Challenges and perspectives of academic evaluation

A avaliação acadêmica constitui um componente essencial da ciência moderna, na medida em que esta evoluiu do mecenato individualizado para seu papel contemporâneo de pilar das sociedades contemporâneas e democráticas. O Brasil tem experimentado em anos recentes um crescimento consistente de sua produção científica, hoje plenamente compatível com seu status de país de renda média-alta, em vias de se tornar um país desenvolvido e igualitário nos anos por vir. Crescer é lidar com desafios e dilemas, e a avaliação acadêmica não está isenta deles. Em um país de dimensões continentais, profundamente heterogêneo, que conta com sistemas nacionais de avaliação e plataformas eletrônicas de disseminação da informação em diferentes campos do conhecimento, esses desafios se referem à necessidade de estar atento ao detalhe sem perder de vista a abrangência e lidar com a diversidade regional e social, sem abrir mão da excelência acadêmica como marco fundamental.Academic evaluation has been an essential component of modern science since its inception, as science has moved away from personalized patronage toward its contemporary role as an essential enterprise of contemporary, democratic societies. In recent years, Brazil has experienced sustained growth in its scientific output, which is nowadays fully compatible with its status as a high middle-income country striving to become a fully developed, more equitable country in the years to come. Growth usually takes place amidst challenges and dilemmas and, in Brazil as elsewhere, academic evaluation is not exempt from such difficulties. In a large, profoundly heterogeneous country with a national evaluation system and nationwide on-line platforms disseminating information on the most disparate fields of knowledge, the main challenges refer to how to pay attention to detail without losing sight of comprehensiveness and how to handle social and regional diversity while preserving academic excellence as the fundamental benchmark.La evaluación académica constituyó un componente esencial de la ciencia moderna, en la medida en que ésta evolucionó del mecenazgo individualizado para su papel contemporáneo de pilar de las sociedades contemporáneas y democráticas. Brasil ha experimentado en años recientes un crecimiento consistente de su producción científica, hoy plenamente compatible con su estatus de país de renta media-alta, en vías de convertirse en un país desarrollado e igualitario en los años por venir. Crecer es lidiar con desafíos y dilemas, y la evaluación académica no está exenta de ellos. En un país de dimensiones continentales, profundamente heterogéneo, que cuenta con sistemas nacionales de evaluación y plataformas electrónicas de diseminación de la información en diferentes campos del conocimiento, éstos desafíos se refieren a la necesidad de estar más atento al detalle sin perder de vista la amplitud y lidiar con la diversidad regional y social, sin abrir mano de la excelencia académica como marco fundamental

Functional analysis of the mouse Nodal antagonist, Cerl2, during left-right axis formation

Although recently our understanding of how the LR asymmetry is generated in vertebrate embryos has seen rapid progress, many important questions remain to be explained. In mouse embryos, the leftward flow of the extra-embryonic fluid in the node cavity, called nodal flow, seems to be the symmetry-breaking event. However, it is not yet know how this flow functions or how the asymmetric signal(s) generated in the node is/are transferred to the lateral plate mesoderm. The mouse gene cerberus-like2(cerl2) encodes a 20-kDa protein with a predicted signal peptide sequence and a cysteine-rich domain (CRD) containing nine cysteines characteristic of the Cerberus/DAN family. Whole-mount in situ hybridization studies showed that cerl2 transcripts could be first detected in a horseshoe-shaped expression pattern in the perinodal region of the mouse embryo (E7.0), resembling Nodal expression at this stage. At stage E7.5, expression of cerl2 begins to decrease in intensity on the left side, and by early somitogenesis (E8.0), it can be strongly detected in the right side of the node, assuming a complementary expression pattern to that observed in Nodal. Furthermore, it was shown that Cerl2 activity is upstream of the Nodal receptor inhibiting Nodal and its downstream targets. A physical interaction between these two proteins exists, which suggests that Cerl2 is a secreted Nodal antagonist. Here, to elucidate the role of Cerl2 protein in the early events of symmetry breaking the functional activity of this Nodal antagonist will be discussed.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Dynamics in Times of Ionizing Radiation and Rainfalls in Tropical Region of Brazil

