Biodiversidade e abundância da ictiofauna associada ao cultivo orgânico de Litopenaeus vannamei (Boone, 1931)

The expansion of shrimp farming has caused a series of environmental impacts, often as a result of lack of planning and adequate management. Organic aquaculture has emerged as an alternative to conventional shrimp farming, and differently, aims at the economical, ecological and farming potential of other organisms, such as fishes, oysters and seaweeds. The present study aimed at evaluating the biological diversity and abundance of the ichthyofauna associated to Litopenaeus vannamei organic culture at PRIMAR farm (Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil). The sampling period consisted of four culture cycles (1, 2, 3, and 4) accomplished in four grow-out ponds (V1, V7, V2, and V4) in 2005. The first two culture cycles were carried out during the rainy season, and the last two cycles, during the dry season. Environmental (temperature, salinity, transparency, and rainfall), biodiversity (diversity and uniformity and abundance indexes) of the ichthyofauna, and shrimp productivity data were collected throughout these four culture cycles. The results obtained for the environmental variables showed that both salinity and transparency oscillated in a significant way (p < 0.001) between culture cycles. In relation to the abundance of the ichthyofauna, fifty four species associated to the organic culture of Litopenaeus vannamei were collected and identified at PRIMAR. For the biodiversity criterion, larger species richness (S = 46) and uniformity (E = 0.59 ± 0.16) were observed during cycles 3 and 4 than in cycles 1 and 2 (S = 41 and E = 0.15 ± 0.12). A positive and significant correlation was obtained for the transparency with diversity and uniformity of fish species between cycles 1 and 2 (wet season) and cycles 3 and 4 (dry season) (p < 0.017 - Shannon Index; p < 0.008 - Pielou Index, respectively). A correlation could not be established between shrimp productivity and fish biomass. However, fish biomass decreased from cycles 1 and 2 to cycles 3 and 4, concomitant with an increase in shrimp productivity, most probably due to a higher (from 58.0% to 71.0%) shrimp survival. Regarding the culture potential of the ichthyofauna, three species (Mugil curema, Mugil liza and Chaetodipterus faber) were identified as potential farming alternatives, either singly or in consortium with Litopenaeus vannamei. A fourth species (Centropomus undecimalis) was indicated as an alternative for single culture or in consortium with other fish species. In conclusion, the large diversity of estuarine fishes associated to Litopenaeus vannamei farming observed at PRIMAR clearly indicated the ecological feasibility for organic aquaculture in northeastern Brazil

Comparação da análise de diferentes perfis de poços pelo método DFA

The study of complex systems has become a prestigious area of science, although relatively young . Its importance was demonstrated by the diversity of applications that several studies have already provided to various fields such as biology , economics and Climatology . In physics , the approach of complex systems is creating paradigms that influence markedly the new methods , bringing to Statistical Physics problems macroscopic level no longer restricted to classical studies such as those of thermodynamics . The present work aims to make a comparison and verification of statistical data on clusters of profiles Sonic ( DT ) , Gamma Ray ( GR ) , induction ( ILD ) , neutron ( NPHI ) and density ( RHOB ) to be physical measured quantities during exploratory drilling of fundamental importance to locate , identify and characterize oil reservoirs . Software were used : Statistica , Matlab R2006a , Origin 6.1 and Fortran for comparison and verification of the data profiles of oil wells ceded the field Namorado School by ANP ( National Petroleum Agency ) . It was possible to demonstrate the importance of the DFA method and that it proved quite satisfactory in that work, coming to the conclusion that the data H ( Hurst exponent ) produce spatial data with greater congestion . Therefore , we find that it is possible to find spatial pattern using the Hurst coefficient . The profiles of 56 wells have confirmed the existence of spatial patterns of Hurst exponents , ie parameter B. The profile does not directly assessed catalogs verification of geological lithology , but reveals a non-random spatial distribution

Implementação do algoritmo (RTM) para processamento sísmico em arquiteturas não convencionais

With the growth of energy consumption worldwide, conventional reservoirs, the reservoirs called "easy exploration and production" are not meeting the global energy demand. This has led many researchers to develop projects that will address these needs, companies in the oil sector has invested in techniques that helping in locating and drilling wells. One of the techniques employed in oil exploration process is the reverse time migration (RTM), in English, Reverse Time Migration, which is a method of seismic imaging that produces excellent image of the subsurface. It is algorithm based in calculation on the wave equation. RTM is considered one of the most advanced seismic imaging techniques. The economic value of the oil reserves that require RTM to be localized is very high, this means that the development of these algorithms becomes a competitive differentiator for companies seismic processing. But, it requires great computational power, that it still somehow harms its practical success. The objective of this work is to explore the implementation of this algorithm in unconventional architectures, specifically GPUs using the CUDA by making an analysis of the difficulties in developing the same, as well as the performance of the algorithm in the sequential and parallel version

