Search

Electrochemistry is an essential context for understanding current energetic technological processes, especially those that use batteries. On the other hand, it is one of the most neglected subjects in the classroom for reasons of associated complexity. Because of this, we have sought new methodological strategies to overcome the difficulties encountered in teaching practice. Thus, this research aims to investigate the possible contributions of a didactic sequence on the disposal of batteries from the teaching by research for the learning of electrochemistry. A qualitative methodology, a case study, applied in a high school class was adopted. The sequence consisted of six methodological steps: implementation of the problem situation; developed hypotheses; a class on electrochemistry; investigative experiment on the decomposition of batteries in aqueous solutions; systematization and communication of results. The results showed that before the application of the didactic sequence, most of the students did not know the dangers that improper disposal of batteries causes to the environment and did not understand how galvanic cells generate electrical energy from a redox reaction. After the sequence was developed, most students were able to identify and conceptualize the main electrochemical terms studied from a critical thought about this problem.

Nowadays, providing health, well-being, productivity and energy efficiency to users inside buildings is essential. Applying these aspects aligned with sustainability becomes necessary to reduce the use of heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems. These systems are currently used to provide better thermal conditions to the occupants, who spend around 80% of their time indoors. The actual thermal conditions can be affected by several factors, such as the climatic type of the region, orientation, size, building type, and energy levels, among others. To assess thermal conditions inside buildings, several thermal comfort models have been developed over the years. However, the Predicted Mean Vote (PMV) created by Fanger is still the most common model to assess thermal comfort indoors. In this context, this research aimed to analyze thermal comfort conditions in university classrooms in Southern Brazil. By collecting the environmental and personal variables of thermal comfort and the mean thermal sensation of students through measurements and questionnaires, a total of 519 responses were obtained during the Brazilian autumn. A statistical cluster analysis was performed to classify individuals according to their sensations. Differences between genders were verified and changing indoor temperatures lower in winter would therefore save HVAC energy without impacting occupant comfort.

Most studies suggest that serotonin exerts an inhibitory control on the aggression process. According to experimental evidence, this amine also influences growth and development of the nervous tissue including serotoninergic neurons. Thus, the possibility exists that increased serotonin availability in young animals facilitates a long-lasting effect on aggressive responses. The present study aimed to investigate the aggressive behavior of adult rats (90-120 days) treated from the 1st to the 19th postnatal day with citalopram (CIT), a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (20 mg/kg, sc, every 3 days). Aggressive behavior was induced by placing a pair of rats (matched by weight) in a box (20 x 20 x 20 cm), and submitting them to a 20-min session of electric footshocks (five 1.6-mA - 2-s current pulses, separated by a 4-min intershock interval). When compared to the control group (rats treated for the same period with equivalent volumes of saline solution), the CIT group presented a 41.4% reduction in the duration of aggressive response. The results indicate that the repeated administration of CIT early in life reduces the aggressive behavior in adulthood and suggest that the increased brain serotoninergic activity could play a role in this effect.

Abstract Background Elevated patellofemoral joint stress has been associated with patellofemoral osteoarthritis (PFOA). Changes in lower limb kinematics, such as excessive femoral adduction and internal rotation and excessive rearfoot eversion during the stance phase of functional activities, may increase patellofemoral stress. There is a lack of studies that assess the effects of interventions for controlling femur and subtalar joint movements during functional activities on self-reported measures in individuals with PFOA. Thus, the primary aim of the study is to determine the immediate effects of the hip strap and foot orthoses during level-ground walking and the single-leg squat test on self-reported outcomes. The secondary aim is to investigate whether the hip strap and foot orthoses result in the kinematic changes that these devices are purported to cause. Methods Twenty-nine individuals with PFOA aged 50 years or older will take part in the study. The main outcome is pain intensity. The secondary outcomes are other self-reported measures (global rating of change, acceptable state of symptoms, ease of performance, and confidence) and lower limb kinematics (peak femoral adduction and internal rotation, and peak rearfoot eversion). These outcomes will be assessed during functional tasks performed under three conditions: (i) control condition, (ii) hip strap intervention, and (iii) foot orthoses intervention. To investigate whether these interventions result in the lower limb kinematic changes that they are purported to cause, three-dimensional kinematics of the femur and rearfoot will be captured during each task. Linear mixed models with two fixed factors will be used to test associations between the interventions (control, hip strap, and foot orthoses) and conditions (level-ground walking and single-leg squat test) as well as interactions between the interventions and conditions. Discussion To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate the immediate effects of the hip strap and foot orthoses on self-reported measures and lower limb kinematics during functional tasks in individuals with PFOA. The findings of this study will enable future trials to investigate the effects of these interventions in rehabilitation programmes. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04332900 . Registered on 3 April 2020.

