| Eu excluí 3 postagens sobre a lógica do futebol, especialmente em se tratando de Copas do Mundo. Na verdade, lógica sobre qualquer tema é considerada sob um ponto de vista pessoal, ou seja, cada um tem uma "logicidade" própria. |
quarta-feira, 30 de julho de 2014
O meu ponto de vista
terça-feira, 29 de julho de 2014
segunda-feira, 14 de julho de 2014
Cai a venda de PC’s
ELDORADO DO SUL (RS) - A confluência infeliz da desaceleração da economia e da consolidação de aparelhos concorrentes deve desferir um golpe no principal mercado da americana Dell no País: a venda de PCs (desktops e notebooks). Segundo a consultoria IDC, a previsão é que as vendas de PCs tenham uma queda de 25% no País neste ano. Os primeiros resultados negativos já começaram a aparecer: só no primeiro semestre, a categoria teve uma retração de 28% nas vendas.
Segundo o analista Pedro Hagge, da IDC Brasil, a própria maturidade do mercado de PCs ajuda a explicar essa retração. À medida que já conquistou o computador, o consumidor tende a buscar outros produtos. Segundo a mais recente Pnad, pesquisa feita pelo Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE), mais de 46% dos lares brasileiros já têm computador. O especialista diz que a presença dos tablets é bem menor, de cerca de 12%. Ou seja: essa segunda categoria tem bem mais espaço para se expandir.
O texto acima é uma parte de um artigo sobre a queda de vendas de PC’s no Brasil, e que segundo o IBGE, mais de 46% dos lares brasileiros já tem computador.
Mas há que se ressaltar que essa percentagem cai bastante no que se refere aos que usam um computador devidamente. Ter um computador em casa não significa que uma família ou pessoa o use de maneira adequada, o que acontece práticamente no mundo todo, e bem mais nos países emergentes.
domingo, 13 de julho de 2014
Alemanha 1–Argentina ZERO
Estou procurando um tal de Lionel Messi, alguém o viu por aí?
Gostaria de parabenizá-lo por sua seleção ter perdido pelo resultado mínimo.
Parecido com este jogador aqui embaixo :
A propósito, parece-me que perder por 7x1 apresenta o mesmo resultado que perder por 1x0, ou 2x1, ou 3x2, etc…
A propósito daquele chinelo, Maradona….
Windswept Valleys in Northern Africa
Expedition 40 Flight Engineer Alexander Gerst of the European Space Agency posted this photograph of windswept valleys in Northern Africa, taken from the International Space Station, to social media on July 6, 2014.
Astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) regularly photograph the Earth from their unique point of view located 200 miles above the surface. These photographs help to record how the planet is changing over time, from human-caused changes like urban growth and reservoir construction, to natural dynamic events such as hurricanes, floods and volcanic eruptions.
Image Credit: Alexander Gerst/ESA/NASA
Cálculos renais e mudanças climáticas
As mudanças climáticas vão trazer mais dias de calor, provocando uma maior sudorese e desidratação nas pessoas, um fator chave para aumentar o risco dos cálculos renais, destacaram nesta quinta-feira cientistas que fizeram o estudo.
A pesquisa, publicada na revista Environmental Health Perspectives, encontrou uma relação entre dias quentes e pedras nos rins em 60.000 pacientes, que tiveram seus registros médicos analisados.
"Descobrimos que, à medida que as temperaturas diurnas sobem, há um rápido aumento da probabilidade de que os pacientes sofram de cálculos renais no transcurso dos 20 dias seguintes", disse Gregory Tasian, urologista pediátrico e epidemiológico do Hospital Infantil da Filadélfia e autor do estudo.
À medida que as temperaturas médias diárias subiram cerca de 10 graus Celsius, o risco de ocorrência de pedras nos rins aumentou em todas as cidades exceto em Los Angeles.
Além disso, os cálculos renais foram mais frequentes depois de três dias da ocorrência de uma onda de calor.
Os cálculos renais ocorrem quando substâncias como o cálcio e o fósforo alcançam uma concentração elevada demais na urina. Não ingerir uma quantidade suficiente de líquidos pode agravar o problema.
"Essas descobertas apontam para possíveis impactos na saúde pública relacionados à mudanças climáticas", disse Tasian.
"A prevalência de cálculos renais foi aumentando nos últimos 30 anos, e podemos esperar que esta tendência continue, tanto em quantidade como em extensão da área geográfica, à medida que aumentam as temperaturas diurnas", disse Tasian
sexta-feira, 11 de julho de 2014
On the link between periodontitis and atherosclerosis
Chronic oral infection with the periodontal disease pathogen, Porphyromonas gingivalis, not only causes local inflammation of the gums leading to tooth loss but also is associated with an increased risk of atherosclerosis. A study published on July 10th in PLOS Pathogens now reveals how the pathogen evades the immune system to induce inflammation beyond the oral cavity.
Like other gram-negative bacteria, P. gingivalis has an outer layer that consists of sugars and lipids. The mammalian immune system has evolved to recognize parts of this bacterial coating, which then triggers a multi-pronged immune reaction. As part of the "arms race" between pathogens and their hosts, several types of gram-negative bacteria, including P. gingivalis, employ strategies by which they alter their outer coats to avoid the host immune defense.
Caroline Attardo Genco, from Boston University School of Medicine, USA, in collaboration with Richard Darveau, at the University of Washington School of Dentistry, USA, and colleagues focused on the role of a specific lipid expressed on the outer surface of P. gingivalis, called lipid A, which is known to interact with a key regulator of the host's immune system called TLR4. P. gingivalis can produce a number of different lipid A versions, and the researchers wanted to clarify how these modify the immune response and contribute to the ability of the pathogen to survive and cause inflammation -- both locally, resulting in oral bone loss, and systemically, in distant blood vessels.
They constructed genetically modified strains of P. gingivalis with two distinct lipid A versions. The resulting bacteria produced either lipid A that activated TLR4 (called "agonist") or lipid A that interacted with TLR4 but blocked activation ("antagonist"). Utilizing these strains, they demonstrate that P. gingivalis production of antagonist lipid A renders the pathogen resistant to host bacterial killing responses. This facilitates bacterial survival in macrophages, specific immune cells that normally not only gobble up the bacteria but also "digest" and kill them.
When the researchers infected atherosclerosis-prone mice with the P. gingivalis TLR4 antagonist strain, they found that this exacerbates inflammation in the blood vessels and promotes atherosclerosis. In contrast, the ability of P. gingivalis to induce local inflammatory bone loss was independent of lipid A variations, which demonstrates that there are distinct mechanisms for induction of local versus systemic inflammation.
The researchers conclude, "P. gingivalis modifies its lipid A structure in order to evade host defenses and establish chronic infection leading to persistent systemic low-grade inflammation." They go on to state that "uniquely among gram-negative pathogens, P. gingivalis evasion of TLR4-mediated host immunity results in progression of inflammation at a site that is distant from local infection by gaining access to the vasculature."
Story Source:
The above story is based on materials provided by PLOS. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.
