Presentación

Con la presentación de su número 6, la Revista PEDAGÓGICOS completa cin- co años de existencia al servicio de la divulgación en el campo de la Pedago- gía. Por ello, para Unisangil; y en especial, para la Dirección de la revista, su Comité Editorial, su Editor y todo su equipo de colaboradores, resulta muy satisfactorio ojear las páginas de estos seis números y encontrar un signifi- cativo y variado historial de experiencias, entrevistas, propuestas, reflexio- nes e investigaciones que han sido conocidas por muchos lectores gracias a nuestra mediación

¿Pedagogía por proyectos o hacer proyectos?

La pedagogía por proyectos implica una transformación curricular  del papel del docente y del estudiante. Los unos y los otros, juntos, organizan sus expectativas, el programa en proyectos y las acciones escolares a las que dedican todo el tiempo. Los estudiantes en esta pedagogía, independientemente de su edad, son considerados personas capaces de participar, con el liderazgo de su docente, en decisiones trascendentes respecto a lo que ha de realizarse  en la clase.Desarrollar algunos proyectos de aula durante el año, si bien resulta una aproximación a la pedagogía por proyectos, un escalón en la transformación, no es lo mismo ni tiene las mismas repercusiones

Media Literacy: uma experiência brasileira

The objective of this work has been the development and application of a course on media literacy, taking into consideration the socioeconomic and sociopsychological context of the brazilian children. The first aim of this course is the deconstruction of the media contents present in the children’s daily life. This deconstruction occurs through the identification of the sender, the message and the receptor, and the analysis of the cinematographic and television language as well as the mechanisms of advertising. We have divided the course into the analysis of language and the discussion of contents that are relevant for the social formation of the children and for the growing of their audiovisual repertoire.O presente trabalho teve como objetivo a formulação e aplicação de um curso de Media Literacy – Alfabetização em Mídias, que levasse em conta o contexto sócio-econômico e psicossocial das crianças brasileiras. Esse curso, num primeiro momento, visa a desconstrução dos conteúdos midiáticos presentes na vida dos alunos. Essa desconstrução se dá pela verificação do emissor, da mensagem e do receptor, da análise da linguagem cinematográfica e televisiva, e dos mecanismos da publicidade. Dividimos o curso em análise de linguagem e discussão de conteúdos que sejam relevantes para a formação social das crianças, bem como para o aumento de seu repertório audiovisual

ESTRUTURA ACADÊMICA E A PRÁTICA EM SALA DE AULA EM UMA GRANDE UNIVERSIDADE PRIVADA DA CIDADE DE SÃO PAULO/SP: EXISTE CONVERGÊNCIA?

Este artigo apresenta um estudo a respeito das práticas de ensino-aprendizagem e sua adequação com o projeto político pedagógico (PPP) de em uma grande universidade privada na cidade de São Paulo/SP. O objetivo desse trabalho é verificar a dinâmica da sala de aula do professor, os recursos utilizados, a discussão na construção da aprendizagem, o planejamento do curso de administração de empresas, as conexões com o mercado no processo de aprendizagem e a avaliação do estudante. Na primeira parte desse estudo serão considerados como pilares teóricos os principais conceitos referentes aos elementos pedagógicos, tais como: planejamento do curso, metodologias, a necessidade do saber e avalição. A metodologia utilizada é qualitativa de caráter descritiva e como estratégia de análise de dados adota-se a análise de conteúdo. Neste estudo foram utilizadas duas fontes de informações: as observações do ambiente de aula e documentos da universidade a respeito de suas práticas pedagógicas coletando-se a mais completa sequência possível de dados pertinentes ao processo estudado. Na conclusão indicaram-se como fatores críticos a busca de uma identidade própria por parte dos professores e alunos na construção, integração e aplicação de teorias e práticas, buscando a uma consistência no aprendizado

