Defining functional urban regions in Bahia, Brazil, using roadway coverage and population density variables

The concept of Functional Urban Regions (FURs), also called Metropolitan Regions (MRs), is not simple. It is clear, though, that they are not simply a combination of adjacent municipalities or areas. Different methods can be used for their definition. However, especially in developing countries, the application of some methods is not possible, due to the unavailability of detailed data. Alternative approaches have been developed based on spatial analysis methods and using variables extracted from available data. The objective of this study is to compare the results of two spatial analysis methods exploring two variables: population density and an indicator of transport infrastructure supply. The first method regards Exploratory Spatial Data Analyses tools, which define uniform regions based on specific variables. The second method used the same variables and the spatial analysis technique available in the computer program SKATER - Spatial 'K'luster Analysis by Tree Edge Removal. Assuming that those classifications of regions with similar characteristics can be used for identifying potential FURS, the results of all analyses were compared with one another and with the 'official' MR. A combined approach was also considered for comparison, but none of the results match the existing MR boundaries, what challenges the official definitions. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Análise espacial e quimiométrica da distribuição de espécies metálicas em solos alagáveis e não alagáveis da Bacia do Médio Rio Negro, Amazônia

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

Análise espacial da Leishmaniose Visceral Canina em Presidente Prudente – SP: abordagem geográfica da saúde ambiental

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

Mapeamento de áreas susceptíveis a sinistros climáticos no município de Rio Claro-SP

This work discourse on Civil Defense’ strategic planning and severe events in the city of Rio Claro – SP. In order to realize spatial analysis about its damages, registered by Civil Defense Department, it is being propose a methodological procedure by the use of Geographical Information System – Arc Gis 9.3.1. and another with SPRING 5.1.8.. The mapping of target areas and their impacts, during a period, have a great importance to the identification of possible risk areas as well as their use for logistic support to corps which is somehow involved to severe events and their victims, and to create a robust alert system

Ocorrência e distribuição espacial de mamíferos não-voadores em reflorestamento no sudeste do Brasil

The Conservation in countrysides landscapes only it will be understood in the context of the habitat fragmentation that have been affected the species richness, abundance and distribution. We carried out a mammal survey in platation forest at São Paulo State and 8 we discussed the species richness comparing with others sites surveyed elsewhere. We investigate the landscape influence in the mammal species distribution through spatial analysis. The absence of primate species in plantation forests appear to be a pattern for this environments. The species richness was similar among areas and it was higher when there have contiguous native forest remnants. Moreover the landscape interference don’t appeared affect the mammal species distribution. In overview the landscape connectivity is ameliorate with forest plantation. However, those species more susceptible to extinction in fragmented landscape only can persist when there are contiguous forest fragments from the plantation forests. The management of plantation forests can improves the conservation value for medium and large size mammals species at countryside landscapes.

Contaminação radioativa: aspectos fundamentais associados à poluição nuclear

Since its discovery, radioactivity has brought numerous benefits to human societies. It has many applications in medicine, serving as a tool for non-invasive methods for diagnosis and therapies against diseases such as cancer. It also applies to technologies for energy in nuclear power plants with relatively low impacts on terms of perfect security. All applications, however, have risks, requiring maximum caution to drive processes and operations involving radioactive elements because, once released into the environment, they have extremely harmful effects on organisms affected. This paper presents fundamental concepts and principles of nuclear physics in order to understand the effects of radioactive elements released into the environment, culminating on the issue of radioactive contamination. Literature review allowed us to understand the radioactive contamination problem on living beings. Three major nuclear accidents have happened in the last thirty years, two of them in consecutive years. The nuclear accident at Chernobyl, Ukraine, in 1986, polluted large areas, condemning hundreds of thousands of people to live with consequences of the accident and effects of radiation, killing thousands of people throughout the years. In 1987, a major radiological accident occurred in Goiania (GO) when a source of radioactive cesium was violated, leading to the death of those who had direct or indirect contact with cesium. The most recent accident, in March, 2011, was located at the nuclear power plant in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, after an earthquake and tsunami hit the region. There is no extensive and accurate knowledge about the consequences of the contamination entailed in that accident, although it is possible to verify signals on a global scale. An analysis of reports of contamination of large areas generated by nuclear plants with release of hazardous wastes suggests it is necessary to rethink the energy matrix of the various countries...

Desenvolvimento de uma plataforma analítica para aquisição de imagens moleculares em tecidos animais

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Validação de uma escala colorida de esforço percebido para adultas jovens e idosas em caminhada na esteira