Journal Reference:
- Connie Slocum, Stephen R. Coats, Ning Hua, Carolyn Kramer, George Papadopoulos, Ellen O. Weinberg, Cynthia V. Gudino, James A. Hamilton, Richard P. Darveau, Caroline A. Genco. Distinct Lipid A Moieties Contribute to Pathogen-Induced Site-Specific Vascular Inflammation. PLoS Pathogens, 2014; 10 (7): e1004215 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1004215
DARPA taps Lawrence Livermore to develop world's first neural device to restore memory
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) will develop an implantable neural device with the ability to record and stimulate neurons within the brain to help restore memory.
The Department of Defense's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) awarded Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) up to $2.5 million to develop an implantable neural device with the ability to record and stimulate neurons within the brain to help restore memory, DARPA officials announced this week.
The research builds on the understanding that memory is a process in which neurons in certain regions of the brain encode information, store it and retrieve it. Certain types of illnesses and injuries, including Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Alzheimer's disease and epilepsy, disrupt this process and cause memory loss. TBI, in particular, has affected 270,000 military service members since 2000.
The goal of LLNL's work -- driven by LLNL's Neural Technology group and undertaken in collaboration with the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and Medtronic -- is to develop a device that uses real-time recording and closed-loop stimulation of neural tissues to bridge gaps in the injured brain and restore individuals' ability to form new memories and access previously formed ones.
The research is funded by DARPA's Restoring Active Memory (RAM) program.
Specifically, the Neural Technology group will seek to develop a neuromodulation system -- a sophisticated electronics system to modulate neurons -- that will investigate areas of the brain associated with memory to understand how new memories are formed. The device will be developed at LLNL's Center for Bioengineering.
"Currently, there is no effective treatment for memory loss resulting from conditions like TBI," said LLNL's project leader Satinderpall Pannu, director of the LLNL's Center for Bioengineering, a unique facility dedicated to fabricating biocompatible neural interfaces. "This is a tremendous opportunity from DARPA to leverage Lawrence Livermore's advanced capabilities to develop cutting-edge medical devices that will change the health care landscape."
LLNL will develop a miniature, wireless and chronically implantable neural device that will incorporate both single neuron and local field potential recordings into a closed-loop system to implant into TBI patients' brains. The device -- implanted into the entorhinal cortex and hippocampus -- will allow for stimulation and recording from 64 channels located on a pair of high-density electrode arrays. The entorhinal cortex and hippocampus are regions of the brain associated with memory.
The arrays will connect to an implantable electronics package capable of wireless data and power telemetry. An external electronic system worn around the ear will store digital information associated with memory storage and retrieval and provide power telemetry to the implantable package using a custom RF-coil system.
Designed to last throughout the duration of treatment, the device's electrodes will be integrated with electronics using advanced LLNL integration and 3D packaging technologies. The microelectrodes that are the heart of this device are embedded in a biocompatible, flexible polymer.
Using the Center for Bioengineering's capabilities, Pannu and his team of engineers have achieved 25 patents and many publications during the last decade. The team's goal is to build the new prototype device for clinical testing by 2017.
Lawrence Livermore's collaborators, UCLA and Medtronic, will focus on conducting clinical trials and fabricating parts and components, respectively.
"The RAM program poses a formidable challenge reaching across multiple disciplines from basic brain research to medicine, computing and engineering," said Itzhak Fried, lead investigator for the UCLA on this project andprofessor of neurosurgery and psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior. "But at the end of the day, it is the suffering individual, whether an injured member of the armed forces or a patient with Alzheimer's disease, who is at the center of our thoughts and efforts."
LLNL's work on the Restoring Active Memory program supports President Obama's Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) initiative.
"Our years of experience developing implantable microdevices, through projects funded by the Department of Energy (DOE), prepared us to respond to DARPA's challenge," said Lawrence Livermore Engineer Kedar Shah, a project leader in the Neural Technology group.
Story Source:
The above story is based on materials provided by DOE/Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.
Drinking alcohol provides No heart health benefit, new study shows
July 10, 2014
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
Reducing the amount of alcoholic beverages consumed, even for light-to-moderate drinkers, may improve cardiovascular health, including a reduced risk of coronary heart disease, lower body mass index and blood pressure, according to a new multi-center study. The latest findings call into question previous studies which suggest that consuming light-to-moderate amounts of alcohol may have a protective effect on cardiovascular health.
Reducing the amount of alcoholic beverages consumed, even for light-to-moderate drinkers, may improve cardiovascular health.
Reducing the amount of alcoholic beverages consumed, even for light-to-moderate drinkers, may improve cardiovascular health, including a reduced risk of coronary heart disease, lower body mass index (BMI) and blood pressure, according to a new multi-center study published in The BMJ and co-led by the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. The latest findings call into question previous studies which suggest that consuming light-to-moderate amounts of alcohol (0.6-0.8 fluid ounces/day) may have a protective effect on cardiovascular health.
The new research reviewed evidence from more than 50 studies that linked drinking habits and cardiovascular health for over 260,000 people. Researchers found that individuals who carry a specific gene which typically leads to lower alcohol consumption over time have, on average, superior cardiovascular health records. Specifically, the results show that individuals who consume 17 percent less alcohol per week have on average a 10 percent reduced risk of coronary heart disease, lower blood pressure and a lower Body Mass Index.
"These new results are critically important to our understanding of how alcohol affects heart disease. Contrary to what earlier reports have shown, it now appears that any exposure to alcohol has a negative impact upon heart health," says co-lead author Michael Holmes, MD, PhD, research assistant professor in the department of Transplant Surgery at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. "For some time, observational studies have suggested that only heavy drinking was detrimental to cardiovascular health, and that light consumption may actually be beneficial. This has led some people to drink moderately based on the belief that it would lower their risk of heart disease. However, what we're seeing with this new study, which uses an investigative approach similar to a randomized clinical trial, is that reduced consumption of alcohol, even for light-to-moderate drinkers, may lead to improved cardiovascular health."
In the new study, researchers examined the cardiovascular health of individuals who carry a genetic variant of the 'alcohol dehydrogenase 1B' gene, which is known to breakdown alcohol at a quicker pace. This rapid breakdown causes unpleasant symptoms including nausea and facial flushing, and has been found to lead to lower levels of alcohol consumption over time. By using this genetic marker as an indicator of lower alcohol consumption, the research team was able to identify links between these individuals and improved cardiovascular health.
The study was funded by the British Heart Foundation and the Medical Research Council, and was an international collaboration that included 155 investigators from the UK, continental Europe, North America, and Australia.
Story Source:
The above story is based on materials provided by University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.
quinta-feira, 10 de julho de 2014
Ranavirus predicted to be potential new culprit in amphibian extinctions
July 9, 2014
National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis (NIMBioS)
Amphibian declines and extinctions around the world have been linked to an emerging fungal disease called chytridiomycosis, but new research from shows that another pathogen, ranavirus, may also contribute. In a series of mathematical models, researchers showed that ranavirus, which causes severe hemorrhage of internal organs in frogs, could cause extinction of isolated populations of wood frogs if they are exposed to the virus every few years, a scenario that has been documented in wild populations.
