Eficiência de uma ETE em escala real composta por reator UASB seguido de lodo ativado

In the state of Rio Grande do Norte (RN), Brazil, there are about 80 sewage treatment systems being the predominant technology waste stabilization ponds. The Baldo s WWTP , due to its location and low availability of area, was designed as a hybrid conventional system (UASB reactor followed by activated sludge with biodiscs) at a tertiary level, being the most advanced WWTP in the State and also with the larger treatment capacity (1620 m3/h) .The paper presents the results of its performance based on samples collections from May to December 2012. Composite samples of the effluent of the grit chamber, UASB reactors, anoxic chambers, aeration tanks and treated effluent were collected weekly, every 4 hours for 24 hours. The results showed that the WWTP effluent presented adequate ranges of temperatures, pH and DO, however removal efficiencies of BOD and TSS were below the predicted by design. The UASB reactors also showed removals of BOD and TSS less than expected, due to the accumulation of sludge in the reactors, which eventually, was washed out in the effluent. The nitrification process was not satisfactory mainly due to problems in the oxygen distribution in the aeration tanks. The removal of ammonia and TKN were high, probably by the assimilation process

Competição entre caminhantes aleatórios

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico

Simetria de invariância de escala discreta, log-periodicidade e singularidades em tempo finito

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico

Validação da escala de fatigabilidade percebida para avaliação da fadiga em idosas

The term fatigability concerns the degree of fatigue associated with performing an activity of any type (physical, mental, emotional and / or social). Recently scales for assessing fatigue in the English language were created, however, gaps exist regarding the validity of these scales in relation to oxygen consumption and levels of perceived fatigue. Objective: To investigate the validity of perceived fatigability scale in older women frail and non-frail by the expired gases kinetics. Methods: This is a study of type validation, where were evaluated 48 elderly. The evaluation was conducted at two different sessions. In the first, data were collected demographic partners, as well as assessment of cognitive function, physical health, and the phenotype of frailty. The second was composed by the test 6-minute walk (6MWT) associated the expired gases kinects and assessment of perceived fatigability. Statistical analysis was performed a descriptive analysis and then we used the Pearson correlation test to evaluate the relationship between the measure of perceived fatigue and variables oxygen consumption (VO2), carbon dioxide production (VCO2), respiratory exchange ratio (RER)before and after 6MWT. We used a linear regression model initially considering the following explanatory variable: age, Body Mass Index (BMI), presence of frailty, comorbidities, level of physical activity, distance covered in the 6MWT , the energy cost of walking and severity of fatigability on performance. Results: The final sample consisted of 44 elderly women, 4 elderly were excluded because they didn t complete all phases of this study. The mean age obtained was 75 years (± 7.2 years). There was no significant correlation between fatigability measures and the values of VO2 ( r = .09 , p = .56 ) , VCO2 ( r = .173 , p = .26 ) , RER ( r = - .121 , p = .43 ). The final linear regression model showed that the energy cost of walking, the usual level of physical activity and the performance severity of fatigability explained 83.5 % (R2 = 0.835, p < 0.01) of the variation in the perceived fatigability. Conclusion: Our findings indicate a relationship between greater severity of fatigability and lower levels of physical activity and increased energy cost in walking, suggesting that the fatigability analyses using a simple numeric scale is valid and viable for assessment of fatigue in older women

