Avaliação da aprendizagem no curso a distância de licenciatura em ciências biológicas da Universidade Estadual de Pernambuco

In contemporary society, distance education is expanding, especially in the offering of courses of initiatory professor training. By the side of possibilities, there is the need to critically reflect on the government decision to finance, and even to incite distance education, as a more economic way to achieve, within different time and space, the greatest quantity of the population, trying to fill the gaps of the Brazilian school education. The research was made in the Biology Bachelor Course offered by the Pernambuco University (UPE), in the context of the Presential Support Pole of the Paraiba State University, located in the city of Campina Grande. Along this study, we intend to analyze the evaluation practice and the instruments of valuation available in the virtual environment of learning (AVA), used by the former professors in the learning evaluation of the contents offered by the reference course. The relevance of the discussion is to reflect about the results of distance education in the initial of the professor training. To perceive the possibilities and limitations concerning the technological resources available at the educational process, especially to the evaluation practice, is primordial in order to comprehend the contents of learning that can be explored by the professors and which is the dialogical relation that is firmed between professor, preceptor and student, in favor of the learning development and an effective and meaningful education. The qualitative research had the symbolic interacionism as a methodological-theoretical approach. We gathered informations through institutional documents, documental records, questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. Treating and analyzing the data we used the content analysis method (Bardin, 1977). As a theoretical basis, we relied on authors such as Zabala (1998, 1999), Aretio (2002), Hoffmann (2003, 2005), Silva, M. (2003, 2006), Belloni (2006), Luckesi (2008), Silva, J. (2008), Vasconcelos (2008) and Domingos (2009). It was evident the need to reflect about the educational practice of the professors and preceptors responsible for the academic distance learning, concerning the evaluation of the learning contents in a autonomous and innovatory way, identifying its influence in the development of values which are considered vital to a complete professor upbringing. The evaluation in a mediator approach is necessary to the reality of an online classroom, because of its character to promote the improvement of the action of the one who is teaching and the one Who is learning in an interactive, collaborative and cooperative perspective, seeking a transformative praxis. Involved in this formation, the bachelors will be able to promote the development of capacities and skills necessary to the complete learning of theirs future students, certifying the education for life, which is a perspective that includes the knowing, the knowing how to do and how to be, a living being with sustainable relations with the others and with nature

Concepções de licenciandas em pedagogia sobre o ensino de ciências nos ciclos I e II da educação básica

O conteúdo de ciências no Ensino Fundamental dos ciclos I e II é ministrado por um professor polivalente com formação em Pedagogia. Sua formação deve possibilitar uma visão global do fenômeno educativo, o que implica a construção de conhecimentos múltiplos e contextualizados, porém com pouco aprofundamento. Este trabalho objetiva identificar as opiniões e dificuldades de licenciandos de Pedagogia a respeito dos conteúdos de Ciências nos dois primeiros ciclos do Ensino Fundamental, mediado por dois questionamentos: Com relação aos conteúdos de ciências ministrados no I e II ciclos, você os considera fácil ou difícil? Sendo solicitado que justificasse sua resposta; De acordo com seus conhecimentos sobre ciências, cite as principais dificuldades que você teria (tem/teve) em ensinar ciências nos ciclos I e II. Participaram do estudo 29 licenciandas da turma de Ensino das Ciências Naturais II do Curso de Pedagogia da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte. Com relação ao questionamento referente à consideração dos conteúdos de ciências, 52% das licenciandas consideraram fácil, 31% difícil e 17% não responderam a questão. Foram identificadas três categorias de respostas: processo de elaboração do planejamento (20,5% fácil e 20,5% difícil), nível de conhecimento dos alunos (7% fácil e 0% difícil) e natureza dos conteúdos abordados (14% fácil e 10,5% difícil). Foram classificadas três categorias distintas em relação às dificuldades em ensinar ciências: natureza dos conteúdos abordados (50%), aspectos metodológicos (25%), e conhecimento básico (25%). A análise dos resultados revelou que a principal dificuldade das licenciandas em Pedagogia quanto à aplicabilidade do ensino de ciências nos primeiros ciclos do Ensino Fundamental esta diretamente relacionada à falta de conhecimento básico destes conteúdos, que somente foram estudados por elas no Ensino Básico, indicando a necessidade de incorporação de abordagens de conteúdos de ciências no currículo do curso de Pedagogia.

