Distributed situation awareness in nuclear, chemical, and maritime domains

The increase in size, automation and complexity of modern sociotechnical systems changed the dynamics of work environments and calls for new methodologies and metaphors towards safety of complex systems. Chemical, nuclear, and transportation (i.e. road, maritime, and aviation) industries are composed of various nested sub-systems where smooth coordination and communication are essential features to achieve continuous and safe operations. Even though such sub-systems exist since the industrial revolution, fewer studies have been conducted in these domains: to understand the work as it is done (rather than it is imagined), which is the only way to shed light about the variability in work performance and how these subsystems can combine to generate dangerous and unexpected outcomes. The theoretical framework of Distributed Situation Awareness provides a firm background to investigate the sub-systems that constitute the chemical, nuclear, and maritime industries/domains. This paper unfolds the key sub-systems (e.g., operators, human-computer interfaces, communication tools, and distant/different locations) that play a critical role in normal and abnormal situations in these industries. The complex interconnections among various artifacts are explained and their significance is assessed

Sustainability-focused international PBL project:Rethinking digital education for individuals of low socioeconomic status

Providing access to education for individuals of lower socio-economic status is a significant way to reduce poverty, as it empowers them to grow as professionals and as individuals. Although there is an increasing sense of urgency to promote these changes, notably motivated by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the UN 2030 Agenda, there are still few successful ways to solve this problem on a large-scale. As digital technology develops and affordability increases, new ways to share quality educational content are created. In an exploratory case study, with a qualitative approach, this paper presents the development of a digital application focused on providing quality educational content directed to vulnerable groups that lack access to formal learning experiences, specifically focused on waste pickers in Brasilia, Brazil. The main data collection methods used to make the decisions through the development process were observation, surveys, and interviews. Within the framework of Problem Based Learning (PBL) an international cross-disciplinary collaboration among different universities, the project, denominated “Mobile Education”, involved: (i) the design and implementation of a system consisting of both a web and mobile application; (ii) the research of a viable business model to provide long-term sustainability for the project; (iii) and the creation of a pilot course of financial education for the preliminary target group, i.e., waste pickers from Brasilia, Brazil. Conclusively, the project aims to positively impact social transformation for individuals who work at the Waste Sorting facilities and lack financial knowledge. The Mobile Education project resulted in a functional version of the app (Web and Mobile) as well as the delimitation of a viable business model to keep it providing digital equality in Brazilian education

Ação do cepa e do ácido giberélico na frutificação da videira 'niagara rosada'

Studies were carried out to establish the effects of exogenous growth regulators on Vitis (labrusca x vinifera) 'Niagara Rosada' fruiting. The investigations were done in the Jundiaí Research Station, Agronomic Institute State of São Paulo, always using disease-free vineyards of good productivity. The morphological transformations of clusters were carried out under the following aspects: weight, length and width of cluster; number of berries; weight, length average and width average of berries; length average/width average ratio of berries; number of seeds; length and diameter of secondary rachis. That characteristics were determined at the time of maturity plus the total sugars, total acid, Maturity Index and reducing sugars in samples of all treatments. The experiment were conduced in order to determine the doses that resulted in the most beneficial effects, always using applications by immersion of the inflorescence. The experiment consisted of appplications of (2-chloroethyl) phosphonic acid (CEPA) at concentrations of 50, 100, 250, 500, 1,000 and 2,000 ppm, 14 days before flowering; treatments with gibberellic acid at concentrations of 100 and 200 ppm before full bloom, 10 days after full bloom, and both before plus after full bloom. Treatment with CEPA 100 ppm plus gibberellic acid 100 ppm before full bloom and check treatment were also used. The use of CEPA before flowering at the concentrations used, did not result in good results in 'Niagara Rosada' clusters; applications of gibberellic acid did not differ significantly from the nontreated vines under the conditions studied.Estudou-se o efeito da aplicação, por imersão, do CEPA (ácido 2-cloroetil fosfônico) e do ácido giberélico, 14 dias antes do florescimento, nas características morfológicas da panícula da videira Vitis (labrus-ca x vinifera) "Niagara Rosada". Alguns tratamentos com ácido giberélico foram concluídos com nova aplicação 10 dias após o florescimento. Neste experimento verificou-se que, aplicação do CEPA na concentração de 250 ppm resultou na formação de panículas com a maioria de características indesejáveis. o tratamento misto CEPA 100 ppm + ácido giberélico 100 ppm também promoveu o aparecimento de panículas subdesenvolvidas. Aplicação de ácido giberélico na concentração de 100 ppm em pré e pós-ílorescimento, resultou médias mais elevadas, com relação ao peso da panícula, comprimento da panícula, peso das bagas e comprimento da ráquis. Ácido giberélico na concentração de 100 ppm aplicado em pós-ílorescimento, promoveu uma tendência de aumento nas médias do tratamento quanto ao comprimento médio das bagas, largura média das bagas, largura do engaço e comprimento da ráquila. Devemos considerar porém, que os resultados obtidos não apresentaram diferenças significativas com relação ao controle, quanto às características das frutificações, nas condições de estudo