THE AMBIGUITY IN FOREST PROFILES AND XTINCTION ESTIMATED FROM MULTIBASELINE INTERFEROMETRIC SAR

This paper demonstrates by simulation that in the estimation of vegetation profiles from multibaseline interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR), the peak extinction coefficient is poorly determined for typical interferometric coherence and phase accuracies. This coefficient determines overall density and affects the relative density profiles estimated from interferometry. This paper shows that a given radar power profile gives rise to a family of vegetation density profiles, depending on the peak extinction assumed. It is further  demonstrated that estimating the peak extinction requires coherence accuracies of better than 0.1% and phase accuracies of better than a few tenths of a degree, both of which exceed the performance of typical or envisioned SAR systems. Two recommended approaches to profile production with InSAR are 1) use the radar power profile instead of the vegetation density profile for biomass estimation and other ecosystem characterization (in analogy to LIDAR power which is most frequently used for lidar studies of biomass) or 2) apply external information to establish the extinction characteristics needed for vegetation density profiles.Esse artigo procura demonstrar, por simulação, que na estimativa de perfis de volume da vegetação por interferometria  com múltiplas linhas de base, o pico de extinção não é adequadamente determinado pela coerência interferométrica e fase, com acurácias típicas de InSAR. Esse pico determina a densidade global, afetando os perfis de densidade relativa da vegetação estimados por interferometria. Esse trabalho mostra que para um dado perfil de potência-radar há uma série de perfis de densidade da vegetação, dependendo do pico de extinção assumido. É ainda demonstrado que a estimativa do pico de  extinção requer exatidões de coerência melhores que 0,1%, bem como, de acurácias de fases que alguns décimos de graus, valores esses que atualmente excedem o desempenho de sistemas SAR em operação ou aqueles previstos. As duas abordagens recomendadas para a produção de perfis com InSAR são: (1) utilizar o perfil-radar, ao invés do perfil de densidade de vegetação, para estimação de biomassa e outras caracterizações de ecossistema (em nalogia à potência-lidar, a qual é mais  frequentemente utilizada nos estudos de biomassa baseados em LIDAR); ou (2) aplicar informação externa para estabelecer as características de extinção necessárias aos perfis de densidade de vegetação

Comparative Distribution of Relaxin-3 Inputs and Calcium-Binding Protein-Positive Neurons in Rat Amygdala

The neural circuits involved in mediating complex behaviors are being rapidly elucidated using various newly developed and powerful anatomical and molecular techniques, providing insights into the neural basis for anxiety disorders, depression, addiction, and dysfunctional social behaviors. Many of these behaviors and associated physiological processes involve the activation of the amygdala in conjunction with cortical and hippocampal circuits. Ascending subcortical projections provide modulatory inputs to the extended amygdala and its related nodes (or ‘hubs’) within these key circuits. One such input arises from the nucleus incertus (NI) in the tegmentum, which sends amino acid- and peptide-containing projections throughout the forebrain. Notably, a distinct population of GABAergic NI neurons expresses the highly-conserved neuropeptide, relaxin-3, and relaxin-3 signaling has been implicated in the modulation of reward/motivation and anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors in rodents via actions within the extended amygdala. Thus, a detailed description of the relaxin-3 innervation of the extended amygdala would provide an anatomical framework for an improved understanding of NI and relaxin-3 modulation of these and other specific amygdala-related functions. Therefore, in this study, we examined the distribution of NI projections and relaxin-3-positive elements (axons/fibers/terminals) within the amygdala, relative to the distribution of neurons expressing the calcium-binding proteins, parvalbumin, calretinin and/or calbindin. Anterograde tracer injections into the NI revealed a topographic distribution of NI efferents within the amygdala that was near identical to the distribution of relaxin-3-immunoreactive fibers. Highest densities of anterogradely-labeled elements and relaxin-3-immunoreactive fibers were observed in the medial nucleus of the amygdala, medial divisions of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST) and in the endopiriform nucleus. In contrast, sparse anterogradely-labeled and relaxin-3-immunoreactive fibers were observed in other amygdala nuclei, including the lateral, central and basal nuclei and the nucleus accumbens lacked any innervation. Using synaptophysin as a synaptic marker, we identified relaxin-3 positive synaptic terminals in the medial amygdala, BST and endopiriform nucleus of amygdala. Our findings demonstrate the existence of topographic NI and relaxin-3-containing projections to specific nuclei of the extended amygdala, consistent with a likely role for this putative integrative arousal system in the regulation of amygdala-dependent social and emotional behaviors

Cell Therapy Attenuates Cardiac Dysfunction Post Myocardial Infarction: Effect of Timing, Routes of Injection and a Fibrin Scaffold

