Remoção biológica de nitrato em água de abastecimento humano utilizando o endocarpo de coco como fonte de carbono

The groundwater quality has been compromised as a result of the intensification of human activities over the years. Groundwater contamination by nitrate is one of the effects of this degradation, a socio-environmental problem that affects many regions of the world and particular the city of Natal (RN). Developing techniques for nitrate removal in water is intended to eliminate or reduce the concentration of this compound, and those that involve biological processes have produced economic and environmental advantages. This study proposes a technology for biological removal of nitrate in water supply for humans, using the endocarp s coconut as a carbon source and bacteria support. The experiments were performed in pilot scale anoxic, testing different areas of the substrate surface. Results showed high rates nitrate removal during the monitoring period, noting the occurrence of denitrification after the beginning of system operation. The best performance was achieved in the treatment system containing substrate surface area increased, indicating that the decrease in the endocarp size contributed to increased bacterial activity, improving the ability to remove nitrate. About the quality analyzed aspects of water, it was found that the proposed technology has the potential water use for human consumption

Pressupostos ontológicos para se pensar a nova tecnologia: técnica, informação e ser e tempo

La recherche presentée, realisée sur le domaine de la méthaphysique, s´agit de rassembler des pressupositions pour une fondamentation ontologique de la technologie de l´Information, basé sur la philophie de Martin Heidegger; foncièrement, sur l´analytique existentiel du Dasein dans l´ouvrage Être et Temps. À partir de la pensée sur ce qui est aujourd´hui , il s´agit d´investiguer sur quels fondaments la Nouvelle Tecnologie se fut érigée de façon a que nous sommes engajés au projet de numérisation des étants que en même temps que destine l´homme a l´oubli de l´Être, l´offre la possibilité de transformation. Le rapport entre la question de l´Être et la question de la technique est analysé comme des chemins croisés et dans ce carrefour il devient possible penser ce qui est technique, ce qui est information pour Heidegger et de quel façon les modes existentiels du Dasein sont prêtes pour caractériser l ´homme au sein de la tecnologie de l´information. Par cette appropriation, il reste penser comment c´est possible l´ouverture d´une perspective de reconduction de l´homme à la vérité de l´Être. Finalement, la structuration des fondements rends possible la réflexion discursive général: avec qui nous nous ocuppons, comme nous sommes, dans quelle direction nous nous acheminons, les thèmes générales, respectivement, des trois chapitres. Les points d´investigation du premier chapitre son: a) La caractérisation précise du Dasein, appuyé sur des considerations de Benedito Nunes, Hans-Georg Gadamer, Jacques Derrida et Rüdiger Safränski; b) Le concept de technique et son essence chez Heidegger; c) la distinction entre technique et technologie, appuyé sur le pensée de J. Ellul, Michel Séris, Otto Pöggeler, Michel Haar, Dominique Janicaud; c) Le concept de cibernetique chez Heidegger et chez Norbert Wiener; d) La caractérisation preliminaire d´information, l´analyse étimologique e philosophique, l´avis de Heidegger te les théories de Rafael Capurro; f) L´Analyse du phénomène de la numérisation des étants, des considérations de Virilio, et l´analyse d´un concept de virtuel avec Henri Bergson et Gilles Deleuze. Dans le deuxième chapitre, l´analyse des existentiels du Dasein vers le sommaire des fondements de base pour la caractérisation de la technologie de l´information comme un problème philosophique. Finalement, aprés avoir presenté les concepts introdutoires que délimitent le questionement, suivi par les indications et pressupositions ontologiques trouvés sur Être et Temps, le troisième chapitre disserte sur le péril, ce qui sauve et la sérénité, les trois mots-clés de la pensée heideggerienne sur la technique que permettent l´approche conclusif de la question

Além das xícaras: a construção do Café São Luiz como lugar de memória em Natal (1950-1980)

