The use of educational robotics in the development of students’ computational thinking and cognitive skills: a systematic literature review

Educational robotics and computational thinking can improve students’ cognition by stimulating logical reasoning and creative and collaborative problem solving. In this sense, this article presents a systematic review of the literature that investigated the use of educational robotics and computational thinking in the cognitive development of students. 1080 relevant articles were identified in scientific databases and, after applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, 41 articles were selected for more detailed analysis, of which 15 were directly related to the purpose of the review. Most of the investigated studies showed a positive result, indicating that robotics and computational thinking can contribute to improving students’ cognition, stimulating skills such as problem solving, logical reasoning and creativity

Precision technologies to address dairy cattle welfare: focus on lameness, mastitis and body condition

Specific animal-based indicators that can be used to predict animal welfare have been the core of protocols for assessing the welfare of farm animals, such as those produced by the Welfare Quality project. At the same time, the contribution of technological tools for the accurate and realtime assessment of farm animal welfare is also evident. The solutions based on technological tools fit into the precision livestock farming (PLF) concept, which has improved productivity, economic sustainability, and animal welfare in dairy farms. PLF has been adopted recently; nevertheless, the need for technological support on farms is getting more and more attention and has translated into significant scientific contributions in various fields of the dairy industry, but with an emphasis on the health and welfare of the cows. This review aims to present the recent advances of PLF in dairy cow welfare, particularly in the assessment of lameness, mastitis, and body condition, which are among the most relevant animal-based indications for the welfare of cows. Finally, a discussion is presented on the possibility of integrating the information obtained by PLF into a welfare assessment framework.FE1B-06B2-126F | Jos? Pedro Pinto de Ara?joN/

Influence of cations Ca2+, Mg2+ and Zn2+ on the flotation and surface charge of smithsonite and dolomite with sodium oleate and sodium silicate.

using sodium oleate and sodium silicate. Microflotation test results demonstrated recoveries of 95% and 5% for smithsonite and dolomite, respectively, from 2.5 ? 10?5 M sodium oleate and 50 mg/L sodium silicate at pH 9.5. The smithsonite was depressed by the cations Ca2+ and Mg2+ and, the dolomite was depressed by Zn2+ cations, which was probably caused by the reaction of these cations with the oleate anions in the solution, decreasing the concentration of collector available for adsorption onto the minerals. The powerful depression of smithsonite caused by Ca2+ cations compared with that caused by Mg2+ cations can be considered to have occurred because of the higher concentration of Ca2+ in the solution. From the zeta potential measurements at pH 9.5, we concluded that the predominant species of oleate and of sodium silicate were adsorbed onto both minerals, and the silicate species prevented the adsorption of oleate anions onto dolomite. The decrease in the negative zeta potential of both minerals after cation conditioning can be related to the electrostatic attraction between the cations and the negative sites on their surfaces. The negative zeta potential of smithsonite increased at a concentration of 1 ? 10?6MCa2+ and Mg2+,whereas the potential decreases at a concentration of 1 ? 10?3 M, which can be related to a lower concentration of oleate anions being available for adsorption

Forecasting shifts in habitat suitability across the distribution range of a temperate small pelagic fish under different scenarios of climate change

