A educação intercultural na aula de português no 3º Ciclo do Ensino Básico

Esta investigação foi realizada no âmbito do Doutoramento em Educação, na vertente de Educação e Interculturalidade, tendo como título “A educação intercultural na aula de Português no 3º Ciclo do Ensino Básico”. O principal objetivo foi não só o de conhecer as representações e práticas docentes relativamente à diversidade cultural nas turmas de 3º ciclo do Ensino Básico dos Agrupamentos de Escolas e das Escola Não Agrupadas da freguesia de Arrentela, - concelho do Seixal, península de Setúbal -, como também propor uma “matriz sociocultural” para a disciplina de Português no 3º Ciclo do Ensino Básico e aplicá-la a turmas alvo, permitindo verificar se a mesma propicia uma maior e efetiva participação de todos os alunos, contribuindo para o seu sucesso educativo. Esta investigação alicerçou-se no quadro teórico da educação para a cidadania intercultural, nomeadamente na educação intercultural e no modelo coorientacional de Byram. Este trabalho tomou a forma de estudo de caso, tendo-se recorrido ao paradigma quantitativo e qualitativo, tornando-os complementares na recolha de dados. No decorrer desta investigação, efetuou-se um processo de investigação exploratória, tendo-se realizado pesquisa documental para uma breve caracterização da Península de Setúbal, do concelho do Seixal, da freguesia de Arrentela. Fez-se um levantamento de dados sobre a diversidade cultural das escolas com 3º ciclo do Ensino Básico desta freguesia e sobre o insucesso dos alunos no exame de Português de 9º ano. Utilizou-se, ainda, um inquérito por questionário a vinte e um docentes do grupo 300 que lecionaram Português no 3º ciclo do Ensino Básico das escolas supra mencionadas, nos anos letivos 2011/2012, 2012/2013/ 2013-2014 (alguns dos quais ainda lecionam), para conhecer as representações docentes e práticas letivas recorrentes em escolas pluriculturais. A análise dos primeiros dados recolhidos por inquérito por questionário demonstrou que, para os docentes inquiridos, o objetivo primordial da educação intercultural é a abertura e aproximação ao Outro. No que concerne as práticas letivas, há uma preocupação dos professores em aproveitar uma parte do manancial e da riqueza da diversidade cultural das turmas heterogéneas, nomeadamente na prática da leitura/escuta, (re)escrita, na divulgação de textos enriquecedores entre cultura(s), na comparação entre culturas, na promoção de atividades colaborativas, nas atividades integrando a cultura de origem ou de herança. Verificou-se ainda que os materiais privilegiados na sala de aula são maioritariamente os manuais escolares e a compilação de textos emanados pelas editoras de livros escolares. Uma vez que os manuais escolares não contemplam muitas culturas, os docentes utilizam, em menor percentagem, textos de todo o género que permitem a comparação entre culturas, uma atitude crítica e a descentração. Relativamente à colaboração entre alunos, esta é essencialmente realizada através do trabalho de pares, enquanto a cooperação entre escola/comunidade é desenvolvida sobretudo por exposição e eventos escolares abertos à população e por atividades que podem ser corealizadas por alunos e Encarregados de Educação e/ou seus familiares. Como causas para a não implementação da educação intercultural nas aulas de Português, os inquiridos denunciaram fatores fulcrais como a ausência de formação adequada e de materiais didáticos e pedagógicos adequados ou o comportamento dos alunos, entre outros. Posteriormente, foi produzido e aplicado um inquérito por questionário a três turmas heterogéneas escolhidas (7.°, 8.° e 9.° anos) para sua posterior caracterização. Após esta etapa, foram recolhidos e selecionados materiais e atividades pedagógicos que foram integrados numa proposta de “matriz sociocultural” (Costa Afonso, 2002) aberta a modificações, transversal a outras disciplinas, baseada nas diversas identidades socioculturais dos alunos presentes em sala de aula, alicerçada, por um lado, essencialmente, no domínio da educação literária, por outro, na ponte que deve ser, continuamente, estabelecida entre escola/ comunidade local/ comunidade global. Nesta proposta é visível a preocupação na procura de textos literários canónicos, cujos conteúdos culturais permitam o contacto com a alteridade, com outras cosmovisões capazes de promover, por um lado, a desconstrução de preconceitos, estereótipos, do racismo e/ou suas manifestações, por outro, proporcionar a compreensão, a valorização crítica de culturas, a consciencialização da necessidade de liberdade, criatividade e reflexão crítica na criação de um mundo mais justo e na sustentação de um estado democrático. Aquando da aplicação experimental da “matriz”, envolvido nas interações comunicacionais interculturais propiciadas pelos materiais e atividades/projetos subsequentes, o discente assumiu o papel de sujeito sociocultural crítico, cidadão ativo e responsável. Da aplicação experimental foi efetuado um registo dos acontecimentos mais pertinentes. Outras sugestões de atividades/projetos foram veiculadas.

