Sistema não-Intrusivo para Estimação da Direção do olhar utilizando redes neurais artificiais

The fundamental senses of the human body are: vision, hearing, touch, taste and smell. These senses are the functions that provide our relationship with the environment. The vision serves as a sensory receptor responsible for obtaining information from the outside world that will be sent to the brain. The gaze reflects its attention, intention and interest. Therefore, the estimation of gaze direction, using computer tools, provides a promising alternative to improve the capacity of human-computer interaction, mainly with respect to those people who suffer from motor deficiencies. Thus, the objective of this work is to present a non-intrusive system that basically uses a personal computer and a low cost webcam, combined with the use of digital image processing techniques, Wavelets transforms and pattern recognition, such as artificial neural network models, resulting in a complete system that performs since the image acquisition (including face detection and eye tracking) to the estimation of gaze direction. The obtained results show the feasibility of the proposed system, as well as several feature advantages.

Avaliação da qualidade da assistência à mulher e ao filho durante o parto normal

The practices developed in the everyday life of obstetric services are sometimes out of step with the recommendations of the public health policies. Accordingly, this research had the objective of assessing the quality of the care provided to women and children during cases of natural childbirth in municipal public maternity wards of the city of Natal/RN, Brazilian Northeast. We developed a cross-sectional and quantitative study in two maternity wards that provide care actions to pregnant women at regular risk (maternity wards A and B). The participants were 314 puerperal women who were treated during the period between April and July 2014, whose children were born alive, through transpelvic way, with spontaneous or induced beginning of labor and that showed physical and emotional conditions to respond to the proposed questions. The data collection instrument was constructed on the basis of the recommendations of the World Health Organization focused on the care of normal childbirth and validated by skilled judges, and the final version has obtained optimum agreement (k = 0,96; IVC = 0,99). Associated with these recommendations, we used three indicators: percentage of women with induced labor or subjected to elective cesarean section (Indicator A); percentage of women served by a qualified health professional during labor and childbirth (Indicator B); and Bologna Index (Indicator C). The research obtained a favorable opinion of the Research Ethics Committee from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, under the nº 562.313 and Certificate of Presentation for Ethics Appreciation: 25958513.0.0000.5537. The analysis of categories related to the recommendations of the World Health Organization was conducted by means of absolute and relative frequency and the Chi-square Pearson’s and Fisher’s exact tests made the comparison of the differences observed between the two maternity wards. Furthermore, we calculated the percentage of the indicators A and B and with the results of the Indicator C, the quality was assessed as follows: the closer to 5, the better will be the quality, and the closer to 0, the worst will be the quality, and the Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the differences of the obtained averages. The significance level of 5% was considered in all statistical tests. The differences between the maternity wards were identified with regard to the provision of liquids orally (p=0,018), stimulus for non-supine positions (p=0,002), existence of partograph (p=0,001), support or welcoming by health professionals (p= 0,047), intravenous infusion (p<0,001), supine position (p<0,001), use of oxytocin (p<0,001), food and liquid restriction (p= 0,002) and, lastly, the fact of the touch is performed by more than 1 examiner (p=0,011). The indicators A and B showed percentages of 13,09% and 100%, respectively. The overall average of the Indicator C was equal to 2,07 (± 0,74). There was a statistically significant difference between the averages of the maternity wards (p<0,001). The care actions provided during the process of labor and childbirth is inappropriate, especially in the maternity ward B. It is necessary to implement improvements and redesign the obstetric model in force

O vencimento e a remuneração do magistério público municipal de Natal/RN: repercussões da implementação do Fundeb (2007-2010)

