More than 59 million children are out of schools across the globe (UNESCO Institute for Statistics and UNICEF, 2015), despite the promise of education for all children by the year 2015. The situation is more pronounced in developing countries particularly in Africa and South Asia. Strategies adopted globally to attract children towards schools rarely considered improving the existing physical environments, despite evidence that primary school aged children (five to 12 years) learn more effectively when their education is incorporated with surrounding environments (Khan & Islam, 2014; Lieberman & Hoody, 1998; Mygind, 2009). This study investigated the potential of a primary school ground to be an effective learning environment and explores how the design of an outdoor environment can contribute to children’s learning. This interdisciplinary project is underpinned by classic psychological theories of child development (e.g. Piaget, 1964 and Vygotsky et al., 1978), while Gibson’s (1979) ‘Concept of Affordance’ and Barker’s (1976) ‘Theory of Behaviour Settings’ have provided the framework for exploring the relationship between the school ground and children’s learning. A quasi-experimental action research project was carried out in a Government primary school in Bangladesh, which included the design and development of the school ground, with the direct participation of children, teachers and parents. Another primary school (with no change to the outdoor environment) was used as a control school to compare the outcomes. A mixed methods approach to conduct this quasi-experiment included data from existing exam scores, questionnaire survey, observation and behaviour-mapping, focus group discussions and in-depth interviews. The key findings from this study indicate an overall positive influence of the designed outdoor environment on children’s academic performance and their motivation to learn. An increase in children’s cognitive, social and physical activities in the school ground is also evidenced by the study. The analysis of the data likewise reveals that different behaviour settings of the school ground offered opportunities for different teaching and learning activities. Both natural settings and settings with built features afforded more focused activities (e.g. gardens afforded exploration and connection with nature, while the play area afforded more functional play). Additionally, settings comprised of both natural and built elements (e.g. the area with loose materials and huts) and areas in close proximity with natural ones (i.e. the open yard) accommodated diverse and multiple teaching and learning activities (e.g. measuring, building/constructing and exploring). The findings further suggest that the design and use of the school ground had a surprising and unintended positive effect on teachers’ motivation and pedagogy. Through reflecting on the use of different landscape elements and settings in the school ground during formal outdoor classes and informal play times, the study has further come to propose some design recommendations for other new school grounds as well as the redesign of existing ones.

Studying nuclei beyond the proton dripline can provide valuable information on the structure of nuclei at the limits of stability, where the strong nuclear force starts to be overcome by Coulomb repulsion between protons. Simple experimental observables, such as excitation energies and lifetimes of excited states in these proton-unbound nuclei can provide information on the nuclear wave function. Experimental data, such as that presented in this work, can then be used to improve models of nuclear structure at the proton dripline. This thesis presents data from a recoil-decay tagged differential plunger experiment undertaken at the University of Jyvaskyla in 2014. A fusion-evaporation reaction was used to populate excited states in the deformed ground-state proton emitter 113Cs. The JUROGAM-RITU-GREAT experimental setup was used to correlate gamma rays emitted from these excited states with protons emitted from 113Cs and the differential plunger for unbound nuclear states (DPUNS) was placed at the target position to measure the excited state lifetimes. The lifetime of the (11/2+) state in the most intense rotational band of 113Cs was measured to be tau = 24(6) ps, while a limit of tau is less than or equal to 5 ps was found for the lifetime of the higher energy (15/2+) state. The lifetime of proton emission was measured to be tau = 24.2(2) microseconds. The experimental data were used to test the predictions of a non adiabatic quasi-particle model for proton-emitting nuclei, which was employed to deduce the deformation of the states in 113Cs. Wave functions from the non adiabatic quasi-particle model were used to independently calculate proton-emission rates, gamma-ray transition rates and excited state energies as functions of deformation. The deformation of 113Cs could then be extracted from the intersection of the different theoretical values and experimental observables. A deformation of beta2 = 0.22(6)was extracted from the (11/2+) excitation energy and lifetime. The deformation values taken from the proton-emission rate and the lifetime limit of the (15/2+) state were also consistent with this value. The consistency of the different deformations calculated shows the effectiveness of the non adiabatic quasi-particle method when used to calculate the properties of deformed ground-state proton-emitters.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:22:15Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2008-01-30Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T18:48:46Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 fernandes_fa_me_botfca.pdf: 465475 bytes, checksum: 063d7036f70ae424700b2f7818e66ed8 (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / A manutenção dos resíduos vegetais na superfície do solo é essencial para a sustentabilidade do sistema plantio direto, para tanto, é fundamental a seleção de coberturas vegetais com elevada capacidade de produção de massa seca, principalmente, em regiões onde as condições climáticas são favoráveis à rápida decomposição, além do estabelecimento de manejos da palhada que minimizem esse efeito, visando à proteção superficial do solo, formação de palhada, bem como reciclagem de nutrientes, com impacto direto nos atributos químicos do solo e na resposta das culturas subseqüentes ou em rotação. Assim o objetivo do trabalho foi avaliar a persistência da palhada de espécies de cobertura em função da aplicação de silicato e calcário e a resposta da cultura do feijão em sucessão em semeadura direta. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi em blocos ao acaso disposto em um esquema fatorial 3x5, com quatro repetições. O trabalho foi desenvolvido em estufa, no Departamento de Produção Vegetal, pertencente à Faculdade de Ciências Agronômicas – UNESP, Campus Botucatu. As parcelas foram constituídas por cinco doses de silicato de cálcio, calculadas em função da quantidade necessária para elevar a saturação por bases a 70%, dispostas da seguinte forma: 1 – 0 de silicato cálcio e 100% de calcário; 2 - 25% de silicato de cálcio e 75% de calcário; 3 – 50% de silicato de cálcio e 50% de calcário; 4 – 75% de silicato de cálcio e 25% de calcário; 5 - 100% de... / The maintenance of residual vegetation on the surface of the soil is essential for the sustainability no till, therefore, is essential the selection of covering vegetation with an increase capacity for the production of dry mass, especially in regions where climate conditions are favorable for rapid decomposition, along with establishing ways to handle the ground cover to minimize this effect, aiming for the protection of the soil surface, ground cover formation, as well as nutrients recycling, with direct impact on chemical properties of the soil and on response to subsequent or rotation crop. Therefore, the objective of the research was to evaluate the continued usage of the ground cover species as in function of the correction of the soil with silicate and lime and the response of the beans crop in succession in the direct plantation system. The experimental outlined used was the random blocks arranged in a 3x5 factorial design, with four replication. The experiment was developed in greenhouse, in the Department of Agriculture, of the Faculdade de Ciências Agronômicas – FCA – UNESP, Campus Botucatu. The plots were composed by five doses of calcium silicate, calculated as a function of the quantity necessary to increase base saturation to 70%, arranged as follows: 1 – 0% calcium silicate and 100% lime; 2 – 25% calcium silicate and 75% lime; 3 – 50% calcium silicate and 50% lime; 4 – 75% calcium silicate and 25% lime; 5 – 100% calcium silicate and 0% lime and three species of cover crops: millet (Pennisetum americanum L) beard grass (Brachiaria brizantha) pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan L.). The lime used was a mixture of CaCO3 and MgCO3 PA, so as to obtain the same proportions of Ca and Mg, both in the lime and in the silicate, this way varying, only the silicon content in each treatment. The parameters analyzed were: content and accumulation of nutrients ...(Complete abstract, click electronic access below)

Driver behaviour has become an important aspect of transport research and over the years a considerable number of car following models have been developed. However, many of these models do not accurately simulate actual driving behaviour due to a lack of suitable qualitative and quantitative data. Moreover, the inclusion of socioeconomic variables in the existing models to ascertain the effect on car following behaviour is lacking. This research underlines the need to further investigate driving behaviour and car following models and to develop techniques to provide a better understanding of driver-vehicle interactions during car following. It investigates data collection techniques and develop better techniques to enhance and improve the collection of microscopic driver behaviour and traffic flow data. This study developed a novel data collection technique which involved instrumenting a private vehicle with front and rear advanced radar sensors, both forward and rear facing video-audio recorders connected to GPS based time series speed and distance measurement devices, an in-vehicle computer logging vehicle speed and a CAN monitoring interface user program to provide real time monitoring and display of data. This system has been utilised to collect a more enhanced and reliable microscopic driver behaviour data in three consecutive vehicles movements which represents an improvement from previously used systems. Three different versions of the GHR car following model were produced for: car following car, truck following car and car following truck. Further analysis of the GHR model showed that in the case of car following car, car drivers responses to the lead car are more obviously stronger than in the case of truck following a car. A distance-based car following model and distance-based two-leader car following model that predict the safe following distance of following vehicles were developed to provide a better understanding of driver behaviour. An extension of these models to include gender, corridor (road) type and vehicle occupancy showed evidence of statistical significance of these variables on driver behaviour. A bus following model that predicts the “following distance” also has been calibrated to describe the interactions between a bus and a car within urban-rural driving conditions. In addition, data analysis showed that drivers were inconsistent with their driving behaviour and that there was variability in driving behaviour across the drivers observed in keeping a safe or desired following distance. This study provides a platform for a number of future research agendas including data collection techniques for collection of driver behaviour data; evaluation of different ITS technologies; impact assessment of ACC on driver safety and improvement of traffic microscopic simulation tools in order to strengthen their ability to simulate realistic transport problems for efficient and effective transportation systems.

