Long-term water supply planning in an Australian coastal city : Dams or desalination?

Water resource managers and planners are continually involved in defining and evaluating alternative policies to better meet changing water supply conditions and the expectations of society. To undertake such long-term water supply planning, this study developed a novel integrated system dynamics model to combine economic, social and scientific variables and considerations within the planning horizon. Extensive sensitivity analysis for these variables was considered in this long term water resource planning process. The analysis suggests that over a longer time horizon, desalination provides a more viable, cost effective and secure bulk water supply alternative when compared to building large rain-dependent dams.

Effect of multiple cations in the feed solution on the performance of forward osmosis

In this study, different combinations of feed stream such as 0.2, 0.3 and 0.4 M of CaCl2 were, respectively, added with 1.0, 0.9 and 0.8 M of NaCl while maintaining the draw solution concentration at either 2.0 M of NaCl or CaCl2 in order to compare likely changes to the flux generated when the feed stream contained NaCl only. The results obtained showed that more constituents in feed stream generated lesser flux. Increase in CaCl2 concentration in feed stream resulted in more severe dilutive internal concentration polarisation (DICP) and hence, reduction in the performance ratio. The temperature and distribution of aggregated particle size also played a significant role in the overall performance of forward osmosis process. Further analysis showed that there is a relationship between the normalised driving force and flux behaviour which is governed by the effect of DICP. Additionally, the reflection coefficient was not unity as less than 2% traces of salt was found to permeate alongside with water towards the draw solution side. © 2014 © 2014 Balaban Desalination Publications. All rights reserved.

Weldability of duplex stainless steel

Duplex stainless steels (DSSs) have many advantages due to the unique structural combination of ferrite and austenite grains. The structural change of these materials is very complex during welding, and it deteriorates the functional properties. This research investigates different welding processes such as laser beam, resistance, tungsten inert gas, friction stir, submerged arc, and plasma arc weldings considering the research available in the literature. The welding mechanism, change of material structure, and control parameters have been analyzed for every welding process. This analysis clearly shows that DSS melts in all most all welding processes, but the thermal cycle and maximum heat input are different. This difference affects the resulting structure and functional properties of the weld significantly.

Desenvolvimento de sistemas de informação com base em objetos de negócios : um protocolo de análise com vistas à reutilização de software

O objetivo da pesquisa atém-se primeiramente em elaborar um protocolo que permita analisar, por meio de um conjunto de indicadores, o processo de reutilização de software no desenvolvimento de sistemas de informação modelando objetos de negócios. O protocolo concebido compõe-se de um modelo analítico e de grades de análise, a serem empregadas na classificação e tabulação dos dados obtidos empiricamente. Com vistas à validação inicial do protocolo de análise, realiza-se um estudo de caso. A investigação ocorre num dos primeiros e, no momento, maior projeto de fornecimento de elementos de software reutilizáveis destinados a negócios, o IBM SANFRANCISCO, bem como no primeiro projeto desenvolvido no Brasil com base no por ele disponibilizado, o sistema Apontamento Universal de Horas (TIME SHEET System). Quanto à aplicabilidade do protocolo na prática, este se mostra abrangente e adequado à compreensão do processo. Quanto aos resultados do estudo de caso, a análise dos dados revela uma situação em que as expectativas (dos pesquisadores) de reutilização de elementos de software orientadas a negócio eram superiores ao observado. Houve, entretanto, reutilização de elementos de baixo nível, que forneceram a infra-estrutura necessária para o desenvolvimento do projeto. Os resultados contextualizados diante das expectativas de reutilização (dos desenvolvedores) são positivos, na medida em que houve benefícios metodológicos e tecnológicos decorrentes da parceria realizada. Por outro lado, constatam-se alguns aspectos restritivos para o desenvolvedor de aplicativos, em virtude de escolhas arbitrárias realizadas pelo provedor de elementos reutilizáveis.

