La transición de las palabras aisladas a las combinaciones de dos palabras : un estudio longitudinal.

Comprobar qué estrategias emplean los niños cuando se encuentran en la tesitura de darle una forma más madura a sus producciones orales, qué evolución siguen tales estrategias, su utilidad para el proceso y el papel de los adultos-madres en el mismo. Todo ello supone una reflexión sobre los comienzos de la evolución sintáctica de los niños. Tamaño muestral reducido: seis parejas de madres con sus respectivos seis hijos, de la Escuela Infantil Guadalupe (Murcia). Los seis niños tenían alrededor de dos años al comienzo de la investigación. Se grabaron en vídeo las sesiones en las que se les presentaba a los niños una serie de estímulos (libros, juegos, objetos). Se transcribieron las grabaciones en vídeo (un total de 15 sesiones por niño-madre) y se codificó en categorías las intervenciones de las madres y de los niños. Se reorganizó la información anterior por contextos, volviendo sobre las grabaciones en vídeo con el fin de identificar las situaciones preferidas por madres e hijos como escenario de sus interacciones. El número de contextos se identifica por el número de estímulos diferentes (libros; juegos: cubos, encajables, etc.; objetos: teléfono, etc.). Codificada y organizada la información se utilizó el software del CLAN (Child Language Analysis de McWhinney, 1988) para la extracción de datos, obteniendo un total de 12 tablas de doble entrada para cada sujeto con datos de las variables (para cada sesión). Del análisis de los contextos resultaron 26 tablas de doble entrada, una por contexto, donde se comparan las puntuaciones de los niños entre sí y de las madres. La tarea de los niños y de sus madres durante la primera etapa de adquisición del lenguaje consiste en adjudicar significados a conjuntos de sonidos que, habitualmente, coinciden con palabras en el sentido común del término. Es lo que podríamos denominar la etapa designativa durante la cual, cualquier cadena de sonidos es tratada como una sola palabra.

Temps, memoire et monstres: le monde arthurien de Culhwch et Olwen

The Arthurian world of Culhwch and Olwen initially appears as a resolutely masculine, warrior-based society with little or no place for women. As a rule, the names of the mothers of the many characters remain unmentioned, and even the young hero clearly had no idea of his family ties on his mother’s side. It comes as news to him that Arthur is his cousin. The Arthurian world is equally afflicted with a form of wilful amnesia of the existence of relatives on the distaff side, allowing the giant Ysbaddaden to victimise Custennin and his family with impunity. The hair-cutting ritual represents an intrusion of female memory and a reminder of the biological imperative of reproduction, which means that in order to survive, Arthur’s clan has to be prepared to face destruction.

Identification of critical residues in the active site of porcine membrane-bound aminopeptidase P

The membrane-bound form of mammalian aminopeptidase P (AP-P; EC 3.4. 11.9) is a mono-zinc-containing enzyme that lacks any of the typical metal binding motifs found in other zinc metalloproteases. To identify residues involved in metal binding and catalysis, sequence and structural information was used to align the sequence of porcine membrane-bound AP-P with other members of the peptidase clan MG, including Escherichia coli AP-P and methionyl aminopeptidases. Residues predicted to be critical for activity were mutated and the resultant proteins were expressed in COS-1 cells. Immunoelectrophoretic blot analysis was used to compare the levels of expression of the mutant proteins, and their ability to hydrolyze bradykinin and Gly-Pro-hydroxyPro was assessed. Asp449, Asp460, His523, Glu554, and Glu568 are predicted to serve as metal ion ligands in the active site, and mutagenesis of these residues resulted in fully glycosylated proteins that were catalytically inactive. Mutation of His429 and His532 also resulted in catalytically inactive proteins, and these residues, by analogy with E. coli AP-P, are likely to play a role in shuttling protons during catalysis. These studies indicate that mammalian membrane-bound AP-P has an active-site configuration similar to that of other members of the peptidase clan MG, which is compatible with either a dual metal ion model or a single metal ion in the active site. The latter model is consistent, however, with the known metal stoichiometry of both the membrane-bound and cytosolic forms of AP-P and with a recently proposed model for methionyl aminopeptidase.

