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Learning engineering involves observing and understanding how systems or processes work, but also knowing the cause and effect relationships present. During the course, students learn that the process of engineering investigation requires conducting experiments to validate theories or hypotheses about what makes the system work. Each experimental run is a test. It is through active experimentation, the controlled intervention of a process that modifies the inputs and characteristics of the process, that it is possible to learn the effect of a set of different factors on a response variable. Based on experimental data collected to model thermal comfort in hospital waiting rooms, this paper aims to contribute to the knowledge of this phenomenon through the selection of the most appropriate statistical techniques to analyze the data. For engineering students this is an opportunity to bring theory to practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dielectric relaxation characteristics of different concentrations of carbon nanotubes loaded in polyester polymer matrix has been studied as a function of frequency over a wide range (100 Hz-106Hz). The effect of filler loading and frequency dependence on the real and imaginary parts of the impedance was explained by the relaxation process. Spectral curve of impedance was fitted using the Cole-Cole dielectric relaxation function. The calculated relaxation parameters of this model and the distribution function of relaxation times are calculated and presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In vitro (Bérdad et al., 1997) and in vivo (Carvalho-Filho et al., 2005) studies have shown that cytokines decrease glucose uptake in skeletal muscle in response to insulin by increasing the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). Thyroid hormone treatment was shown to increase the insulin sensitivity and decrease the glycemic levels in db/db mice (Lin and Sun, 2011). In this context, this study aimed to evaluate whether thyroid hormone treatment could affect insulin sensitivity in diabetic rats by altering TNF-α, IL-6 and/or iNOS expression in oxidative skeletal muscle. Methods: Male Wistar rats were assorted in control (C), diabetic (D) and T3-treated diabetic group (D T1,5) -15.10-3 µg. g-1 b.w.. The diabetes was induced by aloxan injection (150 mg. Kg-1 b.w.) and after 15 days, the glycemia was measured. The animals which presented glycemia levels higher than 250 mg/dL were included in the diabetic groups. A subset of diabetic rats was treated with T3 for a 28 day-period (D T1,5). After this period, the skeletal muscle (soleus) was removed and TNF-α, IL-6 and iNOS content was analyzed through western blotting. Results: T3 treatment decreased the amount of TNF-α, IL-6 and iNOS protein and improved insulin sensitivity in oxidative skeletal muscle tissue (soleus), as shown by the increased Akt kinase phosphorilation in response to insulin administration. Conclusion: The present data provide evidence that at least part of the benefits of T3 treatment in insulin sensitivity of diabetic rats occurs by its negative modulation of cytokines and iNOS expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]