Obesity is a worldwide problem affecting both children and adults. Genetic, physiological, environmental, psychological, social and economic factors interact in varying degrees, influencing body weight and fat distribution and the progress of obesity. Moreover, some anthropogenic chemicals have proven to be endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) with the potential to interfere with different actions of hormones in the body. EDCs may thereby disrupt homeostasis, modifying developmental, behavioral and immune functions in humans and animals, and also promoting adiposity. Because hormones generally act at low concentrations, small changes in the endocrine system may lead to extensive effects. Based on data from experimental and epidemiological studies this thesis elucidates the relationship between a large number of environmental contaminants and obesity. The experimental studies demonstrated that fructose supplementation in the drinking water resulted in unfavorable metabolic alterations such as a higher liver somatic index (LSI), an increase in plasma triglycerides and increased plasma levels of apo A-I. Fructose in combination with exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) increased liver fat content and plasma levels of apo A-I in juvenile female Fischer 344 rats. The experimental studies also showed that the retro-peritoneal fat, which in rats is a distinct fat depot easy to distinguish and dissect, correlated well with the measurements of total fat mass analyzed with MRI, and could therefore be used as a substitute for total fat mass in rats. The epidemiological studies showed that circulating levels of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) were related to fat mass measured by DXA. OCDD, HCB, TNC, DDE and the less chlorinated PCBs were positively related to fat mass, while the more highly chlorinated PCBs showed a negative association. Further, circulating levels of BPA were positively associated with levels of the hormones adiponectin and leptin, but negatively related with ghrelin, hormones which are involved in the regulation of hunger and satiety. However, serum BPA levels were not related to measures of fat mass in the elderly individuals in the PIVUS cohort. This thesis concludes that environmental contaminants such as BPA and POPs most likely are contributors, along with genetic, social and behavioral factors, to the development of obesity.

Numa época na qual meio ambiente e qualidade de vida são temas em evidência, parte do controle sobre as práticas sócioambientais exige regulamentação e fiscalização das iniciativas (públicas e privadas) em áreas que abrangem da medicina à construção civil, passando por alimentação, hábitos individuais, energia, etc. Nesse contexto é necessária especial atenção com a infância, pois a criança representa o próprio futuro/continuidade da sociedade. Assim, sendo a escola um dos principais locais de vivência infantil, a preocupação com sua qualidade ambiental precisa ser redobrada, sobretudo em se tratando de instituições que lidam com menores de 7 anos. No Brasil, a Constituição de 1988 reconheceu a educação infantil como direito da criança entre 0 e 6 anos, tornando-a uma obrigação do Estado delegada ao âmbito municipal, e exigindo que os municípios criem instrumentos de controle adequados. Isso gerou a oportunidade de olhar-se criticamente cada realidade a fim de delimitar-se propostas social e ambientalmente coerentes, tarefa na qual essa tese opta por utilizar a APO. Partindo de um roteiro básico de pesquisa, foram visitadas 41 pré-escolas em Natal-RN e vistoriadas 16. Em 5 destas o trabalho foi aprofundado, envolvendo multi-métodos: entrevistas, análise de behavior settings, observação de comportamento, mapeamento comportamental simplificado, questionários (adultos) e elaboração de desenho-temático (crianças). Os resultados obtidos proporcionaram uma análise acurada do ambiente dessas instituições sob o ponto de vista técnico e a partir da percepção dos usuários. Os dados serviram de base à discussão sobre os espaços educativos para aquela faixa etária, e subsidiaram a indicação de algumas diretrizes visando a futura criação de normas que fiscalizem os empreendimentos existentes em Natal-RN e orientem a elaboração de propostas arquitetônicas adequadas às necessidades da população local. / At times when environment and life-quality are themes in fashion, a part of the control over socio-environmental practices demands regulation and public-revenue of initiatives (public and particular) in areas from medicine to civil construction, passing through alimentation, individual habits, energy, etc. In this context, it is necessary to give attention to childhood, since the kid represents the future/continuity of the actual society. Therefore, school being one of the most important places of the childs life experience, the worries about your environmental quality needs to be doubled, especially when the institution deals with kids younger than 7 years old. In Brazil, the National Constitution of 1988 recognizes children education as a right for kids whose age is between 0 and 6 years old, becoming a obligation of the State, and specifically of the municipality, demanding that the cities create control instruments according to their own peculiarities. This has raised the opportunity to look critically each reality in order to limit social and environmentally coherent proposals. For this task, this project opted to use POE. Starting from a basic research plan, 41 pre-schools from Natal- RN were visited and 16 were inspected. In 5 of them, the project was applied in detail, involving multi-methods: interviews, behavior settings analysis, behavior observation, simplified behavioral mapping, questionnaires (adults) and thematicdrawing (children). The results provided a accurate analysis of the architectonic object and of the environment in which it is inserted, under the technical point of view, as well as the users perception. The information is used as base to discussion about the educative space to this specific age. They aided the guideline elaboration looking for a future creation of norms that regulate the existing enterprises in Natal-RN and guide the elaboration of architectonic proposals accurate to the local peoples necessities.

