Development of a GIS-Based Information System for Watershed Monitoring in Mato Grosso, Central Brazil

This paper describes the conceptual framework and implementation of a prototype for a GIS-based Information System for Watershed Monitoring and Planning in the state of Mato Grosso, Central Brazil. The system was developed to support the implementation of water resources management policies passed by Brazilian federal and state legislatures in 1997.The first phase of the information system development was focused on database design, to create modules for the storage and pre-processing of diverse environmental data sets and for georeferenced registration and control of water users. The GIS environment includes tools for data mining and integrating the NGFlow and QUAL2E models for river runoff and water quality simulation; these tools were successfully validated in the Cuiabá River basin. To guarantee acceptance and continuity of system maintenance in regions under development, GIS applications for watershed management should be component-based. They should also integrate models with robustness for input data that are poor in consistency and quality. Finally, they should be implemented with development tools already used by local technical staff and have a high degree of user friendliness.This paper describes the conceptual framework and implementation of a prototype for a GIS-based Information System for Watershed Monitoring and Planning in the state of Mato Grosso, Central Brazil. The system was developed to support the implementation of water resources management policies passed by Brazilian federal and state legislatures in 1997.The first phase of the information system development was focused on database design, to create modules for the storage and pre-processing of diverse environmental data sets and for georeferenced registration and control of water users. The GIS environment includes tools for data mining and integrating the NGFlow and QUAL2E models for river runoff and water quality simulation; these tools were successfully validated in the Cuiabá River basin. To guarantee acceptance and continuity of system maintenance in regions under development, GIS applications for watershed management should be component-based. They should also integrate models with robustness for input data that are poor in consistency and quality. Finally, they should be implemented with development tools already used by local technical staff and have a high degree of user friendliness

Preparação e caracterização de diferentes nanotransportadores sem substância ativa

Os nanotransportadores (NT) são sistemas desenvolvidos à escala nanométrica (< 1μm) sendo usados como veículo de substâncias ativas (SA) [1]. Atualmente a maioria dos trabalhos foca o encapsulamento de fármacos e caracterização dos NT obtidos, sendo escassos os dados relativos a NT sem SA. Este trabalho teve como objectivo a preparação e caracterização de diferentes tipos de NT sem SA: lipossomas (L), nanocápsulas (NC), nanoesferas (NE) e transportadores lipídicos nanoestruturados (NLC). Os lipossomas foram preparados pelo método de hidratação do filme lipídico seguido de extrusão mecânica, as NC e NE por nanoprecipitação e os NLC por homogeneização a alta pressão a quente. Cada NT foi preparado mediante a realização de 3 ensaios independentes. Os NT obtidos foram caracterizados no que respeita (i) a sua concentração, por análise de localização de nanopartículas, (ii) tamanho médio e (iii) índice de polidispersão (PdI) ambos por dispersão dinâmica de luz, (iv) potencial Zeta e (v) pH

A data driven approach to the evaluation of ewe, lamb, flock and farmer factors that influence productivity of UK sheep farms

