Gades and the Mediterranean: a Process of Integration

The impetus for this paper is to present possible contributions of the Network Theory approach to the analysis of the Roman presence in Turdetania by the end of the 1st millennium BC. Firstly, we discuss how some written sources, such as Strabo’s Geography, describe this region and how the countryside and coastal areas are mentioned. Secondly, we present how contemporary historiography makes use of Network Theory to investigate numerous issues of Ancient History. Finally, we point out a proposal for Social Network Analysis (SNA) to questions regarding Turdetania before and after Roman occupation

EVASÃO NA EDUCAÇÃO SUPERIOR: UM ESTUDO PRELIMINAR NA UFRB

A evasão no Ensino Superior tem sido tema de discussões no meio acadêmico nos últimos anos, por se apresentar como um fenômeno de muitos significados. Diante disso, o presente artigo integra uma investigação preliminar sobre o estudo da evasão na Universidade Federal do Recôncavo da Bahia, tendo como objetivo apresentar os resultados de uma pesquisa sobre os motivos da evasão nesta universidade na qual são identificados como sujeitos os ingressantes nos cursos de graduação do período letivo de 2011.1. Para a realização do referido estudo, procedeu-se a utilização de uma abordagem metodológica de natureza quantitativa e qualitativa, sendo utilizado enquanto instrumento para coleta de dados a análise documental; a aplicação de questionários e a realização de entrevistas a coordenadores de cursos de graduação da instituição. Os resultados preliminares apontam a necessidade de maiores observações acerca do fenômeno da evasão no Ensino Superior, mediante a ampliação de aspectos a serem analisados, tais como os aspectos econômicos dos sujeitos pesquisados, assim como sinalizam também a importância do desenvolvimento de ações que garantam a permanência dos estudantes, visando diminuir as chances de evasão

Intelligent Systems as Tools for Measuring Residential Energy Consumption

The implementation of intelligent systems in homes for measuring energy consumption are possibilities that owe their viability to the IoT (Internet of Things and investments in R&D). Becoming fundamental for this change in the way of thinking and using electric power in households, buildings and especially in industry 4.0. The present work demonstrates an experiment focused on a residence for the analysis of energy consumption measurement, with the use of a nano arduino plate, current and voltage sensors, internet connection and use of the MQTT protocol making the integration in the Blynk platform. Obtaining as results voltage approximately 224V, electric current close to 3.89A, 356 points of samples for measurement of consumption and 255 points for preparation of graphs. Minimums for voltage and current 207.75V and 0.62A respectively and maximums 233.22V and 25.31A. A standard deviation of 5.54 for voltage and 3.33 for current. Analyses performed by Blynk, from estimates by mathematical modeling, considered by means of tests and it was observed that the behavior of current and voltage signals are close to the realities of energy distributors

Luttinger liquid superlattices: realization of gapless insulating phases

We investigate Luttinger Liquid superlattices, a periodic structure composed of two kinds of one-dimensional systems of interacting electrons. We calculate several properties of the low-energy sector: the effective charge and spin velocities, the compressibility, various correlation functions, the Landauer conductance and the Drude weight. The low-energy properties are subsumed into effective parameters, much like homogeneous one-dimensional systems. A generic result is the weighted average nature of these parameters, in proportion to the spatial extent of the underlying subunits, pointing to the possibility of ``engineered'' structures. As a specific realization, we consider a one-dimensional Hubbard superlattice, which consists of a periodic arrangement of two long Hubbard chains with different coupling constants and different hopping amplitudes. This system exhibits a rich phase diagram with several phases, both metallic and insulating. We have found that gapless insulating phases are present over a wide range of parameters.Comment: 16 pages, 15 figures, RevTeX

