Simulações interativas de experimentos laboratoriais de física e mecânica

Neste trabalho, é mostrado que o ensino de Física no Brasil passa por dificuldades e que novos métodos de ensino, mais modernos e com uma maior participação do aluno são necessários. Desta forma, é proposta a criação de uma aplicação virtual onde alunos e professores possam interagir e realizar dois experimentos de Física I: Plano Horizontal e Plano Inclinado, ambos, com e sem atrito. Fazem parte das etapas de desenvolvimento desta aplicação a criação dos diagramas de caso de uso, atividades e classes, projeto de telas e a programação. A aplicação é feita em linguagem Java, gratuita, e pode ser executada localmente em qualquer computador pessoal. A aplicação apresenta gráficos, tabelas e animações, de forma similar ao que é feito no laboratório de física, com equipamentos de precisão. De acordo com testes e comparativos feitos, a aplicação apresenta resultados muito próximos aos encontrados no ambiente de laboratório, com erro médio menor que 1%. Dentre as vantagens deste trabalho em comparação ao que já é feito atualmente nos laboratórios de física estão a economia, a possibilidade de realizar o experimento num ambiente acadêmico ou doméstico e a maior interatividade do usuário com o experimento. Ao final, são sugeridas atividades e perguntas que os professores podem fazer aos alunos

Avaliação neuropsicológica das funções executivas em idosos com comprometimento cognitivo leve e demência do tipo Alzheimer : um estudo comparativo