Dead and dying wood frog tadpoles showing skin shedding and hemorrhages in their well-developed legs and around their throats, from a pond in Brunswick, ME, in June 2013 where an estimated more than 200,000 tadpoles died in less than 24 hours. In the study, extinction was most likely to occur when the tadpole was exposed to ranavirus at frequent intervals in small populations.
Amphibian declines and extinctions around the world have been linked to an emerging fungal disease called chytridiomycosis, but new research from the National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis (NIMBioS) shows that another pathogen, ranavirus, may also contribute.
In a series of mathematical models, researchers showed that ranavirus, which causes severe hemorrhage of internal organs in frogs, could cause extinction of isolated populations of wood frogs if they are exposed to the virus every few years, a scenario that has been documented in wild populations.
The most widely distributed amphibian species in North America, wood frogs have been shown to be highly susceptible to ranavirus infection, particularly as tadpoles. But little research has been done into how ranavirus affects frogs at all stages of their life cycle -- from egg to hatchling to tadpole to metamorph, the stage when they emerge as frogs. Little is also known about how the infection could hasten extinction in entire populations.
The study, published in the journal EcoHealth, investigates the effect of ranavirus on the entire life cycle of wood frogs in demographically isolated populations, where there is no movement of frogs into the population from surrounding areas.
The study used mathematical simulations based on long-term data sets from wild populations of wood frogs in eastern United States and laboratory data on the effects of ranavirus. It determined that the life stage during which a frog was exposed to ranavirus was one of the most important factors in determining extinction and declines.
Extinction was most likely to occur when the tadpole or metamorph was exposed to ranavirus at frequent intervals in small populations. Under the worst-case scenario, extinction could occur in as quickly as five years with exposure every year and 25-44 years with exposure every two years.
The egg stage had a 57 percent survival rate when exposed to ranavirus, which was high enough to prevent extinction. Scientists speculate that eggs have a greater survival rate than other stages because they are protected by a thick gelatinous membrane that may serve as a structural barrier or contain anti-viral properties.
"Just as the chytrid fungus has decimated frog populations, the results of our study suggest that ranavirus infection too could contribute to extinction of amphibian populations that are demographically isolated," said lead author and NIMBioS postdoctoral fellow Julia Earl.
Amphibians are already considered the most imperiled of vertebrates, and a third of amphibians are threatened or endangered, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the main international body that assesses the conservation status of species.
Disease may be playing a role in amphibians' extinction. Since the 1990s, chytridiomycosis, which has been called the worst disease affecting vertebrate animals in recorded history, has caused massive die-offs and species extinctions across the world, particularly in Australia, the Caribbean, and North, Central, and South America.
Ranavirus infections in amphibians have been known since the 1960s, but it wasn't until the 1980s when they were associated with large-scale mortality and disease.
Once exposed to ranavirus, in susceptible species like wood frogs, mortality can be as quick as three days. Transmission can occur through water, direct contact and when tadpoles scavenge other dead and infected frogs. There is no cure or treatment for the disease.
Story Source:
The above story is based on materials provided by National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis (NIMBioS). Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.
Journal Reference:
- Julia E. Earl, Matthew J. Gray. Introduction of Ranavirus to Isolated Wood Frog Populations Could Cause Local Extinction. EcoHealth, 2014; DOI: 10.1007/s10393-014-0950-y
10 Easy Ways to Slash Sugar from Your Diet
Sugar is added to practically everything on grocery store shelves. Slash your intake with these smart tips.
Credit: Getty Images
Cut the sweetness by Jessica Migala
You may not be eating Oreos by the roll or guzzling cans of Coke, but that doesn't mean sugar's absent from your diet. You're likely eating sugar throughout the day without even realizing it, says Amari Thomsen, RD, owner of Chicago-based nutrition consulting practice Eat Chic Chicago. Sugar is added to foods that don't even taste all that sweet, like breads, condiments, and sauces. And it adds up: although the American Heart Association recommends women consume no more than six teaspoons of added sugar per day (or about 100 calories), most of us take in double that. (One note: we're talking about added sugar, not the naturally occurring sugars found in dairy and fruit.) A high-sugar diet boosts your odds of tooth decay, heart disease, and diabetes, not to mention weight gain. Slash your sugar intake now with these 10 expert tips.
Next: Read food labels
Link : http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20809521,00.html?xid=healthyliving07092014
Record levels of solar ultraviolet on Earth's surface measured in Bolivia
Licancabur volcano.
A team of researchers in the U.S. and Germany has measured the highest level of ultraviolet radiation ever recorded on Earth's surface. The extraordinary UV fluxes, observed in the Bolivian Andes only 1,500 miles from the equator, are far above those normally considered to be harmful to both terrestrial and aquatic life.
The results are being published in the open-access journal Frontiers in Environmental Science.
"These record-setting levels were not measured in Antarctica, where ozone holes have been a recurring problem for decades," says team leader Nathalie A. Cabrol of the SETI Institute and NASA Ames Research Center. "This is in the tropics, in an area where there are small towns and villages."
The measurements were made in the southern hemisphere summer of 2003 and 2004, using instruments developed for the European Light Dosimeter Network (Eldonet). They were undertaken as Cabrol's team was investigating high altitude Andean lakes as part of an astrobiology study of Mars-like environments. Dosimeters were deployed on the summit of the towering Licancabur volcano (altitude: 5,917 meters) and at nearby Laguna Blanca (altitude 4,340 meters). The combination of a midday sun near the zenith, as well as the high elevation of these sites, produces higher irradiance levels because of naturally low ozone in such locations. But these intensities of short-wavelength UV-B radiation (280 -- 315 nm) are unprecedented.
"A UV index of 11 is considered extreme, and has reached up to 26 in nearby locations in recent years," notes Cabrol. "But on December 29, 2003, we measured an index of 43. If you're at a beach in the U.S., you might experience an index of 8 or 9 during the summer, intense enough to warrant protection. You simply do not want to be outside when the index reaches 30 or 40."
The intense radiation coincided with other circumstances that may have increased the UV flux, including ozone depletion by increased aerosols from both seasonal storms and fires in the area. In addition, a large solar flare occurred just two weeks before the highest UV fluxes were registered. Ultraviolet spikes continued to occur -- albeit at lower intensity -- throughout the period of solar instability, and stopped thereafter. While the evidence linking the solar event to the record-breaking radiation is only circumstantial, particles from such flares are known to affect atmospheric chemistry and may have increased ozone depletion.
"While these events are not directly tied to climate change, they are sentinels of what could occur if ozone thins globally," Cabrol says. "The thinner and more unstable the ozone, the more prone we will be to this kind of event."
High UV-B exposure negatively affects the entire biosphere, not just humans. It damages DNA, affects photosynthesis, and decreases the viability of eggs and larvae. For these reasons, it is important to keep a close watch on UV flux levels.
"While this unsettling record might be the result of a 'perfect storm' of events, it could happen again," says Cabrol, "because the factors that caused it are not rare. What we need is more monitoring of the ozone changes in these areas. These fluxes, which are comparable to those of early Mars, are occurring in a populated area."