This research stands in discussions involving the relationship between memory, history and space. We will work with the Café São Luiz in the neighborhood of Cidade Alta in Natal, an place which remains open and founded in 1953. The place was opened in the district of greater movement of the 1950s, a zone of concentration of commerce and leisure. In consequence an impulse of memory, the Café São Luiz was represented by different statements, which they built a space that serves to support memory and identity of a group. The speeches elaborate the Café São Luiz as a monument, a place of memory according to Pierre Nora. Among these discourses of construction of the Café São Luiz stands out the 1982 book titled Na Calçada do Café São Luiz by José Luiz Silva. This research aims to discuss the construction of the Café São Luiz as a place of memory, questioning their representations, traversing the authorship of speeches over the place

Recidiva de câncer labial em pacientes atendidos no hospital DR. Luiz Antônio (Natal-RN) entre 1997-2004

Introduction: Cancer of the lip is very common in tropical countries, being noticeable the squamous cell carcinoma as the main histological type. Objective: Evaluate the socialdemographic profile, habits, occupation, clinical characteristics of the cancer lesions and the aftermath of treatment of the patients treated on the Luiz Antônio Hospital (Natal-RN). Design: Retrospective cohort. Methods: We analyzed 181 medical records of patients from the Luiz Antônio Cancer Hospital (Natal-RN) in the period between 1997 and 2004. The statistic evaluation of time between the diagnosis and the relapse or the cure of the patient were done through the Kaplan-Meier method and the comparison of survivor functions were done through the Log-rank test. Later, was estimated the proportional risk model of Cox. Results: The study population were composed by 69,1% males, 95,2% unlettered, the mean age of 66,5 years, 89,0% of smokers and 64,1% had an occupation involving sun exposure. In regard to the clinical characteristics, most lesions were in the lower lip (77,9%), the size of the tumor was smaller than 2 cm (51,8%), 92,6% had localized lesions. Were verified 16,3% of local relapse and 13% of regional. Almost the totally of the cases corresponded to squamous cell carcinoma (97,2%). We observed smaller accumulated probability of not occurrence of local relapse when the base and borders were free of lesions (p=0,041), as well as a smaller probability of regional relapse when the sort of treatment was surgery, associated with other therapeutics modalities (p=0,001). The patients with advanced pathologic stage (p=0,016), treated with surgery associated with other therapeutics modalities (p=0,001) and diameter above 4cm (p=0,019) presented a bigger possibility of any kind of relapse. The multivariable analysis pointed the complex treatments (surgery plus other therapeutics modalities) as a predictor variable for occurrence of new local lesions (p=0,001) and total (p=0,046), besides the age above 70 years to the regional relapse (p=0,050). Conclusion: Cancer of the lip occur in the lower lip, in males, smokers and individuals exposed to Sun light. The relapse was frequent, even being localized and without great consequences to the patient s health. The probability of relapse is related to the size and borders of the lesion and to the histological exam, as well as to the patient s age and complexity of the treatment chosen

Estudo integrado do potencial fitorremediador da Eichhornia crassipes em ambientes naturais e sua utilização para obtenção de extratos proteicos

