THE IMAGINARY ABOUT THE SCHOOL and THE POSSIBILITIES of AN EQUALITARIAN SCHOOL: A STUDY on THE BRAZILIAN STATE SCHOOLS

The main objective of the article is to reflect on the imaginary that the teachers of two public schools have of their students and the school they work in and the ideal of an inclusive and democratic school. In this article, we reflect on the image that the teachers of two public schools in the city of Rio Claro, São Paulo State, Brazil, have of their students and their school as an institution. We use the studies of imaginary sociology as a theoretic reference base. Castoriadis (1986); Taylor (2006); Legros et al (2007) and Baczo (1984) are the referenced authors of this article. (C) 2012 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of The Association of Science, Education and Technology

Morphological and Histochemical Characterization of Gill Filaments of the Brazilian Endemic Bivalve Diplodon expansus (Kuster, 1856) (Mollusca, Bivalvia, Hyriidae)

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

Air-sea interaction studies at the station occupied by R/V Sirius

The transfer formulas are used to compute hourly values of sensible and latent heat exchanges for the period July 29 to July 31, 1974. Also, values of eddy shearing stress at the sea surface, Bowen's ratio and dissipation of kinetic energy are computed. The data used cover part of the GATE period for station 20 occupied by the Brazilian Naval Ship R/V Sirius in the Equatorial Atlantic (0730 N 4000 W). The variations in the computed values are studied in relation to rainfall and the synoptic situation. © 1980 D. Reidel Publishing Co.

Inflation and relative prices: the Brazilian experience, 1970/79.

Based on behaviour of output growth and industrial sector prices, it tries to define the several stages comprising the cyclic trends of the Brazilian economy. Analyzes the behaviour of inflation rates and of relative prices, and shows that there is a positive association between the measures of inflation rates and of their variables as well as between both these measures and dispersion of relative price changes. Demonstrates the assymetric behaviour of relative price changes and differentiated behaviour in relative prices of farm produce and industrial products. -from Authors

Weed-soybean interference studies in Brazil

Recently, a notable shift in weed patterns has occurred in some soybean growing regions, as a result of tillage system change and herbicide use. The weed communities are very diversified and strongly interfere with soybean growth and productivity, especially when the shading of superior leaves of the canopy occurs. Some changes to certain agricultural practices, such as cultivars, row spacing and sowing density, were studied and were considered suitable for the establishment of an integrated weed management system under Brazilian conditions. -from Author

Preparation, characterization and electrochemical studies of dinuclear copper(II) complexes with pseudohalides and bidentate amines on platinum electrode in acetonitrile

The complexes: [Cu(N 3) 2(N,N-diEten)] 2, [Cu(N 3) 2(tmeen)] 2, [Cu(N 3)(NCO)(N,N-diEten)] 2, [Cu(N 3) 2(N,N′-diMeen)] 2 and [Cu(N 3)(NCO)(tmeen)] 2 were prepared, characterized and their electrochemical behavior was investigated by cyclic voltammetry and controlled potential electrolysis. Cyclic voltammograms for all complexes studied are similar and exhibit one pair of current peaks in the range of -0.65 to +0.0 V. The number of electrons obtained from controlled potential electrolysis at ca. -0.55 V for all compounds was 1.8 ≤ n ≤ 2.1, indicating that both copper(II) metallic centres in the molecule were reduced to copper (I). Comparing the peak potential values for these complexes one can observe that the redox process corresponding to copper(II)/copper(I) couple is slightly influenced by the σ-basicity of the ligands. © 1997 Soc. Bras. Química.

Cigarette smoking and high-risk HPV DNA as predisposing factors for high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) in young Brazilian women

Background. This cross-sectional study was designed to evaluate the role of cigarette smoking and high-risk HPV types as risk factors of CIN 2 and 3 in young, sexually active Brazilian women. Materials and method. A series of 100 consecutive women with abnormal Pap smears were recruited, subjected to colposcopy, punch biopsy, and questionnaire for their social, sexual and reproductive factors. Of these, 77 women between 20 and 35 years of age (median 26.5 years) with biopsy-confirmed CIN 1 or CIN 2 and 3, were enrolled in this study. Representative samples from the exocervix and endocervix were obtained for HPV testing with the Hybrid Capture HPV-DNA assay, including the probes for the oncogenic HPV types (16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 45, 51, 52 and 56). Results. The overall rate of CIN 2 and 3 was 23/77 (29.8%). The women with CIN 1, 2 and 3 did not differ from each other with regard to their age, race, schooling, marital status, life-time number of sexual partners, age at first intercourse, use of oral contraceptives, or parity. However, current cigarette smoking was strongly associated with CIN 2 and 3 (p < 0,001), and among smokers, the risk of high-grade CIN increased in parallel with the time of exposure (years of smoking) p = 0.07), HPV-DNA of the oncogenic types was detected in 43 (56%) women, the risk of being HPV DNA-positive was significantly higher in CIN 2 and 3 as compared with CIN 1 (p = 0.037). Importantly, the prevalence of high-risk HPV types was significantly higher in cigarette smokers than in non-smokers (p = 0.046). Conclusions. The results indicate that the severity of CIN lesions was clearly related to two fundamental risk factors: 1) high-risk HPV types, and 2) current cigarette smoking. These two risk factors were closely interrelated in that the high-risk HPV types were significantly more frequent in current smokers than in non-smokers, suggesting the possibility of a synergistic action between these two risk factors in cervical carcinogenesis.

