Personalized-based dietary recommendation for weightlifting

Dissertação de mestrado integrado em Engenharia Eletrónica Industrial e Computadores

A informação e a comunicação na escola: tecnologias, redes e fluxos

Tese de Doutoramento em Estudos da Criança (Especialidade de Tecnologias de Informação e Comunicação)

The Portuguese programme one laptop per child: political, educational and social impact

In 2008, the XVII Portuguese Constitutional Government launched the ‘e.escolinha’ programme, within the Technological Plan for Education, which set out the distribution of a computer, called ‘Magalhães’, designed for chil-dren attending the 1st cycle of basic education. Suspended in 2011 by the XIX Government, this programme has allowed, however, almost 500 000 children to have access to a personal computer. It was expected that this political measure would “revolutionise” the national education system by bringing changes to the pedagogical practices of teachers and the learning processes of children and by achieving educational success, in general. Based on documental analysis and on a set of interviews with key decision-makers in conceiving, implementing and monitoring this governmental initiative, the fi rst part of this chapter presents and analyses the ‘e.escolinha’ initiative and the policies be-hind that governmental programme, seeking to disassemble those objectives and provide some insights into the relationship between discourses, rhetoric, and reality. After that, the chapter focuses on children’s uses and practices with the ‘Magalhães’ laptop, at school and at home. Based on the results of questionnaires fi lled in by approximately 1500 children from 32 First Cycle public schools of the municipality of Braga (north of Portugal) and also from questionnaires applied to their parents and teachers, this chapter intends to analyse the real impact of this initiative for children, family and school. It also seeks to discuss the contribution of this educational policy to children’s digital literacy and also to their own and their families’ social and digital inclusion. To understand if it represented an added value to teachers’ pedagogical practice is another of its aims. The fi ndings point out a major focus on technology and access rather than on uses and competences or even on social, educational and cultural change. In fact, a major conclusion is the existence of a strong gap between the policy and the practices, typical of a top-down policy design. This study is an integrant part of a research project titled “Navigating with ‘Magalhães’: Study on the Impact of Digital Media in Schoolchildren” conducted at the University of Minho, Portugal, financed by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology [PTDC/CCI-COM/101381/2008] and co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund [COMPETE: FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-009056].

Current approaches and future perspectives on strategies for the development of personalized tissue engineering therapies

Personalized tissue engineering and regenerative medicine (TERM) therapies propose patient-oriented effective solutions, considering individual needs. Cell-based therapies, for example, may benefit from cell sources that enable easier autologous set-ups or from recent developments on IPS cells technologies towards effective personalized therapeutics. Furthermore, the customization of scaffold materials to perfectly fit a patientâ s tissue defect through rapid prototyping technologies, also known as 3D printing, is now a reality. Nevertheless, the timing to expand cells or to obtain functional in vitrotissue substitutes prior to implantation prevents advancements towards routine use upon patient´s needs. Thus, personalized therapies also anticipate the importance of creating off-the-shelf solutions to enable immediately available tissue engineered products. This paper reviews the main recent developments and future challenges to enable personalized TERM approaches and to bring these technologies closer to clinical applications.

Trabalho cooperativo como finalidade e estratégia de aprendizagem. Um estudo de caso em biologia humana

A aprendizagem cooperativa é concebida como uma estratégia pedagógica que privilegia uma aprendizagem personalizada e que potencia o sucesso educativo não só individual mas também coletivo. É conseguida através da cooperação de todos os membros do grupo, em que o desempenho de cada um influencia e é influenciado pelo desempenho do Outro. O grupo é concebido como uma organização social cuja eficiência implica a capacidade de construção e manutenção do grupo como um todo e de promoção do sucesso educativo de todos os elementos. É este quadro teórico que enforma a conceção, implementação e avaliação de uma intervenção pedagógica em Biologia Humana do 10º ano do Curso Tecnológico de Desporto. A estratégia pedagógica carateriza-se pela operacionalização articulada de estruturas e papéis de cooperação na abordagem da unidade didática - Transformação e Utilização de Energia - com a finalidade de promover a aprendizagem integrada de competências de cooperação e de conhecimento substantivo da área da Biologia. A avaliação da intervenção pedagógica incidiu nos objetivos de investigação - 1) Identificar o impacto da estratégia de intervenção pedagógica no desenvolvimento de competências de cooperação e 2) Identificar o impacto da estratégia de intervenção pedagógica no desenvolvimento de competências disciplinares –, efetuada a partir da análise de tarefas de aprendizagem e de um questionário de avaliação final global aplicado aos alunos. A estratégia de intervenção pedagógica é percecionada pelos alunos como tendo contribuído para a promoção do desenvolvimento não só de competências de cooperação mas também do conhecimento substantivo e do pensamento crítico.