A Formação de Padres no Nordeste do Brasil (1894-1933)

The Nossa Senhora da Conceição Seminary, installed in 1894, by Dom Adauto Aurélio de Miranda Henriques, first Paraíba Bishop, and the Episcopal Seminary of the Sagrado Coração de Jesus, implanted in 1913, by Dom José Thomas Gomes da Silva, first Aracaju s Bishop diocese, were created as a result of lack of an official religious process proposed by the Brazilian Republic Proclamation, in 1889. With the appoint to enlarge the number of priests and change the image of the priest married and unrolled who used to identify the Catholic Church in the colonial and imperial Brazil. Such bishops developed into intellectuals in the government, dioceses and formation priest houses. I take as a study object, for this doctorate paper, the academic formation and priesthood developed in theses seminaries, from 1894 to 1933, once 1894 the year of João Pessoa Creation Seminar that was implied the Minor Course (preparation) and the Major one (built by Philosophy and God related studies) and the research limit year of 1933, is concerned about the Major Sergipe Seminary ending, which was created and has worked offering the Minor and Major courses, from 1913 to 1933. Showing the teaching models that guided and leaded the priest formation, referred as Seminaries, and the application result is the objective of this investigation. To comprehend the teaching models seminaries studied, my research line is the Catholic Church theme and priest formation in Brazil. In front of the object and the objective desired, I chose the historical comparative method and the scholars modals notions of Araujo de Barros (2004) and the Sirinelli intellectuals (1996). Such references allowed me to analyze the formation given in the seminary and seminarian participation and actions, included the sequence after the scholars formation. The thesis defended is that the teaching model developed in the Brazilian Seminaries, created after a non official religious process in the Brazilian government, deal with a model of one unique center (Seminary formation and aim pre arranged by Santa Sé), although adapted, presuming the local reality and formation structure (privileged not only spiritual and moral speaking, but intellectual also), was it responsible for intellectuals generations (teachers priests, educationalist priest, journalists priests and so on) that boost the education in Brazil. During the Republic first three decades, when, in thesis, the Government was becoming free religion, i.e., the government did not subsidize the Church anymore, and the Government, among others aspects, did not received any Church care to help the public teaching in the country. The investigation reveled accede, by bishops and their followers, such as by the Concílio de Trento pre concept, or by the others ideas, leading by the priests formation in Seminaries. By creating and stalling diocese Seminary, Bishop Dom Adauto and Dom José went further their functions, by the time they built inside themselves a teaching model thought from the main pedagogic logic, based on several religious exercises, moral and ethic, considered by themselves several knowledge connected to humanity, philosophy and God related studies). Following clearly rationalism principle (the way of teaching, which each subject has its own teacher and this class get together students with the same knowledge, regardless of age) and efficiency (trying to teach the whole content in each class), the Seminaries researched developed a whole education, allowed the structure of a spiritual education, moral and intellectual, for a quality developed by priests, including different levels that they used to performance. Their bottom line, actions and priest matter achievement allowed their broad fulfillment, in the way that priests matter were associated with cultural, educational, welfare assistance, at last, intellectuals

A formação acadêmica do enfermeiro para o SUS na percepção de docentes e discentes da faculdade de enfermagem/UERN

The model of attention to health in Single Health System (Sistema Único de Saúde SUS) presupposes a human-resources policy which prepares professionals of health to guide the services and sanitary practices. The nurse, a member of health staff, takes over an important role in implementation of principles and standards of SUS, being its professional formation necessary to labor organization in this purpose. In this way this study objectifies to analyse the process of formation of the male nurse in the Politic-Pedagogical Project (Projeto Político-Pedagógico PPP) in the perception of learning and teaching of the Faculty of nursing FAEN of the University of The Rio Grande do Norte State UERN. It treats about a descriptive-exploratory study with qualitative and quantitative approach carried out with learning and teaching of the graduation nursing course. In the field research carried out between the months of november, 2006 and february, 2007, were used like instruments the documental research below PPP´s, structured interview directed to the learning and the closed questionnaire applied to the students of eighth and ninth semesters of graduation course. The results of data about the questionnaires elaborated according to National Curricular Patters (Diretrizes Curriculares Nacionais DCN) and the Instrument of Evaluation Course of Graduation MEC were organized according to six lists about the profile of the learning and teaching that participate of the research; of the didactical-pedagogical organization and PPP´s objectives to the just-graduates person to the didactical-pedagogical curriculum organization. For considering the interviews it was adopted thematic analysis of content discribed in lexical analysis by informatical program ALCESTE which provided the organization of the material in five categories: daily problems of SUS consolidation versus nurse formation, dichotomies about FAEN´s nursing course of curriculum versus principles of integralization of graduating process, the just-graduated one from FAEN and its professional insertion united to SUS politic-pedagogical project and the concern about the overcoming of dichotomies of graduation process abilities and necessary competences to the SUS performing nurse. The analysis of informations deriving from documental performance and field research resulted on the verification that, in spite of good intentions, the implementation strategies showed themselves fragile to cope with the rendering of expressed ideal on PPP. There is still a great gap between what´s thought as innovating graduating process and what´s being really implemented