Adaptação e validação da escala de motivação à prática de atividades físicas

The study of the motivation to practice physical activities is relevant once through this it is possible to develop intervention strategies for sedentary population. In this way, the present dissertation aimed to adapt and validate for the Brazilian context the Motives for Physical Activity Measure Revised (MPAM-R). It was investigated yet the relation of some socio-demographic variables (age, gender, Body Mass Index - BMI, types of physical activity; way to practice and time of practice) and the participants means in the motives studied. The physical activity (PA) is defined as any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles resulting in energy expenditure above the basal level. However, in the present study it was considered motivation for two types of PA: the physical exercises and sports. The Self-Determination Theory (SDT) underlay this research, once it has been used in the sportive context, beyond the facto of it was used as theoretical base to the development of MPAM-R. To attain the proposed goals, it was accomplished translations to Portuguese of the original English scale. Next, was carried out the semantic analysis and the judge analysis. For the empirical analysis of items, participated 309 practitioner of PA, classified in physical exercises practitioners and sports practitioners, with ages between 16 and 74 years, distributed equally by sex. They answered the final version in Portuguese of the MPAM-R and socio-demographic questions. The data was collected in Natal/RN, where the researcher approached people in some places where the PA is practiced, following she communicated that their involvement will be spontaneous and their responses will be confidential. The obtained results pointed the confirmation of the existence of five factors in the final version of the instrument, that was composed by 26 items that presented the following statistics indexes: x² (289) = 757.75, p < 0.000, x²/DF = 2.62, with GFI of 0.83, AGFI of 0.80 and RMSEA of 0.07. The reliability (Cronbach Alpha) of the complete instrument was 0.90, and the indexes of each factor were considered satisfactory too: Enjoyment (α = 0.88), Health (α = 0.84), Appearance (α = 0.79), Competence (α = 0.85) and Social (α = 0.75). It was observed that, in general, the main motive presented by the participants to practice PA was Health. It was verified yet, that women and aged had a higher mean in the Health factor; among the exercise practitioners was found a higher mean in the Appearance factor; and a higher mean in the Social factor was found among those that practice PA with accompaniment. It was concluded that the MPAM-R presented satisfactory psychometric parameters, became it useful in futures researches. Moreover, proposed the accomplishment of new studies that considered others variables to the intent of the better understanding of motivation to practice physical activity

Adaptação e validação da escala de dependência de exercício físico em versão tradicional e informatizada

While providing physical and psychological benefits, excessive exercise could be or cause a compulsive behavior, making the individual dependent on it. In a parallel discussion, computerized psychological instruments, for a hand, reflects the development of information technology and your applicability to other areas, but also shows little advance for Psychological Assessment. In this perspective, this study aims to adapt the Exercise Dependence Scale (EDS-R) in two formats (paper-and-pencil and computerized) and evaluate evidence of factorial and convergent validity, and reliability of each version and compare them with each other. It is also proposed to observe the relationship of some bio-demographic (Sex, age, frequency, duration and intensity of practice exercise) and the exercise dependence (DEF). For this purpose, 709 regular physical activity practitioners, selected by procedures non-probabilistic sampling, responded a adapted version of EDS-R, Muscle Appearance Satisfaction Scale (MASS), Body Modification Scale (BMS) and a demographic questionnaire, analyzed through Exploratory Factor Analysis, Cronbach's Alpha and not parametric tests. Both the traditional version and the computer showed a seven factors structure, explaining 57 and 62% of the variance, respectively, and Cronbach's alphas of 0.83 and 0.89. Factors were: (1) intentionality, (2) continuity, (3) tolerance, (4) reduction of other activities, (5) lack of control, (6) abstinence and (7) time spent on exercise. Relationships were observed between the Exercise Dependence and the variables: age, diets, consumption of food supplements and medicines for weight change, desire to do plastic surgery and body satisfaction. We observed also a positive correlation between the DEF and the frequency, duration and intensity of exercise, and the factor "Dependence on exercising" from MASS, indicating convergent validity of the EDS-R. Finally, comparisons between the two formats were equivalent, with few changes: computerized version achieved higher DEF scores. Based on these results, it can be concluded that the EDS-R has factorial and convergent validity, reliability, to measure exerceise dependence on traditional e computerized formats. DEF is related to actions used to body modification and behaviors toward exercise. Finally, it was found equivalence between the formats, especially in psychometric parameters, thus suggesting feasibility of a computerized assessment. However, it was observed that the computerized data has sample recruiting strategies more limited

Tradução e adaptação da escala de dependência de substâncias do Millon Clinical Multiaxial III para o Brasil

Millon describes the normal personality by means of adaptation styles that are effective in normal environments and personality disorders such as unadapted operating styles. To operacionalize his theoretical model, Millon has built several instruments, including the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory III (MCMI-III), wich consists of a self report inventory composed by 175 true or false response items, containing four verification scales, and others scales wich evaluates 14 personality patterns and 10 clinical syndromes. The Substance Dependence scale (T) is placed along with Clinical Syndromes scales. This research is justified by the lack of a Brazilian instrument to assess personality psychopathological aspects, and aims to translate and semantically adapt the MCMI-III to the Brazilian context, checking validity elements of the Substance Dependence scale, and developing a computer application for assisting the evaluation of assessment results. To this intent, 2.588 individuals data was collected, male and female, aged between 18 and 85 years, characterized as belonging to a clinical or non-clinical group, who took part in the survey via the internet or in person. Respondents completed the MCMI-III, a socio-demographic questionnaire and a subgroup also answered to the Goldberg General Health Questionnaire (GHQ). Besides descriptive statistics, we performed the analysis using the Student t test, principal components analysis and internal consistency. Despite difficulties related to translating very specific English terms, the assessment by judges, experts on Millon´s theory, and the back translation, attested the adequacy of the Brazilian version. Factorial analysis indicated the grouping of translated T scale items into three factors (social activities prejudice, lack of impulse control, and oppositional behavior), by presenting a single item on a fourth factor (apparently related to seeking pleasurable stimuli). The Cronbach alpha for this set of items was 0,82, indicating an acceptable scale reliability. The data analysis resulted in distinction of scores between clinical and non-clinical groups and between men and women; the relationship between high scores on the scale T and the other scales; scores of drug users according to the declared used substance; and the relationship between high scores on T and the verification of disorder or risk on GHQ mental health factor, indicating the instrument´s adequate sensistivity in identifying psychopathologies and the relationship between the different disorders or psychopathological personality patterns. Although further studies are necessary to develop the scores transformation factors, the computerized correction tool was adequate.