The perceived exertion has been used for the intensity control and exercise prescription. Among the various scales that estimate the perceived exertion, the Borg’s RPE scale is one of the best known. However, for populations with low levels of schooling or with visual difficulties such as the elderly, the application of these scales becomes more difficult. In previous studies, a color scale of perceived exertion was developed to aim for assistance in application of the scale and interpretation of perceived exertion. This scale showed high correlation with the Borg’s scale and proved to be valid to estimate the perceived exertion. Thereby, the aim of this study was to assess the validity of the color scale of perceived exertion to measure the perceived exertion in adult women of different ages. Participated in the study 12 young adult women with age of 21,7 ± 1,5 years old, and 10 elderly women with age of 60,3 ± 3,5 years old. The participants were submitted to an incremental exercise of treadmill walking with stages of 2 minutes duration. The inicial load was 5,5 km/h and inclination of 6% for young women and 2% for elderly women, both with 2% increments at each stage completed, without changing the speed. Heart rate and oxygen comsuption responses were determined at the 30 finals seconds of each stage. At the 60 finals seconds of each stage participants indicated the perceived exertion for the overall body, for the legs and for the chest, primarily in the color scale and following in the tradicional Borg’s scale. The analysis of variance for repeated measures was used to assess the effect of different loads on the perceived exertion and physiological responses. The correlations betwen physiological variables, color scale and Borg’s scale were analyzed in group and individually. In all analysis the significance...(Complete abstract click electronic access below)

Poluição atmosférica e paisagem urbana no município de São Paulo

This paper proposes an analysis of two major polluting elements of the atmosphere of São Paulo city, carbon monoxide (CO) and sulfur dioxide (SO2). This study was performed through analysis of data on the quality of air, by means of published reports and records obtained by experiment using measuring rate monitor for CO2. Atmospheric data were collected and sorted. From this work it was possible to identify the concentration of carbon dioxide in the center of São Paulo on September 14, 2012 using the infrared gas analyzer (IRGA). From the ratios of carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide spatially analyzed could identify major emitters by comparing records of pollutants and their origin. The analysis makes it possible to map the intensity of air pollution in urban areas, identifying the polluting elements, their issuers and thereby contributes to the current understanding of atmospheric features, bringing a geographical spatial analysis of air pollutants in São Paulo, contributing to awareness of vulnerabilities, enabling a useful tool for planning and maintenance of the urban environment related public policies

A tecnologia de microarray no estudo do câncer de cabeça e pescoço

(Microarray technology in study of head neck cancer). The microarray technology is a tool for global analysis of gene expression that allows investigating hundreds or thousands of genes in a sample using a hybridization reaction. This technology is based on hybridization between labeled targets derived from biological samples and an array of many DNA probes immobilized on a solid matrix, representing the genes of interest. The simultaneous study of hundreds of genes became the microarray technique a very important tool of global analysis, with applications in several areas, including the study of the development of cancer. Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the fifth most common cancer worldwide, with a global annual incidence of 780,000 new cases. Large-scale studies involving microarrays have identified specific gene expression signatures associated with expression changes in HNSCC samples compared to normal tissue, as well as genes involved in clinical outcome and metastasis. However, the considerable heterogeneity among these studies occurs due to experimental design, number of samples, disease sites and stage, choice of microarray platform and results validation. Thus, there is much to be validated, before the technique has clinical utility. In relation to head and neck neoplasia, the large-scale gene analysis is very important, since the clinical and histopathological methods currently used appear to be insufficient to predict clinical progression and response to treatment. Thus, this approach could result in more effective diagnostic and prognostic and most appropriate therapy for this neoplasia.

Assessment of the relationship between entomologic indicators of Aedes aegypti and the epidemic occurrence of dengue virus 3 in a susceptible population, São José do Rio Preto, Sao Paulo, Brazil

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

Space-time description of dengue epidemic in Cruzeiro, SP, in 2006 and 2011

Objective: to identify patterns in the spatial and temporal distribution of cases of dengue fever occurring in the city of Cruzeiro, state of Sao Paulo (SP).Methods: an ecological and exploratory study was undertaken using spatial analysis tools and data from dengue cases obtained on the SinanNet. The analysis was carried out by area, using the IBGE census sector as a unit. The months of March to June 2006 and 2011 were assessed, revealing progress of the disease. TerraView 3.3.1 was used to calculate the Global Moran's I, month to month, and the Kernel estimator.Results: in the year 2006, 691 cases of dengue fever (rate of 864.2 cases/100,000 inhabitants) were georeferenced; and the Moran's I and p-values were significant in the months of April and May (TM = 0.28; p = 0.01; I-M = 0.20; p = 0.01) with higher densities in the central, north, northeast and south regions. In the year 2011, 654 cases of dengue fever (rate of 886.8 cases/100,000 inhabitants) were georeferenced; and the Moran's I and p-values were significant in the months of April and May (I, = 0.28; p = 0.01; I-M = 0.16; p = 0.05) with densities in the same regions as 2006. The Global Moran's I is a global measure of spatial autocorrelation, which indicates the degree of spatial association in the set of information from the product in relation to the average. The I varies between -1 and +1 and can be attributed to a level of significance (p-value). The positive value points to a positive or direct spatial autocorrelation.Conclusion: we were able to identify patterns in the spatial and temporal distribution of dengue cases occurring in the city of Cruzeiro, SP, and locate the census sectors where the outbreak began and how it evolved.

Análise geoestatística para geração de superfícies a partir de dados de clorofila-a adquiridos em transectos

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Comparação de metodologias na definição de fluxos acumulados a partir de modelos digitais de elevação do terreno aplicado a suscetibilidade de inundações

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Geocomplexo: Interação de elementos naturais e sociais - Produção e expansão da cana-de-açúcar na bacia hidrográfica do rio Paranapanema - PR / SP

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