Contribution towards a reflection about methodological strategies in design education and the function of drawing in design

This work presents a reflection on Design education and specifically on the role of Drawing in this area. As a subject, Design has expanded its field of action expanding into new areas such as Experience Design or Service Design. It became necessary for the designer to have more than an education based on technological knowledge or know-how. Many authors like Meredith Davis, Don Norman or Jamie Hobson point out the urgency to review the curricula of Design courses because nowadays “… design is more than appearance, design is about interaction, about strategy and about services. Designers change social behavior” (Norman 2011). When shifting from a product-centered design to a person-centered design (in a structure, a service or in a relationship) what should the function of drawing in a design course be? What should its curriculum be? Our work methodology will be to confront today’s perspectives on design theory and practice in an attempt to add to the discussion on the methodological strategies in design teaching in the contemporary context.

Studies in search of a suitable experimental insect model for xenodiagnosis of hosts with Chagas' disease: 4 - The reflection of parasite stock in the responsiveness of different vector species to chronic infection with different Trypanosoma cruzi stocks

Previous studies (1982,1987) have emphasized the superiority of sylvatic vector species over domestic species as xenodiagnostic agents in testing hosts with acute or chronic infections by T. cruzi "Y" stock. The present study, which is unique in that it contains data on both infectivity rates produced by the same stock in 11 different vector species and also the reaction of the same vector species to seven different parasite stocks, establishes the general validity of linking efficiency of xenodiagnosis to the biotope of its agent. For example, infectivity rates produced by "São Felipe" stock varied from 82.5% to 98.3% in sylvatic vectors but decreased to 42.5% to 71.3% in domestic species. "Colombiana" stock produced in the same sylvatic vectors infectivity rates ranging from 12.5% to 45%. These shrank to 5%-22.5% in domestic bugs. The functional role of the biotope in the vector-parasite interaction has not been eluddated. But since this phenomenon has been observed to be stable and easy to reproduce, it leads us to believe that the results obtained are valid. Data presented also provide increasing evidence that the infectivity rates exhibited by bugs from xenodiagnosis in chronic hosts, are parasite stock specific. For example, infectivity rates produced by "Berenice", "Y", "FL" and "CL" varied in R. neglectus from 26.3% to 75%; in P. megistus from 56.3% to 83.8%; in T. sordida from 28.8% to 58.8% in T. pseudomaculata from 41.3% to 66.3% and in T. rubrovaria from 48.8% to 85%. Data from xenodiagnosis in the same hosts, carrying acute infections by the same parasite stocks, gave the five sylvatic vectors a positive rating of approximately 100%, thus suggesting that the heavy loads of parasites circulating in the acute hosts obscured the characteristic interspecific differences for the parasite stock. Nonetheless these latter were revealed in the same hosts with chronic infections stimulated by very low numbers of the same parasite stocks. Certain observations here described lead us to speculate as to the possibility of further results from other parasite stocks, allowing the association of the infectivity rates produced in bugs by different parasite stocks with the isoenzymic patterns revealed by these stocks.

Formal caregivers of older adults: reflection about their practice

OBJECTIVE To understand the job function of caregivers of older adults and contribute to the debate on the consolidation of this professional practice. METHODOLOGICAL PROCEDURES This is a descriptive, qualitative, and exploratory study. Four focal group sessions were performed in 2011 with 11 elderly companions, formal caregivers of older adults in the Programa Acompanhante de Idosos (Program for Caregivers of Older Adults), Sao Paulo, SP, Southeastern Brazil. These sessions, guided by a semi-structured script, were audio-recorded and fully transcribed. Data were analyzed using the Content Analysis technique, Thematic Modality. RESULTS In view of considering the caregivers of older adults as a new category of workers, it was difficult to define their duties. The elderly companions themselves as well as the care receivers, their families, and the professionals that comprised the team were unclear about their duties. The professional practice of these formal caregivers has been built on the basis of constant discussions and negotiations among them and other team members in Programa Acompanhante de Idosos during daily work. This was achieved via a recognition process of their job functions and by setting apart other workers’ exclusive responsibilities. CONCLUSIONS The delimitation of specific job functions for elderly companions is currently one of the greatest challenges faced by these workers to develop and consolidate their professional role as well as improve Programa Acompanhante de Idosos.