Democratização do acesso ao ensino superior: os cursos de graduação à distância na UFRN

This thesis pursuits to contextualize the theoretical debate between the implementation of public education policy of the Federal Government focused in a distance learning and legal foundations for its enforcement, in order to raise questions and comments on the topic in question. Its importance is back to provide scientific input and can offer to the academy, particularly in the UFRN, and elements of society to question and rethink the complex relationship between the socio-economic and geographic access to higher education. It consists of a descriptive study on the institutionalization of distance education in UFRN as a mechanism for expanding access to higher education, for both, the research seeks to understand if the distance undergraduate courses offered by the UAB system and implemented at UFRN, promote expanding access to higher education, as it is during implementation that the rules, routines and social processes are converted from intentions to action. The discussion of this study lasted between two opposing views of Implementation models: Top-down and Bottom-up. It is worth noting that the documents PNE, PDE and programs and UAB MEETING reflect positively in improving the educational level of the population of the country It is a qualitative study, using the means Bibliographic, Document and Field Study, where they were performed 04 (four) in 2010 interviews with the management framework SEDIS / UAB in UFRN. The data were analyzed and addressed through techniques: Document Analysis and Content Analysis. The results show that the process of implementation of distance education at UFRN is in progress. According to our results, the research objective is achieved, but there was a need to rethink the conditions of the infrastructure of poles, the structure of the academic calendar, the management of the SEDIS UFRN, regarding the expansion of existing vacancies and the supply of new courses by the need for a redesign as the Secretariat's ability to hold the offerings of undergraduate courses offered by the Federal Government to be implemented in the institution. It was also found that levels of evasion still presents a challenge to the teaching model. Given the context, we concluded that the greatest contribution of UAB and consequently UFRN by distance learning for undergraduate courses (Bachelor in Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Geography and Biological Sciences, beyond the bachelor's degrees in Business and Public Administration ) is related to increasing the number of vacancies and accessibility of a population that was previously deprived of access to university

O ensino por investigação: construindo possibilidades na formação continuada do professor de ciências a partir da ação-reflexão

Studies and reflections about the current trends on teaching Science show us the importance of include in the teaching practice, activities with a investigative and problematic approach, that allow to the learners to understand and to apply concepts and phenomena scientifics. On this perspective, the teacher continuing education is essential to effect the practice of this approach in the classroom. Therefore, this research has as an objective to contribute with Science teacher continuing formation in the basic education, in the use of the investigative approach, with a view to overcoming obstacles and making change in pedagogical practice using this research elements. For this, a qualitative research with science teachers of basic schools in the city of Natal/ RN/ Brazil was held, who attended the training course on teaching by investigation in 2012, through the project entitled "Em Busca de Novos Talentos para a Ciência: uma intervenção no ensino público" (Searching New Talents for Science: an intervention in public education).The research was conducted in four stages: Diagnosis of the conceptions of education for research and incorporation into practice after the New Talents course; projection of the intervention, intervention and evaluation. To obtain the data it was made a questionnaire, semi-structured interviews, group studies, written records and participant observation. It was analyzed that the course had significant contributions to the participating teachers to promote the approach and the motivation for incorporation of the investigative approach in practice. The permanence of weaknesses related to the theoretical basis was found, the wear resistance, difficulty in planning activities and the change in practice, diagnosed the previous course of this research. It was also noticed certain lack of domain of teaching principles of investigation by the teachers, who despite being well understood in theory, reveal gaps in practice. Despite not having been exploited the full potential of investigative activity is apparent that the inclusion of activities with an investigative approach to science and biology classes is essential for an active, critical and reflective posture of the students as well as the interest in learning about science. It was demonstrated that intervention with moments of reflection, engagement, knowledge exchange, it was effective in overcoming difficulties identified at baseline as well as providing greater motivation to face the innovations and changes in education, suggesting an important format to considered in the course of continuing education. This is because the planning and replanning allow teachers to reflect and evaluate their practice, contributing to overcoming difficulties of teachers on a daily basis.