A study of asymptomatic bacteriuria in Egyptian school-going children.

Background: Urinary tract infections (UTI) are a common and important clinical problem in childhood. Upper urinary tract infections (i.e., acute pyelonephritis) may lead to renal scarring, hypertension, and end-stage renal disease. Despite the presence of simple and reliable methods of preliminary screening of children's urine, urinary tract infection continues to be under diagnosed. Objectives: The aim of this study was to establish prevalence rates of significant bacteriuria in asymptomatic school children by simple urine tests in comparison to standard urine culture techniques in Giza, Egypt. Patients and methods: A total of 1000 apparently healthy school going children (6-12) years, 552 boys (55.2%) and 448 girls (44.8%), were enrolled in this cross-sectional prevalence survey. Results: Overall prevalence of significant bacteriuria was 6%. Higher prevalence occurred in girls (11.4%) than boys (1.6%). Escherichia coli was isolated in 35(58%) cases (3 boys and 32 girls), Staph. aureus in 13 (22%) cases (3 boys and 10 girls), Enterobacter in 6 girls (10%), Kelbsiella pneumoniae in 3 boys (5%) and Proteus vulgaris in 3 girls (5%) Conclusion: Asymptomatic bacteriurea could be detected by urine screening program at school age. Overall prevalence of significant bacteriuria was 6%, with predominance in girls than boys.

ANTHROPOLOGICAL DESCRIPTION OF SKELETAL MATERIAL FROM THE DNIESTER BARROW - CEMETERY COMPLEX, YAMPIL REGION, VINNITSA OBLAST (UKRAINE)

Anthropological examinations were performed on skeletal material from four barrow necropolises located in the Yampil region (Ukraine) and dated to the Eneolithic, Bronze age and iron age . The purpose of the examinations was the determination of sex and age at death of individuals, reconstruction of their stature and assessment of their status of health . The examinations covered 61 individuals: 17 children and 44 adults . Their health status was assessed using four common indicators: linear enamel hypoplasia, cribra orbitalia, porotic hyperostosis and dental caries.

Knowing What to Do: School Focus, Teacher Morale, and Teacher Turnover

This study explored how schools’ focus – the collective perception among teachers of clarity and consistency regarding school goals, expectations, and priorities – related to schoolwide morale and school turnover rates. I examined the hypothesis that focus attenuates the deleterious effects of student misconduct on teacher morale and the contributory role of student misconduct leading to teacher turnover. In addition, I examined climate strength regarding perceptions school focus as an indicator of focus itself, as well a potential moderating effect of climate strength on the magnitude of school focus-school morale and school focus-turnover relationships. Data from a national sample of middle and high schools (N schools = 348, N teachers = 11,376) were analyzed using school-level multiple regression models. Schools with higher focus had significantly higher morale, independent of related perceptions of administrative leadership. No significant relationship was found between school focus and school turnover rates. The hypothesized moderating effect of focus on student misconduct and morale was not supported, though there was a significant indication that focus attenuated the positive relationship between student misconduct and turnover. Climate strength of school focus ratings significantly correlated with focus scores, but did not moderate relationships between focus and predicted outcomes. Findings suggest that school-level focus does represent a characteristic of schools that has a meaningful positive relationship with teacher morale but do not necessarily clarify how that relationship manifests in schools or if that relationship presents an avenue for intervention.

