A Responsabilidade como fruto do poder tecnológico: uma introdução ao pensamento de Hans Jonas

Resumo: Este texto tem como objetivo apresentar e discutir a nova dimensão da responsabilidade no agir moral tal como esboçada por Hans Jonas em seu livro O Princípio Responsabilidade de 1979 diante dos novos desafios trazidos pela técnica moderna. Tal técnica, cujos avanços extraordinários constatamos diariamente, trouxe consigo um potencial de destruição tão devastador que necessita de uma nova ética que regule as ações humanas sob essa nova conjuntura. Analisaremos, de partida, a razão pela qual Jonas nega às éticas tradicionais a prerrogativa de atenderem às novas demandas trazidas pela técnica. Em seguida discutiremos a relação entre o homem e a técnica. Dessa discussão se seguirá a apresentação do novo imperativo ético proposto por Jonas, cuja ferramenta principal será o temor (a “heurística do medo”). O medo, advindo do reconhecimento da limitação do saber científico na previsão das consequências incertas da ação tecnológica no mundo, será, para Jonas, o principal facilitador de uma ação responsável. Tal responsabilidade, devido às dimensões ampliadas pelo poder tecnológico, incluirá as gerações futuras, cuja existência encontra-se ameaçada pela ação humana moderna, como objeto de sua ação. O que faremos aqui será, pois, mostrar, para dizer em uma única frase, como essa nova esfera da responsabilidade humana advém dos novos poderes tecnológicos adquiridos, ou seja, mostraremos A Responsabilidade como fruto do poder tecnológico.Palavras-chave: Ética; Hans Jonas; Principio Responsabilidade

Evaluating and Comparing Generative-based Chatbots Based on Process Requirements

Business processes refer to the sequences of tasks and information flows needed to achieve a specific goal. Such processes are used in multiple sectors, such as healthcare, manufacturing, banking, among others. They can be represented using diverse notations such as Event-driven Process Chain (EPC) and Yet Another Workflow Language (YAWL). A popular standard notation for modelling business processes is the Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN), due to its breadth of features and intuitiveness. Despite organizations increasingly turning to automated processes to enhance efficiency and precision, business processes might still contain human-dependent tasks, which present several challenges, such as complex task orders, task dependencies, and the need for contextual adaptability. These challenges often make it difficult for process participants to understand process execution, and it is common for them to get lost in the process they are trying to execute. Since the advent of process modelling languages, there have been multiple strategies to help users execute business processes. Most recently, chatbots, programs that allow users to interact with a machine using natural language, have been increasingly used for process execution support. A recent category of chatbots worth mentioning is generative-based chatbots, powered by Large Language Models (LLMs), which are trained on billions of parameters and support conversational intelligence. However, several challenges remain unaddressed: (i) how to incorporate process knowledge into generative-based chatbots; (ii) how to evaluate if a generative-based chatbot is meeting the requirements of BPMN constructs for process execution support; (iii) how different generative-based chatbot models compare in terms of meeting the requirements of BPMN constructs. To address these challenges, this thesis presents an exploratory approach to evaluate and compare generative-based chatbots in terms of meeting the requirements of BPMN constructs. This research comprises three distinct phases. The first phase presents a literature review that examines how chatbots are used in conjunction with business processes. In the second phase, the focus shifts to retrieval-based chatbots and their potential for process execution support when maintaining direct communication with a process engine system, in an attempt to achieve a gold standard of process-aware chatbots. Finally, the third phase delves into the realm of using generative-based models as process-aware chatbots to enhance business process execution support, including an evaluation of how two distinct generative models (GPT and PaLM) perform when helping in the execution of two business processes (Trip Planning and Wedding Planning). This thesis makes several contributions. First, it offers a comprehensive exploration of the challenges and gaps in the existing literature regarding the development of process-aware chatbots. Second, it provides an exploratory study about the use of generative-based chatbots for process execution support that meets the requirements of BPMN constructs. Finally, through comparative qualitative and quantitative evaluations, it sheds light on the performance of prominent generative models, GPT and PaLM, in the context of process execution support, contributing valuable insights for future research and development in this evolving field