Le travail suivant discute le salaire touché par les professeurs et leur rémunération, face à l’implémentation du Fond de Mantenance du Développement de l’Éducation de Base et Valorisation des Professionnels de l’Enseignement (Fundeb), au Système d’Éducation Public de la Municipalité de la ville de Natal, entre les années de 2007 a 2010. L’objectif est l’analyse des repercussions du Funeb pour la rémuneration des enseignants dans le contexte de la politique de financement de l’Éducation de Base e ses propositions de valorisation des enseignants – revennu et rémunération. L’étude s’est utilisé la recherche bibliographique et documentale, les informations relatives à : Éducatif (inscriptions), rémunération (bulletin de salaire et bulletin de paie), budgétaires (recette et dépense) au ressource – microinformations du recensement scolaire (INEP/MEC), SIOPE/FNDE et lo PCCR de la municipalité (LC nº058/2004), et comme donné comparatif on utilise la rémunération et la valeur du salaire minimum national – actualisé par le INPC. À partir de là, les études montrent que dès la Constitution Fédeérale de 1988, il y a eu des changements dans la structure du financement de l’Éducation par la politique de Fonds, iniciée par le Fundef et continuée par le Fundeb, avec des reflets pour la valorisation des enseignants, spécialement, sur la rémunération. Par rapport au revennu, l’étude montre un réajustement à chaque année qui observe, en 2007, un pourcentage de 23,74%, c’est-à´dire, la plus grande de la série historique. Par l’analyse des donnés de revennus on peut observer que les enseignants, au début de leur carrière, présente des réajustement sur leur revennu et rémunération plus petit que celui du Salaire Minimum National, et pourtant les enseignants de niveau supérieur (N1), spécialisation et maîtrise (N2) ont présenté le même pourcentage de croissance de la rémunération pendant cet étude, qui correspond à 14,7%. Le pourcentage pour le professeur docteur a été noté en 33,9%. Par rapport aux enseignants de plus de temps de service, entre 10 et 15 ans, les pourcentages de réajustement ont été différents, car ils montrent des proportions croissantes selon le niveau de formation et le temps de carrière comme enseignant. Malgré le Fundeb présente des progressions, il ne s’est pas encore configuré comme une politique d’amélioration de salaire pour les enseignants. On remarque que pendant l’analyse, il y a une diminuition de proportion entre la valeur de rémunération e la quantité de salaires minimum composant le total, ce qui configure un procès qui exige de plus grands investissements aux salaires des enseignants.

Análise gráfica de elementos do design na interface de aplicativos de notícias baseados em mobilidade: um estudo do aplicativo Brasil 247

The different characteristics and needs of mobile device users, the situations in which these devices are operated and the limitations and characteristics of these devices are all factors which influence usability and ergonomics; two elements highly required for achieving successful interaction between users and devices. This research aims to identify characteristics of interface design for apps in mobile device applications, focussing on design, visual publishing and content editing, and the actual process of creation of these interfaces, with a view to guarantee quality interaction through touch technology, in observance of service limitations, the opportunities offered by the devices and the application requirements. The study will examine the interface of the mobile device application titled “Brasil 247” which provides news broadcasts using the concept of usability and ergonomics mainly in the field of adaptation, searching and browsing informative articles, as well as clarifying the processes and techniques necessary to carry out interaction tests which seek to evaluate the usability of interface.

Atmosferas arquitetônicas: projeto e percepção na obra de Peter Zumthor

This thesis will discuss the topic architectural atmospheres, based on Peter Zumthor's works and narrative. The subject "architectural atmospheres" is defined in the study as the "complex and general condition, realized by the user during the experience of a place". Atmospheres are composed of the overlap of all physical qualities that compound a space and its perception, conditioned by individual issues of the user. The atmosphere is realized through all human body receivers, in a multi-sensorial process, and affects qualitatively the spacial experience of the places created by architecture. The study has three chapters. The first chapter is a reflection on the issues that architectural atmospheres present. It passes through the concept and definition of the subject and includes a compilation of design principles that act on the architectural atmosphere composition in a variety of projects by a range of professionals. In the second chapter, the procedures adopted by Peter Zumthor in his design process that focus on atmosphere composition are studied. In the third and last chapter, Brother Claus Chapel (Wachendorf, German) and Kolumba Museum (Colon, German) projects, both by Peter Zumthor, are analyzed, in order to comprehend the complex role of elements that constitute the architectural atmosphere of each of these places. The methodology used throughout the thesis consists of bibliography and documental analysis, based on books, plans and material searched on Internet. Furthermore, the project analysis counted with the personal experience of the author of this thesis upon visiting the studied buildings. Finally, in conclusion, it is realized that when architecture is made in order to touch the user, expressed by its built objects, it can be provide a vast conceptual and theoretical basis that valorizes and enriches the experience of its use. It (the architectural atmosphere) is related to an approach that uses the same elements of any other construction, but distinguishes itself by the connections that it implies with humans and its environment. In the face of new patterns unveiled for contemporary architecture, this study contribution is based around the opportunity to understand this particular relationship between user and architectural object, identified as a phenomenological approach of architecture, as well as to update the subject bibliography, still scarce among Brazilian universities.

