Tendências de sucesso no percurso acadêmico do alunado na UFRN

Enter the University and remain in it is a challenge for all students who leave high school and enter this level. The aspiration for a graduation occur by several factors, which have decisive impact on the personal lives of individuals who acquire training in higher education, both as regards the professional capacities as economic opportunity. There are several possible trajectories to get into a college. Students can be classified by their success or failure in performance due to multiple intervening factors that interact among themselves. The purpose of this work is to identify and characterize the factors that reveal trends of success and failure in academic performance of UFRN students. From this general goal, broke out the following specific objectives: to analyze the problems of expanding access to and restructuring of higher education in Brazil and UFRN; explicit definitions of success and failure in higher education; identify national trends and international help to determine the success and failure of students in UFRN. Therefore, we conducted an extensive literature review on the subject and analyzed secondary data from official national, regional and local statistical sources on the subject. In the delimitation of the data, the research population refers to students who entered the UFRN through the vestibular, in the years 2000 to 2010, and who attended at least one (1) semester. In the light of the analysis, the theoretical framework interpretation and the investigative data, it was possible to identify the major factors that affect the categories of success and failure in this university, which highlight the following: the policies adopted by UFRN have provided access mechanisms and student assistance policies, trying to supply the needs of students for them to have a good academic performance, or success in their courses; in addition, the chosen focus of analysis showed that, within the same area, there is not significant difference in the performance of students coming from less favored social and educational contexts, which does not occur when analyzing the success rates between students from different areas of knowledge. The trajectory of interpretative analysis of the results presented in this paper enables to raise points of discussion in various forums and higher councils in order to increase the academic indices of its students. It also enables to promote strategies of guidance and student support for that he persists in his choice

Análise de desempenho de vendas em telecomunicações utilizando técnicas de mineração de dados

Nowadays, telecommunications is one of the most dynamic and strategic areas in the world. Organizations are always seeking to find new management practices within an ever increasing competitive environment where resources are getting scarce. In this scenario, data obtained from business and corporate processes have even greater importance, although this data is not yet adequately explored. Knowledge Discovery in Databases (KDD) appears then, as an option to allow the study of complex problems in different areas of management. This work proposes both a systematization of KDD activities using concepts from different methodologies, such as CRISP-DM, SEMMA and FAYYAD approaches and a study concerning the viability of multivariate regression analysis models to explain corporative telecommunications sales using performance indicators. Thus, statistical methods were outlined to analyze the effects of such indicators on the behavior of business productivity. According to business and standard statistical analysis, equations were defined and fit to their respective determination coefficients. Tests of hypotheses were also conducted on parameters with the purpose of validating the regression models. The results show that there is a relationship between these development indicators and the amount of sales

Adoção de tecnologias móveis em empresas do Rio Grande do Norte, Pernambuco e Ceará

One of the best examples of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) evolutions is on the high capability of storing and processing data into smaller devices, creating a new business condition, the mobility . This mobility in a deeper analysis proposes a business remodeling in many different areas (business segmentations), through the Internet anywhere at any time, allowing managers and researchers to think again their actual models that work nowadays in companies and public institutions, modifying the way internal and external clients can be attended. This thesis analyzes issues on mobile business adoption, technological evolutions and the impacts caused by this new reality the access to information anywhere at any time . This research is exploratory and shows a compilation of similar papers and thesis describing how was conducted the survey within 50 companies in the states of Rio Grande do Norte, Pernambuco and Ceará. The statistics analysis showed the different level of mobile technology usage from simple voice communications to wide band data transmission. The analysis pointed that canonic correlation was the most effective type of analysis to describe the relations among all groups of variables showing which of them are relevant, or not, for mobile technology adoption

Fatores de sucesso no desenvolvimento de novos produtos em pequenas empresas: um estudo de caso em um fabricante de equipamentos para gás natural veicular

