Ergonomic research applied in the design of pre-school furniture: The Mobipresc 3.6

This research describes the application of a scientific and technological model of Ergonomics in the design of pre-school furniture. The constant presence of the desk in early education and its influence in the relationship between the user and his educational environment determined the necessity of this project. The pre-school desk was considered as a work station, where the joint aspects of education and child anthropometry substantiate the problem. The review of the Historical application of Ergonomics in the Design of children's products consolidated the importance of this report. The development of ergonomic research, characterised by investigations of the Brazilian child's Anthropometry Data and Biomechanical Features, resulted in dimensional parameters of the user and physical characteristics of the present furniture. These elements, together with a comprehension of activities and needs in the pre-school, were connected with aspects of bibliographical revision to result in a series of recomendations for design. Through the methods of Ergonomic Design, a new proposal for the pre-school desk was developed, denominated Mobipresc 3.6.

On non-linear and non-ideal interactions in two vibrating problems

In practical situations, the dynamics of the forcing function on a vibrating system cannot be considered as given a priori, and it must be taken as a consequence of the dynamics of the whole system. In other words, the forcing source has limited power, as that provided by a DC motor for an example, and thus its own dynamics is influenced by that of the vibrating system being forced. This increases the number of degrees of freedom of the problem, and it is called a non-ideal problem. In this work, we considerer two non-ideal problems analyzed by using numerical simulations. The existence of the Sommerfeld effect was verified, that is, the effect of getting stuck at resonance (energy imparted to the DC motor being used to excite large amplitude motions of the supporting structure). We considered two kinds of non-ideal problem: one related to the transverse vibrations of a shaft carrying two disks and another to a piezoceramic bar transducer powered by a vacuum tube generated by a non-ideal source Copyright © 2007 by ASME.

A structure excited by a DC motor of limited power supply and controlled by a pendulum like device

In this paper, a mathematical model is derived via Lagrange's Equation for a shear building structure that acts as a foundation of a non-ideal direct current electric motor, controlled by a mass loose inside a circular carving. Non-ideal sources of vibrations of structures are those whose characteristics are coupled to the motion of the structure, not being a function of time only as in the ideal case. Thus, in this case, an additional equation of motion is written, related to the motor rotation, coupled to the equation describing the horizontal motion of the shear building. This kind of problem can lead to the so-called Sommerfeld effect: steady state frequencies of the motor will usually increase as more power (voltage) is given to it in a step-by-step fashion. When a resonance condition with the structure is reached, the better part of this energy is consumed to generate large amplitude vibrations of the foundation without sensible change of the motor frequency as before. If additional increase steps in voltage are made, one may reach a situation where the rotor will jump to higher rotation regimes, no steady states being stable in between. As a device of passive control of both large amplitude vibrations and the Sommerfeld effect, a scheme is proposed using a point mass free to bounce back and forth inside a circular carving in the suspended mass of the structure. Numerical simulations of the model are also presented Copyright © 2007 by ASME.

A self-healing architecture for Web service-based applications

Web service-based application is an architectural style, where a collection of Web services communicates to each other to execute processes. With the popularity increase of developing Web service-based application and once Web services may change, in terms of functional and non-functional Quality of Service (QoS), we need mechanisms to monitor, diagnose, and repair Web services into a Web Application. This work presents a description of self-healing architecture that deals with these mechanisms. Other contributions of this paper are using the proxy server to measure Web service QoS values and to employ some strategies to recovery the effects from misbehaved Web services. © 2008 IEEE.

Comparison of environmental indicators of two aviaries for laying Hens

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

Tropical influence in oriental gardens in Brazil

In the contemporary landscaping, among the gardening styles, the Japanese Garden plays very important rule and influence. The Japanese Garden has originated in China-the cradle of gardening culture; and Korea. Their vegetable elements, architectural features and fauna are characteristic, due to use of stones, water, bridges, stoned lamp, bonsai, carps and bamboo (Prunus serrulata, Camellia japonica, Ophiopogon japonicas) and many others. In Brazil, the Japanese Garden has massive influence, the presence of native elements typically tropical is very noticeable. This influence can be observed both in architecture, vegetation and fauna. Thus, this study aimed to identify and analyze the tropical elements in Japanese Gardens in cities such as São Paulo. Japanese Gardens in Brazil were chosen from the following cities: Sao Paulo State, Garça, Jaboticabal and Ribeirão Preto. It was observed, mostly in the presence of different palms species, plants of the Zingiberales order, Alpinia purpurata and styled architectural elements such as lakes. Some elements were able to apply the philosophy of the Japanese Garden, other not.