Estudos de validade da escala de dependência alcoólica do millon clinical multiaxial inventory iii para o Brasil

This study has as main objectives to translate and to adapt the MCMI-III to brazilian Portuguese, as well as investigate and analyze the involved modifications in the Alcohol Dependence Scale concerning to the results obtained on the validity and on the process of adaptation to Brazil. The inventory was translated and, posteriorly, applied on people with different reading levels to certify that the items are understandable to public in general, from diverse places of the country, divided into clinical and non-clinical groups. Were evaluated 2855 subjects between the ages of 18 and 85 years old, male and female, resident and dwellers of Brazilian cities. The application methods were face-to-face and computerized. Results showed that the clinical group presented significant differences between the means in comparison to the non-clinical group. Through the application of the General Health Questionnaire were developed studies related to the achievement of convergent validity and its results pointed to the relation between the instrument scores and the MCMI-III. The Alcohol Dependence Scale analysis indicated that people who reported abusive use of alcohol had highest scores, indicating adequacy of the instrument on identifying manifestation of disorders and syndromes. Nevertheless, further studies are necessary to the establishment of normative patterns to the Brazilian sample

Estudo das propriedades psicométricas da escala WHOQOLold em idosos da região Nordeste

The population aging process increases the number of elderly people worldwide. In Brazil, a country of continental size, this process began in the 40s and happens with specific features in each of the different region s realities. This way, this thesis aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of a elderly s quality of life (QOL) scale, the WHOQOL-old, in a population of the Northeast of Brazil. We sought to investigate the congruence between the content covered by the scale and the ones deemed as relevant by the participants. It aimed also study the validity evidences of the instrument s internal structure. To achieve the research objectives we adopted the design of multiple methods. The research was organized in two studies. For data collection, both studies used a sociodemographic questionnaire to obtain a profile of the participants and the Mini Mental State Exam (MMSE), used as exclusion criterion. A number of 18 elderly residents of the cities of Natal-RN and Campina Grande-PB, mean age of 73.3 years (SD = 5.9) took part od the study, They were organized into three focal groups (FG) in witch they discussed about the concept of QOL, what enhance and what hinders QOL. For Study II, a quantitative approach, 335 elderly from Campina Grande responded scale WHOQOL-old. They are between 65 and 99 years (M = 74.17, SD = 6.5). The FG data were analyzed by categorical thematic content. For the data analysis of the WHOQOL-old scale were used exploratory factor analysis and calculation of the Akaike and Bayesian information criteria. The results of both studies were triangulated. According to the discussions in the FG, health and social participation have central roles in quality of life. Social participation is related to all the other QOL s influences raised. The participants indicated the relevance of religiosity and were divided about the importance of sexual activity. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) extracted a model of six factors. Two items (OLD_3 and OLD_9), not loaded on any factor and were excluded. The other items had factor loadings > 0.3. The response categories were reduced from five to three. After the scale changes, the empirical model showed better fit (-2loglikelihood = 8993.90, BIC and AIC = 9183.90 = 9546.24) than the theoretical model (-2loglikelihood = 18390.88, AIC = 18678.88 and BIC = 19228.11). Despite the best information criterion values, the RMESA remained above the ideal (0.06). We conclude that the WHOQOL-old presents psychometric parameters below the ideal when used with the Northeast population, but the improvements made the scale s use acceptable. The WHOQOL-old uses observable variables that matches with the participants' perceptions on quality of life. However, new strategies must be tested for a better sacale refinement

A mineração artesanal e de pequena escala em pegmatitos e cerâmica no município de Parelhas, região do Seridó/Rio Grande do Norte

