Effectiveness Analysis of Biomedical Dynamometers used to evaluate palmar gripping force and forceps gripping in Leprosy Carriers

Leprosy is a chronic and infectious disease, transmissible, which causes neural lesions in which its investigation is mandatory in Brazil because it causes decreased thermal sensitivity, touch and pain, but mainly causes loss of muscle strength in the feet and hands giving the disease a great disabling power. Therefore, this disease is of health concern and control policies have been concerned with early diagnosis and treatment of affected individuals, requiring objective, sensitive and reliable methods of measurement. Therefore, this research proposed to analyze the effectiveness of biomedical dynamometers in the measurement of handgrip strength and forceps grasping force in the hand of leprosy patients. In this context, a systematic literature review was performed considering publications in Portuguese and English from 1993 to 2019, due to the lack of qualitative research publications in recent years related to the measurement of the effects of leprosy. The results of the study showed that the dynamometers surveyed have the potential to be used as tools to measure effects and support the diagnosis of leprosy. These meters have important features such as non-invasive, easily reproduced and good accuracy, contributing to objective assessment and early diagnosis of the professional, favoring the treatment of affected patients. In addition, through this literature review, it is possible to observe the importance of handgrip strength measurement, because the delay in diagnosis and consequently in treatment generates severe physical disabilities in the hands, which are evident due to the radial, median and ulnar nerves generating limitation to perform activities and decreased work capacity

Utilização da escala SERVQUAL para mensuração da qualidade: estudo de caso em uma empresa de transporte público

Various services provided throughout the country in recent years, generated skilled jobs, increased internal and external competitiveness and accelerate innovation. It has expanded customer choice, preferring companies that offer differentiated services that meet their needs. Therefore, the aim of this study was to establish a measurement of services using SERVQUAL, and five dimensions of quality. It is evident in the public transport company, factors that must improve more efficiently and effectively what customers need and expect of the services received. The methodology was characterized as descriptive as it described the quality and measurement of SERVQUAL guidelines, when dealing with a case study because it involves a single company. In the analysis of results, it was used descriptive statistics and SERVQUAL scale with five dimensions of quality, taking into account the importance of each issue. The issue that stood out was the guarantee, reaching the ideal quality, both in expectancy and experience. It is suggested for future studies, management for an implementation project of the SERVQUAL methodology for continuous measurement of quality enterprise.Os diversos serviços prestados em todo país, geraram empregos qualificados, aumentou a competividade interna e externa, além de acelerar a inovação. Assim, ampliou-se a escolha pelo cliente, preferindo aquelas empresas que oferecerem serviços diferenciados e que satisfaçam as suas necessidades. Por isso, o objetivo do estudo foi estabelecer uma mensuração dos serviços prestados utilizando a escala SERVQUAL, e as cinco dimensões da qualidade. Evidencia-se na empresa de transporte público, os fatores que esta deve melhorar para satisfazer com mais eficiência e eficácia aquilo que os clientes necessitam e esperam dos serviços recebidos. A metodologia se caracterizou como descritiva, pois busca descrever a qualidade e mensuração da mesma sob as diretrizes da escala SERVQUAL, se tratando de um estudo de caso por envolver uma única empresa. Na análise dos resultados utilizou-se a estatística descritiva e Escala SERVQUAL com as cinco dimensões da qualidade, levando em consideração a importância de cada questão. A questão que mais se destacou foi a garantia, alcançando a qualidade ideal, tanto na expectativa, quanto na experiência.  Sugere-se para estudos futuros, gerenciamento para um projeto de implementação da metodologia SERVQUAL, para mensuração constante da qualidade dos serviços da empresa. 

Uma outra modernização: transportes em uma província não-exportadora - Minas Gerais, 1850-1870

Between 1750 and 1880, Minas Gerais developed an economy predominantly non-exporting as well as relatively independent of external markets of other Brazilian regions and of foreign markets. Due to such unique historical evolution, contemporaries had to develop specific understanding and ways of dealing with transportation problems. In nineteenth century, mainly in its third quarter, it were established the conditions for the modernization process of transportation in Minas. Those conditions allowed such modernization to take place apart from the determinations resulting from the hegemony of a primarily exportation economic model, specially based on hastening the construction of an integrated system. This text enlarges considerations about the history of transportation in the province of Minas Gerais. It presents and analyses documental evidences which demonstrate it can be mistaken the understanding of modernization of Brazilian transportation considering a single model as well as the tendency to generalize to the whole country the historical experience of modernization based upon a railroad system.transportation; constitution of domestic market; modernization process; province of Minas Gerais

