Equilíbrios Difíceis: stress laboral, equilíbrio trabalho/família e diferenças de género entre os colaboradores de uma empresa de tecnologias da informação

O stress é não apenas inerente para o ser humano, como indispensável para a sua sobrevivência. À medida que as sociedades humanas evoluíram, assim também se alteraram as principais fontes de stress. Actualmente o stress organizacional é uma das principais áreas de investigação, bem como as suas relações com a família e a vida pessoal. Em foco estão ainda as variáveis individuais que servem como moderadoras da experiência de stress, como o coping e o suporte social. Neste trabalho procurou-se conhecer os níveis de stress experienciados pelos colaboradores da Cisco Systems Lda, identificando diferenças de género e entre os tipos de trabalho. Pretendeu-se ainda relacionar o stress no trabalho com o equilíbrio trabalho/família, equlíbrio vida pessoal/trabalho, suporte social e coping. Através de um estudo não experimental transversal, descritivo/descritivo correlacional, com 42 sujeitos, utilizando o PMI – Pressure Management Indicator, foi possível identificar quatro factores, com α a partir de 0,531 para as variáveis moderadoras ate 0,904 para as variáveis stressoras. Os trabalhadores da amostra trabalham em média 49,7 horas por semana, apontando como principal razão “para que o trabalho seja feito”; 31,7% consideram estar a sofrer de pressão negativa iniciada há mais de 3 meses. Estão muito satisfeitos com a organização, mas sentem pressão devido ao volume de trabalho, ao relacionamento interpessoal e às dificuldades em desligar do trabalho quando em casa, fazendo uso de estratégias focadas no problema e de suporte social. Existem diferenças estatisticamente significativas entre homens e mulheres nas subescalas “Estado de espírito” e “Nível de confiança”, indicando níveis mais altos de segurança e satisfação com o seu estado mental para o grupo dos homens. No que respeita aos tipos de trabalho, foi possível identificar diferenças entre as categorias Sénior gerência/profissional e Manual/hábil nas subescalas “Nível de energia”, “Volume de trabalho” e “Equilíbrio vida/trabalho”. Existe correlação positiva entre as variáveis stressoras e a subescala “Equilíbrio trabalho/família” (r=0,890; p<0,000) e entre as variáveis stressoras e a escala de Coping (r=0,748; p<0,000), sugerindo que níveis de stress elevados interferem com a vida familiar e conduzem a maior utilização das estratégias de coping. Apesar das políticas de recursos humanos da empresa no sentido de promover a conciliação entre trabalho e vida pessoal e familiar, há ainda margem para intervir e melhorar. / Stress is not only inherent to the human being, it’s essential to survival. As the humans societies evolved, so did the major sources of stress. These days, organizational stress is one of the main areas of research, as it is it’s relation with family and personal life. Under the spotlight are also individual variables that moderate the stress experience, such as coping and social support. With this paper, we intended to know the levels of stress experienced by the workers of Cisco Systems Lda, identifying gender and work type differences. We were also intending to relate work stress with home/work balance, life/work balance, social support and coping. Using a cross sectional correlational study, with n=42, using the PMI, we were able to identify four factors, with α starting on 0,531 for moderator variables to 0,904 for stressor variables. The workers on this sample work an average of 49,7 hours per week, naming “to get the job done” as the main reason for it. 31,7% consider to be suffering from negative pressure that started more than 3 months ago. They are very satisfied with the organization, but feel pressure due to workload, interpersonal relationship and the difficulties in switching off from work when at home. They use mostly Problem focus strategies and social support.There are statically significative differences between men and women in the subscales “State of mind” and “Confidence level”, which indicate higher levels of security and satisfaction with their state of mind for men. Regarding work types, we were able to identify differences between senior Management and Manual categories on subscales “Energy level”, “Workload” and “Life/work balance”. There is a positive correlation between stressor variables and the subscales “Home/work balance” (r=0,890; p<0,000) and between stressor variables and Coping scale (r=0,748; p<0,000), suggesting that high levels of stress interfere with family life and lead to higher use of coping mechanisms. Despite the company’s human resources policies to promote the balance between work and personal and family life, there is still place to intervene and improve.