Cloning, expression, and characterization of human cytosolic aminopeptidase P: a single manganese(II)-dependent enzyme

The mammalian bradykinin-degrading enzyme aminopeptidase P (AP-P; E. C. 3.4.11.9) is a metal-dependent enzyme and is a member of the peptidase clan MG. AP-P exists as membrane-bound and cytosolic forms, which represent distinct gene products. A partially truncated clone encoding the cytosolic form was obtained from a human pancreatic cDNA library and the 5' region containing the initiating Met was obtained by 5' rapid accumulation of cDNA ends (RACE). The open reading frame encodes a protein of 623 amino acids with a calculated molecular mass of 69,886 Da. The full-length cDNA with a C-terminal hexahistidine tag was expressed in Escherichia coli and COS-1 cells and migrated on SDS-PAGE with a molecular mass of 71 kDa. The expressed cytosolic AP-P hydrolyzed the X-Pro bond of bradykinin and substance P but did not hydrolyze Gly-Pro-hydroxyPro. Hydrolysis of bradykinin was inhibited by 1,10-phenanthroline and by the specific inhibitor of the membrane-bound form of mammalian AP-P, apstatin. Inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy of AP-P expressed in E. coli revealed the presence of 1 mol of manganese/mol of protein and insignificant amounts of cobalt, iron, and zinc. The enzymatic activity of AP-P was promoted in the presence of Mn(II), and this activation was increased further by the addition of glutathione. The only other metal ion to cause slight activation of the enzyme was Co(II), with Ca(II), Cu(II), Mg(II), Ni(II), and Zn(II) all being inhibitory. Removal of the metal ion from the protein was achieved by treatment with 1,10-phenanthroline. The metal-free enzyme was reactivated by the addition of Mn(II) and, partially, by Fe(II). Neither Co(II) nor Zn(II) reactivated the metal-free enzyme. On the basis of these data we propose that human cytosolic AP-P is a single metal ion-dependent enzyme and that manganese is most likely the metal ion used in vivo.

Post-collisional lamprophyric event in Sierra Norte, Cordoba, Argentina: Mineralogical, geochemical and isotopic characteristics

Over 20 lamprophyre dykes, varying in width between a few centimeters and several meters, have been identified in central Sierra Norte - Eastern Pampean Ranges, Cordoba, Argentina. Their mineralogy and chemistry indicate that they are part of the calc-alkaline lamprophyres clan (CAL). They contain phenocrysts of magnesiohomblende +/- augite set in a groundmass of magnesiohornblende, calcic-plagioclase, alkali feldspar, and opaque minerals, which designate them as spessartite-type lamprophyres. Alteration products include chlorite, calcite and iron oxides after malfic phenocrysts, though some are partially replaced by actinolite. Feldspars are replaced by carbonate and clay minerals. The dykes are relatively primitive, and show restricted major element variation (SiO(2) 51.1-55.3 wt.%, Al(2)O(3) 12-16.6 wt.%, total alkalies 1.5-4.7 wt.%), high Mg# (55-77), high Cr contents (27-988 ppm) and moderate to high Ni contents (60-190 ppm). Lamprophyre LILE (e.g. Rb averages 110 ppm, Sr 211-387 ppm, Ba 203-452 ppm) are high relative to HFSE (e.g., Ta 0.2-1.6 ppm, Nb 4-11 ppm, Y 17-21 ppm), and are enriched in LREE (30-70 times chondrite). They are characterized by relatively high (208)Pb/(204)Pb (38.8-39.9), (207)Pb/(204)Pb(similar to 15.7), and (206)Pb/(204)Pb (18.7-20.1), combined with low (epsilon)epsilon(Nd) (-4.69 to -1.52) and a relative moderately high ((87)Sr/(86)Sr)(i) of 0.7055-0.7074. The Rb-Sr whole rock isochron indicates an Early Ordovician age of 485 +/- 25 Ma. The calculated T(DM) (1.7 Ga) suggests that these rocks appear to have originated from a reservoir that was created during a mantle metasomatism event related to the Pampean orogeny. The Sierra Norte lamprophyres show affinities with a subduction-related magma in an active continental margin. Their geochemical and isotopic features suggest a multicomponent source, composed of enriched mantle material variably contaminated by crustal components. The lamprophyric suite emplacement occurred at the dawning stage of the Pampean orogeny, in a regional post-collisional extensional setting developed in the Sierra Norte-Ambargasta batholith (SNAB) in Early Ordovician times. (C) 2008 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Children's Vocabulary Development : The role of parental input, vocabulary composition and early communicative skills