O ensino por investigação: construindo possibilidades na formação continuada do professor de ciências a partir da ação-reflexão

Studies and reflections about the current trends on teaching Science show us the importance of include in the teaching practice, activities with a investigative and problematic approach, that allow to the learners to understand and to apply concepts and phenomena scientifics. On this perspective, the teacher continuing education is essential to effect the practice of this approach in the classroom. Therefore, this research has as an objective to contribute with Science teacher continuing formation in the basic education, in the use of the investigative approach, with a view to overcoming obstacles and making change in pedagogical practice using this research elements. For this, a qualitative research with science teachers of basic schools in the city of Natal/ RN/ Brazil was held, who attended the training course on teaching by investigation in 2012, through the project entitled "Em Busca de Novos Talentos para a Ciência: uma intervenção no ensino público" (Searching New Talents for Science: an intervention in public education).The research was conducted in four stages: Diagnosis of the conceptions of education for research and incorporation into practice after the New Talents course; projection of the intervention, intervention and evaluation. To obtain the data it was made a questionnaire, semi-structured interviews, group studies, written records and participant observation. It was analyzed that the course had significant contributions to the participating teachers to promote the approach and the motivation for incorporation of the investigative approach in practice. The permanence of weaknesses related to the theoretical basis was found, the wear resistance, difficulty in planning activities and the change in practice, diagnosed the previous course of this research. It was also noticed certain lack of domain of teaching principles of investigation by the teachers, who despite being well understood in theory, reveal gaps in practice. Despite not having been exploited the full potential of investigative activity is apparent that the inclusion of activities with an investigative approach to science and biology classes is essential for an active, critical and reflective posture of the students as well as the interest in learning about science. It was demonstrated that intervention with moments of reflection, engagement, knowledge exchange, it was effective in overcoming difficulties identified at baseline as well as providing greater motivation to face the innovations and changes in education, suggesting an important format to considered in the course of continuing education. This is because the planning and replanning allow teachers to reflect and evaluate their practice, contributing to overcoming difficulties of teachers on a daily basis.

Concepções de licenciandas em pedagogia sobre o ensino de ciências nos ciclos I e II da educação básica

O conteúdo de ciências no Ensino Fundamental dos ciclos I e II é ministrado por um professor polivalente com formação em Pedagogia. Sua formação deve possibilitar uma visão global do fenômeno educativo, o que implica a construção de conhecimentos múltiplos e contextualizados, porém com pouco aprofundamento. Este trabalho objetiva identificar as opiniões e dificuldades de licenciandos de Pedagogia a respeito dos conteúdos de Ciências nos dois primeiros ciclos do Ensino Fundamental, mediado por dois questionamentos: Com relação aos conteúdos de ciências ministrados no I e II ciclos, você os considera fácil ou difícil? Sendo solicitado que justificasse sua resposta; De acordo com seus conhecimentos sobre ciências, cite as principais dificuldades que você teria (tem/teve) em ensinar ciências nos ciclos I e II. Participaram do estudo 29 licenciandas da turma de Ensino das Ciências Naturais II do Curso de Pedagogia da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte. Com relação ao questionamento referente à consideração dos conteúdos de ciências, 52% das licenciandas consideraram fácil, 31% difícil e 17% não responderam a questão. Foram identificadas três categorias de respostas: processo de elaboração do planejamento (20,5% fácil e 20,5% difícil), nível de conhecimento dos alunos (7% fácil e 0% difícil) e natureza dos conteúdos abordados (14% fácil e 10,5% difícil). Foram classificadas três categorias distintas em relação às dificuldades em ensinar ciências: natureza dos conteúdos abordados (50%), aspectos metodológicos (25%), e conhecimento básico (25%). A análise dos resultados revelou que a principal dificuldade das licenciandas em Pedagogia quanto à aplicabilidade do ensino de ciências nos primeiros ciclos do Ensino Fundamental esta diretamente relacionada à falta de conhecimento básico destes conteúdos, que somente foram estudados por elas no Ensino Básico, indicando a necessidade de incorporação de abordagens de conteúdos de ciências no currículo do curso de Pedagogia.