Exploring plant tissue culture to improve the production of phenolic compounds: A review

Plant tissue and organ culture has been extensively used from the beginning of the XX century for the study and comprehension of some primary biological mechanisms such as morphogenesis. However, with the increasing demand of the market for novel products derived from plants, in vitro culture became a reliable technique for the mass production of plant material. Moreover, the potential to use this technique for the production of some bioactive compounds, such as phenolic compounds, is immense since it allows the manipulation of the biosynthetic routes to increase the production and accumulation of specific compounds. This work intends to make a brief historical review of in vitro culture, highlighting its use for the production of bioactive compounds. Also, emphasizes the importance of phenolic compounds for the consumer as well reviews the metabolic pathways involved in its production in plant cells. Furthermore, it was carried out a comprehensive study on the work developed for the production of plant phenolic compounds in in vitro cultures, as well as on the type of elicitors used to increase of the same production; also a brief highlighting of the phenolic compounds which serve as elicitors. There are numerous reports directed to the production of phenolic extracts in in vitro plant cultures, however there is a lack in the production of individual phenolic compounds mainly due to the complexity of the biosynthetic routes and extraction procedures. Elicitation procedures are often used to increase the production of phenolics, archieving in most cases higher yields than in non-elicitated cultures. The increasing production of bioactive phenolic extracts/compounds allows for their further applicability, namely in the industry of functional foods or in pharmaceutical/medical fields.

EFFECT OF BAP, NAA AND GA3, EITHER ALONE OR IN COMBINATION, ON MERISTEM CULTURE AND PLANTLET ESTABLISHMENT IN SWEET POTATO (CV BRONDAL)

In Zimbabwe, the average sweet potato yield (6 t/ha) is relatively low when compared to Asian counterparts (17 t/ha). These low crop yields have been blamed on weevil infestations and viral infections which account for 60-90% of sweet potato yield losses in Africa. Meristem tip culture, a Centre for Potato Improvement (CIP) initiated tissue culture technique, has been widely used to eradicate viruses from clonally propagated crops and has been noted to be one of the instrumental techniques that helped China to increase sweet potato yields. In an effort to adopt the meristem tip culture technique for the production of virus-free planting material of a local sweet potato (cv Brondal), a study was conducted to evaluate the effect of Benzylamino purine (BAP), 1-Naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) and Gibberellic acid (GA3) (either alone or in combination) on cultured Brondal meristems. The different hormonal treatments were assessed on the following parameters: plantlet regenerative capacity, multiple plantlet production, shoot height, average leaf number per shoot and average node number per shoot, ten weeks after meristem culture. All treatments containing a combination of BAP (1 mg-L) and GA3 (at either 5 mg-L, 10 mg-L, or 20 mg-L) had a significantly (p<0.01) higher plantlet regenerative capacity of 33-66% when compared to other treatment combinations. Only treatments, 10 mg-L GA3 + 1 mg-L BAP and 20 mg-L GA3 + 1 mg-L BAP were capable of inducing multiple plantlet formation, producing an average of three plantlets/meristem and two plantlets/meristem respectively. Overall, treatment 10 mg-L GA3 + 1 mg-L BAP gave rise to significantly (p<0.01) taller shoots (20 mm) compared to the rest of the treatments used. For average leaf number per shoot, all GA3 treatments (5 mg-L, 10 mg-L, or 20 mg-L) supplemented with 1 mg-L BAP gave significantly (p<0.01) higher numbers of leaves (six leaves/shoot) than the rest of the treatments. Treatments 10 mg-L GA3 + 1 mg-L BAP and 20 mg-L GA3 + 1 mg-L BAP gave rise to the highest number of nodes per shoot, producing an average of three nodes per shoot. In sharp contrast to treatments containing a combination of BAP and GA3, all treatments containing a combination of BAP and NAA performed poorly in all parameters tested for plant regeneration of Brondal sweet potato variety. In conclusion, the best hormonal treatment for culturing Brondal meristems proved to be 10 mg-L GA3 + 1 mg-L BAP.

