Comunicação visual em ambiente virtual 3D: uma análise do Second Life a partir da forma, cor, movimento e tipografia

Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro de Comunicação e Expressão, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Design e Expressão Gráfica, Florianópolis, 200

LIBRAS NA EDUCAÇÃO INFANTIL: PROPOSTA DE CRITÉRIOS PARA A ELABORAÇÃO DE UM PLANEJAMENTO DE ENSINO DE LIBRAS EM ESCOLAS REGULARES

O artigo sugere critérios que direcionam a elaboração de um planejamento de ensino de Libras como L1 ou L2, mais adequado e significativo para crianças em fase escolar. As investigações, de caráter qualitativo e bibliográfico, geraram reflexões e perspectivas, sustentadas na literatura na área da educação infantil, embasadas em teóricos como Quadro e Cruz (2011), Gesser (2010), Vygotsky (1997) dentre outros. Os resultados mostraram que, ao se pensar na elaboração de um planejamento de ensino de Libras, L1 ou L2 para crianças sugere-se como critérios: considerar os processos de aquisição de língua e desenvolvimento da linguagem; identificar qual estágio de desenvolvimento e cognição a criança está, para, então, propor um planejamento metodológico adequado do ensino dessa língua que vise à motivação, despertem seus interesses pela a aprendizagem significativa da mesma nas aulas além de contribuir para o desenvolvimento pleno das habilidades e capacidades cognitivas destas crianças, tanto no ambiente escolar como fora dele, contribuindo para a evolução de sua autonomia, comunicação e interação com toda a sociedade, inclusive pessoas ou crianças com singulares linguísticas e em seus cotidianos, como no caso dos surdos

Deciphering the chemical phenotype in Atta laevigata (Smith, 1858) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): A relationship between polymorphism and cuticular hydrocarbons

In the Attina subtribe the division of labor among workers is based on different tasks performed by morphological subcastes. Considering that cuticular chemical compounds play important roles as protection against water loss and mediates interactions between nestmates, and that studies on the cuticular chemical profile of ants of the genus Atta are still scarce, the aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between morphological and chemical phenotypes in the subcastes of Atta laevigata (Smith, 1858) workers. The cuticular chemical composition of the different subcastes was assessed by Gas Chromatography coupled to Mass Spectrometry technique. The compounds found in the cuticle of the different subcastes had carbon chain size between 18 and 31 atoms, with higher content of linear alkanes in workers and soldiers and higher content of branched alkanes in gardeners and generalists, probably related to the type of tasks they perform in their colonies, since some workers perform more intra- or extranidal tasks in relation to others. The results show significant qualitative differences in the cuticular composition of the different subcastes, with a greater relationship between them according to the environmental restrictions that each subcaste is more subjected to due to the role played in the colony

Miltefosine Administration in Cats with Refractory Sporotrichosis

Background: Sporotrichosis is a zoonosis caused by fungi of the Sporothrix schenckii complex. Cats have important zoonotic potential due to the high parasite load found in the cutaneous lesions. Refractory cases to antifungal therapy are increasing, becoming a public health problem. Miltefosine is a drug with high in vitro activity against Sporothrix brasiliensis. However, this efficacy has not been confirmed in vivo yet and administration has not been studied in the feline species. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of miltefosine administration in cats with resistant sporotrichosis.Materials, Methods & Results: Ten cats with refractory sporotrichosis were included in this study. Inclusion criteria were previous diagnosis for sporotrichosis associated with therapy with oral antifungals (itraconazole and/or potassium iodide) for more than one year, followed by one of these conditions: incomplete clinical remission, worsening of disease during treatment or recurrence after conventional treatment. Cats underwent clinical and dermatological examinations. Data on lifestyle and previous treatments were provided by the owners. Fungal culture and histochemical techniques were performed in all cats before miltefosine treatment. Blood samples were collected before and during the study for laboratory tests, such as blood count, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), serum creatinine, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and alkaline phosphatase, as well as serology for Feline Immunodeficiency (FIV) and Feline Leukemia (FeLV). Miltefosine was prescribed at a dosage of 2 mg/kg orally every 24 h. The animals were monitored by phone during the whole process and reassessed on days 0, 15, 30 and 45 of the treatment. Out of 10 cats, lesions were present on the nose in nine, ears in four, periocular areas in one and limbs in four. One cat received treatment for 45 days, six for 30 days, one for 21 days, one for 15 days and one for 3 days. One cat showed no response to the treatment and nine showed disease progression. Hyporexia and weight loss were the most frequent clinical signs related to miltefosine treatment, followed by sialorrhea, vomiting and diarrhea. Few adverse effects on hematology and biochemistry (mainly renal and hepatic parameters) were observed during the study. Hematocrit decrease was observed in four animals. However, only one cat had hematocrit decrease below normal values (anemia), which was already present before miltefosine administration. Other cats had a decrease of five points. Three cats showed elevation in leucometria and four in plasma protein. In relation to renal and hepatic biochemistry, one animal showed a BUN increase and another one showed a transient increase in ALT. Two animals started the treatment with increased ALT but had no problems during the study and values decreased even during the miltefosine administration.Discussion: Although two cats showed sialorrhea, most owners did not report difficulty in administering the drug orally, representing an advantage of this medication. Weight loss, secondary to gastrointestinal changes, was the most clinically relevant alteration. The most frequent hematological alteration was hematocrit decrease and only the animal that started the study with 20% hematocrit ended the study with anemia. Renal and hepatic parameters were not significant in the cats of this study. Miltefosine did not lead to sporotrichosis remission in this small population of cats, which reveals that, despite its in vitro efficacy against Sporothrix spp., the drug is not effective in vivo in the feline species. Further studies are needed to investigate the efficacy of this drug in a larger number of cats, and possible reasons for its in vivo ineffectiveness

