Tympanometry and TEOAE testing of children with Down Syndrome in Special Schools

Despite widespread awareness that children with Down syndrome are particularly susceptible to hearing pathologies, the audiological status of students with Down syndrome in special schools is all too often unknown. Unfortunately, hearing screening for this population is unable to rely on standard, behavioural test batteries. To facilitate future improvements in screening protocols, this study investigated the results of tympanometry and transient evoked otoacoustic emission (TEOAE) testing for a group of children with Down syndrome. Assessments were not conducted in the artificial context of a clinic or laboratory, but within the school environment. Outcomes are reported for 27 subjects with a mean age of 10 years 5 months (SD = 4;11). Tympanometry testing was failed in at least one ear by 41.7% of subjects, while a failure rate of 81.5% of subjects was observed for TEOAE testing. Therefore, it is concluded that immediate review of hearing screening programs for students with Down syndrome is highly advisable.

Higher education of tourism in Spain and its adaptation to the European higher education area

The international tourism system has deeply undergone structural changes in the last decades which not remain outside the subsystem higher education in tourism, especially in the European case. This article has two objectives: firstly, describes the European higher education area and the objectives, skills and subjects taught in the main Spanish universities that offer higher education in tourism. On the other hand, in the light of knowledge that researchers' descriptive models, provide experience of the implementation of European credit and thorough a deeply review of the literature on the topic higher education in tourism, to propose strategies that will enable other tourism higher education systems approach to the European reality. These policy proposals are aimed at agents and elements from higher education in tourism subsystem and they specifically include: the institutions providing education in tourism, the curriculum, the teaching methods, teachers and students.

Market trends and dilemmas of parenthal participation in schools

Este artigo descreve e analisa o impacto da definição e implementação de um novo modelo de gestão dos estabelecimentos de ensino não superior (Dec-lei nº115_A/98) nos padrões de cidadania e equidade do ensino público Português. A institucionalização deste modelo representa uma mudança na matriz centralista e burocrática do referido ensino público e sugere uma aproximação às concepções neo-gerencialistas e neo-liberais que, desde meados dos anos 80, têm dominado a agenda política de muitos países desenvolvidos e de alguns organismos internacionais. Os resultados da pesquisa sugerem que a implementação do novo modelo de gestão contribuiu para reforçar os padrões de diferenciação social no ensino básico (1ºciclo) e, mais especificamente, para preservar as .vantagens competitivas. da classe média na escola pública Portuguesa.

Impact of a 1755-like tsunami in Huelva, Spain

Coastal areas are highly exposed to natural hazards associated with the sea. In all cases where there is historical evidence for devastating tsunamis, as is the case of the southern coasts of the Iberian Peninsula, there is a need for quantitative hazard tsunami assessment to support spatial planning. Also, local authorities must be able to act towards the population protection in a preemptive way, to inform 'what to do' and 'where to go' and in an alarm, to make people aware of the incoming danger. With this in mind, we investigated the inundation extent, run-up and water depths, of a 1755-like event on the region of Huelva, located on the Spanish southwestern coast, one of the regions that was affected in the past by several high energy events, as proved by historical documents and sedimentological data. Modelling was made with a slightly modified version of the COMCOT (Cornell Multi-grid Coupled Tsunami Model) code. Sensitivity tests were performed for a single source in order to understand the relevance and influence of the source parameters in the inundation extent and the fundamental impact parameters. We show that a 1755-like event will have a dramatic impact in a large area close to Huelva inundating an area between 82 and 92 km(2) and reaching maximum run-up around 5 m. In this sense our results show that small variations on the characteristics of the tsunami source are not too significant for the impact assessment. We show that the maximum flow depth and the maximum run-up increase with the average slip on the source, while the strike of the fault is not a critical factor as Huelva is significantly far away from the potential sources identified up to now. We also show that the maximum flow depth within the inundated area is very dependent on the tidal level, while maximum run-up is less affected, as a consequence of the complex morphology of the area.

Air fungal contamination in two elementary schools in Lisbon, Portugal

A descriptive study was developed to monitor air fungal contamination in two elementary schools in Lisbon, Portugal. Eight air samples of 250 litres through impaction method were collected in canteen, library, classrooms and also, outside premises as reference place. Simultaneously, were also monitored environmental parameters, including temperature, and humidity through the equipment Babouc, LSI Sistems and according to the International Standard ISO 7726 - 1998. Considering both schools, sixteen different species of fungi in air were identified, being the 2 most commonly isolated Cladosporium sp. (51,1%) and Penicillium sp. (27,5%). Besides these genera Trichoderma, Aspergillus, Alternaria, Chrysonilia, Botritys, Ulocladium, Athrium, Aureobasidium, Phoma, Scedosporium e Geotrichum were also isolated. Regarding yeasts, Candida sp., Cryptococcus sp. and Rhodotorula sp. were isolated. The youngest school, as well canteens in each school, presented the worst results concerning the air fungal contamination, maybe due to the higher number of occupants. There was no significant relationship (p>0,05) between fungal contamination and temperature and humidity.