The working conditions, occupational health, occupational illness and workers quality of life, usually referring to the artisanal activities and the workers with a poor professional support. Because this reality is still present in locals without good infrastructure of social and economic attention, there is a need for a broad knowledge of problems related to the productive processes that include features of unsanitary and unhealthy. Despite the intense process of industrialization promoted by globalization and the growth of developing nations like Brazil, the activities of artisanal and small-scale mining are still suffering from the marginalization of their production processes and their workers. This dissertation deals with the description of mineral-based activities (MBA), especially the activities related to production processes of extraction and processing of red pottery and minerals in pegmatites in Parelhas city, Seridó, Rio Grande do Norte, which are conducted by small mining companies or artisanal miners. The study of the work process was based on direct observation, photographic documentation, ergonomics, health and occupational safety analysis, interviews and structured questionnaire with workers of the two activities. The results indicate the need for improvement in both workplaces (red pottery and pegmatites), adaptation of workers to safety standards specific to the workplace, more attention and care related to ergonomics and occupational safety, greater importance to economic and social relations among performed activities, workers and firms of mineral branch and better and greater integration of social policies, supported by different sectors of society with the intention of transforming the current social, cultural, labor and education situation

Sistemas orbitais e aéreos aplicados à análise multi-escala da tectônica rúptil atuante na borda sudeste da Bacia do Parnaíba

The tectonics activity on the southern border of Parnaíba Basin resulted in a wide range of brittle structures that affect siliciclastic sedimentary rocks. This tectonic activity and related faults, joints, and folds are poorly known. The main aims of this study were (1) to identify lineaments using several remotesensing systems, (2) to check how the interpretation based on these systems at several scales influence the identification of lineaments, and (3) to contribute to the knowledge of brittle tectonics in the southern border of the Parnaíba Basin. The integration of orbital and aerial systems allowed a multi-scale identification, classification, and quantification of lineaments. Maps of lineaments were elaborated in the following scales: 1:200,000 (SRTM Shuttle Radar Topographic Mission), 1:50,000 (Landsat 7 ETM+ satellite), 1:10,000 (aerial photographs) and 1:5,000 (Quickbird satellite). The classification of the features with structural significance allowed the determination of four structural sets: NW, NS, NE, and EW. They were usually identified in all remote-sensing systems. The NE-trending set was not easily identified in aerial photographs but was better visualized on images of medium-resolution systems (SRTM and Landsat 7 ETM+). The same behavior characterizes the NW-trending. The NS-and EW-trending sets were better identified on images from high-resolution systems (aerial photographs and Quickbird). The structural meaning of the lineaments was established after field work. The NEtrending set is associated with normal and strike-slip faults, including deformation bands. These are the oldest structures identified in the region and are related to the reactivation of Precambrian basement structures from the Transbrazilian Lineament. The NW-trending set represents strike-slip and subordinated normal faults. The high dispersion of this set suggests a more recent origin than the previous structures. The NW-trending set may be related to the Picos-Santa Inês Lineament. The NS-and EW-trending sets correspond to large joints (100 m 5 km long). The truncation relationships between these joint sets indicate that the EW-is older than the NS-trending set. The methodology developed by the present work is an excellent tool for the understanding of the regional and local tectonic structures in the Parnaíba basin. It helps the choice of the best remote-sensing system to identify brittle features in a poorly known sedimentary basin

Estudo sobre a detecção de invariância de escala discreta em sistemas com criticalidade auto-organizada

Recent studies have shown evidence of log-periodic behavior in non-hierarchical systems. An interesting fact is the emergence of such properties on rupture and breakdown of complex materials and financial failures. These may be examples of systems with self-organized criticality (SOC). In this work we study the detection of discrete scale invariance or log-periodicity. Theoretically showing the effectiveness of methods based on the Fourier Transform of the log-periodicity detection not only with prior knowledge of the critical point before this point as well. Specifically, we studied the Brazilian financial market with the objective of detecting discrete scale invariance in Bovespa (Bolsa de Valores de S˜ao Paulo) index. Some historical series were selected periods in 1999, 2001 and 2008. We report evidence for the detection of possible log-periodicity before breakage, shown its applicability to the study of systems with discrete scale invariance likely in the case of financial crashes, it shows an additional evidence of the possibility of forecasting breakage

Estudos de distúrbios ionosféricos propagantes de larga escala (LSTID’S) na região equatorial durante grandes tempestades magnéticas: estudo de casos

