A formação do Químico

Training of highly qualified personnel is the most transversal axis among those identified in the document "Mobilizing Axes in Chemistry", published by SBQ, in 2002, which demands to deep the discussions, initiated in the symposium "The Chemist's Education", whose main objective was to discuss the repercussions of that training in the teaching and in the industrial section. After the publication of an initial paper, a couple of meetings and workshops held in Rio de Janeiro, in December 2003, involving the national chemist community, discussed the "The role of the graduate degrees in the Chemist's Education" and "The Chemist's Education", and confirmed the need to invest in the formation of qualified human resources in profusion and in all levels. Actions to be taken were delineated. Presently, the graduate programs in Chemistry are showing expressive results. However, although these professionals are mostly absorbed by the academy (the absorption of the industry is less significant), only a few programs give special attention to the didactical and pedagogical training. The regional decentralization is actually a tendency in most programs, but the interaction academy-economic activities is still a challenge. It is necessary to establish with the industrial section, the highly qualified professional's profile in Chemistry that the industry can absorb. The undergraduation is growing in number and quality, however still excessively concentrated in the Southeast area. The national "Curricula Guidelines" for Chemistry Courses, through its flexible approach, propitiate the integral, interdisciplinary (non compartmentalized) and critical-reflexive training of the professionals as citizens and as entrepreneurs. However, deficiencies are still recognized. The evaluation system of undergraduate courses has been able to identify the most fragile modalities of courses and other indicators. It was also verified that Brazilian chemistry industry absorbs minimally the highly qualified professionals, which is attributed to the fact that the Federal Council of Chemistry is vertically organized and does not recognize the graduate degrees as professional qualification. In the conclusion, it stands out, among other aspects, the importance of the effective implantation of the national curricula guidelines, bringing out courses whose didactical and pedagogical projects may offer a solid formation in Chemistry, but comprehensive and general enough to enable the Chemistry professionals to develop varied skills.

A graduação em química: um novo químico para uma nova era

The discussions sponsored by the Brazilian Chemical Society, over the past five years, intending to produce a chemistry agenda with perspectives and needs for the next decade for the country, have involved the national chemistry community and several related sectors of Brazilian society. Chemistry education has been the theme throughout these discussions. It is known that the low level of basic and secondary education and the recent increase in high school courses and institutions adversely affect the quality of undergraduate teaching. The recent national "Curriculum Guidelines" for Chemistry Courses, through their flexible approach, encourage the integral, interdisciplinary (non compartmentalized) and critical-reflexive training of professionals as citizens and as entrepreneurs. However, deficiencies are still recognized. The system of undergraduate course evaluation has identified the most fragile modalities of the courses and other indicators. Also, it has been verified that the Brazilian chemistry industry absorbs only minimally the highly qualified professionals, which is attributed to the fact that the Federal Council of Chemistry is vertically organized and does not recognize the graduate degrees as professional qualifications. In conclusion, the importance of the effective implantation of the national curriculum guidelines is apparent, among other aspects, highlighting courses whose didactical and pedagogical projects may offer a solid formation in Chemistry. However, at the same time the guidelines are comprehensive and general enough to enable the chemistry professionals to develop varied skills.

Brand equity in the Pakistani hotel industry

Brand equity is considered as the most important aspect of branding, which is a set of brands' assets and liabilities, its symbol or name that subtracts from or adds the value provided by a product or service to a firm and customers. The current research endeavor was to identify the interrelationship of customer-based brand equity dimensions (brand awareness, brand loyalty, brand image, and service quality) in Pakistani hotel industry. Data was collected from 821 consumers who experienced the services of Pakistani five star hotels from multiple locations. Mediating regression and stepwise regression analyses were applied for investigation of study hypotheses. Results pointed out positive and significant influences of service quality on all other dimensions of brand equity whereas partial mediations were endorsed among the variables. Researchers and practitioners implications are discussed.

Current trends in the global tourism industry: evidence from the United States

Tourism is one of the largest U.S. industries, serving millions of international and domestic tourists yearly. Tourists visit the U.S. to see natural wonders, cities, historic landmarks, and entertainment venues. Americans seek similar attractions as well as recreation and vacation areas. Tourism competes in the global market, so it is important to understand current trends in the U.S. travel industry. Therefore, this article offers insight into important trends and suggests strategies for policy makers involved in the travel and tourism industry.

Public health and the knowledge industry

Knowledge plays an important role in health care. The production and diffusion of health-related knowledge are increasingly under the control of private commercial interests, which are characterized by conflicts of interests that result in abuses of power. Considerable research has been done on the medical-industrial complex and its role in the production of power imbalances and the consequent abuses, but little attention has been dedicated to the role played by the publishing industry, which can be subject to the same problems. The widely diffused idea that "frequent and major changes" occur in medicine, albeit unsupported by clearcut evidence, is an effective marketing tool for both the pharmaceutical and publishing industries, who feed and thrive on physicians' insecurities. The production and distribution of knowledge should be addressed as a strategic component of public health.

The chemistry of Brazilian leguminosae. LXI. (+)-Methyl Vouacapenate from Vouacapoua pallidior

Thz wood of Vouacapoua pallidior (Leguminosae-Caesalpinioideae) Contains (+)-methyl vouacapenate.