Corpos da Ciranda: narrativas poéticas, artístico/estética da ciranda de Lia de Itamaracá

This research is a study that deals with the language of the players bodies of Ciranda (a typical dance in circle in Brazil) – more specifically the one of Lia from Itamaracá. Our interest is to observe how this body dances, communicates, writes on time and space, establishing relations that complement and help to remain in construction. Thus, in a circular way and in an energy that is transmitted with the contact of the touch of the hands, in the power of song, in a circle that can be seen from many places, but by different angles, holding on that the particularities of its subjects players/dancers/observers, and that we propose ourselves to think: who are those players bodies and how do they build the circles of Ciranda? Therefore, during the pathway of the research, we were conducted by the phenomenological method and, from this, used the concepts of lived and sensible world. Our interest in this manifestation is, also, the body that dances and insert itself in the artistic expression, meaning and opening itself to the knowledge by the experience. Therefore, we assume a conception of the body that refers itself in the merleaupontyana fenomenologic approach, in this way, in its criativity in relation to the body as a fragmented being, as it is pointed by the Cartesiana theory. In this perspective, we understand the body in its relations with the culturals, sociais, economics and artistics issues that integrates it, in others words, in the relations that helped us to better understand the body as it is. This way, this research has as main objective to present the refletions about the players body, mainly, of Lia from Itamaracá and with this body to dance, to communicate, to write itself on time and space, estabilishing relations that complement and help to stay in construction. Such a statement leads us in this work, to inquire, for example: what mobilizes those subjects on this dance? We understand that elements as the place that is always in modification, the costumes, the musicality and the change in the movimentation of the players body in each new circle, those elements are factors that activate a permanente reconfiguration that are happening in the Ciranda dance nowadays. Finally, we assert that this investigation comes in reason to the big dimension that the Ciranda has achivied in Brazil, especially in the Northeast, as the existence of few references and registers of the reseach manifestation in the academic areas. It is possible to verify, in this research, that, in reason to this spreading, the nuances of the players bodies is even more diversified and that the missing of experiences on Itamaracá island - PE, its origin has putting away the original and community, becames, more and more, a dance of others stages and squares.

Corpos Queer e a experiência da sexualidade: notas para o conhecimento da educação física

This study had the goal of make a dialogue between queer theory and the thoughts of the French philosopher Maurice Merleau-Ponty in the categories of body and sexuality. From this dialogue, other goals were designed, namely: identify possible recurrences of the experience of bodies and queer sexualities, designed under Merleau-Ponty’s perspective, to the knowledge of Physical Education and reflect on this domain of knowledge using the notions of queer epistemology and esthesia. The study had as methodology the phenomenological attitude proposed by Merleau-Ponty and use the reduction as technic of research. Trying linking these thoughts we used the cinema of the Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar as perceptive strategy, an exercise of look as possibility of reading the world and new ways of perceiving the human being. We appreciate three films, namely: All About My Mother (1999), The Skin I Live In (2011) and Bad Education (2004), which put us in touch with bodies and queer sexualities, with the body of esthesia, of the ecstasy, sensations and lived experiences, un type of art whose contours are not fixed or determinable, postulate by Merleau-Ponty. The philosopher, provide a rich conceptual view of the body and their sexual experience, extends and opens horizons of thought and reflection about queer experience, one experience indeterminate and contingent as a singular way of inhabiting the world. Those horizons opened by the philosopher and added to the queer perspective contribute to put in question the modes of knowledge production and the knowledge about body and sexuality in Physical Education. Finally, we point that this theoretical conversation give us clues to reflect about the reverberations of a queer epistemology for Physical Education usiging one type of knowledge guided by esthesia and sensitivity as marks of another scientific rationality.

Uso de argilominerais e diatomita como adsorvente de fenóis em águas produzidas na indústria de petróleo

The oil production in Brazil has been increasing each year. Consequently, increasing volumes of water produced are generated with large quantities of contaminants, which brings many problems in disposing of these waters. The concern that the concentrations of contaminants in water produced meet existing laws for disposal of effluents, has been extremely important for the development of different techniques for treatment of water produced. The study of clay minerals as adsorbents of organic contaminants has grown considerably so in order to combine the low cost with the efficiency of environmental preservation and health issues. Thus, this study aims to understand the characteristics of vermiculite clay, sodium bentonite, calcium bentonite and diatomite and evaluate their performance as adsorbents for phenol in the water produced. Through adsorption isotherms it was possible to observe the behavior of these adsorptive clay and diatomite for adsorption of phenol, the main phenolic compound found in water produced. Different concentrations of synthetic solutions of phenol were put in touch with these adsorbents under same conditions of agitation and temperature. The adsorbents were composted adsorptive favorable, but the vermiculite and diatomite showed little capacity for absorption, being suggested for absorbs small concentrations of phenol in the balance isothermal