This study presents itself as a contribution to the solidification of the Natural Gas industry, within the scope of the development of new products. The goal of this paper is to analyze the factors that lead to the success of new products through the evaluation of the activities done during the process of development of these products in the Natural Gas sector. To achieve this goal a case study was done in a small company of this segment. At first, as a basis for the study, a bibliographical research was done with books, theses, dissertations, monographies, publications in national and international periodicals, congress annals and publications in the internet related to the subject. Afterwards, a case study was done, aiming at the acquisition of further knowledge about the real process of development of products in a small company of the Natural Gas sector, allowing for the performance of the evaluation. The case study was done at Gas Project and Systems do Brasil, a company that works with the development of electronic equipment to the conversion of car engines to natural gas, through direct observations and interviews with the person responsible for the development and management of products. Through the evaluation of the process it was observed that the activities related to it are done in an informal way and some activities are considered unnecessary for their success. The results also suggest an emphasis in the technological activities, something that was not observed in the activities related to the market. The instruments used in this evaluation prove to be efficient to evaluate the process of development of new products in other companies, including those of different areas. Taking into account the relevance of the studied theme to the strengthening of the Natural Gas industry, it is necessary to do further complementary studies

Desenvolvimento de uma desfribadeira para obtenção da fibra da folha do abacaxi

In 1998 the first decorticator was developed in the Textile Engineering Laboratory and patented for the purpose of extracting fibres from pineapple leaves, with the financial help from CNPq and BNB. The objective of the present work was to develop an automatic decorticator different from the first one with a semiautomatic system of decortication with automatic feeding of the leaves and collection of the extracted fibres. The system is started through a command system that passes information to two engines, one for starting the beater cylinder and the other for the feeding of the leaves as well as the extraction of the decorticated fibres automatically. This in turn introduces the leaves between a knife and a beater cylinder with twenty blades (the previous one had only 8 blades). These blades are supported by equidistant flanges with a central transmission axis that would help in increasing the number of beatings of the leaves. In the present system the operator has to place the leaves on the rotating endless feeding belt and collect the extracted leaves that are being carried out through another endless belt. The pulp resulted form the extraction is collected in a tray through a collector. The feeding of the leaves as well as the extraction of the fibres is controlled automatically by varying the velocity of the cylinders. The semi-automatic decorticator basically composed of a chassis made out of iron bars (profile L) with 200cm length, 91 cm of height 68 cm of width. The decorticator weighs around 300Kg. It was observed that the increase in the number of blades from 8 to twenty in the beater cylinder reduced the turbulence inside the decorticator, which helped to improve the removal of the fibres without any problems as well as the quality of the fibres. From the studies carried out, from each leaf 2,8 to 4,5% of fibres can be extracted. This gives around 4 to 5 tons of fibres per hectare, which is more than that of cotton production per hectare. This quantity with no doubt could generate jobs to the people not only on the production of the fibres but also on their application in different areas

Síntese e caracterização de tensoativos e estudo de equilíbrio de fase dos sistemas CnH2n+2/H2O/CnH2n+1COONa/But-OH

The growing utilization of surfactants in several different areas of industry has led to an increase on the studies involving solutions containing this type of molecules. Due to its amphiphilic nature, its molecule presents one polar part and one nonpolar end, which easily interacts with other molecules, being able to modify the media properties. When the concentration in which its monomers are saturated, the airliquid system interface is reached, causing a decrease in interfacial tension. The surfactants from pure fatty acids containing C8, C12 and C16 carbonic chains were synthesized in an alcoholic media using sodium hydroxide. They were characterized via thermal analysis (DTA and DTG) and via infrared spectroscopy, with the intention of observing their purity. Physical and chemical properties such as superficial tension, critical micelle concentration (c.m.c), surfactant excess on surface and Gibbs free energy of micellization were determined in order to understand the behaviour of these molecules with an aqueous media. Pseudo-ternary phase diagrams were obtained aiming to limit the Windsor equilibria conditions so it could be possible to understand how the surfactants carbonic chain size contributes to the microemulsion region. Solutions with known concentrations were prepared to study how the surfactants can influence the dynamic light scattering spectroscopy (DLS) and how the diffusion coefficient is influenced when the media concentration is altered. The results showed the variation on the chain size of the studied surfactant lipophilic part allows the conception of surfactants with similar interfacial properties, but dependent on the size of the lipophilic part of the surfactant. This variation causes the surfactant to have less tendency of microemulsionate oil in water. Another observed result is that the n-alcanes molecule size promoted a decrease on the microemulsion region on the obtained phase diagrams

