Sleep and school education

Sleep has emerged in the past decades as a key process for memory consolidation and restructuring. Given the universality of sleep across cultures, the need to reduce educational inequality, the low implementation cost of a sleep-based pedagogy, and its global scalability, it is surprising that the potential of improved sleep as a means of enhancing school education has remained largely unexploited. Students of various socio-economic status often suffer from sleep deficits. In principle, the optimization of sleep schedules both before and after classes should produce large positive benefits for learning. Here we review the biological and psychological phenomena underlying the cognitive role of sleep, present the few published studies on sleep and learning that have been performed in schools, and discuss potential applications of sleep to the school setting. Translational research on sleep and learning has never seemed more appropriate.

Sleep and school education

Sleep has emerged in the past decades as a key process for memory consolidation and restructuring. Given the universality of sleep across cultures, the need to reduce educational inequality, the low implementation cost of a sleep-based pedagogy, and its global scalability, it is surprising that the potential of improved sleep as a means of enhancing school education has remained largely unexploited. Students of various socio-economic status often suffer from sleep deficits. In principle, the optimization of sleep schedules both before and after classes should produce large positive benefits for learning. Here we review the biological and psychological phenomena underlying the cognitive role of sleep, present the few published studies on sleep and learning that have been performed in schools, and discuss potential applications of sleep to the school setting. Translational research on sleep and learning has never seemed more appropriate.

Os programas de governo no horário gratuito de propaganda eleitoral:um estudo das eleições governamentais no Rio Grande do Norte em 2006

In Brazil, the Free Political advertising time (HGPE) represents one of the main venues for the contest between political parties, revealing a tool that streamlines the electoral dispute and enables all sectors and social classes of important information about dispute over candidates. In HGPE, political groups have the opportunity to present their programs of government and discuss issues that relate to the demands of the population. This research sought to examine the role played by so-called "government programs" in the electoral race for governor of Rio Grande do Norte in 2006, which had as main candidates, two traditional characters of the political landscape in Natal: Wilma de Faria (PSB) and Garibaldi Alves Filho (PMDB). According to our analysis, discussion of government programs such candidates in HGPE had not meant to enlighten the voters about the political projects designed, not just the desire to build an image of seriousness and competence of candidates, but appeared as a means to meet the schedule imposed by the opponent and as a strategic resource to select a specific segment of the electorate.

Modelo 2,5D de predição de propagação para ambientes interiores utilizando o método do traçado de raios

A 2.5D ray-tracing propagation model is proposed to predict radio loss in indoor environment. Specifically, we opted for the Shooting and Bouncing Rays (SBR) method, together with the Geometrieal Theory of Diffrartion (GTD). Besides the line-of-sight propagation (LOS), we consider that the radio waves may experience reflection, refraction, and diffraction (NLOS). In the Shooting and Bouncing Rays (SBR) method, the transmitter antenna launches a bundle of rays that may or may not reach the receiver. Considering the transmitting antenna as a point, the rays will start to launch from this position and can reach the receiver either directly or after reflections, refractions, diffractions, or even after any combination of the previous effects. To model the environment, a database is built to record geometrical characteristics and information on the constituent materials of the scenario. The database works independently of the simulation program, allowing robustness and flexibility to model other seenarios. Each propagation mechanism is treated separately. In line-of-sight propagation, the main contribution to the received signal comes from the direct ray, while reflected, refracted, and diffracted signal dominate when the line-of-sight is blocked. For this case, the transmitted signal reaches the receiver through more than one path, resulting in a multipath fading. The transmitting channel of a mobile system is simulated by moving either the transmitter or the receiver around the environment. The validity of the method is verified through simulations and measurements. The computed path losses are compared with the measured values at 1.8 GHz ftequency. The results were obtained for the main corridor and room classes adjacent to it. A reasonable agreement is observed. The numerical predictions are also compared with published data at 900 MHz and 2.44 GHz frequencies showing good convergence