Story Source:
The above story is based on materials provided by Frontiers. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.
Journal Reference:
- Nathalie A. Cabrol, Uwe Feister, Donat-Peter Häder, Helmut Piazena, Edmond A. Grin and Andreas Klein. Record solar UV irradiance in the tropical Andes. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 2014 DOI: 10.3389/fenvs.2014.00019
Solar energy gets a boost: 'Singlet fission' can increase solar cell efficiency by as much as 30 percent
Singlet fission is a process in which a single photon generates a pair of excited states. This 1->2 conversion process has the potential to boost solar cell efficiency by as much as 30 percent.
A perspective article published last month by University of California, Riverside chemists in the Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters was selected as an Editors Choice -- an honor only a handful of research papers receive. The perspective reviews the chemists' work on "singlet fission," a process in which a single photon generates a pair of excited states. This 1->2 conversion process, as it is known, has the potential to boost solar cell efficiency by as much as 30 percent.
Applications of the research include more energy-efficient lighting and photodetectors with 200 percent efficiency that can be used for night vision. Biology may use singlet fission to deal with high-energy solar photons without generating excess heat, as a protective mechanism.
Currently, solar cells work by absorbing a photon, which generates an exciton, which subsequently separates into an electron-hole pair. It is these electrons that become solar electricity. The efficiency of these solar cells is limited to about 32 percent, however, by what is called the "Shockley-Queisser Limit." Future solar cells, also known as "Third Generation" solar cells, will have to surpass this limit while remaining inexpensive, requiring the use of new physical processes. Singlet fission is an example of such a process.
"Our research got its launch about ten years ago when we started thinking about solar energy and what new types of photophysics this might require," said Christopher Bardeen, a professor of chemistry, whose lab led the research. "Global warming concerns and energy security have made solar energy conversion an important subject from society's point-of-view. More efficient solar cells would lead to wider use of this clean energy source."
Research details
When a photon is absorbed, its energy takes the form of an exciton inside the material. Bardeen explained that excitons come in two "flavors," defined by the electron spins in them. One flavor is singlet, where all spins are paired. The other flavor is triplet, where two electrons are unpaired. In organic semiconductors, these two types of excitons have different energies.
"If a triplet exciton has half the energy of a singlet, then it is possible for one singlet exciton, generated by one photon, to split into two triplet excitons," Bardeen said. "Thus, you could have a 200 percent yield of excitons -- and hopefully, electrons -- per absorbed photon."
He explained that the Shockley-Queisser Limit involves photon absorption to create an exciton, which is basically a bound electron (- charge) and hole (+ charge) pair. In order to get useful electron flow (photocurrent), these excitons must be dissociated. Ideally, one exciton produces one electron (hole) and thus current to run, say, a light bulb.
"To absorb a photon, the photon energy has to be greater than the bandgap of the semiconductor, so you already miss part of the solar spectrum," Bardeen said. "But if you absorb a photon with energy higher than the bandgap, it has too much energy, and that excess energy is usually wasted as heat. The trick is to take that high energy exciton and split the energy into two excitons, rather than dissipating it as heat."
Bardeen explained that the singlet exciton spontaneously splits into the two triplets, through a mechanism that is still under active investigation.
"The exact mechanism is unknown, but it does happen quickly -- at the sub-nanosecond timescale -- and with high efficiency," he said. "Our work has shown that it is very sensitive to the alignment and position of the two molecules -- at least two are required, since we have two excitons -- involved in singlet fission. Recent work at MIT has already demonstrated an organic photovoltaic cell with more than 100 percent external quantum efficiency based on this effect. It may be possible to integrate this effect with inorganic semiconductors and use it to raise their efficiencies."
Next, Bardeen's lab will look for new materials that exhibit singlet fission, figure out how to take the triplet excitons and turn them into photocurrent efficiently, and look at how the spin properties of the electrons affect the exciton dynamics.
Story Source:
The above story is based on materials provided by University of California - Riverside. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.
Journal Reference:
- Geoffrey B. Piland, Jonathan J. Burdett, Robert J. Dillon, Christopher J. Bardeen. Singlet Fission: From Coherences to Kinetics. The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters, 2014; 5 (13): 2312 DOI: 10.1021/jz500676c
Using sand to improve battery performance
From left, (b) unpurified sand, (c) purified sand, and (d) vials of unpurified sand, purified sand, and nano silicon.
Researchers at the University of California, Riverside's Bourns College of Engineering have created a lithium ion battery that outperforms the current industry standard by three times. The key material: sand. Yes, sand.
"This is the holy grail -- a low cost, non-toxic, environmentally friendly way to produce high performance lithium ion battery anodes," said Zachary Favors, a graduate student working with Cengiz and Mihri Ozkan, both engineering professors at UC Riverside.
The idea came to Favors six months ago. He was relaxing on the beach after surfing in San Clemente, Calif. when he picked up some sand, took a close look at it and saw it was made up primarily of quartz, or silicon dioxide.
His research is centered on building better lithium ion batteries, primarily for personal electronics and electric vehicles. He is focused on the anode, or negative side of the battery. Graphite is the current standard material for the anode, but as electronics have become more powerful graphite's ability to be improved has been virtually tapped out.
Researchers are now focused on using silicon at the nanoscale, or billionths of a meter, level as a replacement for graphite. The problem with nanoscale silicon is that it degrades quickly and is hard to produce in large quantities.
Favors set out to solve both these problems. He researched sand to find a spot in the United States where it is found with a high percentage of quartz. That took him to the Cedar Creek Reservoir, east of Dallas, where he grew up.
Sand in hand, he came back to the lab at UC Riverside and milled it down to the nanometer scale, followed by a series of purification steps changing its color from brown to bright white, similar in color and texture to powdered sugar.
After that, he ground salt and magnesium, both very common elements found dissolved in sea water into the purified quartz. The resulting powder was then heated. With the salt acting as a heat absorber, the magnesium worked to remove the oxygen from the quartz, resulting in pure silicon.
The Ozkan team was pleased with how the process went. And they also encountered an added positive surprise. The pure nano-silicon formed in a very porous 3-D silicon sponge like consistency. That porosity has proved to be the key to improving the performance of the batteries built with the nano-silicon.
The improved performance could mean expanding the expected lifespan of silicon-based electric vehicle batteries up to 3 times or more, which would be significant for consumers, considering replacement batteries cost thousands of dollars. For cell phones or tablets, it could mean having to recharge every three days, instead of every day.
The findings were just published in the journal Nature Scientific Reports.
Now, the Ozkan team is trying to produce larger quantities of the nano-silicon beach sand and is planning to move from coin-size batteries to pouch-size batteries that are used in cell phones.
The research is supported by Temiz Energy Technologies. The UCR Office of Technology Commercialization has filed patents for inventions reported in the research paper.
Frequently asked questions on Ebola virus disease
Updated 8 July 2014
1. What is Ebola virus disease?
Ebola virus disease (formerly known as Ebola haemorrhagic fever) is a severe, often fatal illness, with a death rate of up to 90%. The illness affects humans and nonhuman primates (monkeys, gorillas, and chimpanzees).
