Binocular vision and reading ability in a Portuguese population of school age children

Preventable visual loss caused by amblyopia (2 to 4%) and its risk factors such as strabismus (3%) and uncorrected refractive errors (5 to 7%) represent an important public health problem. Children with binocular vision anomalies could be at disadvantage in reading and writing. Objectives: (1) Describe binocular vision measures in children of school age; and (2) Describe the impact of abnormal binocular vision on reading ability (reading errors and reading speed).

Disruption and phenotypic analysis of six open reading frames from chromosome VII of Saccharomyces cerevisiae reveals one essential gene

Six open reading frames (ORFs) located on chromosome VII of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (YGR205w, YGR210c, YGR211w, YGR241c, YGR243w and YGR244c) were disrupted in two different genetic backgrounds using short-flanking homology (SFH) gene replacement. Sporulation and tetrad analysis showed that YGR211w, recently identified as the yeast ZPR1 gene, is an essential gene. The other five genes are non-essential, and no phenotypes could be associated to their inactivation. Two of these genes have recently been further characterized: YGR241c (YAP1802) encodes a yeast adaptor protein and YGR244c (LSC2) encodes the b-subunit of the succinyl-CoA ligase. For each ORF, a replacement cassette with long flanking regions homologous to the target locus was cloned in pUG7, and the cognate wild-type gene was cloned in pRS416.

Analysis of a 17.9 kb region from Saccharomyces cerevisiae chromosome VII reveals the presence of eight open reading frames, including BRF1 (TFIIIB70) and GCN5 genes

We report the nucleotide sequence of a 17,893 bp DNA segment from the right arm of Saccharomyces cerevisiae chromosome VII. This fragment begins at 482 kb from the centromere. The sequence includes the BRF1 gene, encoding TFIIIB70, the 5' portion of the GCN5 gene, an open reading frame (ORF) previously identified as ORF MGA1, whose translation product shows similarity to heat-shock transcription factors and five new ORFs. Among these, YGR250 encodes a polypeptide that harbours a domain present in several polyA binding proteins. YGR245 is similar to a putative Schizosaccharomyces pombe gene, YGR248 shows significant similarity with three ORFs of S. cerevisiae situated on different chromosomes, while the remaining two ORFs, YGR247 and YGR251, do not show significant similarity to sequences present in databases.

Sequencing of a 9.9 kb segment on the right arm of yeast chromosome VII reveals four open reading frames, including PFK1, the gene coding for succinyl-CoA synthetase (beta-chain) and two ORFs sharing homology with ORFs of the yeast chromosome VIII

A 9.9 kb DNA fragment from the right arm of chromosome VII of Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been sequenced and analysed. The sequence contains four open reading frames (ORFs) longer than 100 amino acids. One gene, PFK1, has already been cloned and sequenced and the other one is the probable yeast gene coding for the beta-subunit of the succinyl-CoA synthetase. The two remaining ORFs share homology with the deduced amino acid sequence (and their physical arrangement is similar to that) of the YHR161c and YHR162w ORFs from chromosome VIII.

The complete sequence of a 9000 bp fragment of the right arm of Saccharomyces cerevisiae chromosome VII contains four previously unknown open reading frames

We report the sequence of a 9000 bp fragment from the right arm of Saccharomyces cerevisiae chromosome VII. Analysis of the sequence revealed four complete previously unknown open reading frames, which were named G7587, G7589, G7591 and G7594 following standard rules for provisional nomenclature. Outstanding features of some of these proteins were the homology of the putative protein coded by G7589 with proteins involved in transcription regulation and the transmembrane domains predicted in the putative protein coded by G7591.

Do close reading à encenação: Frei Luís de Sousa

O presente artigo teve origem num texto escrito para o programa do espectáculo Frei Luís de Sousa, com encenação de Carlos Avilez, no Teatro Nacional D. Maria II, na abertura das Comemorações do Bicentenário do nascimento de Almeida Garrett.

