A esquina do povo de alt’lam: aprimoramento racial e moral no movimento espírita natalense

A partir de um conjunto de dados obtidos em pesquisa, o texto deseja salientar uma face pouco examinada pelos estudiosos do espiritismo no Brasil: aquela dos grupos espíritas que cultuam extraterrestres. Examina a narrativa Rebelião de Lúcifer, escrita pelo médium potiguar Jan Val Ellam. Sustenta que esta atualiza noções importantes em relação a narrativas de salvação anteriores construídas pelo espiritismo. Destaca em especial o aprimoramento racial e moral através da reencarnação em distintos corpos humanos e em diferentes planetas. Examina-os a partir das noções de exílio planetário e de evolução racializada. Argumenta que Jan Val Ellam as atualiza através da categoria nativa Povo de Alt’Lam e através de bricolagem com outros campos semânticos, notadamente a ufologia e a fi cção científica

Ecologia alimentar e reprodutiva da piaba-do-rabo-amarelo, Astyanax cf. lacustris (Reinhardt, 1874) (Osteichthyes: Characidae) na Lagoa do Piató, Assu, Rio Grande do Norte, Brasil

The feeding habits and biological aspects of the reproductive cycle of two-spot astyanax, Astyanax cf. lacustris (Reinhardt, 1874) were investigated. Fish samples were captured on a monthly basis, using gillnets of 4 cm mesh size, from the Piató Lake, Assu, Rio Grande do Norte, during the period of September, 2006 to August, 2007. Physico-chemical parameters, such as, temperature, electrical conductivity and dissolved oxygen of the lake were registered. The monthly values of rainfall also were obtained. The 360 individuals captured, were measured, weighed, dissected, and stomach weight and the stage of gonadal maturity were registered. The stomach contents analyses were carried out based on volumetric method, points, frequency of occurrence and applying the Index of Relative Importance. The degrees of repletion of the stomachs were determined besides the Index of Repletion relating to feeding activity variations and frequency of ingestion with limnological parameters and rainfall. The food items identified were separated into distinct groups according to their origin. Sex ratio and Gonadosomatic Relation of females were verified to determine the spawning period and fecundity. The physico-chemical parameters presented the following annual mean values: temperature = 28.8ºC, electrical conductivity = 992.5 µS.cm-1; dissolved oxygen = 4.9 mg.L-1 during the study period. The annual mean of the rainfall was 63.5 mm. The results indicate that this species present an omnivorous feeding habit with a tendency towards insectivory, with an increase in feeding activity during the dry season. The aquatic oxygen to interfere very importance in the feeding activity than the others factors physico-chemicals of water and rainfall. There was a predominance of females, with a sex proportion of 1M:7F. The macroscopic characteristics of the ovaries and testicles revealed four stages of gonadal development: immature, maturing, mature and spent. A temporal variation was observed for the gonadal development of males and females. There was reproductive activity through out the year, with peaks in the months of February, April and June to correspond with the rain of precipitation of the region. The mean fecundity was 7.681 mature oocytes, varying from 4.476 to 12.036, with mean of 7.681. There was positive relation between fecundity and body mass. Condition Factor is not an efficient indicator of the reproductive period of this species. The species A. cf. lacustris is an opportunist and is well adapted to the conditions of the semi-arid Caatinga Biome

Análise do efeito de polimorfismos não-sinônimos em genes de reparo de DNA da via BER na resposta inflamatória da meningite

