Does a new research-funding model ask for a new evaluation framework? The case of Serrapilheira in Brazil

The purpose of this manuscript is to present an on-going experience of impact evaluation applied to a recently created S&T funding agency. The Institute Serrapilheira (ISP) is a private nonprofit organization created to fund new and challenging themes of research. Serrapilheira brings innovation to the Brazilian scenario of science funding in at least three directions. First, ISP is the first family-philanthropically funded organization totally dedicated to support science in Brazil. Secondly, as a private institution, it can provide researchers with greater flexibility in terms of resource allocation comparing to public funding agencies. The 2018 estimated budget is US$ 4,5 million. Thirdly, in its first call for proposals launched in mid-2017, ISP asked young researchers to present proposals out of the “Normal Science”. The definition of the impact evaluation model of the first call of Serrapilheira was based on both the institutional model proposed by the organization – and its main purposes – as well as on the particular goals of the first call. As a first step, these objectives were discussed with Serrapilheira’s staff. The second step consisted of detecting evaluation hypotheses, themes and indicators based on the discussion of the model’s objectives. As a result, six evaluation themes were defined – one oriented to characterizing the grantees both in terms of diversity and academic training and the other five oriented to measure impacts: (i) professional trajectory, (ii) scientific and technology production, (iii) night science, (iv) insertion and prominence and (v) research culture. Traditional and widely accepted indicators of scientific and technological impact were used, even for dialogue with communities and scientific institutions and terms of comparison. Nevertheless, the main challenge was to identify indicators that allow the measurement of variables that directly or indirectly approach the particularities of the research-funding model. As a first remark, we understand that the particularities of the new research-funding model proposed by ISP asks for a new evaluation framework, more oriented to alternative indicators and to a broad perspective about outputs, outcomes and impacts in a more diverse and multifaceted research system. In this current hands-on impact-study a methodology is being built and simultaneously applied to a concrete case. This experience may contribute to the field of impact evaluation to the extent it proposes not only alternative indicators to be mixed with traditional ones, but also because it has a longitudinal perspective of following grantees since the inception (with the advantage of starting with a baseline) till two years after projects end, performing a 5-year long evaluation. Another possible contribution refers to the understanding about the ways funding agencies are evaluating the outcomes and impacts of their initiatives

Macronutrient Uptake And Removal By Upland Rice Cultivars With Different Plant Architecture

Modern high-yielding rice cultivars possibly take up and remove greater quantities of macronutrients than traditional and intermediate cultivars. This study was carried out with the aim of evaluating the extraction and removal of macronutrients by upland rice cultivars. These information are of utmost importance for the correct fertilizer management. The treatments consisted of three upland rice cultivars (Caiapó, a traditional type; BRS Primavera, an intermediate type; and Maravilha, a modern type). Macronutrient accumulation by rice cultivars up to the end of tillering (46 DAE) accounted for only 25 % of the total N and P, and between 35-45 % of the total K, Ca, Mg, and S; after that time, accumulation was intensified. In all of the cultivars, the period of greatest nutrient uptake occurred from 45 to 60 DAE for K, Ca, Mg, and S, and after 65 DAE for N. Phosphorus was taken up at greater rates at 70 DAE by the cultivar BRS Primavera and after 90 DAE by the cultivars Caiapó and Maravilha. The cultivars of the traditional (Caiapó) and intermediate (BRS Primavera) groups took up greater amounts of Ca (143 kg ha-1), Mg (46-53 kg ha-1), and S (45-52 kg ha-1), but amounts of N (147-156 kg ha-1) and P (18-19 kg ha-1) were similar to those of the cultivar of the modern group (Maravilha). Caiapó cultivar took up more K (245 kg ha-1) than other cultivars (204-207 kg ha-1). The cultivars Caiapó and Maravilha showed similar grain yield (4,157 and 4,094 kg ha-1); however, this was lower than the grain yield of cultivar BRS Primavera (6,010 kg ha-1). Cultivars with greater yield levels did not necessarily exhibit a greater uptake and removal of nutrients per area, even if they had greater capacity for conversion of the nutrients taken up into the biomass. © 2016, Revista Brasileira de Ciencia do Solo. All rights reserved.4