Abstract Background Evidence of multimorbidity has come mainly from high-income regions, while disparities among racial groups have been less explored. This study examined racial differences in multimorbidity in the multiracial cohort of the Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (Estudo Longitudinal de Saúde do Adulto), ELSA-Brasil. Methods The study examined baseline (2008–2010) data for 14 099 ELSA-Brasil participants who self-reported being white, mixed-race, or black. A list of 16 morbidities was used to evaluate multimorbidity, operationalised by simple count into ≥ 2, ≥ 3, ≥ 4, ≥ 5 and ≥ 6 morbidities, in addition to evaluating the number of coexisting conditions. Prevalence ratios (PR) were estimated from logistic models and a quantile model was used to examine racial differences graphically in the distribution quantiles for the number of morbidities. Results Overall prevalence of multimorbidity (≥ 2 morbidities) was 70% and, after controlling for age and sex, was greater among mixed-race and black participants – by 6% (PR: 1.06; 95% CI: 1.03–1.08) and 9% (PR: 1.09; 95% CI: 1.06–1.12), respectively – than among white participants. As the cutoff value for defining multimorbidity was raised, so the strength of the association increased, especially among blacks: if set at ≥ 6 morbidities, the prevalence was 27% greater for those of mixed-race (PR: 1.27; 95% CI: 1.07–1.50) and 47% greater for blacks (PR: 1.47; 95% CI: 1.22–1.76) than for whites. The disparities were smaller in the lower morbidity distribution quantiles and larger in the upper quantiles, indicating a heavier burden of disease, particularly on blacks. Conclusions Multimorbidity was common among adults and older adults in a Brazilian cohort, but important racial inequalities were found. Raising the cutoff point for defining multimorbidity revealed stronger associations between race/skin colour and multimorbidity, indicating a higher prevalence of multimorbidity among mixed-race and black individuals than among whites and that the former groups coexisted more often with more complex health situations (with more coexisting morbidities). Interventions to prevent and manage the condition of multimorbidity that consider the social determinants of health and historically discriminated populations in low- and middle-income regions are necessary.

The structure of zinc aluminosilicate glasses with the composition (ZnO)x(Al2O3)y(SiO2)1−x−y, where 0 ≤ x < 1, 0 ≤ y < 1, and x + y < 1, was investigated over a wide composition range by combining neutron and high-energy x-ray diffraction with 27Al magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The results were interpreted using an analytical model for the composition-dependent structure in which the zinc ions do not act as network formers. Four-coordinated aluminum atoms were found to be in the majority for all the investigated glasses, with five-coordinated aluminum atoms as the main minority species. Mean Al–O bond distances of 1.764(5) and 1.855(5) Å were obtained for the four- and five-coordinated aluminum atoms, respectively. The coordination environment of zinc was not observed to be invariant. Instead, it is dependent on whether zinc plays a predominantly network-modifying or charge-compensating role and, therefore, varies systematically with the glass composition. The Zn–O coordination number and bond distance were found to be 4.36(9) and 2.00(1) Å, respectively, for the network-modifying role vs 5.96(10) and 2.08(1) Å, respectively, for the charge-compensating role. The more open coordination environment of the charge-compensator is related to an enhanced probability of zinc finding bridging oxygen atoms as nearest-neighbors, reflecting a change in the connectivity of the glass network comprising four-coordinated silicon and aluminum atoms as the alumina content is increased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

O presente artigo apresenta a análise do discurso de cinco diferentes atores educacionais estratégicos que compõem o percurso discursivo da política de avaliação educacional do estado de Pernambuco. A análise, embasada nos estudos de Fairclough, foca na resposta à seguinte questão: Quais as relações que você estabelece entre os índices do Saepe e a qualidade educacional? Observa-se que não há neutralidade nos discursos e, de forma consciente, ou não, há posicionamentos ideológicos subjacentes aos textos que são proferidos, inclusive sinalizando para a existência de embate contra-hegemônico em relação à mencionada política de avaliação.