ASSESSING THE DETERMINANTS OF TISSUE CULTURE BANANA ADOPTION IN WESTERN KENYA

In this study cross-section data was used to analyze the effect of farmers’ demographic, socioeconomic and institutional setting, market access and physical attributes on the probability and intensity of tissue culture banana (TCB) adoption. The study was carried out between July 2011 and November 2011. Both descriptive (mean, variance, promotions) and regression analysis were used in the analysis. A double hurdle regression model was fitted on the data. Using multistage sampling technique, four counties and eight sub-locations were randomly selected. Using random sampling technique, three hundred and thirty farmers were selected from a list of banana households in the selected sub-locations. The adoption level of tissue culture banana (TCB) was about 32%. The results also revealed that the likelihood of TCB adoption was significantly influenced by: availability of TCB planting material, proportion of banana income to the total farm income, per capita household expenditure and the location of the farmer in Kisii County; while those that significantly influenced the intensity of TCB adoption were: occupation of farmers, family size, labour source, farm size, soil fertility, availability/access of TCB plantlets to farmers, distance to banana market, use of manure in planting banana, access to agricultural extension services and index of TCB/non-TCB banana cultivar attributes which were scored by farmers. Compared to West Pokot County, farmers located in Bungoma County are more significantly and likely to adopt TCB technology. Therefore, the results of the study suggest that the probability of adoption and intensity of the use of TCB should be enhanced. This can be done by taking cognizance of these variables in order to meet the priority needs of the smallholder farmers who were the target group. This would lead to alleviating banana shortage in the region for enhanced food security. Subsequently, actors along the banana value chain are encouraged to target the intervention strategies based on the identified farmer, farm and institutional characteristics for enhanced impact on food provision. Opening up more TCB multiplication centres in different regions will make farmers access the TCB technology for enhanced impact on the target population.

Influence of implant-abutment angulations and crown material on stress distribution on central incisor: a 3D FEA

Aim: To investigate the effect of implant-abutment angulation and crown material on stress distribution of central incisors. Finite element method was used to simulate the clinical situation of a maxillary right central incisor restored by two different implant-abutment angulations, 15° and 25°, using two different crown materials (IPS E-Max CAD and zirconia). Methods: Two 3D finite element models were specially prepared for this research simulating the abutment angulations. Commercial engineering CAD/CAM package was used to model crown, implant abutment complex and bone (cortical and spongy) in 3D. Linear static analysis was performed by applying a 178 N oblique load. The obtained results were compared with former experimental results. Results: Implant Von Mises stress level was negligibly changed with increasing abutment angulation. The abutment with higher angulation is mechanically weaker and expected to fail at lower loading in comparison with the steeper one. Similarly, screw used with abutment angulation of 25° will fail at lower (about one-third) load value the failure load of similar screw used with abutment angulated by 15°. Conclusions: Bone (cortical and spongy) is insensitive to crown material. Increasing abutment angulation from 15° to 25°, increases stress on cortical bone by about 20% and reduces it by about 12% on spongy bone. Crown fracture resistance is dramatically reduced by increasing abutment angulation. Zirconia crown showed better performance than E-Max one.

Caixa dos estímulos para o ensino pré-escolar

Dissertação de Mestrado para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Design de Comunicação, apresentada na Universidade de Lisboa - Faculdade de Arquitectura.

The Case for Teaching Culture through Neglected Authors: Carmen de Burgos and the Generation of '98

Teóricos del campo de la lingüística aplicada sostienen que para estudiantes de segunda lengua, la adquisición de la competencia cultural mejora por el uso de obras literarias. Aquí se propone que al integrar en la clase autores olvidados o marginados se ponen de relieve las ambigüedades, diferencias y contrastes presentes en la cultura predominante. Se ilustra cómo, en dos cuentos cortos de Carmen de Burgos, se plantea el problema de la mujer con todo lo complejo del tema, asunto casi pasado por alto por los autores incluidos en la Generación del '98.Applied linguistics theorists maintain that the acquisition of cultural competence by second-Ianguage students is enhanced through the use of literary works. The proposition of the present article is that by incorporating neglected or marginal authors i n the classroom, the ambiguities, differences and contrasts present in the predominant culture are highlighted. Through the study of two short stories by Carmen de Burgos, the woman question, a subject largely ignored by the Generation of 1898 writers, is set out in all of its complexity.

Teaching Communications, Cultures, Connections, Comparisons, and Communities with Multimedia: A University-Middle School Service-Learning Project

Se describe el uso de tecnología en forma de presentaciones de multimedia para facilitar la enseñanza de las Normas para el Aprendizaje de una Lengua Extranjera del Concilio Americano para la Enseñanza de Lenguas extranjeras. Las normas abarcan las comunicaciones, las culturas, las conexiones, las comparaciones y las comunidades. El estudiantado universitario aprende a crear, con multimedia, presentaciones sobre un tema cultural en la lengua meta. El componente de aprendizaje por servicio comunitario se fundamenta en las presentaciones creadas para estudiantes de colegio, quienes tienen acceso a las presentaciones en un sitio web de la universidad.A description is provided of how the use of technology in the form of multimedia presentations enhances the teaching of the Five C Standards for Foreign Language Learning of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages: communications, cultures, connections, comparisons, and communities. University students learn to create multimedia presentations on a cultural topic in the target language. The service-learning component provides the multimedia presentations for middle-school students who access them from the university website.