In light of current concerns about the environmental and economic sustainability of livestock production, a clear understanding of the best husbandry strategies and drivers of animal productivity is paramount. In the United Kingdom (UK) alone there are 17 million breeding sheep, representing an important share of the total ruminant population; however, there is no baseline information on the most common sheep husbandry practices or which factors make an enterprise most productive. In this context, this thesis aimed at expanding the current knowledge on the most common management strategies implemented by UK sheep farmers, and at comparing the productivity levels across farms, to gain an understanding of the factors and practices related to enterprise production. Since the growth of lambs greatly influences the productivity of a flock, a further objective was to explore in detail the role of disease on lamb growth. Furthermore, because flock recording practices were hypothesised to have a positive influence on productivity, an additional aim of this work was to explore the factors behind adoption of technology on sheep farms for recording of animal information. This thesis is structured into seven Chapters. Chapter 1 provides background information on the whole project and defines the objectives of the research. Chapter 2 provides a detailed review of the statistical and modelling methods used, as well as the types of data available. Chapters 3 to 6 present the main results of this research, which are summarised below and Chapter 7 comprises a discussion of the wider relevance of the results. Chapter 3 presents the results corresponding to the first objective of this thesis, which was to evaluate husbandry with an influence on productivity at flock level, with a special emphasis on disease control practices. A questionnaire focusing on farm characteristics, general husbandry and flock health management was carried out in 648 farms located in the UK over summer 2016. Abattoir sales data (lamb sales over 12 months) was compared with the number of breeding ewes on farm to estimate flock productivity (number of lambs sold for meat per 100 ewes per farm per year). The results of a multivariable linear regression model, conducted on 615 farms with complete data, indicated that farms vaccinating ewes against abortion and clostridial agents and administering a group 4 or 5 anthelmintic to ewes (as recommended by the Sustainable Control of Parasites in Sheep Initiative) during quarantining, had a greater flock productivity than farms not implementing these. Flocks with maternal breed types had higher productivity indices (number of lambs sold for meat per 100 ewes per farm per year) compared with flocks with either pure hill or terminal breeds, and farms weighing lambs during lactation had greater productivity than those not weighing. Importantly, these actions were associated with other disease control practices, for example, treating individual lame ewes with an antibiotic injection, and carrying out faecal egg counts as well as weaning lambs between 13 and 15 weeks of age suggesting that an increase in productivity may be associated with the combined effect of these factors. This study provided new evidence on the positive relationship between sheep flock performance and disease control measures and demonstrated that lamb sales data can be used as a baseline source of information on flock performance and for farm benchmarking. The first objective of this thesis was further addressed with a complementary study to investigate additional factors (related to flock nutrition, grassland management and animal selection) with a relationship to flock productivity, defined in this case as financial lamb-derived revenue. The results of this study are presented in Chapter 4. From a population of 830 sheep farms, 408 farmers completed a detailed online questionnaire comprising over 300 variables. Total lamb-derived revenue was calculated for each farm which included the use of detailed abattoir information on carcass weight and conformation. The median flock size was 560 ewes and median land size 265 acres. The median revenue per acre from lambs sold during the study period (2017) was £197 (IQR=120-296) and median revenue per ewe £95 (IQR=72-123). A robust analytic approach using regularised (elastic net) regression with bootstrapping was implemented to account for multicollinearity in the data and to reduce the likelihood of model over-fitting. To provide model inference and allow ranking of variables in terms of relevance for follow up intervention studies, both covariate stability and coefficient distributions were evaluated. Factors with high stability and a relatively large positive association with revenue per acre were; increased stocking rate, fertilizer being used on most of the grazing land, the use of rotational grazing, decreased proportion of ewes with prolapses, separation of lame sheep from the rest of the flock, selecting ewes for culling based on prolapses and infertility, conducting body condition scoring of at least the majority of ewes in the flock at lambing, early lactation or weaning, increased farmer education and farmers with a positive business attitude. Additional factors with a high stability and relatively large associations with increased revenue per ewe were; never trimming diseased feet of lame ewes and keeping good farm records. This appears to be the first study in animal health epidemiology to use bootstrapped regularised regression to evaluate a wide dataset to provide a ranking of the importance of explanatory covariates. From a wide dataset, this enabled identification of a relatively small set of variables with a potentially large influence on lamb-derived revenue which can be considered prime candidates for future intervention studies. The