Ebola first appeared in 1976 in two simultaneous outbreaks, one in a village near the Ebola River in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the other in a remote area of Sudan.
The origin of the virus is unknown but fruit bats (Pteropodidae) are considered the likely host of the Ebola virus, based on available evidence.
2. How do people become infected with the virus?
Ebola is introduced into the human population through close contact with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected animals. In Africa, infection has occurred through the handling of infected chimpanzees, gorillas, fruit bats, monkeys, forest antelope and porcupines found ill or dead or in the rainforest. It is important to reduce contact with high-risk animals (i.e. fruit bats, monkeys or apes) including not picking up dead animals found lying in the forest or handling their raw meat.
Once a person comes into contact with an animal that has Ebola, it can spread within the community from human to human. Infection occurs from direct contact (through broken skin or mucous membranes) with the blood, or other bodily fluids or secretions (stool, urine, saliva, semen) of infected people. Infection can also occur if broken skin or mucous membranes of a healthy person come into contact with environments that have become contaminated with an Ebola patient’s infectious fluids such as soiled clothing, bed linen, or used needles.
Health workers have frequently been exposed to the virus when caring for Ebola patients. This happens because they are not wearing personal protection equipment, such as gloves, when caring for the patients. Health care providers at all levels of the health system – hospitals, clinics and health posts – should be briefed on the nature of the disease and how it is transmitted, and strictly follow recommended infection control precautions.
Burial ceremonies in which mourners have direct contact with the body of the deceased person can also play a role in the transmission of Ebola. Persons who have died of Ebola must be handled using strong protective clothing and gloves, and be buried immediately.
People are infectious as long as their blood and secretions contain the virus. For this reason, infected patients receive close monitoring from medical professionals and receive laboratory tests to ensure the virus is no longer circulating in their systems before they return home. When the medical professionals determine it is okay for the patient to return home, they are no longer infectious and cannot infect anyone else in their communities. Men who have recovered from the illness can still spread the virus to their partner through their semen for up to 7 weeks after recovery. For this reason, it is important for men to avoid sexual intercourse for at least 7 weeks after recovery or to wear condoms if having sexual intercourse during 7 weeks after recovery.
3. Who is most at risk?
During an outbreak, those at higher risk of infection are:
- health workers;
- family members or others in close contact with infected people;
- mourners who have direct contact with the bodies of the deceased as part of burial ceremonies; and
- hunters in the rain forest who come into contact with dead animals found lying in the forest.
More research is needed to understand if some groups, such as immuno-compromised people or those with other underlying health conditions, are more susceptible than others to contracting the virus.
Exposure to the virus can be controlled through the use of protective measures in clinics and hospitals, at community gatherings, or at home.
4. What are typical signs and symptoms of infection?
Sudden onset of fever, intense weakness, muscle pain, headache and sore throat are typical signs and symptoms. This is followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, rash, impaired kidney and liver function, and in some cases, both internal and external bleeding.
Laboratory findings include low white blood cell and platelet counts, and elevated liver enzymes.
The incubation period, or the time interval from infection to onset of symptoms, is from 2 to 21 days. The patient becomes contagious once they begin to show symptoms. They are not contagious during the incubation period.
Ebola virus disease infections can only be confirmed through laboratory testing.
5. When should someone seek medical care?
If a person has been in an area known to have Ebola virus disease or in contact with a person known or suspected to have Ebola and they begin to have symptoms, they should seek medical care immediately.
Any cases of persons who are suspected to have the disease should be reported to the nearest health unit without delay. Prompt medical care is essential to improving the rate of survival from the disease. It is also important to control spread of the disease and infection control procedures need to be started immediately.
6. What is the treatment?
Severely ill patients require intensive supportive care. They are frequently dehydrated and need intravenous fluids or oral rehydration with solutions that contain electrolytes. There is currently no specific treatment to cure the disease.
Some patients will recover with the appropriate medical care.
To help control further spread of the virus, people that are suspected or confirmed to have the disease should be isolated from other patients and treated by health workers using strict infection control precautions.
7. What can I do? Can Ebola be prevented?
Currently there is no licensed vaccine for Ebola virus disease. Several vaccines are being tested, but none are available for clinical use right now.
Raising awareness of the risk factors and measures people can take to protect themselves are the only ways to reduce illness and deaths.
Ways to prevent infection and transmission
While initial cases of Ebola virus disease are contracted by handling infected animals or carcasses, secondary cases occur by direct contact with the bodily fluids of an ill person, either through unsafe case management or unsafe burial practices. During this outbreak, most of the disease has spread through human-to-human transmission. Several steps can be taken to help in preventing infection and limiting or stopping transmission.
- Understand the nature of the disease, how it is transmitted, and how to prevent it from spreading further. (For additional information, please see the previous questions about Ebola virus disease in this FAQ.)
- Listen to and follow directives issued by your country’s respective Ministry of Health.
- If you suspect someone close to you or in your community of having Ebola virus disease, encourage and support them in seeking appropriate medical treatment in a care facility.
- If you choose to care for an ill person in your home, notify public health officials of your intentions so they can train you and provide appropriate gloves and personal protective equipment (PPE), as well as instructions as a reminder on how to properly care for the patient, protect yourself and your family, and properly dispose of the PPE after use.
- When visiting patients in the hospital or caring for someone at home, hand washing with soap and water is recommended after touching a patient, being in contact with their bodily fluids, or touching his/her surroundings.
- People who have died from Ebola should only be handled using appropriate protective equipment and should be buried immediately.
Additionally, individuals should reduce contact with high-risk infected animals (i.e. fruit bats, monkeys or apes) in the affected rainforest areas. If you suspect an animal is infected, do not handle it. Animal products (blood and meat) should be thoroughly cooked before eating.
8. What about health workers? How do they protect themselves from the high risk of caring for sick patients?
Health workers treating patients with suspected or confirmed illness are at higher risk of infection than other groups.
- In addition to standard health care precautions, health workers should strictly apply recommended infection control measures to avoid exposure to infected blood, fluids, or contaminated environments or objects – such as a patient’s soiled linen or used needles.
- They should use personal protection equipment such as individual gowns, gloves, masks and goggles or face shields.
- They should use personal protective equipment such as individual gowns, gloves, masks and goggles or face shields.
- They should not reuse protective equipment or clothing unless they have been properly disinfected.
- They should change gloves between caring for each patient suspected of having Ebola.
- Invasive procedures that can expose medical doctors, nurses and others to infection should be carried out under strict, safe conditions.
- Infected patients should be kept separate from other patients and healthy people, as much as possible.
9. What about rumours that some foods can prevent or treat the infection?
WHO strongly recommends that people seek credible health advice about Ebola virus disease from their public health authority.
While there is no specific drug against Ebola, the best treatment is intensive supportive treatment provided in the hospital by health workers using strict infection control procedures. The infection can be controlled through recommended protective measures.
