Efeitos do alcalóide indólico caulerpina, obtido de alga do gênero caulerpa, em modelo de colite experimental murina

As doenças inflamatórias intestinais são enfermidades onde a tolerância e homeostase da resposta inflamatória estão comprometidas, gerando lesões teciduais e favorecendo o surgimento de neoplasias. Há dois importantes exemplos de doenças inflamatórias intestinais, a colite ulcerativa, foco do modelo desse estudo, e a doença de Crohn. Os medicamentos utilizados no tratamento dessas doenças desencadeiam diversos efeitos adversos; além disso, em alguns pacientes, eles não são eficazes. Os extratos de algas têm demonstrado várias atividades biológicas, entre elas a atividade anti-inflamatória. Os extratos das algas do gênero Caulerpa foram utilizados em vários estudos, onde modelos inflamatórios foram analisados, entre eles o modelo de colite ulcerativa. A utilização do extrato metanólico da C. mexicana como terapêutica nesse modelo atenuou o quadro clinico desenvolvido pelos animais. Sendo assim, o presente estudo teve como objetivo analisar a ação terapêutica da Caulerpina (CLP), extraída da C. racemosa, no modelo murino de colite ulcerativa. Camundongos C57BL/6 machos foram expostos a uma solução de Dextrana Sulfato de Sódio (DSS) a 3% por sete dias. A partir do primeiro dia de exposição ao DSS os animais foram tratados em dias alternados com a CLP nas doses de 4 e 40 mg/kg e com a dexametasona (3 mg/kg) por via oral. O desenvolvimento da doença foi analisado através do índice de atividade da doença (IAD), que leva em consideração a perda de peso corporal, a consistência e a presença de sangue nas fezes. Após a eutanásia, o cólon foi removido e mensurado, e amostras do tecido colônico foram destinadas a análise histológica e à cultura para dosagem de citocinas. Os níveis de citocinas no sobrenadante da cultura do cólon foram mensurados por ELISA. O tratamento com a CLP (4 mg/kg) desencadeou significativa melhora quanto à perda de peso corporal e ao IAD, e atenuou o encurtamento do cólon em resposta ao DSS. Tal dose foi capaz de reduzir os níveis de citocinas pró-inflamatórias analisadas (TNF-, IFN-, IL-6, IL-17), mas não teve efeito significativo nas citocinas anti-inflamatórias IL-10 e TGF-. O tratamento com a CLP (40 mg/kg) não foi eficaz quanto a perda de peso e ao IAD, além de não ter atenuado a redução do cólon em resposta ao DSS. Essa dose conseguiu reduzir os níveis das citocinas pró-inflamatórias, porém não os níveis de IL-6. O tratamento com a dexametasona obteve melhora discreta quanto à perda de peso corporal e ao IAD, porém não atenuou a redução do cólon em resposta ao DSS. Esse tratamento também conseguiu reduzir todas as citocinas pró-inflamatórias testadas. Deste modo a CLP (4 mg/kg) demonstrou ser uma alternativa promissora no tratamento da colite ulcerativa, em razão dos seus efeitos benéficos sobre parâmetros clínicos, morfológicos e moleculares do modelo em estudo

Diagnóstico sócio-produtivo-econômico da comunidade de catadores de resíduos sólidos do município de Codó-MA: um estudo de caso