second objective of this project was to gain a better understanding of the role of lamb and ewe factors on lamb growth, with a special emphasis on the impact of disease cases. The corresponding results are presented in Chapter 5. The primary aim of this study was to use longitudinal data to quantify the simultaneous effects of multiple ewe and lamb factors on lamb growth rate; a secondary aim was to evaluate model structures that specifically account for lamb grouping effects during the growth period and compare these to classical hierarchical growth rate models. A total of 4172 weight recordings from 805 lambs and data on disease events were collected over a 6-month period from a commercial pedigree sheep flock. Three mixed model structures were compared, hierarchical, cross classified and multiple membership, and final estimates determined within a Bayesian framework. The multiple membership structure provided the best model fit and was used for final inference; taking account of the effect of lamb grouping over time provided the best estimates of lamb growth rate. Ewe lameness and mastitis cases had a deleterious impact on lamb growth. Lambs from ewes identified with mastitis during lactation were on average 3.0 kg lighter during the four month growth period than lambs from unaffected ewes. Lambs from ewes that were not lame during pregnancy were 3.0 kg heavier at eight weeks of age than lambs from ewes with a least one lameness case during the same period. Lambs from ewes lame either during the first 4 weeks or between 4-8 weeks of a lamb’s life (but not lame during pregnancy) were also significantly heavier at 56 days of age, than lambs reared by ewes that were lame during pregnancy (2.8 and 3.3 kg respectively). Cases of pneumonia and bacterial arthritis in lambs had a significant negative impact on lamb growth with affected lambs being on average 5.5 kg and 2.2 kg less than non-affected lambs respectively after the disease event. Prior to a case of lameness or pneumonia, lambs were significantly heavier than unaffected lambs suggesting a possible trade-off between growth and immune function. Overall, the study provided evidence that a combination of ewe and lamb characteristics and disease events play an important role in determining lamb growth rate and that heavier lambs may be more susceptible to disease. The last objective of this thesis was to enhance the understanding of factors that influence the use of tools for recording of animal information on sheep farms, and to evaluate the impact of both farmer characteristics and attitudes towards flock recording technology. The results of the first chapters of this thesis indicated that farmers with greater levels of flock productivity were carrying out more recording practices. The fact that individual electronic identification is mandatory in all adult sheep presents a great opportunity for more frequent and accurate recording on farms. The use of technologies such as Electronic Identification (EID) aid recording of individual animal specific information, but anecdotal evidence suggests they are not widely used. The aim of this study was to assess uptake of EID technology, and explore drivers and barriers of adoption of related tools among English and Welsh farmers, including the influence of farmer attitudes and demographic factors on the uptake decision. In this context, farm beliefs and management practices associated with adoption of this technology were investigated via a questionnaire. A total of 2000 questionnaires were sent, with a response rate of 22%. Among the respondents, 87 had adopted EID tools for recording flock information, 97 intended to adopt it in the future, and 222 had neither adopted it, nor intended adopting it. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and multivariable logistic regression modelling were used to identify farmer beliefs and management practices significantly associated with the adoption of EID technology. Exploratory factor analysis identified three factors expressing farmer’s beliefs – usefulness and practicality, and external pressure and negative feelings. These results suggest that farmer beliefs play a significant role in technology uptake. Interestingly, non-adopters of technology were more likely than adopters to believe that ‘government pressurise farmers to adopt technology’. In contrast, adopters were significantly more likely than non-adopters to see EID as practical and useful. Farmers with higher information technology literacy and intending to intensify production in the future were significantly more likely to adopt EID technology. Importantly, flocks managed with EID tools had significantly lower farmer- reported flock lameness levels. These findings bring insights on the dynamics of adoption of EID tools and suggest that communicating evidence of the positive effects EID tools on flock performance and strengthening farmer’s capability in use of technology are likely to enhance the uptake of this technology in sheep farms. The application of a wide range of modelling methods, such as traditional linear regression, logistic regression, multilevel (mixed effect) modelling and regularised regression combined with rich cross-sectional and longitudinal datasets, have allowed the identification of a range of factors associated with productivity on UK sheep farms. From the factors identified, those with the greatest effects on productivity at individual and flock levels provide a basis for where future research may be appropriate to ensure the effects are causal. The issue of causality is discussed in Chapter 7 and possible causal pathways hypothesised; next research steps could include conducting randomised controlled trials to evaluate more clearly the impact of specific factors identified in this research on sheep farm productivity