B2-EPG Split

On this research we study EPG graphs, in particular, we are interested on investigate the intersection between split and B2-EPGgraph classes. The results found in the literature regarding split graphs only concern about characterization in B1-EPG, that despite bringing some graphs that belong to this class, the bend number of split graphs it is still unknown. We study the split graphs whose degree of vertices on independent set is less than 2. In this work we manipulate bipartite graphs and we present representation for some bipartite graphs in B2-EPG. We build an algorithm that create a Split B2-EPG representation, also we present another algorithm that builds a representation on a grid Qw×2y+1 for any Split graph, and other results

FUNGOS COPRÓFILOS (ASCOMYCOTA) EM FEIRA DE SANTANA

Os fungos coprófilos representam um grupo especializado ecologicamente que estão associados a esterco de animais, especialmente os herbívoros, todavia existe alguns registros de fungos coprófilos em esterco de aves e invertebrados, podendo também estar associado a solos contaminados por fezes (Krug et al., 2004)

Association of polymorphisms in the erythropoietin gene with diabetic retinopathy : a case–control study and systematic review with meta-analysis

Background: Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is characterized by ischemia, hypoxia, and angiogenesis. Erythropoietin (EPO), an angiogenic hormone, is upregulated in DR, and the association of EPO genetic variants with DR is still uncertain, as conflicting results have been reported. Therefore, we performed a case–control study followed by a metaanalysis to investigate whether the rs1617640, rs507392, and rs551238 polymorphisms in EPO gene are associated with DR. Methods: The case–control study included 1042 Southern Brazilians with type 2 diabetes (488 without DR and 554 with DR). Eligible studies for the meta-analysis were searched from electronic databases up to June 1, 2021. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated for five genetic inheritance models. Results: The minor alleles of the EPO polymorphisms had nearly the same frequency in all groups of patients (35%), and no association was detected with DR in the case–control study. The meta-analysis included 14 independent sets of cases and controls with 9117 subjects for the rs1617640 polymorphism and nine independent sets with more than 5000 subjects for the rs507392 and rs551238 polymorphisms. The G allele of the rs1617640 polymorphism was suggestively associated with DR under the dominant (OR = 0.82, 95% CI: 0.68–0.98), heterozygous additive (OR = 0.82, 95% CI: 0.69–0.97), and overdominant (OR = 0.88, 95% CI: 0.79–0.97) models. In the subgroup analyses, the G allele was also suggestively associated with proliferative DR (PDR), non-proliferative DR (NPDR), and DR (PDR + NPDR) among patients with type 1 diabetes (T1DM) or non-Asian ancestry. After considering the Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons, the G allele remained associated with NPDR and DR in T1DM. Regarding the rs507392 and rs551238 polymorphisms, no association was found between these variants and DR. Conclusion: Our findings provide additional support to EPO as a susceptibility gene for DR, with the rs1617640 polymorphism deserving further investigation

Upland rice yield and soil water retention capacity as affected by cultural practices