Democratização do acesso ao ensino superior: os cursos de graduação à distância na UFRN

This thesis pursuits to contextualize the theoretical debate between the implementation of public education policy of the Federal Government focused in a distance learning and legal foundations for its enforcement, in order to raise questions and comments on the topic in question. Its importance is back to provide scientific input and can offer to the academy, particularly in the UFRN, and elements of society to question and rethink the complex relationship between the socio-economic and geographic access to higher education. It consists of a descriptive study on the institutionalization of distance education in UFRN as a mechanism for expanding access to higher education, for both, the research seeks to understand if the distance undergraduate courses offered by the UAB system and implemented at UFRN, promote expanding access to higher education, as it is during implementation that the rules, routines and social processes are converted from intentions to action. The discussion of this study lasted between two opposing views of Implementation models: Top-down and Bottom-up. It is worth noting that the documents PNE, PDE and programs and UAB MEETING reflect positively in improving the educational level of the population of the country It is a qualitative study, using the means Bibliographic, Document and Field Study, where they were performed 04 (four) in 2010 interviews with the management framework SEDIS / UAB in UFRN. The data were analyzed and addressed through techniques: Document Analysis and Content Analysis. The results show that the process of implementation of distance education at UFRN is in progress. According to our results, the research objective is achieved, but there was a need to rethink the conditions of the infrastructure of poles, the structure of the academic calendar, the management of the SEDIS UFRN, regarding the expansion of existing vacancies and the supply of new courses by the need for a redesign as the Secretariat's ability to hold the offerings of undergraduate courses offered by the Federal Government to be implemented in the institution. It was also found that levels of evasion still presents a challenge to the teaching model. Given the context, we concluded that the greatest contribution of UAB and consequently UFRN by distance learning for undergraduate courses (Bachelor in Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Geography and Biological Sciences, beyond the bachelor's degrees in Business and Public Administration ) is related to increasing the number of vacancies and accessibility of a population that was previously deprived of access to university

Germinação de sementes e otimização de técnicas de micropropagação de umbuzeiro (spondias tuberosa, arr.) anacardiaceae

The brazilian-plum (Spondias tuberosa, His) is a tropical fruit tree that has been consolidated in the market for agribusiness processing, due to its characteristic flavor of fruit. Accordingly, studies to optimize the propagation of plants are necessary for production of seedlings with agronomic and quality assurance measures. This study aimed at determining the efficient techniques for uniform seed germination, as brazilian-plum seed present mechanical dormancy, and establish optimal culture media for multiplication of shoots from the in vitro micropropagation. Firstly, in a greenhouse at the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, was evaluated the influence of different methods of breaking dormancy in the emergence of seedlings of brazilian-plum and speed of germination (IVG) of seeds. After 60 days of cultivation, it was found that splay in the distal portion of the seed was the best treatment, with rates of 85.33% in germinability and 3.415 of IVG, compared with the treatment of seed-soaking in water for 12h + humus and the control group. Subsequently, new sources of seedling explants were obtained in studies of tissue culture. Laboratory of Plant Biotechnology that the university, was used stem apex, nodal segments and internodes in search of decontamination with various concentrations of calcium hypochlorite [Ca(OCl)2] and micropropagation, inoculating them in half WPM (1980) with various concentrations of 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP). We used 10 sample units with three replications for different concentrations of [Ca(OCl)2], BAP and explants type. After thirty days, which was observed for the control of contamination, during the establishment in vitro, concentrations of [Ca(OCl)2] between 0.5% and 2.0% were effective in combating exogenous contamination of the apex. In nodal segments and internodes, concentrations of [Ca(OCl)2] between 1.0% and 2.0% and 1.5% and 2.0% were respectively, sufficient to reduce the percentage of losses in these infestations explants. For micropropagation, the culture medium supplemented with 0.1 mg.L-1 BAP promotes better development of multiple shoots per explants from nodal segment. However, success does not get to shoot training in internodal segment

Dimensões e universo das representações sociais de educação ambiental por discentes em Garanhuns-PE

