A ferramenta VoiceThread em uma abordagem hibrida: o desenvolvimento da produção oral e da habilidade de noticing na aprendizagem de inglês como L2

VoiceThread (VT) is a collaborative and asynchronous web 2.0 tool, which permits the creation of oral presentations with the help of images, documents, texts and voice, allowing groups of people to browse and contribute with comments using several options: voice (microphone or cell phone), text and audio-file or video (webcam) (BOTTENTUIT JUNIOR, LISBÔA E COUTINHO, 2009). The hybrid experience with VoiceThread allows learners to plan their speech before recording it, without the pressure often existent in the classroom. Furthermore, the presentations can be recorded several times, enabling students to listen to them, notice the gaps in their oral production (noticing) and edit innumerous times before publishing them online. In this perspective, oral production is seen as a process of L2 acquisition, not only as practice of already existent knowledge, because it can stimulate the learner to process the language syntactically (SWAIN, 1985; 1995). In this context, this study aims to verify if there is a relation between the oral production of the learners more specifically the grammatical accuracy and the global oral grade and their noticing capacity, how the systematic practice with VoiceThread, in a hybrid approach, can impact the learners global oral development, their oral production in terms of fluency (number of words per minute), accuracy (number of errors in hundred words), and complexity (number of dependent clauses per minute), and on their noticing capacity (SCHMIDT, 1990; 1995; 2001), that is, the learner s capacity of noticing the gaps existent in their oral production. In order to answer these research questions, 49 L2 learners of English were divided into an experimental group (25 students) and a control group (24 students). The experimental group was exposed to the hybrid approach with VT during two months and, through a pre- and post-test, we verified if this systematic practice would positively influence these participants oral production and noticing capacity. These results were compared to the pre- and post-test scores from the control group, which was not exposed to VT. Finally, learners impressions in relation to the use of this tool were also sought through a questionnaire applied after the post-test. The results indicate that there is a statistically significant correlation between the learners speech production (accuracy and global oral grade) and their noticing capacity. Besides, it was verified a positive impact of VoiceThread on the learners speech production variables and on their noticing capacity. They also reveal a positive reaction by the learners in relation to the hybrid experience with this web tool

Determinação da solução ótima do problema de fluxo de potência ótimo via análise de sensibilidade

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

A modified Primal-Dual Logarithmic-Barrier Method for solving the Optimal Power Flow problem with discrete and continuous control variables

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

A influência da criopreservação nas células mesenquimais indiferenciadas do ligamento periodontal de humanos análise comparativa in vitro

Cryopreservation is a process where cells or biological tissues are preserved by freezing at very low temperatures and aims to cease reversibly, in a controlled manner, all the biological functions of living tissues, i.e., maintain cell preservation so that it can recover with high degree of viability and functional integrity. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of cryopreservation on the mesenchymal stem cells originating from the periodontal ligament of human third molars by in vitro experiments. Six healthy teeth were removed and the periodontal cells grown in culture medium containing α-MEM supplemented with antibiotics and 15% FBS in a humidified atmosphere with 5% CO2 at 37° C. Cells isolated from each sample were divided into two groups: Group I - immediate cell culture (not fresh cryopreserved cells) and Group II - cell cryopreservation, during a period of 30 days. Analyses of rates of cell adhesion and proliferation in different groups were performed by counting the cells adhered to the wells, in intervals of 24, 48 and 72 hours after the start of cultivation. The number of cells in each well was obtained by counting viable cells with the use of hemocytometer and the method of exclusion of cells stained by trypan blue. The difference between groups for each of the times was analyzed by Wilcoxon test. Regarding the temporal evolution for each group, analysis was done by Friedman's test to verify the existence of differences between times and, when it existed, the Wilcoxon penalty was applied. The results showed no statistically significant difference between the two groups analyzed in this study. Therefore, we conclude that the cryopreservation process, after a period of 30 days, did not influence the cell type studied, and there was no difference in growth capacity in vitro between the groups

A novel approach based on recurrent neural networks applied to nonlinear systems optimization