Culture et altérité à travers de la littérature

La literatura de expresión francesa constituye una herramienta pedagógica muy útil en clase FLE. Extractos de novelas magrebís de Tahar Ben Jelloun y africanas (senegalesas y camerunesas), han permitido obtener excelentes proporcionan notables resultados por sus características y por la oralidad. La literatura contribuye al enriquecimiento lexical y al estudio de la alteridad cultural. El análisis de la estructura narrativa muestra la estructura mental de los pueblos, así como una comprensión de sus reacciones y de su identidad.La littérature francophone constitue un outil pédagogique très utile en classe FLE. Des extraits de  romans maghrébins de Tahar Ben Jelloun et africains (sénégalais et camerounais) se révelent très performants de par leurs caractéristiques propres et I'oralité. Elle contribue également a l'enrichissement du vocabulaire et a l'étude de l'altérité cuIturelle. L'analyse de la structure narrative permet de découvrir autant la structure mentale des peuples que de mieux comprendre leurs réactions et leur identité.

Elementos de la música folclórica como material musical en la composición: unión de la tradición y la academia en la composición contemporánea

La música folclórica más apegada a sus raíces es de tradición oral; la combinación de esta tradición con la música académica permite preservar, mediante el uso de las partituras, las músicas tradicionales de diferentes culturas del mundo -- En la música académica, se cuenta con referentes del uso de la música tradicional como una herramienta que brinda material que puede ser rítmico, melódico, armónico o tímbrico, entre otros -- La aproximación sonora al timbre de instrumentos tradicionales como el shehnai de la India, el morin jur de Mongolia, el Koto de Japón y el tiple de Colombia realizada con instrumentos acústicos occidentales de uso académico, es uno de los ejes de esta investigación; como producto de la misma se busca usar los elementos y el lenguaje propios de la tradición para la creación de ideas musicales, combinados con lenguajes de composición de los siglos XX y XXI que, a su vez, pueden ser o no fieles al carácter folclórico de cada cultura

USEWRITE: Useful Writing Techniques to Improve High-School Students`Descriptive Writing

Se analizan y recomiendan algunas técnicas de redacción, para promover la escritura de párrafos descriptivos, entre estudiantes de secundaria o principiantes. El estudio parte de los resultados obtenidos en una investigación llevada a cabo en un colegio del distrito de Pérez Zeledón (Costa Rica). Se propone una secuencia de técnicas fundamentadas en el enfoque de escritura equilibrada, el enfoque de escritura guiada, la redacción como proceso, las estrategias del aprendizaje, los estilos de aprendizaje y la teoría de inteligencias múltiples. Composition techniques designed to promote the writing of descriptive paragraphs by high school students are analyzed and recommended. This study is based on the results gathered from research conducted in a high school located in the district of Pérez Zeledón (Costa Rica). A proposal of a sequence of techniques has been developed, applying the Balanced Approach, the Guided Writing Approach, Process Approach, Leaming Strategies, Leaming Styles, and Multiple Intelligences Theory.

Characterization and evaluation of the impact of feed management on the effluents of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) culture

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito da utilização de diferentes manejos alimentares: alimento natural, ração peletizada, extrusada ou farelada, sobre a qualidade da água dos efluentes gerados em uma criação de tilápia do Nilo (Oreochromis niloticus). O experimento foi desenvolvido durante 19 semanas em doze viveiros de 300 m², com renovação contínua de água, povoados com juvenis machos de tilápia do Nilo na densidade de 1,7 peixes m-2. As rações isoproteícas (30% de proteína bruta) e isoenergéticas (3.000kcal de energia digestível) foram fornecidas duas vezes ao dia. Quanto ao tratamento alimento natural, foi utilizado esterco de galinha poedeira. Semanalmente, foram aferidos na água de abastecimento e nos efluentes, temperatura, oxigênio dissolvido, pH, fósforo total, nitrogênio total, clorofila a e material em suspensão. de maneira geral, houve piora na qualidade da água dos efluentes de todos os tratamentos estudados, em comparação a água de abastecimento, evidenciando o impacto ambiental desta atividade produtiva, podendo levar a eutrofização dos corpos d'água receptores.