A arte psicodélica e sua relação com a arte contemporânea norte-americana e inglesa dos anos 1960: uma dissolução de fronteiras

Pós-graduação em Artes - IA

Efeitos da política de avaliação do PDE no sistema municipal de ensino

Pós-graduação em Educação - FFC

Papiloma de plexo coroide em um cão

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Studio di ausili tecnologici compensativi di supporto all'iter di apprendimento matematico secondario e universitario degli studenti con dislessia

Data coming out from various researches carried out over the last years in Italy on the problem of school dispersion in secondary school show that difficulty in studying mathematics is one of the most frequent reasons of discomfort reported by students. Nevertheless, it is definitely unrealistic to think we can do without such knowledge in today society: mathematics is largely taught in secondary school and it is not confined within technical-scientific courses only. It is reasonable to say that, although students may choose academic courses that are, apparently, far away from mathematics, all students will have to come to terms, sooner or later in their life, with this subject. Among the reasons of discomfort given by the study of mathematics, some mention the very nature of this subject and in particular the complex symbolic language through which it is expressed. In fact, mathematics is a multimodal system composed by oral and written verbal texts, symbol expressions, such as formulae and equations, figures and graphs. For this, the study of mathematics represents a real challenge to those who suffer from dyslexia: this is a constitutional condition limiting people performances in relation to the activities of reading and writing and, in particular, to the study of mathematical contents. Here the difficulties in working with verbal and symbolic codes entail, in turn, difficulties in the comprehension of texts from which to deduce operations that, once combined together, would lead to the problem final solution. Information technologies may support this learning disorder effectively. However, these tools have some implementation limits, restricting their use in the study of scientific subjects. Vocal synthesis word processors are currently used to compensate difficulties in reading within the area of classical studies, but they are not used within the area of mathematics. This is because the vocal synthesis (or we should say the screen reader supporting it) is not able to interpret all that is not textual, such as symbols, images and graphs. The DISMATH software, which is the subject of this project, would allow dyslexic users to read technical-scientific documents with the help of a vocal synthesis, to understand the spatial structure of formulae and matrixes, to write documents with a technical-scientific content in a format that is compatible with main scientific editors. The system uses LaTex, a text mathematic language, as mediation system. It is set up as LaTex editor, whose graphic interface, in line with main commercial products, offers some additional specific functions with the capability to support the needs of users who are not able to manage verbal and symbolic codes on their own. LaTex is translated in real time into a standard symbolic language and it is read by vocal synthesis in natural language, in order to increase, through the bimodal representation, the ability to process information. The understanding of the mathematic formula through its reading is made possible by the deconstruction of the formula itself and its “tree” representation, so allowing to identify the logical elements composing it. Users, even without knowing LaTex language, are able to write whatever scientific document they need: in fact the symbolic elements are recalled by proper menus and automatically translated by the software managing the correct syntax. The final aim of the project, therefore, is to implement an editor enabling dyslexic people (but not only them) to manage mathematic formulae effectively, through the integration of different software tools, so allowing a better teacher/learner interaction too.

Engineering Concurrent and Event-driven Web Apps: An Agent-Oriented Approach based on the simpAL Language