O processo de execução orçamentária no governo do Estado do Maranhão: um estudo de caso na universidade estadual do Maranhão

Este estudo trata do processo de execução do orçamento, referente ao período de 1995 a 2008, da Universidade Estadual do Maranhão, órgão de natureza autárquica, vinculado à Secretaria de Estado da Ciência, Tecnologia, Educação Superior e Desenvolvimento Tecnológico. O objetivo central desta pesquisa foi verificar a existência de pressão orçamentária naquela Instituição e, se existente, demonstrar quais os critérios relevantes na alocação das cotas e quais elementos geram pressão na elaboração e execução do orçamento, através da análise de dados institucionais e entrevistas de servidores ligados à sua Administração Superior e controle orçamentário, mediante a comparação do que fora orçado com o efetivamente realizado, em seus grupos de despesas, ou seja, pessoal, custeio e capital. Para tanto, o problema desta pesquisa foi descrito através das seguintes questões: Há pressão orçamentária na UEMA, na fase de elaboração do orçamento? Há pressão orçamentária na UEMA, na fase de execução do orçamento? Que elementos geram pressão na elaboração e na execução do orçamento da UEMA? Quais são os critérios relevantes à alocação das cotas orçamentárias entre os Centros de Ensino da UEMA? A coleta de dados foi realizada através de entrevistas semi-estruturadas e documentos. O processo de análise de dados consistiu em verificar documentos referentes à dotação orçamentária comparativamente as cotas liberadas e a análise em profundidade dos depoimentos colhidos nas entrevistas. A discussão dos resultados gerou conclusões importantes por constatar a existência de pressão orçamentária na elaboração e na execução do orçamento daquela Universidade, identificando os elementos causadores da pressão, assim como os critérios relevantes na alocação das cotas.

A formação e a prática do educador e sua relação com a educação das classes populares

É no interior das relações sociais capitalistas que situamos e buscamos compreender a Formação e a Prática do Educador. Marcadas pelas contradições inerentes às relações de dominação, a Formação e a Prática do Educador refletem e expressam essas contradições. Assim, a formação que o educador recebe e a prática que ele desenvolve como trabalhador da educação, ao mesmo temoo em que reproduzem as relações de dominação, podem contribuir para a transformação dessas relações. Partindo deste pressuposto, o nosso trabalho propõe uma reflexão sobre a interferência da formação do educador na sua prática diária junto às classes populares. A suposição de que o instrumental teórico/metodológico veiculado pelos cursos de formação pouco contribui para o educador desenvolver e analisar a sua prática junto às classes populares e de que, assim, pode contribuir para o fracasso escolar dessas crianças foi trabalhada, tendo como base de informações a experiência de dois projetos educativos. Um deles envolve o Curso de Pedagogia da Universidade Santa Ursula, e o outro, o "MEC/USU", integrando a Universidade e escolas públicas de 1o grau no Município do Rio de Janeiro. O processo de análise nos permitiu, por um lado, concluir que existe uma coerência, unificada pela ideologia do sistema, entre o tipo de formação alienada e diluída dos educadores e sua prática junto as classes populares, evidenciando que esta formação e esta prática contribuem para a reprodução do "status quo". Por outro lado, constatamos a presença de elementos indicadores de postura critica, o que revela a existência de contradições no interior do curso de Pedagogia e das escolas de 1o grau, demonstrando a possibilidade de a Formação e a Prática do Educador contribuir para as transformações educacionais, sociais, politicas, econômicas e culturais no bojo das contradições do processo histórico, na medida em que estes indicadores forem trabalhados e reforçados.

Estratégias internacionais da fruticultura do RN: o caso finobrasa processo e evolução

The present inquiry has as main objective to understand the process of formation of the international strategies of the exporting companies of fruits of the RN through the theory of the resource dependence. Aiming at to clarify as the companies they can carry through the process of internationalization through this theory had been study the behavior and economic theories of the process of internationalization of companies. Amongst the economic theories they are distinguished the eclectic paradigm of Dunning (1958), Vernon (1669) through the theory of the cycle of the product and Bucley and Casson (1979) with the theory of the international operations. In the mannering boarding they had been investigated the school of Upsala through Johanson and Valnhe (1977) with the concept of the increasing of the markets and in the distance psychic starts and the interaction of the purchaser-salesman of Hallen and Wiedersheim-Paul (1979). In this perspective it observes main the occured changes in the organization in function of this process, following the rules observed by the gradual ingression in the international market, having as base ways of entrances in the external market used by these companies, in view of the frist phase that the company presents of businesses. Ahead of you analyze of these theories the study searches to analyze the convergence of the concepts proclaimed for the theory of the dependence of resources (PFEFFER; SALANCIK, 1978). and strategies of internationalization of the companies. The research is characterized as qualitative case study which adopts and exploratory and analytical type, retrospective matrix. The adopted strategy is of case study and the unit of analysis consisting of the Finobrasa, pertaining company to the Vicunha Group. The main method of collection of data was halfstructuralized interview allied the documentary research that together had presented an empirical perspective of the internationalization process. The analysis and quarrel of the results understand the description and the interpretation of the one of the information through the technique of analyzes of content. Initially the historical of the exportation of fruits of the Rio Grande do Norte with the focus in the region Açu/Mossoró is presented and after that the information of the Finobrasa are presented as base of the study. The main events are identified that had constituted the phases of the strategical model of the company. It was observed that the dimensions most excellent amongst those proclaimed by the School of Uppsala had been the learning, staffs and the step-starts is sufficiently gifts in the reality of the company, as well as the aspects of strategical alliances since the consolidated relationship of the Vicunha Group create a more solid trajectory in the international market allied the conditions created windows of marked . One understands, therefore, that the investigated process still has base the theoretical theories of the internationalization strategies corroborating for the theoretical convergence of the rules proclaimed for the theory of the dependence of resources.