Reliability of the information about the history of diagnosis and treatment of hypertension. Differences in regard to sex, age, and educational level. The pró-saúde study

OBJECTIVE: To assess the intraobserver reliability of the information about the history of diagnosis and treatment of hypertension. METHODS: A multidimensional health questionnaire, which was filled out by the interviewees, was applied twice with an interval of 2 weeks, in July '99, to 192 employees of the University of the State of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), stratified by sex, age, and educational level. The intraobserver reliability of the answers provided was estimated by the kappa statistic and by the coefficient of intraclass correlation (CICC). RESULTS: The general kappa (k) statistic was 0.75 (95% CI=0.73-0.77). Reliability was higher among females (k=0.88, 95% CI=0.85-0.91) than among males (k=0.62, 95% CI=0.59-0.65).The reliability was higher among individuals 40 years of age or older (k=0.79; 95% CI=0.73-0.84) than those from 18 to 39 years (k=0.52; 95% CI=0.45-0.57). Finally, the kappa statistic was higher among individuals with a university educational level (k=0.86; 95% CI=0.81-0.91) than among those with high school educational level (k=0.61; 95% CI=0.53-0.70) or those with middle school educational level (k=0.68; 95% CI=0.64-0.72). The coefficient of intraclass correlation estimated by the intraobserver agreement in regard to age at the time of the diagnosis of hypertension was 0.74. A perfect agreement between the 2 answers (k=1.00) was observed for 22 interviewees who reported prior prescription of antihypertensive medication. CONCLUSION: In the population studied, estimates of the reliability of the history of medical diagnosis of hypertension and its treatment ranged from substantial to almost perfect reliability.

Educating for sociability and learning for citizenship: developing communicational skills and mediation in educational contexts

This text concerns a program about the Promotion of Social and Communicational Skills and Mediation (PSCSM) developed with children aged between 10 and 13 years in a non-formal educational institution. The program of intervention had, as its purpose, the promotion of social and communicational competencies and mediation, thus enabling the children involved to have a healthy and responsible sociability in the different contexts in which they find themselves: family, school, peer group, amongst others. It was developed over 13 sessions with objectives and activities intentionally planned with the view of promoting competencies of communication, co-operation, responsibility, a critical spirit, solidarity, autonomy, respect, integration, inclusion and the recognition of rights and duties. This work was carried out with an action-research methodology that resorted to various techniques and instruments to gather and record information. The results obtained showed the impact and benefits of the program and they also revealed the necessity of educational institutions investing in the promotion of an ethical literacy and the empowerment of the children and young people for healthy sociability and active citizenship.

Enfermedad de Chagas: epidemiología de vectores y estrategias educativas para la vigilancia entomológica en áreas de riesgo del norte de la provincia de Córdoba. Chagas disease: epidemiology of vectors and educational strategies for entomological surveillance in risk areas of northern province of Cordoba.