Orientador: Prof. Dr. Amer Cavalheiro HamdanDissertaçao (mestrado) - Universidade Federal do Paraná, Setor de Ciencias Humanas, Letras e Artes, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Psicologia. Defesa: Curitiba, 22/03/2013Bibliografia : fls. 59-68Resumo: Introdução: O envelhecimento da população brasileira tem aumentado nas últimas décadas, tendo em vista a melhora das condições de saúde em geral. Este aumento da expectativa de vida tem como consequência uma maior propensão a alterações cognitivas, como no Comprometimento Cognitivo Leve (CCL) e a Demência Tipo Alzheimer (DA). Embora alterações dos sistemas mnemônicos possam ser um marcador tradicional e importante de ambas as condições clínicas, sabe-se atualmente que, em alguns casos, as funções executivas (FE) podem estar primariamente alteradas. As FE correspondem a um conjunto de habilidades cognitivas necessárias para realizar comportamentos complexos dirigidos para um determinado objetivo e a capacidade adaptativa frente às diversas demandas e mudanças ambientais. A avaliação neuropsicológica das FE auxilia o profissional psicólogo a estabelecer o diagnóstico e o prognóstico da CCL e da DA, bem como propor programas de reabilitação cognitiva e/ou neuropsicológica. Objetivos: Avaliar o desempenho de idosos com essas condições clínicas em instrumentos neuropsicológicos que mensuram componentes das funções executivas. Os componentes executivos avaliados foram o controle inibitório, a flexibilidade cognitiva e a memória de trabalho. Método: Foram avaliados 30 idosos, sendo 18 com diagnóstico de CCL e 12 com DA. Os instrumentos aplicados para mensurar os níveis cognitivos gerais e os de humor foram, respectivamente, o Mini Exame do Estado Mental (MEEM) e a Escala de Depressão Geriátrica (EDG). A avaliação das FE foram feitas através do Teste de Stroop, Fluência Verbal, e três subtestes da Escala de Inteligência Wechsler para Adultos (Semelhanças, Dígitos Inverso e Sequencia de Números e Letras). Resultados: No escore total do MEEM, os dois grupos obtiveram médias significativamente diferentes [CCL: 24,7 (dp = 3,6) e DA: 20,3 (dp = 3,5), sendo p = 0,003]; já no escore da EDG, os grupos não apresentaram diferenças nas médias [CCL: 3,2 (dp = 2,7) e DA: 4,1 (dp = 3,0), sendo p = 0,434]. Pôde-se constatar que houve também diferenças significativas nas médias entre os dois grupos clínicos na execução das atividades de Fluência Verbal Categórica (Animais): CCL: 11,4 (dp = 4) e DA: 8,7 (dp = 2,7) com p = 0,033; Fluência Verbal Fonêmica (FAS): CCL: 20,9 (dp = 10,4) e DA: 12 (dp = 8,8) com p = 0,009 e Teste de Stroop (número de acertos na parte 3 e tempo total de execução na parte 2): CCL: 18,7 (dp = 5,2) e DA: 14,2 (dp = 7) com p = 0,041 e CCL: 45,9 (dp = 45,8) e DA: 61,2 (dp = 26,2) com p = 0,013, respectivamente. O subteste Semelhanças e o tempo de realização na parte 3 do Teste de Stroop mostraram apenas uma tendência à diferenciação nas duas entidades clínicas. Conclusão: De modo geral, a população de idosos com diagnóstico de DA teve desempenho inferior aos idosos com CCL.Abstract: Introduction: The population aging has increased in a few decades, due to improvement of health conditions in general. This increase in life expectancy results a greater propensity to cognitive impairment as in Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Although changes in mnemonic systems may be a traditional and important marker of both clinical conditions, is now known that in some cases, the executive functions (EF) can be primarily damaged. EF correspond to a set of cognitive skills necessary to perform complex behaviors directed to a specific goal and an adaptive capacity to face various demands and environmental changes. The neuropsychological assessment of EF helps psychologists to establish the diagnosis and prognosis of MCI and AD, as well propose cognitive or neuropsychological rehabilitation programs. Objectives: To evaluate the performance of older adults with these clinical conditions in neuropsychological instruments that measure components of executive functions. The executive components evaluated were inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility and working memory. Method: 30 patients were evaluated: 18 diagnosed with MCI and 12 with AD. The instruments used were: Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), to measure general cognitive levels and mood. The evaluation of EF were made through Trails Making Test (TMT), Stroop Test, Verbal Fluency, and three subtests of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Adults (Similarities, Digits Reverse and Sequence Numbers and Letters). Outcomes: MMSE total score of the two groups had significantly different means [MCI: 24.7 (sd = 3.6) and AD: 20.3 (SD = 3.5), p = 0.003], whereas the scores of the GDS, the groups did not differ in mean [MCI: 3.2 (sd = 2.7) and AD: 4.1 (sd = 3.0), with p = 0.434]. It was noted that there were also significant differences in means between the two clinical groups in performance of activities Categorical Verbal Fluency (Animals): MCI: 11.4 (sd = 4) and AD: 8.7 (sd = 2.7) with p = 0.033; Phonemic Verbal Fluency (FAS): MCI: 20.9 (sd = 10.4) and AD: 12 (sd = 8.8) with p = 0.009 and Stroop Test (number of hits on the 3 and total execution time in part 2): MCI: 18.7 (sd = 5.2) and AD: 14.2 (sd = 7) with p = 0.041 and MCI: 45.9 (sd = 45.8) and AD: 61.2 (sd = 26.2) with p = 0.013, respectively. The Similarities subtest and performance time in part 3 of the Stroop Test showed only a trend towards differentiation in the two clinical entities. Findings: Generally, elderly population with diagnosis of AD had underperformed the elderly with MCI

Gene abundance linked to climate zone: Parallel evolution of gene content along elevation gradients in lichenized fungi

IntroductionIntraspecific genomic variability affects a species' adaptive potential toward climatic conditions. Variation in gene content across populations and environments may point at genomic adaptations to specific environments. The lichen symbiosis, a stable association of fungal and photobiont partners, offers an excellent system to study environmentally driven gene content variation. Many of these species have remarkable environmental tolerances, and often form populations across different climate zones. Here, we combine comparative and population genomics to assess the presence and absence of genes in high and low elevation genomes of two lichenized fungi of the genus Umbilicaria. MethodsThe two species have non-overlapping ranges, but occupy similar climatic niches in North America (U. phaea) and Europe (U. pustulata): high elevation populations are located in the cold temperate zone and low elevation populations in the Mediterranean zone. We assessed gene content variation along replicated elevation gradients in each of the two species, based on a total of 2050 individuals across 26 populations. Specifically, we assessed shared orthologs across species within the same climate zone, and tracked, which genes increase or decrease in abundance within populations along elevation. ResultsIn total, we found 16 orthogroups with shared orthologous genes in genomes at low elevation and 13 at high elevation. Coverage analysis revealed one ortholog that is exclusive to genomes at low elevation. Conserved domain search revealed domains common to the protein kinase superfamily. We traced the discovered ortholog in populations along five replicated elevation gradients on both continents and found that the number of this protein kinase gene linearly declined in abundance with increasing elevation, and was absent in the highest populations. DiscussionWe consider the parallel loss of an ortholog in two species and in two geographic settings a rare find, and a step forward in understanding the genomic underpinnings of climatic tolerances in lichenized fungi. In addition, the tracking of gene content variation provides a widely applicable framework for retrieving biogeographical determinants of gene presence/absence patterns. Our work provides insights into gene content variation of lichenized fungi in relation to climatic gradients, suggesting a new research direction with implications for understanding evolutionary trajectories of complex symbioses in relation to climatic change