Low energy gamma rays and rainfalls were monitored each minute in the region around São José dos Campos, (230:10`S, 450:53`W) in Brazil, from March 7th to June 28th in 2017. In this period, it was possible to see the dynamic process that occurs between the presence of ionizing radiation (gamma rays) of low energy and the variation of rain intensity in (mm) / min in the same region. During this period, 12 major peaks of radiation intensity corresponding to 12 rains of high and low intensities were observed. This positive rainfall / radiation correlation is very noticeable in the tropical region of Brazil, which is certainly due to the presence of the decay of 238U uranium into radium 226Ra and arriving at the 222Rn radon with α emission particles and low energy gamma radiation. Therefore, the rain interferes in the presence of the local exhalation of the radon gas, causing the washing of this gas in the low atmosphere, increasing the intensity of radiation measured momentarily in that location. This work shows this dynamic measured in this interval in the year 2017, where there was rainy and dry weather in the place

Risk factors for persistent and new chronic opioid use in patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty: a retrospective cohort study

Objectives: To determine chronic opioid use pre-THA (total hip arthroplasty) and post-THA, and risk factors for persistent or new chronic opioid use post-THA. Design: Retrospective cohort study. Setting: Australian Government Department of Veterans' Affairs health claims database. Participants: 9525 patients who had an elective unilateral THA between 1/01/2001 and 12/31/2012. Primary outcome measure: Chronic opioid use. Defined as 90 days of continuous opioid use or 120 days of non-continuous use. Results: Pre-THA, 6.2% (n=593) of patients were chronic users, while 5.2% (n=492) were post-THA. Among the 492 postoperative chronic users, 302 (61%) were chronic users pre-THA and post-THA and 190 (39%) became new chronic users after surgery. Risk factors for persistent chronic use were younger age (OR=0.96, 95% CI 0.93 to 0.99/1-year increment), back pain (OR=1.99, 95% CI 1.20 to 3.23), diabetes (OR=3.52, 95% CI 1.05 to 11.8), hypnotics use (OR=2.52, 95% CI 1.48 to 4.30) and higher pre-THA opioid exposure (compared with opioid use for 94–157 days, 157–224 days (OR=3.75, 95% CI 2.28 to 6.18), 225+ days (OR=5.18, 95% CI 2.92 to 9.19). Risk factors for new chronic opioid use post-THA were being a woman (OR=1.40, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.96), back pain (OR=3.90, 95% CI 2.85 to 5.33), depression (OR=1.70, 95% CI 1.20 to 2.41), gastric acid disease (OR=1.62, 95% CI 1.16 to 2.25), migraine (OR=5.11, 95% CI 1.08 to 24.18), liver disease (OR=4.33, 95% CI 1.08 to 17.35), weight loss (OR=2.60, 95% CI 1.06 to 6.39), dementia (OR=2.19, 95% CI 1.04 to 4.61), hyperlipidaemia (OR=1.38, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.91), hypnotics (OR=1.56, 95% CI 1.13 to 2.16) and antineuropathic pain medication use (OR=3.11, 95% CI 2.05 to 4.72). Conclusions: Patients undergoing THA are exposed to opioids for long periods of time, putting them at high risk of harm related to opioid use. We identified groups at risk of chronic opioid use, including younger patients and women, as well as modifiable risk factors of chronic opioid use, including level of opioid exposure presurgery and hypnotic use. These indicators of chronic opioid use can be used by clinicians to target patient groups for suitable pain management interventions.Maria C S Inacio, Craig Hansen, Nicole L Pratt, Stephen E Graves, Elizabeth E Roughea

Application Of Optical Method In Measuring Mechanical Vibrations In A Cantilever Beam

The pertinent literature discloses a family of optical profile measuring techniques highlighting the moire methods. The Moire technique is based on the interference of two superimposed optical grids which produce fringe patterns which can be processed to analyze the DYNAMIC MEASUREMENT IN MATERIALS mechanical behavior. The goal of this research is to experimentally determine the mechanical displacement of a slim cantilever beam by means of Moire technique with Phase Shift. Photomechanical experimental arrangement included a digital camera, a multimedia projector and a PC. The occurrence of oscillations has been adequately analyzed. The results showed data from which useful information can withdraw, being of great importance to support agricultural machinery projects and development.371849

The isotopic composition (d15N, d13C) of agricultural wastes and derived composts.