This paper presents an efficient approach based on recurrent neural network for solving nonlinear optimization. More specifically, a modified Hopfield network is developed and its internal parameters are computed using the valid subspace technique. These parameters guarantee the convergence of the network to the equilibrium points that represent an optimal feasible solution. The main advantage of the developed network is that it treats optimization and constraint terms in different stages with no interference with each other. Moreover, the proposed approach does not require specification of penalty and weighting parameters for its initialization. A study of the modified Hopfield model is also developed to analyze its stability and convergence. Simulation results are provided to demonstrate the performance of the proposed neural network. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Design and analysis of an efficient neural network model for solving nonlinear optimization problems

This paper presents an efficient approach based on a recurrent neural network for solving constrained nonlinear optimization. More specifically, a modified Hopfield network is developed, and its internal parameters are computed using the valid-subspace technique. These parameters guarantee the convergence of the network to the equilibrium points that represent an optimal feasible solution. The main advantage of the developed network is that it handles optimization and constraint terms in different stages with no interference from each other. Moreover, the proposed approach does not require specification for penalty and weighting parameters for its initialization. A study of the modified Hopfield model is also developed to analyse its stability and convergence. Simulation results are provided to demonstrate the performance of the proposed neural network.

Implementation of two-stage Hopfield model and its application in nonlinear systems

This paper presents an efficient neural network for solving constrained nonlinear optimization problems. More specifically, a two-stage neural network architecture is developed and its internal parameters are computed using the valid-subspace technique. The main advantage of the developed network is that it treats optimization and constraint terms in different stages with no interference with each other. Moreover, the proposed approach does not require specification of penalty or weighting parameters for its initialization.

Medida da preditividade de instrumentos psicológicos nas avaliações psicológicas de condutores

The object of this study was to identify the possibility of predicting the involvement in traffic infractions from the results of the psychological tests carried out by psychologists specialized in the process of driver licensing in the state of Rio Grande do Norte (RN). The proposal consisted in identifying the penalty points recorded in national driving licenses (CNH) and identifying the corresponding tests and scores obtained, verifying if the average scores in the tests of drivers with and without an infraction record were significantly different and if there is any relation between the test scores and the frequency of the infractions. The results of the psychological instruments were collected in two moments the first being in the act of acquisition of the CNH and the second being during license renewal at the only certified clinic and at the DETRAN-RN. A population of 839 drivers of 14 municipalities were identified. 127 protocols of psychological tests were identified in the records of the DETRAN-RN (2002) and 76 at the clinic (2007), pointing out failures in the process of safekeeping of the psychological material, as well as in its retrieval from the record files. The sample was thus reduced to 68 drivers, all male, with age range between 18 and 41 years old, mean of 21,72 years old (DP = 5,24). 54 drivers were identified without a record of infraction, and 14 with a record. The latter committed 29 infractions. The penalty points recorded in their CNH ranged from 0 to 35 and the typical value of points (median) was zero. In the group with a record of infractions the number of points ranged between 3 and 35, mean of 10,79 (DP = 7,73). Differences were observed in the composition of the battery of tests in the two moments with the same subjects. The use of different tests to assess the same construct of the subject, first and second moment of assessment, did not allow for some analyzes with more efficient statistical proof. It was pointed out that five tests were not carried out and 118 were not corrected/analyzed. Significant differences between the groups were not identified with the psychological instruments used. In another attempt to establish differences between the means, the application of the independent t-Test evidenced a significant difference in the scores of the instruments of concentrated attention in 2002 (t = 2,21, gl = 25, p = 0.037) and of diffuse attention in 2002 (t = 2,37, gl = 24, p = 0.026). The results also did not evidence significant correlation between the scores of the tests and the penalty points of the infractions. Based on this study, it cannot be concluded with precision that the high or low scores are good criteria to determine that a driver will commit more or less traffic infractions, nor that the drivers with higher scores in the tests commit less infractions and vice-versa. Furthermore, the problems to find the instruments and the most basic data require a stronger monitoring on the part of the certified clinic and of the DETRAN-RN.

New laws for author's rights: adequate for digital preservation?

Introduction. Besides technical and economic-organisational problems, digital preservation also faces legal issues, especially regarding copyright legislation, since all digital preservation strategies involve copying materials and/or using software which is typically copyrighted. The purpose of this paper is to ascertain the extent to which current copyright laws meet the preservation requirements of library materials..Methodology. A cross-sectional analysis of recently updated national copyright laws as well as the impact of the other two protection methods: contractual and technological.Results. Even after the latest updates current copyright legislation is almost useless for digital preservation activities since the opportunities provided by WIPO Copyright Treaty to adapt and extend copyright exceptions and limitations have been used to the full.Conclusion. We need a legislation reform that will make it possible to carry out all required copying and communication activities and software use, even if circumventing technological protection is needed. But that is not enough for licensed works. The best solution for this kind of work is to include specific clauses in the licences that facilitate preservation activities. Thus, cooperation between both parties, libraries and rights' holders, is essential.

