Investigação da capacidade intelectiva de pacientes pediátricos diagnosticados com tumores de fossa posterior

Central Nervous System are the most common pediatric solid tumors. 60% of these tumors arise in posterior fossa, mainly in cerebellum. The first therapeutic approach is surgical resection. Malignant tumors require additional strategies - chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The increasing survival evidences that childhood brain tumors result in academic and social difficulties that compromise the quality of life of the patients. This study investigated the intellectual functioning of children between 7 to 15 years diagnosed with posterior fossa tumors and treated at CEHOPE - Recife / PE. 21 children were eligible - including 13 children with pilocytic astrocytoma (G1) who underwent only surgery resection, and eight children with medulloblastoma (G2) - submitted to surgical resection, chemotherapy and craniospinal radiotherapy. Participants were evaluated by the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children - WISC-III. Children of G1 scored better than children of G2. Inferential tools (Mann-Whitney Ü Test) identified significant diferences (p ≤ 0.05) between the Performance IQ (PIQ) and Processing Speed Index (PSI) as a function of treatment modality; Full Scale IQ (FSIQ), PIQ and PSI as a function of parental educational level; PIQ, FSIQ, IVP and Freedom from Distractibility (FDI) as a function of time between diagnosis and evaluation. These results showed the late and progressive impact of radiotherapy on white matter and information processing speed. Furthermore, children whose parents have higher educational level showed better intellectual performance, indicating the influence of xxii socio-cultural variables on cognitive development. The impact of cancer and its treatment on cognitive development and learning should not be underestimated. These results support the need to increase the understanding of such effects in order to propose therapeutic strategies which ensure that, in addition to the cure, the full development of children with this pathology

Investigação do funcionamento cognitivo de pacientes pediátricos diagnosticados com leucemia linfóide aguda - LLA

The present work investigated the cognitive operation of children diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), accompanied at pediatric oncologic institutions at the city of Natal/RN. Had participated in this study twenty children, of both sexes, between six and twelve years old, with the ALL diagnostic, who were in treatment (n=10) and out of treatment for at least one year (n=10) and were submitted exclusively to chemotherapy as CNS prophylaxis. The utilized protocol of neuropsychological evaluation covered the following cognitive abilities: intellective capability, attentional and memory systems, and executive functions. Data was analyzed through descriptive and inferential measures, with the support of the Mann-Whitney U Test and T-test, considering the influence of the variables sex, age at diagnostic and the past time since the beginning of the treatment over children s performance. The intellective capability evaluation showed low score to the out-of-treatment groups, female and children under five years old to the diagnostic. In concern of attentional systems, groups showed the expected performance. In a relevant way, in the evaluation of executive functions, were found reduced scores within all groups, especially inside the in-treatment group. Memory evaluation pointed to reduced performance in items concerning to learning evolution and spontaneous evocation after interference to the several groups. It can be concluded, reffer to the occurrence of transitory and permanent impact associated to the intrusion of chemotherapic components during the maturational course of the CNS. It s expected that the present investigation and the development of similar studies enable major comprehension about the mode, extension and repercussion of these damages subsidizing the development of strategies which may minimize them and provide better xxiii life quality to this clinical subgroup

Investigação da memória autobiográfica em idosos com demência de Alzheimer nas fases leve e moderada

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico

Investigação da estabilidade térmica e das propriedades elétricas do TiO2 em função da dopagem com Ce(SO4)2

The metalic oxides have been studies due to differents applications as materials semiconductor in solar cells, catalysts, full cells and, resistors. Titanium dioxide (TiO2) has a high electric conductivity due to oxygen vacancies. The Ce(SO4)2.2H2O doped samples TiO2 and TiO2 pure was obtained sol-gel process, and characterized by X-ray diffractometry,thermal analysis, and impedance spectroscopy. The X-ray diffraction patterns for TiO2 pure samples shows at 700°C anatase phase is absent, and only the diffraction peaks of rutile phase are observed. However, the cerium doped samples only at 900°C rutile in the phase present with peaks of cerium dioxide (CeO2). The thermal analysis of the TiO2 pure and small concentration cerium doped samples show two steps weight loss corresponding to water of hydration and chemisorbed. To larger concentration cerium doped samples were observed two steps weight loss in the transformation of the doped cerium possible intermediate species and SO3. Finally, two steps weight loss the end products CeO2 and SO3 are formed. Analyse electric properties at different temperatures and concentration cerium doped samples have been investigated by impedance spectroscopy. It was observed that titanium, can be substituted by cerium, changing its electric properties, and increased thermal stability of TiO2 anatase structure

Investigação do processo de absorção de água de hidrogéis de polissacarídeo: efeito da carga iônica, presença de sais, concentrações de monômero e polissacarídeo

