Reduced Insulin Secretion in Protein Malnourished Mice Is Associated with Multiple Changes in the beta-Cell Stimulus-Secretion Coupling

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

Habilidades informacionais abordadas em instrumentos de avaliação de Competência Informacional

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

Habilidades informacionais abordadas em instrumentos de avaliação de CI

Internationally there are validated instruments that are used on a large scale to verify the information literacy of individuals in different contexts. Their results serve as a diagnostic for the planning and implementation of information literacy activities. In Brazil there is no validated assessment tools of information literacy. An analysis of contents of four international instruments attached to the upper level educational institutions duly recognized in the literature of the field and validated. The results will be presented related to information literacy addressed in these instruments. It was found that the instruments analyzed the skills focused on the identification of terms of the informational needs, the preparation and construction of search strategies available in parameter two of the Association of College and Research Libraries; differentiation of information sources (parameter one); evaluation and selection of informational sources and selection of the theme searched information (parameter three); and, finally, the abilities of the ethical issue related to use of the information (parameter five). The parameter four, which is facing the communication of information, was not addressed by the instruments. It was concluded that there is a concern of those responsible for preparing the instruments covered with more traditional technical aspects of training users and aspects of information literacy at the expense of ethical and aesthetic aspects.

A Bilevel Approach to Transmission Expansion Planning Within a Market Environment

We present a bilevel model for transmission expansion planning within a market environment, where producers and consumers trade freely electric energy through a pool. The target of the transmission planner, modeled through the upper-level problem, is to minimize network investment cost while facilitating energy trading. This upper-level problem is constrained by a collection of lower-level market clearing problems representing pool trading, and whose individual objective functions correspond to social welfare. Using the duality theory the proposed bilevel model is recast as a mixed-integer linear programming problem, which is solvable using branch-and-cut solvers. Detailed results from an illustrative example and a case study are presented and discussed. Finally, some relevant conclusions are drawn.

The hierarchical model of branch planning with random coefficients

We consider the management branch model where the random resources of the subsystem are given by the exponential distributions. The determinate equivalent is a block structure problem of quadratic programming. It is solved effectively by means of the decomposition method, which is based on iterative aggregation. The aggregation problem of the upper level is resolved analytically. This overcomes all difficulties concerning the large dimension of the main problem.

Efeitos da associação da clonidina à ropivacaína na anestesia peridural

JUSTIFICATIVA E OBJETIVOS: Os efeitos e o potencial sinergismo entre a clonidina, um agonista alfa2-adrenérgico, e a ropivacaína ainda não foram estudados em pacientes sob anestesia peridural. O objetivo da pesquisa foi estudar os efeitos da associação da clonidina com a ropivacaína, nas características do bloqueio peridural. MÉTODO: Participaram do estudo duplamente encoberto, 60 pacientes distribuídos em dois grupos de 30 pacientes. No grupo G controle, foi usada apenas a ropivacaína a 0,75% (150 mg) na anestesia peridural; no grupo G clonidina, foram utilizadas clonidina (300 µg) e ropivacaína a 0,75% (150 mg) na anestesia peridural. Foram analisados os seguintes atributos: bloqueio analgésico completo (tempo de latência), instalação do bloqueio motor, duração dos bloqueios analgésico e motor, nível máximo do bloqueio analgésico, nível de consciência, necessidade de analgesia e sedação complementar no per-operatório, ocorrência de hipotensão arterial no per e pós-operatórios, intensidade da dor pós-operatória, duração da analgesia e efeitos colaterais. RESULTADOS: A clonidina (300 µg), por via peridural, não influenciou a latência (p > 0,05); porém prolongou a duração dos bloqueios analgésico e motor (p < 0,0001) e a analgesia pós-operatória (p < 0,001). A proporção de hipotensão arterial foi pequena e semelhante entre os grupos, mas houve maior incidência de bradicardia (p < 0,02) e sedação (p < 0,001) no grupo que utilizou a clonidina. A incidência de tremores foi menor no grupo da clonidina (p < 0,001). CONCLUSÕES: Nas condições deste estudo e nas doses empregadas, pode-se concluir que há sinergismo evidente entre a clonidina e a ropivacaína na anestesia peridural. A clonidina aumenta a duração dos bloqueios analgésico e motor da anestesia peridural com a ropivacaína e prolonga a analgesia pós-operatória. A clonidina apresenta como vantagens adicionais, o aumento da sedação dos pacientes e a redução na incidência de tremores, mas aumenta a ocorrência de bradicardia.