Climate change often leads to shifts in the distribution of small pelagic fish, likely by changing the match-mismatch dynamics between these sensitive species within their environmental optima. Using present-day habitat suitability, we projected how different scenarios of climate change (IPCC Representative Concentration Pathways 2.6, 4.5 and 8.5) may alter the large scale distribution of European sardine Sardina pilchardus (a model species) by 2050 and 2100. We evaluated the variability of species-specific environmental optima allowing a comparison between present-day and future scenarios. Regardless of the scenario, sea surface temperature and salinity and the interaction between current velocity and distance to the nearest coast were the main descriptors responsible for the main effects on sardine's distribution. Present-day and future potential “hotspots” for sardine were neritic zones ( 20 (PSU), on average. Most variability in projected shifts among climatic scenarios was in habitats with moderate to low suitability. By the end of this century, habitat suitability was projected to increase in the Canary Islands, Iberian Peninsula, central North Sea, northern Mediterranean, and eastern Black Sea and to decrease in the Atlantic African coast, southwest Mediterranean, English Channel, northern North Sea and Western U.K. A gradual poleward-eastward shift in sardine distribution was also projected among scenarios. This shift was most pronounced in 2100 under RCP 8.5. In that scenario, sardines had a 9.6% range expansion which included waters along the entire coast of Norway up and into the White Sea. As habitat suitability is mediated by the synergic effects of climate variability and change on species fitness, it is critical to apply models with robust underlying species-habitat data that integrate knowledge on the full range of processes shaping species productivity and distribution.Preprin

TECHNICAL VIABILITY OF TANNINS OF FOUR FOREST SPECIES OF BRAZILIAN SEMI-ARID REGION TO SKIDDER SKINS

Os taninos vegetais s\ue3o encontrados em v\ue1rias esp\ue9cies florestais. Atualmente, os curtidores da Regi\ue3o Nordeste t\ueam no angico-vermelho (Anadenanthera colubrina var. cebil), sua \ufanica fonte de taninos. Este estudo teve como objetivos avaliar o potencial tan\uedfero e a capacidade curtente dos taninos, por meios das caracter\uedsticas f\uedsico-mec\ue2nicas das peles curtidas, de quatro esp\ue9cies florestais de ocorr\ueancia no Semi-\uc1rido brasileiro, visando a possibilitar a diversifica\ue7\ue3o de esp\ue9cies a serem utilizadas nos curtumes da regi\ue3o. Os taninos foram obtidos de angico (Anadenanthera colubrina var. cebil), cajueiro (Anacardium occidentale), jurema-preta (Mimosa tenuiflora) e de jurema-vermelha (Mimosa arenosa). Peles de caprinos foram curtidas com os taninos extra\ueddos dessas esp\ue9cies e comparadas a peles curtidas com tanino comercial de ac\ue1cia negra ("Seta Natur"). Amostras de peles curtidas foram submetidas a testes de resist\ueancia \ue0 tra\ue7\ue3o, ao alongamento e ao rasgamento progressivo. Verificaram-se bons resultados das peles curtidas com os taninos obtidos de jurema-preta e jurema-vermelha. Pela abund\ue2ncia no Semi-\uc1rido brasileiro, a jurema-preta e a jurema-vermelha apresentam potencial de explora\ue7\ue3o para obten\ue7\ue3o de taninos, havendo a necessidade pesquisas que indiquem as melhores formas de aplica\ue7\ue3o dos taninos obtidos.Vegetable tannins are found in several forest species.Actually, the Northeast Brazilian tanners have, on Anadenanthera colubrina var. cebil, theironly source of vegetable tannins.This study aimed to evaluate the tanning capacity of tannins extracted from four vegetable species of Brazilian Semi-arid region, seeking to make possible the diversification of species to be used in tannings in the region. Thus, physical and mechanical characteristics of bovid treated skins with extract tannic of Anadenanthera colubrina var. cebil, Anacardium occidentale, Mimosa tenuiflora and Mimosa arenosa were analyzed. Thebovidskins were tanned with extracted tannins of those species and compared to tanned skins by tannins of Acacia mearnsii ("Seta Natur" commercial tannin). The samples of tanned skins were submitted to tension, lengthening and progressive tear resistance tests. Good results were verified to tanned skins by Mimosa tenuiflora and Mimosa arenosa. Due to the abundance of these species in Brazilian Semi-arid region, they showed potential to exploration of tannins. However, researches are necessaries to indicate the best forms of application of obtained tannins

School management, autonomy and social mobilization : the view of public school teachers in the Inconfidente Region ? MG.

