Transfer function-noise modeling and spatial interpolation to evaluate the risk of extreme (shallow) water-table levels in the Brazilian Cerrados

Water regimes in the Brazilian Cerrados are sensitive to climatological disturbances and human intervention. The risk that critical water-table levels are exceeded over long periods of time can be estimated by applying stochastic methods in modeling the dynamic relationship between water levels and driving forces such as precipitation and evapotranspiration. In this study, a transfer function-noise model, the so called PIRFICT-model, is applied to estimate the dynamic relationship between water-table depth and precipitation surplus/deficit in a watershed with a groundwater monitoring scheme in the Brazilian Cerrados. Critical limits were defined for a period in the Cerrados agricultural calendar, the end of the rainy season, when extremely shallow levels (< 0.5-m depth) can pose a risk to plant health and machinery before harvesting. By simulating time-series models, the risk of exceeding critical thresholds during a continuous period of time (e.g. 10 days) is described by probability levels. These simulated probabilities were interpolated spatially using universal kriging, incorporating information related to the drainage basin from a digital elevation model. The resulting map reduced model uncertainty. Three areas were defined as presenting potential risk at the end of the rainy season. These areas deserve attention with respect to water-management and land-use planning.

Eph kinases and their ligands ephrins act in concert with sex hormones in regulating blood pressure

Les Erythropoietin-producing hepatocyte (EPH) sont la plus grande famille de récepteurs tyrosine kinase. Leurs ligands, les éphrines (EFNs), sont aussi des molécules exprimées à la surface cellulaire. Les EPH/EFNs sont impliqués dans de nombreux processus biologiques. L'hypertension artérielle (PA) est une maladie chronique qui, aujourd'hui, est devenue un problème médical critique dans le monde entier et un enjeu de santé publique. La découverte de nouvelles thérapeutiques de l'hypertension sont d'une grande importance pour la santé publique. Jusqu’à tout récemment, il existe seulement quelques études concernant le rôle de l’axe EPH/EFNs sur la fonction des cellules musculaires lisses vasculaires (CMLV). Dans nos études précédentes, nous avons montré qu'EPHB6 et EFNB1, de concert avec les hormones sexuelles, régulent la PA. Dans la présente étude, nous avons constaté que les différents membres de la famille EPH/EFN peuvent réguler soit positivement, soit négativement, la contractilité des CMLV et la PA: tandis que EPHB4 et EFNB2 appartiennent à la première catégorie, EFNB1, EFNB3 et EPHB6 appartiennent à la deuxième. In vivo, des souris males, mais non pas des femelles, porteuses d’une mutation EPHB4 (KO) spécifique du muscle lisse présentent une PA diminuée, comparée aux souris témoins (WT). Les CMLV de souris EPHB4 KO, en présence de testostérone, ont montré une contractilité réduite lors de la stimulation par la phényléphrine (PE). Au niveau moléculaire, la phosphorylation de la protéine kinase II dépendante de Ca2+/calmoduline et de la kinase de la chaine légère de la myosine (CLM) est augmentée, tandis que la phosphorylation de la kinase de la CLM est réduite dans les CMLV KO lors de la stimulation par PE, par rapport au WT CMLV. Cela fournit une base moléculaire à la réduction de la PA et de la contractilité des CMLV chez les souris EPHB4 KO. EFNB2 est le ligand majeur de l’EPHB4. Comme attendu, les souris EFNB2 KO spécifique du muscle lisse avaient un phénotype de PA semblable, quoique non identique, aux souris EPHB4 KO. Les souris mâles EFNB2 KO, mais pas femelles, sous régime régulier ou riche en sel, présentent une PA réduite, par rapport à leurs homologues WT. Au niveau cellulaire, les CMLV des souris KO ont montré une contractilité réduite lors de la stimulation par PE par rapport aux témoins WT. Une région de l’acide aminé (aa) 313 à l’aa 331 dans la partie intracellulaire d’EFNB2 est essentielle pour la signalisation inverse qui régule la contractilité des CMLV, selon des études de mutation-délétion. Dans une étude de génétique humaine, nous avons identifié, dans le gène EFNB2, six SNP qui étaient associées significativement au risque d'hypertension artérielle, de façon dépendante du sexe, ce qui corrobore nos résultats chez les souris. En revanche, la délétion du gène EFNB3 (KO) chez les souris femelles aboutit à une PA élevée et à une augmentation des résistances des petites artères in vivo, améliore la contractilité des petites artères ex-vivo et augmente la contractilité des CMLV in vitro. Les souris mâles KO ont une PA normale, mais la castration conduit à une augmentation significative de la PA dans les souris KO, mais pas dans les souris WT. Les CMLV des souris KO femelles ont montré une phosphorylation accrue de la CLM et une phosphorylation réduite de la kinase de la CLM, ce qui fournit à nouveau une base moléculaire aux phénotypes de PA et de contractilité des CMLV observés. Ce changement de signalisation est attribuable à une protéine adaptatrice Grip1. En effet, dans une étude d'association pan génomique par le Consortium International pour la Pression Sanguine, un SNP dans le gène GRIP1 a approché le seuil de significativité de la valeur p pour son association avec la pression diastolique. Nos recherches, pour la première fois, ont révélé que EPH/EFNs sont de nouveaux composants dans le système de régulation de la PA. Les membres de la famille EPH/EFN peuvent agir comme des forces Yin et Yang pour régler finement le tonus des vaisseaux pour assurer l'homéostasie de la PA et de sa régulation. Ces effets de EPH/EFNs dépendent du sexe et des niveaux d’hormones sexuelles. À partir de ces nouvelles connaissances, nous pourrions développer une nouvelle thérapie personnalisée pour l’hypertension artérielle, utilisant des antagonistes d'hormones sexuelles ou des thérapies de remplacement d'hormones sexuelles, selon les niveaux d'hormones sexuelles des patients et les mutations dans les gènes de l'EPH/EFN.