Estratégias argumentativas na construção do discurso ideológico: um estudo da produção didático-pedagógica do meb

This research studies the argumentative process developed by the Basis Educational Movement (MEB), using as corpus the booklet Viver é lutar , and other lesson plans of the Educational Rural Radio from Natal. It has as objectives reveal the argumentative strategies in the discursive production of MEB, exploring the meaning effects suggested by its production conditions, and the ideological positions defended, in addition to this, verify how the booklet and the radio classes dialogued in the argumentation of their theses. So, the study is guided by the Discourse Analysis presuppositions, by the Argumentation Theory, by the conceptions of Popular Education, as well as the conception language dialogical language conception, recurring to Bakhtin (1995). The research adopts the documental characteristic of qualitative nature with an interpretative basis. The analysis of the data permitted us to confirm that the pedagogical didactic material discourse of MEB was produced in a social-historical-ideological context in what the education was seen as a social liberation instrument, being able to transform the Brazilian people and the Brazilian unequal structure. The results reveal that the booklet and the classes assume a position remarkably in favor of the popular classes, structured by the argumentative techniques that intended to convince, and to persuade the auditorium. Thus, the argument was based initially on the convincing of youths and of adults for, afterwards, to construct a persuasion to the learners, in terms of referring to act on the reality to transform it, according to their desires of social justice

Propriedades críticas do modelo z(4) em sistemas bi e tridimensionais

A real space renormalization group method is used to investigate the criticality (phase diagrams, critical expoentes and universality classes) of Z(4) model in two and three dimensions. The values of the interaction parameters are chosen in such a way as to cover the complete phase diagrams of the model, which presents the following phases: (i) Paramagnetic (P); (ii) Ferromagnetic (F); (iii) Antiferromagnetic (AF); (iv) Intermediate Ferromagnetic (IF) and Intermediate Antiferromagnetic (IAF). In the hierarquical lattices, generated by renormalization the phase diagrams are exact. It is also possible to obtain approximated results for square and simple cubic lattices. In the bidimensional case a self-dual lattice is used and the resulting phase diagram reproduces all the exact results known for the square lattice. The Migdal-Kadanoff transformation is applied to the three dimensional case and the additional phases previously suggested by Ditzian et al, are not found

Evolução do reparo por excisão de nucleotídeo

The phylogeny is one of the main activities of the modern taxonomists and a way to reconstruct the history of the life through comparative analysis of these sequences stored in their genomes aimed find any justification for the origin or evolution of them. Among the sequences with a high level of conservation are the genes of repair because it is important for the conservation and maintenance of genetic stability. Hence, variations in repair genes, as the genes of the nucleotide excision repair (NER), may indicate a possible gene transfer between species. This study aimed to examine the evolutionary history of the components of the NER. For this, sequences of UVRA, UVRB, UVRC and XPB were obtained from GenBank by Blast-p, considering 10-15 as cutoff to create a database. Phylogenetic studies were done using algorithms in PAUP programs, BAYES and PHYLIP package. Phylogenetic trees were build with protein sequences and with sequences of 16S ribosomal RNA for comparative analysis by the methods of parsimony, likelihood and Bayesian. The XPB tree shows that archaeal´s XPB helicases are similar to eukaryotic helicases. According to this data, we infer that the eukaryote nucleotide excision repair system had appeared in Archaea. At UVRA, UVRB and UVRC trees was found a monophyletic group formed by three species of epsilonproteobacterias class, three species of mollicutes class and archaeabacterias of Methanobacteria and Methanococci classes. This information is supported by a tree obtained with the proteins, UVRA, UVRB and UVRC concatenated. Thus, although there are arguments in the literature defending the horizontal transfer of the system uvrABC of bacteria to archaeabacterias, the analysis made in this study suggests that occurred a vertical transfer, from archaeabacteria, of both the NER genes: uvrABC and XPs. According the parsimony, this is the best way because of the occurrence of monophyletic groups, the time of divergence of classes and number of archaeabacterias species with uvrABC system