The research aimed at investigating the dimensions and the universe of social representations of environmental education, as well as identifying the senses and meanings Environmental Education. This study admitted as presumption the education and environment dimensions. In this investigation was adopted as reference the dimension or representation scope of Moscovici. One hundred and twenty (120) students from Public Schools of Basic Education participated of this study and moreover three hundred and twenty-three (323) from Higher Education in the area of the UPE-FACETEG. The following questions were admitted: 1) What are the dimensions/categories that exist in the semantic scope of social representations of the environmental education? 2) What are the senses and meanings of environmental education? 3) The student s representations of Basic Education are similar or different from the Higher Education? The software EVOC helped in the organization of semantic scope for construction of the categories, with support of the contents analysis. The justifications are sorted on lexical classes using the software ALCESTE, through of the speech analyses. The free association of words answered the question dimension/categories and its semantic scope, being: a) Nature/Environment; b) values; c) Attitudes; d) Actions; e) Implications; f) Mediation. Six lexical classes were found with its meanings enumerated in this way: 1.Awareness, as a factor of belief for the preservation of nature and society. The students are clamoring for environmental education in the school, emphasizing the importance of awareness in the development of the respect to the environment linking the education and family; 2. The consciousness-knowledge relationship for the environment-nature preservation. 3. The environment and human interventions, in search of indicators of solutions. 4. Nature /background/ environment and its constituting elements, a thinking of values and an acting for mediation. 5. The human-nature interaction in social representations of environmental education and the symbolic-life size. 6. Nature / environment /, values, attitudes, actions, implications, and mediation in nature-man relationships. The groups more representatives according to these lexical classes were, the Basic Education in the class-4, represented exclusively by the Primary and Secondary Education and the class-6 represented by both two the Basic Education (47,37%) and the Higher Education (52,63%) - History, Pedagogy, Psychology, Mathematics, Language and Literature. The classes 4 and 6 are related to the class-3 which in turn is formed by students of Higher Education (Mathematics, Biology, Pedagogy, Psychology, Language and Literature) and Basic Education (Primary and Secondary Education). The Higher Education is most represented by the lexical classes (1, 2 and 5). The class 2 corresponded to 80% of the researched groups. In the class-1 the biggest representation was concerning to the Psychology, Geography, Biology and Language and Literature courses, whereas the class-5 was best represented by Psychology, Biology, Pedagogy, Language and Literature, Geography and History. From the results, one may conclude that the imagery is nature/environment; that life is the symbolic dimension that permeates the whole imaginary, and that preservation, awareness and respect are inserted in the speech that circulate to protect life

Compreensão de natureza e formação do biólogo

Most knowledge and techniques developed by mankind since ancient times had the main purpose to study and understand the various phenomena of Nature. Science, like one of these narratives, works as a translation, transcribing what, is systematically observed. Within the set of transformations on the modern sciences, the dialogue with related areas became quite narrow and, occasionally, functional, and the dialogue with non-related areas, in turn, does not takes place by any matters. The focus of this research is the teaching of Biological Sciences, and the undergraduate courses as strategic places to disseminate a broad understanding of Nature, that broadens the conceptual relations between different disciplinary axes, previously fragmented. In order to do so, I take a four-way metaphorical approach as a methodological construction base. Three of them proposed by Joël de Rosnay, represented by artifacts: The Telescope, The Microscope and the Macroscope. And finally, a proposition that complements the approach, that i named The Naked Eye. In Telescope, which allows a more general construct of a phenomenon, I discuss the teaching of Biological Sciences in Brazil. In the microscope, which allows us to analyze in detail a scenario, I construct a rank of the major courses in biological sciences and propose a discussion on the understanding of nature on the undergraduate programs. In Macroscope, who allows, at the same time, zoom in and out to the phenomenon observed, I call for a transdisciplinary dialogue, based on the authors Ilya Prigogine, Basarab Nicolescu, Henri Atlan and Bruno Latour, which can certainly contribute to the curriculum of the Biologists training programs, that builds knowledge pertinent to a complex observation of Nature. I complete the set of the quaternary reading and understanding of the world from the Naked Eye, as the first strategy of perception in our species. For this, I invite the philosopher of Nature Chico Lucas da Silva as my interlocutor

Citologia: uma proposta formativa na EaD - UFRN a partir de concepções alternativas