La Enfermedad de Chagas es considerada en términos sociales y económicos, una de las enfermedades parasíticas más importantes de América Latina. La transmisión vectorial de esta enfermedad ha sido interrumpida en gran parte de América Latina sin embargo, el control vectorial no ha podido lograr la sostenibilidad y la efectividad necesarias para interrumpir la transmisión vectorial en la región del Gran Chaco de Argentina, Bolivia y Paraguay. La permanencia de poblaciones residuales de triatominos en estructuras peridomiciliarias permite una rápida recuperación del vector, sugiriéndose que estas poblaciones serían la principal fuente de reinfestación de la vivienda humana. Este escenario plantea por lo tanto la necesidad de estudiar con más profundidad las poblaciones de triatominos presentes en los peridomicilios para comprender su dispersión, capacidad de domiciliación y así entender el posible peligro que pueden presentar para el hombre como especies vectoras de la enfermedad de Chagas. Dentro de la provincia de Córdoba existen áreas que por la presencia histórica de triatomineos, la notificación reciente de casos de Chagas vectorial y el registro de especies silvestres invadiendo los domicilios merecen un estudio más profundo. Es por ello que se propone realizar un relevamiento de las especies de triatomineos que habitan los domicilios y peridomicilios en estas zonas, calcular los índices de infección con Trypanosoma cruzi que presentan, caracterizar su perfil alimentario, los factores de riesgo que favorecen su refugio, su capacidad dispersiva y diferenciar fenotípicamente entre las poblaciones peridomésticas para comprender mejor el posible peligro que pueden presentar para el hombre como especies vectoras de la enfermedad de Chagas. Además, y de manera complementaria, se aplicarán estrategias educativas en el ámbito escolar que sirvan para la vigilancia entomológica y acciones preventivas de la Enfermedad de Chagas. La determinación del perfil alimentario pautará la potencialidad de cada vector, siendo esta información fundamental para el análisis de situaciones epidemiológicas de riesgo. La capacidad dispersiva y la diferenciación fenotípica de las poblaciones permitirán conocer el posible movimiento y flujo de triatominos desde y hacia la vivienda humana. La determinación de los factores que favorecen el refugio de triatominos permitirá conocer el nivel de riesgo en que se encuentra cada domicilio. Además, considerando la importancia de las poblaciones peridomésticas en los procesos de reinfestación, se analizará la capacidad dispersiva que presentan los triatominos a través de su estado nutricional y, mediante la morfometría clásica y geométrica, se analizará como se estructura la diversidad fenotípica en los domicilios y peridomicilios. La aplicación de estrategias educativas en el ámbito escolar favorecerá el conocimiento en general de esta enfermedad, la vigilancia entomólogica y las acciones preventivas por parte de los niños en edad escolar. Chagas disease is considered socially and economically, one of the most important parasitic diseases in Latin America. Vector transmission of this disease has been interrupted in much of Latin America, however, vector control has failed to achieve sustainability and effectiveness necessary to interrupt the vector transmission in the Gran Chaco region of Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay. The permanence of residual populations of triatomine in the peridomiciliary structures enables fast recovery of the vector, suggesting that these populations would be the main source of reinfestation of human dwellings. Within the province of Córdoba, there are areas that the historical presence of triatomines, the recent notification of cases of Chagas vector and recording of wild species invading the homes deserve further study. That is why, there will be a survey of Triatominae species that inhabit the domiciles and peridomiciles in these areas, rates of infection with Trypanosoma cruzi, their host feeding preferences, the risk factors that favor its shelter, their dispersive capacity and phenotypic differentiation between peridomestic populations, to better understand the potential danger they may present to the man and vector species of Chagas disease. In addition, complementary, educational strategies in schools were implemented that serve for entomological surveillance and preventive actions of Chagas disease. The determination of the potential food profile patterns of each vector is essential for epidemiological analysis of risk situations. Dispersive capacity and phenotypic differentiation of populations may allow understanding the movement and flow of triatomines and from human habitation.

Paths to stability for matching markets with couples

We study two-sided matching markets with couples and show that for a natural preference domain for couples, the domain of weakly responsive preferences, stable outcomes can always be reached by means of decentralized decision making. Starting from an arbitrary matching, we construct a path of matchings obtained from `satisfying' blocking coalitions that yields a stable matching. Hence, we establish a generalization of Roth and Vande Vate's (1990) result on path convergence to stability for decentralized singles markets. Furthermore, we show that when stable matchings exist, but preferences are not weakly responsive, for some initial matchings there may not exist any path obtained from `satisfying' blocking coalitions that yields a stable matching.

An analysis of strategic paths through the decomposition of total factor productivity: the case of Spanish savings banks

The Spanish savings banks attracted quite a considerable amount of interest within the scientific arena, especially subsequent to the disappearance of the regulatory constraints during the second decade of the 1980s. Nonetheless, a lack of research identified with respect to mainstream paths given by strategic groups, and the analysis of the total factor productivity. Therefore, on the basis of the resource-based view of the firm and cluster analysis, we make use of changes in structure and performance ratios in order to identify the strategic groups extant in the sector. We attain a threeways division, which we link with different input-output specifications defining strategic paths. Consequently, on the basis of these three dissimilar approaches we compute and decompose a Hicks-Moorsteen total factor productivity index. Obtained results put forward an interesting interpretation under a multi-strategic approach, together with the setbacks of employing cluster analysis within a complex strategic environment. Moreover, we also propose an ex-post method of analysing the outcomes of the decomposed total factor productivity index that could be merged with non-traditional techniques of forming strategic groups, such as cognitive approaches.

Changes of overweight and obesity in the adult Swiss population according to educational level, from 1992 to 2007.