O problema do caixeiro viajante alugador : um estudo algorítmico

The Car Rental Salesman Problem (CaRS) is a variant of the classical Traveling Salesman Problem which was not described in the literature where a tour of visits can be decomposed into contiguous paths that may be performed in different rental cars. The aim is to determine the Hamiltonian cycle that results in a final minimum cost, considering the cost of the route added to the cost of an expected penalty paid for each exchange of vehicles on the route. This penalty is due to the return of the car dropped to the base. This paper introduces the general problem and illustrates some examples, also featuring some of its associated variants. An overview of the complexity of this combinatorial problem is also outlined, to justify their classification in the NPhard class. A database of instances for the problem is presented, describing the methodology of its constitution. The presented problem is also the subject of a study based on experimental algorithmic implementation of six metaheuristic solutions, representing adaptations of the best of state-of-the-art heuristic programming. New neighborhoods, construction procedures, search operators, evolutionary agents, cooperation by multi-pheromone are created for this problem. Furtermore, computational experiments and comparative performance tests are conducted on a sample of 60 instances of the created database, aiming to offer a algorithm with an efficient solution for this problem. These results will illustrate the best performance reached by the transgenetic algorithm in all instances of the dataset

Códigos de sustentação da linguagem no cotidiano prisional do Rio Grande do Norte: penitenciária estadual de Parnamirim

The quarrel, in this study, tells about the language as social practical in the daily of Parnamirim State Prison that is integrated to the Rio Grande do Norte Penitentiary System - SISPERN, destined for men in fulfilment of penalty privative of freedom, in closed regimen. For the accomplishment of the research, the delimited objectives had been to analyze the language repertoires created in the prisional daily, trying to identify how it´s turned into distinct forms of resistance to the mechanisms of control in penitentiary system; to investigate which are the language repertoires created from the new sociability forms developed among prisoners and identify how the language repertoires are expressed in the daily prisional on relations/exercises of power not-institutionalized. In the methodological aspect, the study is in a qualitative boarding, that has as main instrument the interview. The inquiry was possible by means of using instruments for data collection, like as: the direct comment in the prisional daily duly registered as researcher´s ethnographical procedure, the analysis of interns´ cadastre handbooks and the application of half-structuralized interview, to the subjects of the research. The construction and understanding of the study object had been based on authors who argue on the arrest, as: Foucault, Goffman, Carvalho Filho and, in particular was searched the theorical referencial that approaches the language in a social and cultural perspective: Orlandi, Manfred, Bastos and Candiotto, amongst others. Beyond the normative endorsement of the Brazilian legislation, through the Law of Criminal Execution, of the Criminal Code and the Federal Constitution of the country and the legal apparatus in state scope. Still in the research methodological perspective, after the collection the data had been submitted to an analysis of the speech from Foucalt´s theory and in the Orlandi´s perspective, being also qualitative and quantitative. The results had evidenced that the social and juridical profile of the population in the site inquired is not different of others Brazilian prisons, composed for men, in its majority, with age band between 21 and 30 years old, prisoners for practicing crimes against the patrimony, against life, amongst others, and, in special, criminal recidivists. It evidenced, still, that the daily prisional of PSP is characterized for a sociocultural diversity expressed in the relations of power not institutionalized, that contributes for the formation and division of the groups, each one using a set of language codes/ repertoires sustentation. Therefore, the language, in the daily prisional, is one of the ways to understand the singularity of the sociability relations and as social practicing mediated by relations/exercises of power and antagonistic interests, in which each group aims first of all, their own interests. It represents the complexity of the social relations, in the prisional space, with diverse effects, in function of the situation and the moment. The language in the arrest, beyond the communication function, assumes and represents central element for the sociability human being, contributes for its changings and it´s configured as one of the resistance forms of prisoners against the controling, disciplining and monitoring mechanisms of penitentiary system