The aim of this thesis is to examine the early vocabulary development of a sample of Swedish children in relation to parental input and early communicative skills. Three studies are situated in an overall description of early language development in children. The data analyzed in the thesis was collected within a larger project at Stockholm University (SPRINT- “Effects of enhanced parental input on young children’s vocabulary development and subsequent literacy development” [VR 2008-5094]). Data analysis was based on parental report via SECDI, the Swedish version of the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventories, and audio recordings. One study examined parental verbal interaction characteristics in three groups of children with varying vocabulary size at 18 months. The stability of vocabulary development at 18 and 24 months was investigated in a larger study, with focus on children’s vocabulary composition and grammatical abilities. The third study examined interrelations among early gestures, receptive and productive vocabulary, and grammar measured with M3L, i.e. three longest utterances, from 12 to 30 months. Overall results of the thesis highlight the importance of early language development. Variability in different characteristics in parental input is associated with variability in child vocabulary size. Children with large early vocabularies exhibit the most stability in vocabulary composition and the earliest grammatical development. Children’s vocabulary composition may reflect individual stylistic variation. Use of early gestures is associated differentially with receptive and productive vocabulary. Results of the thesis have implications for parents, child- and healthcare personnel, as well as researchers and educational practitioners. The results underscore the importance of high quality in adult-child interaction, with rich input fine-tuned to children’s developmental levels and age, together with high awareness of early language development.

Coalition Formation through Motivation and Trust

Cooperation is the fundamental underpinning of multi-agent systems, allowing agents to interact to achieve their goals. Where agents are self-interested, or potentially unreliable, there must be appropriate mechanisms to cope with the uncertainty that arises. In particular, agents must manage the risk associated with interacting with others who have different objectives, or who may fail to fulfil their commitments. Previous work has utilised the notions of motivation and trust in engendering successful cooperation between self-interested agents. Motivations provide a means for representing and reasoning about agents' overall objectives, and trust offers a mechanism for modelling and reasoning about reliability, honesty, veracity and so forth. This paper extends that work to address some of its limitations. In particular, we introduce the concept of a clan: a group of agents who trust each other and have similar objectives. Clan members treat each other favourably when making private decisions about cooperation, in order to gain mutual benefit. We describe mechanisms for agents to form, maintain, and dissolve clans in accordance with their self-interested nature, along with giving details of how clan membership influences individual decision making. Finally, through some simulation experiments we illustrate the effectiveness of clan formation in addressing some of the inherent problems with cooperation among self-interested agents.

Cultura organizacional e qualidade dos serviços turísticos :um estudo no setor de restaurantes

The present study seeks to describe the features and peculiarities of the relationship between organizational culture and the quality of tourism services, specifically in the restaurant sector, attempting to contribute toward maintaining the tourism sector of the city of Natal/RN. Thus, a descriptive and correlational study, with qualitative and quantitative approaches, of thirty-seven restaurants that are located in areas that compose the tourism corridor of Natal was undertaken. To collect the quantitative dada, the Organizational Culture Evaluation instrument of Cameron and Quinn (2006) was applied and the SERVPERF instrument of Cronin and Taylor (1992) was used to measure the quality of the services. The results suggest that the Clan and Innovation Cultures are associated with better levels of quality of services than those of the Market and Hierarchy Cultures. The relationships that were identified in this study are consistent with results found in other studies and the information reported here can serve as a basis for managers of the restaurant sector to reach excellence in their services, satisfying their customers and contributing to maintaining the tourism sector