Uma cidade para pessoas: funcionalidade, racionalidade e emotividade nas relações mobiliário urbano, espaço público e cidadãos

This research investigates how functionality, rationality, and emotionality applied to urban furniture design contribute to the organization, legibility, and qualification of public spaces, according to different layouts, physical and visual qualities of the urban furniture as well as the quality of urban infrastructure that may influence the uses and appropriation of urban spaces by pedestrians, turning those spaces into socially centripetal or centrifugal places. The work consists of two parts. First refers to a bibliographical review concerning two main issues of the investigation: product design and legibility of public space, defining the conceptual and theoretical bases, linked to methodological strategies aimed at systemic planning and integrated management of urban furniture design and legibility of public spaces (sidewalks), that are necessary to define the existing relationships among the user s interface (pedestrians); product (urban artifacts); built environment (sidewalks). The second part refers to the achievement of empirical approach throughout visual analysis of public spaces and the functional and qualitative evaluation of the existing urban furniture in the central neighborhood of Cidade Alta, Natal, RN, according to the theoretical researched concepts and methodological procedures. The results expose the weaknesses and levels of intensity arising from the relations among public space, urban furniture, and users, revealing the need for theoretical and practical approaches which would help the decision-making in planning, designing and integrating innovative, sustainable, and ethical solutions in order to design attractive public spaces that could provide sociability and citizenship throughout integrated public management, city systemic thinking and urban identity. The suggested guidelines at the end of this research will provide the necessary strategies to design suitable urban furniture systems according to aesthetic and practical urban infrastructure and city context, aiming to ease visual and physical conflicts that may negatively interfere with the appropriation of public spaces by the citizens

Rural change south of the river Bride in counties Cork and Waterford: the surveyors' evidence 1716–1851

Estate studies in Irish historical geography have been often designed to confirm or contrast local trends of development with those previously identified at the regional or sub-regional level. To date, little attention has been awarded to estate maps in studies of rural landscape change. It is a theme of this paper that the results yielded from a careful study of such estate maps can throw light on the results of the activities of the majority of estate residents. In this regard, it is fortunate that at Lismore surveys of the estate in 1716–17 and 1773–4 have survived, and a nineteenth century dimension is added by an analysis of the Valuation Office maps for 1851. This work is focused on a study of critical indicators of change, notably leasing arrangements, farm size, rate and type of enclosure, infrastructural development and settlement growth. These changes are reviewed within the framework of the dialectic that developed between landlord or landlord-inspired management policies and the forces released locally by the vast bulk of the population. Broadly this analysis indicates some of the potential rewards which may be secured by detailed scrutiny of estate maps in conjunction with other estate records.