O circuito espacial da indústria de cerâmica vermelha no seridó potiguar

This research has as an empirical universe, the productive territory of red ware in the Seridó region of Rio Grande do Norte. In the last years this territory has gone through a process of appropriation that has been substantially changing the environmental and social dynamism of the place. However, the industry of red ware has been focusing in some areas, mainly, in the county of Parelhas and Carnaúba dos Dantas. From this point of view, the aim of this work consists in analyze the use of these areas by the red ware industry and the transformations occurred with the expansion of the number of industries and the productivity raise, that requires bigger amounts of earthenware and wood, resources that are low in referred territory. As the result of this process, the suitable alternative has been to acquire inputs in other Rio Grande do Norte counties, as well as in Paraíba counties. To reach the proposed objective, the methodology of this work was consisted of bibliographic and empirical research, regarding the occupation that this activity covers in the Seridó region. From the information obtained during the research, it can be stated that the inputs to the production execution in the red ware industry are acquired in the geographic nearby lands. The analysis of the stages of the production(acquisition of raw material, production and commercialization) showed that the activity acts in a continuous area, having as principal consumer market other northeastern states and the state of Pará. The present study revealed that the pottery activity is set as untenable, because of non-stopping use of the argil and wood, resources that are vanishing from the area, which consume causes a many problems such as deforestation and erosion. Besides, the sale of productive lands for the red ware industries makes harder its good use by the familiar agriculturists in the development of agriculture and cattle raising activity, which for many times is the main economic activity of the place. The precariousness reveals in the constant accidents at work, that most of them are neglected by the local authorities, without any penalty to the industries. Therefore, the industry of red ware in Seridó uses the territory as a resource, leaving its environmental problems that my compromise the quality of life of the actual and future generations

História de uma completiva: origem e desenvolvimento do complemento oracional introduzido por se do português

O propósito deste trabalho é investigar o percurso histórico da oração completiva iniciada pela conjunção se do português, que também introduz, nessa e em outras línguas românicas, uma oração adverbial condicional. Com base em registros de filólogos e romanistas, demonstra-se que a similaridade existente entre essas orações é resultado de gramaticalização da oração condicional que, no latim, passou a funcionar como oração completiva, em razão da extinção das partículas interrogativas que passaram a ser substituídas pela conjunção condicional latina si. Como oração completiva, a oração com se submete-se à gramaticalização, integrando-se à oração matriz de um modo que, conforme proposta de Hopper e Traugott (1993) e de Lehmann (1988), é próprio a construções completivas. A forma que tem essa oração de se gramaticalizar, incorporando-se à oração matriz, é, entretanto, diferente do que é previsto ocorrer a uma completiva introduzida por que, uma diferença que se deve, sobretudo, ao significado hipotético que a completiva com se preserva de sua fonte histórica. Demonstra-se, por fim, que, do português arcaico ao português contemporâneo, a gramaticalização do complemento oracional introduzido por se não se configura em mudança diacrônica, já que essa gramaticalização é atestada desde períodos mais remotos, em textos do século XIV.

Hipotaxe e Gramaticalização: uma Análise das Construções de Tempo e de Condição

O trabalho estuda construções de orações hipotáticas temporais e construções de orações hipotáticas condicionais, com a finalidade de investigar o grau de gramaticalização que se verifica nesses dois tipos de enunciados. A hipótese é que quanto maior a integração da oração hipotática à nuclear, maior o grau de gramaticalização. Essa maior integração foi medida segundo três grupos de fatores, e os resultados mostraram que, em duas das variáveis avaliadas, as orações condicionais são as mais integradas a seu núcleo, mas, em outra ordem de avaliação, as orações temporais são as mais integradas. Dentro da base funcionalista em que o trabalho se move, esses resultados podem ser interpretados segundo o princípio da existência de competição de motivações no jogo da linguagem, entendendo-se que cada enunciado que se produz é o resultado do equilíbrio dessas pressões.

Primal-dual logarithmic barrier and augmented Lagrangian function to the loss minimization in power systems

This article presents a new approach to minimize the losses in electrical power systems. This approach considers the application of the primal-dual logarithmic barrier method to voltage magnitude and tap-changing transformer variables, and the other inequality constraints are treated by augmented Lagrangian method. The Lagrangian function aggregates all the constraints. The first-order necessary conditions are reached by Newton's method, and by updating the dual variables and penalty factors. Test results are presented to show the good performance of this approach.