Cultura e clima organizacionais: um estudo multicasos em indústrias de laticínios do estado do Rio Grande do Norte

The objective of this study is to investigate if exist relationship between organizational culture and the organizational climate, having as research s locus three dairy industries in the Rio Grande do Norte State. As such, an exploratory-descriptive and conclusive-causal study, with a sample composed of 211 employees of all firms hierarchical levels was undertaken. By way the data collection, the employees personal characteristics, the predominant organizational culture profile and the predominant organizational climate in the industries researched were identified. In order to analyse the organizational culture, the Competing Value Model (CAMERON; QUINN, 2006), with adaptations by Santos (1998, 2000), was used. In order to analyse the organizational climate, the Organizational Climate Measurement Scale, proposed by Martins (et al., 2004, 2008), with modifications, was used. The data were submitted to quantitative statistical analyses, firstly to the set of firms and afterwards to the firms alone, that permitted arrival to the following conclusions: the cultural profiles was met in a balanced way in the researched organizations, with emphasis to clan culture and market culture profiles; the researched organizations have a good organizational climate, based in the Martins (2008) classification, with emphasis to boss and organization s support and physical comfort , being these factors coherent whit the clan culture profile; the personal variables are correlated with the cultural profiles and with the organizational climate factors, however, each organization show its singular form of relation; and the cultural profiles showed influence on organizational climate factors. Thus, the results permitted to conclude that there are relations between the cultural profiles and the organizational climate factors in the researched organizations

Diagnóstico ecotoxicológico dos efluentes lançados no complexo estuarino do Jundiaí/Potengi, Natal/RN

Untreated effluents that reach surface water affect the aquatic life and humans. This study aimed to evaluate the wastewater s toxicity (municipal, industrial and shrimp pond effluents) released in the Estuarine Complex of Jundiaí- Potengi, Natal/RN, through chronic quantitative e qualitative toxicity tests using the test organism Mysidopsis Juniae, CRUSTACEA, MYSIDACEA (Silva, 1979). For this, a new methodology for viewing chronic effects on organisms of M. juniae was used (only renewal), based on another existing methodology to another testorganism very similar to M. Juniae, the M. Bahia (daily renewal).Toxicity tests 7 days duration were used for detecting effects on the survival and fecundity in M. juniae. Lethal Concentration 50% (LC50%) was determined by the Trimmed Spearman-Karber; Inhibition Concentration 50% (IC50%) in fecundity was determined by Linear Interpolation. ANOVA (One Way) tests (p = 0.05) were used to determinate the No Observed Effect Concentration (NOEC) and Low Observed Effect Concentration (LOEC). Effluents flows were measured and the toxic load of the effluents was estimated. Multivariate analysis - Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Correspondence Analysis (CA) - identified the physic-chemical parameters better explain the patterns of toxicity found in survival and fecundity of M. juniae. We verified the feasibility of applying the only renewal system in chronic tests with M. Juniae. Most efluentes proved toxic on the survival and fecundity of M. Juniae, except for some shrimp pond effluents. The most toxic effluent was ETE Lagoa Aerada (LC50, 6.24%; IC50, 4.82%), ETE Quintas (LC50, 5.85%), Giselda Trigueiro Hospital (LC50, 2.05%), CLAN (LC50, 2.14%) and COTEMINAS (LC50, IC50 and 38.51%, 6.94%). The greatest toxic load was originated from ETE inefficient high flow effluents, textile effluents and CLAN. The organic load was related to the toxic effects of wastewater and hospital effluents in survival of M. Juniae, as well as heavy metals, total residual chlorine and phenols. In industrial effluents was found relationship between toxicity and organic load, phenols, oils and greases and benzene. The effects on fertility were related, in turn, with chlorine and heavy metals. Toxicity tests using other organisms of different trophic levels, as well as analysis of sediment toxicity are recommended to confirm the patterns found with M. Juniae. However, the results indicate the necessity for implementation and improvement of sewage treatment systems affluent to the Potengi s estuary

Investigação etnomatemática em contextos indígenas: caminhos para a reorientação da prática pedagógica