residents because of functional, symbolic or economical aspects. Those modifications almost always evidence the lack discordance between the original architectural project and the answers to their users' needs. It is verified that frequently the modifications have negative on the functionality and in the habitability of those houses, especially with regard to the resulting environmental comfort. In that context, the present work analyzed the flexibility, the dimensions and the space functionality of modified residential units of Conjunto Habitacional Osman Loureiro implanted in Maceió-Alagoas, in relation to its original project. The methodology used is based on in the Post-Occupancy Evaluation (POE), with application of observations, interviews, questionnaires, physical risings, photographic registrations and digital recordings. In spite of the prevision in the original project of some flexibilities possibilities, these were not informed to the residents, that executed themselves their modifications for best adapt their units front to the small dimensions. The results evidenced the occurrence of dimensional and functional wastes, owed firstly, to the inadequacy of the original project that imposes reforms already the first years of occupation to guarantee a minimum level of habitability, and, secondly due to a qualified professional's lack for the reforms and / or enlargements of the house aids, resulting in inefficient house modifications and usually costly. This work emphasize, then, the importance of obtaining a better understanding on the real causes of the modifications done by the users is emphasized, to aid the planners for flexible houses construction, that allow enlargements and modifications without compromise the comfort conditions and the original quality space of the house. / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / freqüentemente modificadas por seus moradores por motivos de caráter funcional, simbólico ou econômico. Essas modificações quase sempre evidenciam a falta de sintonia entre o projeto arquitetônico original e as respostas às necessidades de seus usuários. Constata-se que freqüentemente as modificações impactam negativamente na funcionalidade e na habitabilidade dessas habitações, em especial com respeito ao conforto ambiental resultante. Nesse contexto, o presente trabalho analisou a flexibilidade, o dimensionamento e a funcionalidade espacial de unidades residenciais modificadas do Conjunto Habitacional Osman Loureiro implantado em Maceió AL, em relação ao seu projeto original. A metodologia fundamentou-se na Avaliação Pós-Ocupação (APO), por meio de observações, entrevistas, questionários, levantamentos físicos/medições, registros fotográficos e gravações digitais. Apesar da previsão no projeto original de algumas possibilidades de flexibilização, estas não foram informadas aos moradores, que executaram suas modificações para melhor adequarem as suas unidades frente às exíguas dimensões. Os resultados evidenciaram a ocorrência de desperdícios dimensionais e funcionais nas modificações das moradias analisadas, devido primeiramente, à inadequação do projeto original, que impõe alterações já nos primeiros anos de ocupação para garantir um nível mínimo de habitabilidade, e, segundo devido à falta de um profissional qualificado para auxílio das reformas e/ ou ampliações da casa, resultando em modificações ineficientes e geralmente dispendiosas. O trabalho ressalta, enfim, a importância de se procurar obter um melhor entendimento sobre as reais causas das modificações feitas pelos usuários, para auxiliar os projetistas na construção de habitações flexíveis que permitam ampliações e modificações sem comprometer o conforto ambiental e a qualidade espacial original da habitação.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-12-17T13:56:59Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 TriciaCSS.pdf: 5053980 bytes, checksum: 5a6a94bf40b1b353c55570ee851841f6 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2003-12-02 / The research investigates the acting and the importance for the users of the public squares located predominantly in residential areas. It presents the results of the posoccupation evaluations accomplished in three squares, whose physical, environmental characteristics, equipments and fumitures are different in its qualities and amounts, taking in consideration aspects related to the users' physical and psychological comfort and of the inhabitants of the I spill. The collection of data involved physical risings and of files, observations behavious, application of questionnaires and interviews, analyzed qualitative as quantitatively so much for a larger precision and validity of the investigation. The results were obtained through the relationship among the users' perception the environmental attributes and the different levels of apropriation/use of the studied places. They indicate that the aspects composicionais of physical order of the space affects the type and the intensity of use of the squares intimately, contributing positive or negatively for its valor. It is evidenced like this, that the low freq?entation