Reading performance in children with visual function anomalies

Aims - To compare reading performance in children with and without visual function anomalies and identify the influence of abnormal visual function and other variables in reading ability. Methods - A cross-sectional study was carried in 110 children of school age (6-11 years) with Abnormal Visual Function (AVF) and 562 children with Normal Visual Function (NVF). An orthoptic assessment (visual acuity, ocular alignment, near point of convergence and accommodation, stereopsis and vergences) and autorefraction was carried out. Oral reading was analyzed (list of 34 words). Number of errors, accuracy (percentage of success) and reading speed (words per minute - wpm) were used as reading indicators. Sociodemographic information from parents (n=670) and teachers (n=34) was obtained. Results - Children with AVF had a higher number of errors (AVF=3.00 errors; NVF=1.00 errors; p<0.001), a lower accuracy (AVF=91.18%; NVF=97.06%; p<0.001) and reading speed (AVF=24.71 wpm; NVF=27.39 wpm; p=0.007). Reading speed in the 3rd school grade was not statistically different between the two groups (AVF=31.41 wpm; NVF=32.54 wpm; p=0.113). Children with uncorrected hyperopia (p=0.003) and astigmatism (p=0.019) had worst reading performance. Children in 2nd, 3rd, or 4th grades presented a lower risk of having reading impairment when compared with the 1st grade. Conclusion - Children with AVF had reading impairment in the first school grade. It seems that reading abilities have a wide variation and this disparity lessens in older children. The slow reading characteristics of the children with AVF are similar to dyslexic children, which suggest the need for an eye evaluation before classifying the children as dyslexic.

Alice's anima or the obligation of a reading transliteracy

This paper suggests an analysis of "Inanimate Alice" by Kate Pullinger, Chris Joseph and Ian Harper as an example of a transmedia narrative that triggers a new reading experience whilst proposing a literary alterity between reading and performance. Narrative experiences that elect the visual plasticity, interchanging games and tactility as drivers of the creative process are not new. Yet, narrative experiences, which have been created in the gap between reality and fiction, have found on the digital realm the perfect environment to multiple hybrid experiences. Bearing in mind Walter Benjamin’s concept of Erlebnis and Erfahrung, a critical analysis of this digital fiction tries to illustrate how literary art finds its space and time in a metamorphosed continuum only activated by the “patient reader”. All the multimedia hybrids, which this digital literary work may have, challenge readers to interpret different signals and poetic structures that most of readers might not be accustomed to; however even among a cognitive dissonance, meaning is found and reading happens only if time, space and attention are available. All possible transmedia literacies can only respond to this experience of online reading, if they are able to focus and draw attention not to a simple new behaviour or a single new practice, but to a demanding state of affairs that assemble different objective and subjective value forms.

Intervenção da fisioterapia na esclerose múltipla: uma revisão da literatura

Mestrado em Fisioterapia

Quality indicators in the education of children with profound Intellectual and multiple disabilities

Todas as crianças, independentemente das suas necessidades, deveriam ter acesso a uma educação de qualidade e a serem incluídas nas suas famílias e comunidades. Esta afirmação inclui as crianças mais vulneráveis, em particular as crianças com dificuldades intelectuais e multideficiência. Os resultados da investigação sobre a educação de crianças com dificuldades intelectuais e multideficiência ainda não produziram até ao momento informação suficiente que possa ser usada para desenvolver indicadores de qualidade para a avaliação das práticas e dos serviços. A investigação nesta área é limitada por constrangimentos éticos, dificuldades na determinação de amostras e desafios metodológicos, sendo reduzido o número de estudos capaz de produzir a informação necessária. Este artigo tem como objetivo discutir fatores que contribuam para a qualidade do envolvimento de crianças com dificuldades intelectuais e multideficiência em atividades educativas, com base na experiência das autoras e na informação disponível que tem sido publicada sobre este assunto. Com base nesta discussão é sugerido um conjunto de indicadores que poderão ajudar os profissionais a dirigir as suas observações para a qualidade da oferta educativa e para aspetos significativos dos desempenhos das crianças quando envolvidas em atividades curriculares.

Leitura - Dificuldades de aprendizagem, ensino e estratégias para o desenvolvimento de competências

O domínio da leitura é de extrema importância para as aprendizagens escolares. Um número significativo de alunos apresenta, no entanto, dificuldades de aprendizagem específicas (DAE) ao nível da leitura, que interferem com o processo global de ensino e aprendizagem. O presente artigo pretende rever os factores associados às DAE de leitura e apresentar estratégias que promovem o ensino eficaz e o domínio desta competência, nomeadamente, ao nível da consciência fonémica e da fluência da leitura, indicando metodologias e actividades que podem ser desenvolvidas em contexto de sala de aula.