A função mediadora do planejamento na aula de leitura de textos literários

This dissertation sutdies the mediative function in the planning of literary text reading classes of Portuguese. Its main central focus proposes that planning favors the pedagogical reading work of literary texts in the teaching of Portuguese, for they are regarded as one of the mediative elements the teaching-learning process. It also allows for its subjects to rethink the practice, theorizing it. As a theoretical basis the studies on participative planning are used, especially the studies concerning dialogic planning. The language/literature teaching perspective adopted in this work is guided by the socio-interactive conception of language, in a way that reading is seen as a comprehensive and interactive activity. Given the research process, the analysis of the reading process involved the Reader s Response, once that this theory considers the role of the reader and her/his interaction with the text. The study is grounded upon the following research question: which role(s) does the pedagogical planning play as a mediator of the reading teaching-learning process? The main objective of this dissertation is to investigate the pedagogical planning activity as a mediative instrument in the practice of reading in the Portuguese classes. The study is constituted of three stages, the third being emphasized (2002/2005) in which the direction of the participative action-research was used, as a way of acknowledging the pedagogical role in the teaching plan, as an instrument capable of rendering reorganization in the teaching-learning process of reading classes. We have as participants teachers of Portuguese in the elementary school (Ensino Fundamental, 3º ciclo), besides other segments of public schools, in the city of Pau dos Ferros RN, in which the previous studies were developed. The results point to the relevance in the role of the teacher, as a more experienced reader, in developing of pedagogical strategies that may come to favor the teaching of reading, having in the pedagogical sphere an instrument of theoretical reflection and sistematization of activities to be implemented in the classroom. The conclusions highlight the class plan as the mediative instrument to be incorporated and internalized into the teaching practice, amplifying and modifying the teacher s intervention forms, favoring, thus, her/his pedagogical mediation

Vacinação e biossegurança: o olhar dos profissionais de enfermagem

The present study analyzes the conceptions and the nursing workers' practices about the relationship between vaccination and biosecurity in a public hospital of reference in communicable diseases in Natal/RN. It is treated, therefore, of a exploratory/descriptive study with qualitative and quantitative approach. They were constituted as collaborators of the research twenty-two nursing professionals, being five nurses, three auxiliary and fourteen technicians in nursing. The information were obtained through the interview technique with semi-structured route. In the quantitative approach, the information were analyzed by statistics and presented in form of tables and graphs to characterize the workers and the aspects related to the vaccination situation of the same ones; and in the qualitative approach, we used the method of content analysis. The analysis was accomplished starting from the categories empiric coming from the process of analysis of the field material, measure through inferences and interpretations based on the authors studied in the theoretical referential of the research. Starting from the analysis of the results, we verified that the nursing interviewees' workers establish in a clear way and it aims at, in your speeches, a direct relationship between vaccination and biosecurity besides attributing a meaning of great importance with relationship to the use of the vaccines in your professional lives in what refers to the control and decrease of the risks, above all the biological ones, to the which are exposed in the daily exercise of your functions. However, when analyzing those workers' vaccination situation, we verified that the vaccination covering still meets on this side of the expected for the vaccines of occupational interest, with prominence just for the vaccines against diphtheria and tetanus and to against hepatitis B, that presented coverings considered very good and above the national average. Considering that the institution, although has a service of health occupational active and offer some vaccines of occupational interest, it still presents a work of little mobilization in what refers to the consciousness and the workers' permanent education with relationship to the need and importance of the occupational vaccination, not only for your workers' protection, as well as measure in the infection control and, therefore, as safety for your patients/clients. We understood that that work type didn't still become politics guided by ministries of Health or of the Labor, however, it falls to the institutions that work for the interest of the workers' health to struggle for all and any action and mobilization that have as objective protects the workers of the risks in your work atmosphere

