Ontology-Based Reasoning for Educational Assistance in Noncommunicable Chronic Diseases

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Simulation of non-radiative energy transfer in photosynthetic systems using a quantum computer

Photosynthesis is an important and complex physical process in nature, whose comprehensive understanding would have many relevant industrial applications, for instance in the field of energy production. In this paper we propose a quantum algorithm for the simulation of the excitonic transport of energy, occurring in the first stage of the process of photosynthesis. The algorithm takes in account the quantum and environmental effects (pure-dephasing), influencing the quantum transport. We performed quantum simulations of such phenomena, for a proof of concept scenario, in an actual quantum computer the IBM Q, of 5 qubits. We validate the results with the Haken-Str\"obl model and discuss the influence of environmental parameters on the efficiency of the energy transport.POCI-01-0145-FEDER-03094

Stress-strain behavior of concrete block masonry prisms under compression

The aim of this work is to critically assess a stress-strain model using experimental masonry prisms constructed from different blocks and mortar. The following conclusion may be drawn from this work: mortar is mostly responsible for the non-linear behavior of masonry. The initial tangent modulus, obtained taking into account the compressive strength, provides a strongly non-linear relationship between elasticity modulus and compressive strength

Learning and Well-Being in Educational Practices with Children and Adolescents Undergoing Cancer Treatment

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A new subspecies of Adelpha messana (C. Felder & R. Felder) from the Brazilian Atlantic forest (Nymphalidae: Limenitidinae)

Article published in the journal Tropical Lepidoptera Research

Morphology And Behavior Of The Early Stages Of The Skipper, Urbanus Esmeraldus, On Urera Baccifera, An Ant-visited Host Plant.

The Neotropical genus Urbanus (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae) contains around 34 described species, and is widely distributed from the extreme southern United States to Argentina. Here, we describe the larval morphology and behavior of Urbanus esmeraldus (Hübner)(Hesperiidae) in Urera baccifera (Urticaceae), a plant producing food rewards and fleshy fruits that attract ants (including predacious species) in a Brazilian forest. Larvae pass through five instars and construct two kinds of leaf shelters. Experiments with ejected fecal pellets showed that these can serve as cues to ground-dwelling ants that climb onto host plants and potentially attack the larvae. Manipulation with pellets placed at different distances suggests that ejection behavior decreases larval vulnerability to ant predation. Larval preference for mature leaves may be related with increased predation risk at ant-visited young leaves. The study shows that a combination of natural history and experimental data can help understand the life history of a butterfly using a plant with high predation risk.125

EDUCAÇÃO A DISTÂNCIA: desafios no ensino superior

Esta pesquisa visa realizar um breve levantamento histórico sobre o ensino a distância, sua conceituaçãoe evolução, em especial quanto ao desenvolvimento no país quando se trata do ensino superior, dada a utilizaçãode diversos modelos de ensino, delineando suas particularidades e seus principais desafios. A regulamentaçãodo EAD no ensino superior no Brasil é relativamente nova, e está sendo desenvolvida gradualmente, moldada eretroalimentada pelos órgãos e instituições competentes. O ensino a distância tem como crítico principal o seuconcorrente direto: o ensino presencial, que é um modelo quiçá inadequado para as nossas atuais necessidades eas demandas do mercado. É um formato de ensino que está aprendendo com seus erros atuais e do seu passadorecente, procurando evoluir e se manter firme. A estruturação do futuro desta modalidade de ensino está em elaboraçãoe requer mudanças rápidas, bruscas, imediatas. A educação é o futuro de qualquer nação que busca o desenvolvimentoe a evolução. Os negócios no país estão em expansão e requerem mão de obra especializada, que nãose dispõe na quantidade necessária, o que resulta, portanto, na abertura do mercado de trabalho para estrangeiros,constatada pela evolução da contratação de pessoal de outras nacionalidades. O EAD tem agora o papel principalna formação profissional no país. É necessário consignar ao EAD o papel de ator hegemônico na área educacional

Cellulose Nanocrystal Membranes as Excipients for Drug Delivery Systems

In this work, cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) were obtained from flax fibers by an acid hydrolysis assisted by sonochemistry in order to reduce reaction times. The cavitation inducted during hydrolysis resulted in CNC with uniform shapes, and thus further pretreatments into the cellulose are not required. The obtained CNC exhibited a homogeneous morphology and high crystallinity, as well as typical values for surface charge. Additionally, CNC membranes were developed from CNC solution to evaluation as a drug delivery system by the incorporation of a model drug. The drug delivery studies were carried out using chlorhexidine (CHX) as a drug and the antimicrobial efficiency of the CNC membrane loaded with CHX was examined against Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus (S. Aureus). The release of CHX from the CNC membranes is determined by UV-Vis. The obtaining methodology of the membranes proved to be simple, and these early studies showed a potential use in antibiotic drug delivery systems due to the release kinetics and the satisfactory antimicrobial activity.The authors would like to acknowledge the Department of Education, Universities and Investigation of the Basque Government (project IT1008-16), the Federal Agency for Support and Evaluation of Graduate Education (CAPES) through process BEX 8710/14-7, the Mexican Council of Science and Technology (CONACyT) through scholarship 216178 and theBrazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development for financial support through CNPq (# 482251/2013-1) for financially supporting this work. The authors also thank Maite Insausti and Oihane Arriortua for their kind help and support with Nanosizer and SGIker of the University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU for technical and human support provided with XRD, NMR and AFM characterizations and Altair Faes of the Regional Center of Oncology of the Federal University of Pelotas (UFPel) for the use of the equipment Eldorado 78