The breakdown of current gyrochronology as evidenced by old coeval stars

Gyrochronology can yield useful ages for field main-sequence stars, a regime where other techniques are problematic. Typically, gyrochronology relations are calibrated using young ($\lesssim$ 2 Gyr) clusters, but the constraints at older ages are scarce, making them potentially inaccurate and imprecise. In order to test the performance of current gyrochronology relations, we construct samples of stellar pairs with coeval components, for a range of ages and with available rotation periods. These include both randomly paired stars in clusters, and wide binaries in the Kepler field. We design a parameter, $\Delta P_{rot, gyro}$, that quantifies the level of agreement between the components of coeval stellar pairs and the gyrochronology calibrations under scrutiny. Our results show that wide binaries and cluster members are in better concordance with gyrochronology than samples of randomly paired field stars (which we use as a control group), confirming that the relations do have predicting power in identifying coeval stars. However, the agreement with the examined relations decreases for older stars, suggesting a degradation of the current gyrochronology with age, in agreement with recent literature results. We argue for the need of novel gyrochronology constraints at older ages that may allow revised calibrations. Ultimately, using coeval stars to test gyrochronology poses the advantage of circumventing the need for age determinations while simultaneously exploiting larger samples at older ages. In addition, taking gyrochronology at face value, we note that our results provide new empirical evidence that the components of field wide binaries are indeed coeval.Comment: 14 pages, 7 figures; submitted to MNRAS, comments welcom

Development of Biomedical Dynamometer for Measurement of Grip Strength in Mice Modeled with Cerebral Palsy

This research aimed to develop a biomedical dynamometer capable of measuring the grip strength of the forepaws of laboratory mices to verify the posterior phase, the effect of modeled cerebral palsy in the animal. The equipment was developed using a stainless steel blade, two double strain gages, a signal conditioning circuit that was connected to a software for acquisition, processing and plotting of graphs and tables in Excel. The metal blade has a length of 18.5 cm, a width of 1.5 cm and a thickness of 2 mm and a double strain gage model pa-09-125ha-350-l8 from Excel Sensors (Brazil), was glued to each face. The two double strain gages were connected in a Wheatstone bridge, which produces an analog response due to mechanical deformation of the blade, with force applied by the mice. This response was submitted to a signal conditioning circuit developed with Arduino that modulated the input wave, generated 10000 times amplification and performed filtering 4th order using Butterworth filter. Finally, a software developed in Labview 2019 of National Instruments (USA) was used for acquisition, processing and plotting of graphs and tables in Excel of the measurements performed. In the next step, the dynamometer was calibrated for sequential loading of masses of 0, 15.48 g, 31.53 g, 46.88 g to 62.47 g and also for sequential unloading of the same masses. For this, the masses were hung on a nylon string that was attached to the free end of the metal sheet. The final test was to measure the response time of the dynamometer with a stopwatch, when hanging a mass of 62.47 g on the nylon thread that was cut abruptly with scissors. Some of the main results of the calibration were as follows: 15.48 g generated 3.70 V, 31.53 g generated 7.48 V and 62.47 g gene rated 14.80 V and the response time was 0.3 s. These answers show that the dynamometer can be used to measure the grip strength of mice and can be modified for use in humans

Biomedical Mechatronic Dynamometer to Support the Evaluation of the Effects of Leprosy Through the Palmar Holding Strenght and the Tweezer Holding Strenght