Tempo de jejum na granja sobre o perfil hormonal e os parâmetros fisiológicos em suínos de abate pesados

O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar o tempo de jejum na granja e a posição dos animais na carroceria do caminhão durante o transporte ao abatedouro sobre o status hormonal e fisiológico de suínos de abate pesados visando obter melhorias no manejo pré-abate e reduzir perdas na qualidade de carne. Foram utilizadas 64 fêmeas com peso médio de 133+11kg, oriundas de duas granjas de terminação. Os tempos de jejum avaliados foram nove, 12, 15 e 18h, enquanto que as posições consideradas na carroceria foram box (frente, meio e atrás), piso (inferior e superior) e lado (lateral direita e esquerda). Ao abate, foram medidos os níveis de glicose, lactato e CPK no sangue. A concentração de cortisol na saliva (CCS) foi medida nas granjas (24 horas antes e após embarque) e no abatedouro (logo após o descarregamento e antes do abate). A freqüência cardíaca foi monitorada durante todo o manejo pré-abate. Foi observado o efeito da interação entre TJG e o local de avaliação sobre a CCS e a freqüência cardíaca. A CCS e a freqüência cardíaca aumentaram significativamente da granja ao desembarque no abatedouro em relação ao descanso pré-abate no abatedouro foi observada uma redução (P<0,05) nos valores. A CCS variou em função do TJG e o local de avaliação da seguinte maneira: suínos com 18 horas de jejum apresentaram menor (P<0,05) variação na CCS durante o transcorrer das diferentes etapas do manejo pré-abate do que suínos com TJG menores e, entre estes, os animais com TJG de nove horas apresentaram a maior (P<0,05) variação. Antes do abate, os suínos com TJG de nove horas apresentaram o maior valor (P<0,05) de CCS quando comparados aos outros TJG. Conclui-se que o TJG promove mudanças (P<0,05) nos valores do cortisol na saliva e na freqüência cardíaca no manejo pré-abate, mas não afetam (P>0,05) os níveis de glicose, lactato e CPK no abate dos suínos.

Efeito sinérgico entre a dexmedetomidina e a ropivacaína 0,75% na anestesia peridural

BACKGROUND. This study aimed to evaluate clinical characteristics of epidural anesthesia performed with 0.75% ropivacaine associated with dexmedetomidine. METHODS. Forty patients scheduled for hernia repair or varicose vein surgeries under epidural anesthesia participated in this study. They were assigned to: Control Group (n = 20), 0.75% ropivacaine, 20 ml (150 mg); and Dexmedetomidine Group (n = 20), 0.75% ropivacaine, 20 ml (150 mg), plus dexmedetomidine, 1 μg.kg -1. The following variables were studied: total analgesic block onset time, upper level of analgesia, analgesic and motor block duration time, intensity of motor block, state of consciousness, hemodynamics, postoperative analgesia and incidence of side-effects. RESULTS. Epidural dexmedetomidine did not affect onset time or upper level of anesthesia (p > 0.05) however it prolonged sensory and motor block duration time (p < 0.05) and postoperative analgesia (p < 0.05), and also resulted in a more intense motor block, 1 (p < 0.05). Values of bispectral index were lower in Dexmedetomidine Group (p < 0.05). There was no difference in incidence of hypotension and bradycardia (p > 0.05). Occurrence of side-effects (shivering, vomiting and SpO 2 < 90%) was low and similar between groups (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION. There is clear synergism between epidural dexmedetomidine and ropivacaine, further this drug association does not bring about additional morbidity.