The research was carried out in the urban area in Codó-MA, a small city the east part of Maranhão, which has 4,228.000 km2 (IBGE, 2000) and population of 113,768 hab. (IBGE, 2008). The city is also inside Codó-MA micro-region. The city is located in one of the lacking area in Brazil, where the Human Development Index (IDH) is approximately 0,558. It does not present an adequate model of management when talking about solid residue collecting. All of the solid residue produced and collected in the city is stored in an open area that they call lixão , which is located in a residence area in the suburbs. Because of that, a problem that involves public health and environmental areas, we understand it is necessary to investigate the way the local government treats and manages the solid residue collecting, as well as, the social, economical and productive reality of those who are directly involved in the collecting itself, its productive chain of the material, including the handling, transportation and its final destiny. It means a social, productive, economical diagnosis, that in a such way,the local society and the organs of inspection can act in a better way to control the problems that include solid urban residue and come from a bad administration. That way, this work proposes to carry out a study that has as result a diagnosis with feasible alternatives on management, taking as basis, social and economical aspects that compound this productive chain. This work can bring great contributions to a better local reality through the introduction of an integrated and supported system of management of solid residue that includes a selective collecting and the creation of a sanitary area. Taking that into consideration, we can contribute to minimize the environmental impacts in Codó Novo, caused by the garbage

Avaliação de desempenho em mercados reguladores de transporte urbano por ônibus :proposição de um modelo aplicável ao caso de Natal

Increased competition in the market of urban transport, characteristic of the Brazilian cities from years 90, has required actions of the managing agencies to ensure the universality of service, enhancing efficiency and consumer welfare. It grows in the Brazilian municipalities, the need to adopt a systematic performance evaluation in terms of management system of indicators and targets appropriate to the regulatory context, which has the purpose of evaluating the accomplishment and compliance by dealers, of the services granted during the contract period, marked by increasingly long periods. The introduction of an index operational performance in permission contracts/concession in urban buses is intended to establish a regulatory performance, giving the contract a pro-competitive feature and to allow the managing agency the systematic and continuous monitoring of the performance of the delegated service to avoid major deviations from desired performance. A performance assessment model of public transportation companies by bus, and applicable to the case of Natal is proposed. Sought to add the particularities found in the transport system in order to assess the performance of enterprises, contribute to improving the service quality to the population and enable decision-makers a detailed knowledge of the behavior of the licensees

Desenvolvimento de um modelo de gestão do conhecimento para a melhoria do processo de desenvolvimento de produtos

The knowledge management has received major attention from product designers because many of the activities within this process have to be creative and, therefore, they depend basically on the knowledge of the people who are involved in the process. Moreover, Product Development Process (PDP) is one of the activities in which knowledge management manifests in the most critical form once it had the intense application of the knowledge. As a consequence, this thesis analyzes the knowledge management aiming to improve the PDP and it also proposes a theoretical model of knowledge management. This model uses five steps (creation, maintenance, dissemination, utilization and discard) through the verification of the occurrence of four types of knowledge conversion (socialization, externalization, combination and internalization) that it will improve the knowledge management in this process. The intellectual capital in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) managed efficiently and with the participation of all employees has become the mechanism of the creation and transference processes of knowledge, supporting and, consequently, improving the PDP. The expected results are an effective and efficient application of the proposed model for the creation of the knowledge base within an organization (organizational memory) aiming a better performance of the PDP. In this way, it was carried out an extensive analysis of the knowledge management (instrument of qualitative and subjective evaluation) within the Design department of a Brazilian company (SEBRAE/RN). This analysis aimed to know the state-of-the-art of the Design department regarding the use of knowledge management. This step was important in order to evaluate in the level of the evolution of the department related to the practical use of knowledge management before implementing the proposed theoretical model and its methodology. At the end of this work, based on the results of the diagnosis, a knowledge management system is suggested to facilitate the knowledge sharing within the organization, in order words, the Design department

Qualidade em serviços de saúde: uma contribuição à definição de um modelo paramétrico e padrão de qualidade do tempo agendado para consulta ambulatorial

