The Development of Science Education Research in Brazil and Contributions from the History and Philosophy of Science

Over the last 50 years a new research area, science education research, has arisen and undergone singular development worldwide. In the specific case of Brazil, research in science education first appeared systematically 40 years ago, as a consequence of an overall renovation in the field of science education. This evolution was also related to the political events taking place in the country. We will use the theoretical work of Rene Kaes on the development of groups and institutions as a basis for our discussion of the most important aspects that have helped the area of science education research develop into an institution and kept it operating as such. The growth of this area of research can be divided into three phases: The first was related to its beginning and early configurations; the second consisted of a process of consolidation of this institution; and the third consists of more recent developments, characterised by a multiplicity of research lines and corresponding challenges to be faced. In particular, we will analyse the special contributions to this study gleaned from the field known as the history and philosophy of science.

Pós-graduação stricto sensu em anestesiologia: experiência de dez anos na UNESP

JUSTIFICATIVA E OBJETIVOS: O número de Programas de Pós-Graduação em Anestesiologia stricto sensu existente no país ainda é muito pequeno. Com a finalidade de incentivar a pós-graduação em Anestesiologia no Brasil, é apresentada a experiência acumulada em dez anos de atividades do programa da Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). CONTEÚDO: O Programa de Pós-Graduação em Anestesiologia stricto sensu da UNESP foi credenciado pela CAPES, desde a sua criação em 1994, nos Cursos de Mestrado e Doutorado. O Programa é desenvolvido em três Áreas de Concentração: Risco e Proteção de Órgãos e Sistemas em Anestesia e Cirurgia; Qualidade e Segurança em Anestesiologia; e Modelos Clínicos e Experimentais em Terapia Antálgica, com as suas respectivas linhas de pesquisa, em número de 14. O número de alunos regulares do Programa é compatível com o número de orientadores (12), com proporção média de três alunos por orientador. Desde o seu início até setembro de 2004, ocorreram 45 Dissertações de Mestrado e 24 de Doutorado, perfazendo 69 defesas, a maioria com bolsas e financiamentos de Órgãos de Fomento à Pesquisa. Após a conclusão do doutorado, 65% dos alunos têm atividade de docência e pesquisa em instituições públicas e privadas do ensino universitário do país. A maioria das publicações do programa tem sido realizada em revistas nacionais com Qualis A, com menor número de publicações em revistas internacionais Qualis A ou B. O programa recebeu da CAPES o conceito 4,0 numa escala de 1 a 7, em suas três últimas avaliações. CONCLUSÕES: O programa tem se desenvolvido muito bem nos 10 anos de sua existência, alcançando os principais objetivos, como a formação de professores e pesquisadores na área de Anestesiologia para as instituições universitárias do país.

Development of starch biobased and biodegradable plastics for their use in trays for food-packaging

This research work develops new methods to produce biodegradable starch-based trays for the purpose of replacing expanded polystyrene in the food packaging market. The starch based biopolymers present several drawbacks like poor mechanical properties and very high density. In order to overcome these drawbacks two research lines have been set up: blending thermoplastic starch with biobased reinforcements from agricultural wastes like barley straw and grape wastes, and testing the foamability of these materials with a Microwave-foaming method.

Brazilian solar water heating systems evaluation

The Brazilian National Electricity Conservation Program - PROCEL - runs regular surveys in the electric-energy-consumption market. These studies are used as valuable data to better plan the actions of this program. These data also evaluate the program's performance by identifying the level of penetration of the most efficient electric equipment within the residential sector. PROCEL's main lines of action is to promote and make available the most efficient technologies. Based on the results from the latest survey, it is estimated that 24% of the electric-energy consumption of the residential sector is used by electric shower devices, which instantaneously heat the water that flows through them, normally using an electric resistance of 5 kW. These are an important factor in a country where electric-heating devices are present in about 73% of Brazilian households. Keeping that in mind, the purpose of this work is to present the main results of the Brazilian Solar-Water-Heating-Systems Evaluation, finished in 2010, where 535 installations were visited and more than 50 researchers from different universities participated in the project. Moreover, seven Brazilian cities were selected to be studied. The information was collected from field research and statistically treated. The collected information focused on the adequacy of the project to the household, installation, operation and life cycle of the systems, as well as the users' satisfaction level. Technical questionnaires were developed to summarize all the required information, such as a Web site designed to organize and manage the data collected and a Matlab application that performed the dimensioning and F-chart systems evaluation. Quality indicators were created through a full system monitoring, with thermographic analysis and evaluation of shading influence at the system's efficiency, using the Ecotect software.