Learning difficulties can have a direct influence on the teaching-learning process of students by reducing their school performance. One factor that may contribute to this negative influence on learning refers to the presence of alternative conceptions, which may have different origins in the educational process. It is of paramount importance, for teachers, for example, to identify the concepts and the difficulties of their students in order for that knowledge can be able to contribute significantly to improve the teaching and learning process. From the following considerations, the present study (still in progress) aims to investigate aspects related to the concepts and difficulties of graduating students in relation to the contents of Biology. The participants of the research were undergraduate students in Biological Sciences from UFRN, studying by Distance Learning (Educação a Distância). To develop the survey, questionnaires were developed to identify the contents in Biology that these students have more difficulties as well as an interview to raise misconceptions regarding the content of cytology. Another tool developed was a textbook evaluation form, which was applied in conjunction with a questionnaire in workshops (short courses) in order to identify possible errors and mistakes that could jeopardize the process of teaching and learning, such as the importance that these learners assign to textbooks in the educational process. From the data collected, a booklet on the content of cytology was developed as a product. It is expected that it can be applied in classrooms in order to improve the teaching and learning in references to Biology, to minimize, for example, alternative conceptions than can occur related to the theme

Germinação de sementes e otimização de técnicas de micropropagação de umbuzeiro (spondias tuberosa, arr.) anacardiaceae

The brazilian-plum (Spondias tuberosa, His) is a tropical fruit tree that has been consolidated in the market for agribusiness processing, due to its characteristic flavor of fruit. Accordingly, studies to optimize the propagation of plants are necessary for production of seedlings with agronomic and quality assurance measures. This study aimed at determining the efficient techniques for uniform seed germination, as brazilian-plum seed present mechanical dormancy, and establish optimal culture media for multiplication of shoots from the in vitro micropropagation. Firstly, in a greenhouse at the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, was evaluated the influence of different methods of breaking dormancy in the emergence of seedlings of brazilian-plum and speed of germination (IVG) of seeds. After 60 days of cultivation, it was found that splay in the distal portion of the seed was the best treatment, with rates of 85.33% in germinability and 3.415 of IVG, compared with the treatment of seed-soaking in water for 12h + humus and the control group. Subsequently, new sources of seedling explants were obtained in studies of tissue culture. Laboratory of Plant Biotechnology that the university, was used stem apex, nodal segments and internodes in search of decontamination with various concentrations of calcium hypochlorite [Ca(OCl)2] and micropropagation, inoculating them in half WPM (1980) with various concentrations of 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP). We used 10 sample units with three replications for different concentrations of [Ca(OCl)2], BAP and explants type. After thirty days, which was observed for the control of contamination, during the establishment in vitro, concentrations of [Ca(OCl)2] between 0.5% and 2.0% were effective in combating exogenous contamination of the apex. In nodal segments and internodes, concentrations of [Ca(OCl)2] between 1.0% and 2.0% and 1.5% and 2.0% were respectively, sufficient to reduce the percentage of losses in these infestations explants. For micropropagation, the culture medium supplemented with 0.1 mg.L-1 BAP promotes better development of multiple shoots per explants from nodal segment. However, success does not get to shoot training in internodal segment

Ecogenômica de archaea e monitoramento de comunidades de procariotos redutores de sulfato: aplicações na indústria de petróleo e gás

The human activities responsible for the ambient degradation in the modern world are diverse. The industrial activities are preponderant in the question of the impact consequences for brazilian ecosystems. Amongst the human activities, the petroliferous industry in operation in Potiguar Petroliferous Basin (PPB) displays the constant risk of ambient impacts in the integrant cities, not only for the human populations and the environment, but also it reaches the native microorganisms of Caatinga ground and in the mangrove sediment. Not hindering, the elaboration of strategies of bioremediation for impacted areas pass through the knowledge of microbiota and its relations with the environment. Moreover, in the microorganism groups associated to oil, are emphasized the sulfate-reducing prokaryotes (SRP) that, in its anaerobic metabolism, these organisms participate of the sulfate reduction, discharging H2S, causing ambient risks and causing the corrosion of surfaces, as pipelines and tanks, resulting in damages for the industry. Some ancestries of PRS integrate the Archaea domain, group of microorganisms whose sequenced genomes present predominance of extremophilic adaptations, including surrounding with oil presence. This work has two correlated objectives: i) the detection and monitoring of the gene dsrB, gift in sulfate-reducing prokaryotes, through DGGE analysis in samples of mDNA of a mangrove sediment and semiarid soil, both in the BPP; ii) to relate genomic characteristics to the ecological aspects of Archaea through in silico studies, standing out the importance to the oil and gas industry. The results of the first work suggest that the petrodegraders communities of SRP persist after the contamination with oil in mangrove sediment and in semiarid soil. Comparing the populations of both sites, it reveals that there are variations in the size and composition during one year of experiments. In the second work, functional and structural factors are the probable cause to the pressure in maintenance of the conservation of the sequences in the multiple copies of the 16S rDNA gene. Is verified also the discrepancy established between total content GC and content GC of the same gene. Such results relating ribosomal genes and the ambient factors are important for metagenomic evaluations using PCR-DGGE. The knowledge of microbiota associated to the oil can contribute for a better destination of resources by the petroliferous industry and the development of bioremediation strategies. Likewise, search to lead to the best agreement of the performance of native microbiota in biogeochemical cycles in Potiguar Petroliferous Basin ecosystem