Mathematical Modeling of Flowback Water Treatment Using Reverse Osmosis and Nanofiltration Technologies

The main objective of this study is to assess, through mathematical modeling, the potential use and feasibility of deploying nanofiltration and reverse osmosis technologies in the treatment of flowback water. Field data of flowback water flow rates and chemical composition were used in the models in order to provide an accurate assessment of each technology. Operating conditions based on the current commercial reverse osmosis and nanofiltration membranes for water treatment were also considered. Mathematical models for the reverse osmosis and nanofiltration processes were developed to assess the performance of these processes in the treatment of flowback water produced during the hydraulic fracturing for natural gas production from shale plays. The models, based on the mass balance and thermodynamics, were verified and implemented in Matlab version R2015. The models were used to perform a sensitivity analysis for the two processes in order to determine the effect of the operating variables on the membrane performance in terms of solute concentration and filtration time. For the reverse osmosis, it was found that pressure drop, inlet flow rate and membrane area were the major parameters governing the process. For nanofiltration, on the other hand, pressure drop, reflection coefficient and membrane area were the most important parameters affecting the process performance. The models were also used to assess and compare the performance of four different commercial reverse osmosis and three nanofiltration membranes using actual field data, such as inlet flowrate and flowback water composition. The predictions of the two models showed that the reverse osmosis was significantly superior to the nanofiltration membranes in the removal of Na+ and Ca2+. Nanofiltration membranes, however, exhibited higher removal efficiencies for Cl- than that of the reverse osmosis membranes. This behavior was attributed primarily to the nature of both processes; since the reverse osmosis is mainly driven by the chemical potential of chlorine, whereas, the nanofiltration is controlled by the molecule size

Diversidade Sexual : políticas públicas e igualdade de direitos

Este ensaio apresenta uma reflexão interdisciplinar conjugando as perspectivas do direito, da antropologia, da sociologia, da medicina e da psicologia social para pensar o contexto político, as bases epistemológicas, as tendências e os riscos presentes na configuração das políticas públicas direcionadas às questões relativas à diversidade sexual, às expressões de gênero e à diversidade corporal no Brasil. Exploram-se também os paradoxos da atualidade política a partir da recente decisão do Supremo Tribunal Federal referente à igualdade de direitos entre casais de sexos diferentes e do mesmo sexo e da suspensão da distribuição pelo Ministério da educação do material pedagógico produzido por organizações não governamentais destinado a apoiar ações de combate à homofobia nas escolas.This essay presents an interdisciplinary debate, summing contributions from law studies, anthropology, sociology, medicine and social psychology in order to think about the political context, the epistemological basis, the tendencies and risks present in the configuration of public policies applied to sexual diversity, gender expression and corporal diversity in Brazil. It also explores the political events represented by the Supreme Court's decision on same sex and different sex unions' equal rights, as well as the federal government decision to suspend the distribution by the National Education Office of non-governmental organizations' pedagogical material destined to fight homophobia in the school system

Application of control measures for infections caused by multi-resistant gram-negative bacteria in intensive care unit patients

