Some common fallacies about learning and teaching English as a Lingua Franca

Over the past decades, English language teachers have become familiar with several terms which attempt to describe the role of English as a language of international communication. Presently, the term English as a lingua franca (ELF) seems to be one of the most favoured and adopted to depict the global use of English in the 21st century. Basically, the concept of ELF im-plies cross-cultural, cross-linguistic interactions involving native and non-native speakers. Conse-quently, the ELF paradigm suggests some changes in the language classroom concerning teachers’ and students’ goals as far as native speaker norms and cultures are concerned. Based on Kachru’s (1992) fallacies, this article identifies thirteen misconceptions in ELT regarding learning and teach-ing English varieties and cultures, suggesting that an ethnocentred and linguacentred approach to English should be replaced by an ELF perspective which recognizes the diversity of communicative situations involving different native and non-native cultures and varieties of English

Quinn’s Leadership Roles: A Confirmatory Factor Analysis Study in Portuguese Health Services

Purpose: To evaluate psychometric properties of Quinn’s leadership questionnaire (CFV questionnaire; 1988) to the Portuguese health services. Design: Cross-sectional study, using the Quinn’s leadership questionnaire, administered to registered nurses and physicians in Portuguese health care services (N = 687). Method: Self-administered survey applied to two samples. In the first (of convenience; N = 249 Portuguese health professionals) were performed exploratory factor and reliability analysis to the CFV questionnaire. In the second sample (stratified; N = 50 surgical units of 33 Portuguese hospitals) was performed confirmatory factor analysis using LISREL 8.80. Findings: The first sample supported an eight-factor solution accounting for 65.46% of the variance, in an interpretable factorial structure (loadings> .50), with Cronbach’s α upper than .79. This factorial structure, replicated with the second sample, showed reasonable fit for each of the 8 leadership roles, quadrants, and global model. The models evidenced, generally, nomological validity, with scores between good and acceptable (.235 < x2/df < 2.055 e .00 < RMSEA < .077). Conclusions: Quinn’s leadership questionnaire presented good reliability and validity for the eight leadership roles, showing to be suitable for use in hospital health care context. Key-Words: Leadership; Quinn’s CVF questionnaire; health services; Quinn’s competing values.

Adaptive strategies of two Portuguese grapevines varieties (Aragonês. syn. Tempranillo and Trincadeira) face drought: physiological and structural responses.

At Mediterranean regions and particularly in southern Portugal, it is imperative to identify grape varieties more adapted to warm and dry climates in order to overcome future climatic changes. Two Vitis vinifera genotypes, Aragonez (syn. Tempranillo) and Trincadeira, were selected to assess their physiological responses to soil water stress. Vines were subjected to four irrigation regimes: irrigated during all phenological cycle, non-irrigated during all phenological cycle, non irrigated until veraison, irrigated after veraison. Predawn leaf water potential was much higher in Trincadeira than Aragonez in non- irrigated plants. This result is in accordance with its higher stomatal control efficiency in this variety (Trincadeira). Photosynthetic capacity (Amax at saturating light intensity) decreased due to stomatal and biochemical limitations under water stress. However, recovery capacity of leaf water status after irrigation was faster in Trincadeira. Yield and yield x Brix increased when irrigation occurred after veraison, particularly in Trincadeira. These results show that Trincadeira presents a drought adaptation than Aragonez. Ratio of variable to maximum fluorescence Fv/Fm and total leaf chlorophyll related with leaf water potential for both species. Reflectance Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI705), Red Edge Inflexion Point Index and Photochemical Reflectance Index were related with irrigation treatment. Relative water content and specific leaf area were similar between varieties. In conclusion, we suggested that there is variation among the genotypes and the main physiological parameters for variety selection, for drought, were leaf water potential, stomatal conductance and reflectance indexes.

On polynomials with given Hilbert function and applications

Using Macaulay's correspondence we study the family of Artinian Gorenstein local algebras with fixed symmetric Hilbert function decomposition. As an application we give a new lower bound for the dimension of cactus varieties of the third Veronese embedding. We discuss the case of cubic surfaces, where interesting phenomena occur.

Evaluation of the evolution of the anthocyanins profile in red wine grape varieties in Alentejo

The flavonoids (including anthocyanins) are wine compounds with important anti-oxidant activity, protecting the cells against oxidative processes, preventing cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, cancer, among others (Antoniolli et al. 2015; Castañeda-Ovando et al. 2009; Hosu et al. 2014; Huang et al. 2009; Kong et al. 2003). Anthocyanins in grapes at harvest are determinant to red wine quality and their development in the grape must be characterised in order to determine the most suitable date for the harvest. Thus the aim of this research is the evaluation of anthocyanins composition in two red wine grape varieties from véraison continuing through ripening. Anthocyanins were quantified by high resolution liquid chromatography (HPLC-DAD). Additionally, the total phenols content were quantified by UV-Vis Spectrometry. The anthocyanins’ profile evolution may be dependent on the variety and ripening phase. During ripening grape samples have shown an increase of coumaryl derivatives. This information may lead us to understand the anthocyanins biosynthesis pathway in different grape varieties. The development of anthocyanins from the véraison seems to follow a pattern that coincides with the increasing accumulation of soluble sugars.