Educational Java applets get in power electronics labs

This paper presents Java applet programs for a WWW (world wide web)-HTML (hypertext markup language)-based multimedia course in basic power electronics circuits. These tools make use of the benefits of Java language to provide a dynamic and interactive approach to simulate steady-state idealized rectifiers (uncontrolled and controlled; single-phase and three-phase). In addition, this paper discusses the development and the use of the Java applet programs to assist the teaching of basics rectifier power electronics circuits, and to serve as a first design tool for basics power electronics circuits in the experiments of the laboratories. In order to validate the developed simulation applets, the results were confronted with results obtained from a well-know simulator package PSPICE. © 2005 IEEE.

Avaliação do kit TF-Test para o diagnóstico das infecções por parasitas gastrintestinais em ovinos

This study was performed to standardize parasite egg counting in feces of sheep by TF-Test, in addition to compare this test to the Gordon & Whitlock technique (G&W). Twenty-four lambs were artificially infected with Haemonchus contortus throughout 12 weeks. At the end of this time, faecal samples were taken and animals were slaughtered for worm identification and counting. G&W and TF-Test methods were carried out on each fecal sample. Both tests showed Haemonchus eggs in 95.8% of the samples (P>0.05). The correlation coefficients (r) between fecal egg counts (FEC) using G&W × Total Worm Count (TWC) were r=0.52 (not transformed data) and r=0.85 (transformed data); between FEC by TF-Test × TWC were r=0.51 (not transformed data) and r=0.87 (transformed data). Other 100 fecal samples were taken from naturally infected sheep. In these animals, the G&W and TF-Test methods showed 85% and 86% of fecal samples positive for Strongylidea eggs, respectively (P>0.05). Also in those animals, Eimeria oocysts were found in 33% of fecal samples by TF-Test, whereas in the G&W only 12% were positive (P<0.001). For Strongyloides spp., TF-Test showed 15% of positive fecal samples, whereas G&W showed 5% (P<0.05). In conclusion, both methods were efficient to diagnose gastrointestinal nematodes and TF-Test was superior to diagnose oocysts of Eimeria spp. and eggs of Strongyloides spp; conversely, Strongylidea eggs counting using TF-Test was underestimated.

Planning nursing teaching: Educational purposes and clinical competence

Thinking about nursing education implies articulating this issue with the expressions of theoretical frameworks, from the perspective of a pedagogical aspect that includes both constructivism and competencies. The objective was to characterize, from a longitudinal view, the construction of care competencies that exist in the teaching plans of nursing undergraduate programs. This exploratory-descriptive study used a qualitative approach. Documentary analysis was performed on the nine teaching plans of undergraduate care subjects. The ethical-legal aspects were guaranteed, so that data was collected only after the study had been approved by the Research Ethics Committee. The data evidenced a curriculum organization centered on subjects, maintaining internal rationales that seem to resist summative organizations. Signs emerge of hardly substantial links between any previous knowledge and the strengthening of critical judgment and clinical reasoning. As proposed, the study contributed with reconsiderations for the teachinglearning process and showed the influence of constructivism on the proposal of clinical competencies.

Synchronizing Brazilian Sign Language (LIBRAS) on videos for Open Digital TV with educational purposes

The TV is a potential midia of communication that affects all social classes and it is available in 98% of Brazilian homes. It has been used as a distributor of educational materials since the 1950s. By 2016 the Open Digital TV (ODTV) in Brazil might cover the entire national territory, replacing the TV with analog signals. Concerns about accessibility for People with Special Needs (PSN) in that media have become more intense since the 1990s worldwide. In Brazil, it is estimated 24.6 million of PSN, 23% of them having some type of hearing loss. Of these, 2.9% are reported as deafs. Brazilian Sign Language (LIBRAS) is considered the first literacy language for deaf people in Brazil. In this context, this paper presents a proposal to facilitate the generation of educational content for ODTV based on two components. One is called SynchrLIBRAS and allows subtitles synchronization in Portuguese and a LIBRAS translator window of videos downloaded from the Web. The second component allows the visualization of this content through the Brazilian System of Digital TV and IPTV - environments that implement the middleware Ginga-NCL. The main focus of this paper is the presentation of the first component: SynchrLIBRAS. This proposal has educational purposes, contributing to teach LIBRAS to people who may collaborate with social inclusion of the deaf people.