Tétano grave em adultos.

Trabalho de Conclusão de Curso - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Departamento de Clínica Médica, Curso de Medicina, Florianópolis, 199

Engineering properties of geopolymer concrete: a review

Geopolymer concrete (GPC) could be a solution that uses a cementless binder and recycled materials for producing concrete, while reducing the carbon dioxide emission and the demand for raw materials. In addition to the environmental aspect, previous studies on GPC showed that it can achieve mechanical characteristics higher than those of ordinary Portland concrete (OPC) such as greater strength a few days after casting, and it can be suitable for structural applications. In this paper, the state-of-the-art review of GPC is presented through an extensive literature analysis to determine the most recent information regarding the engineering properties of geopolymer concrete and the critical issues that prevent its widespread use and to put forward suggestions for future research. In particular, the physical properties in both fresh and hardened states and the mechanical characteristics are investigated; the structural performance of geopolymer concrete elements is also outlined

Seletividade alimentar dos koalas do Jardim Zoológico de Lisboa

Dissertação de Mestrado Integrado em Medicina VeterináriaO objetivo deste trabalho foi estudar a seletividade alimentar dos koalas do Jardim Zoológico de Lisboa. Para tal, efetuou-se uma análise estatística dos registos diários sobre o consumo dos mesmos, recolhidos pelos seus tratadores no período compreendido entre 2008 e 2012, conduziram-se testes de cafetaria para analisar as preferências alimentares destes animais e determinados aspetos do seu comportamento alimentar, e, por último, determinou-se o conteúdo nutricional (matéria seca, cinza, fibra e proteína) de 54 amostras de eucalipto fornecido aos koalas. Os animais estudados têm acesso a uma dieta diversificada (cerca de 30 espécies de eucalipto), o que permite um elevado nível de seletividade. As análises estatísticas mostraram diferenças significativas (P ≤ 0,05) entre o nível de preferência médio individual dos koalas do Jardim Zoológico de Lisboa, o que pode estar relacionado com diferenças fisiológicas (sexo, idade, estado reprodutivo) e/ou com experiências alimentares prévias. Os indivíduos analisados mostraram um nível de preferência superior para determinadas espécies de eucalipto, tais como Eucalyptus botryoides, E. camaldulensis, E. globulus, E. macarthuri, E. occidentalis, E. ovata, E. polyanthemus, E. robusta e E. tereticornis. Foi detetada variação dos níveis médios de preferências ao longo do ano das espécies de eucalipto mais frequentemente fornecidas aos koalas. Esta informação poderá vir a ser útil para os veterinários e tratadores do Jardim Zoológico de Lisboa, permitindo a provisão diferenciada de alimento ao longo do ano e uma melhor gestão dos arboretos de onde provém o alimento dos koalas. Os animais sob estudo exibiram um nível médio de preferência superior para as espécies de eucalipto procedentes da Mata do Escaroupim, à exceção de E. maculata, E. occidentalis, E. perrianiana e E. rudis, que possuíram um nível de preferência superior quando foram originárias do Instituto Superior de Agronomia. Estas diferenças podem estar relacionadas com diferenças a nível genético entre as duas populações ou com a diferente idade das árvores dos dois locais. Os teores nutricionais das amostras de eucalipto analisadas foram similares aos referidos na literatura. Todas as amostras apresentaram níveis de azoto superiores ao limite mínimo para a manutenção de koalas referido na literatura. Os resultados deste trabalho estão em conformidade com as últimas descobertas, que sublinham a complexidade entre a ingestão, a palatabilidade e a composição química da folhagem na ecologia alimentar dos koalas.ABSTRACT - The aim of his work was to study the feeding preferences of the koalas from the Zoo of Lisbon. First, a statistical analysis of the available data (between 2008 and 2012, recorded by the keepers) about the daily food preference level of the koalas was conducted, for different Eucalyptus species. Secondly, some “cafeteria trials” were performed to examine some aspects of the koalas’ food preferences and feeding behavior. Finally, nutritional content (dry matter, ash, fiber and protein) of 56 samples of Eucalyptus given to koalas was analyzed. The five animals under study have access to a very diverse diet (about 30 eucalyptus species), which allows a great level of selectivity. Statistical analysis indicated significant differences (P ≤ 0,05) between the food average preference levels of individual koalas, which may be related with physiological (age, sex, reproductive state) and/or sociological differences between them, and even with previous food experiences. Koalas showed a higher average level of preferences for some Eucalyptus species, like Eucalyptus botryoides, E. camaldulensis, E. globulus, E. macarthuri, E. occidentalis, E. ovata, E. polyanthemus, E. robusta and E. tereticornis. There was some variation of the average food preferences during the year. This information may become useful for keepers and veterinarians, allowing a differentiated feed supply during the year, as well as an optimization of the management of eucalyptus plantations. Koalas showed a higher average level of food preferences when the eucalyptus trees originated from Escaroupim forest, except for the species E. maculata, E. occidentalis, E. perrianiana and E. rudis, which showed a higher level of preferences when coming from Instituto Superior de Agronomia. These differences may be related to genetic and/or age differences between the tree populations of the places referred. The nutritional content of the eucalyptus samples was similar to that reported in the literature, when information about the eucalyptus species was available. Every sample presented greater nitrogen levels than the minimum threshold for koalas nutritional maintenance needs referred by Cork (1986). The results of this work are in accordance with the latest discoveries, which reveal the complexity in the interactions between ingestion, palatability and foliage composition in the koala food ecology