Web is constantly evolving, thanks to the 2.0 transition, HTML5 new features and the coming of cloud-computing, the gap between Web and traditional desktop applications is tailing off. Web-apps are more and more widespread and bring several benefits compared to traditional ones. On the other hand reference technologies, JavaScript primarly, are not keeping pace, so a paradim shift is taking place in Web programming, and so many new languages and technologies are coming out. First objective of this thesis is to survey the reference and state-of-art technologies for client-side Web programming focusing in particular on what concerns concurrency and asynchronous programming. Taking into account the problems that affect existing technologies, we finally design simpAL-web, an innovative approach to tackle Web-apps development, based on the Agent-oriented programming abstraction and the simpAL language. == Versione in italiano: Il Web è in continua evoluzione, grazie alla transizione verso il 2.0, alle nuove funzionalità introdotte con HTML5 ed all’avvento del cloud-computing, il divario tra le applicazioni Web e quelle desktop tradizionali va assottigliandosi. Le Web-apps sono sempre più diffuse e presentano diversi vantaggi rispetto a quelle tradizionali. D’altra parte le tecnologie di riferimento, JavaScript in primis, non stanno tenendo il passo, motivo per cui la programmazione Web sta andando incontro ad un cambio di paradigma e nuovi linguaggi e tecnologie stanno spuntando sempre più numerosi. Primo obiettivo di questa tesi è di passare al vaglio le tecnologie di riferimento ed allo stato dell’arte per quel che riguarda la programmmazione Web client-side, porgendo particolare attenzione agli aspetti inerenti la concorrenza e la programmazione asincrona. Considerando i principali problemi di cui soffrono le attuali tecnologie passeremo infine alla progettazione di simpAL-web, un approccio innovativo con cui affrontare lo sviluppo di Web-apps basato sulla programmazione orientata agli Agenti e sul linguaggio simpAL.

Bildung in Medienwelten?: Eine biografieanalytische Studie zu Lern- und Bildungsprozessen bei Homosexuellen im Internet

Innerhalb der vorliegenden Untersuchung geht es um die Verknüpfung von Medienbildung, homosexueller Sozialität und der Methodik der Biografieanalyse. Ausgangsbasis ist eine sozialkonstruktivistische Sichtweise auf Geschlecht und (Homo-) Sexualität, wobei eine sozio-historische Kontextualisierung von Homosexualität unter Berücksichtigung von Diskriminierung erfolgt. Im Fokus steht der Coming-out-Prozess, der zwischen Zeigen und Verstecken changiert und mittels des Mediums Internet einen Raum findet, indem neue Bestimmungen homosexueller Identitäten und Formen homosexueller Sozialität möglich werden. Kommunikative Aspekte des Internets werden ausführlich expliziert und durch die strukturelle Medienbildungstheorie nach Marotzki (2009) ergänzt, um mögliche verbundene Bildungsprozesse zu beschreiben. Innerhalb dieser Theorie werden vier kritische Reflexionshorizonte (Wissensbezug, Handlungsbezug, Grenzbezug, Biografiebezug) entfaltet und auf die Artikulations- und Präsentationsmöglichkeiten des Internets bezogen. Deutlich wird, dass das Internet Spielräume für Identitäten bietet, denen Potenziale für reale Identitätskonstruktionen inneliegen. Fassbar werden diese Potenziale durch das medienpädagogische Konstrukt der Medienbiografie, sowie Konzepte der erziehungswissenschaftlichen Biografieforschung (Konstrukt Bildung nach Marotzki, 1990a; Konstrukt Sexualbiografie nach Scheuermann, 1999; 1995). Empirisch orientiert sich die Studie an Methodologie und Methodik der Biografieforschung, Grounded Theory (Glaser/Strauss, 1967) und dem narrationsstrukturellen Verfahren nach Schütze (1984, 1983). Konkret wird auf folgende Forschungsfragen referiert: Wie gestalten sich Lern- und Bildungsprozesse für männliche Homosexuelle in digitalen Medienwelten? Welche Möglichkeiten und Gestaltungschancen gibt es für die Repräsentation des (sexuellen) Selbst im Medium Internet? Welche Auswirkungen haben diese virtuellen Prozesse auf die real gelebte Biografie und das Selbst- und Weltverhältnis der einzelnen Homosexuellen? Durch Rekonstruktion von vier Fallbeispielen werden Möglichkeiten des Internets für die Repräsentation und Identitätsgestaltung von männlichen Homosexuellen präsentiert, bei denen die Gestaltbarkeit von Konstruktionen sexueller Identität und die Problematik der Subjekt-Umwelt-Relation deutlich werden. Im weiteren erfolgt ein kontrastierender Vergleich der Einzelfälle (Dimensionen: Familie, Peer Group, sexualbiografische Entwicklung, Medienbildungsprozesse, biografische Fallstruktur), die einer anschließenden Konstruktion von vier idealtypischen Prozessvarianten der sexualbiografischen Identitätsentwicklung zugeführt werden. Vier verschiedene Möglichkeiten des Internets als Präsentationstraum der eigenen Sexualität und Konstruktionen homosexueller Identität lassen sich somit skizzieren (Virtualitätslagerung, Zweckorientierung, reflexive Balancierung, periodische Selbstaktualisierung). Tentative Bildungs- und Identitätsprozesse sind also in der Virtualität des Internets möglich und können rekursiv-zirkulär auf reale Identitätsentwicklungen und reale Zugänge zu spezifischen sozialen Gruppen einwirken.