Classificação de imagens de ambientes coralinos: uma abordagem empregando uma combinação de classificadores e máquina de vetor de suporte

The use of the maps obtained from remote sensing orbital images submitted to digital processing became fundamental to optimize conservation and monitoring actions of the coral reefs. However, the accuracy reached in the mapping of submerged areas is limited by variation of the water column that degrades the signal received by the orbital sensor and introduces errors in the final result of the classification. The limited capacity of the traditional methods based on conventional statistical techniques to solve the problems related to the inter-classes took the search of alternative strategies in the area of the Computational Intelligence. In this work an ensemble classifiers was built based on the combination of Support Vector Machines and Minimum Distance Classifier with the objective of classifying remotely sensed images of coral reefs ecosystem. The system is composed by three stages, through which the progressive refinement of the classification process happens. The patterns that received an ambiguous classification in a certain stage of the process were revalued in the subsequent stage. The prediction non ambiguous for all the data happened through the reduction or elimination of the false positive. The images were classified into five bottom-types: deep water; under-water corals; inter-tidal corals; algal and sandy bottom. The highest overall accuracy (89%) was obtained from SVM with polynomial kernel. The accuracy of the classified image was compared through the use of error matrix to the results obtained by the application of other classification methods based on a single classifier (neural network and the k-means algorithm). In the final, the comparison of results achieved demonstrated the potential of the ensemble classifiers as a tool of classification of images from submerged areas subject to the noise caused by atmospheric effects and the water column

Uma proposição para o cálculo de mapas de disparidade de imagens estéreo usando um interpolador neural baseado em funções de base radial

This study aims to seek a more viable alternative for the calculation of differences in images of stereo vision, using a factor that reduces heel the amount of points that are considered on the captured image, and a network neural-based radial basis functions to interpolate the results. The objective to be achieved is to produce an approximate picture of disparities using algorithms with low computational cost, unlike the classical algorithms

Opiniões sobre estágio curricular e prática de ensino na licenciatura em química: o caso do CEFET-PB

The Brazilian legal documents are directing the reformulation of the courses that prepare students to be teachers. Through out the country many institutions look for to fit themselves in such documents. On the other hand, other IES (Superior Education Institutions), when they are setting up such courses they looked for to be adequate to the new public politics. Based on the National Curricular Norms to form teachers for Basic Education, in tertiary level, in 2004 it was created at the CEFET-PB,the Chemistry Course (Licenciatura) to prepare people to be teachers, whose organization. This work presents the results of a research of phenomenological nature that aimed to comprehend the teachers opinions, in the range of discussions about the current politics of formation, particularly related to the CNE/CP 1 and CNE/CP 2/2002 resolutions. This work based on the curricular proposal for the Chemistry Course (Licenciatura), presents the relationship between the probationary period and the teaching practice at the CEFET-PB, in order to contribute for a reflection about these categories to clarify the teachers of the course. It started from the consideration of all changes operated in contemporary society implies changes on teacher's pedagogical practices. It was used tow instruments for the data collection: a questionnaire with open and closed questions and recordable interviews. Nine teachers form the CEFET-PB took apart and four licensed teachers. It was based in a theoretic frame as a support for discussions about the different models of teachers formation. We concluded that the representations of teachers about probationary period the practice on the activity for the teachers formation was strongly anchored in characteristic elements of the formative tendency of a institution that historically acted on a technician formation, and the results pointed to strong signs of attitudes based on a model of the technical rationality

Ondaletas e movimento browniano fracionário: aplicação à caracterização de poços de petróleo

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior

Representações espectrais de sistemas complexos: aplicações à síntese de superfícies brownianas fracionárias anisotrópicas, filtragem de sinais e identificação de correlações

