A utilização do software geogebra para a aprendizagem da função exponencial / The use of the geogebra software for learning of the exponential function

Este estudo deu ênfase a tendência da Informática e da Educação Matemática, a qual destaca a utilização de recursos tecnológicos como uma alternativa auxiliar ao processo de ensino-aprendizagem de Matemática. Teve como finalidade verificar se os alunos compreendem alguns conceitos sobre a função exponencial por meio da construção e análise de gráficos, com o auxílio do software GeoGebra. Para isso, realizou-se uma pesquisa de campo de natureza qualiquantitativa, com uma turma do 1º ano do Ensino Médio de uma escola pública de Petrolina-PE. O estudo em questão realizou-se por meio da análise de dois questionários destinados aos estudantes, a fim de averiguar seus conhecimentos prévios e posteriores, respectivamente, e por meio da observação participante durante a vivência da atividade de intervenção. Para o desenvolvimento da atividade de intervenção, elaborou-se previamente uma sequência didática, e após a sua aplicação, constatou-se que a utilização do GeoGebra, tornou os estudantes mais participativos, e, analisou-se com base no software SPSS 23.0 que o desenvolvimento dos estudantes após as manipulações com o GeoGebra, apresentou resultados significativos. Assim, concluiu-se que a utilização do software GeoGebra, a partir dos objetivos previamente estabelecidos, constituiu-se em uma excelente alternativa para facilitar o processo de ensino-aprendizagem da função exponencial.

Leisure as a mechanism to democratic reinforce of the public spaces: a study of leisure activities at Estação das Docas (Docks), Belém (Pará, Brazil)

Na cidade de Belém (Pará, Brasil), percebe-se que alguns espaços muitas vezes limitam os moradores, através de seus muros e gestão excludente. Nesta perspectiva, o objetivo principal do presente artigo foi analisar as diferentes práticas de lazer vivenciadas na Estação das Docas, além de buscar identificar e analisar se havia barreiras para a vivência do lazer, e quais seriam essas barreiras. Neste estudo, os procedimentos metodológicos incluíram a pesquisa de campo, através da observação direta e pesquisa bibliográfica, além de entrevistas semiestruturadas junto a quarenta frequentadores da Estação. Concluiu-se que as práticas de lazer na Estação eram das mais diversas, constituindo-se como um lugar para passear, namorar, apreciar o pôr-do-sol e conversar nos barzinhos e restaurantes. No entanto, havia diversas barreiras para a apropriação de algumas atividades promovidas pela Estação, como cinema, teatro e outras apresentações artísticas, que eram pouco conhecidas pelos frequentadores.In Belém (Pará, Brazil) it is noticed that some places imply limits to their neighborhood with walls or exclusionary management. In this sense, the aim of this paper was analyze different ways of leisure offered by Estação das Docas and thereby seek to identify and analyze if there were any barriers for the people to have leisure activities and what were these barriers. The methodology included field research, using direct observation and bibliographic research and besides, the study applied forty interviews to the users of the place. It was concluded that there were a great variety of leisure practices, being a place to walk, date, watch the sunset or talk in restaurants and pubs. Otherwise it was identified some barriers at that place, as movies, theater and another cultural activities which were little known by users