In many high income developed countries, obesity is inversely associated with educational level. In some countries, a widening gap of obesity between educational groups has been reported. The aim of this study was to assess trends in body mass index (BMI) and in prevalence of overweight and obesity and their association with educational level in the adult Swiss population. Four cross-sectional National health interview surveys conducted in 1992/93 (n = 14,521), 1997 (n = 12,474), 2002 (n = 18,908) and 2007 (n = 17,879) using representative samples of the Swiss population (age range 18-102 years). BMI was derived from self-reported data. Overweight was defined as BMI > or = 25 and <30 kg/m(2), and obesity as BMI > or = 30 kg/m(2). Mean (+/- standard deviation) BMI increased from 24.7 +/- 3.6 in 1992/3 to 25.4 +/- 3.6 kg/m2 in 2007 in men and 22.8 +/- 3.8 to 23.7 +/- 4.3 kg/m(2) in women. Between 1992/3 and 2007, the prevalence of overweight + obesity increased from 40.4% to 49.5% in men and from 22.3% to 31.3% in women, while the prevalence of obesity increased from 6.3% to 9.4% in men and from 4.9% to 8.5% in women. The rate of increase in the prevalence of obesity was greater between 1992/3 and 2002 (men: +0.26%/year; women: +0.31%/year) than between 2002 and 2007 (men: +0.10%/year; women: +0.10%/year). A sizable fraction (approximately 25%) of the increasing mean BMI was due to increasing age of the participants over time. The increase was larger in low than high education strata of the population. BMI was strongly associated with low educational level among women and this gradient remained fairly constant over time. A weaker similar gradient by educational level was apparent in men, but it tended to increase over time. In Switzerland, overweight and obesity increased between 1992 and 2007 and was associated with low education status in both men and women. A trend towards a stabilization of mean BMI levels was noted in most age categories since 2002. The increase in the prevalence of obesity was larger in low education strata of the population. These findings suggest that obesity preventive measures should be targeted according to educational level in Switzerland.

Top Three Pharmacogenomics and Personalized Medicine Applications at the Nexus of Renal Pathophysiology and Cardiovascular Medicine.

Pharmacogenomics is a field with origins in the study of monogenic variations in drug metabolism in the 1950s. Perhaps because of these historical underpinnings, there has been an intensive investigation of 'hepatic pharmacogenes' such as CYP450s and liver drug metabolism using pharmacogenomics approaches over the past five decades. Surprisingly, kidney pathophysiology, attendant diseases and treatment outcomes have been vastly under-studied and under-theorized despite their central importance in maintenance of health, susceptibility to disease and rational personalized therapeutics. Indeed, chronic kidney disease (CKD) represents an increasing public health burden worldwide, both in developed and developing countries. Patients with CKD suffer from high cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, which is mainly attributable to cardiovascular events before reaching end-stage renal disease. In this paper, we focus our analyses on renal function before end-stage renal disease, as seen through the lens of pharmacogenomics and human genomic variation. We herein synthesize the recent evidence linking selected Very Important Pharmacogenes (VIP) to renal function, blood pressure and salt-sensitivity in humans, and ways in which these insights might inform rational personalized therapeutics. Notably, we highlight and present the rationale for three applications that we consider as important and actionable therapeutic and preventive focus areas in renal pharmacogenomics: 1) ACE inhibitors, as a confirmed application, 2) VDR agonists, as a promising application, and 3) moderate dietary salt intake, as a suggested novel application. Additionally, we emphasize the putative contributions of gene-environment interactions, discuss the implications of these findings to treat and prevent hypertension and CKD. Finally, we conclude with a strategic agenda and vision required to accelerate advances in this under-studied field of renal pharmacogenomics with vast significance for global public health.

When the Line is Crossed... : Paths to Control and Sanction Behaviour Necessitating a State Reaction

The article presents a special form of a European comparative synopsis. For this case examples have been chosen ranging from administrative or minor (criminal) offences to increasingly serious offences and offenders. In this way it can be comparatively demonstrated how the criminal justice systems studied handle specific cases and whether they do so in a similar or different way.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation: Pawn or Global Player?,

This contribution aims at exploring the significance of the new generation of UNESCO conventions for the recognition of higher education qualifications. It discusses three possible scenarios and links them to the empirical findings of a study that compares the enabling conditions of the first generation of recognition conventions established in the 1970s and 1980s with the ones establishing the second generation today. Taking an interdisciplinary approach, the paper argues that the changes illustrate a more general shift in the architecture of the global order and highlights a new role of UNESCO.