Immunogenetic profiling to predict risk of invasive fungal diseases : where are we now?

Invasive fungal diseases remain nowadays life-threatening conditions affecting multiple clinical settings. The onset of these diseases is dependent on numerous factors, of which the "immunocompromised" phenotype of the patients is the more often acknowledged. However, and despite comparable immune dysfunction, not all patients are ultimately susceptible to disease, suggesting that additional risk factors, likely of genetic nature, may also be important. In the last years, genetic variants in several immune-related genes have also been proposed as major determinants of the susceptibility pattern of high-risk patients to invasive fungal diseases. Altogether, these findings highlighted the crucial significance of the individual genetic make-up in defining susceptibility to infection, providing a compelling rationale for the introduction of the immunogenetic profile as a risk prediction measure that may ultimately help to guide clinicians in the use of prophylaxis and preemptive fungal therapy in high-risk patients.Ricerca sulla Fibrosi Cistica (Project number FFC#21/2010)Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) SFRH/BD/65962/2009, SFRH/BPD/46292/200

Technological based incubator and university: A case study in the region of Itajai Valley

By understanding organizations in depth, it is possible to perceive some interactions of organizations with other organizations and with their environment. This research aims to understand the dimensions that explain the relationship network existing between a technology-based incubator and a university located in the region of the Itajaí valley. Methodologically this study is characterized as descriptive in relation to its objective, as for the procedures it can be considered as applied research from the survey of primary data and qualitative in relation to the approach of the problem. Thus, the main results have identified that the main relationship between the incubator and the university lies in the structure of the board of directors of the incubator, where the dean of administration is the chairman of the incubator's board. Therefore, although there are some deficiencies in the relations between institutions, it can be considered as the bridge of success

TECHNOLOGICAL BASED INCUBATOR AND UNIVERSITY: A CASE STUDY IN THE REGION OF ITAJAÍ VALLEY

By understanding organizations in depth, it is possible to perceive some interactions of organizations with other organizations and with their environment. This research aims to understand the dimensions that explain the relationship network existing between a technology-based incubator and a university located in the region of the Itajaí valley. Methodologically this study is characterized as descriptive in relation to its objective, as for the procedures it can be considered as applied research from the survey of primary data and qualitative in relation to the approach of the problem. Thus, the main results have identified that the main relationship between the incubator and the university lies in the structure of the board of directors of the incubator, where the dean of administration is the chairman of the incubator's board. Therefore, although there are some deficiencies in the relations between institutions, it can be considered as the bridge of success

Unsupervised machine learning approaches to the qq-state Potts model

In this paper with study phase transitions of the $q$-state Potts model, through a number of unsupervised machine learning techniques, namely Principal Component Analysis (PCA), $k$-means clustering, Uniform Manifold Approximation and Projection (UMAP), and Topological Data Analysis (TDA). Even though in all cases we are able to retrieve the correct critical temperatures $T_c(q)$, for $q = 3, 4$ and $5$, results show that non-linear methods as UMAP and TDA are less dependent on finite size effects, while still being able to distinguish between first and second order phase transitions. This study may be considered as a benchmark for the use of different unsupervised machine learning algorithms in the investigation of phase transitions.Comment: Added computation of critical exponents; exposition improve

PHYSICOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF STARCH FROM AVOCADO SEED (PERSEA AMERICANA MILL)

The extraction and characterization of avocado starch isolated from seeds (Persea americana Mill) were studied. The starch was extracted by steeping, wet grinding and sedimentation process and calculated its yield. Isolated starch was then characterized for chemical composition, morphology and granules size distribution, X-ray diffraction an mid-infrared spectra, swelling powder and solubility, pasting and thermal properties and clarity and syneresis behavior. The starch yield was 42.2%. The results showed starch granules were predominantly ellipsoidal with an average granule size of 17.83 μm. Exhibited B-type X-ray diffraction pattern with 25.7% of crystallinity, and apparent amylose content of 21.5% with similar mid-infrared spectra to other starches. Onset and peak gelatinization temperatures were 67.6 and 76.0 °C, respectively, and gelatinization enthalpy was 14.9 J/g. Starch suspensions showed peak viscosity at 4421 cP and high retrogradation tendency, which was evidenced by opaque gels and syneresis.