Chemotaxonomic studies on Schwenckia americana LINN.

This study investigated the chemotaxonomic studies on Schwenckia americana Linn., a member of the family Solanaceae predominantly found mostly in low grass fields, Nigeria. The habit is annual herbaceous weed with slender stem characterized with free branching and growing up to 45cm in height.They are used mainly as medicine. The leaves are simple, entire, elliptic to ovate in shape, smooth, variable, petiolate and larger at the lower region of stem and narrowing to smaller almost sessile and oblanceolate towards the apical regions which are alternately arranged and acrescently structured from the top to the base upto 3.7 ± 1.5cm long and 2.4±0.6cm wide. The inflorescence is a panicle of 15 or more flowers occurring at stem terminal.The flowers are whitish tubular structures measuring up to 1.0±0.2cm in length and 0.1cm in diameter. The petals are whitish up to 0.9 ±0.2cm in length and sepals are greenish up to 0.1cm in length. The berry fruit is greenish when unripe and pale yellowish when ripe up to 0.3±0.1cm in diameter. The seeds are blackish and spherical or triangular shaped with rough edges measuring up to 0.1cm in diameter. The epidermal studies reveal anomocytic stomata whereas the trichomes are simple uniseriate forms wth bulge heads. The anatomy of mid-ribs and petioles showed bicollateral vascular systems. There are three vascular traces and the node is unilacunar. The petioles have 2 rib traces at primary growth phase. At secondary growth phase, the mid-rib and petiole revealed vascular arcs and the stem has a ring of open vascular system. The cytological studies showed a diploid chromosome number of 2n = 24 and n = 12 for the haploids. Alkaloids, saponins, tannins, phlobatannins, flavonoids, combined anthraquinones, free anthraquinones and cardiac glycosides are present.

The Ethics of Eating Animals in Tudor and Stuart Theaters

A pressing challenge for the study of animal ethics in early modern literature is the very breadth of the category “animal,” which occludes the distinct ecological and economic roles of different species. Understanding the significance of deer to a hunter as distinct from the meaning of swine for a London pork vendor requires a historical investigation into humans’ ecological and cultural relationships with individual animals. For the constituents of England’s agricultural networks – shepherds, butchers, fishwives, eaters at tables high and low – animals matter differently. While recent scholarship on food and animal ethics often emphasizes ecological reciprocation, I insist that this mutualism is always out of balance, both across and within species lines. Focusing on drama by William Shakespeare, Ben Jonson, and the anonymous authors of late medieval biblical plays, my research investigates how sixteenth-century theaters use food animals to mediate and negotiate the complexities of a changing meat economy. On the English stage, playwrights use food animals to impress the ethico-political implications of land enclosure, forest emparkment, the search for new fisheries, and air and water pollution from urban slaughterhouses and markets. Concurrent developments in animal husbandry and theatrical production in the period thus led to new ideas about emplacement, embodiment, and the ethics of interspecies interdependence.

LA MONOPOLIZACIÓN DEL CONOCIMIENTO UNIVERSITARIO: “UN ASALTO A LOS VALORES DE LA ACADEMIA”