Foram conduzidos três experimentos com o objetivo de determinar o efeito de práticas culturais na capacidade de retenção de água do solo e no rendimento do arroz-de-sequeiro, na cultivar 'IAC 47'. Os tratamentos consistiram de: a. Subsolagem na profundidade de 0.60 m. com o espaçamento de 0,50 m; b. Escarificação do solo, sempre que se formou uma crosta dura sobre a sua superfície; c. Incorporação de calcário na profundidade de 0,30 m, na dosagem de 2.5 t/ha; d. Cobertura morta com palha-de-arroz, na quantidade de 2,5 t/ha; e e. Testemunha, que consistiu no plantio convencional, após o preparo do solo com uma aração e duas gradagens. No segundo e terceiro experimentos foi acrescentado um tratamento, que consistiu no plantio direto, após a roçagem da área e aplicação do herbicida "Paraquat CE" (0,8 l/ha de p.a.). Apesar da ocorrência de veranicos, estes não foram bastante longos a ponto de reduzirem significativamente a produção. Os tratamentos não diferiram da Testemunha com relação à retenção de água do solo e à produção, apesar de ter havido uma tendência para as maiores produções serem verificadas nos tratamentos de subsolagem e incorporação de calcário, e as menores, no tratamento de plantio direto. As maiores produções foram decorrentes, provavelmente, das alterações na estrutura do solo e da melhoria de suas características químicas, permitindo maior desenvolvimento radicular. Por outro lado, a limitação deste desenvolvimento, devido à compactação do solo, poderia ser a causa das baixas produções verificadas no tratamento de plantio direto.Three experiments were carried out to determine the effect of cultural practices on the soil water retention capacity and upland rice yield, using the cultivar 'IAC 47'. The treatments were: a. Subsoiling at 0.60 m depth, spaced 0.50 m; b. Soil harrowing when a hard crust was formed on its surface; c. Liming at 0.30 m depth at the rate of 2.5 t/ha; d. Mulching with rice straw at the rate of 2.5 t/ha and e. Check which was the conventional sowing after the soil tillage with one plowing and two diskings. In the second and third experiments no-tillage treatment was included. Although drought periods (veranicos) occurred, they were not long enough to reduce significantly grain yield. There was no significant difference among the treatments and the check on soil water retention and grain yield. There was tendency of increased production with the treatments of subsoiling and liming and decreased grain yield with the no-tillage treatment. The increase in production due to subsoiling and liming may be related to soil structure modifications and improvement of its chemical properties. The relatively reduced grain yields under no-tillage treatment may be attributed to restricted root development resulting from soil compactness

Manejo de água e de fertilizante potássico na cultura de arroz irrigado

Irrigation water levels and timing of potassium fertilization is extremely important for the use of lowlands for irrigated rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivation in crop rotation. A field experiment was conduced for three consecutive years in Inceptisol to study the effects of water management (WM1 - continuous flooding and WM2 - intermittent flooding followed continuous flooding) and mode of potassium fertilizer application (K1 - at sowing; K2 - fractional application and K3 - fractional application of half levels) on grain yield and yield components of irrigated rice. Water management presented expressive effect on rice performance as compared to potassium fertilization. Continuous flooding during whole growing cycle of crop had higher grain yield as well as higher values of yield components and grain quality. Fractional potassium fertilization increased its utilization efficiency. Potassium fertilizer management affected differently rice crop performance according to forms of water management.O manejo da água de irrigação e as doses e épocas de aplicação de fertilizantes tornam-se aspectos de extrema importância no êxito do aproveitamento das várzeas para o cultivo de arroz (Oryza sativa L.) irrigado ou este seguido de outras espécies. Com o objetivo de comparar distintas formas de manejo de água e de fertilizante potássico no comportamento do arroz irrigado, foram conduzidos experimentos por três anos consecutivos, em um Inceptissolo. Foram estudados os efeitos de manejo de água (MA1 - inundação contínua e MA2 - inundação intermitente seguida de contínua) e o modo de aplicação de fertilizante potássico (K1 - na semeadura; K2 - parcelada e K3 - meia dose parcelada). O manejo de água apresentou efeito mais expressivo sobre o comportamento do arroz que o do fertilizante potássico. A inundação contínua durante todo o ciclo da cultura proporcionou maiores rendimentos de grãos, expressando maiores valores dos parâmetros produtivos, e melhorou a qualidade industrial dos grãos. Com esta irrigação, o parcelamento da adubação potássica aumentou o aproveitamento do fertilizante. Os manejos do fertilizante potássico afetaram diferentemente o comportamento da cultura do arroz nas distintas formas de manejo de água