Curare - Botany, Chemistry, and Pharmacology

Some aspects of curare research carried out over the last 25 years are discussed. Accepting a pharmacological rather than purely ethnological definition means, that curares are not limited to South America but that they are also known from Central Africa and South-EastAsia. Among the criteria that have been suggested for classifying South American curares: type of container, geographical origin, botanical sourcesof the active, constituent!, and chemical composition. A combination of botanical and geographical criteria leads to much the same regional ;groupings a combination of criteria involving the type of container and the chemical composition. The active principles in curares may derive from members of thr Loganiaceae (Strychnos) and/or Menispermaceae mainly Chondrodendron and Curarea, but also Abuta,Anomospermum, Cissampelos, Sciadotenia, and Telitoxicum). Certain of the Strychnos dimeric indole alkaloids can undergo a variety of cleavages, oxidations, and isomerizations; hence., some of the compounds obtained by normal isolation procedures one almost certainly artefacts. The different genera of, Menispermaceae a wide range of bisbenzyl and other types of isoquinoline alkaloids. Many of the plant additives also contain a variety of isoquinoline bases, and this has to be taken into account in assessing the contribution these ingredients may make to the ovzJuxll activity of, curare. Loganiaceae-bated curares with toxiferinzas major alkaloid tend to be the most toxic. In the case of Menispermaceae-based products, there-is evidence that the process by which they are made may lead to a considerable increase in the toxicity of the finished poisons as compared with the original plant materials. The mechanism of action of the alkaloids it, outlined, and the role of curare alkaloids in the development of, present-day muscle-relaxant drugs used in surgery is indicated. Attention lb drawn to reported medicinal uses of some of the alkaloid-bearing plants incorporated into curares, suggesting that further evaluation of these plants may be of interest.

The ceramic artifacts in archaeological black earth (terra preta) from Lower Amazon Region, Brazil: chemistry and geochemical evolution

This paper carried out a chemical investigation of archaeological ceramic artifacts found in archaeological sites with Black Earth (ABE) in the Lower Amazon Region at Cachoeira-Porteira, State of Pará, Brazil. The ceramic artifacts, mostly of daily use, belong to Konduri culture (from 900 to 400 years BP). They are constituted of SiO2, Al2O3, Fe2O3, Na2O and P2O5; SiO2 and Al2O3 together add up to 80 % and indicate influence of acid rocks, transformed into clay minerals basically kaolinite. The relative high contents of P2O5 (2.37 % in average) come out as (Al,Fe)-phosphate, an uncommon fact in primitive red ceramics, but found in some roman and egyptian archaeological sites. The contents of the trace elements are similar or below the Earth's crust average. This chemical composition (except P2O5) detaches saprolite material derived acid igneous rocks or sedimentary ones as the main raw material of the ceramics. The contents of K, Na and Ca represent the feldspars and rock fragments possibly introduced into saprolitic groundmass, indicated by mineralogical studies. The presence of cauixi and cariapé as well as quartz sand was confirmed by optical microscope, SEM analyses and by the high silica contents of ceramic fragments. Phosphorus was possibly incorporated into groundmass during cooking of foods, and ABE soil profile formation developed on yellow Latosols. The raw materials and its tempers (cauixi, or cariapé, feldspar, crushed rocks, old ceramic artifacts and quartz fragments) are found close to the sites and therefore and certainly came from them.

The mineralogy and chemistry of the German and Portuguese tiles used to face a historic building in the Amazon region and their natural susceptibility to tropical weathering

During the 19th century, the most prominent buildings of the city of Belém were faced entirely with tiles manufactured in Portugal and Germany, which now exhibit distinct degrees of degradation. The Pinho mansion is one of the most important of these buildings and was selected for the investigation of the action of the tropical Amazonian climate on the degradation of the tiles. To achieve this objective, the tiles were mapped for organic and inorganic degradation, and samples were collected for analysis. The minerals were determined by XRD, the chemical composition by classical wet methods and SEM/EDS, and the microorganisms under the microscope. The results show that the German and Portuguese tiles are quite different in their composition. While both ceramic bodies are composed of SiO2 and Al2O3, CaO was found only in the Portuguese tile. The low Na2O and K2O contents indicate the addition of materials to reduce the fusion temperature. SiO2 and PbO are the main constituents of the glaze, with CoO and FeO being added as pigment. The ceramic body of the German tiles is constituted of quartz, mullite, and cristobalite, in contrast with the Portuguese tiles, which are made of quartz, gehlenite, diopside, calcite, and feldspars. The glazes are XRD-amorphous. The chemical and mineralogical differences between the German and Portuguese tiles indicate that they were produced from different raw materials under distinct thermal processes. The most prominent weathering-related modifications are the thin layers (German tiles), oxidation stains, dark stains, the detachment of the tile (Portuguese tiles), loss of the glaze and powdering of the ceramic body (Portuguese tiles) through the establishment of Cyanophyta and Bacillariophyta.. The distinct degradation patterns of the tiles exposed to the tropical Amazon climate are a consequence of their distinct mineralogy and chemistry.