Breve introdução à história das línguas no Brasil

Material em formato .pdf -- Parte do material do curso de Aperfeiçoamento em Políticas Públicas para Educação Escolar Indígena – COMFOR – SEB – SECADI – MINISTÉRIO DA EDUCAÇÃO- Coordenação pedagógica do curso: Coordenador: Sandro Luis da Silva / Vice-Coordenadora: Indaiá de Santana Bassani- Equipe de Produção SEAD/UNIFESP: Felipe Vieira Pacheco - (Coordenador de Produção) / Sandro Takeshi Munakata da Silva (Designer Instrucional) / Fabrício Sawczen (Designer Gráfico)Disciplina 1 pertencente ao Módulo 3: Marcos conceituais referentes à variação linguísticaNessa disciplina serão discutidos alguns aspectos sócio-históricos, culturais e políticos importantes para compreensão da realidade linguística brasileira. Serão tratados os contatos linguísticos no período colonial, focalizando as línguas indígenas e sua importância para a formação do português brasileiro e os processos de espraiamento e de declínio das chamadas línguas gerais, também serão exploradas as experiências linguísticas de africanos e afrodescendentes.Outr

Efeito de metabólitos secretados por Cryptococcus neoformans na interação com macrófagos murinos

Dissertação (mestrado)—Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Medicina, Pós-graduação em Medicina Tropical, 2017.Texto parcialmente liberado pelo autor. Conteúdo restrito: Capítulos 5,6,7 e 8.O fungo Cryptococcus neoformans é um agente causador da micose sistêmica criptococose, que tem levado a óbito cerca de 181 mil pessoas por ano ao redor do mundo. A doença atinge principalmente pessoas imunodeprimidas e adquiriu maior importância clínica a partir da década de 1980, com o aparecimento da AIDS. Como em outras doenças fúngicas, o diagnóstico e o tratamento dessa doença ainda não são ideais, reforçando a necessidade de estudar-se melhor a relação parasito-hospedeiro na busca por melhores estratégias para reverter esses problemas. Nos últimos anos tem se mostrado que pequenos metabólitos podem ter um importante papel na interação parasita-hospedeiro. Demonstrou-se previamente, que moléculas de baixo peso molecular (menor que 1 KDa) presentes no meio condicionado (CM) de culturas estacionários de C. neoformans da linhagem H99, afetavam o crescimento planctônico e em biofilmes desse fungo, bem como a produção de melanina e a secreção de polissacarídeos capsulares por esse fungo. Em continuidade a esses estudos, no presente trabalho analisou-se a influência dessas mesmas moléculas secretadas pelo fungo na sua interação com macrófagos murinos primários. Fungos e macrófagos foram co-incubados por períodos de 2h ou 24h em uma razão de infecção de 2:1 na presença ou não do CM e foram analisados os possíveis efeitos na fagocitose dos fungos, na sobrevivência fúngica pós-interação e na produção de citocinas por esses macrófagos (TNF-α, IL-12, IL-1β, IL-6 e MCP-1, e IL-10). Observou-se uma potencial atividade antifagocítica de metabólitos presentes no CM, uma vez que na presença do CM houve um menor percentual de fagocitose dos fungos. Além disso, o CM produziu um aumento significativo no número de unidades formadoras de colônia do fungo após a interação com os macrófagos por 24h, sugerindo, portanto, a possibilidade de existir nessas amostras, moléculas capazes de estimular o crescimento extra e/ou intracelular do fungo. Interessantemente, após 24 h de fagocitose, observa-se um número bem menor de fungos intracelulares nos macrófagos contendo fungo, do que nas amostras controle sem CM. A produção de citocinas só foi avaliada no período de 2h de interação e não foram observadas diferenças significativas na