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

Cartografia de uma intervenção comunitária para prevenção de DST/HIV/AIDS

Community-based interventions have been presented as a proposal of operationalization of the concept of vulnerability to STD/Aids prevention. This study aimed to analyze the Community intervention developed through the project Strengthening of Community action networks for STD/Aids prevention: know and intervenein, at Mãe Luiza neighborhood, in the city of Natal, State of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. The study was conducted in the same location where intervention occurs and took as time reference the first 30 months of construction and deployment process, from April 2010 until December 2012. This is research with qualitative approach, participatory character, developed from the immersion of the researcher in the field, being this community intervention itself. In this perspective, the study approximates to the Cartographic method in which the researcher-researched is engendered in the acts and effects research. The data-generating sources were the memories of the researcher from the field notes, written narratives of subjects involved in the intervention and documents pertaining to the project. In the methodological path of cartography, the image of the rhizome by Deleuze and Guattari (1995) has accompanied the immersion in the field given the nature of research-intervention which approach to the concept of object-Rhizome. The presentation of results was composed for the attempted rhizomatic and a hypertext representation, based on the descriptive narrative taken from the documentary analysis and the multi-faceted narratives with the voices, the looks and the affections narrated by the subject involved, respectively. On the path taken, three lanes were drawn as synthesis of learning produced by experience-that can contribute to understanding the process under study, in his singular character, and reflections on other experiences of community intervention: track 1- Community intervention as active-reflective space and a cause; track 2 Inclusion as power and challenge of community involvement; track 3 Sustainability as A challenge of Community intervention. The study indicates that community intervention is presented as a potential producer of health as also produces practical and creative skills, subjects and inventive in the daily life of the community with a view to reinventing knowledge and practices for the prevention of STD/HIV/Aids

Uma investigação de algoritmos exatos e metaheurísticos aplicados ao nonograma

Nonogram is a logical puzzle whose associated decision problem is NP-complete. It has applications in pattern recognition problems and data compression, among others. The puzzle consists in determining an assignment of colors to pixels distributed in a N  M matrix that satisfies line and column constraints. A Nonogram is encoded by a vector whose elements specify the number of pixels in each row and column of a figure without specifying their coordinates. This work presents exact and heuristic approaches to solve Nonograms. The depth first search was one of the chosen exact approaches because it is a typical example of brute search algorithm that is easy to implement. Another implemented exact approach was based on the Las Vegas algorithm, so that we intend to investigate whether the randomness introduce by the Las Vegas-based algorithm would be an advantage over the depth first search. The Nonogram is also transformed into a Constraint Satisfaction Problem. Three heuristics approaches are proposed: a Tabu Search and two memetic algorithms. A new function to calculate the objective function is proposed. The approaches are applied on 234 instances, the size of the instances ranging from 5 x 5 to 100 x 100 size, and including logical and random Nonograms

Investigação da rentabilidade de clientes: um estudo no setor hoteleiro do Nordeste

This study presents an investigation about customer profitability in the hotel industry. It exposes the hotel industry´s history and its managerial environment, besides its importance to the society and economy, considering the increasement of the hotel industry. It realizes a literature survey about the customer profitability, emphasizing the informations that are necessary to measurement. In order to perceive the hotel reality, a questionnaire was applied in some hotels classified as middle and great size. It has covered five Brasilian Northeast states. The objective of the research is to investigate the existence of an individual measurement to the customer profitability, through the hotel´s information systems. The results reveal that 81,6% of the sampled hotels do not evaluate the individual profitability obtained with the customers , while 18,4% do it. Although, 85,8% recognize the importance of the electronic system that supplies this information for decisions. Finally, it concludes that the informations about individual customer profitability may provide a good opportunity to the hotel maximize your customer relationships

A gestão participativa do desenvolvimento rural sustentável: o PRONAF na Subzona de Touros/ RN

To investigate the possibilities and limits of mechanisms of participativa management in the scope of the Pronaf - National Program of Fortalecimento of Familiar Agriculture, and the corresponding effectiveness of its actions in the construction of alternatives of sustainable agricultural development in the Coast North of the State of the Great River of the North, more specifically, in the composed Subzona de Touros for the cities of Bulls, White Well, Pureness, Is Miguel of the Gostoso and Taipu. To carry through this analysis they had been carried through Research of Field with the objective to reconstitute the trajectory of the CMDRS, to trace the profile of the citizens that compose each one of the five advice, its expectations, interests and the level of participation of the local population

Avaliação do ciclo de vida no Brasil: uma investigação nas principais bases científicas nacionais