The knowledge management has received major attention from product designers because many of the activities within this process have to be creative and, therefore, they depend basically on the knowledge of the people who are involved in the process. Moreover, Product Development Process (PDP) is one of the activities in which knowledge management manifests in the most critical form once it had the intense application of the knowledge. As a consequence, this thesis analyzes the knowledge management aiming to improve the PDP and it also proposes a theoretical model of knowledge management. This model uses five steps (creation, maintenance, dissemination, utilization and discard) through the verification of the occurrence of four types of knowledge conversion (socialization, externalization, combination and internalization) that it will improve the knowledge management in this process. The intellectual capital in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) managed efficiently and with the participation of all employees has become the mechanism of the creation and transference processes of knowledge, supporting and, consequently, improving the PDP. The expected results are an effective and efficient application of the proposed model for the creation of the knowledge base within an organization (organizational memory) aiming a better performance of the PDP. In this way, it was carried out an extensive analysis of the knowledge management (instrument of qualitative and subjective evaluation) within the Design department of a Brazilian company (SEBRAE/RN). This analysis aimed to know the state-of-the-art of the Design department regarding the use of knowledge management. This step was important in order to evaluate in the level of the evolution of the department related to the practical use of knowledge management before implementing the proposed theoretical model and its methodology. At the end of this work, based on the results of the diagnosis, a knowledge management system is suggested to facilitate the knowledge sharing within the organization, in order words, the Design department

Controlador em modo dual adaptativo robusto - DMARC

The so-called Dual Mode Adaptive Robust Control (DMARC) is proposed. The DMARC is a control strategy which interpolates the Model Reference Adaptive Control (MRAC) and the Variable Structure Model Reference Adaptive Control (VS-MRAC). The main idea is to incorporate the transient performance advantages of the VS-MRAC controller with the smoothness control signal in steady-state of the MRAC controller. Two basic algorithms are developed for the DMARC controller. In the first algorithm the controller's adjustment is made, in real time, through the variation of a parameter in the adaptation law. In the second algorithm the control law is generated, using fuzzy logic with Takagi-Sugeno s model, to obtain a combination of the MRAC and VS-MRAC control laws. In both cases, the combined control structure is shown to be robust to the parametric uncertainties and external disturbances, with a fast transient performance, practically without oscillations, and a smoothness steady-state control signal

Uma abordagem indireta para o Controlador em Modo Dual Adaptativo Robusto

In this work is proposed an indirect approach to the DualMode Adaptive Robust Controller (DMARC), combining the typicals transient and robustness properties of Variable Structure Systems, more specifically of Variable Structure Model Reference Adaptive Controller (VS-MRAC), with a smooth control signal in steady-state, typical of conventional Adaptive Controllers, as Model Reference Adaptive Controller (MRAC). The goal is to provide a more intuitive controller design, based on physical plant parameters, as resistances, inertia moments, capacitances, etc. Furthermore, with the objective to follow the evolutionary line of direct controllers, it will be proposed an indirect version for the Binary Model Reference Adaptive Controller (B-MRAC), that was the first controller attemptting to act as MRAC as well as VS-MRAC, depending on a pre-defined fixed parameter

Implementação de um modelo computacional para estudo do processo Fischer-Tropsch em reator de leito de lama

This work aims at the implementation and adaptation of a computational model for the study of the Fischer-Tropsch reaction in a slurry bed reactor from synthesis gas (CO+H2) for the selective production of hydrocarbons (CnHm), with emphasis on evaluation of the influence of operating conditions on the distribution of products formed during the reaction.The present model takes into account effects of rigorous phase equilibrium in a reactive flash drum, a detailed kinetic model able of predicting the formation of each chemical species of the reaction system, as well as control loops of the process variables for pressure and level of slurry phase. As a result, a system of Differential Algebraic Equations was solved using the computational code DASSL (Petzold, 1982). The consistent initialization for the problem was based on phase equilibrium formed by the existing components in the reactor. In addition, the index of the system was reduced to 1 by the introduction of control laws that govern the output of the reactor products. The results were compared qualitatively with experimental data collected in the Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis plant installed at Laboratório de Processamento de Gás - CTGÁS-ER-Natal/RN

Avaliação da produção de sedimento na bacia hidrográfica do rio Potengi através do modelo SWAT