TECNOLOGIAS DE INFORMAÇÃO E COMUNICAÇÃO COMO INSTRUMENTO DE INCLUSÃO EM CASOS DE DIFICULDADES DE APRENDIZAGEM

The current information and communication technology (ict) is an importanttool in the learning consolidation process of people with a profile of school failure derivedfrom cognitive disabilities and neurological dysfunction. This is the type of problem thathappens to individuals with dyslexia – who display specific difficulties in reading and writing,and those with adhd, two of the major types of neuropsychological learning difficulties,conditions that cause low self-esteem and lack of social adjustment. such individuals have amedium-superior to a superior type of intelligence, but their brain activities differ from themajority of the population. This causes serious disturbances in their private and group life.this article aims at discussing the characteristics of those two types of disabilities and presentboth the use of technological tools for neurological research and the role of ict - informationand communication technology, as a medium for social inclusion through education.As atuais tecnologias de informação e comunicação (tic) são ferramentasimportantes na consolidação da aprendizagem de pessoas com perfil de fracasso escolarresultante de desabilidades cognitivas e disfunções neurológicas. Tais problemas ocorrem noscasos de indivíduos disléxicos – que apresentam dificuldade específica em leitura e escrita, enaqueles com déficit de atenção e hiperatividade, dois dos mais prevalentes tipos dedificuldades de aprendizagem neuropsicológicas, ambos causadores de baixa auto-estima edesajuste social. tais indivíduos têm inteligência média superior ou superior, mas umfuncionamento cerebral diverso do da maioria da população, o que causa sérios transtornosem sua vida pessoal e em grupo. O artigo pretende apresentar as características desses doistipos de distúrbio e comentar o estado da arte da utilização de ferramentas tecnológicasempregadas em pesquisas sobre essas diferenças cerebrais e o papel da tecnologia deinformação e comunicação usada como mediadora da inclusão social através da educação

Contribuições do jogo cara a cara dos poliedros na aprendizagem de duas turmas do 20 ano do ensino médio no sertão de Pernambuco/ Contributions of the game face to face of the polyhedra in the learning of two classes of the 2nd series of high school in the sertão of Pernambuco

A disciplina Matemática é vista por muitos alunos como uma disciplina complexa e desinteressante, devido à forma como é ensinada, baseada em métodos tradicionais nos quais os alunos resolvem longas listas de exercícios, totalmente desvinculadas de suas realidades, gerando, assim, desmotivação já que não conseguem ver sentido no estudo dessa disciplina. Para mudar esse quadro, faz-se necessário rever os métodos de ensino. Trabalhar de forma dinâmica pode reduzir os receios dos estudantes quanto à disciplina Matemática, além de tornar a sala de aula um ambiente mais agradável. Nessa perspectiva, os jogos matemáticos podem proporcionar um momento de aprendizagem diferenciado, pois os alunos se sentirão atraídos pela proposta do professor, logo se envolverão com a problemática do jogo a fim de se chegar a uma solução. Nesse processo, desenvolverão o pensamento crítico, a criatividade, o raciocínio lógico e a autonomia, possibilitando a construção de seu próprio conhecimento. Nesse sentido, este trabalho apresenta os Jogos Matemáticos como proposta de ensino, tendo como objetivo investigar as contribuições do jogo Cara a Cara dos Poliedros no processo de ensino e aprendizagem dos alunos da segunda série do Ensino Médio. Este estudo tem uma abordagem quantitativa, contemplou duas turmas do 20 ano do Ensino Médio de uma escola pública de Petrolina- PE, totalizando 50 estudantes. Inicialmente, foi aplicado um teste de sondagem para verificar as dificuldades e os conhecimentos prévios dos alunos em relação aos poliedros; depois se vivenciou o jogo Cara a Cara dos Poliedros, com o intuito de facilitar a aprendizagem. Posteriormente, aplicou-se um teste de verificação para analisar se houve melhoria na aprendizagem dos alunos, junto, também, com um questionário sobre a atividade vivenciada. Foi constatado que, apesar de os resultados terem sido parcialmente satisfatórios, os estudantes destacaram algumas contribuições do jogo Cara a Cara dos Poliedros, tais como: a interação, a diversão, a possibilidade de aprender brincando, a saída da rotina, a facilidade na apropriação dos conceitos, além de maior motivação para a aula. Assim, concluiu-se que, mesmo com os resultados apresentados, o jogo Cara a Cara dos Poliedros, desde que se planejem bem as ações, pode, sim, ser utilizado como ferramenta facilitadora na aprendizagem dos poliedros

Neurotensin Decreases the Proinflammatory Status of Human Skin Fibroblasts and Increases Epidermal Growth Factor Expression