produção de TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, apenas uma diminuição da produção de MCP-1 na presença de CM indicando um potencial papel anti-inflamatório de moléculas presentes nessa amostra. Em resumo, foi possível constatar que os pequenos metabólitos presentes no CM podem afetar a viabilidade e/ou crescimento fúngico na sua interação com macrófagos, possivelmente inibindo a sua internalização por fagócitos e inibindo a produção de citocinas pró-inflamatórias. Dessa maneira, um maior conhecimento das moléculas presentes no CM bem com o melhor detalhamento de suas atividades podem ajudar no melhor entendimento das interações fungo-hospedeiro na criptococcose.Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq).The fungus Cryptococcus neoformans is a causative agent of the systemic mycosis cryptococcosis, a disease leading to about 181 thousand deaths per year worldwide. The disease affects mainly immunocompromised individuals and gained greater clinical importance from the 1980s, with the onset of AIDS. As in other fungal diseases, the diagnosis and treatment of this pathology is still far from ideal, reinforcing the need to better study the host-parasite interaction in the seek for best strategies to revert these problems. In the recent years, small metabolites were shown to play important roles in host-parasite interactions. It was previously demonstrated that low molecular weight molecules (lower than 1 KDa), present in conditioned medium (CM) from stationary cultures of C. neoformans strain H99, affected the planktonic and biofilm growth of this fungus, as well the production of melanin and secretion of capsular polysaccharides by this fungus. To further study the role of those molecules, in the present work we analyzed the influence of these secreted molecules, during fungal interaction with primary murine macrophages. Fungal cells and macrophages were co-incubated for periods of 2h or 24h in an infection ratio of 2:1, in the presence or absence of CM. Then we analyzed the possible effects of these molecules on fungal phagocytosis by macrophages, fungal survival, and macrophage cytokine production (TNF-α, IL-12, IL-1β, IL-6, MCP-1, and IL-10). We observed a potential anti-phagocytic activity of metabolites present in CM, which samples showed a lower percentage of fungal internalization. In addition, the CM produced a significant increase in the number of colony forming units of the fungus, obtained after 24h interaction with macrophages. This suggests that molecules capable to stimulate the extra and/or intracellular growth of the fungus might exist in these samples. Interestingly, after 24h phagocytosis, a significantly lower number of intracellular fungi were observed in fungus-containing macrophages when compared to control samples without CM. The production of cytokines was evaluated only within a period of 2h interaction and no significant differences were observed in the production of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6. Only a decrease in the production of MCP-1 in the presence of CM was detected, suggesting a potential anti-inflammatory role of the molecules present in this sample. In summary, it was possible to confirm that small metabolites present in CM might affect fungal viability and/or growth while interacting with macrophages, possibly inhibiting their internalization by these phagocytes and the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Thus, a better characterization of the molecules present in CM and of their activities could improve the understanding of fungus-host interactions in cryptococcosis