Anthropic disturbances in watersheds, such as inappropriate building development, disorderly land occupation and unplanned land use, may strengthen the sediment yield and the inflow into the estuary, leading to siltation, changes in the reach channel conformation, and ecosystem/water quality problems. Faced with such context, this study aims to assess the applicability of SWAT model to estimate, even in a preliminary way, the sediment yield distribution along the Potengi River watershed, as well as its contribution to the estuary. Furthermore, an assessment of its erosion susceptibility was used for comparison. The susceptibility map was developed by overlaying rainfall erosivity, soil erodibility, the slope of the terrain and land cover. In order to overlap these maps, a multi-criteria analysis through AHP method was applied. The SWAT was run using a five year period (1997-2001), considering three different scenarios based on different sorts of human interference: a) agriculture; b) pasture; and c) no interference (background). Results were analyzed in terms of surface runoff, sediment yield and their propagation along each river section, so that it was possible to find that the regions in the extreme west of the watershed and in the downstream portions returned higher values of sediment yield, reaching respectively 2.8 e 5.1 ton/ha.year, whereas central areas, which were less susceptible, returned the lowest values, never more than 0.7 ton/ha.ano. It was also noticed that in the west sub-watersheds, where one can observe the headwaters, sediment yield was naturally forced by high declivity and weak soils. In another hand, results suggest that the eastern part would not contribute to the sediment inflow into the estuary in a significant way, and the larger part of the sediment yield in that place is due to anthropic activities. For the central region, the analysis of sediment propagation indicates deposition predominance in opposition to transport. Thus, it s not expected that isolated rain storms occurring in the upstream river portions would significantly provide the estuary with sediment. Because the model calibration process hasn t been done yet, it becomes essential to emphasize that values presented here as results should not be applied for pratical aims. Even so, this work warns about the risks of a growth in the alteration of natural land cover, mainly in areas closer to the headwaters and in the downstream Potengi River

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

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

Interferindo com oscilações de alta frequência no hipocampo epiléptico: consequências para as crises espontâneas

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico

Percepção de cuidadores de crianças acerca da prevenção de acidentes domésticos infantis: análise à luz do modelo de crenças em saúde

This study aimed to analyze the perception of home caregivers of children from zero to five years-old on child domestic accidents and their influence in preventing these events. Exploratory and descriptive study with a qualitative approach, conducted with 20 caregivers attended at the Family Health Unit of Cidade Nova in Natal/Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. The participants should have age less than 18 years-old, being a caregiver of at least a five year-old child and living in the area ascribed of Family Health Unit in the neighborhood Cidade Nova. Data collection occurred between March and April 2013 and a semistructured interview script was used. This stage was preceded by the acquiescence of the director of health institution where the research was developed, the Health Department of the Municipality of Natal as well as the Ethics Committee in Research of Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte under Opinion nº 219 872 and CAAE nº 12236013.7.0000.5537. It is noted that respondents were asked to formal authorization by the Term of Consent. The data were treated according to the technique of the Collective Subject Discourse and analyzed based on three dimensions of the Health Belief Model, relating to perceptions of susceptibility to infant domestic accidents, self-efficacy to prevent infant and indicia domestic accidents for action of preventing domestic accidents in childhood. The results revealed that all the respondents were women, who, in their majority, they are mothers of the children they care, and predominantly they are aged between 18 and 30 years-old, full high school education and unemployed. Concerning the perception of susceptibility, it was unveiled understanding of deponents on various types of accidents, which are considered preventable. For this purpose, it was highlighted that the constant surveillance of the children is essential, keeping in view their high degree of curiosity and immaturity. On the perceived selfefficacy, the participants reported adopting preventive measures; however, they reported experiencing falls, burns, electric shocks and dog bites. In regard to the meaning attributed to experienced accidents they highlighted their feelings of guilt and despair, particularly about the cases understood as serious. Regarding the last dimension analyzed, related to indications for action, family, friends and television were the main source of information about household accidents and their prevention methods; however, health professionals were rarely cited as issuers of such knowledge. It is concluded that there is a widespread perception of women about prevention of domestic accidents and the weakness in the view of health professionals, including nurses, as disseminators of this information. This suggests the need to strengthen the dialogue on the issue and encouraging the participation of caregivers actively in the prevention of child domestic accidents

