Challenges of university teaching practice in distance education.

O artigo busca compreender a pr?tica pedag?gica de professores rec?m-doutores durante suas primeiras experi?ncias na educa??o a dist?ncia, tendo como foco principal a forma??o docente no contexto universit?rio. Buscamos refletir sobre os desafios enfrentados pelos sujeitos investigados analisando suas narrativas escritas ap?s as primeiras experi?ncias na doc?ncia na EaD. Os estudos sobre narrativas (auto)biogr?ficas balizam metodologicamente a coleta e an?lise de dados. Ao revisitarem suas trajet?rias de inser??o na EaD, os sujeitos t?m a oportunidade de constru?rem e reconstru?rem seus saberes sobre a doc?ncia no contexto universit?rio. Sabemos que as tecnologias t?m favorecido novas concep??es sobre o que ? ensinar, foco da Did?tica. Os resultados apontam a necessidade e a urg?ncia de forma??o docente no que se refere ? educa??o a dist?ncia universit?ria.The present paper aims to understand the pedagogical practice of newly doctoral graduated teachers during their first experiences in distance learning, focusing mainly on teacher training in the university context. We seek to pounder on the challenges faced by the investigated subjects analyzing their written narratives after the first experiences teaching in distance education. Studies on (auto)biography narratives methodologically guide the collection and analysis of data. When revisiting their paths of insertion in distance education, the subjects have the opportunity to build and reconstruct their knowledge about teaching in the university context. We do know that technologies have favored new conceptions of what it is to teach, which is what Didactics is focused on. The results point out the necessity and urgency for teacher training regarding university distance educatio

Synthesis of hydrogels of cellulose acetate (AC) cross-linked with 3,3?,4,4? benzophenonetetracarboxylic dianhydride (BTDA) : characterization and adsorption physicochemical study.

Este trabalho descreve as s?nteses de hidrog?is superabsorventes a base de acetato de celulose (AC), com grau de substitui??o 2.5, reticulado com dianidrido 3, 3?, 4, 4? benzofenona tetracarbox?lico (BTDA). As caracteriza??es das mat?rias primas foram realizadas por an?lises t?rmicas (TG/DTG) e espectroscopia na regi?o do infravermelho (FTIR). O grau de substitui??o do acetato de celulose foi determinado por via ?mida. A confirma??o da rea??o de esterifica??o foi poss?vel a partir da t?cnica de FTIR, espectroscopia UV-vis e an?lises t?rmicas (TG/DTG). A presen?a de poros no novo material foi analisada por microscopia eletr?nica de varredura (MEV) e porosimetria (BET). A influ?ncia da concentra??o de dianidrido no meio reacional foi investigada, bem como a influ?ncia do aumento no grau de reticula??o no comportamento t?rmico do material. Foram obtidas isotermas de absor??o de ?gua em diferentes temperaturas para os hidrog?is com diferentes graus de reticula??o. Os coeficientes de difus?o dos g?is foram determinados, juntamente com a energia de ativa??o para o processo de inchamento usando a equa??o de Arrhenius. A entalpia de mistura do sistema gel-?gua foi determinada pela medida da quantidade m?xima de ?gua absorvida no equil?brio a diferentes temperaturas, empregando a equa??o de Gibbs/Helmholtz.This work describes the synthesis of hydrogels of cellulose acetate (AC), with a nominal degree of substitution DS = 2.5, cross-linked with 3,3?,4,4? benzophenonetetracarboxylic dianhydride (BTDA). The raw materials were characterized by thermal analysis (TG/DTG) and by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). DS of cellulose acetate was determined by titration with a known amount of standard NaOH solution. Hydrogels of BTDA were synthesized with 0.5, 0.75 and 1.0 mol of BTDA/mol of AC. FTIR proved to be a suitable method to monitor the course of reactions and the progress of purification. UV-vis spectroscopy and analysis confirmed the esterification of the free hydroxyl groups. Surface modification of AC structure after the cross-linking reaction was analyzed by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and density and porosity of the hydrogels were determined by BET. The influence of the concentration of dianhydride on the time necessary for formation of the gel was investigated. The influence from the increase in the degree of cross-linking on the thermal behavior of the material was also documented. Water absorption isotherms were obtained for hydrogels with different reticulating agents and reticulation degrees at different temperatures. The Arrhenius equation was used to determine the diffusion coefficient of the different hydrogels at distinct temperatures and the threshold energy for the swelling process. The enthalpy of mixture was determined through the measurement of the maximum quantity of water absorbed at equilibrium at different temperatures, with the Gibbs/Helmholtz equation