Septo-optic Dysplasia- Case Report

The clinical triad of septo-optic dysplasia (SOD) comprises the absence of the septum pellucidum, congenital optic nerve dysplasia, and multiple endocrine disorders. When any two of these factors are present, the condition is defined as an incomplete form of SOD. The authors report the case of an incomplete form of SOD in a 9-year-old boy with low vision and nystagmus present from birth. The bilateral ophthalmoscopic examination revealed small papillae with double contour images. Magnetic resonance imaging showed hypoplasia of the optic nerve bilaterally, chiasm and absence of the septum pellucidum.674653655De Morsier, G., Études sur les dysraphies cranio-encéphaliques. III. Agénésie du septum pellucidum avec malformation du tractus optique: La dysplasie septo-optique (1956) Schweiz Arch Neurol Psychiatr, 77 (1-2), pp. 267-292. , Texto inglês: [Studies on malformation of cranio-encephalic sutures.III. Agenesis of the septum lucidum with malformation of the optic tractKaplan, S., Grumbach, M.M., Hoyt, W., The syndrome of hypopituitary dwarfism, hypoplasia of optic nerves and malformation of prosencephalon: Report of 6 patients (1970) Pediatr Res, 4, pp. 480-481Lippe, B., Kaplan, S.A., La Franchi, S., Septo-optic dysplasia and maternal age (1979) Lancet, 2 (8133), pp. 92-93Purdy, F., Maternal factors in septo-optic dysplasia (1979) J Pediatr, 95 (4), p. 661Lambert, S.R., Hoyt, C.S., Narahara, M.H., Optic nerve hypoplasia (1987) Surv Ophthalmol, 32 (1), pp. 1-9Davis, G.V., Shock, J.P., Septo-optic dysplasia associated with see-saw nystagmus (1975) Arch Ophthalmol, 93 (2), pp. 137-139Williams, J., Brodsky, M.C., Griebel, M., Glasier, C.M., Caldwell, D., Thomas, P., Septo-optic dysplasia: The clinical insignificance of an absent septum pellucidum (1993) Dev Med Child Neurol, 35 (6), pp. 490-501Willnow, S., Kiess, W., Butenandt, O., Dörr, H.G., Enders, A., Strasser-Vogel, B., Endocrine disorders in septo-optic dysplasia (De Morsier syndrome) - evaluation and follow up of 18 patients (1996) Eur J Pediatr, 155 (3), pp. 179-18

Adolescentes Eutróficos Estão Satisfeitos Com O Seu Peso?

The high prevalence of obesity has led to public policies for combating it. People with normal weight may gain greater awareness of this issue and change their perceptions of their weight. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of body weight dissatisfaction among normal-weight adolescents, according to demographic and socioeconomic variables, health-related behavior and morbidities. DESIGN AND SETTING: Population-based cross-sectional study that used data from a health survey conducted in the city of Campinas, São Paulo, in 2008-2009. METHODS: The prevalence and prevalence ratios of weight dissatisfaction were estimated according to independent variables, by means of simple and multiple Poisson regression. RESULTS: 573 normal-weight adolescents aged 10 to 19 years (mean age 14.7 years) were analyzed. The prevalence of weight dissatisfaction was 43.7% (95% confidence interval, CI: 37.8-49.8). Higher prevalences of weight dissatisfaction were observed among females, individuals aged 15 to 19 years, those whose households had eight or more domestic appliances, former smokers, individuals who reported alcohol intake and those who had one or more chronic diseases. Lower prevalence of dissatisfaction was observed among adolescents living in substandard housing. Among the normal-weight adolescents, 26.1% wished to lose weight and 17.6% wished to gain weight. CONCLUSION: The results from this study indicate that even when weight is seen to be within the normal range, a high proportion of adolescents express dissatisfaction with their weight, especially females, older adolescents and those of higher socioeconomic level. © 2016, Associacao Paulista de Medicina. All rights reserved.134321922

Impact parameter dependent S-matrix for dipole-proton scattering from diffractive meson electroproduction