Efeito de esterco bovino sobre os rendimentos de espigas verdes e de grãos de milho The effect of cattle manure on yield of green corn ears and maize grains

Avaliaram-se os efeitos de doses de esterco bovino (0; 8; 16; 24; 32 e 40 t ha-1) sobre os rendimentos de espigas verdes e de grãos de duas cultivares de milho (Centralmex e AG-9012). O trabalho foi realizado em Mossoró (RN), de setembro a dezembro/99, com irrigação por aspersão. Utilizou-se esquema de parcelas subdivididas no delineamento de blocos completos casualizados com três repetições. As doses de esterco foram aplicadas às parcelas e as cultivares, às subparcelas. O rendimento de milho verde foi avaliado pelo número e peso totais de espigas verdes empalhadas e pelo número e peso de espigas comercializáveis, empalhadas e despalhadas. O rendimento de grãos foi avaliado pelo peso dos grãos corrigido para 15,5% de umidade. Análises do solo, realizadas aos 120 dias após o plantio, constataram que o esterco aumentou a retenção e a disponibilidade de água e os teores de fósforo, potássio e sódio, na camada do solo de 20-40 cm, mas não influenciou o pH e os teores de cálcio, soma de bases e de matéria orgânica. Tanto o rendimento de espigas verdes como o rendimento de grãos aumentaram com o aumento da dose de esterco, exceto o número e o peso totais de espigas verdes da cultivar Centralmex. A cultivar AG-9012 foi superior à cultivar Centralmex quanto aos rendimentos de espigas verdes e de grãos. A receita líquida, calculada com a comercialização de espigas empalhadas comercializáveis, foi maior na ausência de esterco para a cultivar AG-9012 e com a aplicação de 8 t ha-1para a Centralmex.<br>The effect of different levels of cattle manure (0; 8; 16; 24; 32 and 40 t ha-1) on yield of green corn ears and grains of two maize cultivars was evaluated (Centralmex and AG-9012). The study was carried out at Mossoró, Rio Grande do Norte State, Brazil, from September to Dezember 1999 using sprinkler irrigation. The experimental design was complete random blocks arranged in splitplot with three replications. The manure was applied to main plots and cultivars in the subplots. The green corn yield was evaluated by total number and weight of green ears with husk and by marketables ears, with husk and without husk. The grain yield was evaluated by grain weight corrected for 15,5% humidity. The soil analysis, carried out 120 days after planting, indicated that the manure increased the water retention, water availability and the potassium, sodium and phosphorus contents, however, did not influence pH, calcium, sum of bases and organic matter contents. The manure levels x cultivars interaction was significant for number of marketable ears with husk only. All evaluated traits increased with the increase of manure levels. The cultivar AG-9012 was superior to the cultivar Centralmex for the evaluated traits. The net income, obtained with the sale of marketable ears with husk, was higher when no manure was applied for AG-9012. For the cultivar Centralmex, the net income was higher with 8 t ha-1 cattle manure application