Dos conceitos de morte aos critérios para o diagnóstico de morte encefálica

The authors present considerations about death and brain death concepts, as well the legal aspects for its diagnosis in Brazil. They also present the UNICAMP Protocol for the Diagnosis of Brain Death, revised and according with the current law, with standard techniques for the diagnostic exam. They emphasize the importance of a mature ethical position for this frequent and challenging situation.

Diagramas de Ellingham e de Van't Hoff: algumas considerações

The main subject of this article is to show the parallelism betwen the Ellingham and Van't Hoff diagrams. The first one is a graphic representation of the changes in the standard Gibbs free energy (deltarGtheta) as a function of T and was introduced by Ellingham in 1944, in order to study metallurgic processes involving oxides and sulphides. On the other hand, the Van't Hoff diagram is a representation of the function ln K versus (1/T). The equivalence between both diagrams is easily demonstrated, making simple mathematical manipulations. In order to show the parallelism between both diagrams, they are presented briefly and two examples are discussed. The comparison of the both diagrams surely will be helpful to students and teachers in their learning and teaching activities, and will certainly enrich important aspects of chemical thermodynamics.

Sobre a força de ácidos e bases: algumas considerações

This article intends to answer the question: what is the best way to evaluate the strength of acids and bases? The meaning of the word strength, the main acid-base theories (ionotropic and electron pair), the neutralization reactions and the thermodynamical formalism are considered. Some cases are presented and discussed. In conclusion, evaluating acid-base strength is dependent on the theory (formalism) as well as on the system and measuring techniques.

Contaminação de produtos de higiene e cosméticos por n-nitrosaminas

N-nitrosamines are carcinogenic compounds that have been found during the last three decades in a variety of consumer products, including cosmetic and personal care products, and their raw materials. These compounds are formed from amine precursors and nitrosating agents present in the formulations. This paper reviews the formation and occurrence of N-nitrosamines in cosmetic products, as well as presents considerations about analytical, toxicological and regulatory aspects.

Alteração da atividade enzimática em organismos aquáticos por poluentes de origem agrícola: uma abordagem geral e sobre a suscetibilidade da fosfatase ácida

The input of agrochemicals in the aquatic compartment can results in biochemical injuries for living organisms. In this context, the knowledge of alterations of enzymatic activities due the presence of agriculture pollutants contributes for the elucidation of the mechanisms of toxicity, implementation of economic methods for monitoring purposes and establishment of maximum allowed concentrations. In the present work, the above considerations are discussed, and data concerning changes in enzymatic function by pesticides and fertilizer contaminants are reviewed. Also, we focused on the acid phosphatase due its susceptibility to several pollutants and diversity in cellular functions.

Caracterização morfoanatômica e histoquímica de Cuphea carthagenensis (Jacq.) J.f. Macbr. (Lythraceae)

Cuphea carthagenensis (Jacq.) J.F. Macbr. is an herb, which occurs preferably in wet places. Amongst other species of the genus, C. carthagenensis is distinguished for its great chemical potential and frequent use in popular medicine. In this study the morphological and anatomical structures were identified, as well as the histochemical characterization was done. Samples of root, stem and leaves were collected from adult plants. This material was processed for anatomical and histochemical analysis in light microscopy and for morphological analysis, in scanning electron microscopy. Important morphological and anatomical considerations were added for C. carthagenensis, such as: the occurrence of aerenchymatous phellem with suberized layers; the types of trichomes present in the vegetative organs, the characterization of secretory trichomes, as well as the secreted substances. The groups of secondary metabolites presents in the root, stem and leaf of C. carthagenensis with more intense histochemical reaction were: proanthocyanidins, phenolic compounds, acids polysaccharides (mucilage especially) and lipids.

Formação de conceitos em crianças cegas: questões teóricas e implicações educacionais

Concept formation depends on language and thought, that promote the integration of information coming from the senses. It is postulated that changes in the person, the objects and events to be known suggest flexible models of concept teaching. It is assumed that the same considerations apply to teaching concepts to blind pupils. Specificities of this process are discussed, including the role of touch as resource, although not as a direct substitute to vision, and the notion of representation as a basis for the elaboration of pedagogical resources for the blind student.