Efficacy, safety and tolerability of terbinafine for Tinea capitis in children: Brazilian multicentric study with daily oral tablets for 1, 2 and 4 weeks

Background: Tinea capitis is a common skin disease seen predominantly in children. The standard therapies for this disease are griseofulvin and ketoconazole. Nevertheless, these drugs have drawbacks in that they are only fungistatic and require treatment for at least 6 weeks. Previous studies with oral terbinafine for the treatment of Tinea capitis have shown that this agent is effective when given for 4 weeks, comparable to an 8-week regimen with griseofulvin. To date there is no data on the use of oral terbinafine in Brazilian children. Objectives: To assess the efficacy, safety and tolerability of oral terbinafine in short-term treatments (1-, 2- and 4-week treatment) of Tinea capitis in children. Patients and methods: One hundred and thirty-two children aged 1-14 years were enrolled in this study, but only 107 were considered for the final efficacy analysis. Diagnosis included clinical assessment and examination by Wood's light. Confirmation was obtained by direct microscopy and culture for fungus. Terbinafine dosage (125 or 250 mg/day) was adjusted according to patient weight. Efficacy was evaluated both by clinical and mycological assessment. Safety and tolerability variables included data on adverse reaction and clinical laboratory evaluations. Results: Mycological evaluation in the follow-up visit at week 12 showed negative direct microscopy and culture results in 48.6, 60.5 and 69.7% patients in groups 1-, 2- and 4-week, respectively (n.s.). At week 12, 84.8% patients in group 4-week achieved clinical cure with a significant difference compared to groups 1- and 2-week, 54.3 and 60.5%, respectively (P < 0.01). Adverse reactions were present in 4.8, 6.8 and 10.9% of patients in groups 1-, 2- and 4-week, respectively. Terbinafine was not associated with clinically relevant increases in liver function tests. Conclusions: Terbinafine is an effective, well tolerated and safe antifungal agent for the treatment of Tinea capitis m children. The shorter duration of treatment resulted in lower cure rates. However, it is important to note that depending on the severity of the disease, a 1-week-only treatment can also be effective in this indication.

Cytogenetic studies in Diplopoda

The Diplopoda have received little attention from cytogeneticists owing mostly to technical difficulties in obtaining mitotic chromosomes, restricting the studies to meiosis and eventual spermatogonial metaphases, which limits the use of modern cytogenetical techniques. A literature search shows that only about 0.1% of all known species have been cytogenetically studied. There are 80,000 species estimated for this group, making it the 3rd. larger class in Arthropoda, after Insecta and Arachnida. The diploid chromosomal number in diplopods varies from 2n=8 to 2n=30 and the sex determination mechanism commonly found is XY/XX. In meiotic prophase, the bouquet formation and the diffuse state in pachytene are typical events. The few works performed on Brazilian fauna add up to 16 species, out of an estimated number of 2000 to 3000 species. The present review reports all the species of diplopods that have been cytogenetically studied so far, each with its chromosome number and sex determination system.

TL, EPR and optical absorption studies on natural alexandrite compared to natural chrysoberyl

The TL, optical absorption (OA) and EPR properties of natural Brazilian alexandrite and chrysoberyl have been investigated. The TL measurements for natural alexandrite show five peaks between 100 and 450°C, with their emission spectrum having 370 and/or 570 nm components. The intensity of the 320°C TL peak was found to be enhanced with pre-annealing treatment, more prominently above 600°C. The OA and EPR measurements showed that this kind of heat treatment induces the Fe2→ Fe3+ conversion in the natural sample. Chrysoberyl samples exhibited the TL peaks at the same temperatures as alexandrite samples, but the glow curves were more than 200 times less intense than alexandrite ones.