Praça: lugar de lazer: relações entre características ambientais e comportamentais na Praça Kalina Maia Natal RN

Nowadays, the urban chaos brings some problems to the citizens such as mental fatigue, irritability and lack of attention, emphasizing the need for open urban spaces, capable to contribute to the restoration of physical and mental balance of people. By the variety of alternative uses available, many of them related to the stimulus of entertainment activities, the squares have been identified as restorative environments, especially by its potential as a place of leisure. In this context, the objective of this dissertation is to understand the use of the square as leisure environment, by a square in Natal RN, establishing the relationship between environmental and behavioral characteristics. More specifically, I attempt to identify the major activities that happen there, the people that develop them and the spatial and temporal configurations of this occupation. Among the 290 squares available in the city, the Kalina Maia Square was selected, which is located in the district of Lagoa Nova. The case study chosen was based on criteria relating to scale, shape, location on the urban environment, variability of uses and conservation status. In the study were used behavioral mapping place-centered and people-centered, behavior trace analysis and 14 interviews. The results show that the square is used by people from different ages and social classes, subdivided into groups with specific days and times. These users are usually engaged in activities related to various types of leisure, with sports predominance. The relationship between spatial configuration and behavior shows that there is a sectorization of uses, being possible to identify the environmental characteristics that most favor observed activities, especially in relation to shading and presence of furniture and equipment. Moreover, throughout the day it appears that the affordances inherent to the various fixed objects on the square are decoded differently by various categories of users, by giving them insights that help the development of leisure activities that characterize each group

As relações afetivas na prática tutorial e sua relação com a aprendizagem no curso a distância de licenciatura plena em química

In distance learning degree in Chemistry in full of the Secretária de Educação a distância da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (SEDIS / UFRN). The teacher-tutor to establish the experimental subjects closer relationships with students, mediating the pedagogical actions that develop in the distance learning course, with a view to achieving the principles of autonomy and learning, contributing to the creation of learning environments collaborative, guided by affection.The article presents the results of an empirical research on affectivity in practice this tutorial experimental classes in higher distance education in the full degree course in Chemistry Polo Currais Novos/ RN, held between 2009 and 2010. The study is based on qualitative methodology, whose data were collected through questionnaires and semi-structured interviews with 48 (forty eight) students involved in distance learning courses and selected in order to compose a group of subjects who showed variability, as guidelines that guide the sampling procedures in qualitative research. The results, based on category theory and empirical analysis of data from the interviews were supplemented by information obtained from participant observation which also served to guide the data collection of the corpus of this work. With the results we understand that there is clarity about what characterizes a loving relationship between those involved in the process of teaching and learning in experimental classes in high school chemistry Distance Education. Furthermore, it was also clear that the communication process in dialogic teaching and learning in higher distance education in chemistry at the trial need to mark out in balanced affective attitudes, the experimental error that value and respect the many possible construction of knowledge by movements social interaction of individual and collective

Produção do espaço e transformações urbanas no litoral sul de João Pessoa - PB

This present work has as its objective the analysis of transformations relating to the production processes in the Southern littoral urban space of the city of João Pessoa PB. The research estimated that the urban space is the product, means and condition of the society which produces it. The object-area of this inquiry is constituted of five districts: Altiplano Cabo Branco, Portal do Sol, Ponta do Seixas, Penha and Costa do Sol. The urban expansion which occurs in this area is characterized by the appearance of sufficient contradictory space phenomenona. On the other hand, the launching of real estate products such as the horizontal closed condominiums, directed towards the upper class, and the occurrence of areas of irregular occupation, inhabited by lower socioeconomic class and with a great lack of infrastructure and basic urban services, revealing the social contradictions. Due to this, processes such as auto-segregation and segregation imposed beyond the precarious and delinquent inclusion, has become the determining characteristic of this part of the city in analysis. The study also takes into account the appreciation of the new urban environmental zoning of Altiplano do Cabo Branco and from this moment on, start the discussion about the tendencies of urban expansion in this area, due to the interests and strategies of the real estate sector and the prominent role of the government in the current valorization process of urban soil of the area. The presence of residuals of agricultural businesses indicates a typical picture of the peri-urban areas configuring what we observe today at the Southern littoral of João Pessoa