This study aimed to analyze the phytoremediation potential of Eichhornia crassipes in natural environments, optimize the extraction process of crude protein from plant tissue and, obtain and characterize this process in order to determine its viability of use instead of the protein sources of animal and/or human feed. For this, it has been determined in Apodi/Mossoró river water the concentration of ammonium ions, nitrite, nitrate, calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, copper, manganese, zinc, nickel, cobalt, sodium, aluminum, cádmium, lead, and total chromium; It was determined in plant tissue of aquatic macrophytes of Eichhornia crassipes species present in Apodi/Mossoró River the moisture content, ash, calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, copper, manganese, zinc, nickel, cobalt, sodium, aluminum, cadmium, lead, total chromium, total nitrogen and crude protein. It was also determined the translocation factor and bioaccumulation of all the quantified elements; It was developed and optimized the extraction procedure of crude protein based on the isoelectric method and a factorial design 24 with repetition; It was extracted and characterized the extract obtained by determining the moisture content, ash, magnesium, potassium, iron, copper, manganese, zinc, nickel, cobalt, sodium, cadmium, total nitrogen and crude protein. And finally, it was also characterized the protein extract using Thermogravimetric Analysis (TG), Derived Thermogravimetric (DTG), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) and jelly-like electrophoresis of polyacrylamide (SDS -PAGE) to assess the their molecular weights/mass. Thus, from the results obtained for the translocation and bioaccumulation factors was found that the same can be used as phytoremediation agent in natural environments of all quantified elements. It was also found that the developed method of extraction and protein precipitation was satisfactory for the purpose of the work, which gave the best conditions of extraction and precipitation of proteins as: pH extraction equal to 13.0, extraction temperature equals 60 ° C, reaction time equals to 30 minutes, and pH precipitation equals to 4.0. As for the extract obtained, the total nitrogen and crude protein were quantified higher than those found in the plant, increasing the crude protein content approximately 116.88% in relation to the quantified contente in the vegetal tissue of macrophyte. The levels of nickel and cadmium were the unique that were found below the detection limit of used the equipment. The electrophoretic analysis allowed us to observe that the protein extract obtained is composed of low polypeptide chains by the molecular and phytochelatins, with 6 and 15 kDa bands. Analysis of TG, DTG, DSC and FT-IR showed similarities in protein content of the obtained extracts based on different collection points and 9 parts of the plant under study, as well as commercial soy protein and casein. Finally, based on all these findings, it was concluded that the obtained extract in this work can be used instead of the protein sources of animal feed should, before that, test its digestibility. As human supplementation, it is necessary to conduct more tests associated with the optimization process in the sense of removing undesirable components and constant monitoring of the water body and the raw material used

O cotidiano do(a) Assistente Social frente as demandas apresentadas pela paciente portadora do câncer de mama em tratamento no Hospital Doutor Luiz Antônio em Natal/RN

This work deals with an analysis related to the social worker s practice in the oncology area. It aims to identify demands, work conditions as well as current challenges related to this profession. It considers the specificities of breast cancer and relates it to political decisions in the health sector considering the concept of contemporary capitalism. The study analyzes professional action and the demands presented by breast cancer patients who are currently in treatment in Hospital Dr. Luiz Antônio em Natal-Rio Grande do Norte-Brazil. The methodological procedures considered of documental analysis, semi-structured interviews (with two social workers that work with fifteen breast cancer patients) as well as participant observation; which was done counting with my own professional practice in the oncology area. Thus, the research also discusses the breast cancer issue in the life of the users considering their social-economical, cultural and political determinants. Factors such as age in which the diagnosis was known, the relation user/social workers, number of children, rights of the oncology patient, place where he/she lives, education, civil status, (re)insertion of the professional in the work field, perception of self-esteem and bio-psycho-social representation of breast cancer in the lives of these women, all of which were dealt with in this research

Correlação entre contexto morfoestrutural e sismicidade nas regiões de João Câmara e São Rafael (RN)

This MSc thesis describes brittle deformation in two seismic zones located in north-eastern Brazil: João Câmara and São Rafael, Rio Grande do Norte State. Both areas show seismogenic faults, Samambaia and São Rafael, indicated by narrow zones of epicentres with a strike of 040o, a lenght of 30 km and 4 km, and a depth of 1-12 and 0,5-4 km, respectively. The first seismological and geological studies suggested blind faults or faults that were still in the beginning of the nucleation process. The region is under E-W-oriented compression and is underlain by Precambrian terrains, deformed by one or more orogenic cycles, which generated shear zones generally marked by strong pervasive foliation and sigmoidal shapes. The crystalline basement is capped by the Cretaceous Potiguar basin, which is also locally capped by Pliocene continental siliciclastic deposits (Barreiras Formation), and Quaternary alluvium. The main aim of this study was to map epicentral areas and find whether there are any surface geological or morphotectonic expression related to the seismogenic faults. A detailed geological map was carried out in both seismic areas in order to identify brittle structures and fault-related drainage/topographic features. Geological and morphotectonic evidence indicate that both seismogenic faults take place along dormant structures. They either cut Cenozoic rocks or show topographic expression, i.e., are related to topographic heights or depressions and straight river channels. Faults rocks in the Samambaia and São Rafael faults are cataclasite, fault breccia, fault gouge, pseudotachylyte, and quartz veins, which point to reactivation processes in different crustal levels. The age of the first Samambaia and the São Rafael faulting movement possibly ranges from late Precambrian to late Cretaceous. Both fault cut across Precambrian fabric. They also show evidence of brittle processes which took place between 4 and 12 km deep, which probably have not occurred in Cenozoic times. The findings are of great importance for regional seismic hazard. They indicate that fault zones are longer than previously suggested by seismogenic studies. According to the results, the methodology used during this thesis may also be useful in other neotectonic investigation in intraplate areas