10. How does WHO protect health during outbreaks?
WHO provides technical advice to countries and communities to prepare for and respond to Ebola outbreaks.
WHO actions include:
- disease surveillance and information-sharing across regions to watch for outbreaks;
- technical assistance to investigate and contain health threats when they occur – such as on-site help to identify sick people and track disease patterns;
- advice on prevention and treatment options;
- deployments of experts and the distribution of health supplies (such as personal protection gear for health workers) when they are requested by the country;
- communications to raise awareness of the nature of the disease and protective health measures to control transmission of the virus; and
- activation of regional and global networks of experts to provide assistance, if requested, and mitigate potential international health effects and disruptions of travel and trade.
11. During an outbreak, numbers of cases reported by health officials can go up and down? Why?
During an Ebola outbreak, the affected country’s public health authority reports its disease case numbers and deaths. Figures can change daily. Case numbers reflect both suspected cases and laboratory-confirmed cases of Ebola. Sometimes numbers of suspected and confirmed cases are reported together. Sometimes they are reported separately. Thus, numbers can shift between suspected and confirmed cases.
Analyzing case data trends, over time, and with additional information, is generally more helpful to assess the public health situation and determine the appropriate response.
12. Is it safe to travel during an outbreak? What is WHO’s travel advice?
During an outbreak, WHO reviews the public health situation regularly, and recommends any travel or trade restrictions if necessary.
The risk of infection for travelers is very low since person-to-person transmission results from direct contact with the body fluids or secretions of an infected patient.
WHO’s general travel advice
- Travelers should avoid all contact with infected patients.
- Health workers traveling to affected areas should strictly follow WHO-recommended infection control guidance.
- Anyone who has stayed in areas where cases were recently reported should be aware of the symptoms of infection and seek medical attention at the first sign of illness.
- Clinicians caring for travelers returning from affected areas with compatible symptoms are advised to consider the possibility of Ebola virus disease.
The 7 Habits of Emotionally Intelligent People
"Anyone can become angry - that is easy. But to be angry with the right person, to the right degree, at the right time, for the right purpose, and in the right way - that is not easy."
In this quote, the philosopher Aristotle perfectly sums up a concept that has become a hot topic in psychology, education, and business – emotional intelligence.
Emotionally intelligent people engage in a number of habits and behaviors that contribute to their ability to manage their own emotions and understand the feelings of others. Do you know anyone who is keenly attuned to his or her own feelings, capable expressing emotions in an appropriate way, as well as empathetic and understanding of how others are feeling? That person is probably a very emotionally intelligent individual.
Emotional intelligence involves four major skills:
- The ability to perceive emotions
- The ability to reason with emotions
- The ability to understand emotions
- The ability to manage emotions.
Check out these key things that emotionally intelligent people do so that you can try to make some of these a habit in your own day-to-day life.
1. Emotionally intelligent people pay attention to what they are feeling.
Psychologist and author Daniel Goleman identifies self-awareness as one of the key components of emotional intelligence. Self-awareness involves the ability to recognize moods, emotions, and feelings. Part of self-awareness also involves being aware of how your emotions and moods influence other people. This ability to monitor your own emotional states is a basic requirement for emotional intelligence.
2. They understand how other people feel.
Empathy is another of Goleman's major elements of emotional intelligence. This involves the ability to understand the emotions of other people. In order to interact with other people in multiple life domains, such as at work or at school, you need to be able to know what they are feeling. If a co-worker is upset or frustrated, knowing what he is feeling can give you a much better idea of how to respond.
3. They are able to regulate their emotions.
Self-regulation is absolutely central to emotional intelligence. Understanding your emotions is great, but not particularly useful if you cannot make use of this knowledge. Emotionally intelligent people think before they act on their feelings. They are in tune with how they feel, but they do not let their emotions rule their lives.
4. They are motivated.
Emotionally intelligent people are motivated to achieve their goals and capable of managing their behaviors and feelings in order to achieve long-term success. They might be nervous about making a change in their lives, but they know that managing this fear is important. By taking a leap and making the change, they know that they might make their lives better and come one step closer to attaining their goals.
5. They have great social skills
Emotionally intelligent people also tend to have strong social skills, probably in part because they are so attuned to their own feelings as well as those of others. They know how to deal with people effectively, and they are invested in maintaining healthy social relationships and helping those around them succeed.
6. They are willing and able to discuss feelings with others.
Sometimes people are empathetic and in tune with their emotions, but struggle to actually share these feelings with others. Emotionally intelligent people not only understand feelings, they know how to express them appropriately.
What exactly do we mean by appropriately? Imagine, for example, that you just had a particularly awful day at work. You are tired, frustrated, and angry about how things went at an important meeting. An inappropriate expression of your feelings might involve coming home and getting into an argument with your spouse or sending a nasty email to your boss. A more appropriate emotional reaction would be discussing your frustrations with your spouse, releasing some tension by going for a jog, and coming up with a plan to make the next day better than the one before.
7. They are able to correctly identify the underlying causes of their emotions.
Imagine that you find yourself getting frustrated and angry with a co-worker. As you assess your feelings, analyze what you're really upset about. Are you mad about your co-worker’s actions, or does your anger stem from underlying frustrations and pressure from a boss who has heaped too much work and responsibility on your shoulders? Emotionally intelligent people are able to look at the situation and correctly identify the true source of their feelings.
At first this might seem like an easy task, but the reality is that our emotional lives can be both complicated and messy. Locating the exact source of your feelings can be particularly tricky when you are dealing with powerful emotions such as love and anger.
From Kendra Cherry, your Guide to Psychology
quarta-feira, 9 de julho de 2014
Extreme obesity may shorten life expectancy up to 14 years
July 8, 2014
NIH/National Cancer Institute
Adults with extreme obesity have increased risks of dying at a young age from cancer and many other causes including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and kidney and liver diseases, according to results of an analysis of data pooled from 20 large studies of people from three countries. "Given our findings, it appears that class III obesity is increasing and may soon emerge as a major cause of early death in this and other countries worldwide," said the senior author of the study.
A new analysis finds that adults with extreme obesity have increased risks of dying at a young age from cancer and many other causes including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and kidney and liver diseases.
Adults with extreme obesity have increased risks of dying at a young age from cancer and many other causes including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and kidney and liver diseases, according to results of an analysis of data pooled from 20 large studies of people from three countries. The study, led by researchers from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health, found that people with class III (or extreme) obesity had a dramatic reduction in life expectancy compared with people of normal weight.
The findings appeared July 8, 2014, in PLOS Medicine.
"While once a relatively uncommon condition, the prevalence of class III, or extreme, obesity is on the rise. In the United States, for example, six percent of adults are now classified as extremely obese, which, for a person of average height, is more than 100 pounds over the recommended range for normal weight," said Cari Kitahara, Ph.D., Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, NCI, and lead author of the study. "Prior to our study, little had been known about the risk of premature death associated with extreme obesity."