In this thesis, we study the application of spectral representations to the solution of problems in seismic exploration, the synthesis of fractal surfaces and the identification of correlations between one-dimensional signals. We apply a new approach, called Wavelet Coherency, to the study of stratigraphic correlation in well log signals, as an attempt to identify layers from the same geological formation, showing that the representation in wavelet space, with introduction of scale domain, can facilitate the process of comparing patterns in geophysical signals. We have introduced a new model for the generation of anisotropic fractional brownian surfaces based on curvelet transform, a new multiscale tool which can be seen as a generalization of the wavelet transform to include the direction component in multidimensional spaces. We have tested our model with a modified version of the Directional Average Method (DAM) to evaluate the anisotropy of fractional brownian surfaces. We also used the directional behavior of the curvelets to attack an important problem in seismic exploration: the atenuation of the ground roll, present in seismograms as a result of surface Rayleigh waves. The techniques employed are effective, leading to sparse representation of the signals, and, consequently, to good resolutions

Cálculos AB initio de propriedades estruturais, eletrônicas e ópticas de colmpostos CaXo3 (X=Si, Ge, Sn)

In this work we present a study of structural, electronic and optical properties, at ambient conditions, of CaSiO3, CaGeO3 and CaSnO3 crystals, all of them a member of Ca-perovskite class. To each one, we have performed density functional theory ab initio calculations within LDA and GGA approximations of the structural parameters, geometry optimization, unit cell volume, density, angles and interatomic length, band structure, carriers effective masses, total and partial density of states, dielectric function, refractive index, optical absorption, reflectivity, optical conductivity and loss function. A result comparative procedure was done between LDA and GGA calculations, a exception to CaSiO3 where only LDA calculation was performed, due high computational cost that its low symmetry crystalline structure imposed. The Ca-perovskite bibliography have shown the absence of electronic structure calculations about this materials, justifying the present work

Estudo comportamental, hormonal e histopatológico de animais com perda de peso progressina (SEP) e da variável peso associada a uma nova classificação ontogenética em Callithrix jacchus

The use of non-human primates in scientific research has contributed significantly to the biomedical area and, in the case of Callithrix jacchus, has provided important evidence on physiological mechanisms that help explain its biology, making the species a valuable experimental model in different pathologies. However, raising non-human primates in captivity for long periods of time is accompanied by behavioral disorders and chronic diseases, as well as progressive weight loss in most of the animals. The Primatology Center of the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN) has housed a colony of C. jacchus for nearly 30 years and during this period these animals have been weighed systematically to detect possible alterations in their clinical conditions. This procedure has generated a volume of data on the weight of animals at different age ranges. These data are of great importance in the study of this variable from different perspectives. Accordingly, this paper presents three studies using weight data collected over 15 years (1985-2000) as a way of verifying the health status and development of the animals. The first study produced the first article, which describes the histopathological findings of animals with probable diagnosis of permanent wasting marmoset syndrome (WMS). All the animals were carriers of trematode parasites (Platynosomum spp) and had obstruction in the hepatobiliary system; it is suggested that this agent is one of the etiological factors of the syndrome. In the second article, the analysis focused on comparing environmental profile and cortisol levels between the animals with normal weight curve evolution and those with WMS. We observed a marked decrease in locomotion, increased use of lower cage extracts and hypocortisolemia. The latter is likely associated to an adaptation of the mechanisms that make up the hypothalamus-hypophysis-adrenal axis, as observed in other mammals under conditions of chronic malnutrition. Finally, in the third study, the animals with weight alterations were excluded from the sample and, using computational tools (K-means and SOM) in a non-supervised way, we suggest found new ontogenetic development classes for C. jacchus. These were redimensioned from five to eight classes: infant I, infant II, infant III, juvenile I, juvenile II, sub-adult, young adult and elderly adult, in order to provide a more suitable classification for more detailed studies that require better control over the animal development

Influência de fatores individuais e sociais sobre as respostas endócrina e comportamental de callithrix jacchus a desafios ambientais físicos e sociais