Educational robotics as a learning aid for disabled children

Severe disabled children have little chance of environmental and social exploration and discovery, and due this lack of interaction and independency, it may lead to an idea that they are unable to do anything by themselves. This idea is called learned helplessness and is very negative for the child cognitive development and social development as well. With this entire situation it is very likely that the self-steam and mood of this child. Trying to help these children on this situation, educational robotics can offer and aid, once it can give them a certain degree of independency in exploration of environment. The system developed in this work allows the child to transmit the commands to a robot. Sensors placed on the child's body can obtain information from head movement or muscle pulses to command the robot to carry the tasks. Also, this system can be used with a variety of robots, being necessary just a previous configuration. It is expected that, with the usage of this system, the disabled children have a better cognitive development and social interaction, balancing in a certain way, the negative effects of their disabilities. © 2011 IEEE.

New alternative for human identification. Investigator IDplex Kit - QIAGEN® reproducibility: Latin American interlaboratory study

In 2010 QIAGEN® launched to eight kits of different combinations of STRs, including the Investigator IDplex Kit. This kit allows amplification in one PCR 16 markers. The aim of this study was to evaluate the reproducibility of Investigator IDplex Kit among Latin America laboratories. In the framework of the 'III International Theoretical-Practice Course in Populations Genetic and Biologicals Filiations' in Medellín-Colombia, all participants were invited to evaluate the reproducibility of this kit, they were provided of the necessary materials for the study. The results reported by participating were tabulated for the study the reproducibility. Results and comments were received on the agreed date of 12 of the 22 laboratories registered, one participant submits comments only. Some laboratories reported greater sensitivity Investigator IDplex Kit compared with other kits containing similar markers, also highlight the easy adaptability to existing conditions in laboratories, without involving major changes to its implementation. This paper shows the high reproducibility of Investigator IDplex Kit, a new tool offered by QIAGEN® for all laboratories that perform human identification testing and biological relationship testing using DNA markers. © 2011 Elsevier B.V.

Optimal moment to change pressure regulator and sprayer kit on center pivot irrigation machines: a theoretical proposal

A theoretical model was developed in order to determine the optimal moment for substituting the sprayer and pressure regulator kit on a center pivot irrigation machine. The model is based on the hypothesis that pressure regulator and sprayer deterioration decrease irrigation uniformity. To compensate the deficit that happens at under irrigated areas, an increase on irrigation depth is required. The model considers: additional water consumption and energy costs, maintenance and labor costs, as well as yield losses associated with under or over irrigated areas. The sum of all these components is compared to buying and installing a new spray kit cost, allowing the farmer to decide the best moment to renovate the sprayer and pressure regulator kits on a center pivot irrigation machine based on economic criteria.

Optimal moment to change pressure regulator and sprayer kit on center pivot irrigation machines: application to a study case

A theoretical model developed by the authors for determining the optimal moment to substitute sprayer and pressure regulator kit on a center pivot irrigating potatoes and beans has been applied. The methodology compares the sum of the costs due to additional consumption of water and energy, maintenance and labor, as well as yield losses associated to areas with deficit or over irrigation to the costs due to buy and install a new sprinkling set on the pivot. The results showed that for a reduction of 3.07% of the Hermann and Hein’s Uniformity Coefficient (UCh), the substitution of the sprinkling module on the pivot is justified when potatoes and beans are cultivated.

Power Electronics course: Analysis and evaluation of the educational software and the environment learning

This paper presents the analysis and evaluation of the Power Electronics course at So Paulo State University-UNESP-Campus of Ilha Solteira(SP)-Brazil, which includes the usage of interactive Java simulations tools and an educational software to aid the teaching of power electronic converters. This platform serves as an oriented course for the lectures and supplementary support for laboratory experiments in the power electronics courses. The simulation tools provide an interactive and dynamic way to visualize the power electronics converters behavior together with the educational software, which contemplates the theory and a list of subjects for circuit simulations. In order to verify the performance and the effectiveness of the proposed interactive educational platform, it is presented a statistical analysis considering the last three years. © 2011 IEEE.