A avaliação do ciclo de vida (ACV) é uma metodologia de avaliação de impacto ambiental de produtos e sistemas de produção considerando todo o ciclo de vida, desde a aquisição de matérias-primas até a disposição final. Este trabalho consistiu na investigação do progresso dos estudos sobre ACV no Brasil, por meio de uma pesquisa bibliográfica em eventos e periódicos oficiais ou reconhecidos pela Associação Brasileira de Engenharia de Produção e na base de dados SciELO Brasil. Foram identificados 80 artigos, a maioria de instituições das regiões Sul e Sudeste. A Universidade de São Paulo (USP) e Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC) apresentaram o maior número de publicações dentre as 50 instituições identificadas. Verificou-se que 17 artigos aplicaram efetivamente a metodologia ACV em um estudo de caso, sendo que 11 utilizaram a metodologia para avaliar processo produtivo e 6 para comparar materiais ou processos

Recuperação de sinais esparsos. Investigação numérica sobre a quantidade de medidas necessárias para recuperar um sinal esparso

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior

Microdissecção e captura a laser na investigação do gene TP53 em tecidos incluídos em parafina

INTRODUÇÃO: Microdissecção e captura a laser (MCL) é uma técnica de desenvolvimento recente que permite a coleta de células individuais ou pequeno conjunto de células para análise molecular. Atualmente, no Brasil, há raros microscópios para MCL, de modo que a divulgação dos procedimentos inerentes a essa técnica é oportuna para destacar seu amplo potencial para diagnóstico e investigação. OBJETIVO: Este trabalho descreve a padronização dos procedimentos de MCL e de extração de DNA de material fixado em formalina e incluído em parafina. MATERIAL E MÉTODOS: Foram estudados o éxon 8 do gene TP53 e o gene da ciclofilina em amostras de tecido normal e de neoplasias de fígado e rim provenientes de modelo de carcinogênese química induzida em rato. A extração do DNA foi comprovada por reação em cadeia da polimerase (nested-PCR). RESULTADOS: Foram padronizados os procedimentos de preparo dos cortes histológicos, de microdissecção e captura a laser e de obtenção de seqüências gênicas pela reação de nested-PCR para tecidos incluídos em parafina. Obtivemos amplificação de 48,3% das amostras para o éxon 8 do gene TP53 e 51,7% para o gene da ciclofilina. Considerando pelo menos um dos dois segmentos gênicos, foram amplificadas 79,3% das amostras. DISCUSSÃO E CONCLUSÃO: A extração de DNA de tecidos fixados em formalina e incluídos em parafina e a técnica de nested-PCR foram adequadamente padronizadas para produtos gênicos de interesse, obtidos de material coletado por MCL. Esses procedimentos podem ser úteis para a obtenção de seqüências de DNA de arquivos para análise molecular.

Investigação diagnóstica de erros inatos do metabolismo em um hospital universitário

OBJETIVOS: Estabelecer a freqüência de erros inatos do metabolismo (EIMs) em uma amostra de pacientes com hipótese diagnóstica de EIM proveniente do Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina de Botucatu da Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) e analisar a metodologia empregada nessa investigação. AMOSTRA E MÉTODOS: Foram triadas para EIM, por testes químicos e técnicas cromatográficas, 1.233 amostras de urina de 905 pacientes. RESULTADOS: O diagnóstico de EIM foi estabelecido em 18 (1,98%) pacientes; 12 deles apresentaram triagem (testes químicos e cromatografias) alterada para EIM. Todos os pacientes foram diagnosticados por análises enzimáticas. CONCLUSÃO: A freqüência de EIMs diagnosticados neste estudo (1,98%), quando comparada com a literatura, foi satisfatória, uma vez que este grupo de pacientes foi proveniente de um único hospital. A metodologia provou ser eficaz, indicando 12 casos de EIM entre os 18 diagnosticados. O estudo mostra a importância de laboratórios especializados na detecção deste tipo de patologia.

Construção coletiva de uma trilha ecológica no cerrado: pesquisa participativa em educação ambiental

Dentre os muitos temas ambientais que podem ser problematizados pela Educação Ambiental encontra-se a proteção aos ecossistemas. Definiu-se como tema, num projeto de Educação Ambiental, o Cerrado, bioma amplamente degradado por ações antrópicas e que faz parte do ambiente natural de Botucatu, interior de São Paulo. Com o objetivo de despertar um olhar crítico-ambiental, visando a integração do ambiente natural e urbano, o projeto, realizado com alunos da 8ª série do Ensino Fundamental, teve como eixo a construção de uma Trilha Ecológica no Cerrado. Todo o processo de planejamento, realização e avaliação da trilha foi participativo: os participantes estudaram as características do Cerrado; identificaram, na área, as espécies remanescentes; discutiram as condições de conservação da área, e tomaram decisões sobre a construção da trilha como recurso educativo. Problematizaram, coletivamente, a interação comunidade-ambiente, articulando consciência ambiental e ação educativa, concluindo sobre o potencial desencadeador deste recurso para reflexões sobre temas socioambientais. O grupo teve a oportunidade de vivenciar um trabalho educativo com crianças da educação infantil, concretizando a trilha como recurso didático-pedagógico na aproximação visitantes-educandos-ambiente.