Quantification of flood risk and flood inundation requires accurate numerical simulations, both in terms of the mathematical theory that underpins the methods used and the manner in which the meteorological phenomena that cause flooding are coupled to such systems. Through our research, we have demonstrated how rainfall and infiltration effects can be incorporated into existing flood models in a rigorous and mathematically consistent manner; this approach departs from preceding methods, which neglect terms representing such phenomena in the conservation or balancing of momentum. We demonstrate how the omission of these terms means the solution derived from such models cannot a priori be assumed to be the correct one, which is in contrast to solutions from the extended system we have developed which respect the energetic consistency of the problem. The second issue we address is determining how we can model these meteorological phenomena that lead to flooding, with a specific interest in how existing observation data from rain gauges can be incorporated into our modelling approach. To capture the random nature of the precipitation, we use stochastic processes to model the complex meteorological interactions, and demonstrate how an accurate representation of the precipitation can be built. Given the specific industrial applications we have mind in regards to flood modelling and prediction, there will be a high computational cost associated with any such simulations, and so we consider techniques which can be used to reduce the computational cost whilst maintaining the accuracy of our solutions. Having such an accurate flood model, coupled with a stochastic weather model designed for efficient computational modelling, will enable us to make useful predictions on how future climate change and weather patterns will impact flood risk and flood damage.

This thesis examines how global environmental crisis narratives and discourses have influenced environmental policy and practice in conservation programmes for the Okavango Delta, Botswana. In particular, it highlights the contested nature of biodiversity conservation and the embedded power relations in the framing, definition and crafting of solutions to the problem of biodiversity degradation at local, national and international levels. The thesis therefore examines, based on these framings, the consequences of global environmental agreements, such as the Ramsar Convention and the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, for local livelihoods in terms of access to and control over local environmental resources in the Okavango Delta. Using a political ecological conceptual lens and related literature on common pool resource management and community-based natural resource management, this thesis traces the changing perceptions, narratives and discourses relating to the Okavango Delta over time, and assesses how these have shaped changes in policy for the Delta's use and management. It specifically analyses the implementation of international programmes and their role in facilitating these changes. Through an in-depth study of dynamic human-environment interactions around fisheries and other wetland resources, this thesis shows how international interventions have not only increased conflicts but also facilitated the strict regulation of these resources. The thesis therefore analyses how framing these and other common pool resources as being of ‘international significance' alters control over them and affects the livelihood security of the local people that depend on these resources. It concludes that such restrictive conservation policies and management approaches have led to a transfer of control over wetland resources from local subsistence users to other, more powerful, commercial interests, especially those in the international tourism industry.

Thesis (M.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 1980. / MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND ENGINEERING. / Includes bibliographical references. / by Li-Moon Wann. / M.S.