Multi-resistant gram-negative rods are important pathogens in intensive care units (ICU), cause high rates of mortality, and need infection control measures to avoid spread to another patients. This study was undertaken prospectively with all of the patients hospitalized at ICU, Anesthesiology of the Hospital São Paulo, using the ICU component of the National Nosocomial Infection Surveillance System (NNIS) methodology, between March 1, 1997 and June 30, 1998. Hospital infections occurring during the first three months after the establishment of prevention and control measures (3/1/97 to 5/31/97) were compared to those of the last three months (3/1/98 to 5/31/98). In this period, 933 NNIS patients were studied, with 139 during the first period and 211 in the second period. The overall rates of infection by multi-resistant microorganisms in the first and second periods were, respectively, urinary tract infection: 3.28/1000 patients/day; 2.5/1000 patients/day; pneumonia: 2.10/1000 patients/day; 5.0/1000 patients/day; bloodstream infection: 1.09/1000 patients/day; 2.5/1000 patients/day. A comparison between overall infection rates of both periods (Wilcoxon test) showed no statistical significance (p = 0.067). The use of intervention measures effectively decreased the hospital bloodstream infection rate (p < 0.001), which shows that control measures in ICU can contribute to preventing hospital infections.Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Departamento de Medicina Comissão de Epidemiologia HospitalarUNIFESP, Depto. de Medicina Comissão de Epidemiologia HospitalarSciEL

Thermal behaviour of Cu and Au nanoparticles grown on CeO2 thin films

RM and FG acknowledge funding from EPSRC grants (RM: EP/506631/1; FG: EP/M029077/1). JAvdB and AKR acknowledge the EPSRC funding for the use of the MEIS facility at the University of Huddersfield within grant EP/M029077/1. This study was financed in part by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior -Brasil (CAPES) - Finance Code 001, by Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq), and PRONEX-FAPERGS16/2551-0000479-0.Bimetallic catalysts are often more active and/or selective than their monometallic counterparts. The behaviour of such catalysts is frequently strongly dependent on the molar ratio of the two elements as well as nanoparticle size and the interaction with the support material. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) is an excellent surface analytical technique for probing the electronic properties of catalytic systems. When a mixture of pure and alloyed particles is present, it is more difficult to extract information from XPS given that it is a spatial averaging technique. Recently, the technique of medium energy ion scattering (MEIS) has been exploited to investigate the depth-dependent composition of nanoparticles on planar surfaces. Herein, we combine the two techniques to investigate the nature of Cu and Au nanoparticles deposited onto ultrathin CeO2 films on Si(111) examining their morphology and chemical composition as a function of annealing temperature for samples that have been maintained in an ultrahigh vacuum environment and exposed to air. The Cu/Au/CeO2/Si(111) is chosen as a model system in order to provide insight into how the catalytic properties of Cu/Au/CeO2 depend on the presence of discrete Cu and Au particles versus fully intermixed Cu/Au systems.PostprintPeer reviewe

Conceitos de Relatividade Geral – Uma abordagem para o ensino de Física no Ensino Médio

Considering Chevallard’s didactic transposition theory, we propose an approach for teaching General Relativity in high school. In this sense, we develop the discussion of concepts relative to the formalism built by Einstein thorugh a qualitative presentation, directed to teachers, concerning the mathematical objects and equations linked to these concepts without neglecting the required subtleties for the theory understanding. We thus hope teachers may be able to assimilate the topics which are often neglect or reticently presented during their academic background; hence, we expect the possibility of a solid based instruction for basic education students, taking into account the knowledge transformation grounded in Chevallard’s theoretical reference. We treat subjects such as the Equivalence Principle, the geodesic’s equation and Einstein’s field equations, in a constant approximation process in relation to the topics traditionally treated during classes, and we also suggest the creation a following teaching able to apply the exposition of the presented concepts.Considerando a teoria de transposição didática de Chevallard, propõe-se uma abordagem para o ensino de Relatividade Geral no Ensino Médio. Desenvolve-se, nesse âmbito, a discussão de conceitos relativos ao formalismo construído por Einstein por intermédio de uma apresentação, direcionada aos professores, com caráter qualitativo, dos objetos matemáticos e equações referentes a tais conceitos sem, entretanto, negligenciar os meandros intrínsecos à compreensão da teoria. Espera-se, desse modo, a apreensão, por parte dos docentes, de tópicos frequentemente negligenciados – ou tratados de maneira reticente – em seu processo de formação e, consequentemente, a possibilidade de um ensino com bases sólidas aos alunos do ensino básico, levando em conta a transformação do conhecimento embasada pelo referencial teórico de Chevallard. São expostos temas como o Princípio da Equivalência, a equação da geodésica e as equações de campo de Einstein, em um constante processo de aproximação com os tópicos já tradicionalmente tratados em sala de aula, bem como sugere-se a construção de uma sequência didática capaz de aplicar a exposição dos conceitos aqui discutidos