Potential of Brazilian eugenia myrtaceae - As ornamental and as a fruit crop

Brazilian Myrtaceae comprises several genera of trees and shrubs used for ornamental and fruit production. In addition to the well known Guava, Pitanga and Jaboticaba, other species could be used for fruitculture, due the value and quality of their fruits and adaptation to some climate conditions mainly the subtropical one. Nine species of Eugenia were evaluated at Jaboticabal, located at 48° W and 21° S in São Paulo state in a germplasm bank. The average rain by year is 1431 mm and the temperature 22,2° C at an altitude of 575 m. The species are Eugenia klozschiana Berg. (Pero-do-campo), E. stipitata Mc Vaugh (Araça-boi), E. tomentosa Camb. (Cabeludinha), E. dysentherica DC. (Cagaita), E. brasiliensis Berg. (Grumixama), E.pitanga (Pitanga-anã), E. luchsnathiana Berg. (Pitomba), E. uvalha Camb. (Uvaia) and E. involucrata DC. (Cereja-do-rio-grande). The evaluations comprised tree development, fruit quality and leaf and flower morphological studies. The main results are: the trees of Pera-do-campo and Pitanga-anã are small shrubs of 1 to 2 m height, Araça-boi and Cabeludinha are small trees, 3 to 5 m high, and the other species are tall trees, with 5 to 10 m height. The species adapted well to the subtropical conditions, except for Araça-boi, which is native to the Amazonian region and exhibited a severe fungus disease infection. In relation to fruit quality, all the species had edible fruit, some were sweet and juicy, Cabeludinha, Grumixama, Pitomba, Cereja-do-rio grande and Pitanga-anã, while others had high acidity (Araça-boi, Pera-do-campo, Cagaita and Uvaia and were more suitable for processing. Simple, single leaves were characteristic of all species, but with different sizes and shapes., With the addition of color, smell and other characteristics, leaf size and shape were useful for comparative classification. Flower components and structure are described also.

GSTT1, GSTM1 and CYP2E1 genetic polymorphisms in gastric cancer and chronic gastritis in a Brazilian population

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Cloning and characterization of the cDNA for the Brazilian Cratomorphus distinctus larval firefly luciferase: Similarities with European Lampyris noctiluca and Asiatic Pyrocoelia luciferases

Studies on firefly (Lampyridae) luciferases have focused on nearctic species of Photinus and Photuris and Euroasiatic species of Lampyris, Luciola, Hotaria, and Pyrocoelia. Despite accounting for the greatest diversity of fireflies in the world, no molecular studies have been carried out on the highly diverse genera from the neotropical region. Here we report the luciferase cDNA cloning for the larva of the Brazilian firefly Cratomorphus distinctus. The cDNA has 1978 bp and codes for a 547-residue-long polypeptide. Noteworthy, sequence comparison as well as functional properties show the highest degree of similarity with Lampyris noctiluca (93%) and Pyrocoelia spp. (91%) luciferases, suggesting a close phylogenetic relationship despite the geographical distance separating these species. The bioluminescence emission spectrum peaks at 550 nm and, as expected, is sensitive to pH, shifting to 605 nm at pH 6. The kinetic properties of the recombinant luciferase were similar to those of other firefly luciferases. © 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Studies on the interaction between humic substances and conducting polymers for sensor application

The interaction between humic substances and poly(o-ethoxyaniline) (POEA), a conducting polymer, was investigated for both solution and self-assembled films. The results have shown that the humic substances induce a doping of POEA by protonation, as indicated by UV-Vis and Raman spectroscopies. The atomic force microscopy (AFM) studies on the self-assembled films have shown that the average roughness of the polymer film has increased after exposing it to humic substances (fulvic and humic acids), consistent with the interaction between POEA and humic substances. However, this change in morphology is reversible by washing the films with water in agreement with the electrical data allowing using this system in sensor applications. Here, the sensor formed by an array of different sensing units was able to detect and distinguish humic substances in aqueous solution, as shown by multivariate analysis (principal component analysis). The motivation to detect humic substance comes due to its importance in terms of quality control of water or soil. ©2005 Sociedade Brasileira de Química.

An integrated approach to identification and conservation of medicinal plants in the tropical forest - A Brazilian experience

An integrated and interdisciplinary research programme with native medicinal plants from tropical forests has been performed in order to obtain new forest products for sustainable use in regional markets vis-à-vis ecosystem conservation. For the success of this programme ethnopharmacological studies are very important with respect to (i) identification of useful plants including medicinal and aromatic species; (ii) recuperation and preservation of traditional knowledge about native plants; and (iii) identification of potential plants with economic value. The plants are selected with a view to evaluate efficacy and safety (pharmacological and toxicological studies), and phytochemical profile and quality control (phytochemical and chromatographic characterization). These studies are very important to add value to plant products and also to mitigate unscrupulous exploitation of medicinal plants by local communities, since multiple use of plants represents an excellent strategy for sustaining the tropical ecosystem through ex situ and in situ conservation. Thus, conservation of tropical resources is possible in conjunction with improvements in the quality of life of the traditional communities and production of new products with therapeutic, cosmetic and 'cosmeceutic' value. © NIAB 2005.