In vitro and in animal models, APE1, OGG1, and PARP-1 have been proposed as being involved with inflammatory response. In this work, we have investigated if the SNPs APE1 Asn148Glu, OGG1 Ser326Cys, and PARP-1 Val762Ala are associated to meningitis and also developed a system to enable the functional analysis of polymorphic proteins. Patients with bacterial meningitis (BM), aseptic meningitis (AM) and controls (non-infected) genotypes were investigated by PIRA-PCR or PCR-RFLP. DNA damages were detected in genomic DNA by Fpg treatment. IgG and IgA were measured from plasma and the cytokines and chemokines were measured from cerebrospinal fluid samples using Bio-Plex assays. The levels of NF-κB and c-Jun were measured in CSF by dot blot assays. A significant (P<0.05) increase in the frequency of APE1 148Glu allele in BM and AM patients was observed. A significant increase in the genotypes Asn/Asn in control group and Asn/Glu in BM group was also found. For the SNP OGG1 Ser326Cys, the genotype Cys/Cys was more frequent (P<0.05) in BM group. The frequency of PARP-1 Val/Val genotype was higher in control group (P<0.05). The occurrence of combined SNPs increased significantly in BM patients, indicating that these SNPs may be associated to the disease. Increasing in sensitive sites to Fpg was observed in carriers of APE1 148Glu allele or OGG1 326Cys allele, suggesting that SNPs affect DNA repair activity. Alterations in IgG production were observed in the presence of SNPs APE1Asn148Glu, OGG1Ser326Cys or PARP-1Val762Ala. Reductions in the levels ofIL-6, IL-1Ra, MCP-1/CCL2and IL-8/CXCL8 were observed in the presence of APE1148Glu allele in BM patients, however no differences were observed in the levels of NF-κB and c-Jun considering genotypes and analyzed groups. Using APE1 as model, a system to enable the analysis of cellular effects and functional characterization of polymorphic proteins was developed using strategies of cloning APE1 cDNA in pIRES2-EGFP vector, cellular transfection of the construction obtained, siRNA for endogenous APE1 and cellular cultures genotyping. In conclusion, we obtained evidences of an effect of SNPs in DNA repair genes on the regulation of immune response. This is a pioneering work in the field that shows association of BER variant enzymes with an infectious disease in human patients, suggesting that the SNPs analyzed may affect immune response and damage by oxidative stress level during brain infection. Considering these data, new approaches of functional characterization must be developed to better analysis and interactions of polymorphic proteins in response to this context

É preciso estar atento: um estudo da relação entre desenvolvimento da atenção e aprendizagem

Se discute en este estudio la relación entre o desarrollo de la atención y el aprendizaje de la lengua escrita realizada con los alumnos del 5º grado de la Enseñanza Primaria, compuesta de 25 alumnos, con la edad entre 9 e 13 años, de la Escola Municipal Professor Arnaldo Monteiro Natal/RN. Para el desarrollo de este proceso investigativo, utilizamos como aporte teórico el materialismo histórico-dialéctico, pues ese método posibilita el análisis de los fenómenos y, a través de esa lógica, se revelan los elementos que dieron sustentación a la mediación pedagógica y comprensión de los fenómenos con mayor eficacia. También fueron usados los estudios de Vigotski (1991), Rubinstein (1973), Ferreira (2003), Ibiapina (2007), y otros que convergen con ese posicionamiento. Se adoptó la pesquisa colaborativa que supone la construcción de un objeto del conocimiento entre investigador y profesor y también asocia al mismo tiempo actividades de producción del conocimiento y de desenvolvimiento profesional, proponiéndose una mediación entre comunidad de investigadores y comunidad de profesores. Utilizamos como elementos metodológicos el diagnóstico de la atención, el diagnóstico de la producción escrita del texto narrativo, siguiendo las etapas elaboradas por Infante (1998), los diarios reflexivos, el planeamiento y las sesiones reflexivas (con alumnos y con los pares). Para análisis del desarrollo de la atención, utilizamos las categorías definidas por Luria (1991): volumen de la atención, estabilidad de la atención, oscilación de la atención. El análisis de la producción textual tuve como parámetros las categorías de cohesión y coherencia (COSTA VAL, 1999). Para esto, se reflexionó con ellos sobre la importancia del desenvolvimiento de la atención para aprendizajes más efectivas. Propusimos situaciones de aprendizajes que posibiliten el desarrollo de la atención de esos alumnos y el dominio de la producción textual; y se analizaron las interrelaciones entre desenvolvimiento de la atención y la producción de textos narrativos. Los resultados presentados en los textos permiten afirmar que es notoria la relación entre la atención y el aprendizaje de la escritura. Vale resaltar que la reflexión no puede tener un fin en si mismo o entonces ser usada apenas para justificar una acción, mas debe tener como objetivo mejorar la enseñaza y tornar los profesores más conscientes y, por lo tanto, más capacitados para ejercer su profesión