Effectiveness Of 2% And 4% Papain Gels In The Healing Of Venous Ulcers

OBJECTIVE To analyze the effectiveness of 2% and 4% papain gels in tissue repair of venous ulcers. METHOD Quasi-experimental study with consecutive sample of 16 patients with 30 venous ulcers treated at the outpatient clinic of a teaching hospital, from April to November in 2011, using a form for clinical assessment of the patient and its lesion. Variables were analyzed by Wilcoxon and McNemar test (p < 0.05). RESULTS Most participants were female; aged between 51 and 59 years; obese; with hypertension. Regarding ulcers, there was an average decrease of 7.9 cm2 (50% of its original size) in 90 days; 20% of the ulcers completely healed within 56.67 days. There was an increase in epithelialization, significant reduction in the slough and edema, improved depth, in the type and amount of exudate (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION 2% and 4% papain gels were effective in healing venous ulcers

Characterization of residual oils for biodiesel production

Background: Residual oils were characterized according to their physicochemical properties, i.e. acidity, iodine value, peroxide value and saponification number, to evaluate the degradation level and viability for biodiesel production. Results: The methyl esters of fatty acids (FAME) from samples of residual bovine, chicken and soybean oils were quantified by using four transesterification methods, using acidic and basic catalysis and, gas chromatography with flame ionization detector (GC\u2013FID). Methods that used acidic catalysis at a lower temperature were the most efficient. Methyl biodiesel samples were synthesized by basic catalysis (KOH) for all quantified oils and the physicochemical properties of the biofuel were evaluated, i.e. viscosity, flash and fire points, density, water content, iodine and acidity numbers. Conclusions: The obtained results suggesting that it is possible to take advantage of these residues for biodiesel production as the obtained products were approved according to the rules established by the National Association of Petroleum (ANP); the bovine samples were the exception regarding moisture and acidity

Polyfunctional T cell responses in children in early stages of chronic Trypanosoma cruzi infection contrast with monofunctional responses of long-term infected adults

Background: Adults with chronic Trypanosoma cruzi exhibit a poorly functional T cell compartment, characterized by monofunctional (IFN-γ-only secreting) parasite-specific T cells and increased levels of terminally differentiated T cells. It is possible that persistent infection and/or sustained exposure to parasites antigens may lead to a progressive loss of function of the immune T cells. Methodology/Principal Findings: To test this hypothesis, the quality and magnitude of T. cruzi-specific T cell responses were evaluated in T. cruzi-infected children and compared with long-term T. cruzi-infected adults with no evidence of heart failure. The phenotype of CD4+ T cells was also assessed in T. cruzi-infected children and uninfected controls. Simultaneous secretion of IFN-γ and IL-2 measured by ELISPOT assays in response to T. cruzi antigens was prevalent among T. cruzi-infected children. Flow cytometric analysis of co-expression profiles of CD4+ T cells with the ability to produce IFN-γ, TNF-α, or to express the co-stimulatory molecule CD154 in response to T. cruzi showed polyfunctional T cell responses in most T. cruzi-infected children. Monofunctional T cell responses and an absence of CD4+TNF-α+-secreting T cells were observed in T. cruzi-infected adults. A relatively high degree of activation and differentiation of CD4+ T cells was evident in T. cruzi-infected children. Conclusions/Significance: Our observations are compatible with our initial hypothesis that persistent T. cruzi infection promotes eventual exhaustion of immune system, which might contribute to disease progression in long-term infected subjects.Fil: Albareda, María Cecilia. Dirección Nacional de Instituto de Investigación. Administración Nacional de Laboratorio e Instituto de Salud. Instituto Nacional de Parasitología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Ministerio de Salud. Hospital Interzonal de Agudos "Eva Perón"; ArgentinaFil: de Rissio, Ana María. Dirección Nacional de Instituto de Investigación. Administración Nacional de Laboratorio e Instituto de Salud. Instituto Nacional de Parasitología; ArgentinaFil: Tomas, Gonzalo. Dirección Nacional de Instituto de Investigación. Administración Nacional de Laboratorio e Instituto de Salud. Instituto Nacional de Parasitología; ArgentinaFil: Serjan, Alicia. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital General de Agudos "Juan A. Fernández"; ArgentinaFil: Alvarez, María Gabriela. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Ministerio de Salud. Hospital Interzonal de Agudos "Eva Perón"; ArgentinaFil: Viotti, Rodolfo Jorge. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Ministerio de Salud. Hospital Interzonal de Agudos "Eva Perón"; ArgentinaFil: Fichera, Laura Edith. Dirección Nacional de Instituto de Investigación. Administración Nacional de Laboratorio e Instituto de Salud. Instituto Nacional de Parasitología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Esteva, Mónica Inés. Dirección Nacional de Instituto de Investigación. Administración Nacional de Laboratorio e Instituto de Salud. Instituto Nacional de Parasitología; ArgentinaFil: Potente, Daniel Fernando. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Ministerio de Salud. Hospital Interzonal de Agudos "Eva Perón"; ArgentinaFil: Armenti, Alejandro. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Ministerio de Salud. Hospital Interzonal de Agudos "Eva Perón"; ArgentinaFil: Tarleton, Rick L.. University of Georgia; Estados UnidosFil: Laucella, Susana Adriana. Dirección Nacional de Instituto de Investigación. Administración Nacional de Laboratorio e Instituto de Salud. Instituto Nacional de Parasitología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