We extract the S-matrix element for dipole-proton scattering using the data on diffractive electroproduction of vector mesons at HERA. By considering the full t dependence of this process we are able to reliably unfold the profile of the S-matrix for impact parameter values b>0.3 fm. We show that the results depend only weakly on the choice of the form for the vector meson wave function. We relate this result to the discussion about possible saturation effects at HERA.Comment: 15 pages, 6 figure

Hamiltonization of Nonholonomic Systems and the Inverse Problem of the Calculus of Variations

We introduce a method which allows one to recover the equations of motion of a class of nonholonomic systems by finding instead an unconstrained Hamiltonian system on the full phase space, and to restrict the resulting canonical equations to an appropriate submanifold of phase space. We focus first on the Lagrangian picture of the method and deduce the corresponding Hamiltonian from the Legendre transformation. We illustrate the method with several examples and we discuss its relationship to the Pontryagin maximum principle.Comment: 23 pages, accepted for publication in Rep. Math. Phy

Estudo de estratégias de controle de vazão de fluido de transferência de calor em campo solar em sistema híbrido

CIES2020 - XVII Congresso Ibérico e XIII Congresso Ibero-americano de Energia SolarRESUMO: Com a crescente demanda energética mundial cada vez mais é possível notar os avanços em estudos de aproveitamento de energía solar. Hoje em dia modelagens de sistemas térmicos híbridos de geração de energía por meio das tecnologías heliotérmicas tem sido muito desenvolvidas. O conceito em estudo do presente trabalho se trata de uma planta híbrida Ciclo Combinado Integrado a Sistema Solar (ICCSS, do inglês Integrated Combined Cycle Solar System) concebido para ser usado no aproveitamento de gás metano de aterro sanitário como fonte primária para o ciclo a gás e o campo solar suplementar para aumentar a geração do ciclo de vapor, aumentando assim a eficiência global do ciclo termodinâmico. Mais especificamente, estudo de estratégias de controle de vazão do Fluido de Transferência de Calor no campo solar da instalação foi abordado aqui. Por meio das simulações realizadas é possível concluir que as configurações têm desempenho semelhante sendo que a de vazão variável mais uniforme, o que pode representar uma vantagem.ABSTRACT: With the growing global energy demand, it is noticeable the advances in studies on the use of solar energy. Nowadays, modeling of hybrid thermal systems for power generation through concentrating solar power technologies has been increasingly developed. The concept under study in the present work is a hybrid plant Integrated Combined Cycle to Solar System (ICCSS, from the English Integrated Combined Cycle Solar System) designed to be applied in the use of landfill methane gas as the primary source for the gas cycle and the supplementary solar field to increase the generation of the steam cycle, thus increasing the overall efficiency of the thermodynamic cycle. More specifically, study of heat transfer fluid flow control strategies in the solar field of the installation is considered in the study. Through the simulations carried out, it is possible to conclude that the configuration has similar performance with variable thermal oil flow seems to be more uniform solar absorption throughout the year, which can be advantageous.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Heavy-quark condensate at zero- and nonzero temperatures for various forms of the short-distance potential

With the use of the world-line formalism, the heavy-quark condensate in the SU(N)-QCD is evaluated for the cases when the next-to-1/r term in the quark-antiquark potential at short distances is either quadratic, or linear. In the former case, the standard QCD-sum-rules result is reproduced, while the latter result is a novel one. Explicitly, it is UV-finite only in less than four dimensions. This fact excludes a possibility to have, in four dimensions, very short strings (whose length has the scale of the lattice spacing), and consequently the short-range linear potential (if it exists) cannot violate the OPE. In any number of dimensions, the obtained novel expression for the quark condensate depends on the string tension at short distances, rather than on the gluon condensate, and grows linearly with the number of colors in the same way as the standard QCD-sum-rules expression. The use of the world-line formalism enables one to generalize further both results to the case of finite temperatures. A generalization of the QCD-sum-rules expression to the case of an arbitrary number of space-time dimensions is also obtained and is shown to be UV-finite, provided this number is smaller than six.Comment: 11 pages, no figure