Simulation of titration experiments

Nowadays computer simulation is used in various fields, particularly in laboratories where it is used for the exploration data which are sometimes experimentally inaccessible. In less developed countries where there is a need for up to date laboratories for the realization of practical lessons in chemistry, especially in secondary schools and some higher institutions of learning, it may permit learners to carryout experiments such as titrations without the use of laboratory materials and equipments. Computer simulations may also permit teachers to better explain the realities of practical lessons, given that computers have now become very accessible and less expensive compared to the acquisition of laboratory materials and equipments. This work is aimed at coming out with a virtual laboratory that shall permit the simulation of an acid-base titration and an oxidation-reduction titration with the use of synthetic images. To this effect, an appropriate numerical method was used to obtain appropriate organigram, which were further transcribed into source codes with the help of a programming language so as to come out with the software.

TIME LAPSE SEISMIC OBSERVATIONS AND EFFECTS OF RESERVOIR COMPRESSIBILITY AT TEAL SOUTH OIL FIELD

One of the original ocean-bottom time-lapse seismic studies was performed at the Teal South oil field in the Gulf of Mexico during the late 1990’s. This work reexamines some aspects of previous work using modern analysis techniques to provide improved quantitative interpretations. Using three-dimensional volume visualization of legacy data and the two phases of post-production time-lapse data, I provide additional insight into the fluid migration pathways and the pressure communication between different reservoirs, separated by faults. This work supports a conclusion from previous studies that production from one reservoir caused regional pressure decline that in turn resulted in liberation of gas from multiple surrounding unproduced reservoirs. I also provide an explanation for unusual time-lapse changes in amplitude-versus-offset (AVO) data related to the compaction of the producing reservoir which, in turn, changed an isotropic medium to an anisotropic medium. In the first part of this work, I examine regional changes in seismic response due to the production of oil and gas from one reservoir. The previous studies primarily used two post-production ocean-bottom surveys (Phase I and Phase II), and not the legacy streamer data, due to the unavailability of legacy prestack data and very different acquisition parameters. In order to incorporate the legacy data in the present study, all three poststack data sets were cross-equalized and examined using instantaneous amplitude and energy volumes. This approach appears quite effective and helps to suppress changes unrelated to production while emphasizing those large-amplitude changes that are related to production in this noisy (by current standards) suite of data. I examine the multiple data sets first by using the instantaneous amplitude and energy attributes, and then also examine specific apparent time-lapse changes through direct comparisons of seismic traces. In so doing, I identify time-delays that, when corrected for, indicate water encroachment at the base of the producing reservoir. I also identify specific sites of leakage from various unproduced reservoirs, the result of regional pressure blowdown as explained in previous studies; those earlier studies, however, were unable to identify direct evidence of fluid movement. Of particular interest is the identification of one site where oil apparently leaked from one reservoir into a “new” reservoir that did not originally contain oil, but was ideally suited as a trap for fluids leaking from the neighboring spill-point. With continued pressure drop, oil in the new reservoir increased as more oil entered into the reservoir and expanded, liberating gas from solution. Because of the limited volume available for oil and gas in that temporary trap, oil and gas also escaped from it into the surrounding formation. I also note that some of the reservoirs demonstrate time-lapse changes only in the “gas cap” and not in the oil zone, even though gas must be coming out of solution everywhere in the reservoir. This is explained by interplay between pore-fluid modulus reduction by gas saturation decrease and dry-frame modulus increase by frame stiffening. In the second part of this work, I examine various rock-physics models in an attempt to quantitatively account for frame-stiffening that results from reduced pore-fluid pressure in the producing reservoir, searching for a model that would predict the unusual AVO features observed in the time-lapse prestack and stacked data at Teal South. While several rock-physics models are successful at predicting the time-lapse response for initial production, most fail to match the observations for continued production between Phase I and Phase II. Because the reservoir was initially overpressured and unconsolidated, reservoir compaction was likely significant, and is probably accomplished largely by uniaxial strain in the vertical direction; this implies that an anisotropic model may be required. Using Walton’s model for anisotropic unconsolidated sand, I successfully model the time-lapse changes for all phases of production. This observation may be of interest for application to other unconsolidated overpressured reservoirs under production.