Escrita colaborativa com google docs: flash fiction, noticing e aprendizagem de inglês como L2

Google Docs (GD) is an online word processor with which multiple authors can work on the same document, in a synchronous or asynchronous manner, which can help develop the ability of writing in English (WEISSHEIMER; SOARES, 2012). As they write collaboratively, learners find more opportunities to notice the gaps in their written production, since they are exposed to more input from the fellow co-authors (WEISSHEIMER; BERGSLEITHNER; LEANDRO, 2012) and prioritize the process of text (re)construction instead of the concern with the final product, i.e., the final version of the text (LEANDRO; WEISSHEIMER; COOPER, 2013). Moreover, when it comes to second language (L2) learning, producing language enables the consolidation of existing knowledge as well as the internalization of new knowledge (SWAIN, 1985; 1993). Taking this into consideration, this mixed-method (DÖRNYEI, 2007) quasi-experimental (NUNAN, 1999) study aims at investigating the impact of collaborative writing through GD on the development of the writing skill in English and on the noticing of syntactic structures (SCHMIDT, 1990). Thirtyfour university students of English integrated the cohort of the study: twenty-five were assigned to the experimental group and nine were assigned to the control group. All learners went through a pre-test and a post-test so that we could measure their noticing of syntactic structures. Learners in the experimental group were exposed to a blended learning experience, in which they took reading and writing classes at the university and collaboratively wrote three pieces of flash fiction (a complete story told in a hundred words), outside the classroom, online through GD, during eleven weeks. Learners in the control group took reading and writing classes at the university but did not practice collaborative writing. The first and last stories produced by the learners in the experimental group were analysed in terms of grammatical accuracy, operationalized as the number of grammar errors per hundred words (SOUSA, 2014), and lexical density, which refers to the relationship between the number of words produced with lexical properties and the number of words produced with grammatical properties (WEISSHEIMER, 2007; MEHNERT, 1998). Additionally, learners in the experimental group answered an online questionnaire on the blended learning experience they were exposed to. The quantitative results showed that the collaborative task led to the production of more lexically dense texts over the 11 weeks. The noticing and grammatical accuracy results were different from what we expected; however, they provide us with insights on measurement issues, in the case of noticing, and on the participants‟ positive attitude towards collaborative writing with flash fiction. The qualitative results also shed light on the usefulness of computer-mediated collaborative writing in L2 learning.

Os impactos na qualidade da água e do solo de um manancial tropical do semiárido devido ao uso e ocupação e evento de seca extrema