Market-driven security-constrained transmission network expansion planning

This paper presents a Bi-level Programming (BP) approach to solve the Transmission Network Expansion Planning (TNEP) problem. The proposed model is envisaged under a market environment and considers security constraints. The upper-level of the BP problem corresponds to the transmission planner which procures the minimization of the total investment and load shedding cost. This upper-level problem is constrained by a single lower-level optimization problem which models a market clearing mechanism that includes security constraints. Results on the Garver's 6-bus and IEEE 24-bus RTS test systems are presented and discussed. Finally, some conclusions are drawn. © 2011 IEEE.

Bilevel approach for optimal location and contract pricing of distributed generation in radial distribution systems using mixed-integer linear programming

In this study, a novel approach for the optimal location and contract pricing of distributed generation (DG) is presented. Such an approach is designed for a market environment in which the distribution company (DisCo) can buy energy either from the wholesale energy market or from the DG units within its network. The location and contract pricing of DG is determined by the interaction between the DisCo and the owner of the distributed generators. The DisCo intends to minimise the payments incurred in meeting the expected demand, whereas the owner of the DG intends to maximise the profits obtained from the energy sold to the DisCo. This two-agent relationship is modelled in a bilevel scheme. The upper-level optimisation is for determining the allocation and contract prices of the DG units, whereas the lower-level optimisation is for modelling the reaction of the DisCo. The bilevel programming problem is turned into an equivalent single-level mixed-integer linear optimisation problem using duality properties, which is then solved using commercially available software. Results show the robustness and efficiency of the proposed model compared with other existing models. As regards to contract pricing, the proposed approach allowed to find better solutions than those reported in previous works. © The Institution of Engineering and Technology 2013.

Efeitos da associação de dexmedetomidina à ropivacaína 0,75% na anestesia peridural

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

O programa PEC - formação universitária e a formação de professores do ensino fundamental: uma avaliação

Pós-graduação em Educação - FFC

A internet na sociedade: um estudo com professores e alunos da comunidade acadêmica de nível superior na cidade de Franca-SP

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Using a threaded framework to enable practical activities in Operating Systems courses

Teaching Operating Systems (OS) is a rather hard task, since being an OS designer is not a desired goal for most students and the subject demands a large amount of knowledge over system's details. To reduce the difficulty many courses are planned with laboratory practices, differing in how the practices are designed. Some try to implement next-to-real kernels, others use simulators, and even others use synthetic kernels. In this paper an approach based on synthetic kernels is described. It uses thread programming in order to establish control over the operating system components. T his approach allows the kernel to grow following the materials presented in the course. It has been successfully applied in two different courses at our University, the first one being a basic OS course and the second one an upper level course. Results from these applications are presented.

Influência do exercício resistido aplicado de forma aguda sobre a variabilidade da frequência cardíaca em jovens ativos saudáveis: análise por meio de índices geométricos

Introduction: The triangular index and the Poincaré plot (or Lorenz plot) are the best known indexes obtained from geometric methods. The triangular index (TINN, RRtri) represent the global variability of the subject and SD1, which reflects the parasympathetic component, SD2, index of global variability and its relationship (SD1/SD2) are obtained from the Poincaré plot. Despite the literature showing changes in the cardiovascular system during and after the resistance exercise (RE), aspects related to autonomic modulation of heart against these conditions have not been explored yet, so it is important to evaluate this behavior. Objectives: Analyze the acute effects of RE on the cardiac autonomic modulation during recovery (REC) through analysis of geometric indices of heart rate variability (HRV), applied with different intensities and muscle groups in healthy and active young. Methods: Were evaluated 24 young, 22.25 ± 2.4 years and 24.47 ± 3.08 kg/m2, underwent an experimental protocol of five stages, in the first stage was conducted a test of one maximum repetition (1RM) in upper limbs (UL) and lower limb (LL), and the following steps were initiated interventions to 40 (E) and 80% (F) of 1RM. Considered for HRV analysis the periods: baseline and immediately after exercise, both in supine... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)