Referência ao discurso do outro: uma análise de problemas de relações de sentido entre discurso citado direto e indireto citante no gênero monográfico

In this study we investigate the reference to other s discourse done it through the resource of direct cited discourse at background section in monographic texts produced by university students at the last phase of final work in their graduate Letras course. This work is guided in cited/related discourse studies in Bakhtin (2004), Authier-Revuz (1990, 1998, 2004), Maingueneau (1996, 2002), Charaudeau and Maingueneau (2004); in genre approaches developed by Bakhtin (2000); Maingueneau (1996, 2002); socio-discursive interaction (BRONCKART, 1999, 2003; SCHNEUWLY, 2004; DOLZ e SCHNEUWLY, 2004) and Bazerman (2005); and also in presuppositions of Textual Linguistics presented by Charrolles (1988), Van Dijk (1997), Beaugrande and Dressier (1981), Koch and Travaglia (1993, 1995), Koch (2002, 2004) and Val (2000, 2004). We have established as aims to analyze and interpret meaning relations problems in how to articulate direct cited discourse with citing discourse and at the same time explain semantic implications that comes from that articulation that compromise text meaning, at background section in that monographic genre. The analysis, by qualitative and quantitative basis in eleven monographic works that form our corpus, gave us the opportunity to achieve and see that meaning relationships in the articulation of direct cited discourse with citing discourse show problems that may be categorized into three different groups: problems related to meaning relationships with citing discourse that comes before it, problems of meaning relationships with citing discourse that comes after it, and problems with of meaning relationships with citing discourse that come before it and at the same time with citing discourse that comes after it (i.e. in relation to both). These analysis also allow us assert that, these problems, just because they occur frequently, they affect the micro level text coherence, and they also compromise the text global meaning. The results show that students at Letras Course, even in the ending process of their course do not show the real domain in relation to some ways of direct cited discourse organization and working, and also how the ideas articulation work in the construction of relations between direct cited discourse and the citing discourse that can turn those students able to produce a text that enhance acceptable patterns

Ambiente de textualização no ensino a distância: o caso do fórum educacional

This research deals with textualization issues present in educational forums in distance learning environment. The research aims to analyze textualization regarding communication practices between tutors and distance learning students. Specifically the research aims to verify if the educational forum is considered pertinent for knowledge construction as well as identify subject´s behavior in e-Proinfo environment. The research also aims to understand the dynamics of the teaching and learning techniques related to the forum´s printed material. This is done in order to acknowledge discourse on behalf of subjects through the presented educational assignments. In order to address the issue, the work dealt with the relations present in distance learning forums, the forms in which the assignments are made, the way social actors interact and how this debate happens in the virtual environment. The research emphasized an educational forum used in a higher education institution at Rio Grande do Norte/Brazil. Thus the research corpus is composed by messages that were posted in the forum in the module called computer material . This module is one of the last in a set of six modules that are part of The Basic Cycle for Media Training promoted by the Center for Distance Learning in a public university at Rio Grande do Norte/Brazil. The research deals with a qualitative type approach in the perspectives of Merriam (1988), Cresswell (1994) and Minayo (1996). In order to achieve this analysis, the research dealt with theoretical landmarks related to distance learning present in (Silva, 2008; Brait, 1993; Sperbe and Wilson, 1986; Marquesi and Elias 2008 as well as Xavier, 2005, amongst others. As for aspects related to media and technological perspectives present in the forum, the research dealt with (Baranov, 1989; Neuner, 1981; Kearsley and Moore, 1996). Textualization was dealt according to (Marcuschi, 2008; Costa Val, 2004) and the conceptions and functions regarding tutors was seen according to (Salgado, 2002). In the conclusion and recommendations it was seen that these discussions present relevant contributions to distance learning and go beyond the practical universe present in electronical interaction. In the final considerations it is pointed out that this research is relevant for areas such as applied linguistics and presents guidelines for those involved in continuous education and aim meaningful knowledge that is coherent with distance learning education