Gene polymorphism and plasma levels of miR-155 in diabetic retinopathy

Circulating microRNA-155 (miR-155) is associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and the rs767649 polymorphism in the pre-MIR155 gene is associated with miR-155 expression. However, their relationship with diabetic retinopathy (DR) is still unknown. Therefore, the aim of this case-control study was to test the hypothesis that the rs767649 polymorphism in the pre-MIR155 gene is associated with DR in South Brazilians with T2DM. We also evaluated the association of plasma levels of miR-155 with DR and the rs767649 polymorphism in a subgroup of subjects. The rs767649 polymorphism was genotyped in 139 blood donors and 546 T2DM patients (244 had no DR, 161 had non-proliferative DR and 141 had proliferative DR). miR-155 expression was quanti fied in 20 blood donors and 60 T2DM patients (20 from each group). Among T2DM patients, the carriership of the A allele and the A allele were more frequent in subjects with DR than in those without it (P < 0.05), and the A allele was independently associated with an increased risk of DR (adjusted OR = 2.12, 95% CI = 1.12–4.01). The plasma levels of miR-155 were lower in T2DM patients than in blood donors (P < 0.001). However, the miR-155 levels did not differ according to the presence and severity of DR or according to rs767649 genotypes among T2DM patients. These findings support that the rs767649 po lymorphism in the pre-MIR155 gene is associated with DR in T2DM and that the miR-155 plasma levels might be associated with T2DM. Additional studies are needed to further investigate their clinical significance in DR and T2DM

Obtaining bioabsorable scaffolds from PLGA and IR blend with the addition of hydroxyapatite

A obtenção de scaffolds bioativos a partir da blenda polimérica de poli (ácido láctico-co-glicólico) (PLGA) e poliisopreno (IR) com diferentes adições de Hidroxiapatita (HAp) é proposta como uma alternativa à engenharia de tecidos. Para o preparo das soluções poliméricas, a blenda de PLGA/IR e a HAp foram dissolvidas em clorofórmio. Posteriormente, o scaffold foi processado por electrospinning, variando-se a distância entre a seringa e o coletor. As amostras foram caracterizadas quanto a composição química e estrutural por potencial zeta, difração de raios-X (DRX) e espectroscopia de infravermelho por transformada de Fourier (FTIR). Para avaliação da morfologia usou-se a microscopia eletrônica de varredura (MEV) e para o comportamento citotoxicológico utilizou-se a metodologia de analises de viabilidade celular. O valor de potencial zeta da HAp foi de -22 mV e o FTIR e DRX foram condizentes com a literatura. As imagens de MEV permitiram a análise do tamanho médio e desvio padrão das fibras obtidas, comprovando uma diferença significativa entre as amostras. O ensaio de citotoxicidade mostrou que o produto obtido é biocompatível, porém as amostras com menor formação de fibras são menos biocompatíveis. Os resultados demonstraram a ampla influência da distância entre o coletor e a ponta da seringa e da relação blenda/HAp, sendo que o scaffold obtido com a maior distância coletor/seringa e maior relação HAp/blenda apresentou fibras com tamanho médio menores e maior homogeneidade e baixa citotoxicidade celular.The aim of this paper is the obtainment of bioactive scaffolds from poly (lactic acid-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) and polyisoprene (IR) polymer blends with different additions of hydroxyapatite (HAp) as an alternative for tissue engineering. For the preparation of the polymer solutions, the PLGA/IR blend and the HAp were dissolved in chloroform. Subsequently, the scaffold was processed by electrospinning, varying the distance between the syringe and the collector. Scaffolds chemical and phase composition were characterized by zeta potential, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to evaluate the morphology and for the cytotoxic behavior the cellular viability analysis methodology was used. The zeta potential value of the HAp was -22 mV and the FTIR and XRD were consistent with the literature. The SEM images allowed the analysis of the mean size and standard deviation of the obtained fibers, demonstrating a significant difference among the samples. The results showed the great influence of the distance between the collector and the tip of the syringe and the blend/HAp ratio, and the scaffold obtained with the largest collector/ syringe distance and the highest HAp/blend ratio showed fibers with a smaller mean size and greater homogeneity and low cellular cytotoxicity