Diante do crescente surgimento de microrganismos resistentes, os tratamentos convencionais de algumas enfermidades que acometem os animais podem se tornar ineficazes, sendo necessária a formulação de novos medicamentos. Nesse sentido, tendo em vista que os fármacos geralmente são elaborados de compostos extraídos de plantas, esta é a razão de se pesquisar as atividades antimicrobianas das mais variadas espécies. Foi elaborada uma revisão de literatura com o objetivo de determinar se existe evidência científica disponível para apoiar a ação antimicrobiana da aroeira, especificamente de seus extratos etanólicos. A metodologia empregada para esta revisão reuniu os resultados dos estudos experimentais já elaborados, sem limite de ano de publicação. Para identificar trabalhos elegíveis foi realizada pesquisa nas bases de dados: PubMed, Portal Periódicos CAPES, ScienceDirect e Scopus e a documentação do processo de pesquisa bibliográfica foram utilizados os Itens de Relatórios para Revisões Sistemáticas e Meta-Análises (Preferred Reported Items for Systematic Review - PRISMA). Como critério de inclusão usou-se estudos que continham análise de extratos de plantas, idioma inglês, uso da Concentração Inibitória Mínima, avaliar atividade antimicrobiana ou antifúngica. A amostra final desta revisão resultou em um conjunto de 13 artigos, que continham os critérios de elegibilidade que melhor representaram as propriedades pesquisadas. Na análise destes estudos, verificou-se que o extrato etanólico da aroeira tem grande potencial para ser usado como antimicrobiano. Os resultados fornecem dados e perspectivas importantes sobre o uso da aroeira como antimicrobiano natural para o tratamento de doenças infecciosas. Para tal fim, o parâmetro utilizado foi a CIM (Concentração Inibitória Mínima) dos estudos selecionados, pois corresponde a um teste que permite avaliar a sensibilidade de patógenos a diversos produtos de origem natural e fitoterápicos.

Copyright of Environmental & Social Management Journal / Revista de Gestão Social e Ambiental is the property of Environmental & Social Management Journal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between ownership and control concentration and voluntary disclosure of corporate social responsibility (CSR) reports. Our sample was comprised of 207 listed firms with data among the period between 2012 and 2019. We collected firm's financial data and CSR reports, which were analyzed through logistic regression models. The main results suggest that the higher the concentration of equity shares with voting rights in the hands of the largest shareholder, or even the aggregate shares of the three largest ones, the less likely the firm is to voluntarily disclose CSR reports. This research demonstrates the relevance of legitimacy theory to explain aspects concerning capital markets and corporate reports disclosure. It also indicates a possible principal-principal conflict, in which the largest shareholders are not inclined to disclose CSR reports that could bring informational benefits to minority shareholders. Finally, this study highlights the need to protect minority shareholders in respect to their demands for voluntary CSR information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this review is to present the state of the art regarding obstetric violence in Brazil. The most commonly used terms are “obstetric violence,” “disrespect and abuse,” and “mistreatment”. Concerning measurement, the most widely used instrument is based on the definition of “mistreatment,” still in its early stages of evaluation and lacking adaptation to Brazil. The prevalence of obstetric violence varies widely in national studies due to methodological factors and the type of postpartum women considered. Regarding risk factors, adolescent or women over 35, non-white, with low education levels, users of the public health system (SUS), those who had vaginal birth or abortion, are at higher risk. Hierarchical relationships between the healthcare team and the family are also relevant, as well as inadequate hospital structures, bed shortages, and insufficient healthcare professionals, which contribute to obstetric violence. The consequences of this violence include an increased risk of postpartum depression and PTSD, reduced likelihood of attending postpartum and childcare consultations, and difficulties in exclusive breastfeeding. Interventions to mitigate obstetric violence should consider women’s empowerment, healthcare professionals’ training, monitoring obstetric violence, and legal support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]