Este artigo tem por objetivo discutir o princ?pio da autonomia e da capacidade de mobiliza??o social em processos de gest?o escolar, mediante dados levantados na pesquisa de abordagem qualitativa, intitulada ?Desenvolvimento Profissional Docente e Inova??o Pedag?gica: estudo explorat?rio sobre contribui??es do Pibid?. As an?lises apresentadas s?o resultado de entrevistas semiestruturadas, realizadas com 30 (trinta) professores das redes p?blicas municipais e estaduais de ensino das cidades de Mariana e Ouro Preto, do estado de Minas Gerais. A conclus?o aponta que, somente em um contexto de luta, de press?es e de efetivas mudan?as, a escola poder? fortalecer sua autonomia que se instaura como princ?pio indispens?vel ao processo de mobiliza??o social, enquanto instrumento de fortalecimento da cidadania e constru??o de uma gest?o escolar democr?tica.This article aims to discuss the principle of autonomy and the capacity of social mobilization in school management processes. We used the collected data in a qualitative research entitled "Teaching Professional Development and Pedagogical Innovation: exploratory study on the contributions of Pibid". The analyze conclusions are the results of semi-structured interviews conducted with 30 (thirty) teachers of the municipal and state public schools in the cities of Mariana and Ouro Preto, State of Minas Gerais. The conclusions point that only in a context of pressure and effective changing, can a school strengthen its autonomy as an essential principle to the process of social mobilization, and an instrument for strengthening citizenship and building democratic school management

The “Soft Skills” of plastic surgeons and their teams, compared to other occupations in a COVID-19 pandemic environment

Introduction: This article aims to understand the importance of “Soft Skills “digital recruitment and selection. The term “Soft Skills” means psychological attitudes and constructive behaviors in interacting with people and groups. In this context, the tools used to evaluate them and the appropriate Soft Skills in the various professional areas during COVID-19 were identified. Methods: The primary data collection was carried out through interviews with experts in April 2020, and a survey applied between July and December 2020. After cleaning the data, the sample resulted in 169 respondents, allowing the performing descriptive statistical analysis of the data. Results: It was observed that Soft Skills have become more strategic in COVID-19. In addition, when comparing physicians specializing in Plastic Surgery with other professions, there was a higher incidence of the degree of total agreement among plastic surgeons. Conclusion: The results found may suggest that the strategic importance of Soft Skills has become even more intense among physicians specializing in Plastic Surgery. These results, obtained through a survey with quantitative data, align with this article’s scientific literature and with corporate organizations’ studies

Caracteriza??o socioecon?mica, estado nutricional e preval?ncia de inseguran?a alimentar em idosos usu?rios do restaurante popular de um munic?pio do nordeste brasileiro.