A constituição desmilitarizada: democratização e reforma do sistema constitucional de segurança pública

The normative construction of the public security system in the Constituent Assembly of 1987-1988 preserved paradoxical normative space, the military police linked to the Army with a restrictive legal statute of the police offices citizenship through a hierarchical and disciplinary model that is anachronistic. This research originates from the following problem: How is it possible to tailor the constitutional system of public safety, specifically the Military Police, according to the democratic paradigms constructed by the Constituent from 1988 and carry the right to public safety under these molds? The militarists limitations of the Constitution allowed the growing militarization of police departments, organizational culture and authoritarian institutional practices. Underlying this, the problems related to difficulties in realization of Right to Public Safety, the strikes of the military police, the incomplete policy cycle started demanding from the constitutional-legal system appropriate responses. Utilizing the dialogical method and an interdisciplinary approach to the subject, and theoretically grounded in overcoming of the constitutional normativist juspositivism.It was found that the constructed infraconstitutional legislation was insufficient to supply the systemic shortcomings of constitutional law, when looking to create a single system of public security without giving due scope to the federal principle and expand the autonomy the Federated States, and even grant democratic legal status to the military police. Formal legal limits imposed by the Constitution constructed a legal anachronism, the military police. Thus, a democratic reading of military police institutions becomes inconceivable its existence in the constitutional regulatory environment. Thus, reform the Constitution in order to demilitarize the police and conduct a normative redesign of the public security system is fundamental to Brazilian constitutional democracy

Controle em modo dual adaptativo robusto aplicado a um sistema de geração de energia elétrica

Synchronous machines, widely used in energy generation systems, require constant voltage and frequency to obtain good quality of energy. However, for large load variati- ons, it is difficult to maintain outputs on nominal values due to parametric uncertainties, nonlinearities and coupling among variables. Then, we propose to apply the Dual Mode Adaptive Robust Controller (DMARC) in the field flux control loop, replacing the tradi- tional PI controller. The DMARC links a Model Reference Adaptive Controller (MRAC) and a Variable Structure Model Reference Adaptive Controller (VS-MRAC), incorpora- ting transient performance advantages from VS-MRAC and steady state properties from MRAC. Moreover, simulation results are included to corroborate the theoretical studies.

Estudo sobre a relação entre a atividade geomagnética e cintilações de sinais de GPS em Natal-RN (Brasil)

To identify the relationship between GPS scintillation in Natal-RN (Brazil) and geomagnetic disturbances of any intensities and variations, this work made analysis of the ionospheric behavior and magnetic indexes (Dst , AE and Bz of the interplanetary magnetic field) concerning to different periods of the solar cycle between 2000 and 2014. Part of the data of this research originated at the UFRN observatory, from a GEC Plessey board connected to an ANP -C 114 antenna, modified by Cornell University’s Space group Plasma Physics in order to operate the ScintMon, a GPS monitoring program. This study, therefore, found several cases of inhibited scintillations after the main phase of magnetic storms, a fact that, along with others, corroborated with categorization of Aarons (1991) and models of disturbed dynamo (according to Bonelli, 2008) and over-shielding penetration, defended by Kelley et al. (1979) and Abdu (2011) [4]. In addition to these findings, different morphologies were noted in such disruptions in the GPS signal in accordance with previous magnetic activities. It also found a moderate relationship (R2 = 0.52) between the Dst rate (concerning to specific time) and the average of S4 through a polynomial function. This finding therefore, corroborating Ilma et al. (2012) [17], is an important evidence that the scintillation GPS are not directly controlled by magnetic induction of storms. Completing this work, this relation did show itself as a way of partial predicting of scintillations.