• Iberoamérica
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.1-31
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• 2021

The main purpose of this study is to examine the use of 'a gente' in Portuguese, and to discuss what to consider educationally. We examined the origin and style of 'a gente', grammaticalization process phase, personalization level, and variations in use in terms of linguistic and social aspects, and confirmed that 'a gente' is showing an increasingly high frequency of use in Brazil. And in order to find educational considerations, we observed how 'a gente' was handled in Portuguese textbooks for foreigners, and analyzed data obtained through interviews with three Korean students studying Portuguese in Brazil. Considering the importance and frequency of use of 'a gente', which is used in the third-person singular form, the section about 'a gente' in grammar and textbooks seems to be very insufficient. Therefore, the contents of textbooks that do not correspond to the actual use of language should be actively revised according to changes in the reality of language use. In addition, the instructor should not be bound by traditional use, but must include 'a gente' in the personal pronoun section of the textbook for efficient education, and actively reflect the more practical usage to educate.

• Imaging Science in Dentistry
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.247-254
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• 2017

Purpose: Dual-energy X-ray imaging is widely used today in various areas of medicine and in other applications. However, no similar technique exists for dental applications. In this study, we propose a dual-energy technique for dental diagnoses based on voltage-switching. Materials and Methods: The method presented in this study allowed different groups of materials to be classified based on atomic number, thereby enabling two-dimensional images to be colorized. Computer simulations showed the feasibility of this approach. Using a number of different samples with typical biologic and synthetic dental materials, the technique was applied to radiographs acquired with a commercially available dental X-ray unit. Results: This technique provided a novel visual representation of the intraoral environment in three colors, and is of diagnostic value when compared to state-of-the-art grayscale images, since the oral cavity often contains multiple permanent foreign materials. Conclusion: This work developed a technique for two-dimensional dual-energy imaging in the context of dental applications and showed its feasibility with a commercial dental X-ray unit in simulation and experimental studies.