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In this paper, we analyze the motion of a falling Slinky, starting from rest and initially suspended from one of its ends. It is well-known that under these conditions, the Slinky moves in an unusual way: its lower end remains at rest until the upper end collides with it - as if gravity were being challenged! We conducted a literature review and identified that the most widely disseminated explanation for this levitation phenomenon of the Slinky's base during the Slinky's fall relies on the concept of information (and does not seem to please many). We show that such a phenomenon can be explained - and reproduced through a computer simulation using a simple model - without the notion that "there is a finite time for the information that the Slinky was released at its top to reach its bottom". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New structural systems in civil construction are always emerging, and therefore a performance evaluation is necessary. For this evaluation, laboratory tests are necessary, but, due to the scarcity of research centers, numerical simulations have emerged as an alternative. For better reliability in the results obtained in the simulation, a mesh test is necessary, verifying the influence of the results. In this paper, the analysis of are two main types of mesh (tetrahedral and hexahedral) and several possible discretization sizes, aiming to evaluate the parameters in a numerical simulation of a specimen requested with 3-point static bending. Two mesh types and three sizes (1mm, 5mm and 10mm) were adopted. Through the obtained results, it can be reached that the tetrahedral mesh obtained better results. It was also possible to achieve that the mesh size did not change the results of stresses and displacements in the contour of the part, only influencing the results of stresses in the interior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

O This paper presents the architectural characterization of the vertical housing typology in Blumenau diagnosed and evaluated the different typologies of buildings for residential use in Blumenau, their functional approaches and thermal comfort. The work method involved the stages of on-site visits, field survey and project data, post-project analysis and specific analyzes. The analysis of the vertical housing architectural typology was performed in a thirty-four buildings sample in the Victor Konder area neighborhood, in Blumenau, which is in a process of great verticalization. The evaluation identified bigger deficiencies in the functional evaluation criteria if compared to thermal comfort criteria of the buildings. From the total sample, none of the buildings reached the maximum value in the performed evaluation if considering the criteria of thermal comfort and functionality. In the thermal comfort evaluation part, a computer simulation of the thermal performance of a building in the study sample, representative of the evaluated buildings, was performed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we introduce Schrödinger's operators in a naive and unpretentious way, but with some precision and didactics. The most studied periodic and random potential types are mentioned and, by numerical simulation, compare the eigenvalues of an operator's truncated matrix with a periodic potential and the same potential disturbed by an evenly distributed continuous random variable. We evaluated the magnitude of the random variable required to produce a significant difference between the eigenvalue sets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In general, the identification of probability distributions for time between arrivals and the covariates that affect them, get a superficial treatment in papers on production engineering. The main goal of this paper is to analyze the data on the time between arrivals for batches at the quality control department in a food company. A Weibull distribution, with two parameters, was used in the statistical modeling - a quantitative approach. Scale and shape was estimated by the Maximum Likelihood Method. A regression Weibull model was considered to evaluate inferences for the mean and median times between arrivals and to detect important factors affecting the variability in data sets. Considering some covariates, the Weibull distribution was found to have a good fit for the data. These results allow for a more reliable modeling of the quality control department for discrete event simulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to reflect about the use of simulation in training nurses based on bioethics and human rights approaches. This is a reflexive essay based on the assumption that the current training context in health and nursing must include in the process teaching and learning strategies which take into account diverse ethical and bioethical questions about human rights, technological development and scientific knowledge. The use of simulation in training nurses is justified on human dignity, not in the instrumentalization of the person, equity and not discrimination. Furthermore, some fundamental principles of bioethics and their relation to simulation are pointed out. Moreover, the contributions of this teaching and learning strategy are discussed under the perspectives of patient/user, student, university and health care institution. Considering these issues, it is essential to plan a training practice incorporating these dimensions in the training process of future nurses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have recently developed a software to simulate a given physical phenomenon, without the need of knowing its corresponding equation of motion. This procedure is actually intended to illustrate the behavior of dynamical variables of interest, such as position, velocity, acceleration and energy. In our work, we present analytical solutions for each case under consideration; numerical solutions carried out by means of the finite difference method are presented as well. The harmonic oscillator is a moving periodical system, with a well-defined equilibrium position. We shall here present an overview of the general problem to be solved and a number of special cases shall be worked out in details. As one of the purposes of this article is to encourage readers to use numerical approaches to inspect physical problems, we shall discuss in a simple and direct way the numerical solutions of a mechanical oscillator. We also contemplate the behavior of the energy function and point out under which particular situations it is conserved. To validate the numerical method implemented in our paper, we compare the analytical solutions we derive with the results obtained by numerical computations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]