Submitted by Gabriela Lopes (gmachadolopesufpel@gmail.com) on 2017-07-11T18:17:37Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Dissertação Simone Andzeiewski.pdf: 1716530 bytes, checksum: 2a84b68dc4fb16f321fff1dc454467b1 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Aline Batista (alinehb.ufpel@gmail.com) on 2017-07-17T20:38:01Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação Simone Andzeiewski.pdf: 1716530 bytes, checksum: 2a84b68dc4fb16f321fff1dc454467b1 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-07-17T20:38:01Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação Simone Andzeiewski.pdf: 1716530 bytes, checksum: 2a84b68dc4fb16f321fff1dc454467b1 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-02-24 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / A pérola-da-terra Eurhizococcus brasiliensis (Wille, 1922) (Hemiptera: Margarodidae) é uma cochonilha subterrânea que ataca raízes de plantas cultivadas e silvestres. A espécie é considerada a principal praga da videira no Brasil. No primeiro ínstar, a dispersão da cochonilha é realizada com o auxílio de formigas doceiras principalmente a Linepithema micans (Forel, 1908) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) que se associa à cochonilha na busca de excrementos açucarados. Nesse trabalho, foi avaliado o efeito de iscas tóxicas a base de hidrametilnona no controle de L. micans, e consequentemente, na infestação de E. brasiliensis em novos plantios de videira. Inicialmente foi realizado um experimento em vasos em casa de vegetação em outubro de 2014 com a finalidade de selecionar formulações de iscas tóxicas à base de hidrametilnona (“grânulo pequeno”, “grânulo grande”, tipo “cereal” e gel) para o controle de L. micans. As iscas tóxicas foram oferecidas ad libitum em porta-iscas com substituição semanal. As avaliações foram realizadas semanalmente registrando o número de formigas forrageando a cada 10 minutos durante uma hora sobre uma solução aquosa de açúcar invertido 70%. A melhor formulação de isca tóxica selecionada em casa de vegetação foi avaliada a campo em dois experimentos, realizados em áreas naturalmente infestadas pela pérola-da-terra e por L. micans. No primeiro, foram efetuadas aplicações semanais de 450 g/ha da isca tóxica em Flores da Cunha, RS, e no segundo, foi avaliado uma e três aplicações semanais da mesma dose em Caxias do Sul, RS. Mudas do porta enxerto Paulsen 1103 foram plantadas em agosto de 2014 para o experimento em Flores da Cunha e em novembro de 2015 no experimento de Caxias do Sul, respectivamente. O monitoramento populacional das formigas foi feito semanalmente através de armadilhas subterrâneas do tipo “pitfall” utilizando mel e sardinha embebidos em algodão. A avaliação dos experimentos foi realizada em maio de 2015 (Flores da Cunha) e 2016 (Caxias do Sul), contando o número de cochonilhas presentes nas raízes. No experimento em casa de vegetação, a isca tóxica a base de hidrametilnona formulada em “grânulo pequeno” e “grânulo grande” controlaram a população de formigas nas primeiras quatro semanas após o fornecimento da isca. A isca tóxica formulada em gel também proporcionou mortalidade de 100% da população de formigas, no entanto seu controle foi mais lento, quando comparado as outras formulações. A isca “cereal” não proporcionou controle das formigas. A isca tóxica formulada em “grânulo pequeno” selecionada como a mais eficaz em casa de vegetação, fornecida semanalmente no campo, controlou a população de L. micans em 100% reduzindo a infestação da 8 pérola-da-terra em 99,9%. Quando o número de aplicações da isca foi reduzido para 1 a 3, houve um controle de 100% na população de formigas no tratamento que recebeu três aplicações até a quarta semana após o fornecimento da isca, porém as colônias se restabeleceram ao longo do experimento e os tratamentos (uma e três vezes) não foram eficazes no controle das espécies. Conclui-se que a formulação granulada à base de hidrametilnona “grânulo pequeno” é eficiente no controle de L micans em casa de vegetação e em aplicações semanais no campo. Aplicações de uma e três vezes da isca tóxica não proporcionaram controle satisfatório das espécies sendo necessário ajustar o número de tratamentos para um controle eficaz e econômico de E. brasiliensis e L. micans. / In Brazil, Eurhizococcus brasiliensis (Wille) (Hemiptera: Margarodidae) is considered to be the main pest of vine plants, attacking the roots of cultivated and wild plants. Linepithema micans (Forel, 1908) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) is the primary agent responsible for spreading the Eurhizococcus brasiliensis, which are attracted by the honeydew excreted by the scale insect. In this work, the effect of a hydramethylnonbased granular toxic bait on the control of L. micans and E. brasiliensis in grapevines was evaluated on young grapevines. An experiment was conducted in a greenhouse in October 2014 and planted in individual pots were used to select different formulations of toxic baits based on hydramethylnon (small granule, large granule, cereal and gel) for the control of L. micans. The toxic baits were provided ad libitum in bait holders, with baits being replaced weekly. Weekly evaluations were carried out during a period of 10 weeks, with the number of foraging ants being counted every 10 minutes