The aim of this study was to measure variations in the isotopic composition (d13C and d15N) during the composting of different agricultural wastes using bench-scale bioreactors. Four different feedstocks of agricultural wastes (Horse bedding manure + legumes residues; Dairy manure + Jatropha mill cake; Dairy manure + sugarcane residues; Dairy manure) were used for aerobic-thermophilic composting. During composting no significant differences were found between the d13C values of the source material and the compost, except for Dairy manure + sugarcane residues. d15N values increased significantly in composts of Horse bedding manure + legumes residues and Dairy manure + Jatropha mill cake. d15N values of composts may be related to NH3 volatilization during the composting process. Isotopic signatures (d13C, d15N) can be used to differentiate composts from different feedstock sources and d15N values may be a quantitative indicator of NH3 volatilization during composting. Use of bench-scale bioreactors is a promising apparatus to study the dynamics of C and N and stable isotopes signatures during composting, but future adjustments regarding sampling methodology are necessary

Heart failure after conventional metal-on-metal hip replacements: a retrospective cohort study

Background and purpose - It is unclear whether metal particles and ions produced by mechanical wear and corrosion of hip prostheses with metal-on-metal (MoM) bearings have systemic adverse effects on health. We compared the risk of heart failure in patients with conventional MoM total hip arthroplasty (THA) and in those with metal-on-polyethylene (MoP) THA. Patients and methods - We conducted a retrospective cohort study using data from the Australian Government Department of Veterans' Affairs health claims database on patients who received conventional THA for osteoarthritis between 2004 and 2012. The MoM THAs were classified into groups: Articular Surface Replacement (ASR) XL Acetabular System, other large-head (LH) (> 32 mm) MoM, and small-head (SH) (≤ 32 mm) MoM. The primary outcome was hospitalization for heart failure after THA. Results - 4,019 patients with no history of heart failure were included (56% women). Men with an ASR XL THA had a higher rate of hospitalization for heart failure than men with MoP THA (hazard ratio (HR) = 3.2, 95% CI: 1.6-6.5). No statistically significant difference in the rate of heart failure was found with the other LH MoM or SH MoM compared to MoP in men. There was no statistically significant difference in heart failure rate between exposure groups in women. Interpretation - An association between ASR XL and hospitalization for heart failure was found in men. While causality between ASR XL and heart failure could not be established in this study, it highlights an urgent need for further studies to investigate the possibility of systemic effects associated with MoM THA.Marianne H Gillam, Nicole L Pratt, Maria C S Inacio, Elizabeth E Roughead, Sepehr Shakib, Stephen J Nicholls & Stephen E Grave

Nitrogen and carbon isotope composition of organic Fertilizers.

Synthetic (e.g. urea) and organic fertilizers (e.g. compost) differed markedly in N isotope composition and the greater the difference between organic and synthetic fertilizer the more robust will be the differentiation of crops and vegetable grown under different farming systems. The objective of this study was to compare nitrogen and carbon isotope composition of organic fertilizers and manures available for conventional and organic farming in Brazil. Seven samples of organic fertilizer, two of organo-mineral fertilizers and two of different animal manures were analyzed for nitrogen and carbon isotope composition (15N, 13C). Organic fertilizers and manure samples were enriched in 15N as expected. Using synthetic fertilizers as the primary material of organo-mineral fertilizer can imprint a low 15N value to the final product. Organic fertilizers, organo-mineral fertilizers and manures can have their organic feedstock differentiated using 13C. These are preliminary data of the isotopic composition of organic fertilizer in Brazil. Therefore, a wider survey of fertilizers and an experimental approach for organic- and organo-mineral fertilizer production is needed to elucidate the natural isotope variation of the array of available products