Caminhos para a avaliação da formação em odontologia: desenvolvimento, validação e aplicação de critérios

The need for universal access to health and the failure of the pedagogical model centered on the transmission of knowledge has led to changes in the training of health professionals. The objective of this study was to provide a new alternative for evaluating dental students through the development, validation and application of evaluation criteria based on the National Curriculum Guidelines (DCN in Brazil). Therefore, the study was conducted in three phases: development and validation of evaluation criteria of Dentistry courses based on the DCN; a pilot study to verify the applicability of the validated criteria and evaluation of the dentistry courses in the Northeast. In the first stage, a logical model was formulated, allowing for the construction of a criteria matrix, validated by a modified Delphi consensus technique. The validated matrix has the following dimensions: Profile of graduates, health care guidance, teaching and service integration, and pedagogical approach. The pilot study was conducted in five dental courses through a documentary study of the pedagogical project course (PPC), and application of validated questionnaires and interviews with course coordinators. The results of the pilot study indicate the possibility of being verified by means of validated criteria and using different methodological proposals, advances and curricular limitations facing the proposed reorientation of training recommended by DCN. The evaluation of Northeast Dentistry courses was carried out by applying a questionnaire validating a matrix of 30 course coordinators, including public and private institutions. The data were submitted to descriptive analysis, and also tested the difference between means and the correlation between the assessment of the coordinators in the dimensions and sub-dimensions with each other, among the general evaluation of courses and between the following variables: administrative category, time since last curriculum updating, participation in reorienting the training of health professionals programs, ENADE and CPC (Preliminary Concepts of the Course) scores in the year 2013. Positive correlation (p <0.01) was found between the means obtained by the perception of the coordinators in most dimensions, and also between them and the overall performance of the course. There were no significant differences between the coordinators’ perception about course performance and the administrative category (public / private). This difference is slightly higher when the average performance is compared with respect to time due to the last curriculum update, getting better performance in courses with the latest updated curriculum, even with there not 11 being this significant difference between dimensions. Better averages of performance were obtained in courses that do not participate in reorientation programs of professional training, with a significant difference (p<0.05) for the overall score and for all dimensions except the dimensions of teaching-service Integration (p = 0.064). There was no significant correlation between the assessment of coordinators in all dimensions, in the overall assessment or ENADE and CPC scores in 2013. The final instrument proposed in this study is a different alternative assessment for health training of both dentists and other professionals, considering that the DCN providing for the training and graduation of professionals is focused on the health needs of the population, integrated with the SUS (the National Brazilian Health System) and based on student-centered learning.

Registro global de nuvens de pontos RGB-D em tempo real usando fluxo óptico e marcadores

Registration of point clouds captured by depth sensors is an important task in 3D reconstruction applications based on computer vision. In many applications with strict performance requirements, the registration should be executed not only with precision, but also in the same frequency as data is acquired by the sensor. This thesis proposes theuse of the pyramidal sparse optical flow algorithm to incrementally register point clouds captured by RGB-D sensors (e.g. Microsoft Kinect) in real time. The accumulated errorinherent to the process is posteriorly minimized by utilizing a marker and pose graph optimization. Experimental results gathered by processing several RGB-D datasets validatethe system proposed by this thesis in visual odometry and simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) applications.

Sistema mecatrônico de tempo real para monitoramento da qualidade da água embarcado em veleiro robótico autônomo

We propose a mechatronic system for monitoring water quality in rivers, lakes, dams and sea, able to perform the acquisition, processing and presentation of data via the web in real time, in order to facilitate analysis quickly and needs by interested communities. The hardware architecture and software monitoring system has been developed so that it can be generic, that is, supporting different applications. Nevertheless, as a validation of the proposed system, we built a prototype that operates embarked on an autonomous robotic sailboat, a responsible platform for collecting the data in multiple predefined points from a ground station with a planning system navigation. This final application combines the advantages of autonomy of a robotic sailboat with the need for fast and accurate monitoring of water quality, in addition to the use of an autonomous robotic sailboat unmanned facilitate the development of other research in this area.