of the public squares of Natal, is due mainly to referring aspects to the physical quality and the amount of the fumitures and urban equipments. It is ended that the investments and the physical planning of these public spaces should be based in the real knowledge of the aspirations of the population objective, in way to allow its largest use and valor / A pesquisa investiga o desempenho e a import?ncia para os usu?rios das pra?as p?blicas localizadas em ?reas predominantemente residenciais. Apresenta os resultados das avalia??es p?s-ocupa??o realizadas em tr?s pra?as, cujas caracter?sticas f?sicas, ambientais, equipamentos e mobili?rios s?o distintos em suas qualidades e quantidades, levando em considera??o aspectos relacionados ao conforto f?sico e psicol?gico dos usu?rios e dos moradores do entorno. A coleta de dados envolveu levantamentos f?sicos e de arquivos, observa??es comportamentais, aplica??o de question?rios e entrevistas, analisados tanto qualitativa quanto quantitativamente para uma maior precis?o e validade da investiga??o. Os resultados foram obtidos atrav?s da rela??o entre a percep??o dos usu?rios os atributos ambientais e os diferentes n?veis de apropria??o/uso dos locais estudados. Eles indicam que os aspectos composicionais de ordem f?sica do espa?o afetam intimamente o tipo e a intensidade de utiliza??o das pra?as, contribuindo positiva ou negativamente para a sua valoriza??o. Evidencia-se assim, que a baixa freq?enta??o das pra?as p?blicas de Natal, se deve principalmente a aspectos referentes ? qualidade f?sica e ? quantidade dos mobili?rios e equipamentos urbanos. Conclui-se que os investimentos e o planejamento f?sico destes espa?os p?blicos devem ser embasados no conhecimento real das aspira??es da popula??o alvo, de modo a permitir sua maior utiliza??o e valoriza??o

Submitted by Automa??o e Estat?stica (sst@bczm.ufrn.br) on 2016-05-10T21:04:01Z No. of bitstreams: 1 CarlaDaSilvaBastos_DISSERT.pdf: 2994454 bytes, checksum: 18a6dfc5be2c21156469ed7318d68ce8 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Arlan Eloi Leite Silva (eloihistoriador@yahoo.com.br) on 2016-05-12T20:53:47Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 CarlaDaSilvaBastos_DISSERT.pdf: 2994454 bytes, checksum: 18a6dfc5be2c21156469ed7318d68ce8 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-05-12T20:53:47Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 CarlaDaSilvaBastos_DISSERT.pdf: 2994454 bytes, checksum: 18a6dfc5be2c21156469ed7318d68ce8 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-03-16 / Coordena??o de Aperfei?oamento de Pessoal de N?vel Superior (CAPES) / Nas ?ltimas d?cadas a ?rea de Arquitetura e o Urbanismo (AU) t?m demonstrado um interesse particular nas rela??es estabelecidas entre pessoas e ambientes, incorporando a Avalia??o P?s-Ocupa??o (APO) ao processo de projeto como estrat?gia investigativa dos aspectos f?sicos e funcionais do ambiente constru?do, bem como para estudo da percep??o e comportamento dos usu?rios. Embora no ?mbito da AU estas experi?ncias apresentem resultados positivos, a forma??o acad?mica em Design de Interiores ainda contempla tal tem?tica de forma superficial. Neste contexto, esta disserta??o discute a utiliza??o de m?todos e t?cnicas de APO como abordagem complementar ao exerc?cio projetual no campo de design de interiores, e em contexto acad?mico. A abordagem metodol?gica adotada dividiu-se em duas etapas: 1) constru??o de um painel de experts sobre o ensino de APO nos cursos de gradua??o e p?s-gradua??o em AU; 2) com base nos resultados da etapa anterior, foi planejada uma experi?ncia did?tica para uso da APO no projeto de interiores de uma biblioteca, que envolveu a realiza??o de Walkthrough, Avalia??o T?cnico-Funcional, Mapa Comportamental, Poema dos Desejos, Question?rios com usu?rios, Matriz de Descobertas e Quadro de Recomenda??es, culminando com a elabora??o de um projeto de interven??o para o local. Os resultados da APO mostram que: (i) ela despertou nos alunos um interesse diferenciado pela rela??o entre as necessidades dos usu?rios e as solu??es projetuais; (ii) a maioria dos m?todos/t?cnicas teve boa aceita??o, embora se verificasse dificuldade de apropria??o de alguns. As propostas projetuais desenvolvidas ao final do semestre, analisadas durante as assessorias, de forma comparativamente com a Matriz de Descobertas e Quadro de Recomenda??es e pelo professor respons?vel, mostram que o conhecimento da APO influenciou diretamente os novos projetos no que se refere ? solu??o formal e funcional adotada, e representou ainda um enriquecimento no discurso oral do alunado. / In recent decades, the Architecture and Urbanism have demonstrated a particular interest in the relations between person and environment. One of such initiatives is the incorporation of Post Occupancy Evaluation (POE) to the design process as an evaluative strategy of the physical and functional aspects of the built environment and the perception and behavior of users. Although the AU's experiments show positive results to their incorporation in the design process, the academic background in Interior Design also includes such them atic