In the study, researchers classified participants according to their body mass index (BMI), which is a measure of total body fat and is calculated by dividing a person's weight in kilograms by their height in meters squared. BMI classifications (kilogram/meter-squared) are:
- Normal weight: 18.5-24.9
- Overweight: 25.0- 29.9
- Class I obesity: 30.0-34.9
- Class II obesity: 35.0-39.9
- Class III obesity: 40.0 or higher
The 20 studies that were analyzed included adults from the United States, Sweden and Australia. These groups form a major part of the NCI Cohort Consortium, which is a large-scale partnership that identifies risk factors for cancer death. After excluding individuals who had ever smoked or had a history of certain diseases, the researchers evaluated the risk of premature death overall and the risk of premature death from specific causes in more than 9,500 individuals who were class III obese and 304,000 others who were classified as normal weight.
The researchers found that the risk of dying overall and from most major health causes rose continuously with increasing BMI within the class III obesity group. Statistical analyses of the pooled data indicated that the excess numbers of deaths in the class III obesity group were mostly due to heart disease, cancer and diabetes. Years of life lost ranged from 6.5 years for participants with a BMI of 40-44.9 to 13.7 years for a BMI of 55-59.9. To provide context, the researchers found that the number of years of life lost for class III obesity was equal or higher than that of current (versus never) cigarette smokers among normal-weight participants in the same study.
The accuracy of the study findings is limited by the use of mostly self-reported height and weight measurements and by the use of BMI as the sole measure of obesity. Nevertheless, the researchers noted, the results highlight the need to develop more effective interventions to combat the growing public health problem of extreme obesity.
"Given our findings, it appears that class III obesity is increasing and may soon emerge as a major cause of early death in this and other countries worldwide," said Patricia Hartge, Sc.D., Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, and senior author of the study.
Story Source:
The above story is based on materials provided by NIH/National Cancer Institute. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.
Journal Reference:
- Kitahara CM, et al. Association between Class III Obesity (BMI of 40-59 kg/m) and Mortality: A Pooled Analysis of 20 Prospective Studies. PLOS Medicine, July 2014 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1001673.
Why Does "Will Not" Become "Won't"?
Most contractions in English are pretty straightforward: they are, they're; he would, he'd; is not, isn't; we will, we'll. The two words join together, minus a few sounds. Put it together, and shorten it up. What could be easier? But that isn't the case for "will not" which becomes "won't" instead of "willn't." Why does the "will" change to "wo"?
It doesn't really. Which is to say, we don't change it, our linguistic ancestors did. We just inherited it from them as a unit. But there was a reason for the "wo" in the beginning. In Old English there were two forms of the verb willan (to wish or will)—wil- in the present and wold- in the past. Over the next few centuries there was a good deal of bouncing back and forth between those vowels (and others) in all forms of the word. At different times and places "will" came out as wulle, wole, wool, welle, wel, wile, wyll, and even ull, and ool.
There was less variation in the contracted form. From at least the 16th century, the preferred form was wonnot from "woll not," with occasional departures later to winnot, wunnot, or the expected willn't. In the ever changing landscape that is English, "will" won the battle of the "woles/wulles/ools," but for the negative contraction, "wonnot" simply won out, and contracted further to the "won't" we use today. When you think about what it takes to actually pronounce the word "willn't," this isn't so surprising at all.
Linguist, author of In the Land of Invented Languages, lives in Philadelphia, talks with a Chicago accent.
Neighborhoods with healthy food options less likely to have overweight kids
July 8, 2014
Health Behavior News Service, part of the Center for Advancing Health
Children with a greater number of healthy food outlets near their homes had a reduced likelihood of being overweight or obese, finds a study. Children who had access to at least one healthy food outlet within 800 meters (about half a mile) of their home had a 38 percent decreased risk of being overweight or obese compared to those who did not. Each additional outlet for healthy foods within that distance was associated with a 19 percent reduction in risk of being overweight or obese.
Woman shopping at the supermarket (stock image). Children who had access to at least one healthy food outlet within 800 meters (about half a mile) of their home had a 38 percent decreased risk of being overweight or obese compared to those who did not.
Children with a greater number of healthy food outlets near their homes had a reduced likelihood of being overweight or obese, finds an Australian study published in American Journal of Health Promotion.
Children who had access to at least one healthy food outlet within 800 meters (about half a mile) of their home had a 38 percent decreased risk of being overweight or obese compared to those who did not. Each additional outlet for healthy foods within that distance was associated with a 19 percent reduction in risk of being overweight or obese.
"Few previous studies have considered the likely reduction in risk of childhood overweight or obesity associated with proximity to healthy food outlets," said lead author Laura Miller, Ph.D., an epidemiologist with the Public Health and Clinical Services Division for the state of Western Australia.
The findings are based on data collected from 1850 children ages 5 to 15 in the city of Perth in Western Australia and their neighborhood food outlets. The study controlled for age, physical activity, time spent sedentary, the number of take-out meals per week, and the socioeconomic status of the neighborhood. Food outlets in Western Australia must be registered with local government authorities and were geographically coded by location and types of food sold. In addition to familiar chains such as McDonalds, Chinese, Thai, and Indian take-out restaurants, fish-and-chips shops, burger joints, and pizzerias were all coded as fast food outlets. Supermarkets, fruit and vegetable shops, and butchers were coded as healthy food outlets.
"We chose our definition of 'fast food' based on previous studies which included both multinational and independent fast food outlets, and the assumption that people eating at these outlets have limited control over the ingredients and portion sizes provided," Miller explained. Supermarkets, general stores, fruit and vegetable stores, and butchers provide more healthy food options, and also allow for control over ingredients and portion size, she said.
"This study provides a sense of the associations between neighborhood food stores and restaurants relative to self-reported height and weight in Australian children," said Penny Gordon-Larsen, Ph.D., Professor of Nutrition at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Fellow of The Obesity Society. "The work confirms findings from several studies in other locations, such as the U.S., Europe, and Canada, among other countries. It is important to note that the literature in this area is quite mixed, likely because of the complexity of the association between neighborhood food stores, diet, and body weight."
Story Source:
The above story is based on materials provided by Health Behavior News Service, part of the Center for Advancing Health. The original article was written by Valerie DeBenedette. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.
Journal Reference:
- Laura J. Miller, Sarah Joyce, Shannon Carter, Grace Yun. Associations Between Childhood Obesity and the Availability of Food Outlets in the Local Environment: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study. American Journal of Health Promotion, 2014; 28 (6): e137 DOI: 10.4278/ajhp.130214-QUAN-70
terça-feira, 8 de julho de 2014
Expressões Idiomáticas Inglês-Português - 2
Don't put the car before the horse! = Não coloque a carroça na frete dos bois!
Downhill all the way = De vento em popa
To be out of line = Passar da conta / Abusar
To settle the scores with somebody = Acertar as contas com alguém
Guess what! = Adivinha!
The damage is done = Agora é tarde
Fairweather friend = Amigo só das horas boas
Each one to his trade = Cada macaco no seu galho
Earn it = Faça por merecer
Every dog has his day = Um dia da caça, outro do caçador
Fine thing! = Bonito, hein?
Fit of laughter = Ataque de riso
Flash in the pan = Fogo de palha
Food for thought = Para pensar (em casa)
For donkey's years! = Faz séculos!