The Ionospheric Disturbances – TIDs – are irregularities on the ionospheric plasma propagating in speeds in the order of tens to a few hundreds of meters per second. This present study detected and characterized the TIDs of LSTIDs (Large Scale Travelling Ionospheric Disturbance) type at low latitudes during intense geomagnetic storms and its propagation over the Brazilian sector. This work also shows as being the first to report systematically propagation of gravity waves over Natal. For this purpose, we used ionospheric records obtained from type of digisonde CADI (Canadiam Advanced Digital Ionosonde) located in Natal and the type DSP (Digisonde Portable Souder) located in Cachoeira Paulista, Fortaleza and São Luis, whereupon we used a dataset of 12 years collected by INPE (National Institute of Space Research). In this study, both calm days, that preceded the storms, and the geomagnetically disturbed days were related during the years 2000 and 1012, which cover a period of maximum and minimum solar activity. And it is presented the variations that happened in the electron density from region F of the ionosphere over the Brazilian sector, especially near the Equator (Natal, Fortaleza and São Luis), caused by ionospheric disturbances in the equatorial region during intense geomagnetic storms, because, as we know of the literature in this area, this phenomenon contributes positively to the emergence of LSTIDs in the auroral region, which may move to the equatorial region where a few cases have been documented and studied systematically. From the observation of signatures if TIDs in ionogram records, a study of the morphology of these events was performed and compared with the main characteristics of the wave of this phenomenon during great magnetic storms, i.e., DST <(-200 nT) and KP > 6. Thus, we obtained the main characteristics of TIDs over our region, i.e., period, vertical wavelength, phase and propagation speed, as well as the delay of these disturbances compared to the beginning of the magnetic storms to the Brazilian Sector.

Fluxo de fluído através de um meio poroso fractal desordenado. Análise das tensões de cisalhamento e efeito de escala na estimativa das forças viscosas

In this work we have investigated some aspects of the two-dimensional flow of a viscous Newtonian fluid through a disordered porous medium modeled by a random fractal system similar to the Sierpinski carpet. This fractal is formed by obstacles of various sizes, whose distribution function follows a power law. They are randomly disposed in a rectangular channel. The velocity field and other details of fluid dynamics are obtained by solving numerically of the Navier-Stokes and continuity equations at the pore level, where occurs actually the flow of fluids in porous media. The results of numerical simulations allowed us to analyze the distribution of shear stresses developed in the solid-fluid interfaces, and find algebraic relations between the viscous forces or of friction with the geometric parameters of the model, including its fractal dimension. Based on the numerical results, we proposed scaling relations involving the relevant parameters of the phenomenon, allowing quantifying the fractions of these forces with respect to size classes of obstacles. Finally, it was also possible to make inferences about the fluctuations in the form of the distribution of viscous stresses developed on the surface of obstacles.

Um estudo sobre a variabilidade do vento no nordeste do Brasil através de métodos estatísticos e via modelos dinâmicos de meso e micro escala

The objective of this study was to determine the seasonal and interannual variability and calculate the trends of wind speed in NEB and then validate the mesoscale numerical model for after engage with the microscale numerical model in order to get the wind resource at some locations in the NEB. For this we use two data sets of wind speed (weather stations and anemometric towers) and two dynamic models; one of mesoscale and another of microscale. We use statistical tools to evaluate and validate the data obtained. The simulations of the dynamic mesoscale model were made using data assimilation methods (Newtonian Relaxation and Kalman filter). The main results show: (i) Five homogeneous groups of wind speed in the NEB with higher values in winter and spring and with lower in summer and fall; (ii) The interannual variability of the wind speed in some groups stood out with higher values; (iii) The large-scale circulation modified by the El Niño and La Niña intensified wind speed for the groups with higher values; (iv) The trend analysis showed more significant negative values for G3, G4 and G5 in all seasons and in the annual average; (v) The performance of dynamic mesoscale model showed smaller errors in the locations Paracuru and São João and major errors were observed in Triunfo; (vi) Application of the Kalman filter significantly reduce the systematic errors shown in the simulations of the dynamic mesoscale model; (vii) The wind resource indicate that Paracuru and Triunfo are favorable areas for the generation of energy, and the coupling technique after validation showed better results for Paracuru. We conclude that the objective was achieved, making it possible to identify trends in homogeneous groups of wind behavior, and to evaluate the quality of both simulations with the dynamic model of mesoscale and microscale to answer questions as necessary before planning research projects in Wind-Energy area in the NEB