Universidade : Transformações na profissão acadêmica

Este artículo enfoca eltrabajo docente enlas universidades públicas provincialesdel Paraná/Brasil. Inicialmente se problematiza loactual contexto marcado por la restructuraciónproductiva y por la reforma de Estado y lastransformaciones por lascualesvienepasandolauniversidadbrasileña. A partir de ahíelestudio se vuelve para el cotidiano docente mediante entrevistas realizadas contreinta y seis docentes vinculados latres universidades públicas provinciales. Se analizalas entrevistas hechasconlos docentes y se discute tendencias observadas enlosdatoscolectados. Se postula laconstitución de una nueva métrica deltiempo y una nuevaespacializacióneneltrabajo docente resultante de loscambiospolítico-económicos, cuya tónica es la gradual exencióndelfinanciamiento público y lacomercializacióndelconocimiento a través de laprivatización de cursos y de lainnovación tecnológica subordinada. Se aborda algunasrepercusiones de las condiciones objetivas sobre lasactividades académico-científicas y políticas delcuerpo de profesores como elenvolvimiento de este conprácticasdelcasi mercado educacional, la falta de tiempo para eltrabajo de cuño intelectual y elvaciamiento de la política sindical

Universidade : Transformações na profissão acadêmica

Este artículo enfoca eltrabajo docente enlas universidades públicas provincialesdel Paraná/Brasil. Inicialmente se problematiza loactual contexto marcado por la restructuraciónproductiva y por la reforma de Estado y lastransformaciones por lascualesvienepasandolauniversidadbrasileña. A partir de ahíelestudio se vuelve para el cotidiano docente mediante entrevistas realizadas contreinta y seis docentes vinculados latres universidades públicas provinciales. Se analizalas entrevistas hechasconlos docentes y se discute tendencias observadas enlosdatoscolectados. Se postula laconstitución de una nueva métrica deltiempo y una nuevaespacializacióneneltrabajo docente resultante de loscambiospolítico-económicos, cuya tónica es la gradual exencióndelfinanciamiento público y lacomercializacióndelconocimiento a través de laprivatización de cursos y de lainnovación tecnológica subordinada. Se aborda algunasrepercusiones de las condiciones objetivas sobre lasactividades académico-científicas y políticas delcuerpo de profesores como elenvolvimiento de este conprácticasdelcasi mercado educacional, la falta de tiempo para eltrabajo de cuño intelectual y elvaciamiento de la política sindical

Universidade : Transformações na profissão acadêmica

Este artículo enfoca eltrabajo docente enlas universidades públicas provincialesdel Paraná/Brasil. Inicialmente se problematiza loactual contexto marcado por la restructuraciónproductiva y por la reforma de Estado y lastransformaciones por lascualesvienepasandolauniversidadbrasileña. A partir de ahíelestudio se vuelve para el cotidiano docente mediante entrevistas realizadas contreinta y seis docentes vinculados latres universidades públicas provinciales. Se analizalas entrevistas hechasconlos docentes y se discute tendencias observadas enlosdatoscolectados. Se postula laconstitución de una nueva métrica deltiempo y una nuevaespacializacióneneltrabajo docente resultante de loscambiospolítico-económicos, cuya tónica es la gradual exencióndelfinanciamiento público y lacomercializacióndelconocimiento a través de laprivatización de cursos y de lainnovación tecnológica subordinada. Se aborda algunasrepercusiones de las condiciones objetivas sobre lasactividades académico-científicas y políticas delcuerpo de profesores como elenvolvimiento de este conprácticasdelcasi mercado educacional, la falta de tiempo para eltrabajo de cuño intelectual y elvaciamiento de la política sindical