Introdu??o: O processo de envelhecimento pode afetar a sa?de dos idosos, e ainda aumentar os casos de dist?rbios nutricionais. A condi??o de Inseguran?a Alimentar (IA) instalada ? um poss?vel desencadeador destes dist?rbios, a mesma est? presente quando o indiv?duo tem limitada ou incerta a possibilidade de adquirir alimentos, e/ou ainda quando existe o comprometimento da disponibilidade de alimentos. Objetivos: Caracterizar o perfil socioecon?mico, estado nutricional e a preval?ncia de inseguran?a alimentar em usu?rios (n=62) idosos do Restaurante Popular (RP) do Munic?pio de Santa Cruz-RN. M?todos: Os entrevistados responderam um question?rio estruturado abordando caracter?sticas socioecon?micas e perfil cl?nico. Aplicou- se a Escala Brasileira de Inseguran?a Alimentar (EBIA) que classifica as pessoas em graus de (In)seguran?a Alimentar, podendo variar entre os n?veis leve, moderado e grave. Ainda realizou-se a antropometria (peso, altura, IMC e CA) com o grupo. Resultados: Observou-se uma preval?ncia do sexo masculino, com faixa et?ria entre 65 a 75 anos, casados, com renda mensal maior que um sal?rio m?nimo. A maioria dos idosos apresentou hipertens?o e diabetes, sendo verificada a predomin?ncia de excesso de peso e risco muito elevado para doen?as cr?nicas, em ambos os sexos. Houve uma preval?ncia da condi??o de IA em 42,0% da amostra, variando nos n?veis de leve, moderado e grave (27%, 13% e 2% respectivamente). Conclus?o: Aproximadamente metade dos idosos possu?a a situa??o de IA instalada e incid?ncia de doen?as cr?nicas n?o transmiss?veis, o que pode comprometer a sa?de e qualidade de vida dos mesmos. Por isso ? v?lido refor?ar import?ncia de interven??es nutricionais como uma forma de melhorias nesses aspectos. Contudo esta ainda ? uma problem?tica no referido munic?pio devido n?o existirem profissionais nutricionistas nas Unidades B?sicas de Sa?de. Entretanto o RP ? um equipamento que conta com este profissional, e por isso oferece refei??es equilibradas para seu p?blico.Introduction: The aging process can affect the health of the elderly, and even increase the cases of nutritional disorders. The installed Food Insecurity condition (IA) is a possible trigger of these disorders, it is present when the individual has limited or uncertain the possibility of acquiring food, and / or when there is compromised food availability. Objective: To characterize the socioeconomic profile, nutritional status and prevalence of food insecurity among elderly (n = 62) users of the Popular Restaurant (PR) in the Municipality of Santa Cruz-RN. Methods: Respondents answered a structured questionnaire addressing socioeconomic characteristics and clinical profile. The Brazilian Food Insecurity Scale (EBIA) was applied, which classifies people in degrees of (In) food safety, and can vary between mild, moderate and severe levels. Anthropometry (weight, height, BMI and CA) was also performed with the group. Results: A prevalence of males, aged 65-75 years, married, with a monthly income greater than a minimum wage was observed. The majority of the elderly presented hypertension and diabetes, being verified the predominance of excess weight and very high risk for chronic diseases, in both sexes. There was a prevalence of AI in 42.0% of the sample, varying in mild, moderate and severe (27%, 13% and 2%, respectively). Conclusion: Approximately half of the elderly had the condition of AI installed and incidence of chronic noncommunicable diseases, which may compromise their health and quality of life. It is therefore worth emphasizing the importance of nutritional interventions as a way of improving these aspects. However, it is still a problem in this municipality because there are no nutritionists in the Basic Health Units. Meanwhile, PR is an equipment that counts on this professional, and therefore offers balanced meals for its public

Oral formulation of DPP-4 inhibitor plus Quercetin improves metabolic homeostasis in type 1 diabetic rats.

This study aimed to investigate the potential of an oral formulation (QV formulation) containing Quercetin and a Dipeptidyl Peptidase-4 Inhibitor (DPP-4 inhibitor), Vildagliptin, in improving metabolic homeostasis in type 1 diabetes model. Female albino Fischer rats were divided into four groups: untreated control animals (C), untreated diabetic animals (D), diabetic animals treated with QV formulation (DQV), and diabetic animals treated with insulin (DI). Diabetes was induced by injection of alloxan (135?mg?kg body mass)?1 and confirmed by glycemic test. After the 30-day treatment period, biochemical parameters were analyzed in the pancreas, liver, and serum. Histopathological changes in pancreatic tissue were examined by Hematoxyline & Eosin staining and the insulin content in the islet measured by immunohistochemistry with anti-insulin antibody. The glycogen content in the hepatocytes was quantified by Periodic Schiff Acid staining. The QV formulation reduced the glycemia, preserved the pancreatic architecture, increased insulin levels, furthermore ameliorated lipid profile and to promote higher survival rate of animals. Together, our data suggest that the QV formulation treatment was able to normalize metabolic homeostasis in type 1 diabetic rats