during 1 hour, in an aqueous solution of 70% inverted sugar. The best formulation of toxic bait selected in greenhouse was evaluated in the field in two experiments, carried out in areas naturally infested withe the scale and L. micans. In the first experiment 450 g/ha/week of the toxic bait were applied in Flores da Cunha, RS, and in the second, one and three weekly applications of the same dose were evaluated in Caxias do Sul, RS. In August 2014, seedlings from the Paulsen 1103 rootstock were planted in Flores da Cunha and in November 2015 in Caxias do Sul. The ants was monitored weekly in-ground pitfall traps using a honey and water solution (70%) and sardine conserved in oil absorbed in cotton wool as food attractants.The evaluation of the experiments was carried out in May of 2015 (Flores da Cunha) and 2016 (Caxias do Sul), counting the number of scale insects present in the roots.The experiment conducted in a greenhouse, the hydramethylnon based toxic bait in the formulation small granule and large granule controlled the ant population in the first 4 weeks of application.The gel formulation of the hydramethylnon toxic bait also provided 100% mortality of the population of ants; however, its control was slower when compared with the other two formulations and the cereal formulation did not differ from the control. The small granule toxic bait, applied weekly, effectively reduced the infestation of L. micans, controlling 100% of the population of ants and reducing the infestation of E. brasiliensis by 99.9%. When the number of bait applications was reduced to 1 to 3, there was a 100% reduction in the ants in the treatment that received three applications until the fourth week after application of the bait, but the colonies were re-establishment.The small granule toxic bait, applied weekly, effectively reduced the infestation of L. micans in greenhouse and field.The reduction of the number of applications (one and three times) did not provide satisfactory control and it will be 10 necessary to adjust the number of treatments for an efficient and economical control of the two species.

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / Esta pesquisa investigou a formação de depósitos arenosos localizados na planície costeira da Baixada de Sepetiba, em Itaguaí, estado do Rio de Janeiro. A deposição sedimentar e a evolução desta área, na Baixada de Sepetiba tem sido estudada nas três últimas décadas, principalmente, porque é um ambiente de depósitos arenosos antigo de idade Holocênica a Pleistocênica que corresponde a uma linha de praia, originada com eventos transgressivos e/ou regressivos que tiveram seu ápice durante o Quaternário. A metodologia de Radar de Penetração no Solo (GPR) é usada, principalmente nos casos de trabalho em que se estuda um ambiente costeiro arenoso. Este campo da Geofísica tem sido usado para examinar características, tais como: a espessura de depósitos arenosos, a profundidade de um aqüífero, a detecção de uma rocha ou um aqüífero, e determina a direção de progradação. Esta pesquisa usa técnicas de radar de penetração no solo (GPR) para analisar as estruturas, em subsuperfície desde que o ambiente estudado seja definido como linha de costa, as margens de uma lagoa mixohalina, chamada Baía de Sepetiba. Neste trabalho realizamos um total de 11 perfis, que foram processados pelo software ReflexWin. Durante o processamento do dado aplicamos alguns filtros, tais como: subtract-mean (dewow), bandpassfrequency e ganhos. E as melhores imagens dos perfis foram realizadas usando-se uma antena de 200 MHz (canal 1) e outra antena de 80 MHz. Neste caso, obtivemos imagens de alta resolução a uma profundidade de até 25 metros. / This research investigated the formation of sandstones located in the coastal plain region of Sepetiba, in Itaguaí, Rio de Janeiro State. The deposition sedimentary and the evolution of the coastal plain Sepetiba has been studied in the last three decades, mainly because it is an ancient environment of sandy deposits formed during the Holocene. In addition, diverse authors define the sediments as deposited at beaches originated with transgressive and/or regressive that peaked during the Quaternary. The methodology of Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) was here used to study the coastal sandy environment. This geophysical technique has been used to examine characteristics such as: thickness of the sand deposits, the detection of the bedrock and to determinate the direction of progradation. This research also used the technique of ground penetrating radar to analyze the structures in the subsurface since the environment studied can be defined as the shoreline, the margins of lagoon, called Sepetiba Bay. In this work we realized a total of eleven (11) profiles, which have been processed with the software Reflex win. During data processing apply some filters, such as: subtract mean (dewow), bandpassfrequency and gains. And the much better images of radargramas have been realized using a 200 MHz antenna (channel 1) and an antenna 80 MHz In this case, obtained images of radargramas with high resolution to 25 meters depth. The results were used to build sections and their interpretations allowed to conclude that the studied sedimentary sequence was deposited in delta and shorelines Quaternary environments.