Historical analysis of the Brazilian cervical cancer screening program from 2006 to 2013: a time for reflection

BACKGROUND: The Cervical Cancer Database of the Brazilian National Health Service (SISCOLO) contains information regarding all cervical cytological tests and, if properly explored, can be used as a tool for monitoring and managing the cervical cancer screening program. The aim of this study was to perform a historical analysis of the cervical cancer screening program in Brazil from 2006 to 2013. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The data necessary to calculate quality indicators were obtained from the SISCOLO, a Brazilian health system tool. Joinpoint analysis was used to calculate the annual percentage change. RESULTS: We observed important trends showing decreased rates of low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL) and high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL) and an increased rate of rejected exams from 2009 to 2013. The index of positivity was maintained at levels below those indicated by international standards; very low frequencies of unsatisfactory cases were observed over the study period, which partially contradicts the low rate of positive cases. The number of positive cytological diagnoses was below that expected, considering that developed countries with low frequencies of cervical cancer detect more lesions annually. CONCLUSIONS: The evolution of indicators from 2006 to 2013 suggests that actions must be taken to improve the effectiveness of cervical cancer control in Brazil.

Fracture imaging within a granitic rock aquifer using multiple-offset single-hole and cross-hole GPR reflection data

The sparsely spaced highly permeable fractures of the granitic rock aquifer at Stang-er-Brune (Brittany, France) form a well-connected fracture network of high permeability but unknown geometry. Previous work based on optical and acoustic logging together with single-hole and cross-hole flowmeter data acquired in 3 neighbouring boreholes (70-100 m deep) has identified the most important permeable fractures crossing the boreholes and their hydraulic connections. To constrain possible flow paths by estimating the geometries of known and previously unknown fractures, we have acquired, processed and interpreted multifold, single- and cross-hole GPR data using 100 and 250 MHz antennas. The GPR data processing scheme consisting of timezero corrections, scaling, bandpass filtering and F-X deconvolution, eigenvector filtering, muting, pre-stack Kirchhoff depth migration and stacking was used to differentiate fluid-filled fracture reflections from source generated noise. The final stacked and pre-stack depth-migrated GPR sections provide high-resolution images of individual fractures (dipping 30-90°) in the surroundings (2-20 m for the 100 MHz antennas; 2-12 m for the 250 MHz antennas) of each borehole in a 2D plane projection that are of superior quality to those obtained from single-offset sections. Most fractures previously identified from hydraulic testing can be correlated to reflections in the single-hole data. Several previously unknown major near vertical fractures have also been identified away from the boreholes.

Estimation of the correlation structure of crustal velocity heterogeneity from seismic reflection data

Numerous sources of evidence point to the fact that heterogeneity within the Earth's deep crystalline crust is complex and hence may be best described through stochastic rather than deterministic approaches. As seismic reflection imaging arguably offers the best means of sampling deep crustal rocks in situ, much interest has been expressed in using such data to characterize the stochastic nature of crustal heterogeneity. Previous work on this problem has shown that the spatial statistics of seismic reflection data are indeed related to those of the underlying heterogeneous seismic velocity distribution. As of yet, however, the nature of this relationship has remained elusive due to the fact that most of the work was either strictly empirical or based on incorrect methodological approaches. Here, we introduce a conceptual model, based on the assumption of weak scattering, that allows us to quantitatively link the second-order statistics of a 2-D seismic velocity distribution with those of the corresponding processed and depth-migrated seismic reflection image. We then perform a sensitivity study in order to investigate what information regarding the stochastic model parameters describing crustal velocity heterogeneity might potentially be recovered from the statistics of a seismic reflection image using this model. Finally, we present a Monte Carlo inversion strategy to estimate these parameters and we show examples of its application at two different source frequencies and using two different sets of prior information. Our results indicate that the inverse problem is inherently non-unique and that many different combinations of the vertical and lateral correlation lengths describing the velocity heterogeneity can yield seismic images with the same 2-D autocorrelation structure. The ratio of all of these possible combinations of vertical and lateral correlation lengths, however, remains roughly constant which indicates that, without additional prior information, the aspect ratio is the only parameter describing the stochastic seismic velocity structure that can be reliably recovered.

Constraining 3-D electrical resistance tomography with GPR reflection data forimproved aquifer characterization

Surface-based ground penetrating radar (GPR) and electrical resistance tomography (ERT) are common tools for aquifer characterization, because both methods provide data that are sensitive to hydrogeologically relevant quantities. To retrieve bulk subsurface properties at high resolution, we suggest incorporating structural information derived from GPR reflection data when inverting surface ERT data. This reduces resolution limitations, which might hinder quantitative interpretations. Surface-based GPR reflection and ERT data have been recorded on an exposed gravel bar within a restored section of a previously channelized river in northeastern Switzerland to characterize an underlying gravel aquifer. The GPR reflection data acquired over an area of 240×40 m map the aquifer's thickness and two internal sub-horizontal regions with different depositional patterns. The interface between these two regions and the boundary of the aquifer with then underlying clay are incorporated in an unstructured ERT mesh. Subsequent inversions are performed without applying smoothness constraints across these boundaries. Inversion models obtained by using these structural constraints contain subtle resistivity variations within the aquifer that are hardly visible in standard inversion models as a result of strong vertical smearing in the latter. In the upper aquifer region, with high GPR coherency and horizontal layering, the resistivity is moderately high (N300 Ωm). We suggest that this region consists of sediments that were rearranged during more than a century of channelized flow. In the lower low coherency region, the GPR image reveals fluvial features (e.g., foresets) and generally more heterogeneous deposits. In this region, the resistivity is lower (~200 Ωm), which we attribute to increased amounts of fines in some of the well-sorted fluvial deposits. We also find elongated conductive anomalies that correspond to the location of river embankments that were removed in 2002.