Leitura e escrita na EJA fase II do ensino fundamental : repensando a prática pedagógica

Orientadora: Profª Drª Sonia Maria Chaves HaracemivDissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal do Paraná, Setor de Educação, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Educação: Teoria e Prática de Ensino. Defesa : Curitiba, 31/08/2018Inclui referências: p.101-107Resumo: O objetivo desta pesquisa foi investigar as dificuldades dos educandos de EJA do Ensino Fundamental Fase II na aprendizagem da oralidade, de leitura e de escrita em classe multiseriada numa organização coletiva. Esse trabalho decorreu do enfrentamento cotidiano na docência em Língua Portuguesa questionando e buscando encaminhamentos para os desafios da prática pedagógica de leitura e de escrita ao atender a diversidade na EJA. Além disso, outras questões foram constituintes desse dilema, como tornar a aprendizagem de leitura e escrita um processo formativo considerando as diferenças e os perfis dos educandos da EJA? Como os diferentes perfis e trajetórias escolares dos educandos da EJA interferem na aprendizagem do ler, escrever e falar em Língua Portuguesa? Quais os desafios enfrentados nas práticas pedagógicas de Língua Portuguesa frente Às dificuldades de aprendizagem dos educandos da EJA? Qual a aproximação e distanciamento das DCEs e PPP no tocante ao ensino da Oralidade, da Leitura e da Escrita. Para tanto, foi preciso traçar os perfis dos sujeitos envolvidos na pesquisa, do Colégio Estadual Flávio Ferreira da Luz, no Bairro Sítio Cercado, periferia de Curitiba. Considerando as diferenças e a vida em sociedade dos educandos, buscando a importância dos atos de ler e escrever como processo de formação, bem como, as práticas pedagógicas de Leitura e Escrita nas aulas de Língua Portuguesa desenvolvidas na escola noturna. O trabalho fundamentou-se em Arroyo (2001; 2008, 2017), Antunes (2008), Branco (2014), Carrano (2007; 2008), Freire (1996; 1987), Geraldi (1984), Soares (1986), Schwartz (2012), dentre outros. A metodologia foi de pesquisa-ação, de abordagem qualitativa, a partir das observações, diagnósticos e práticas interventivas de leitura e produção de diferentes gêneros textuais. Os instrumentos de coleta de dados foram questionários e os textos produzidos pelos educandos. O resultado desse trabalho investigativo contribuiu para um repensar sobre as práticas efetivas no ensino e na aprendizagem de ler e escrever na EJA, além do exercício de ação e reflexão sobre as exigências do ato de ensinar, ouvindo os educandos e dialogando com eles. Palavras-chave: EJA. Ler e Escrever. Prática Pedagógica em Classe Multiseriada.Abstract: The objective of this research was to investigate the difficulties of the students of EJA of Elementary School Phase II in the learning of orality, reading and writing in a multiseriate class in a collective organization. This work was the result of the daily confrontation in teaching in Portuguese Language questioning and seeking referrals to the challenges of the pedagogical practice of reading and writing while attending diversity in the EJA. In addition, other issues were constituents of this dilemma, how to make reading and writing learning a formative process considering the differences and profiles of learners of the EJA? How do the different profiles and trajectories of the students of EJA affect the learning of reading, writing and speaking in Portuguese? What are the challenges faced in the pedagogical practices of Portuguese Language in face of the learning difficulties of the students of the EJA? What is the approximation and distance of DCEs and PPPs in relation to the teaching of orality, reading and writing. To do so, it was necessary to trace the profiles of the subjects involved in the research, from the Flavio Ferreira da Luz State College, in the Sitio Cercado Neighborhood, in the outskirts of Curitiba. Considering the differences and life in society of the students, searching for the importance of reading and writing as a training process, as well as the pedagogical practices of Reading and Writing in Portuguese Language classes developed in the night school. The work was based on Arroyo (2001, 2008, 2017), Antunes (2008), Branco (2014), Carrano (2007, 2008), Freire (1996, 1987), Geraldi (1984), Soares 2012), among others. The methodology was action research, with a qualitative approach, based on the observations, diagnoses and interventional practices of reading and production of different textual genres. The instruments of data collection were questionnaires and the texts produced by the students. The result of this investigative work contributed to a rethinking of the effective practices in teaching and learning to read and write in the EJA, besides the exercise of action and reflection on the demands of the act of teaching, listening to the students and dialoguing with them. Keywords: EJA. Reading and Writing. Pedagogic Practice with Multiseriate Class