Fibroblasts colonization into injured areas during wound healing (WH) is responsible for skin remodelling and is also involved in the modulation of inflammation, as fibroblasts are immunologically active. Herein, we aimed to determine neurotensin effect on the immunomodulatory profile of fibroblasts, both in homeostatic and inflammatory conditions. Neurotensin mediated responses occurred through NTR1 or NTR3 receptors, while under inflammatory conditions NTR1 expression increase seemed to modulate neurotensin responses. Among different immunomodulatory genes, CCL11, IL-8, and IL-6 were the most expressed genes, while CCL4 and EGF were the less expressed genes. After neurotensin exposure, IL-8 mRNA expression was increased while CCL11 was decreased, suggesting a proinflammatory upregulation and chemoattractant ability downregulation of fibroblasts. Under inflammatory conditions, gene expression was significantly increased. After neurotensin exposure, CCL4 and IL-6 mRNA expression were decreased while CCL11 was increased, suggesting again a decrease in the chemoattractant capacity of fibroblasts and in their proinflammatory status. Furthermore, the expression of EGF, a crucial growth factor for skin cells proliferation and WH, was increased in all conditions. Overall, neurotensin, released by nerve fibers or skin cells, may be involved in the decrease of the chemotaxis and the proinflammatory status in the proliferation and remodelling phases of WH

Mechanomodulatory biomaterials prospects in scar prevention and treatment

Scarring is a major clinical issue that affects a considerable number of patients. The associated problems go beyond the loss of skin functionality, as scars bring aesthetic, psychological, and social difficulties. Therefore, new strategies are required to improve the process of healing and minimize scar formation. Research has highlighted the important role of mechanical forces in the process of skin tissue repair and scar formation, in addition to the chemical signalling. A more complete understanding of how engi- neered biomaterials can modulate these mechanical stimuli and modify the mechanotransduction signals in the wound microenvironment is expected to enable scar tissue reduction. The present review aims to provide an overview of our current understanding of skin biomechanics and mechanobiology underlying wound healing and scar formation, with an emphasis on the development of novel mechanomodulatory wound dressings with the capacity to offload mechanical tension in the wound environment. Further- more, a broad overview of current challenges and future perspectives of promising mechanomodulatory biomaterials for this application are provided.The authors would like to acknowledge Portuguese Foun dation for Science and Technology (FCT) for funding the research project Dressing4Scars M-ERA-NET2/0013/2016, and LP da Silva (2020.01541.CEECIND/CP1600/CT0024), and to Norte-01-0145-FEDER-02219015 (MT Cerqueira)

Integrin-specific hydrogels for growth factor-free vasculogenesis

Integrin-binding biomaterials have been extensively evaluated for their capacity to enable de novo formation of capillary-like structures/vessels, ultimately supporting neovascularization in vivo. Yet, the role of integrins as vascular initiators in engineered materials is still not well understood. Here, we show that αvβ3 integrin-specific 3D matrices were able to retain PECAM1+ cells from the stromal vascular fraction (SVF) of adipose tissue, triggering vasculogenesis in vitro in the absence of extrinsic growth factors. Our results suggest that αvβ3-RGD-driven signaling in the formation of capillary-like structures prevents the activation of the caspase 8 pathway and activates the FAK/paxillin pathway, both responsible for endothelial cells (ECs) survival and migration. We also show that prevascularized αvβ3 integrin-specific constructs inosculate with the host vascular system fostering in vivo neovascularization. Overall, this work demonstrates the ability of the biomaterial to trigger vasculogenesis in an integrin-specific manner, by activating essential pathways for EC survival and migration within a self-regulatory growth factor microenvironment. This strategy represents an improvement to current vascularization routes for Tissue Engineering constructs, potentially enhancing their clinical applicability.The authors would like to acknowledge the financial support from the Consolidator Grant “ECM_INK” (ERC-2016-COG-726061) and the Starting Grant “CapBed” (ERC2018-STG-805411), to the FSE/POCH (Fundo Social Europeu através do Programa Operacional do Capital Humano) under the scope of the PD/169/2013, NORTE-08- 5369-FSE-000037 (H.R.M.), and to FCT/MCTES (Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia/ Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia, e Ensino Superior) through the grants SFRH/BD/119756/2016 (D.B.R.), Ph.D. grant PD/BD/135252/2017 (S.F.R.) and IF/00347/ 2015 (R.P.P.)