Clean Coal Technologies Scenario and Evaluation of Present CO2 Dwindling Initiatives to Approach Zero Emission Power Stations By Coal Combustion. Deployment Situation and Evaluation Study

In the present uncertain global context of reaching an equal social stability and steady thriving economy, power demand expected to grow and global electricity generation could nearly double from 2005 to 2030. Fossil fuels will remain a significant contribution on this energy mix up to 2050, with an expected part of around 70% of global and ca. 60% of European electricity generation. Coal will remain a key player. Hence, a direct effect on the considered CO2 emissions business-as-usual scenario is expected, forecasting three times the present CO2 concentration values up to 1,200ppm by the end of this century. Kyoto protocol was the first approach to take global responsibility onto CO2 emissions monitoring and cap targets by 2012 with reference to 1990. Some of principal CO2emitters did not ratify the reduction targets. Although USA and China spur are taking its own actions and parallel reduction measures. More efficient combustion processes comprising less fuel consuming, a significant contribution from the electricity generation sector to a CO2 dwindling concentration levels, might not be sufficient. Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technologies have started to gain more importance from the beginning of the decade, with research and funds coming out to drive its come in useful. After first researching projects and initial scale testing, three principal capture processes came out available today with first figures showing up to 90% CO2 removal by its standard applications in coal fired power stations. Regarding last part of CO2 reduction chain, two options could be considered worthy, reusing (EOR & EGR) and storage. The study evaluates the state of the CO2 capture technology development, availability and investment cost of the different technologies, with few operation cost analysis possible at the time. Main findings and the abatement potential for coal applications are presented. DOE, NETL, MIT, European universities and research institutions, key technology enterprises and utilities, and key technology suppliers are the main sources of this study. A vision of the technology deployment is presented.

Influencia de la Ciencia Ficción en las TIC y las Telecomunicaciones

Desde el comienzo de la Historia, el ser humano ha pensado en su futuro, ya fuera por el hecho de preocuparse por su supervivencia o por razones más filosóficas, como el porvenir como especie. Pensar en el futuro es anticipación. El género de la ciencia ficción es el que más se basa en la anticipación. En muchos subgéneros de la ciencia ficción se tratan temas futuristas, viajes espaciales a otros planetas, inteligencia artificial, etc. Por otra parte, en la actualidad vivimos un período donde los cambios en las TIC (Tecnologías de la Información y Comunicación) son prácticamente diarios, aunque podría llegar a decirse que los cambios se producen hora a hora. A veces, muchos de estos avances nos parecen producto de la fantasía o la ciencia ficción, o salidos de alguna película futurista. Sin embargo, dichos avances son perfectamente posibles y explicables a través de la ciencia actual. A través de este proyecto se pretenden analizar estos avances, relacionándolos con distintas obras de ciencia ficción. Una gran cantidad de los avances tecnológicos tienen su origen en alguna obra de la ciencia ficción, ya sea literatura o cine. Otro objetivo es realizar un estudio de diferentes propuestas tecnológicas de diferentes obras de esta rama que no se hayan realizado todavía, y analizar su viabilidad, su utilidad y los posibles cambios sociológicos que produciría en el mundo en el que vivimos. El tercer objetivo es evaluar la aptitud y actitud de los ingenieros de telecomunicación en cuanto a la innovación y la proyección hacia el futuro de los estos posibles cambios tecnológicos. Abstract Since the beginning of History, humans have thought about their future, either concerned about survival or by philosophical reasons like the future as species. Thinking about the future is speculation. The science fiction genre is the one that is based on speculation. Sub-genres of science fiction covers futuristic themes like space travel to other planets, artificial intelligence, etc. Today we live in a period where changes in ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) are almost daily, although we should say that changes occur in a matter of hours. Sometimes, many of these advances seem a product of fantasy or science fiction, or coming out of a futuristic movie. However, these advances are perfectly possible and explainable by current science. Through this project the intention is to analyze these developments, relating them to various works of science fiction. A great number of this technological advancements have their origin in a work of science fiction, either literature or film. Another objective is to study different technological proposals of this genre that have not been done yet, and analyze their feasibility, usefulness and potential sociological changes that occur in the world we live in. The third objective is to evaluate the ability and attitude of telecommunication engineers in terms of innovation and future projection of these potential technological changes.