Full of airs and graces = Cheio de si
Full of beans = Com a corda toda
Hang loose! = Fica frio!
Have a heart! = Tenha dó!
He was hoisted by/with his own petard = O feitiço virou contra o feiticeiro
Here we go! = Aqui vamos nós!
Have no clue = Não ter a menor idéia
He said she said = Diz-que-diz
I need it yesterday! = É pra ontem!
I told you so! = Eu avisei!
If I (may) say so to myself... = Modéstia à parte...
In Queer Street = Na rua da amargura (situação financeira precária)
It comes with territory = São os ossos do ofício
It never hurts to ask = Perguntar não ofende
It rang! = Caiu a ficha!
It is a small world! = Que mundo pequeno!
It is high time! = Já está na hora! / Já não era sem tempo!
It is the thought that counts = O que vale é a intenção
It is your funeral = Você está ferrado
It is you! = É a sua cara! (roupa certa)
Jack-of-all-trades = Pau-pra-toda-hora
Lean years = Tempo de vacas magras
segunda-feira, 7 de julho de 2014
Expressões Idiomáticas Inglês-Português - 1
A Língua Inglesa possui algumas armadilhas para quem não a fala como língua materna, dentre elas estão as Expressões Idiomáticas (Idioms), que são figuras de linguagem onde um termo ou a frase assume um significado diferente do que as palavras teriam isoladamente. Assim, não basta saber o significado das palavras que formam a frase, é preciso olhar para todo o grupo de palavras que constitui a expressão para entender o seu significado. As Expressões Idiomáticas trazem conotações diferentes, que, na maioria das vezes, estão relacionadas às suas origens. É importante salientar que os idiomatismos não foram criados para serem armadilhas para os falantes estrangeiros, pelo contrário, elas tornam o Inglês Falado (Spoken English) mais natural. Relacionamos abaixo alguns exemplos de Expressões Idiomáticas mais usadas pelos falantes nativos da Língua Inglesa.
Act your age = Não seja infantil
All day long = O dia todo
Beyond a shadow of doubt = Sem sombra de dúvida
Blood is thicker than water = Os laços de família são mais fortes
Cross my heart = Juro por Deus
Everybody says so =Todos falam assim!
For goodness’ sake! = Pelo amor de Deus!
Good Lord! = Meu Deus!
Hand in Hand = De mãos dadas
I did quite well = Sai-me muito bem
Keep your eyes peeled = Fique atento
Leave it to me = Deixa comigo
Like hell! = Uma ova!
May I have the floor? = Posso falar?
Mum’s the word = Boca de siri
Never heard of = Nunca ouvi dizer
Never mind = Deixa prá lá / Não tem importância
Once and for all = De uma vez por todas
Pretty soon = Em breve
Quite a bit = muito, um montão, bastante, um bocado
Right over there = Logo ali
See you there = Até lá
Shoot the works = Manda brasa
Talk is cheap = Falar é fácil
Thank God = Graças a Deus
It is up to you = Você que sabe
You know best = Você é quem sabe
Take your time = Não se apresse
So far, so good? = Até aqui, tudo bem?
It is not your business, Mind your own business= Não é da sua conta, cuide da sua vida.
To kick the bucket = Bater as botas / Morrer
How come? = Como é que pode?
It is raining cats and dogs = Está chovendo muito
Over the moon = Estar feliz / Estar no mundo da lua de tão contente
On the crest of a wave = Estar por cima
To put the cat out of the bag = Contar um segredo / Não esconder o jogo
What's up? = E aí, como é que é? (informal)
Make yourself at home / ease / comfortable = Sinta-se em casa / Fique à vontade
Help yourself / Be my guest / Go ahead (informal) = Sirva-se
Let's keep in touch = Vamos manter contato
Look at/on the bright side = Veja o lado bom das coisas
Look here! = Escuta aqui!
Look lively! = Acorda! (pedindo atenção)
I will always be there for you = Sempre estarei ao seu lado
Good thinking = Bem pensado
To be in a bad/good mood = Estar de mau/bom humor
Snitcher = Dedo-duro
I think so = Acho que sim
I don't think so = Acho que não
Nothing ventured, nothing gained = Quem não arrisca, não petisca
No pain, no gain = Quem não arrisca não petisca
On second thought = Pensando bem
As far as I know... = Que eu saiba...
As good as it gets! = Melhor é impossível!
As if! = Até parece!
As lost as a nun on a honeymoon = Mais perdido que cego em tiroteio
At rock bottom = No fundo do poço / Estar por baixo
Fair game = Presa fácil
Fair play = Jogo limpo
And so what? = E daí?
A cat may look at a king = Olhar não tira pedaço
All in good time = Tudo a seu tempo
And I am a Dutchman = E eu acredito em Coelhinho da Páscoa / Papai Noel (para expressar descrença)
Anything goes! = Vale tudo!
To be a bad egg = Não ser flor que se cheire
Bite your tongue! = Vira essa boca pra lá!
Lies don't travel far = Mentira tem perna curta
Cheer down! = Menos, menos! (quando alguém exagera)
Clear the way! = Abram caminho!
Credit where credit is due = Verdade seja dita
Damned if you do, damned if you don't = Se correr o bicho pega, se ficar o bicho come
LokLok for Android lets you send doodles, photos and messages directly from your lockscreen
Mobile messaging apps may be reaching both saturation point and convergence, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for more, right? Meet LokLok.
LokLok sells itself as a connected lock-screen that is always in-sync with you and your favorite group of people. You can draw, write messages, or add photos to your screen, and it shows up on your friends’ screens – all without leaving the lock-screen. This could be a single person, or a whole group.
How it works
With LokLok set as your lockscreen, you tap twice to make it editable (i.e. you choose to doodle), or swipe up to unlock and use your phone as normal.
To draw, you simply use a single finger to make your markings, and to erase you pinch outwards with two fingers.
There’s a number of editing tools available including one that takes you directly to your camera or camera roll, while the palette option lets you choose your tool, brush-stroke and color. Next up, hit the three-dots at the bottom to share (or invite friends to join) and you’re good to go.
LokLok is effectively a synchronized whiteboard, making it as easy as possible to share notes, pictures and random doodles with anyone. Without anyone having to unlock their device.
LokLok says it’s looking to push push experiments around unconventional messaging one step further. “The idea is to use the first interaction that a user has with his phone for the communication process,” explains creator Guillermo Landin, who works as a UX director for Portugal-based Kwamecorp.
“I was curious to see if I could use the screen as the communication channel itself,” continues Guillermo. The original experiment developed into a prototype based on widgets and an HTML5 canvas, then Guillermo brought in a small team to work specifically on the app.
For the security conscious among you, LokLok only keeps the latest image of each group on the server, so when you clear the screen, it’s gone forever. Ephemeral is the key (buzz)word here.
On the surface, this seems like a classic example of something that’s possible on Android but not iOS. However, we’re told they’re already working on a version for Apple’s mobile operating system, “focusing on new possibilities that iOS 8 will introduce.”