Resumen Hace  veintisiete años, fue promulgada en los Estados Unidos la ley Bayh-Dohle,  que  permitió a las universidades públicas estadounidenses patentar los resultados de sus investigaciones financiadas con dinero de los impuestos federales de los ciudadanos, acción no autorizada hasta entonces. Los efectos  de esta ley como facilitadora de la transferencia del conocimiento a la industria y  de la obtención de financiamiento privado para las universidades fueron evidentes en sus primeros años.  Sin embargo, el aparente éxito económico conseguido por la ley Bayh-Dole no oscurece de ninguna manera sus efectos negativos que parecen culminar con el desvanecimiento paulatino de los valores más elevados de las universidades y el acorralamiento de una parte importante de los bienes comunes de la mente. En este trabajo se presentan algunos testimonios y evidencias sobre dichos efectos en países que ya  tienen experiencias en este campo.  Primero se desmitifican las razones para impulsar esas “políticas de propiedad intelectual” que resultan ser simplemente un proceso de privatización y monopolización del conocimiento. Se concluye  con el esbozo de algunas acciones de emergencia si no queremos no sólo desproteger el conocimiento común producido en los nichos académicos,  sino también poner en peligro la razón de ser de las universidades públicas.   Abstract Twenty seven years ago, the Law Bay-Dohle was enforced, allowing public universities from the United States to patent  research financed  with federal taxes.  This was not permitted before.  The effects of this law, as a facilitator to transfer knowledge to industry and to obtain private finance to universities were evident was evident in its first years. Nontheless, the apparent economical success obtained by the Bay-Dohle law does not hide its negative effects that seem to reach its hight with the loss of the most elevated university values and the enclosure of an important part of commons of the mind. This paper presents some testimonies and evidence of these effects in those countries that have experience in this area.  First of all the previous reasons to stimulate these policies of intellectual property are just but a myth; they turn out to be a simple process of privatization and monopolization of knowledge.  It concludes with a sketch of some emergency actions if we  want not only to really not protect knowledge in the academic niches but also put at risk the being of public universities

Sociabilidades e hedonismos: etnografia entre jovens usuários de substâncias psicoativas sintéticas Fortaleza Ceará

This dissertation shows a comparison between practices related to the body, to identities and to the health of young drug takers of synthetic and manipulated psychoactive substances living in Fortaleza. Through ethnographic accompaniment of parties and two social nets of young people I was able to verify the differences and similarities that make these addicted singular and plural in their notion of ethos and world vision. Notions of being hippie/alternative and being punk are present between these nets. Because their use and circulation are developed in environments usually distinct, it is possible to trace singular aspects between the nets and its actions. In parallel, on the attempt to build a triangulated data, I had information related to youth and drugs in local media and in governmental institutions bound to health mental and city security policies. With this junction of data I present a perspective to questions evolving formal and informal important controls to the conduction of their lives and identities. I present this as a sequel to well developed studies in Brasil about youth in interface to drug use, although still not very explored in the state of Ceará.

Factores a considerar para la implementación de un Modelo o Modalidad de aprendizaje en el Centro Universitario de los Valles de la Universidad de Guadalajara