Reciclagem de material asfáltico fresado utilizando solventes e microemulsões

With the increase of asphalt milling services was also a significant increase in recycling services pavements. The techniques used today are basically physical processes in which the milled material is incorporated into new asphalt mixtures or executed on site, with the addition of virgin asphalt and rejuvenating agent. In this paper seeks to analyze the efficiency of extraction of CAP (Petroleum Asphalt Cement) mixtures from asphalt milling, using commercial solvents and microemulsions. The solvents were evaluated for their ability to solubilize asphalt using an extractor reflux-type apparatus. Pseudoternary diagrams were developed for the preparation of microemulsion O/W surfactant using a low-cost coconut oil saponified (OCS). Microemulsions were used to extract the CAP of asphalt through physicochemical process cold. Analysis was performed concentration of CAP in solution by spectroscopy. The data provided in the analysis of concentration by the absorbance of the solution as the basis for calculating the percentage of extraction and the mass flow of the CAP in the solution. The results showed that microemulsions prepared with low concentration of kerosene and butanol/OCS binary has high extraction power of CAP and its efficiency was higher than pure kerosene, reaching 95% rate of extraction

Monitoramento em tempo real de processos fermentativos por espectroscopia no infravermelho próximo (NIRS)

A chemical process optimization and control is strongly correlated with the quantity of information can be obtained from the system. In biotechnological processes, where the transforming agent is a cell, many variables can interfere in the process, leading to changes in the microorganism metabolism and affecting the quantity and quality of final product. Therefore, the continuously monitoring of the variables that interfere in the bioprocess, is crucial to be able to act on certain variables of the system, keeping it under desirable operational conditions and control. In general, during a fermentation process, the analysis of important parameters such as substrate, product and cells concentration, is done off-line, requiring sampling, pretreatment and analytical procedures. Therefore, this steps require a significant run time and the use of high purity chemical reagents to be done. In order to implement a real time monitoring system for a benchtop bioreactor, these study was conducted in two steps: (i) The development of a software that presents a communication interface between bioreactor and computer based on data acquisition and process variables data recording, that are pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, level, foam level, agitation frequency and the input setpoints of the operational parameters of the bioreactor control unit; (ii) The development of an analytical method using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) in order to enable substrate, products and cells concentration monitoring during a fermentation process for ethanol production using the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Three fermentation runs were conducted (F1, F2 and F3) that were monitored by NIRS and subsequent sampling for analytical characterization. The data obtained were used for calibration and validation, where pre-treatments combined or not with smoothing filters were applied to spectrum data. The most satisfactory results were obtained when the calibration models were constructed from real samples of culture medium removed from the fermentation assays F1, F2 and F3, showing that the analytical method based on NIRS can be used as a fast and effective method to quantify cells, substrate and products concentration what enables the implementation of insitu real time monitoring of fermentation processes

Latex use as an occlusive membrane for guided bone regeneration

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

The role of chemokines and chemokine receptors in eosinophil activation during inflammatory allergic reactions

Chemokines are important chemotactic cytokines that play a fundamental role in the trafficking of leukocytes to sites of inflammation. They are also potent cell-activating factors, inducing cytokine and histamine release and free radical production, a fact that makes them particularly important in the pathogenesis of allergic inflammation. The action of chemokines is regulated at the level of agonist production and processing as well as at the level of receptor expression and coupling. Therefore, an analysis of the ligands must necessarily consider receptors. Eosinophils are target cells involved in the allergic inflammatory response since they are able to release a wide variety of mediators including CC and CXC chemokines and express their receptors. These mediators could damage the airway epithelial cells and might be important to stimulate other cells inducing an amplification of the allergic response. This review focuses on recently emerging data pertaining to the importance of chemokines and chemokine receptors in promoting eosinophil activation and migration during the allergic inflammatory process. The analysis of the function of eosinophils and their chemokine receptors during allergic inflammation might be a good approach to understanding the determinants of asthma severity and to developing novel therapies.

On the reversed crystal growth of BaZrO3 decaoctahedron: shape evolution and mechanism

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