Covariant Spectator Theory of heavy–light and heavy mesons and the predictive power of covariant interaction kernels

The Covariant Spectator Theory (CST) is used to calculate the mass spectrum and vertex functions of heavy–light and heavy mesons in Minkowski space. The covariant kernel contains Lorentz scalar, pseudoscalar, and vector contributions. The numerical calculations are performed in momentum space, where special care is taken to treat the strong singularities present in the confining kernel. The observed meson spectrum is very well reproduced after fitting a small number of model parameters. Remarkably, a fit to a few pseudoscalar meson states only, which are insensitive to spin–orbit and tensor forces and do not allow to separate the spin–spin from the central interaction, leads to essentially the same model parameters as a more general fit. This demonstrates that the covariance of the chosen interaction kernel is responsible for the very accurate prediction of the spin-dependent quark–antiquark interactions.

Iberian and Latin American Music Scholarship on the Ascent: Reflections from the United States

In the early twentieth century, musicology was established as an academic discipline in the United States. Nonetheless, with the exception of Iberian medieval and Renaissance repertories, U.S. scholars largely overlooked the music of the Spanish- and Portuguese- speaking world. Why should this have been the case, especially in light of Spain’s strong historical presence in the United States? This autobiographical essay examines this question by tracing the career of an individual musicologist, the Hispanist musicologist Carol A. Hess. Evaluated here are disciplinary shifts in U.S. musicology —methodological, philosophical, and ideological— over the past thirty years. These transformations have combined to make this repertory a viable field of study today. Musicologists in the United States can now make their careers by specializing in Iberian and Latin American music, as well as the music of the Hispanic diaspora. They research topics ranging from the avant-garde composer Llorenç Barber to the rapper Nach Scratch or the popular bandleader Xavier Cugat and his U.S. audiences of the 1940s, while others also pursue the time-tested areas of medieval and Renaissance music. Iberian and Latin American music is regularly offered in postsecondary institutions while instructors now have a variety of textbooks and other pedagogical resources from which to choose. All add up to a disciplinary freedom that would have been unthinkable only a few decades ago.

Strain Gauges's Analysis On Implant-retained Prosthesis' Cast Accuracy.

A proper cast is essential for a successful rehabilitation with implant prostheses, in order to produce better structures and induce less strain on the implants. The aim of this study was to evaluate the precision of four different mold filling techniques and verify an accurate methodology to evaluate these techniques. A total of 40 casts were obtained from a metallic matrix simulating three unit implant-retained prostheses. The molds were filled using four different techniques in four groups (n = 10): Group 1 - Single-portion filling technique; Group 2 - Two-step filling technique; Group 3 - Latex cylinder technique; Group 4 - Joining the implant analogs previously to the mold filling. A titanium framework was obtained and used as a reference to evaluate the marginal misfit and tension forces in each cast. Vertical misfit was measured with an optical microscope with an increase of 120 times following the single-screw test protocol. Strain was quantified using strain gauges. Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA (Tukey's test) (α =0.05). The correlation between strain and vertical misfit was evaluated by Pearson test. The misfit values did not present statistical difference (P = 0.979), while the strain results showed statistical difference between Groups 3 and 4 (P = 0.027). The splinting technique was considered to be as efficient as the conventional technique. The strain gauge methodology was accurate for strain measurements and cast distortion evaluation. There was no correlation between strain and marginal misfit.

Resistência à compressão e remoção de folhas da cana-de-açúcar visando à colheita mecânica

Sugarcane holds an important place in the Brazilian economy. Grate part of the sugarcane harvested still accomplished largely manually. Sugarcane harvesters available in Brazil use the technology to chop the cane into 200 to 300 mm billets to allow on the go cane transferring to transport, contradicting the traditional method of whole stalk sugarcane harvesting system. In order to make whole stalk mechanical harvesting system possible, one of the barriers to be expired is the mechanical removal of the straw. The design of a mechanism that accomplishes this operation depends directly on the knowledge of the mechanical properties of the sugarcane related to its resistance to compression and the forces necessary to remove the leaves from the stalk. Compression tests were conducted using the universal testing machine. For leaves removal test by friction, a special apparatus was designed to allow the registration of the normal and traction force. The sugarcane stalk can resist up to 4.9 MPa. With a normal pressure of 0.8 MPa, which correspond to a friction force of 315 N, it is possible to remove the leaves, independent of its location in the sugarcane stalk.