As reformas educativas no Brasil dos anos 1990: repercussão histórica para o modelo de gestão escolar democrática

A escola pública no Brasil partir dos anos de 1990 sofreu profundas influências nos padrões de organização e gestão, ocasionadas por intervenções estatais resultantes dos desdobramentos assumidos pelas relações capitalistas, consubstanciadas pelo neoliberalismo. A emergência de novos modelos de gestão escolar demandou das políticas públicas novas relações entre o Estado e as políticas educacionais, revelando prioridades e compromissos na elaboração e implementação de programas e projetos educativos. A descentralização como princípio da reforma educacional encontra-se legitimada na Lei de Diretrizes e Bases da Educação Nacional – LDBEN n.º 9394/96 que orienta para o redimensionamento do sistema de ensino, através de novos referenciais de gerenciamento, com o objetivo de aumentar a produtividade e democratizar a educação formal. A orientação básica para a gestão educacional, a partir da LDB de 1996, é a ampliação da autonomia da escola nas dimensões pedagógica, administrativa e financeira, fortalecendo sua gestão

Variable selection for inferential models with relatively high-dimensional data: Between method heterogeneity and covariate stability as adjuncts to robust selection

Variable selection in inferential modelling is problematic when the number of variables is large relative to the number of data points, especially when multicollinearity is present. A variety of techniques have been described to identify ‘important’ subsets of variables from within a large parameter space but these may produce different results which creates difficulties with inference and reproducibility. Our aim was evaluate the extent to which variable selection would change depending on statistical approach and whether triangulation across methods could enhance data interpretation. A real dataset containing 408 subjects, 337 explanatory variables and a normally distributed outcome was used. We show that with model hyperparameters optimised to minimise cross validation error, ten methods of automated variable selection produced markedly different results; different variables were selected and model sparsity varied greatly. Comparison between multiple methods provided valuable additional insights. Two variables that were consistently selected and stable across all methods accounted for the majority of the explainable variability; these were the most plausible important candidate variables. Further variables of importance were identified from evaluating selection stability across all methods. In conclusion, triangulation of results across methods, including use of covariate stability, can greatly enhance data interpretation and confidence in variable selection