superficially. In this context, this research discusses the use of POE?s methods and techniques as a complementary approach to the Project exercise in interior design, in academic context. The methodological approach divided into two stages: 1) construction of a experts panel about teaching POE in undergraduate and post graduate studies in AU; 2) teaching experience (based on the results of the previous stage), in the POE supported the development of an interiors project of library, which involving Walkthrough, Technical and Functional Assessment, Behavioral Map, Wish Poem, Questionnaires with users, Findings Matrix and Recommendations Board. The POE results show that: (i) the students had a differentiated interest in the relationship between user needs and design solutions; (ii) most of the methods / techniques was well received, while there was some difficulty in ownership. The projective proposals were analyzed during advisory sessions to the project and with participation of the head teacher, based on the comparison of the solutions presented with the findings of Mother and Table recommended. It was found that the POE influenced the new projects in relation to the formal solution and functional adopted, and enriched of the students in oral speech.

Numa época na qual meio ambiente e qualidade de vida são temas em evidência, parte do controle sobre as práticas sócioambientais exige regulamentação e fiscalização das iniciativas (públicas e privadas) em áreas que abrangem da medicina à construção civil, passando por alimentação, hábitos individuais, energia, etc. Nesse contexto é necessária especial atenção com a infância, pois a criança representa o próprio futuro/continuidade da sociedade. Assim, sendo a escola um dos principais locais de vivência infantil, a preocupação com sua qualidade ambiental precisa ser redobrada, sobretudo em se tratando de instituições que lidam com menores de 7 anos. No Brasil, a Constituição de 1988 reconheceu a educação infantil como direito da criança entre 0 e 6 anos, tornando-a uma obrigação do Estado delegada ao âmbito municipal, e exigindo que os municípios criem instrumentos de controle adequados. Isso gerou a oportunidade de olhar-se criticamente cada realidade a fim de delimitar-se propostas social e ambientalmente coerentes, tarefa na qual essa tese opta por utilizar a APO. Partindo de um roteiro básico de pesquisa, foram visitadas 41 pré-escolas em Natal-RN e vistoriadas 16. Em 5 destas o trabalho foi aprofundado, envolvendo multi-métodos: entrevistas, análise de behavior settings, observação de comportamento, mapeamento comportamental simplificado, questionários (adultos) e elaboração de desenho-temático (crianças). Os resultados obtidos proporcionaram uma análise acurada do ambiente dessas instituições sob o ponto de vista técnico e a partir da percepção dos usuários. Os dados serviram de base à discussão sobre os espaços educativos para aquela faixa etária, e subsidiaram a indicação de algumas diretrizes visando a futura criação de normas que fiscalizem os empreendimentos existentes em Natal-RN e orientem a elaboração de propostas arquitetônicas adequadas às necessidades da população local. / At times when environment and life-quality are themes in fashion, a part of the control over socio-environmental practices demands regulation and public-revenue of initiatives (public and particular) in areas from medicine to civil construction, passing through alimentation, individual habits, energy, etc. In this context, it is necessary to give attention to childhood, since the kid represents the future/continuity of the actual society. Therefore, school being one of the most important places of the childs life experience, the worries about your environmental quality needs to be doubled, especially when the institution deals with kids younger than 7 years old. In Brazil, the National Constitution of 1988 recognizes children education as a right for kids whose age is between 0 and 6 years old, becoming a obligation of the State, and specifically of the municipality, demanding that the cities create control instruments according to their own peculiarities. This has raised the opportunity to look critically each reality in order to limit social and environmentally coherent proposals. For this task, this project opted to use POE. Starting from a basic research plan, 41 pre-schools from Natal- RN were visited and 16 were inspected. In 5 of them, the project was applied in detail, involving multi-methods: interviews, behavior settings analysis, behavior observation, simplified behavioral mapping, questionnaires (adults) and thematicdrawing (children). The results provided a accurate analysis of the architectonic object and of the environment in which it is inserted, under the technical point of view, as well as the users perception. The information is used as base to discussion about the educative space to this specific age. They aided the guideline elaboration looking for a future creation of norms that regulate the existing enterprises in Natal-RN and guide the elaboration of architectonic proposals accurate to the local peoples necessities.