Genetic susceptibility to thyroid cancer: contributions of RET polymorphisms

Thyroid cancer is the most common malignancy of the endocrine system, represents more than 1% of all malignancies and has an estimated annual incidence of 212,000 cases worldwide. The term differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) comprises the subtypes papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and follicular thyroid carcinomas (FTC), these subtypes represent the two most common subtypes of thyroid cancer (approximately 80% and 10% respectively). Despite its incidence DTCs have a good prognosis with relatively few metastases and deaths associated. The polymorphisms (variants in DNA sequence among individuals that have a frequency of at least 1% in a population) of RET proto-oncogene have been studied in different populations for association with susceptibility to thyroid cancer, but with inconsistent findings mainly in DTC. To clarify the contribution of single locus or haplotypes (polymorphisms that are transmitted through generations as a unit) of RET polymorphisms to genetic susceptibility to DTC among Portuguese patients, we conducted a case–control study by analyzing four well-characterized RET polymorphisms (G691S, L769L, S836S and S904S). To achieve this aim, the RET polymorphisms were genotyped and haplotype frequencies were estimated in a population of 282 individuals with DTC and in a control population of 254 individuals. Allele, genotype and haplotype distributions were compared among cases and controls. Patient population was subdivided according to several clinical parameters and allele, genotype and haplotype distributions were compared among the subgroups. The single locus analysis showed an overrepresentation of the S836S polymorphism in patients when compared to controls. Also the heterozygous genotypes of the G691S/S904S polymorphisms were overrepresented in cases diagnosed after the age of 45 years and the heterozygous genotype of G691S polymorphism revealed an overrepresentation in patients with tumors larger then 10mm of diameter at diagnosis. The haplotype analysis showed an overrepresentation of GGTC haplotype in patients particularly in those diagnosed after the age of 45 years. In conclusion, our data suggest that the S836S polymorphism may be associated with increased risk of DTC. Also the heterozygous genotype of the G691S/S904S polymorphisms seems to be associated with age of onset of DTC and additionally the heterozygous genotype of G691S polymorphism appeared to be in association with tumor size. Finally, one haplotype appears to be associated with increased risk of DTC particularly in those developed in later age (after the age of 45 years). These findings need to be confirmed by larger studies in order re-evaluate the role of these variants in the susceptibility to DTC.Thyroid cancer is the most common malignancy of the endocrine system, represents more than 1% of all malignancies and has an estimated annual incidence of 212,000 cases worldwide. The term differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) comprises the subtypes papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and follicular thyroid carcinomas (FTC), these subtypes represent the two most common subtypes of thyroid cancer (approximately 80% and 10% respectively). Despite its incidence DTCs have a good prognosis with relatively few metastases and deaths associated. The polymorphisms (variants in DNA sequence among individuals that have a frequency of at least 1% in a population) of RET proto-oncogene have been studied in different populations for association with susceptibility to thyroid cancer, but with inconsistent findings mainly in DTC. To clarify the contribution of single locus or haplotypes (polymorphisms that are transmitted through generations as a unit) of RET polymorphisms to genetic susceptibility to DTC among Portuguese patients, we conducted a case–control study by analyzing four well-characterized RET polymorphisms (G691S, L769L, S836S and S904S). To achieve this aim, the RET polymorphisms were genotyped and haplotype frequencies were estimated in a population of 282 individuals with DTC and in a control population of 254 individuals. Allele, genotype and haplotype distributions were compared among cases and controls. Patient population was subdivided according to several clinical parameters and allele, genotype and haplotype distributions were compared among the subgroups. The single locus analysis showed an overrepresentation of the S836S polymorphism in patients when compared to controls. Also the heterozygous genotypes of the G691S/S904S polymorphisms were overrepresented in cases diagnosed after the age of 45 years and the heterozygous genotype of G691S polymorphism revealed an overrepresentation in patients with tumors larger then 10mm of diameter at diagnosis. The haplotype analysis showed an overrepresentation of GGTC haplotype in patients particularly in those diagnosed after the age of 45 years. In conclusion, our data suggest that the S836S polymorphism may be associated with increased risk of DTC. Also the heterozygous genotype of the G691S/S904S polymorphisms seems to be associated with age of onset of DTC and additionally the heterozygous genotype of G691S polymorphism appeared to be in association with tumor size. Finally, one haplotype appears to be associated with increased risk of DTC particularly in those developed in later age (after the age of 45 years). These findings need to be confirmed by larger studies in order re-evaluate the role of these variants in the susceptibility to DTC

Avery Brundage, Pan-American Games, and Entrenchment of the Olympic Movement in Latin America

To become firmly established, the Pan-American Games depended on the efforts of particular individuals. With Avery Brundage\u27s attention to the Pan-American Games as the center of this analysis, this study documented the main events leading up to the inauguration of the Pan-American Games as well as their development and significance to Latin American countries in the mid-twentieth century. The research material was mainly drawn from primary sources, most importantly, those found in the Avery Brundage Collection at Western University. The study demonstrated that Brundage saw in the Pan-American Games not only a challenge, but an opportunity to promote the Modern Olympic Movement’s rules and ideals throughout Latin America. A crucial finding from this investigation is how Brundage articulated the foundation of the Pan-American Games by clouding his actions and attitudes from imperialist connotations. He skillfully managed to build a trustful and solid networking with Latin American sport leaders, agreeing with the idea of creating a new and autonomous institution, the Pan-American Sports Organization (PASO). However, gradually, Brundage put forward the interests of the IOC, or to be more accurate, his view of sports, the Olympic Movement, and its purposes. In sum, two arguments related to the purpose and function of the Pan-American Games in its formative years stood out from data analysis: the diplomatic role of the Games towards enhancing Inter-American relationships; and the idealistic view later implicated in the event aimed at fostering the ‘high ideals’ of the Modern Olympic Movement