Dynamical evolution and chronology of the Hygiea asteroid family

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Institucionalização cognitiva e social da Organização e Representação do Conhecimento na Ciência da Informação no Brasil

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

A produção científica: uma análise de coautorias do PPGCI/Campus de Marília entre 2001 a 2009

This research aimed to identify the scientific production for articles published in its typology of the Post Graduated Program in Information Science, Unesp, Marília. Particularly, it was evaluated co-authored articles written by researcher teachers from the Program and built networks of scientific collaboration and the calculation of some indicators. As research procedure, reports of CAPES evaluation between the years 2001 to 2009 were considered it articles produced in co-authorship. It was built up a network of co-authoring, using the software Pajek, and calculated the indicators of density and centrality of the network, allowing analysis of the intensity of network connectivity and the role of each player individually and the network as a whole. We analyzed the collaborative network in order to visualize the partnerships among the researchers from the three research lines and between them and their collaborators to verify the connection intensity.

Análise da falha do suporte de mancal de um eixo cardan utilizado num veículo pesado

Pós-graduação em Engenharia Mecânica - FEG

Estudo e aplicação de diferentes métodos de resolução para problemas dinâmicos não-lineares em presença de atrito

The friction phenomena is present in mechanical systems with two surfaces that are in contact, which can cause serious damage to structures. Your understanding in many dynamic problems became the target of research due to its nonlinear behavior. It is necessary to know and thoroughly study each existing friction model found in the literature and nonlinear methods to define what will be the most appropriate to the problem in question. One of the most famous friction model is the Coulomb Friction, which is considered in the studied problems in the French research center Laboratoire de Mécanique des Structures et des Systèmes Couplés (LMSSC), where this search began. Regarding the resolution methods, the Harmonic Balance Method is generally used. To expand the knowledge about the friction models and the nonlinear methods, a study was carried out to identify and study potential methodologies that can be applied in the existing research lines in LMSSC and then obtain better final results. The identified friction models are divided into static and dynamic. Static models can be Classical Models, Karnopp Model and Armstrong Model. The dynamic models are Dahl Model, Bliman and Sorine Model and LuGre Model. Concerning about nonlinear methods, we study the Temporal Methods and Approximate Methods. The friction models analyzed with the help of Matlab software are verified from studies in the literature demonstrating the effectiveness of the developed programming

A geografia agrária brasileira: dinâmica, variada e complexa

This paper is a contribution to the debate on the methodological issues surrounding the Land Geography, demonstrating why the Brazilian Agrarian Geography is dynamic, varied and complex. It was chosen as the theme of Research Groups in Geography Agrarian present in Directory Groups CNPq and they held on a characterization considering: home institution, location, year of training, Group name, words and lines of research. The survey allowed the treatment of 70 groups in 2009 had the agrarian geography, agriculture, rural development, rural, rural areas, organization of space and rural development as guiding their research and performances. The analysis of the research lines identifi ed groups concerned with economic, political, ecological, demographic and cultural, and also found concerns with farmers, with their production and the functioning of the agricultural system, being thus, the set of raised lines one can say that there is signifi cant diversity in themes, which reinforces the hypothesis of dynamism, variety and complexity of studies on agriculture today.

Tendências de pesquisa em ensino-aprendizagem de inglês como língua estrangeira no Brasil: 2005-2009

The aim of this paper is to point the main research tendencies in teaching and learning English as a foreign language in the main postgraduate courses in this area, in Brazil, in the period 2005-2010. The adopted methodology for the data collection included the inventory of theses and dissertations, which are included in the sites of the universities with research lines in Applied Linguistics and were produced in the mentioned period. The most productive categories were the ones related to teacher formation, translation, language and technology and studies about teachers and students’ beliefs.

A dimensão urbana dos conflitos contemporâneos e as cidades frágeis: novas perspectivas e práticas

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Human breast tumor slices as an alternative approach to cell lines to individualize research for each patient

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

MUC1 gene polymorphism in three Nelore lines selected for growth and its association with growth and carcass traits

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Evaluation of TFAM and FABP4 gene polymorphisms in three lines of Nellore cattle selected for growth

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)