Spongy-like hydrogels prevascularization with the adipose tissue vascular fraction delays cutaneous wound healing by sustaining inflammatory cell influx

In vitro prevascularization is one of the most explored approaches to foster engineered tissue vascularization. We previously demonstrated a benefit in tissue neovascularization by using integrin-specific biomaterials prevascularized by stromal vascular fraction (SVF) cells, which triggered vasculogenesis in the absence of extrinsic growth factors. SVF cells are also associated to biological processes important in cutaneous wound healing. Thus, we aimed to investigate whether in vitro construct prevascularization with SVF accelerates the healing cascade by fostering early vascularization vis-à-vis SVF seeding prior to implantation. Prevascularized constructs delayed re-epithelization of full-thickness mice wounds compared to both non-prevascularized and control (no SVF) groups. Our results suggest this delay is due to a persistent inflammation as indicated by a significantly lower M2(CD163+)/M1(CD86+) macrophage subtype ratio. Moreover, a slower transition from the inflammatory to the proliferative phase of the healing was confirmed by reduced extracellular matrix deposition and increased presence of thick collagen fibers from early time-points, suggesting the prevalence of fiber crosslinking in relation to neodeposition. Overall, while prevascularization potentiates inflammatory cell influx, which negatively impacts the cutaneous wound healing cascade, an effective wound healing was guaranteed in non-prevascularized SVF cell-containing spongy-like hydrogels confirming that the SVF can have enhanced efficacy.Authors would like to acknowledge the financial support from the Consolidator Grant “ECM_INK” (ERC-2016-COG-726061) and the Starting Grant “CapBed” (ERC-2018-STG-805411), to the FSE/POCH (Fundo Social Europeu através do Programa Operacional do Capital Humano) under the scope of the PD/169/2013, NORTE-08-5369-FSE-000037 (H.R.M.), and to FCT/MCTES (Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia/ Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia, e Ensino Superior) through the grants SFRH/BD/119756/2016 (D.B.R.), PhD grant PD/BD/135252/2017 (S.F.R.) and IF/00347/2015 (R.P.P.). Authors would also like to acknowledge BioRender.com as a platform for image creation

Simultaneous saccharification and fermentation of hydrothermal pretreated lignocellulosic biomass: evaluation of process performance under multiple stress conditions

Industrial lignocellulosic bioethanol processes are exposed to different environmental stresses (such as inhibitor compounds, high temperature, and high solid loadings). In this study, a systematic approach was followed where the liquid and solid fractions were mixed to evaluate the influence of varied solid loadings, and different percentages of liquor were used as liquid fraction to determine inhibitor effect. Ethanol production by simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) of hydrothermally pretreated Eucalyptus globulus wood (EGW) was studied under combined diverse stress operating conditions (3038 °C, 6080 g of liquor from hydrothermal treatment or autohydrolysis (containing inhibitor compounds)/100 g of liquid and liquid to solid ratio between 4 and 6.4 g liquid in SSF/g unwashed pretreated EGW) using an industrial Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain supplemented with low-cost byproducts derived from agro-food industry. Evaluation of these variables revealed that the combination of temperature and higher solid loadings was the most significant variable affecting final ethanol concentration and cellulose to ethanol conversion, whereas solid and autohydrolysis liquor loadings had the most significant impact on ethanol productivity. After optimization, an ethanol concentration of 54 g/L (corresponding to 85 % of conversion and 0.51 g/Lh of productivity at 96 h) was obtained at 37 °C using 60 % of autohydrolysis liquor and 16 % solid loading (liquid to solid ratio of 6.4 g/g). The selection of a suitable strain along with nutritional supplementation enabled to produce noticeable ethanol titers in quite restrictive SSF operating conditions, which can reduce operating cost and boost the economic feasibility of lignocellulose-to-ethanol processes.The authors thank the financial support from the Strategic Project of UID/BIO/04469/2013 CEB Unit and A Romaní postdoctoral grant funded by Xunta of Galicia (Plan I2C, 2014)