Levantamento epidemiológico das parasitoses intestinais: viés analítico decorrente do tratamento profilático

As parasitoses intestinais constituem um grave problema de saúde pública, especialmente nos países subdesenvolvidos, sendo esse problema associado e agravado por condições sanitárias precárias e falta de informação. Neste trabalho foram avaliados alguns parâmetros epidemiológicos vinculados às principais enteroparasitoses em diferentes regiões da cidade de Assis, Estado de São Paulo, Brasil. Os dados foram confrontados com aqueles obtidos em um levantamento anterior referente ao ano de 1991 e apresentam uma redução de três pontos percentuais. Há indícios de que, antiparasitários estariam sendo distribuídos profilaticamente, antes dos resultados do exame parasitológico de fezes. Este fato pode levar a importantes implicações epidemiológicas e distorções analíticas. Esta conduta terapêutica pode estar ocultando condições sanitárias e/ou educacionais desfavoráveis, de forma que haveria uma baixa prevalência de parasitoses em razão de reiterados tratamentos e não pela melhoria das condições de saneamento básico e educação sanitária da população.

Remoção biológica de nitrato em água de abastecimento humano utilizando o endocarpo de coco como fonte de carbono

The groundwater quality has been compromised as a result of the intensification of human activities over the years. Groundwater contamination by nitrate is one of the effects of this degradation, a socio-environmental problem that affects many regions of the world and particular the city of Natal (RN). Developing techniques for nitrate removal in water is intended to eliminate or reduce the concentration of this compound, and those that involve biological processes have produced economic and environmental advantages. This study proposes a technology for biological removal of nitrate in water supply for humans, using the endocarp s coconut as a carbon source and bacteria support. The experiments were performed in pilot scale anoxic, testing different areas of the substrate surface. Results showed high rates nitrate removal during the monitoring period, noting the occurrence of denitrification after the beginning of system operation. The best performance was achieved in the treatment system containing substrate surface area increased, indicating that the decrease in the endocarp size contributed to increased bacterial activity, improving the ability to remove nitrate. About the quality analyzed aspects of water, it was found that the proposed technology has the potential water use for human consumption

Opiniões de professores do ensino médio: refletindo sobre os projetos escolares e a interdisciplinaridade

Official documents indicate to a curriculum organization that promotes the dialogue in different areas of knowledge. Among the proposals strategies are the "School Projects". This research appears from the staff need evidenced in the development of practice of the researcher in recent years as Pedagogical Advisor in high school. The comments made in the daily work on the kinds of projects and how they were developed in the school, generated concerns. They aroused the interest in further the discussion, aiming to reflect with teachers about the implementation of a pedagogic action on the use of educational projects in the classroom, as a didactic strategy which promotes the learning of students. In this sense, it seeks to develop studies and discussions by the application of questionnaires and the holding of a workshop with teachers in the area of Science of Nature and Mathematics in private high school institutions from Natal, searching opinions of them as the preparation and development of school projects. As general purpose, it aims to contribute with elements to the reflection of the teachers on the use of this strategy of education. For both, we propose: the knowledge of ideas/opinions of teachers on planning, development and evaluation of projects, both disciplinary and interdisciplinary, identifying the main difficulties of these teachers about the work with projects at school; reviewing projects developed at school after the press conference in a meeting with teachers, incorporating the identified aspects as weak points. In the course of the methodology research, questionnaires were used with open and closed questions for the lifting of preliminary ideas for teachers in order to subsidize the planning of a developed meeting later in the school itself on the subject in question. 10 teachers took part of the first step and 17 in the second one (pressconference). In the third stage, an individual interview was carried out and analysis of projects already developed. It is observed that, as the main difficulty for the development of projects in school, pointed to the time factor in the planning team, followed by excessive working hours for teachers that, generally, also work in other schools. Some teachers say they do not develop projects for not having knowledge of how to develop school projects, neither disciplinary, nor interdisciplinary

Despertando responsabilidade social no ensino médio por meio de temáticas associadas à física nuclear

Many discussions about the role of the school are on the agenda, in an increasingly complex society. Sociologists, educators, anthropologists, researchers of different areas seek that role. The objective of this dissertation is to contribute what we can consider the central role for the physics teaching, citizenship training. We have elaborated a didactic proposal to increase the interest of high school students on issues of social relevance and, throughout it, to promote the formation of attitudes of social responsibility, enhancing the formation of a more politically and socially active citizen. For the preparation of the proposal, studies were made on education for citizenship and on attitudes change, using as its main theoretical foundation the researches on the Science, Technology and Society curricular emphasis. The teaching of Nuclear Physics was integrated to our proposal, due to its pedagogical potential for the discussion of social, political and economic subjects related to scientific concepts and associated technologies. The educational proposal we have produced was applied on a high school class of a private school at Natal-RN. It was composed from the controversial issue involving the installation of nuclear power plants in Brazilian northeast. The methodology of role playing, in which students assumed social roles and produced specific subsidies for a public hearing and a later referendum, both simulated. In the analysis of the implementation of the proposal, we highlighted the difficulties but also the possibilities and the relevance of exercising skills such as reasoning, finding information, and arguing about of social problems. The results of the research showed the possibility of meaningful learning on Nuclear Physics contents, through this social, political, economic, scientific and technological contextualization using a controversial and real issue together with mechanisms that trigger for greater popular participation, as public hearing. It has also been identified changes in attitude by some students about issues related to Nuclear Physics. We hope, through this dissertation, to contribute to the formation of future citizens as well as to the initiative of teachers-researchers with pedagogical aims similar to those in the present work

Step Counting and Energy Expenditure Estimation in Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Healthy Elderly: Accuracy of 2 Motion Sensors

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

A caminho da fronteira: entre heidegger e os japoneses

Became a little more than half century ago that has been consolidated the also called philosophy of comparative edge, by which was possible exploited new ways of thought, since the dialogue between West and East. This fructiferous cooperation between-edges, by which possibilities has been ramifies in lots of different areas of knowledge, has a common birthplace: the talk between Heidegger and the Japanese from the also called Kyoto School of Philosophy. The intention of this mastering degree s dissertation is show, since Heidegger s thought and the contemporary Japanese philosophy, the theoric viability of such trade of experiences between westerns and easterns in philosophy.

Estrutura genética de Chromis multilineata (Guichenot, 1853) (Perciformes Pomacentridae) na costa NE do Brasil e ilhas oceânicas: evidências de um passado evolutivo instável.

The fauna of Brazilian reef fishes comprises approximately 320 species distributed along the coast of the mainland and islands ocean. Little is known about the levels of connectivity between their populations, but has been given the interest in the relations between the offshore and the islands of the Brazil, in a biogeographical perspective. The oceanic islands Brazilian hosting a considerable number of endemic species, which are locally abundant, and divide a substantial portion of its reef fish fauna with the Western Atlantic. Among the richest families of reef fish in species are Pomacentridae. This study analyzed through analysis of sequences of the mitochondrial DNA control region (D-loop), the standards-breeding population of C. Multilineata in different areas of the NE coast of Brazil, involving both oceanic islands (Fernando de Noronha Archipelago and of St. Peter and St. Paul) and continental shelf (RN and BA). To this aim, partial sequences were used in the region HVR1 of mtDNA (312pb). The population structure and parameters for the estimates of genetic variability, molecular variance (AMOVA), estimation of the index for fixing (FST) and number of migrants were determined. The phylogenetic relationships between the populations were estimated using neighbor-joining (NJ) method. A group of Bayesian analysis was used to verify population structure, according to haplotype frequency of each individual. The genetic variability of populations was extremely high. The populations sampled show moderate genetic structure, with a higher degree of genetic divergence being observed for the sample of the Archipelago of St. Peter and St. Paul. At smaller geographical scale, the sample of Rio Grande do Norte and the Archipelago of Fernando de Noronha do not have genetic differentiation. Three moderately differentiated population groups were identified: a population group (I), formed by the Rio Grande do Norte (I') and the archipelago of Fernando de Noronha (I''), and two other different groups formed by the island population of the archipelago of Saint Peter and St. Paul (II) and Bahia (III). The genetic patterns found suggest that the species has suffered a relatively recent radiation favoring the absence of shared haplotypes. C. multilineata seems to constitute a relatively homogenous population along the West Atlantic coast, with evidence of a moderate population genetic structure in relation to the Archipelago of St. Peter and St. Paul. These data supports the importance of the dispersal larvae by marine current and the interpopulation similarity this species.

Evolutionary Changes in the Complexity of the Tectum of Nontetrapods: A Cladistic Approach

Background: The tectum is a structure localized in the roof of the midbrain in vertebrates, and is taken to be highly conserved in evolution. The present article assessed three hypotheses concerning the evolution of lamination and citoarchitecture of the tectum of nontetrapod animals: 1) There is a significant degree of phylogenetic inertia in both traits studied (number of cellular layers and number of cell classes in tectum); 2) Both traits are positively correlated accross evolution after correction for phylogeny; and 3) Different developmental pathways should generate different patterns of lamination and cytoarchitecture.Methodology/Principal Findings: The hypotheses were tested using analytical-computational tools for phylogenetic hypothesis testing. Both traits presented a considerably large phylogenetic signal and were positively associated. However, no difference was found between two clades classified as per the general developmental pathways of their brains.Conclusions/Significance: The evidence amassed points to more variation in the tectum than would be expected by phylogeny in three species from the taxa analysed; this variation is not better explained by differences in the main course of development, as would be predicted by the developmental clade hypothesis. Those findings shed new light on the evolution of an functionally important structure in nontetrapods, the most basal radiations of vertebrates.

Avaliação da desadaptação das selas de próteses parciais removíveis após 1 a 5 anos de uso

The non-adaptation of the removable partial prosthesis (RPP) base to fibromucosal tissue is caused by resorption of residual ridges (RRR). The onset of bone resorption, which occurs after tooth extraction and continues throughout life, is accelerated by local or systemic factors. Aim: Assess the degree of non-adaptation of removable partial prosthesis saddles and the factors that influence it. Methodology: A sectional study was conducted with 81 patients using RPP who had their prostheses installed between 2003 and 2007 (1 to 5 years of use) at the Faculty of Dentistry of the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN). After anamnese and clinical examination, a cast was made with polyether-based material, using the base of the prosthesis to make the impression. The base of the saddle was loaded with the casting material and positioned in the mouth, applying pressure on the supports. After polymerization, the material was removed from the saddle and measurements were taken at 3 different points using a pachymeter. Results: The non-adaptation of the saddle increased significantly with years of use (p = 0.005). The tooth-tissue supported prostheses obtained higher mean non-adaptation values than those of tooth supported prostheses (p < 0.001). Flaccid mucosa showed the worst non-adaptation results, which were statistically different from resilient mucosa (p < 0.001). The greater the extension of the saddle, the greater the non-adaptation (p < 0.001). The natural tooth antagonistic arch yielded better results than did RPP and total prosthesis (p < 0.001). Saddle non-adaptation at the free end was less near the pillar tooth and greater in the more posterior region (p < 0.001). When adaptation of the supports to the niches was poor, greater saddle non-adaptation occurred than when it was good or fair (p < 0.001). Saddles located in the posterior region of the arch had greater non-adaptation than those in the anterior region (p = 0.023). Conclusion: The mean non-adaptation of the saddle to the residual ridges was 0.27 mm. It can be concluded that, even with the use of RPP, bone height reduction was slight within the 1-5-year period of use. The following are factors that influence adaptation of the RPP saddle base: years of use, age, force transmission path to the alveolar bone, location of the toothless area, antagonistic arch, type of mucosa, adaptation of supports to the niche and extension of the saddle