Regarding the growing number of human beings with physical and mental pathologies associated to different stressor agents, attempts are being made to validate animal models with a close phylogenetic resemblance to man, to study stress response. Callithrix jacchus has been widely used in biomedical research, including on stress, but there is scarce information in the literature about how individual and social factors modulate stressor response in this species. This study uses 4 approaches to investigate the response of male and female adult C. jacchus, under situations of stress, and in the first we show evidence of the importance of this animal as an experimental model in research involving the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis. And we investigate if sex and baseline cortisol levels modulate the behavioral and hormonal response to separation. In two additional approaches investigate if type of social support (co-specific parent or non-parent) and social rank interfere in behavioral and hormonal when the animal are exposure to a new environment, paired with a co-specific (F2), exposure of the animal to a new environment, isolated (F3) or during reunion (F4). Finally, we also investigated the androgen levels in the males, with a focus on the challenge hypothesis, referring to environmental responsiveness and male-male exposure to relatives and non-relatives of C. jacchus. It was observed that: (1) the baseline cortisol of the animal is predictive of cortisol reactivity at separation; (2) males and females do not show dimorphism in the response of cortisol to stressors, although the females have higher baseline levels of this hormone and exhibit higher frequencies of anxiety-related behaviors; (3) only social support provided by relatives proved to be effective in buffering the cortisol response. In behavioral terms this response was dimorphic, showing that only the male dyads displayed an attenuated response to stress; (4) the males showed differences in cortisol levels as a function of social rank and study phases, whereas in the females no such alterations were observed. The males with indefinite dominance hierarchy (IDH) had reduced cortisol in F2 and F4, while the IDH females showed an increase in F3 and F4; (5) the males of relative and non-relative dyads did not exhibit variations in androgen levels as a function of a new environment. These results, taken together, (a) corroborate the use of C. jacchus as a good animal model for stress-related studies, given that they exhibit similar behavioral and physiological alterations to those of human beings in response to stressor agents; (b) point to the importance of considering individual and social modulating factors during experiments with stressors; (c) provide more reliable comparison parameters in studies where these primates are used as animal models, and (d) show that androgens vary as a function of genetic proximity (relative or non-relative) when the animals are faced with physical and social environmental challenges, thus providing important information for studying the challenge hypothesis in this species

Caracterização comportamental endócrina das fases ontogenéticas de sagüi comum (Callithrix jacchus)

The use of animal models in biomedical research is ever increasing. Models that use primates might also have advantages in terms of low maintenance costs and availability of biological knowledge, thereby favoring their use in different experimental protocols. Many current stress studies use animal models at different developmental stages since biological response differs during ontogeny. The aims of this study were to perform a detailed characterization of the developmental stages of common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus), a very important animal model used in biomedical research. Ten subjects, 6 females and 4 males, were followed from birth to initial adult age (16 months). Behavioral and fecal collection for measurement of adrenal (cortisol) and sex (progesterone, estradiol and androgens) hormones took place twice a week during the first month of life and once a week for the remainder of the study. Behavior was observed for 30 minutes in the morning (0700-09:00h) and afternoon (12:00-14:00h). Behavioral profile showed changes during ontogeny, characterizing the 4 developmental stages and the respective phases proposed by Leão et al (2009).. Differentiation of developmental stages was considered using the onset, end, change and stabilization of the behavioral profile parental care (weaning and carrying), ingestion (solid food), affiliation (social grooming) and autogrooming, agonism (scent marking and piloerection) and play behavior and endocrine profile. Infant weaning and carrying terminated within the infantile stage and the peak of solid food ingestion was recorded in the infantile III phase. Receiving grooming was recorded earlier than grooming performed by the infant and autogrooming. The first episode of scent marking was recorded in the 4th week and it was the least variable behavior, in terms of its onset, which, in almost all animals, was between the 5th and 7th week of life. Solitary play and play with the twin started around the 7th week and play with other members of the group started 8 weeks later. Sex hormone secretion started to differ from basal levels between the 21st and 23rd week of life, in males and females, suggesting that puberty occurs simultaneously in both sexes. Basal cortisol, even at an early age, was higher in females than in males. However, cortisol was not correlated with the juvenile stage, as expected, since this stage corresponds to the transition between infancy and adult age and most behaviors are intensified by this time. The behavioral and endocrine profile of subadult animals did not differ from that of the adults. These results provide more detailed parameters for the developmental process of C. jacchus and open new perspectives for the use of experimental approaches focused on the intermediate ontogenetic phases of this species

O gato doméstico (Felis catus) responde à sinais gestuais? possíveis implicações do convívio social

The cats (Felis catus) were domesticated about 9,500 years ago due to the advent of agriculture, being used to control the pests that devastated the food harvested. These animals went through an artificial selection and over generations and millennia had their behavior and morphology changed by humans. This process of domestication by man gave rise to a special ability, the understanding of human pointing gestures, clearly noticed while we feed our pets. Our goal in this study was to assess the comprehension of pointing gestures by cats and also verify the influence that social interactions exerts on the development of this ability. We found that experimental subjects from both groups, solitary animals and social animals, were able to follow human indication in order to find hidden food. However, social interaction had no effect on cats performances. The ability tested here probably evolved during the process of domestication of this species, and social interaction seems to exert little or no influence upon its expression