Causas e consequências da onivoria de peixes em ecossistemas aquáticos

Omnivory is a predominant feeding strategy among tropical fishes, but knowledge about its causes and consequences of this pattern is scarce. In this study we hypothesized that tropical fish feed lower in food web as a way to compensate a higher energetic demand, which increases with increasing water temperature and body size. Information about 8172 freshwater and marine fish species from whole world, from tropical and temperate ecosystems, showed that the trophic position of non-carnivore fish decreases with increasing body size in tropical but not in temperate ecosystems. This result indicates that the higher energetic demand of large-bodied tropical fish should exert a selective force in favor of omnivory. As a consequence, trophic dynamics in tropical freshwater ecosystems should have different patterns comparing to temperate ones, with major implications for water management and restoration of eutrophic aquatic ecosystems. Another hypothesis of this work was that effects of tropical omnivorous planktivorous fish on planktonic communities depend of primary producers stoichiometric composition, which depends of light availability relative to nutrients ratios. A mesocosm experiment, manipulating light availability and planktivorous fish presence, confirmed our hypothesis indicating that resource stoichiometric composition (consequently nutritional quality), determine trophic structure of pelagic food webs in tropical lakes. Finally another mesocosm experiment indicated that the removal of omnivorous benthivorous fish should be more efficient than removal of omnivorous planktivorus fish, as a way to improve water quality in tropical lakes and reservoirs. This last experiment showed that omnivorous planktivorous fish increase phytoplankton biomass due to trophic cascade interactions, without increasing nutrient concentrations in the water column. On the other hand, omnivorous benthivorous fish, feeding on detritus and other benthonic food sources and excreting nutrients in the water column, are responsible for translocate nutrient from sediments to the water column, increasing phosphorus pool and phytoplankton biomass. Thereby, internal phosphorus supply should be reduced and water quality of eutrophicated lakes could be improved by removing omnivorous benthivorous fish.

Causas e consequências da onivoria de peixes em ecossistemas aquáticos

Omnivory is a predominant feeding strategy among tropical fishes, but knowledge about its causes and consequences of this pattern is scarce. In this study we hypothesized that tropical fish feed lower in food web as a way to compensate a higher energetic demand, which increases with increasing water temperature and body size. Information about 8172 freshwater and marine fish species from whole world, from tropical and temperate ecosystems, showed that the trophic position of non-carnivore fish decreases with increasing body size in tropical but not in temperate ecosystems. This result indicates that the higher energetic demand of large-bodied tropical fish should exert a selective force in favor of omnivory. As a consequence, trophic dynamics in tropical freshwater ecosystems should have different patterns comparing to temperate ones, with major implications for water management and restoration of eutrophic aquatic ecosystems. Another hypothesis of this work was that effects of tropical omnivorous planktivorous fish on planktonic communities depend of primary producers stoichiometric composition, which depends of light availability relative to nutrients ratios. A mesocosm experiment, manipulating light availability and planktivorous fish presence, confirmed our hypothesis indicating that resource stoichiometric composition (consequently nutritional quality), determine trophic structure of pelagic food webs in tropical lakes. Finally another mesocosm experiment indicated that the removal of omnivorous benthivorous fish should be more efficient than removal of omnivorous planktivorus fish, as a way to improve water quality in tropical lakes and reservoirs. This last experiment showed that omnivorous planktivorous fish increase phytoplankton biomass due to trophic cascade interactions, without increasing nutrient concentrations in the water column. On the other hand, omnivorous benthivorous fish, feeding on detritus and other benthonic food sources and excreting nutrients in the water column, are responsible for translocate nutrient from sediments to the water column, increasing phosphorus pool and phytoplankton biomass. Thereby, internal phosphorus supply should be reduced and water quality of eutrophicated lakes could be improved by removing omnivorous benthivorous fish.