En el presente trabajo, se analiza la creación y el desarrollo del Centro Universitario de los Valles, el cual es una dependencia de la Universidad de Guadalajara, institución con doscientos años de tradición. El interés en el estudio de este Centro Universitario radica en su novedosa propuesta educativa, consistente en una mezcla entre los modelos presencial y a distancia, mismo que ha hecho posible que un mayor número de jóvenes cursen sus estudios de educación superior en la región en donde se ubica este campus. El Centro Universitario de los Valles se distingue en el ámbito de la Red Universitaria por la implementación de un Modelo Académico no Convencional, el cual, como se mencionó líneas arriba, es una combinación entre la educación a distancia y la presencial. Respecto a esta propuesta se analizan los conceptos subyacentes a las nociones de estudiante, asesor/profesor, tutorías, aprendizaje, autogestión y trabajo a distancia. La información vertida por los encuestados permitió elaborar las conclusiones y recomendaciones, propósito de la presente Tesis. El instrumento tipo encuesta empleado fue de corte seccional, el cual constó, de cuestionamientos dirigidos tanto a los estudiantes como a los asesores/profesores, algunos de sus apartados son similares, con el propósito de triangular la información vertida entre los segmentos encuestados, lo que permitirá, de ser el caso, hacer comparaciones entre los segmentos. Dado que se conoce la población de cada subgrupo que compone la comunidad universitaria del CUValles a estudiar, esto es, el número total de estudiantes y académicos que la componen, se aplicó un muestreo probabilístico aleatorio simple, ya que cualquiera de los elementos de la población tiene la probabilidad de ser elegido. A pesar de que los estudiantes en la mayoría de los casos trabajan haciendo uso de las TIC’s, los asesores/profesores en una proporción cercana al 50 %, no lo hacen con la misma frecuencia. Los profesores argumentan que participan en los foros de discusión y revisan las actividades que solicitan a los estudiantes, en contraste, en opinión de los estudiantes, entre un 30 y un 40 por ciento de los asesores, requiere elevar sus niveles de desempeño, que se traduce en un dominio y en el manejo de la plataforma Moodle, así como en el diseño instruccional, además requiere hacer uso de herramientas pedagógico-didácticas, por otra parte, es fundamental que sea capacitado en el diseñar adecuadamente los materiales que emplea en sus sesiones presenciales así como incorporar y usar herramientas, que permitan compartir el aprendizaje, como las redes sociales, Facebook, Messenger, Twitter, Google Drive, etc., como herramientas de apoyo en sus clases, incorporando la enseñanza móvil y el trabajo en Academia. Dado que los factores expresados, son elementos con los que de alguna manera ya ha venido trabajando el CUValles, lo que se requiere es plantear las estrategias a implementar para el logro de la consolidación del Modelo de Aprendizaje. Por lo anterior y con base a las opiniones de los encuestados, se hacen las siguientes recomendaciones: • Redefinir los preceptos filosóficos, pedagógicos, didácticos y de aprendizaje del Modelo CUValles, aprobarlos en los órganos colegiados y de gobierno que corresponda y oficializarlos; • Diseñar y ejecutar cursos de inducción al Modelo Académico, tanto para estudiantes como para asesores, que permitan identificar de manera clara las características y roles de los estudiantes, los asesores y directivos; • Capacitar a lo comunidad universitaria del CUValles para que trabaje en el Modelo Académico, • Diseñaran los programas y planeaciones de las asignaturas, con base al Modelo, erradicando esquemas tradicionales de aprendizaje, recordemos que el aprendizaje no es producto de la presencia o de la distancia, sino de un buen diseño y método pedagógico; • Capacitar a los asesores/profesores en el diseño istruccional y en el manejo de la plataforma Moodle; • Actualizar a los asesores/profesores en el uso de herramientas en la enseñanza móvil, con el propósito de compartir el aprendizaje; • Incentivar el uso de la Biblioteca, bases de datos y demás herramientas de éste tipo, en las tareas cotidianas de aprendizaje; • Fortalecer los procesos de tutoría y de asesoría que realizan los asesores a sus estudiantes; • Combinar materiales que permitan solventar los requerimientos teóricos y prácticos de las asignaturas en los distintos PE; • Promover los procesos que permitan una enseñanza y aprendizaje integrados; • Promover la generación de entornos centrados en lo personal y en lo colaborativo del aprendizaje, fomentando el trabajo en grupo con proyectos conjuntos, en donde se supervise el progreso colectivo. Una de las premisas filosóficas que debe prevalecer en el Modelo de Aprendizaje del CUValles, es sin lugar a dudas, el armonizar las distintas estrategias que se implementen con un propósito común de “Brindar una educación de calidad”, tanto en sus procesos que involucran las actividades presenciales, como aquellas que se involucran en los procesos a distancia.

Simulação computacional de medidas estereológicas em estruturas de metal duro (WC-Co)

This work focuses on the creation and applications of a dynamic simulation software in order to study the hard metal structure (WC-Co). The technological ground used to increase the GPU hardware capacity was Geforce 9600 GT along with the PhysX chip created to make games more realistic. The software simulates the three-dimensional carbide structure to the shape of a cubic box where tungsten carbide (WC) are modeled as triangular prisms and truncated triangular prisms. The program was proven effective regarding checking testes, ranging from calculations of parameter measures such as the capacity to increase the number of particles simulated dynamically. It was possible to make an investigation of both the mean parameters and distributions stereological parameters used to characterize the carbide structure through cutting plans. Grounded on the cutting plans concerning the analyzed structures, we have investigated the linear intercepts, the intercepts to the area, and the perimeter section of the intercepted grains as well as the binder phase to the structure by calculating the mean value and distribution of the free path. As literature shows almost consensually that the distribution of the linear intercepts is lognormal, this suggests that the grain distribution is also lognormal. Thus, a routine was developed regarding the program which made possible a more detailed research on this issue. We have observed that it is possible, under certain values for the parameters which define the shape and size of the Prismatic grain to find out the distribution to the linear intercepts that approach the lognormal shape. Regarding a number of developed simulations, we have observed that the distribution curves of the linear and area intercepts as well as the perimeter section are consistent with studies on static computer simulation to these parameters.