Background: Cell therapy approaches for biologic cardiac repair hold great promises, although basic fundamental issues remain poorly understood. In the present study we examined the effects of timing and routes of administration of bone marrow cells (BMC) post-myocardial infarction (MI) and the efficacy of an injectable biopolymer scaffold to improve cardiac cell retention and function. Methodology/Principal Findings: (99m)Tc-labeled BMC (6x10(6) cells) were injected by 4 different routes in adult rats: intravenous (IV), left ventricular cavity (LV), left ventricular cavity with temporal aorta occlusion (LV(+)) to mimic coronary injection, and intramyocardial (IM). The injections were performed 1, 2, 3, or 7 days post-MI and cell retention was estimated by gamma-emission counting of the organs excised 24 hs after cell injection. IM injection improved cell retention and attenuated cardiac dysfunction, whereas IV, LV or LV* routes were somewhat inefficient (< 1%). Cardiac BMC retention was not influenced by timing except for the IM injection that showed greater cell retention at 7 (16%) vs. 1, 2 or 3 (average of 7%) days post-MI. Cardiac cell retention was further improved by an injectable fibrin scaffold at day 3 post-MI (17 vs. 7%), even though morphometric and function parameters evaluated 4 weeks later displayed similar improvements. Conclusions/Significance: These results show that cells injected post-MI display comparable tissue distribution profile regardless of the route of injection and that there is no time effect for cardiac cell accumulation for injections performed 1 to 3 days post-MI. As expected the IM injection is the most efficient for cardiac cell retention, it can be further improved by co-injection with a fibrin scaffold and it significantly attenuates cardiac dysfunction evaluated 4 weeks post myocardial infarction. These pharmacokinetic data obtained under similar experimental conditions are essential for further development of these novel approaches

Una experiencia de apoyo virtual a la escritura de artículos académicos en Unisangil

La necesidad de aumentar y mejorar la escritura y publicación de artículos académicos de autoría de docentes de Unisangil, generó en el equipo de investigación y la Dirección de Publicaciones la expectativa de llevar a cabo, con un grupo piloto de docentes, un proceso de producción escrita con apoyo virtual en ambiente Moodle

The Repetitive Cytoskeletal Protein H49 of Trypanosoma cruzi Is a Calpain-Like Protein Located at the Flagellum Attachment Zone

Background: Trypanosoma cruzi has a single flagellum attached to the cell body by a network of specialized cytoskeletal and membranous connections called the flagellum attachment zone. Previously, we isolated a DNA fragment (clone H49) which encodes tandemly arranged repeats of 68 amino acids associated with a high molecular weight cytoskeletal protein. in the current study, the genomic complexity of H49 and its relationships to the T. cruzi calpain-like cysteine peptidase family, comprising active calpains and calpain-like proteins, is addressed. Immunofluorescence analysis and biochemical fractionation were used to demonstrate the cellular location of H49 proteins.Methods and Findings: All of H49 repeats are associated with calpain-like sequences. Sequence analysis demonstrated that this protein, now termed H49/calpain, consists of an amino-terminal catalytic cysteine protease domain II, followed by a large region of 68-amino acid repeats tandemly arranged and a carboxy-terminal segment carrying the protease domains II and III. the H49/calpains can be classified as calpain-like proteins as the cysteine protease catalytic triad has been partially conserved in these proteins. the H49/calpains repeats share less than 60% identity with other calpain-like proteins in Leishmania and T. brucei, and there is no immunological cross reaction among them. It is suggested that the expansion of H49/calpain repeats only occurred in T. cruzi after separation of a T. cruzi ancestor from other trypanosomatid lineages. Immunofluorescence and immunoblotting experiments demonstrated that H49/calpain is located along the flagellum attachment zone adjacent to the cell body.Conclusions: H49/calpain contains large central region composed of 68-amino acid repeats tandemly arranged. They can be classified as calpain-like proteins as the cysteine protease catalytic triad is partially conserved in these proteins. H49/calpains could have a structural role, namely that of ensuring that the cell body remains attached to the flagellum by connecting the subpellicular microtubule array to it.Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Beca Presidente de la Republica-ChileUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Microbiol Imunol & Parasitol, Escola Paulista Med, São Paulo, BrazilUniv Antofagasta, Lab Bioquim, Dept Biomed, Antofagasta, ChileUniv Bandeirante São Paulo, São Paulo, BrazilUniv Brasilia, Dept Biol Celular, Inst Biol, Brasilia, DF, BrazilFiocruz MS, Ctr Pesquisa Rene Rachou CPqRR, Belo Horizonte, MG, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Microbiol Imunol & Parasitol, Escola Paulista Med, São Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc