Efeito da concentração de coagulantes e do pH da solução na turbidez da água, em recirculação, utilizada no processamento dos frutos do cafeeiro

Com o objetivo de determinar a dose e a faixa de pH dos coagulantes sulfato de alumínio (SA), sulfato ferroso clorado (SFC), cloreto férrico (CF) e extrato de semente de moringa (ESM), que proporcionassem maior eficiência na remoção da turbidez na água residuária da despolpa de frutos do cafeeiro (ARDC), após serem efetuadas cinco recirculações, foram conduzidos ensaios de coagulação/floculação utilizando o aparelho "Jar-test". Todos esses coagulantes foram avaliados nas concentrações de 0; 0,5; 1,0; 1,5; 2,0; 2,5 e 3,0 g L-1. No caso da solução preparada com ESM, as doses utilizadas foram: 0; 10; 20; 30; 40; 50 e 60 mL L-1. O pH da solução em teste foi alterado, utilizando-se do hidróxido de sódio (NaOH), na concentração de 0,3 mol L-1, sendo avaliadas as faixas de 4,0 a 5,0; 5,0 a 6,0; 6,0 a 7,0 e 7,0 a 8,0. No ensaio de coagulação/floculação, o ESM proporcionou maior remoção de SS (sólidos em suspensão) da ARDC com a dose de 10 mL L-1 e pH de 4,27 (natural). Para os coagulantes SA e CF, os melhores resultados foram obtidos com a concentração de 3 g L-1 e pH de 7,27 e, para o coagulante SFC, com a concentração de 3 g L-1 e pH de 4,27.

Crossfit-harjoittelun soveltuvuus varusmiesten liikuntakoulutukseen

Puolustusvoimat on Suomen suurin kuntokoulu. Puolustusvoimien liikuntakoulutus on julkisessa keskustelussa esillä oleva asia. Liikunta on tärkeä kansanterveyttä edistävä tekijä, jonka vuoksi varusmiehille tulisi jäädä innostus liikuntaan palveluksen jälkeen heidän siirtyessään reserviin. On tarpeellista tutkia uusien urheilulajien käyttöä koulutuksessa. Tutkielmassa tarkastellaan CrossFit (Cf)-harjoittelua, kuvataan sen metodiikkaa ja harjoittelun toteuttamista ja tuodaan lajin harjoitusmetodien vaikutusmekanismit esille. Cfharjoittelusta tehdyn tutkimuksen tulokset esitellään. Tutkielmassa verrattiin Cf-harjoittelua ja nykymuotoista lihaskuntokoulutusta toisiinsa. Vertailu suoritettiin kolmen eri kriteerin suhteen: harjoittelun vaikuttavuus fyysiseen suorituskykyyn, harjoittelun vaatimat tilat ja resurssit sekä lähtötason mukaan. Lisäksi Cfharjoittelusta laadittiin nelikenttäanalyysi. Cf-harjoittelun todettiin vaikuttavan useampaan fyysisen suorituskyvyn osa-alueeseen, kuin nykymuotoinen lihaskuntokoulutus. Kuitenkin muut liikunnan osa-alueet, kuten esimerkiksi kamppailukoulutus, hiihto, suunnistus ja lenkkeily tulee säilyttää mukana koulutuksessa. Tilojen ja resurssien puolesta laji mahdollistaa harjoittelun joustavasti ja periaatteessa siellä, missä joukko toimiikin. Yksikön harjoitteluun tarvitsema materiaali voidaan säilyttää yksikössä. Cf-harjoittelu huomioi yksilöllisesti ja uudella tavalla lähtötason. Harjoittelussa ei tarvitse myöskään erillisiä tasoryhmiä, koska tehtävien liikkeiden kuormittavuus tai vaikeus määritetään jokaiselle erikseen. Tämä edesauttaa ryhmäkiinteyden muodostumista palveluksen alusta alkaen. Nelikenttäanalyysissä löydettiin vahvuuksia ja mahdollisuuksia enemmän kuin heikkouksia ja uhkia. Negatiivisina havaittiin harjoittelun toteuttamiseen ja henkilökunnan kouluttamiseen ja sitouttamiseen liittyvät seikat. Analyysin pohjalta voidaan todeta, että lajia on mahdollista käyttää varusmiesten liikuntakoulutukseen. Se voi luoda myös lisää mahdollisuuksia liikunnan harrastamisella varusmiespalveluksen jälkeen.

Eficiência de sistemas alagados construídos na remoção de poluentes de águas residuárias de indústria de laticínios

Objetivou-se avaliar a eficiência de sistemas alagados construídos (SACs), cultivados com dois diferentes capins e cinco taxas de carregamento orgânico (TCOs) na remoção de poluentes de águas residuárias de indústria de laticínios (ARL). Para isso, unidades experimentais foram constituídas por um SAC sem vegetação (SV), cinco SACs cultivados com capim-elefante (SACs-CF) e cinco SACs cultivados com capim-tifton 85 (SACs-CT), com escoamento subsuperficial horizontal. A ARL foi aplicada numa vazão média de 60 L d-1 e tempo de residência hidráulica de 4,8 dias e TCOs de 66; 130; 190; 320 e 570 kg ha-1 d-1 de DBO5. Os SACs mostraram-se eficientes na remoção da DBO, DQO e dos SSTs, STs e NTKs, porém foram pouco eficientes na remoção de P-total, K e Na da ARL. As duas forrageiras avaliadas apresentaram semelhante influência no processo de remoção de DBO5, DQO, ST, SST, P-total, K e Na, quando comparadas com sistemas que operaram com mesma taxa de carregamento orgânico, tendo as remoções de DBO e DQO ficado na faixa de 79 a 96 % e 85 a 97 %, respectivamente. O SAC sem vegetação (SV) apresentou desempenho semelhante ao dos SACs vegetados na remoção de DBO5, DQO, ST, SST e Na, enquanto o cultivado com capim-tifton foi mais eficiente na remoção de NTK.

Carbon footprint of the colombian cocoa production

ABSTRACT Cocoa is an important commercial crop in the tropics; and estimating the carbon emissions in the producing-areas is a worthwhile effort. The main goal of the current paper was to evaluate the carbon footprint (CF) per kilogram of Colombian cocoa bean produced under conventional and agroforestry managements, following the methods proposed by PAS 2050. In this research, we compared our results to other worldwide researches, showing an overview of the current limitations and challenges involving the CF researches. Our results showed that all calculated environmental burdens were lower for the conventional management. In the agroforestry practice, composting of cocoa pod husks contributed with approximately 34.00E+00 g methane and 2.55E+00 g nitrous oxide emissions per kilogram of cocoa grain produced. Therefore, such practice could reduce CF by 6.00E+00 kg CO2 Eq kg-1, which is certainly a significant amount. These cocoa residues left on the ground have a strong impact on CF of both studied managements due to the anaerobic decomposition of organic matter, which represents more than 85% of emissions. We concluded that both evaluated production processes can emit environmental burdens at the same magnitude. Definitely, there is a widespread need to improve cocoa production system by changing old and less productive plants to the so called clones to ensure cocoa yield and quality worldwide.

Thinking Outside the Box: Enhancing Science Teaching by Combining (Instead of Contrasting) Laboratory and Simulation Activities

The focus of the present work was on 10- to 12-year-old elementary school students’ conceptual learning outcomes in science in two specific inquiry-learning environments, laboratory and simulation. The main aim was to examine if it would be more beneficial to combine than contrast simulation and laboratory activities in science teaching. It was argued that the status quo where laboratories and simulations are seen as alternative or competing methods in science teaching is hardly an optimal solution to promote students’ learning and understanding in various science domains. It was hypothesized that it would make more sense and be more productive to combine laboratories and simulations. Several explanations and examples were provided to back up the hypothesis. In order to test whether learning with the combination of laboratory and simulation activities can result in better conceptual understanding in science than learning with laboratory or simulation activities alone, two experiments were conducted in the domain of electricity. In these experiments students constructed and studied electrical circuits in three different learning environments: laboratory (real circuits), simulation (virtual circuits), and simulation-laboratory combination (real and virtual circuits were used simultaneously). In order to measure and compare how these environments affected students’ conceptual understanding of circuits, a subject knowledge assessment questionnaire was administered before and after the experimentation. The results of the experiments were presented in four empirical studies. Three of the studies focused on learning outcomes between the conditions and one on learning processes. Study I analyzed learning outcomes from experiment I. The aim of the study was to investigate if it would be more beneficial to combine simulation and laboratory activities than to use them separately in teaching the concepts of simple electricity. Matched-trios were created based on the pre-test results of 66 elementary school students and divided randomly into a laboratory (real circuits), simulation (virtual circuits) and simulation-laboratory combination (real and virtual circuits simultaneously) conditions. In each condition students had 90 minutes to construct and study various circuits. The results showed that studying electrical circuits in the simulation–laboratory combination environment improved students’ conceptual understanding more than studying circuits in simulation and laboratory environments alone. Although there were no statistical differences between simulation and laboratory environments, the learning effect was more pronounced in the simulation condition where the students made clear progress during the intervention, whereas in the laboratory condition students’ conceptual understanding remained at an elementary level after the intervention. Study II analyzed learning outcomes from experiment II. The aim of the study was to investigate if and how learning outcomes in simulation and simulation-laboratory combination environments are mediated by implicit (only procedural guidance) and explicit (more structure and guidance for the discovery process) instruction in the context of simple DC circuits. Matched-quartets were created based on the pre-test results of 50 elementary school students and divided randomly into a simulation implicit (SI), simulation explicit (SE), combination implicit (CI) and combination explicit (CE) conditions. The results showed that when the students were working with the simulation alone, they were able to gain significantly greater amount of subject knowledge when they received metacognitive support (explicit instruction; SE) for the discovery process than when they received only procedural guidance (implicit instruction: SI). However, this additional scaffolding was not enough to reach the level of the students in the combination environment (CI and CE). A surprising finding in Study II was that instructional support had a different effect in the combination environment than in the simulation environment. In the combination environment explicit instruction (CE) did not seem to elicit much additional gain for students’ understanding of electric circuits compared to implicit instruction (CI). Instead, explicit instruction slowed down the inquiry process substantially in the combination environment. Study III analyzed from video data learning processes of those 50 students that participated in experiment II (cf. Study II above). The focus was on three specific learning processes: cognitive conflicts, self-explanations, and analogical encodings. The aim of the study was to find out possible explanations for the success of the combination condition in Experiments I and II. The video data provided clear evidence about the benefits of studying with the real and virtual circuits simultaneously (the combination conditions). Mostly the representations complemented each other, that is, one representation helped students to interpret and understand the outcomes they received from the other representation. However, there were also instances in which analogical encoding took place, that is, situations in which the slightly discrepant results between the representations ‘forced’ students to focus on those features that could be generalised across the two representations. No statistical differences were found in the amount of experienced cognitive conflicts and self-explanations between simulation and combination conditions, though in self-explanations there was a nascent trend in favour of the combination. There was also a clear tendency suggesting that explicit guidance increased the amount of self-explanations. Overall, the amount of cognitive conflicts and self-explanations was very low. The aim of the Study IV was twofold: the main aim was to provide an aggregated overview of the learning outcomes of experiments I and II; the secondary aim was to explore the relationship between the learning environments and students’ prior domain knowledge (low and high) in the experiments. Aggregated results of experiments I & II showed that on average, 91% of the students in the combination environment scored above the average of the laboratory environment, and 76% of them scored also above the average of the simulation environment. Seventy percent of the students in the simulation environment scored above the average of the laboratory environment. The results further showed that overall students seemed to benefit from combining simulations and laboratories regardless of their level of prior knowledge, that is, students with either low or high prior knowledge who studied circuits in the combination environment outperformed their counterparts who studied in the laboratory or simulation environment alone. The effect seemed to be slightly bigger among the students with low prior knowledge. However, more detailed inspection of the results showed that there were considerable differences between the experiments regarding how students with low and high prior knowledge benefitted from the combination: in Experiment I, especially students with low prior knowledge benefitted from the combination as compared to those students that used only the simulation, whereas in Experiment II, only students with high prior knowledge seemed to benefit from the combination relative to the simulation group. Regarding the differences between simulation and laboratory groups, the benefits of using a simulation seemed to be slightly higher among students with high prior knowledge. The results of the four empirical studies support the hypothesis concerning the benefits of using simulation along with laboratory activities to promote students’ conceptual understanding of electricity. It can be concluded that when teaching students about electricity, the students can gain better understanding when they have an opportunity to use the simulation and the real circuits in parallel than if they have only the real circuits or only a computer simulation available, even when the use of the simulation is supported with the explicit instruction. The outcomes of the empirical studies can be considered as the first unambiguous evidence on the (additional) benefits of combining laboratory and simulation activities in science education as compared to learning with laboratories and simulations alone.

Avaliação Ultra-Sonográfica do Crescimento Fetal com uso do Diâmetro Transverso do Cerebelo

Objetivo: avaliar a eficácia do diâmetro transverso do cerebelo (DTC), por meio da ultra-sonografia, na evolução do crescimento fetal e relacioná-lo com a idade gestacional, diâmetro biparietal (DBP), circunferência cefálica (CC), circunferência abdominal (CA) e comprimento do fêmur (CF). Métodos: foi realizado um estudo prospectivo e longitudinal com 254 gestantes consideradas de baixo risco, com idade gestacional de 20 a 40 semanas. Somente 55 gestantes foram incluídas no estudo, segurados os critérios de inclusão e exclusão. Todos os exames, ou seja, as 217 avaliações ultra-sonográficas foram realizadas pelo autor (LN), sendo no mínimo três e no máximo seis exames para cada gestante, com intervalo de uma a cinco semanas. Foram estabelecidos padrões de normalidade entre os percentis 10 e 90 para cada idade gestacional, com confirmação após o parto. Resultados: o diâmetro transverso do cerebelo apresentou uma boa correlação com a idade gestacional, tanto como variável dependente (R² = 0,90), como variável independente (R² = 0,92). Uma correlação significativa na avaliação do crescimento fetal foi encontrada entre o DTC e os vários parâmetros fetais: DBP e CC (R² = 0,92), CF (R² = 0,90) e CA (R² = 0,89). Conclusões: o diâmetro transverso do cerebelo é um parâmetro que deve ser utilizado no acompanhamento do desenvolvimento e do crescimento fetal devido a sua curva de crescimento de padrão ascendente. Qualquer alteração para mais ou menos na curva de crescimento pode ser útil na detecção dos desvios do crescimento fetal.

Uso de condom feminino por mulheres infectadas pelo HIV

OBJETIVO: avaliar a aceitabilidade, a adesão e a experiência com o uso de condom feminino (CF) entre mulheres infectadas pelo HIV. MÉTODO: estudo descritivo prospectivo com 76 mulheres infectadas pelo HIV atendidas no CAISM/UNICAMP e no Centro Corsini de Campinas. Após entrevista de triagem e concordando em participar, as voluntárias receberam calendário para registro das relações sexuais e uso de condom masculino (CM). Após 30 dias, compareceram à visita de treinamento com colocação do CF em modelo pélvico, trazendo o diário do ciclo anterior, considerado controle. Aplicou-se questionário estruturado após 30, 60 e 90 dias, recolhendo-se sempre o diário de registro das relações sexuais e uso de CF ou CM. Usaram-se os testes de c², exato de Fisher, McNemar e Friedman para amostras emparelhadas na análise estatística. RESULTADOS: predominaram as mulheres jovens, de baixa escolaridade, que moravam com o parceiro. Observou-se taxa de continuidade de uso de 52%, ao longo de 90 dias. O uso de CF, em metade das relações sexuais em cada período de estudo, permaneceu estável nos 90 dias. Houve significativa diminuição da proporção média das relações sexuais desprotegidas (de 14% para 6%), sem uso de CM ou CF, aos 90 dias. As dificuldades iniciais no manuseio do CF foram superadas com o tempo. Os casais sorodiscordantes tiveram maior proporção de relações protegidas que os casais soroconcordantes, porém a diferença não foi significativa. As mulheres que relataram uso prévio consistente de CM apresentaram número significantemente maior de relações protegidas com CF. CONCLUSÕES: a oferta do CF foi capaz de reduzir as relações sexuais desprotegidas entre mulheres infectadas pelo HIV, que se mostraram motivadas e receptivas a este método.

Níveis séricos de leptina e densidade mineral óssea em mulheres na pós-menopausa

OBJETIVO: correlacionar os níveis de leptina com a densidade mineral óssea (DMO) em mulheres na pós-menopausa. MÉTODOS: neste estudo de corte transversal foram incluídas 22 mulheres na pós-menopausa, sendo avaliadas a DMO na coluna lombar (CL) e colo do fêmur (CF) por densitometria óssea de dupla emissão e a concentração sérica de leptina por radioimunoensaio. Análise estatística foi realizada utilizando análise de variância e teste de Dunn (intergrupos) e teste de correlação de Pearson, sendo adotado nível de significância de 5%. RESULTADOS: os valores médios da DMO foram 0,898 ± 0,14 g/cm² na CL e, 0,760 ± 0,15 g/cm² no CF. A concentração média de leptina na amostra total foi de 17,2 ± 9,4 ng/ml, não havendo diferenças significativas entre as pacientes com DMO normal, osteopenia e osteoporose (18,6 ± 7,8, 18,9 ± 9,9 e 15,6 ± 10,6, respectivamente; p > 0,05). Não foram observadas correlações significativas entre o nível de leptina e a DMO, tanto em relação à amostra total, quanto em relação aos grupos com osteoporose e/ou osteopenia. Houve correlação positiva entre os níveis de leptina e o índice de massa corporal (IMC) (r = 0,66; p = 0,0044). CONCLUSÕES: não houve correlação direta entre os níveis de leptina e DMO em mulheres na pós-menopausa, porém houve correlação positiva significativa entre a leptina e o IMC, sugerindo que um possível efeito indireto desse hormônio sobre a massa óssea.

Formas moleculares da gonadotrofina coriônica humana: características, ensaios e uso clínico

A gonadotrofina coriônica humana (hCG) é estruturada pela combinação não covalente de duas subunidades, alfa (alfahCG) e beta (betahCG), sintetizadas separadamente pelo tecido trofoblástico normal, mola hidatiforme, coriocarcinoma, células hipofisárias e tecidos tumorais de diversos tipos histológicos. A síntese da cadeia peptídica e sua glicosilação na célula secretora envolve complexa ação de várias enzimas. Esta complexidade resulta na secreção de moléculas heterogêneas. As diferentes formas moleculares secretadas podem ser encontradas no soro, urina e líquido amniótico de gestantes; soro, urina e vesículas em pacientes com mola hidatiforme ou coriocarcinoma e em fluidos biológicos de mulheres não grávidas e homens normais ou acometidos de tumores de diferente origem embrionária. Tanto a molécula hCG nativa, intacta,como suas subunidades nas formas livres e as variantes hCG hiperglicosilada (H-hCG), hCG clivada (N-hCG) e fragmento-núcleo de betahCG (CF-betahCG) têm aplicabilidade clínica relevante. Dependendo da forma molecular mais prevalente ou da proporção da molécula variante/molécula hCG intacta numa determinada condição clínica, há indicação para a dosagem específica de uma ou mais destas moléculas. Este texto revê o conhecimento básico e analisa o uso da hCG e suas variantes na detecção precoce da gravidez ectópica ou gestantes em risco de abortamento, na identificação precoce de anomalias cromossômicas êmbrio-fetais e estima o risco da gestação de evoluir com pré-eclâmpsia ou crescimento intra-uterino restrito. Examina, ainda, fora da gravidez, o emprego destas moléculas como marcadores laboratoriais de tumores com diferentes tipos histológicos e seguimento após a terapia inicial. Conclui-se ser útil o uso da dosagem de hCG e suas moléculas variantes na prática clínica, mas a dificuldade no desenvolvimento e obtenção de ensaios mais sensíveis e específicos restringe a aplicação mais universal destes marcadores hormonais.

Pricing anomalies in the Finnish stock market

The aim of this thesis is to examine whether the pricing anomalies exists in the Finnish stock markets by comparing the performance of quantile portfolios that are formed on the basis of either individual valuation ratios, composite value measures or combined value and momentum indicators. All the research papers included in the thesis show evidence of value anomalies in the Finnish stock markets. In the first paper, the sample of stocks over the 1991-2006 period is divided into quintile portfolios based on four individual valuation ratios (i.e., E/P, EBITDA/EV, B/P, and S/P) and three hybrids of them (i.e. composite value measures). The results show the superiority of composite value measures as selection criterion for value stocks, particularly when EBITDA/EV is employed as earnings multiple. The main focus of the second paper is on the impact of the holding period length on performance of value strategies. As an extension to the first paper, two more individual ratios (i.e. CF/P and D/P) are included in the comparative analysis. The sample of stocks over 1993- 2008 period is divided into tercile portfolios based on six individual valuation ratios and three hybrids of them. The use of either dividend yield criterion or one of three composite value measures being examined results in best value portfolio performance according to all performance metrics used. Parallel to the findings of many international studies, our results from performance comparisons indicate that for the sample data employed, the yearly reformation of portfolios is not necessarily optimal in order to maximally gain from the value premium. Instead, the value investor may extend his holding period up to 5 years without any decrease in long-term portfolio performance. The same holds also for the results of the third paper that examines the applicability of data envelopment analysis (DEA) method in discriminating the undervalued stocks from overvalued ones. The fourth paper examines the added value of combining price momentum with various value strategies. Taking account of the price momentum improves the performance of value portfolios in most cases. The performance improvement is greatest for value portfolios that are formed on the basis of the 3-composite value measure which consists of D/P, B/P and EBITDA/EV ratios. The risk-adjusted performance can be enhanced further by following 130/30 long-short strategy in which the long position of value winner stocks is leveraged by 30 percentages while simultaneously selling short glamour loser stocks by the same amount. Average return of the long-short position proved to be more than double stock market average coupled with the volatility decrease. The fifth paper offers a new approach to combine value and momentum indicators into a single portfolio-formation criterion using different variants of DEA models. The results throughout the 1994-2010 sample period shows that the top-tercile portfolios outperform both the market portfolio and the corresponding bottom-tercile portfolios. In addition, the middle-tercile portfolios also outperform the comparable bottom-tercile portfolios when DEA models are used as a basis for stock classification criteria. To my knowledge, such strong performance differences have not been reported in earlier peer-reviewed studies that have employed the comparable quantile approach of dividing stocks into portfolios. Consistently with the previous literature, the division of the full sample period into bullish and bearish periods reveals that the top-quantile DEA portfolios lose far less of their value during the bearish conditions than do the corresponding bottom portfolios. The sixth paper extends the sample period employed in the fourth paper by one year (i.e. 1993- 2009) covering also the first years of the recent financial crisis. It contributes to the fourth paper by examining the impact of the stock market conditions on the main results. Consistently with the fifth paper, value portfolios lose much less of their value during bearish conditions than do stocks on average. The inclusion of a momentum criterion somewhat adds value to an investor during bullish conditions, but this added value turns to negative during bearish conditions. During bear market periods some of the value loser portfolios perform even better than their value winner counterparts. Furthermore, the results show that the recent financial crisis has reduced the added value of using combinations of momentum and value indicators as portfolio formation criteria. However, since the stock markets have historically been bullish more often than bearish, the combination of the value and momentum criteria has paid off to the investor despite the fact that its added value during bearish periods is negative, on an average.

Correlação entre medidas ultra-sonográficas do coração e o deficit de hemoglobina em fetos de gestantes aloimunizadas

OBJETIVO: verificar a correlação entre as medidas ultra-sonográficas do coração fetal e o deficit de hemoglobina em fetos de gestantes aloimunizadas. MÉTODOS: estudo transversal, no qual foram incluídos 60 fetos de 56 mulheres aloimunizadas, com idade gestacional entre 21 e 35 semanas. Foram realizados 139 procedimentos. Antes da cordocentese para a coleta de sangue fetal, as medidas cardíacas e o comprimento do fêmur (CF) foram avaliados pela ultra-sonografia. O diâmetro biventricular externo (DBVE) foi obtido no final da diástole, com o cursor modo-M perpendicular ao septo interventricular, nas válvulas atrioventriculares, medindo-se a distância entre as partes externas dos epicárdios. A medida do diâmetro atrioventricular (DAV) foi obtida posicionando-se o mesmo cursor ao longo do septo interventricular, avaliando-se a distância entre a base e o ápice do coração. O CF foi determinado do trocanter maior à metáfise distal. Foi calculada a circunferência cardíaca (CC). Para ajustar as medidas cardíacas à idade gestacional, dividiu-se cada uma dessas medidas pela medida do CF. A concentração de hemoglobina foi determinada por espectrofotometria no sistema Hemocue®. O deficit de hemoglobina foi calculado baseado na curva de normalidade de Nicolaides. RESULTADOS: observaram-se correlações diretas e significativas entre as medidas cardíacas avaliadas e o deficit de hemoglobina. Para a predição das anemias moderada e grave, a sensibilidade e a especificidade encontradas foram, respectivamente, de 71,7 e 66,3% para a razão DBVE e CF; 65,8 e 62,4% para a DAV e CF e 73,7 e 60,4% para a CC e CF. CONCLUSÕES: nos fetos de gestantes aloimunizadas, as medidas cardíacas ultra-sonográficas avaliadas correlacionam-se diretamente com o deficit de hemoglobina.

Acurácia da estimativa ultrassonográfica do peso fetal e influência de fatores maternos e fetais

OBJETIVO: Avaliar a eficácia da estimativa ultrassonográfica na predição do peso fetal e analisar fatores maternos e/ou fetais que interferem no resultado. MÉTODOS: Estudo prospectivo e transversal, que incluiu 106 pacientes, nas quais foram realizadas 212 avaliações pela ultrassonografia, por 2 observadores, no máximo 24 h antes do parto. Foram mensurados os seguintes parâmetros: diâmetro biparietal (DBP), circunferência cefálica (CC), circunferência abdominal (CA) e comprimento do fêmur (CF).O peso fetal foi estimado utilizando-se a fórmula de Hadlock 4 parâmetros, e os resultados foram comparados com o peso no nascimento. Os fatores maternos avaliados foram peso materno, índice de massa corpórea (IMC) e distância entre a pele e o útero na ultrassonografia; e os fatores fetais: apresentação, posição, localização e espessura placentária, peso fetal e índice de líquido amniótico (ILA). RESULTADOS: Foi observada boa correlação entre o peso estimado e o peso no nascimento (R=0,97). Em 79,2% dos casos, a variação do peso fetal estimado, em relação ao peso no nascimento, foi de até 10% e, em 92,4% dos casos, de até 15%. O único fator materno que apresentou correlação positiva com o erro percentual na estimativa do peso fetal foi a distância entre a pele e o útero (R³0,56). A avaliação do peso fetal mostrou correlação negativa com o erro percentual (R=-0,36; p<0,001), com tendência significante em superestimar o peso no grupo abaixo de 1000 g (p<0,05). O ILA mostrou baixa relação negativa com o erro percentual (R=-0,21; p<0,001), sem diferença nos erros percentuais entre os diferentes grupos de ILA (p=0,516). CONCLUSÕES: A estimativa ultrassonográfica do peso fetal apresenta boa acurácia. O erro na estimativa do peso fetal é diretamente proporcional à distância entre a pele e o útero materno e inversamente proporcional ao peso fetal. O volume de líquido amniótico não interferiu significantemente na predição do peso fetal.

Comparison of methods for determination of nutrient digestibility of a dry kibble diet for ocelots

In this experiment, methods of total fecal collection (TFC) and internal markers (acid-insoluble ash - AIA, crude fiber - CF, and acid-detergent fiber - ADF) were compared for determination of the coefficients of apparent digestibility (CAD) for dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), ether extract (EE), nitrogen-free extracts (NFE), and gross energy (GE) of commercial feline dry kibble for ocelots (Leopardus pardalis). Six adult animals, weighing 12.45±1.37 kg, gradually received experimental kibble in their usual diet until the beginning of the experiment and were submitted to an adaptation period ten days prior to the collection period. CAD obtained by TFC, AIA, CF, and ADF were, respectively, 73.7, 76.83, 62.01, and 46.03% for dry matter; 81.9, 84.8, 75.8, and 63.8% for crude protein; 85, 86.7, 78.5, and 69.1% for ether extract; 78.52, 79.55, 69.11, and 53.04% for nitrogen-free extracts; and 80.5, 82.2, 71.4, and 58.4% for gross energy. The AIA method showed to be efficient in determining coefficients of apparent digestibility and may contribute to investigations on the digestibility of diets for wild felines. In comparison to the items of ocelot's usual diet, the kibble used in this paper provided an adequate nutritional supply with reduced daily costs per animal.

Interferência das plantas daninhas sobre algumas características agronômicas e a produtividade de sete cultivares de milho

O presente trabalho teve por objetivo estudar o comportamento de 7 cultivares de milho (Zea mays L.) quanto à interferência da comunidade de plantas daninhas. Para tanto, os 7cultivares de milho (ESALQ VF-7, ESALQ VD-8, COMPOSTOS ARQUITETURA, FLINT e DENTADO, PIRANÃO e o híbrido CARGILL 501) foram submetidos a duas condições de interferência: com e sem, totalizando 14 tratamentos arranjados em esquema fatorial (7x2), instalados, no campo, em área experimental da FCAV/UNESP, Campus de Jaboticabal, seguindo o delineamento experimental de blocos ao acaso com 4 repetições. A comunidade infestante cujas espécies mais importantes foram SIDCO, BRAPL e ELEIN, estabeleceu-se a partir dos 14 dias após a semeadura, passando a interferir negativamente sobre a cultura a partir dos 35 dias. Os cultivares CD e CF apresentaram maior crescimento que os demais. A interferência da comunidade infestante reduziu a altura de inserção da primeira espiga; o comprimento e a circunferência das espigas, os pesos da espigas e dos grãos e a produção estimada da cultura, independente do cultivar. Os cultivares PIR e ARQ, independente da interferência, mostraram-se os menos produtivos. O cultivar Carg mostrou-se o mais produtivo mesmo quando sob interferência. O cultivar ARQ foi o mais sensível à interferência, enquanto PIR e VF-7 foram os menos sensíveis, podendo ser utilizados em programas de melhoramento genético visando tolerância a interferência de plantas daninhas.

„Und frei erklär' ich alle meine Knechte“ : Höflichkeit als Ausdruck sozialer Utopie in Schillers Drama Wilhelm Tell.

My dissertation is an interdisciplinary study of the relationship between the Swiss peasants and nobles in Friedrich Schiller’s play Wilhelm Tell (1804). Changes to this relationship are of particular interest. Communication in the play is examined via a micro-analysis based on Penelope Brown’s and Stephen C. Levinson’s theoretical framework Politeness: Some universals in language usage. (1978, 1987). Brown and Levinson distinguish between positivepoliteness and negative-politeness strategies and their distinction is useful for my argument, since they claim that the use of positive-politeness strategies reflects the speaker’s intention to minimize the distance between the interlocutors (Brown and Levinson 1987: 103). Negative-politeness strategies, by contrast, result in social distancing (Brown and Levinson 1987: 130). In accordance with Brown’s and Levinson’s theory, it can be argued that the distribution of positive-politeness and negative-politeness strategies reflects changes in the distance between the fictional interlocutors as representatives of their social classes in Wilhelm Tell. The analysis of the communication in the play highlights that existing conflicts within the social groups are resolved and replaced with solidarity (cf. ‘Claim ’common ground’ and ‘Claim in-group membership with H’) before the peasants and noblemen appear on stage simultaneously in III, 3. In the scene in question, Geßler forces Tell to shoot the apple off his son’s head. Although both nobles and peasants are present, they do not communicate with each other. Thus, communication between the social classes occurs for the first time in IV, 2. This scene is crucial with regard to the changes in the relationship between the social classes in the play. The younger generation, with Rudenz as a representative of the nobility and Melchthal as a representative of the peasants, break with the prevailing conventions and initiate a new type of cooperation based on mutual helping and equality in the right and the duty to protect the country from the violent oppressors representing Habsburg (cf. ‘Convey that S and H are cooperators’, ‘Claim reflexivity’ and ‘Claim reciprocity’). The linguistic analysis reveals the crucial role of the Swiss nobility in the development of the social utopia, as well as the non-contribution of Wilhelm Tell. In fact, Tell never communicates with the Swiss noblemen. The role of the nobility and the role of Wilhelm Tell are further investigated in a comparison between Schiller’s Wilhelm Tell and four of Schiller’s historical sources. These sources, which contain earlier, non-dramatic versions of the establishment of the Swiss Confederation, are the following: Kronica von der loblichen Eydtgnoschaft compiled by Petermann Etterlin (1507), Gemeiner loblicher Eydgnoschafft Stetten Landen vnd Völckeren Chronik wirdiger thaaten beschreybung (1548) written by Johann Stumpf, Chronicon Helveticum of Aegidius Tschudi (the publication of Iselin from 1734 and 1736) and Johannes von Müller’s Geschichten schweizerischer Eidgenossenschaft (1786). Thecomparison sheds light on the fact that both Tschudi and von Müller emphasize unity among the Swiss and cooperation in their attempt to defeat the enemy. However, Schiller has reinforced the role of the nobility in the cooperation. In addition, the comparison between Schiller’s play and the historical sources reveals profound differences with regard to the role of Wilhelm Tell. In all of Schiller’s sources, Tell is present at Rütli, whereas he is absent from Rütli in Schiller’s play. In the play in general, Tell is conspicuously separated from the other peasants. Explanations of my linguistic results, which correspond to the above mentioned differences between the roles of the figures in Wilhelm Tell and the depictions in Schiller’s sources, are found by comparing the path of Schiller’s Swiss towards an egalitarian perspective with the kind of social evolution depicted by the German philosopher Johann Benjamin Erhard in his essay Über das Recht des Volks zu einer Revolution (1795). Aiming at considering Schiller’s social utopia within the larger cultural framework of the German response to the French Revolution, the comparison suggests that both authors depict the need for social change in terms of a change in social hierarchies (Erhard 1970: 95-96, cf. Foi 2005: 225). Erhard’s essay thus helps explain the political intention of Schiller’s play to keep the ideals of the French Revolution as crucial aims but profoundly change the means towards freedom and equality. In his attempt to claim the political resistance of the nobles and peasants as just, however, Schiller sacrificed the figure of Wilhelm Tell. Guilty of the murder of Geßler, Tell was no longer suitable for the righteous revolution imagined by Schiller (cf. Bloch 2008: 215 and Schulz 2005: 228). This explains Tell’s absence in the Rütli scene, his isolation in the plot, as well as his non-contribution to the social utopia. Together, the linguistic analysis and contextualisation of Schiller’s play support my hypothesis that Wilhelm Tell describes a process of change in the relationship between peasants and nobles. The interdisciplinary approach to the topic proved to be fruitful for all areas of the research involved.