Tendencias actuales y perspectivas de las comunicaciones ópticas

A short review to the main problems today in optical Communications is given. Several topics, namely, coherent optical systems, high-speed transmission systems, optical switching, fluoride glasses and wavelength division multiplexing are studied. Their status and future is reported. Some considerations coming out from the next ECOC'88, give way to the author impresions about the present and future of Optical Communications.

Propellantless deorbiting of space debris by bare electrodynamic tethers : final report

A Space tether is a thin, multi-kilometers long conductive wire, joining a satellite and some opposite end mass, and keeping vertical in orbit by the gravity-gradient. The ambient plasma, being highly conductive, is equipotential in its own co-moving frame. In the tether frame, in relative motion however, there is in the plasma a motional electric field of order of 100 V/km, product of (near) orbital velocity and geomagnetic field. The electromotive force established over the tether length allows plasma contactor devices to collect electrons at one polarized-positive (anodic) end and eject electrons at the opposite end, setting up a current along a standard, fully insulated tether. The Lorentz force exerted on the current by the geomagnetic field itself is always drag; this relies on just thermodynamics, like air drag. The bare tether concept, introduced in 1992 at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), takes away the insulation and has electrons collected over the tether segment coming out polarized positive; the concept rests on 2D (Langmuir probe) current-collection in plasmas being greatly more efficient than 3D collection. A Plasma Contactor ejects electrons at the cathodic end. A bare tether with a thin-tape cross section has much greater perimeter and de-orbits much faster than a (corresponding) round bare tether of equal length and mass. Further, tethers being long and thin, they are prone to cuts by abundant small space debris, but BETs has shown that the tape has a probability of being cut per unit time smaller by more than one order of magnitude than the corresponding round tether (debris comparable to its width are much less abundant than debris comparable to the radius of the corresponding round tether). Also, the tape collects much more current, and de-orbits much faster, than a corresponding multi-line “tape” made of thin round wires cross-connected to survive debris cuts. Tethers use a dissipative mechanism quite different from air drag and can de-orbit in just a few months; also, tape tethers are much lighter than round tethers of equal length and perimeter, which can capture equal current. The 3 disparate tape dimensions allow easily scalable design. Switching the cathodic Contactor off-on allows maneuvering to avoid catastrophic collisions with big tracked debris. Lorentz braking is as reliable as air drag. Tethers are still reasonably effective at high inclinations, where the motional field is small, because the geomagnetic field is not just a dipole along the Earth polar axis. BETs is the EC FP7/Space Project 262972, financed in about 1.8 million euros, from 1 November 2010 to 31 January 2014, and carrying out RTD work on de-orbiting space debris. Coordinated by UPM, it has partners Università di Padova, ONERA-Toulouse, Colorado State University, SME Emxys, DLR–Bremen, and Fundación Tecnalia. BETs work involves 1) Designing, building, and ground-testing basic hardware subsystems Cathodic Plasma Contactor, Tether Deployment Mechanism, Power Control Module, and Tape with crosswise and lengthwise structure. 2) Testing current collection and verifying tether dynamical stability. 3) Preliminary design of tape dimensions for a generic mission, conducive to low system-to-satellite mass ratio and probability of cut by small debris, and ohmic-effects regime of tether current for fast de-orbiting. Reaching TRL 4-5, BETs appears ready for in-orbit demostration.