Estudo da postura corporal e aspectos nutricionais em escolares do ensino fundamental da rede publica

Universidade Estadual de Campinas. Faculdade de Educação Física

Educação fisica e hegemonia

Universidade Estadual de Campinas . Faculdade de Educação Física

Anisotropic Reversible Aggregation of Latex Nanoparticles Suspended in a Lyotropic Nematic Liquid Crystal: Effect of Gradients of Biaxial Order

We studied the anisotropic aggregation of spherical latex particles dispersed in a lyotropic liquid crystal presenting three nematic phases; calamitic, biaxial, and discotic. We observed that in the nematic calamitic phase aggregates of latex particles are formed, which become larger and anisotropic in the vicinity of the transition to the discotic phase, due to a coalescence process. Such aggregates are weakly anisotropic and up to 50 mu m long and tend to align parallel to the director field. At the transition to the discotic phase, the aggregates dissociated and re-formed when the system was brought back to the calamitic phase. This shows that the aggregation is due to attractive and repulsive forces generated by the particular structure of the nematic phase. The surface-induced positional order was investigated by surface force apparatus experiments with the lyotropic system confined between mica surfaces, revealing the existence of a presmectic wetting layer around the surfaces and oscillating forces of increasing amplitude as the confinement thickness was decreased. We discuss the possible mechanisms responsible for the reversible aggregation of latex particles, and we propose that capillary condensation of the N(C) phase, induced by the confinement between the particles, could reduce or remove the gradient of order parameter, driving the transition of aggregates from solidlike to liquidlike and gaslike.

Ontogenetic changes of swimming kinematics in a semi-aquatic reptile (Crocodylus porosus)

Semi-aquatic animals represent a transitional locomotor condition characterised by the possession of morphological features that allow locomotion both in water and on land. Most ecologically important behaviours of crocodilians occur in the water, raising the question of whether their 'terrestrial construction' constrains aquatic locomotion. Moreover, the demands for aquatic locomotion change with life-history stage. It was the aim of this research to determine the kinematic characteristics and efficiency of aquatic locomotion in different-sized crocodiles (Crocodylus porosus). Aquatic propulsion was achieved primarily by tail undulations, and the use of limbs during swimming was observed only in very small animals or at low swimming velocities in larger animals. Over the range of swimming speeds we examined, tail beat amplitude did not change with increasing velocity, but amplitude increased significantly with body length. However, amplitude expressed relative to body length decreased with increasing body length. Tail beat frequency increased with swimming velocity but there were no differences in frequency between different-sized animals. Mechanical power generated during swimming and thrust increased non-linearly with swimming velocity, but disproportionally so that kinematic efficiency decreased with increasing swimming velocity. The importance of unsteady forces, expressed as the reduced frequency, increased with increasing swimming velocity. Amplitude is the main determinant of body-size-related increases in swimming velocity but, compared with aquatic mammals and fish, crocodiles are slow swimmers probably because of constraints imposed by muscle performance and unsteady forces opposing forward movement. Nonetheless, the kinematic efficiency of aquatic locomotion in crocodiles is comparable to that of fully aquatic mammals, and it is considerably greater than that of semi-aquatic mammals.

Transformando organiza????es p??blicas: a tecnologia da informa????o como fator propulsor de mudan??as

A redefini????o do papel do Estado na sociedade e a conseq??ente transforma????o das Organiza????es P??blicas (OPs) implementadoras deste novo papel t??m sido t??picos-alvo constantes de discuss??o e a????o de governos, tanto em pa??ses desenvolvidos, quanto nos em desenvolvimento. Neste artigo ?? apresentada uma proposta metodol??gica para a transforma????o de OPs, utilizando-se de tecnologia da informa????o (TI) como fator propulsor deste processo de transforma????o. O arcabou??o metodol??gico proposto est??, basicamente, ancorado em duas for??as de mudan??a: uma for??a externa ?? OP ??? Institutional Accountability, e uma for??a interna ?? OP ??? Equipes de Trabalho, que, sinergicamente, encontram-se nos processos de trabalho executados pela OP transformada. As TIs que viabilizam e prov??em suporte ?? implementa????o das for??as externa e interna s??o, respectivamente: Sistema de Informa????o Executivo e Groupware.