An overview of the current status of CMB observations

In this paper we briefly review the current status of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) observations, summarising the latest results obtained from CMB experiments, both in intensity and polarization, and the constraints imposed on the cosmological parameters. We also present a summary of current and future CMB experiments, with a special focus on the quest for the CMB B-mode polarization.Comment: Latest CMB results have been included. References added. To appear in "Highlights of Spanish Astrophysics V", Proceedings of the VIII Scientific Meeting of the Spanish Astronomical Society (SEA) held in Santander, 7-11 July, 200

Dietary Supplementation with Soluble Plantain Non-Starch Polysaccharides Inhibits Intestinal Invasion of Salmonella Typhimurium in the Chicken

Soluble fibres (non-starch polysaccharides, NSP) from edible plants but particularly plantain banana (Musa spp.), have been shown in vitro and ex vivo to prevent various enteric pathogens from adhering to, or translocating across, the human intestinal epithelium, a property that we have termed contrabiotic. Here we report that dietary plantain fibre prevents invasion of the chicken intestinal mucosa by Salmonella. In vivo experiments were performed with chicks fed from hatch on a pellet diet containing soluble plantain NSP (0 to 200 mg/d) and orally infected with S.Typhimurium 4/74 at 8 d of age. Birds were sacrificed 3, 6 and 10 d post-infection. Bacteria were enumerated from liver, spleen and caecal contents. In vitro studies were performed using chicken caecal crypts and porcine intestinal epithelial cells infected with Salmonella enterica serovars following pre-treatment separately with soluble plantain NSP and acidic or neutral polysaccharide fractions of plantain NSP, each compared with saline vehicle. Bacterial adherence and invasion were assessed by gentamicin protection assay. In vivo dietary supplementation with plantain NSP 50 mg/d reduced invasion by S.Typhimurium, as reflected by viable bacterial counts from splenic tissue, by 98.9% (95% CI, 98.1–99.7; P<0.0001). In vitro studies confirmed that plantain NSP (5–10 mg/ml) inhibited adhesion of S.Typhimurium 4/74 to a porcine epithelial cell-line (73% mean inhibition (95% CI, 64–81); P<0.001) and to primary chick caecal crypts (82% mean inhibition (95% CI, 75–90); P<0.001). Adherence inhibition was shown to be mediated via an effect on the epithelial cells and Ussing chamber experiments with ex-vivo human ileal mucosa showed that this effect was associated with increased short circuit current but no change in electrical resistance. The inhibitory activity of plantain NSP lay mainly within the acidic/pectic (homogalacturonan-rich) component. Supplementation of chick feed with plantain NSP was well tolerated and shows promise as a simple approach for reducing invasive salmonellosis

Low frequency of TERT promoter mutations in gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs).

Somatic mutations in the promoter region of telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) gene, mainly at positions c. − 124 and c. − 146 bp, are frequent in several human cancers; yet its presence in gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) has not been reported to date. Herein, we searched for the presence and clinicopathological association of TERT promoter mutations in genomic DNA from 130 bona fide GISTs. We found TERT promoter mutations in 3.8% (5/130) of GISTs. The c. − 124C4T mutation was the most common event, present in 2.3% (3/130), and the c. − 146C4T mutation in 1.5% (2/130) of GISTs. No significant association was observed between TERT promoter mutation and patient’s clinicopathological features. The present study establishes the low frequency (4%) of TERT promoter mutations in GISTs. Further studies are required to confirm our findings and to elucidate the hypothetical biological and clinical impact of TERT promoter mutation in GIST pathogenesis.This project was partially supported by Barretos Cancer Hospital internal research funds (PAIP) and CNPq Universal Grant (476192/2013-7) to RMR. NCC is a recipient of an FAPESP Doctoral Fellowship (2013/25787-3). Further funding from the project ‘Microenvironment, metabolism and cancer’ that was partially supported by Programa Operacional Regional do Norte (ON.2—O Novo Norte) under the Quadro de Referência Estratégico Nacional (QREN) and the Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional (FEDER). IPATIMUP is an Associate Laboratory of the Portuguese Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education that is partially supported by the FCT