No description available.

The thesis deals with the issue of the implementation of the corporate information system of the ERP category, specifically the introduction of the module of APO for SAP in the chosen manufacturing company. The work presents the theoretical fundamentals describing the basics of ERP along with available methodologies, the implementation of these systems. Also analyzes the frequent causes of delayed implementation projects and provides the basis for the search for the causes of the problems. In the next section it is made an overall analysis of the current state of the ERP system in the company. At the conclusion of this work are defined recommendations, which can be prevented critical factors and implementation could be completed according to the established timetable.

Plant oriented movements, or tropisms allow the plant to actively respond to environmental stimuli to get more light, better access to nutrients and to grow roots deeper into the soil. Gravitropism drives the growth of roots along the gravity vector. Perception of gravity is triggered by the sedimentation of statoliths in columella root cap, but the exact signalling pathway behind this process is not known. Perception of gravity results in an unequal redistribution of the phytohormone auxin in the outer cell layers which leads to different rate of growth on the root's upper and lower side and bending of the root. The changes in auxin redistribution are accompanied by changes in apoplastic pH. Knowing an exact pattern of these pH changes could shed light on the mechanisms laying behind the gravitropic response pathway. While microelectrodes can be used to measure pH precisely, they are not suitable for the long-term imaging of growing roots. In the past few years, several pH sensitive dyes and genetically encoded sensors emerged. These can be used for long-term live in vivo imaging of pH changes in growing roots. In this thesis, I analysed the performance of several published pH sensitive genetically encoded sensors and available dyes in the roots of Arabidopsis thaliana. I observed that dyes varied...

Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is associated with cirrhosis, autoimmunity and lymphoproliferative disorders. We have previously reported a differential regulation of T and B lymphocytes by HCV core protein in vitro. In this report, we employed a translational approach to characterize the activation status of peripheral B cells from individuals with chronic HCV infection and to explore potential mechanisms for B-cell dysregulation in the setting of HCV infection. In contrast to the T-cell suppression observed in HCV-infected individuals, B cells exhibit a non-specific polyclonal activation phenotype, characterized by significantly higher levels of (1) the early activation marker, CD69, (2) the costimulatory molecule, CD86, and (3) the CCR5 chemokine receptor, CD195, when compared with B cells from healthy donors in response to phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) stimulation. Importantly, tumour necrosis factor- and Apo-L-related leucocyte-expressed ligand-1 (TALL-1), also known as B-lymphocyte stimulator (BLYS), was found to be up-regulated on the surface of B cells from HCV patients in response to PHA as well as HCV core antigen stimulation. This up-regulation of TALL-1 was associated with vigorous memory B-cell responses to viral antigenic stimulation. Additionally, suppressor of cytokine signalling-1 (SOCS-1), a negative feedback immunoregulator that is inhibited in B lymphocytes by HCV core in vitro, was also inhibited in B cells from HCV patients when compared with healthy donors. These findings suggest that TALL-1 over-expression and SOCS-1 suppression are associated with aberrant B-cell activation, providing a plausible basis for the B-cell clonal expansion underlying the lymphoproliferative disorders and autoimmune phenomena observed during chronic HCV infection.