As autarquias e a educação. Centro e periferia na construção das políticas educativas (1998-2008)

RESUMO: Com o actual quadro de descentralização de atribuições e competências da administração central para as autarquias locais, na área da educação, os municípios passam a investir cada vez mais na acção educativa ao liderarem e planearem políticas educativas locais mais ou menos explícitas, e, nalguns casos, tentando superar carências que o sistema educativo apresenta. Esta pesquisa tem como problemática compreender o papel do Estado na (re)configuração das políticas de educação, quando a tendência para a mudança, de um Estado-educador para um Estado-regulador, tem por pressuposto o discurso neoliberal de que com ‗menos‘ Estado mas maior accountability se obtêm melhores resultados. Este processo origina uma redefinição no papel e funções do Estado no plano social e económico, provocando constrangimentos e conflitos de poder no que respeita ao seu controlo político, com a redistribuição de poderes entre o Estado e a comunidade, entre o central e o local. É neste contexto de mudança que a presente investigação, que se situa no âmbito da análise das políticas educativas, procura averiguar como e com que meios as autarquias locais concretizam as suas competências na área da educação. A estratégia de investigação concentra-se em uma metodologia qualitativa, com a utilização de um estudo exploratório, em três municípios da Região de Lisboa e Vale do Tejo. As actuais políticas educativas derivam da nova visão na gestão da coisa pública – res publica –, como resultado da nova concepção para o próprio Estado, e dos processos de elaboração das decisões político-educativas. Nesta perspectiva, a descentralização passa a ser um instrumento do poder local que favorece o aumento da autoridade democrática dos actores. Todavia, a governação – governance – supõe uma dinâmica de negociação, até mesmo de regulação entre o Estado, a região, o local, a escola e o mercado, feita para atender à construção do interesse geral, que já não é totalmente definido pelo Estado, mas construído em conjunto com as diversas forças políticas, económicas, educativas e sociais. O estudo permitiu evidenciar que a descentralização é posta em causa pelo Estado central, quando este ‗recentraliza‘ decisões e condiciona o poder local, com o fecho da maioria das escolas do primeiro ciclo e a verticalização dos agrupamentos escolares. Por sua vez, algumas políticas educativas como a ‗Escola a Tempo Inteiro‘ fomentam a desregulação dos vínculos laborais, forçando os municípios a aumentar os seus meios técnicos e humanos e a construírem novas infra-estruturas educativas. As políticas educativas passaram a ser concebidas segundo uma matriz híbrida, que visam a municipalização da educação – do pré-escolar e de todo o ensino básico –, por um lado; e fomentam a situação de ‗quase-mercado‘ com a privatização de sectores e o financiamento de várias instituições – que fornecem serviços na área da educação –, por outro lado. ABSTRACT: With the current framework of decentralization of functions and powers from central government to local authorities, in education, the municipalities are investing each more in educational work in leading educational policies and planning places more or less explicit and in some cases, trying to overcome shortcomings that education system. This research aims to understand the role of the state in the (re) configuration of education policies, when the tendency for the change in a State-Educator for a State-regulator, is the assumption that neo-liberal speech that with 'less' State but with more accountability we achieve better results. This process leads to a redefinition of the role and State functions in socio-economic constraints, resulting in power struggles with regard to its political control, with the redistribution of powers between the state and community, between the central and local. It is in this changing context that the present investigation, which lies in the examination of education policy addresses the question how and by what means the local, materialized their skills in education. The strategy focuses on a qualitative methodology, with the use of an exploratory study in three municipalities of Lisbon and Tagus Valley. The current education policies come from the new vision in the management of public affairs - res publica - as a result of the new design for the State itself, and the process of preparation of educational policy decisions. In this perspective, decentralization becomes an instrument of local government that favours the increase of democratic authority of the actors. However, the governance assumes a dynamic negotiation, even in regulation between the State, region, local authorities, school and market, made to suit the construction of general interest, which is not anymore fully defined by the State, but constructed together with the various political, economic, educational and social forces. The study indicates that decentralization is undermined by the central government when it ‗re-centralize‘ decisions and the local conditions, with the