Lichens as biomonitors at indoor environments of primary schools

A biomonitoring study, using transplanted lichens Flavoparmelia caperata, was conducted to assess the indoor air quality in primary schools in urban (Lisbon) and rural (Ponte de Sor) Portuguese sites. The lichens exposure period occurred between April and June 2010 and two types of environments of the primary schools were studied: classrooms and outdoor/courtyard. Afterwards, the lichen samples were processed and analyzed by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) to assess a total of 20 chemical elements. Accumulated elements in the exposed lichens were assessed and enrichment factors (EF) were determined. Indoor and outdoor biomonitoring results were compared to evaluate how biomonitors (as lichens) react at indoor environments and to assess the type of pollutants that are prevalent in those environments.

Seasonal variation of total particulate matter and children respiratory diseases at Lisbon primary schools using passive methods

In this work, 14 primary schools of Lisbon city, Portugal, followed a questionnaire of the ISAAC - International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood Program, in 2009/2010. The questionnaire contained questions to identify children with respiratory diseases (wheeze, asthma and rhinitis). Total particulate matter (TPM) was passively collected inside two classrooms of each of 14 primary schools. Two types of filter matrices were used to collect TPM: Millipore (IsoporeTM) polycarbonate and quartz. Three campaigns were selected for the measurement of TPM: Spring, Autumn and Winter. The highest difference between the two types of filters is that the mass of collected particles was higher in quartz filters than in polycarbonate filters, even if their correlation is excellent. The highest TPM depositions occurred between October 2009 and March 2010, when related with rhinitis proportion. Rhinitis was found to be related to TPM when the data were grouped seasonally and averaged for all the schools. For the data of 2006/2007, the seasonal variation was found to be related to outdoor particle deposition (below 10 μm).

Fungi, bacteria and pollens seasonally quantified at 3 basic schools in Lisbon: evaluation of ventilation need

Nowadays, most individuals spend about 80% of their time indoor and, consequently, the exposure to the indoor environment becomes more relevant than to the outdoor one. Children spend most of their time at home and at school and evaluations of their indoor environment are important for the time-weighted exposure. Due to their airways still in development, children are a sensitive group with higher risk than adults. Larger impact in health and educational performance of children demand indoor air quality studies of schools. The aim of this study was to assess the children exposure to bioaerosols. A methodology based upon passive sampling was applied to evaluate fungi, bacteria and pollens; its procedures and applicability was optimized. An indoor air study by passive sampling represents an easier and cheaper method when comparing with the use of automatic active samplers. Furthermore, it is possible to achieve important quality information without interfering in the classroom activities. The study was conducted in three schools, representative of different environments in the Lisbon urban area, at three different periods of the year to obtain a seasonal variation, to estimate the variability through the city and to understand the underneath causes. Fungi and bacteria were collected indoor and outdoor of the classrooms to determine the indoor/outdoor ratios and to assess the level of outdoor contamination upon the indoor environment. The children's exposure to pollen grains inside the classrooms was also assessed.

Indoor air quality in primary schools

Clean air is a basic requirement of life. The Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) has been the object of several studies due to an increasing concern within the scientific community on the effects of indoor air quality upon health, especially as people tend to spend more time indoors than outdoors. The quality of air inside homes, offices, schools or other private and public buildings is an essential determinant of healthy life and people’s well-being. People can be exposed to contaminants by inhalation, ingestion and dermal contact. In the past, scientists have paid much attention to the study of exposure to outdoor air contaminants, because they have realised the seriousness of outdoor air pollution problems. However, each indoor microenvironment has unique characteristics, determined by the local outdoor air, specific building characteristics and indoor activities. Indeed, hazardous substances are emitted from buildings, construction materials and indoor equipment or due to human activities indoors.

Paleomagnetic study of the Messejana Plasencia dyke (Portugal and Spain): A lower Jurassic paleopole for the Iberian plate

The only Iberian lower Jurassic palcomagnetic pole come from the "Central Atlantic Magmatic Province"-related Messejana Plasencia dyke, but the age and origin of its remanence have been a matter of discussion. With the aim of solving this uncertainty, and to go further into a better understanding of its emplacement and other possible tectonic features, a systematic paleomagnetic investigation of 40 sites (625 specimens) distributed all along the 530 kin of the Messejana Plasencia dyke has been carried out. Rock magnetic experiments indicate PSD low Ti-titanomagnetite and magnetite as the minerals carrying the NRM. The samples were mostly thermally demagnetized. Most sites exhibit a characteristic remanent component of normal polarity with the exception of two sites, where samples with reversed polarities have been observed. The paleomagnetic pole derived from a total of 35 valid sites is representative of the whole structure of the dyke, and statistically well defined, with values of PLa = 70.4 degrees N, PLo = 237.6 degrees E, K= 47.9 and A(95) = 3.5 degrees. Paleomagnetic data indicates that: (i) there is no evidence of a Cretaceous remagnetization in the dyke, as it was suggested; (ii) most of the dyke had a brief emplacement time; furthermore, two dyke intrusion events separated in time from it by at least 10,000 y have been detected; (iii) the high grouping of the VGPs directions suggests no important tectonic perturbations of the whole structure of the dyke since its intrusion time; (iv) the pole derived from this study is a good quality lower Jurassic paleopole for the Iberian plate; and (v) the Messejana Plasencia dyke paleopole for the Iberian plate is also in agreement with quality-selected European and North American lower Jurassic paleopoles and the magnetic anomalies data sets that are available for rotate them to Iberia.