The hand can suffer the effects of several diseases among the most serious, leprosy stands out, which is considered infectious and can generate loss of muscle strength, atrophy, deformity and physical, mental and social disability. For the World Health Organization (WHO) and also doctors and physiotherapists, it is necessary to evaluate the diseases in an objective, reliable and early manner in order to propose appropriate treatment and follow their evolution. This research proposed a biomedical mechatronic dynamometer in order to support the evaluation of the effects of leprosy by means of palmar grip strength and grip strength of tweezers performed by hand. The experimental research was developed at the Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul and consisted first of all in the survey of the demands of the health area in relation to the biomedical dynamometer being consulted the following databases: Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (Medline); US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health (PUBMED) e Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE). The mechatronic biomedical dynamometer consisted of three fundamental parts: mechanical structure, electronic signal conditioning circuitry and digital information processing. The mechanical structure was designed to withstand a strenght of up to 700 N, developed in brass because this metal has low cost, has less mass and also because it is easier to machine than steel. The oval shape of the structure contains two lateral and thin regions that measure 2 cm thick, 3 cm wide each and aim to concentrate mechanical stresses in order to sensitize the strain sensor consisting of the four linear strain gages, model N2A-XX-S5262P-350/E4 and nominal resistance of 350 Ω, from the company Micro-Measurements, which showed accuracy of 98%. The mechanical structure also has a stainless-steel support that measures 1 cm thick and 3 cm wide located at the bottom and on which was glued a cushion to support the palm of the hand. This support can be replaced by other models that also contain a cushion that considers the presence of injuries or deformities in the hand. The mechanical structure also has a upper support that also measures 1 cm thick and 3 cm wide, to which four pressure sensors developed with rosette strain gages model N2K-XX-S5294R-350/DP/E4 with a nominal resistance of 350 Ω, from the company Micro-Measurements, were fixed and which showed an accuracy of 99.5%. The deformation sensor is stimulated by the application of palmar grip strenght while the pressure sensors are stimulated by the realization of index, middle, annular and minimum finger gripping strenght. In addition, these sensors are connected to Wheatstone Bridges whose feeds and also the responses are processed by five signal conditioning circuits developed with operational amplifiers LF 356, OPA 27 and OP27 GP of the company Burr-Brown, whose structure consists of voltage oscillator, amplifier, band pass filter, buffer and peak detector that generates DC voltage that feeds the data acquisition board. The answers on this board are sent to the Inspiron 15 3000 microcomputer from Dell, which has installed Labview software from National Instruments, which processes the information, stores, plotts the palmar grip strenght and pinch grip strenght graphs and can also send the information over the Internet. This research has the potential to obtain accurate information on the effects of leprosy in the hand that can support the evaluation, diagnosis of health professionals, follow up the evolution of the disease and the treatment adopted

A educação infantil e a literatura : caminhos possíveis de um fazer pedagógico

Monografia (graduação)—Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Educação, 2012.O presente trabalho busca conhecer, identificar, implementar e refletir sobre o uso do livro literário em classes de educação infantil, favorecendo a relação entre os alunos e os livros e proporcionando um encontro lúdico e prazeroso para as crianças que ainda não dominam convencionalmente a leitura e a escrita. Para se alcançar o objetivo proposto, foi realizada uma pesquisa de abordagem qualitativa em uma escola particular do Distrito Federal, com uma turma da educação infantil com alunos com idade de três e quatro anos. Foram realizadas oficinas com leitura de livros literários que proporcionaram momentos de ludicidade, diálogo, conhecimento e criação a partir das histórias presentes nos livros. Essa prática proporcionou ainda momentos de interesse, participação, escuta sensível e entusiasmo pelo mundo dos livros, despertando-os para esse mundo de imaginação que o livro e suas histórias proporcionam. Nesse contexto, podemos entender o que é literatura infantil, conhecendo um pouco da sua história e dialogando sobre estratégias, recursos, ambientes e o papel do professor enquanto mediador entre a criança e o livro literário. Percebemos, assim, que a utilização do livro literário configura-se como um excelente caminho pedagógico para que o educador atraia e desperte o interesse das crianças pelos livros, impulsionando-as a se tornarem futuros leitores. __________________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACTThis paperwork seeks to understand, identify, implement and reflect on the use of the literary book in kindergarten classes, favoring the relationship between students and books and providing a fun and enjoyable encounter for children who have not mastered reading and conventional writing. To achieve our objective, we conducted a qualitative study in a private school in the Federal District with a group of early childhood education with students aged three and four years. Workshops were held with reading literary books that provided moments of playfulness, dialogue, understanding and creation of stories from these books. This practice also provided moments of interest, participation, sensitive listening and enthusiasm related to the world of books, awakening them to this world of imagination that the book and their stories provide. In this context, we can understand what children's literature is, knowing a little of their history and talking about strategies, resources, environment and the role of the teacher as mediator between the child and the literary book. We realize, therefore, that the use of literary book presents itself as an excellent way for teaching the educator attract and awaken children's interest in books, pushing them to become future readers