Educative games and expositive lesson: Comparison of educational techniques on sitting posture

Introduction: Studies on education in health are important for the concretion of action of promotion of the health. Objective: To verify the changes of theoretical knowledge on sitting posture, evaluated at two moments (initial and final,) considering two programs of education (expositive lesson and operative groups). Methods: 75 pupils had been citizens, of both the sexes, three 4as series of a public school, evaluated previously (A1) on seated position; group 1 was submitted to a procedure of expositive education, the 2 educative games in the 2 and, the 3 to no intervention. After one week they had been reevaluated (A2). For the moments the test of Wilcoxon was applied and between the Kruskal groups Wallis. Results: In the comparison inside of the groups, of 2 and 3 they had presented increase in the number of rightness on position seated in the after-test, with statistical significant difference, whereas in the group has controlled, such fact did not occur. In the comparison between groups, at the first moment (A1), 2 groups e 3 had not presented significant difference statistical (p > 0,05), however, in as moment notices that it had difference statistics between the three groups (p < 0,01), being that the G3 presented minor frequency of errors (md = 5) in relation to the g2 (md = 8) and g1 (md = 10). Conclusions: It can be affirmed that educative techniques that supply information and promote debates and exchanges of experiences between the participants increase the possibilities of incorporation of the contents related to the sitting posture.

An Educational international partnership responding to local needs: Process evaluation of the Brazil FAIMER Regional Institute

The Brazilian public health system requires competent professionals sensitive to the needs of the population. The Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER) provides a two-year faculty development programme for health professions educators, aiming to build leadership in education to improve health. A partnership with governmental initiatives and FAIMER was established for meeting these needs. This paper describes the initial process evaluation results of the Brazilian FAIMER Institute Fellowship (FAIMER BR). Methods: Data were analysed for the classes 2007-2010 regarding: application processes; innovation project themes; retrospective post-pre self-ratings of knowledge acquisition; and professional development portfolios. Results: Seventeen of 26 Brazilian states were represented among 98 Fellows, predominantly from public medical schools (75.5%) and schools awarded Ministry of Health grants to align education with public health services (89.8%). One-third (n = 32) of Fellows' innovation projects were related to these grants. Significant increases occurred in all topic subscales on self-report of knowledge acquisition (eff ect sizes, 1.21-2.77). In the follow up questionnaire, 63% of Fellows reported that their projects were incorporated into the curriculum or institutional policies. The majority reported that the programme deepened their knowledge (98%), provided new ideas about medical education (90%) and provided skills for conflict management (63%). One-half of the Fellows reported sustained benefits from the programme listserv and other communications, including breadth of expertise, establishment of research collaboration and receiving emotional support. Conclusion: Contributors to initial programme success included alignment of curriculum with governmental initiatives, curriculum design merging educational technology, leadership and management skills and central role of an innovation educational project responding to local needs.

Vitrification of immature feline oocytes with a commercial kit for bovine embryo vitrification

The aim of this study was to evaluate the suitability of a commercial kit for bovine embryo vitrification for cryopreserving cat oocytes and to evaluate comparatively the effects of its use with slow freezing procedure on cryotolerance in terms of morphology and oocyte resumption of meiosis. Germinal vesicle stage oocytes isolated from cat ovaries were either vitrified (n=72) using a vitrification kit for bovine embryo or slow frozen (n=69) by exposing oocyte to ethylene glycol solution before being transferred to a programmable embryo freezer. After thawing and warming, oocytes were cultured for 48h and then were examined for meiosis resumption using bisbenzimide fluorescent staining (Hoechst 33342). Fresh immature oocytes (n=92) were used as the control group. The proportion of oocytes recovered in a morphologically normal state after thawing/warming was significantly higher in frozen oocytes (94.5%) than in the vitrified ones (75%, p<0.01). Morphological integrity after culture was similar in vitrified (73.6%) and slow frozen oocytes (76.8%); however, only 37.5% of the morphologically normal oocytes resumed meiosis after vitrification compared to 60.9% of those submitted to slow freezing procedure (p<0.01). Fresh oocytes showed higher morphological integrity (91.3%) and meiosis resumption rates (82.6%, p<0.002) than cryopreserved oocytes, irrespective of the procedure used. These results suggest that immature cat oocytes vitrified with a kit for bovine embryos retain their capacity to resume meiosis after warming and culture, albeit at lower rates than slow frozen oocytes. Vitrification and slow freezing methods show similar proportions of oocytes with normal morphology after culture, which demonstrate that thawed and warmed oocytes that resist to cryodamage have the same chances to maintain their integrity after 48h of culture. © 2012 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Expressão de fator de crescimento semelhante à insulina (IGF-1), alvo da rapamicina em mamíferos (M-TOR), fator de célula tronco (SCF) e receptor C-KIT (CD117) em mastocitomas cutânios caninos em lâminas de arranjo de matriz tecidual (TMA)

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Avaliação de duas técnicas coproparasitológicas convencionais e de um kit comercial na investigação da epidemiologia de parasitas gastrintestinais de cães no Estado de São Paulo

Pós-graduação em Medicina Veterinária - FMVZ