closure of most primary schools and with vertical groupings of schools. In turn, some educational policies such as 'Full Time School' forced the municipalities to increase their technical and human resources, to build new educational infrastructure. The educative policies began to be designed according to a hybrid matrix, which aims the decentralization of education - from pre-school and all the primary school - on one hand, and promote the situation of 'quasi-market' with privatization of sectors and the financing of several institutions - that provide services in education -, on the other hand. RÉSUMÉ: Avec le cadre actuel de décentralisation des fonctions et pouvoirs du gouvernement central aux autorités locales, dans l'éducation, les municipalités investissent de plus en plus dans le travail éducatif dans la conduite des politiques éducatives en mener et en faisant la planification des lieux plus ou moins explicites et, dans certains cas, essayer de remédier aux lacunes que présente l'éducation. Donc, nous voulons avec cette recherche comprendre le rôle de l'Etat dans la (re) configuration des politiques d'éducation, alors que la tendance au changement d‘un État-éducateur pour un État-régulateur, a comme l'hypothèse le discours néo-libéral de que avec «moins» État, mais plus d‘accountability on a des meilleurs résultats. Ce processus conduit à une redéfinition du rôle et des fonctions de l'Etat au plan social et économique, en donnant lieu à des luttes de pouvoir à l'égard de son contrôle politique, avec la redistribution des compétences entre l'État et la collectivité, entre les niveaux central et local. C‘est dans ce contexte changeant que la présente enquête, qui réside dans l‘examen de la politique de l‘éducation aborde la question de savoir comment et par quels moyens le local matérialisé leurs compétences dans l‘éducation. La stratégie est axée sur une méthodologie qualitative, avec l'utilisation d'une étude exploratoire dans trois municipalités de Lisbonne et Vallée du Tage. Les politiques actuelles d'éducation sont tirées de la nouvelle vision dans la gestion des affaires publiques - res publica – à la suite de la nouvelle conception de l'État lui-même, et le processus de préparation des décisions politique-éducatives. Dans cette perspective, la décentralisation devient un instrument de gouvernement local qui favorise l'augmentation de l'autorité démocratique des acteurs. Toutefois, la gouvernance assume une dynamique de négociation, même en matière de réglementation entre l'État, la région, le local, l'école et le marché, faite pour répondre à la construction d'intérêt général, qui n'est pas plus entièrement défini par l'Etat, mais construit en ensemble avec les divers forces politiques, économiques, éducatives et sociales. L‘étude indique que la décentralisation est minée par le gouvernement central quand il ‗re-centralise‘ les décisions et les conditions locales, avec la fermeture de la plupart des écoles du premier cycle et avec des groupements verticaux d‘écoles. À leur tour, certaines politiques éducatives telles que ‗l'école à temps plein‘ forcé les municipalités à accroître leurs ressources techniques et humaines, de construire de nouvelles infrastructures éducatives. Les politiques éducatives ont commencé à être conçues selon une matrice hybride, qui vise à la municipalisation de l'éducation - de l'école maternelle et de toute l'école basique - d'une part ; et de promouvoir la situation de «quasi-marché» avec la privatisation de secteurs et le financement de plusieurs institutions - qui offrent des services dans l'éducation -, d‘autre part.

Book citations: influence of epidemiologic thought in the academic community

Whilst their 'death' has often been certified, books remain highly important to most professions and academic disciplines. Analyses of citations received by epidemiologic texts may complement other views on epidemiology. The objective was to assess the number of citations received by some books of epidemiology and public health, as a first step towards studying the influence of epidemiological thought and thinking in academia. For this purpose, Institute for Scientific Information/ Thomson Scientific - Web of Science/ Web of Knowledgedatabase was consulted, in May 2006. The book by Rothman & Greenland appeared to have received the highest number of citations overall (over 8,000) and per year. The books by Kleinbaum et al, and by Breslow & Day received around 5,000 citations. In terms of citations per year the book by Sackett et al ranks 3rd, and the one by Rose, 4th of those included in this preliminary study. Other books which were influential in the classrooms collected comparatively less citations. Results offer a rich picture of the academic influences and trends of epidemiologic methods and reasoning on public health, clinical medicine and the other health, life and social sciences. They may contribute to assess epidemiologists' efforts to demarcate epidemiology and to assert epistemic authority, and to analyze some historical influences of economic, social and political forces on epidemiological research.