Enfoque sistémico complejo para el estudio de motivos de práctica de actividad física: el caso del Centro Acuático Olímpico Universitario

En el trabajo se estudian con una perspectiva sistémica y compleja los motivos de práctica de actividad física en el medio acuático en sus relaciones con el contexto y el monitor en el Centro Acuático Olímpico Universitario (CAOU) de la Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León (UANL). Con un diseño mixto de investigación se combinaron procederes cuantitativos y cualitativos como la aplicación de los cuestionarios Autoinforme de Motivos de Práctica de Ejercicio Físico (AMPEF) y el Cuestionario de Evaluación de la Calidad Percibida en Servicios Deportivos (CECASDEP). Se utilizaron también grupos focales y composiciones para triangular por el método y así materializar una de las variantes de los diseños mixtos de investigación. Al triangular por las técnicas de obtención de datos se arriba a la conclusión de que el motivo dominante es la salud, seguido del motivo de recreación o diversión, e igualmente se apreciaron opiniones positivas sobre el contexto y el monitor a partir de la aplicación de los métodos cerrados y estandarizados, pero no ocurrió igual en los métodos abiertos de corte cualitativo, donde aparecieron algunas valoraciones negativas; todo lo cual es congruente con la perspectiva sistémica compleja que asume la necesaria diversidad de los procesos y contextos y en consecuencia también, la diversidad de posiciones valorativas de los actores sociales, que para el caso de nuestra investigación son los sujetos que practican actividad física en el medio acuático.

Reconstituição da paleobatimetria do Oceano Atlântico Norte: uma abordagem em SIG

Dissertação de mestrado, Geomática, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade do Algarve, 2014

Arquitetura da (in)segurança: estudando relações entre configuração espacial, artifícios de segurança e violência urbana no bairro Manaíra, João Pessoa, Paraíba

João Pessoa, the capital city of the state of Paraíba (Northeast Brazil), is reputed throughout the country as a quiet place, although it has been acquiring, over the past years, an urban character with social implications similar to those of major metropolitan Brazilian areas. The new situation is evident by the social inequalities, with the creation of confined spaces, which segregate and cause enclosure of the inhabitants, leading to death the public space. This study correlates accessibility in spatial structure with two types of crime data, burglary and robbery, recorded in 2008 and 2009, by the Secretaria de Segurança da Paraíba (The government agency public in charge of safety), in the district of Manaíra, an upper middle class neighborhood, which has, in recent times, been considered one of the most violent areas in João Pessoa. Sought to understand connections between these events and morpho-social aspects of the built environment, where examined the spatial properties, such as accessibility of the urban net, the presence of control measures, the safety of buildings and their uses. Spatial properties were also validated by the observation of pedestrian flows at strategic points of the study area. It was concluded that the presence of intense flows helps to attract potential thieves, physical security and control offers little protection

Sonochemical synthesis of CuO nanostructures and their morphology dependent optical and visible light driven photocatalytic properties

A controlled synthesis of CuO nanostructures with various morphologies were successfully achieved by presence/absence of low frequency (42 kHz) ultrasound with two different methods. The size, shape and morphology of the CuO nanostructures were tailored by altering the ultrasound, mode of addition and solvent medium. The crystalline structure and molecular vibrational modes of the prepared nanostructures were analysed through X-ray diffraction and FTIR measurement, respectively which confirmed that the nanostructures were phase pure high-quality CuO with monoclinic crystal structure. The morphological evaluation and elemental composition analysis were done using TEM and EDS attached with SEM, respectively. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the prepared CuO nanostructures could be served as an effective photocatalyst towards the degradation of methyl orange (MO) under visible light irradiation. Among the various nanostructures, the spherical shape CuO nanostructures were found to have the better catalytic activities towards MO dye degradation. The catalytic degradation performance of MO in the presence of CuO nanostructures showed the following order: spherical\nanorod \layered oval \nanoleaf \triangular \shuttles structures. The influence of loading and reusability of catalyst revealed that the efficiency of visible light assisted degradation of MO was effectively enhanced and more than 95 % of degradation was achieved after 3 cycles