From the investigation, analysis, discussion and pondering about the activities developed by the lndians from the Porteira hamlet, members of the Xerente community, in the Tocantins state, we developed an investigative and descriptive study about the reality of this people with the aim of helping in the conceptual formation and in the reorientation of the pedagogical practice of the local teachers. In this sense, the undertaken research involved the teachers, the main representatives and experts in that cultural tradition, in order to investigate how the everyday activities (agriculture, food handling, assets distribution among the community members, etc.) and the cultural tradition (log race, body painting, clan division, Xerente numeration, Indian myths and histories, etc.), may enable the contextualization of the mathematics teaching in the lndian School Srêmtôwê of this hamlet, under a more transversal and globalizing perspective of the local and school knowledge. We based this research in the sociocultural conceptions of knowledge generation proposed by D Ambrosio (1990; 2002); Vergani (2007); Oliveras (1996); Gerdes (1991; 2002); Bishop (1999) e Sebastiani Ferreira (1997; 2004). ln the process of this study we propose some viable ways so that the Indian teachers may reorganize their classroom knowledge and actions, based in the strengthening of their history and culture. The observation of some social practices and knowledge as well as of the Xerente traditions helped us to point some possibilities of projection of a didacticalpedagogical dimension of these activities and practices, in the development of the school mathematical knowledge in this community

Cultura organizacional e desempenho dos colaboradores :um estudo exploratório no setor hoteleiro

This work focuses on the relationship between organizational culture and quality culture in the hotel sector of NATAL/RN with respect to employee performance. The themes organizational culture and quality have been the research focus of administration theorists and a constant concern of professional managers, since the Japanese demonstrated effective forms or western management. In this study, the Competing Values Model (C.V.M.) (Quinn e Cameron, 1996; Quinn, 1998; Santos, 1998, 2000; Teixeira, 2001), which was tested on north-American organizations and considered a high value academic and professional instrument, was applied. The model maps the organizational culture on a profile with four elements: clan, adhocracy, market and hierarchy. The C.V.M., associated with the taximetrics created by Cameron (which classifies quality culture in for levels: status quo, error detection, error prevention and perpetual creative quality) has been related with organizational performance. In this study, these two models are used jointly and tested in the hotel sector. The results indicate that the strongest element of the profile is clan, which is characterized by internal focus, participation and people involvement, followed by the adhocracy element, which has an external focus, emphasizes flexibility and is characterized by dynamic enterprising and creativity. Regarding the level of the culture s quality in the hotel, the highest level, that of perpetual improvement and creativity, which attempts to enchant and to surprise the clients, was most frequently cited, followed by the error detection level, which has as its goal to discover and correct mistakes, trying, consequently, to reduce waste. The results suggest that employee performance as measured on some indicators is related to elements of the organizational culture profile and quality level

Um olhar sobre a aquisição do plural nominal em crianças

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

Concilier les données qualitatives et quantitatives: un défi pour les recherches en acquisition du langage

What is the role of qualitative data? How should mixed approaches be considered? Is it necessary to complement the quantitative approach by the qualitative approach (Maziére et al., 2010) or the opposite? How can these two approaches be combined in a Language Acquisition research? What are the possibilities of generalization that these approaches provide? Besides those necessary theoretical discussions, our starting point is a qualitative research on the acquisition of the plural morpheme in Brazilian Portuguese (BP) in children between 1 year 11 months old and 2 years 7 months old (Hilário, 2012), whose linguistic production is intrinsically connected to their dialogic aspect (Bakhtin & Vološinov, 1973) and to the interaction among interlocutors (Bruner, 2004; Vygotsky, 1986). In this research through the usage of a computational tool (CLAN) it is expected to have more visibility of the quantitative results even if they are in a qualitative approach. Although, it should be taken into account the fact that each approach can achieve valid and relevant results (Valsiner 2000), i.e., with any given method it is possible to reach a kind of generalization (statistical or analytical).

A produção e a compreensão do humor por uma criança bilíngue: um estudo de caso

Pós-graduação em Linguística e Língua Portuguesa - FCLAR