients with cancer. Materials and methods: Patients with cancer diagnosis and documented SARS-CoV-2 infection are eligible. Data on cancer diagnosis, comorbidities, anticancer treatments, as well as details on SARS-CoV-2 infection (hospitalisation, treatments, fate of the infection), have been recorded. Logistic regression analysis was applied to calculate the association between clinical/laboratory variables and death from any cause. Results: One hundred seventy patients have been enrolled. The median age at time of the SARS-CoV infection was 70 years (25-92). The most common cancer type was breast cancer (n = 40). The majority of the patients had stage IV disease. Half of the patients had two or more comorbidities. The majority of the patients (78%) presented with COVID-19 symptoms. More than 77% of the patients were hospitalized and 6% were admitted to intensive care units. Overall, 104 patients have documented resolution of the infection. Fifty-seven patients (33%) have died. In 29 cases (17%), the cause of death was directly correlated to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Factors significantly correlated with the risk of death were the following: Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (PS), age, presence of two or more comorbidities, presence of dyspnoea, COVID-19 phenotype ≥ 3, hospitalisation, intensive care unit admission, neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio and thrombocytopenia. Conclusions: The mortality rate reported in this confirms the frailty of this population. These data reinforce the need to protect patients with cancer from SARS-CoV-2 infection

Minimal Extrathyroidal Extension in Predicting 1-Year Outcomes: A Longitudinal Multicenter Study of Low-to-Intermediate-Risk Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma (ITCO#4)

Background: The role of minimal extrathyroidal extension (mETE) as a risk factor for persistent papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is still debated. The aim of this study was to assess the clinical impact of mETE as a predictor of worse initial treatment response in PTC patients and to verify the impact of radioiodine therapy after surgery in patients with mETE. Methods: We reviewed all records in the Italian Thyroid Cancer Observatory (ITCO) database and selected 2237 consecutive patients with PTC who satisfied the inclusion criteria (PTC with no lymph node metastases and at least 1 year of follow-up). For each case, we considered initial surgery, histological variant of PTC, tumor diameter, recurrence risk class according to the American Thyroid Association (ATA) risk stratification system, use of radioiodine therapy, and initial therapy response, as suggested by ATA guidelines. Results: At 1-year follow-up, 1831 patients (81.8%) had an excellent response, 296 (13.2%) had an indeterminate response, 55 (2.5%) had a biochemical incomplete response, and 55 (2.5%) had a structural incomplete response. Statistical analysis suggested that mETE (odds ratio [OR] 1.16, p=0.65), tumor size >2 cm (OR 1.45, p=0.34), aggressive PTC histology (OR 0.55, p=0.15), and age at diagnosis (OR 0.90, p=0.32) were not significant risk factors for a worse initial therapy response. When evaluating the combination of mETE, tumor size, and aggressive PTC histology, the presence of mETE with a >2 cm tumor was significantly associated with a worse outcome (OR 5.27, 95% CI, p=0.014). The role of radioiodine ablation in patients with mETE was also evaluated. When considering radioiodine treatment, propensity score-based matching was performed, and no significant differences were found between treated and non-treated patients (p=0.24). Conclusions: This study failed to show the prognostic value of mETE in predicting initial therapy response in a large cohort of PTC patients without lymph node metastases. The study suggests that the combination of tumor diameter and mETE can be used as a reliable prognostic factor for persistence and could be easily applied in clinical practice to manage PTC patients with low-to-intermediate risk of recurrent/persistent disease

Rethinking Amerindian spaces in Brazilian history

We are grateful to the British Academy and the Leverhulme Trust (RPG-2012-699 and SG132847 2014-2015) for funding.This special issue on Amerindian spaces is the result of a workshop held at the University of St. Andrews, UK, in June 2015. We asked participants to examine key concepts related to spatial history, such as borderlands, frontiers, and territories, by looking at them through alliances and rebellions involving Amerindians and the colonial and independent states in Latin America.1 Our aim was to gain a continental understanding of Indian political geography that went beyond European territorial divisions. This purpose continues into the present issue with its focus on the internal and international frontiers of Brazil and how they relate to spaces of indigenous collective action. The articles here reexamine areas that have been considered peripheral in Brazilian historiography, placing the emphasis on indigenous history and society. These spaces proved surprisingly impervious to the imposition of external authority, but each space has its own history that cannot be solely defined by the internal and external frontiers of Brazilian colonial and national expansion. Equally, these indigenous spaces influenced policy and practice, as governments sought to exert control over native labor and advance land settlement for colonists. Our choice for a spatial perspective forces an examination of a regionally connected system of social groups and the environments in which people lived, and which they sought to protect and defend. As a result, we go beyond place, territory, and frontier as concepts and use the term space to invoke a direct and holistic relationship with the larger spheres in which people move and act.PostprintPeer reviewe

The origins and spread of domestic horses from the Western Eurasian steppes

This is the final version. Available on open access from Nature Research via the DOI in this recordData availability: All collapsed and paired-end sequence data for samples sequenced in this study are available in compressed fastq format through the European Nucleotide Archive under accession number PRJEB44430, together with rescaled and trimmed bam sequence alignments against both the nuclear and mitochondrial horse reference genomes. Previously published ancient data used in this study are available under accession numbers PRJEB7537, PRJEB10098, PRJEB10854, PRJEB22390 and PRJEB31613, and detailed in Supplementary Table 1. The genomes of ten modern horses, publicly available, were also accessed as indicated in their corresponding original publications57,61,85-87.NOTE: see the published version available via the DOI in this record for the full list of authorsDomestication of horses fundamentally transformed long-range mobility and warfare. However, modern domesticated breeds do not descend from the earliest domestic horse lineage associated with archaeological evidence of bridling, milking and corralling at Botai, Central Asia around 3500 BC. Other longstanding candidate regions for horse domestication, such as Iberia and Anatolia, have also recently been challenged. Thus, the genetic, geographic and temporal origins of modern domestic horses have remained unknown. Here we pinpoint the Western Eurasian steppes, especially the lower Volga-Don region, as the homeland of modern domestic horses. Furthermore, we map the population changes accompanying domestication from 273 ancient horse genomes. This reveals that modern domestic horses ultimately replaced almost all other local populations as they expanded rapidly across Eurasia from about 2000 BC, synchronously with equestrian material culture, including Sintashta spoke-wheeled chariots. We find that equestrianism involved strong selection for critical locomotor and behavioural adaptations at the GSDMC and ZFPM1 genes. Our results reject the commonly held association between horseback riding and the massive expansion of Yamnaya steppe pastoralists into Europe around 3000 BC driving the spread of Indo-European languages. This contrasts with the scenario in Asia where Indo-Iranian languages, chariots and horses spread together, following the early second millennium BC Sintashta culture