Microstructure, vibrational and visible emission properties of low frequency ultrasound (42 kHz) assisted ZnO nanostructures

Size and shape tuneable ZnO nanostructures were prepared by a low frequency ultrasound (42 kHz) route using various organic solvents as the reaction media. The crystalline nature, lattice parameters and microstructural parameters such as microstrain, stress and energy density of the prepared ZnO nanostructures were revealed through X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. The organic solvents influenced the size and morphology of the ZnO nanostructures, and interesting morphological changes involving a spherical to triangular shaped transition were observed. The visible emission properties and lattice vibrational characteristics of the nanostructures were drastically modified by the changes in size and shape. Raman spectral measurements revealed the presence of multiphonon processes in the ZnO nanostructures. The intensity of the visible emission band was found to vary with the size and morphology of the structures. The strongest visible emission band corresponded to the structure with the largest surface/volume ratio and could be attributed to surface oxygen vacancies. The control over the size and morphology of ZnO nanostructures has been presented as a means of determining the intensity of the visible emission band

Construir no construído

Dissertação para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Arquitectura, apresentada na Universidade de Lisboa - Faculdade de Arquitectura.

Lamina-enleiradora a tracao animal e seu uso em novo sistema de captacao de agua de chuva in situ.

A lamina-enleiradora a tracao animal e um equipamento para uso como conexo de chassis-porta-implementos, adaptado a um sulcador tipo asas extensas. Para se adaptar este sulcador como lamina-enleiradora, precisa-se trocar uma das asas por uma chapa de ferro de 30 cm x 110 cm. A capacidade operacional deste equipamento varia de 0,16 a 0,47 ha/h, durante instalacao, reformacao ou capina num sistema inovador de captacao de agua de chuva in situ. Este sistema consiste de camalhoes largos e estreitos alternados em curva de nivel. Os camalhoes largos de forma triangular, servem como area de captacao; os estreitos, como area de plantio, e o espaco entre os dois, como area de armazenamento. A relacao entre area de captacao e de plantio e de 2:1.

Development of the composition of oak wood during seasoning and its impact on wine

Mestrado Vinifera Euromaster - Instituto Superior de Agronomia - UL

Crenças e quebranças de um corpo que dança: poéticas do benzimento na criação cênica

This work is a discussion of the artistic process of an artist-researcher made from field research with benzedeiras and benzedores the state of Rio Grande do Norte. This is an investigation on the cultural universe of the popular benzeção as poetic element to the artistic dance. To discuss the different stages of the research and the relationships between the artist-researcher, the benzedeiras/benzedores and the creation/composition scenic, the work takes as reference the triangular relationship created by anthropologist Claude Lévi-Strauss, in his discussion on the effectiveness of symbols of healing, adapted to the context of benzeção . For dialogue between tradition, popular knowledge, scientific and artistic knowledge this work approaches as analytical reference the epistemological model of the type rhizome proposed by Deleuze and Guattari, understanding it as a model that seeks to form a network of relations in different paths of research, to establish connections between elements without target them or subordinating them. In the universe of benzeção , benzedeiras and benzedores carry a symbolic power that issued in whispered prayers, in peculiar gestures that form crosses in space, heal those who seek your prayers and blessing. In this research, the mixture of popular knowledge, artistic and academic knowledge, born an artistic work in the context of Performing Arts, more specifically dance, and between branches, saints, candles and conversations the work allowed other looks poetic for our popular culture, (re)asserting their cultural and human values through the art