SEMELHANÇAS ENTRE UPTAKE E TRACE: CONSIDERAÇÕES SOBRE TRADUÇÃO

This study is a reflection about the similarities between uptake and trace, and translation taken as an event - at once possible and impossible - which deflagrates and constitutes meaning through the language game played by the subjects of communication: text-translator. Both Austin and Derrida, each one on his own way, show that meaning is part of the human language process. The uptake, in Austin s point of view, guarantees the existence of human language, assured by a process of recognition between the subjects of communication, process through which the production of meaning takes place. The trace, according to Derrida, deflagrates, through the human language, the crashing of meaning and destroys the possibility of someone reaching the origin. In this study, taking into consideration the similarities between uptake and trace, I try to disclose translation taken as an event which at once contaminates the languages and is contaminated by them.

Syllable-timing in Brazilian Portuguese: uma crítica a Roy Major

This paper reintroduces the discussion about stress-timing in Brazilian Portuguese (BP). It begins by surveying some phonetic and phonological issues raised by the syllable- vs stress-timed dichotomy which culminated with the emergence of the p-center notion. Strict considerations of timing of V-V units and stress groups are taken into account to analyze the long term coupling of two basic oscillators (vowel and stress flow). This coupling allows a two-parameter characterization of language rhythms (coupling strength and speech rate) revealing that BP utterances present a high-degree of syllable-timing. A comparison with other languages, including European Portuguese, is also presented. The results analyzed indicate that Major's arguments for considering Portuguese (sic) as stress-timing are misleading.

Sistema Fonológico do Português: Rediscutindo o Consenso

Problems identified in the study and analysis of the phonology of Brazilian Indian languages belonging to the Macro-Jê branch such as Kaingang, Maxakali, and Mebengokre led the author to confirm the accuracy of some intuitions on the part of Piggott (1992) and Rice (1993) on dealing with relations between nasality and sonorancy (D'Angelis 1998). The applicability of the approach to the distinct processes of nasality and nasalization in Portuguese was verified with surprising results that recover some intuitions of Trubetzkoy (1939) and contribute to reconfirm the Mattoso Câmara's (1953; 1970) considerations, but at the same time go beyond them. This article presents the result of this investigation and its conclusions that suggest the validity and the necessity of reexamining even the phonemic inventory of the Portuguese language, an issue not at all questioned in the teaching of phonology, to take into account the linguistic changes in the phonological system of that language in the last fifty years.

O ensino de línguas para crianças no contexto educacional brasileiro: breves reflexões e possíveis provisões

This article aims at discussing about the foreign language teaching to young learners, taking the principles of the Sociocultural Theory (Vygotksy, 1978) and of the Communicative Approach (Almeida Filho, 1993, 2005) related to Primary English teaching (Cameron, 2001; Brewster, Ellis & Girard, 2002) as a theoretical references. Considerations about the importance of language learning in childhood will be made, as well as about the role of the grammar, oral language and mother tongue in the process. Likewise, the importance of Teacher Education will be briefly approached. This work is ended with the discussion about some possible procedures in the language teaching processes followed by a brief presentation of possible guidelines based on the bakhtinian notion of discourse genres.

Autoscopia: um procedimento de pesquisa e de formação

This article considers a procedure for data collection called autoscopy. Autoscopy entails the video recording of a practice with the purpose of allowing analysis and self-evaluation by one of the protagonists of that practice. The objective of the video recording is that of apprehending the actions of the agent (or agents), the scenario, and the plot that make up a situation. The recorded material is subjected to sessions of analysis after the action that aim at the understanding of the reflective process of the agent (or agents) through their verbalizations during the analysis of video recorded scenes. The present text introduces a theoretical basis for the procedure of autoscopy, deals with advantages and limitations of its use, as well as with aspects that deserve attention and, finally, describes the authors' experiences in two studies in which the procedure was employed. Starting from these two experiences, differences and similarities are pointed out between the studies, especially regarding the participants, object, and the time distribution of the video recordings. The authors draw considerations about the formative-reflective potential of the procedure, both for research situations and for the learning and training of various professionals, considering it to be an excellent educational instrument. It is, however, vital to keep in mind the need to recognize and return to the teacher, as an autoscopic participant, his condition as subject of his own profession, thereby promoting, besides the self-evaluation, also the autonomy of his thinking and doing.