Spatial distribution and architecture of acromyrmex landolti forel (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) nests in pastures of Southwestern Bahia, Brazil

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

The systematic significance of floral morphology, nectaries, and nectar concentration in epiphytic cacti of tribes Hylocereeae and Rhipsalideae (Cactaceae)

A long-standing interest in cactus taxonomy has existed since the Linnaean generation, but an appreciation of the reproductive biology of cacti started early in the 1900s. Numerous studies indicate that plant reproductive traits provide valuable systematic information. Despite the extensive reproductive versatility and specializations in breeding systems coupled with the striking floral shapes, the reproductive biology of the Cactaceae has been investigated in approximately 10% of its species. Hence, the systematic value of architectural design and organization of internal floral parts has remained virtually unexplored in the family. This study represents the most extensive survey of flower and nectary morphology in the Cactaceae focusing on tribes Hylocereeae and Rhipsalideae (subfamily Cactoideae). Our objectives were (1) to conduct comparative morphological analyses of flowers and floral nectaries and (2) to compare nectar solute concentration in these two tribes consisting of holo- and semi-epiphytic species. Flower morphology, nectary types, and sugar concentration of nectar have strong taxonomic implications at the tribal, generic and specific levels. Foremost, three types of nectaries were found, namely chamber nectary (with the open and diffuse subtypes), furrow nectary (including the holder nectary subtype), and annular nectary. All Hylocereeae species possess chamber nectaries, in which the nectarial tissue has both trichomes and stomata. The Rhipsalideae are distinguished by two kinds of floral nectaries: furrow and annular, both nectary types with stomata only. The annular nectary type characterizes the genus Rhipsalis. Nectar concentration is another significant taxonomic indicator separating the Hylocereeae and Rhipsalideae and establishing trends linked to nectar sugar concentration and amount of nectar production in relation to flower size. There is an inverse relationship between flower size and amount of nectar production in the smaller Rhipsalideae flowers, in which nectar concentration is more than two-fold higher despite the smaller volume of nectar produced when compared to the large Hylocereeae flowers. Variability of nectary morphology and nectar concentration was also evaluated as potential synapomorphic characters in recent phylogenies of these tribes. In conclusion, our data provide strong evidence of the systematic value of floral nectaries and nectar sugar concentration in the Cactaceae, particularly at different taxonomic levels in the Hylocereeae and Rhipsalideae. © 2013 Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics.

Significance of the preservation of the architectural heritage in relation to tourism

Destaca la importancia de considerar la preservacion del patrimonio arquitectonico como un aporte al desarrollo de proyectos turisticos.

O impacto da globalização no ensino técnico: (Estudo de caso: ETE Eng. Herval Bellusci Adamantina/SP)

Pós-graduação em Educação - FFC

Escritos nas fronteiras: os livros de história do protestantismo brasileiro (1928-1982)

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

A representação da mulher paraguaia em contos de Josefina Plá

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Disentangling the Phylogenetic and Ecological Components of Spider Phenotypic Variation

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

Interrelationships Between Bones, Muscles, and Performance: Biting in the Lizard Tupinambis merianae

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Homogenous demineralized dentin matrix and platelet-rich plasma for bone tissue engineering in cranioplasty of diabetic rabbits: biochemical, radiographic, and histological analysis

This study evaluated the effects of homogenous demineralized dentin matrix (HDDM) slices and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in surgical defects created in the parietal bones of alloxan-induced diabetic rabbits, treated with a guided bone regeneration technique. Biochemical, radiographic, and histological analyses were performed. Sixty adult New Zealand rabbits were divided into five groups of 12: normoglycaemic (control, C), diabetic (D), diabetic with a PTFE membrane (DM), diabetic with a PTFE membrane and HDDM slices (DM-HDDM), and diabetic with PTFE membrane and PRP (DM-PRP). The quantity and quality of bone mass was greatest in the DM-HDDM group (respective radiographic and histological analyses: at 15 days, 71.70±16.50 and 50.80±1.52; 30 days, 62.73±16.51 and 54.20±1.23; 60 days, 63.03±11.04 and 59.91±3.32; 90 days, 103.60±24.86 and 78.99±1.34), followed by the DM-PRP group (respective radiographic and histological analyses: at 15 days 23.00±2.74 and 20.66±7.45; 30 days 31.92±6.06 and 25.31±5.59; 60 days 25.29±16.30 and 46.73±2.07; 90 days 38.10±14.04 and 53.38±9.20). PRP greatly enhanced vascularization during the bone repair process. Abnormal calcium metabolism was statistically significant in the DM-PRP group (P<0.001) for all four time intervals studied, especially when compared to the DM-HDDM group. Alkaline phosphatase activity was significantly higher in the DM-HDDM group (P<0.001) in comparison to the C, D, and DM-PRP groups, confirming the findings of intense osteoblastic activity and increased bone mineralization. Thus, HDDM promoted superior bone architectural microstructure in bone defects in diabetic rabbits due to its effective osteoinductive and osteoconductive activity, whereas PRP stimulated angiogenesis and red bone marrow formation.