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento CientÃfico e TecnolÃgico / O presente trabalho apresenta o desenvolvimento, calibraÃÃo e testes de um tensiÃmetro de leitura eletrÃnica. O dispositivo foi calibrado utilizando como padrÃo de comparaÃÃo o tensiÃmetro de mercÃrio, e testado quanto ao tempo de resposta, efeito de flutuaÃÃes diurnas de temperatura nas leituras de potenciais, sensibilidade e precisÃo. Os ensaios foram conduzidos no LaboratÃrio de MecÃnica e EletrÃnica do Departamento de Engenharia AgrÃcola da UFC. A bancada de ensaio constituiu-se de trÃs caixas plÃsticas preenchidas com solo de densidade 1,4 g.cm3 e textura franco arenosa. Para o desenvolvimento dos testes, nove tensiÃmetros eletrÃnicos e trÃs tensiÃmetros de mercÃrio foram instalados. O tensiÃmetro eletrÃnico difere do tensiÃmetro de mercÃrio por substituir o mercÃrio como manÃmetro de pressÃo por um sensor de pressÃo, disposto em um circuito eletrÃnico juntamente com um sensor de temperatura, o qual foi calibrado antes da instalaÃÃo. O sistema de aquisiÃÃo de dados constituiu-se de um conversor analÃgico/digital, de 12 bits, microcontrolador e microcomputador portÃtil. Durante o perÃodo de um mÃs, foram coletados dados utilizados para gerar equaÃÃes de calibraÃÃo do tipo C = offset + bψ m , onde C à o valor do contador (cont) enviado ao computador e Ψm à o valor de potencial fornecido pelo tensiÃmetro de mercÃrio. Os valores mÃximo e mÃnimo de offset foram de 348,572 e 261,026, respectivamente, e de coeficiente angular de 3,597 e 3,376, respectivamente. Os resultados obtidos para o ajuste de regressÃo linear simplesindicaram a existÃncia de regressÃo a 1% de significÃncia e os coeficientes de correlaÃÃo apresentaram valores nunca inferiores a 0,9994. Para validar as equaÃÃes de calibraÃÃo, deu-se inÃcio a um segundo ciclo de secagem, entre as datas de 01/11/2002 a 13/12/2002, onde se obteve um valor de 0,9957 para o coeficiente de correlaÃÃo mÃnimo entre valores observados e esperados. O desvio entre os valores observados e os esperados deve-se provavelmente ao solo ainda estar passando por processos de agregaÃÃo e/ou estruturaÃÃo. As cÃpsulas porosas foram testadas quanto à condutÃncia e pressÃo de borbulhamento, apresentando valores mÃdios de condutÃncia igual de 2,031x10-3 cm2.s-1 e mÃnimo para pressÃo de borbulhamento de 1,3 atm. Quanto aos testes realizados no tensiÃmetro eletrÃnico, conclui-se que ocorre um aumento do tempo de resposta do equipamento com a diminuiÃÃo no potencial do solo, sendo este o principal fator de modificaÃÃo da resposta dos tensiÃmetros testados. Conclui-se ainda, que o erro nas leituras, decorrentes das flutuaÃÃes diurnas de temperatura, à evidente, principalmente nas horas em que o equipamento registra as maiores temperaturas, e a medida em que os potenciais diminuem. Os trÃs dispositivos testados apresentaram sensibilidades de 42,763, 42,575 e 43.161 mV.kPa-1, e precisÃo de 0,02338 (0,2385), 0,02348 (0,2394) e 0,02317 (0,2362) kPa (cm.c.H2O).