Laüe back-reflection method for crystallographic orientation of a martensitic Cu-Zn-Al single crystal of the monoclinic system

A martensitic single crystal Cu-23.95Zn-3.62(wt.%)Al alloy was obtained melting pure Cu, Zn and Al using Bridgman's method. The martensitic phase (monoclinic) can present up to 24 variants, and orienting the surface according to a certain plane is a very hard task. The single crystal was submitted to 8 tons of tension (stress) along the longitudinal direction to reduce the number of variants and facilitate the surface orientation according to the desired plane. This single crystal was oriented using the Laüe back-reflection method to give surfaces with the following oriented crystallographic planes: (010), (120) and (130). It was observed that the tension stress was applied along the [010] direction.

Reflection Reframed: The Process of Photography as Strategy for Teachers' Reflective Practice

Teacher reflective practice is described as an effective method for engaging teachers in improving their own professional learning. Yet, some teachers do not understand how to effectively engage in the reflective processes, or prefer not to formalize the process through writing a reflective journal as taught in most teacher education programs. Developing reflective skills through the process of photography was investigated in this study as a strategy to allow enhanced teacher reflection for professional and personal growth. The process of photography is understood as the mindful act of photographing rather than focusing on the final product-the image. For this study, 3 practicing educators engaged in photographic exercises as a reflective process. Data sources included transcribed interviews, participant journal reflections, and sketchbook artifacts, as well as the researcher's personal journal notes. Findings indicated that, through the photographic process, (a) teacher participants developed new and individual strategies for professional leaming; and (b) teacher participants experienced shifts in the way they conceptualized their personal worldviews.

Mountain waves in two-layer sheared flows: Critical-level effects, wave reflection, and drag enhancement

Internal gravity waves generated in two-layer stratified shear flows over mountains are investigated here using linear theory and numerical simulations. The impact on the gravity wave drag of wind profiles with constant unidirectional or directional shear up to a certain height and zero shear above, with and without critical levels, is evaluated. This kind of wind profile, which is more realistic than the constant shear extending indefinitely assumed in many analytical studies, leads to important modifications in the drag behavior due to wave reflection at the shear discontinuity and wave filtering by critical levels. In inviscid, nonrotating, and hydrostatic conditions, linear theory predicts that the drag behaves asymmetrically for backward and forward shear flows. These differences primarily depend on the fraction of wavenumbers that pass through their critical level before they are reflected by the shear discontinuity. If this fraction is large, the drag variation is not too different from that predicted for an unbounded shear layer, while if it is small the differences are marked, with the drag being enhanced by a considerable factor at low Richardson numbers (Ri). The drag may be further enhanced by nonlinear processes, but its qualitative variation for relatively low Ri is essentially unchanged. However, nonlinear processes seem to interact constructively with shear, so that the drag for a noninfinite but relatively high Ri is considerably larger than the drag without any shear at all.

Reflection of matter waves in potential structures

In this paper the behavior of matter waves in suddenly terminated potential structures is investigated numerically. It is shown that there is no difference between a fully quantum mechanical treatment and a semiclassical one with regards to energy redistribution. For the quantum case it is demonstrated that there can be substantial reflection at the termination. The neglect of backscattering by the semiclassical method brings about major differences in the case of low kinetic energies. A simple phenomenological model is shown to partially explain the observed backscattering using dynamics of reduced dimensionality.

Saliva: reflection of the body

Saliva has become an important resource for evaluating physiological and pathological conditions in humans. The use of saliva has many advantages, including the simple and non-invasive method of collection and its easy, low-cost storage. With the addition of modern techniques and chemical instrumentation equipment, there has been an increase in its use for laboratory investigations, applicable for basic and clinical analyses in the fields of medicine and dentistry. The value of these methods for the diagnosis of oral and systemic diseases has been the subject of study by several researchers with the aim of increasing its use alongside complementary exams. (C) 2009 International Society for Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.