Ecologia parasitária de isópodos e biologia reprodutiva em tibiro, Oligoplites spp (OSTEICHTHYES: CARANGIDAE) das águas costeiras de Natal, Rio Grande do norte

Oligoplites palometa (Cuvier) and Oligoplites saurus (Bloch & Schneider) (Osteichthyes: Carangidae) are coastal pelagic fish species. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of parasitism by isopods and the reproductive biology of the leather jack, Oligoplites spp. A total of 113 individuals of Oligoplites spp (35 of O. saurus and 78 of O. palometa) were captured during the period between January, 2005 and July, 2007 from the coastal waters of Natal, RN. The morphometric and meristic characters were registered; macroscopic analyses were done to collect the isopod parasites and the gonads were observed to verify the reproductive aspects. The crustacean isopod parasite, Cymothoa spinipalpa (Isopoda: Cymothidae) was encountered on the tongue in the oral cavity in both fish hosts. The parasitic indices of C. spinipalpa showed high values of prevalance of 51,4% for O. saurus and 64,1% for O. palometa. The host presented significant correlations between body mass and body length of O. palometa and the number of parasites. Body lengths of female C. spinipalpa were small due to the limited space available in the oral cavity of the host. There was a significant difference in the sex ratio of O. palometa, males outnumbered the females. The isopod parasites showed specificity to the oral cavity of hosts. Macroscopic analyses of gonads showed four stages of gonadal development for both sex of O. palometa: immature, maturing, mature and spent

Potencial larvicida de extratos de plantas regionais no controle de larvas de Aedes aegypti

Dengue, amongst the virus illnesses one can get by vectorial transmission, is the one that causes more impact in the morbidity and mortality of world s population. The resistance to the insecticides has caused difficulties to control of vector insect (Aedes aegypti) and has stimulated a search for vegetables with larvicidal activity. The biodiversity of Caatinga is barely known and it is potential of use even less. Some plants of this biome are commercialized in free fairs northeast of Brazil, because of its phytotherapics properties. The vegetables in this study had been selected by means of a questionnaire applied between grass salesmen and natives of the Serido region from Rio Grande do Norte state; culicids eggs had been acquired with traps and placed in container with water for the larva birth. Thirty larvae had been used in each group (a group control and five experimental groups), with four repetitions four times. The vegetables had been submitted to the processes of decoction, infusion and maceration in the standard concentration of 100g of the vegetable of study in 1l of H2O and analyzed after ½, 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 24 and 48 hours for verification of the average lethal dose (LD50) from the groups with thirty larva. The LD50 was analyzed in different concentrations (50g/l, 100g/l, 150g/l, 200g/l e 300g/l) of Aspidosperma pyrifolium Mart. 48 extracts of rind, leaf and stem of the seven vegetal species: Aspidosperma pyrifolium Mart., Mimosa verrucosa Benth, Mimosa hostilis (Mart.) Benth., Myracrodruon urundeuva Allemão, Ximenia americana L, Bumelia sartorum Mart Zizyphus joazeiro Mart, had been analyzed. The extracts proceeding from the three methods were submitted to the freezedrying, to evaluate and to quantify substances extracted in each process. The results had shown that Aspidosperma pyrifolium Mart. and Myracrodruon urundeuva Allemão are the species that are more distinguished as larvicidal after 24 hours of experiment, in all used processes of extraction in the assays. The Zizyphus joazeiro Mart species has not shown larvicidal activity in none of the assays. In relation to the extraction method, the decoction was the most efficient method in the mortality tax of the A. aegypti larvae