Human activities alter soil features, causing the deterioration of its quality. Land use and occupation in drainage basins of water supply reservoirs can change the environmental soil quality and, thus, lead to the expansion of the soil potential of being a diffuse pollution source. In the Brazilian semiarid region, the soils are generally shallow with high susceptibility to erosion, favoring the sediment and nutrients input into the superficial waterbodies, contributing to the eutrophication process. Moreover, this region has high temperatures and high evapotranspiration rates, that are generally higher than the precipitation rates, causing a negative hydric balance and big volume losses by evaporation. The water volume reduction increases the nutrients’ concentration and, therefore, exacerbates the eutrophication process, deteriorating the water quality. Thereby, we hypothesized that the eutrophication process of semiarid reservoirs is intensified both by the extreme climatic events of prolonged drought, and by the diffuse pollution due to the basin land use and occupation. The study aimed to test whether the land use and occupation activities of the basin and the severe drought events intensify the eutrophication process of a semiarid tropical reservoir. To verify the influence of human activities carried out in the water supply of drainage basin on the soil quality and the eutrophication process, we conducted the mapping of the kind of use and occupation, as well the calculation of erosion for each activity and the soil quality evaluation of the riparian zone and water quality of the water supply. For the water analyses, the samplings were carried out monthly in the deeper point, near dam. For the soil, deformed composite samples were taken for the physical and chemical attributes analysis, according to the identified land use and occupation classes. The results showed that extreme droughts drastically reduces the water volume and elevates the nutrients concentration, contributing, thus, to a bigger degradation of water quality. Furthermore, we verified that human activities in the drainage basin promote the diffuse pollution, by increasing the soil susceptibility to erosion and nutrients contents. Summarizing, our results support the investigated hypothesis that activities of land use and occupation and extreme drought generate a combined effect that provide the intensification of eutrophication process of semiarid reservoirs.

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.

Currículo escolar e inclusão de estudantes com deficiência: diálogos com uma escola pública

This work of qualitative approach, has as its study object the school curriculum, resulting from the implementation of public policies for inclusion in the Brazilian educational field and of the teaching organization in State School Despertar. While we acknowledge advances in government discussions and proposals related to school inclusion in our country, it is still important to develop studies and interventions in the context of basic education focused on the curriculum. With methodological basis in collaborative-critical action research and contribution by Barbier, the survey was conducted in 2013, in a state school in the Natal - Rio Grande do Norte - school system, and aimed to analyze the curriculum of the State School Despertar, in particular issues related to the inclusion of students with disabilities in common teaching classes expressed in the school and in collective situations of continuing education with teachers and interpreter of Brazilian Sign Language (Libras). The school was previously chosen because it had already been locus of research in a study conducted by a professor at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte promoting the knowledge of their formative needs. The study subjects were 26 teachers in the early years and the end of elementary school and a Libras interpreter. The instruments were direct observation, semi-structured interviews, document analysis and a proposal for continuing education called Collaborative Group on School Inclusion (GCEI), established with the participating subjects and the other research collaborators. The analyzed data showed eight dialogues built with the State School Despertar, being basic the contributions of Goffman (1988) on stigma and of Forquin (1993) on school culture. As a theoretical framework, there were important contributions on School Curriculum (SACRISTÁN, 2000; 2007; APPLE, 2006; 2008), School Inclusion (BUENO, 2008), Continuing Education (NÓVOA, 2002; GATTI, 2003) and the existing studies on the dialogues between Curriculum and Special Education (MAGALHÃES, 2002; SILVA, 2008; 2010; OLIVEIRA, 2004; VIEIRA, 2012). The study highlighted the importance of extending the dialogue, the theoretical deepening of GCEI for the understanding of school curriculum and the specifics of any students, with or without disability. It will be necessary to revisit the school teaching practices that do not correspond to the students, for instance the formation of classes made in classrooms. It is also important to consider the organization of the school day and its interface with the pedagogical functions of each member of the school in building curriculum practices consistent with the diversity of modes and learning styles. Subliminal aspects of the curriculum should be reviewed, given its implications in the context of the classroom and management. However, significant changes identified in the practices of some teachers, such as the use of audio description, stimulus to the participation of students with disabilities and use of images, favored the development of other students, who benefit of more exciting and participatory classes. Based on the conducted research, we conclude on the importance of collectively discuss the conditions for / in schooling of different students and the (re)thinking of curriculum practices in the school as a whole, and therein lies a paradox because, on the one hand, it is not about minimizing the specific knowledge in dealing with the needs of students with disabilities, on the other, we are not interested in distancing these needs from those inherent in human nature, therefore peculiar to the other students. The questioning of our own practices is the challenge imposed, not to special education, or its target audience, but this is undoubtedly task of education.