Psychotherapeutic work with Families with Life-threatening Maternal Illness

This exploratory research study describes a child and adolescent psychotherapeutic clinical service offered to children/adolescents and their families with mothers with a life-threatening illness. The clinical service itself was also exploratory in nature. The research objectives of the study were (i) to explore whether this form of clinical work could be beneficial for such families in relieving distress and supporting their development; (ii) to discover the factors at play within and between the family members using an adaptation of Grounded Theory research methodology; and (iii) to add to the knowledge base for adults – family members and professionals – relating to, and dealing with, such children and adolescents. Descriptions and discussion of the therapeutic input and research study are given. Symptoms, which included emotional, behavioural, psychological, learning, and interpersonal difficulties, decreased in all the children/adolescents who were offered clinical treatment within an outpatient multidisciplinary Tier 3 Child and Adolescent Service (CAMHS). Six Themes were identified across the cases and these were named: Engagement, Parental Concern, Impact of Mother’s Illness, Defences, Sustaining Factors and Feeling Different. These Themes are discussed in the light of relevant published research. A literature review was undertaken and focuses on: epidemiological context; children’s understanding of death; impact of parental bereavement in childhood; the mourning process; anticipatory grief; psychoanalysis: mourning and trauma; children’s play and drawings as communication; and psychosocial therapeutic services. The thesis has particular relevance for child and adolescent psychotherapists and other mental health professionals who work within hospital and hospice settings.

Psychotherapeutic work with Families with Life-threatening Maternal Illness

This exploratory research study describes a child and adolescent psychotherapeutic clinical service offered to children/adolescents and their families with mothers with a life-threatening illness. The clinical service itself was also exploratory in nature. The research objectives of the study were (i) to explore whether this form of clinical work could be beneficial for such families in relieving distress and supporting their development; (ii) to discover the factors at play within and between the family members using an adaptation of Grounded Theory research methodology; and (iii) to add to the knowledge base for adults – family members and professionals – relating to, and dealing with, such children and adolescents. Descriptions and discussion of the therapeutic input and research study are given. Symptoms, which included emotional, behavioural, psychological, learning, and interpersonal difficulties, decreased in all the children/adolescents who were offered clinical treatment within an outpatient multidisciplinary Tier 3 Child and Adolescent Service (CAMHS). Six Themes were identified across the cases and these were named: Engagement, Parental Concern, Impact of Mother’s Illness, Defences, Sustaining Factors and Feeling Different. These Themes are discussed in the light of relevant published research. A literature review was undertaken and focuses on: epidemiological context; children’s understanding of death; impact of parental bereavement in childhood; the mourning process; anticipatory grief; psychoanalysis: mourning and trauma; children’s play and drawings as communication; and psychosocial therapeutic services. The thesis has particular relevance for child and adolescent psychotherapists and other mental health professionals who work within hospital and hospice settings.

Undertaking Sensitive Interviews: a Researcher’s Experience of Interviewing Bereaved Parents and Family GPs

The presentation describes the researcher’s experience of undertaking sensitive interviews. Background The interviews form part of a current study that is examining bereaved parents’ experience of caring for their child at home as well as the experience of their GP. This study builds on earlier work that found general practitioners (GPs) were at times uncertain of their role in paediatric palliative care and questioned whether their involvement had been beneficial to the child and family. The rarity of childhood cancer deaths makes it difficult for GPs to develop or maintain palliative care knowledge and skills yet the GP is perceived as the gatekeeper for care within the community. Presentation aim To describe the process of both the preparation for, and undertaking of, sensitive interviews. Study methodology The methodology incorporates tape-recorded semi-structured interviews, thematic framework analysis and Q methodology (QM). QM will be used to capture the experiences of GPs who have cared for a child with cancer receiving palliative care as well the perspectives of care experienced by the families. The semi-structured interview sample comprises 10 families (parents/guardians) whose child has been treated at a regional childhood cancer centre and their GPs. A further 40-60 GPs will be involved in the QM. Findings The preparation for these interviews will be discussed and compared to the supportive bereavement visits undertaken within the researcher’s role as a paediatric Macmillan nurse. The experience of undertaking the interviews will be exemplified with findings from the initial and the current, study. Papers’ contribution The researcher’s experience of preparing for and undertaking sensitive interviews may prove beneficial to other researchers.

Multiresolution analysis (discrete wavelet transform) through Daubechies family for emotion recognition in speech

We propose a study of the mathematical properties of voice as an audio signal -- This work includes signals in which the channel conditions are not ideal for emotion recognition -- Multiresolution analysis- discrete wavelet transform – was performed through the use of Daubechies Wavelet Family (Db1-Haar, Db6, Db8, Db10) allowing the decomposition of the initial audio signal into sets of coefficients on which a set of features was extracted and analyzed statistically in order to differentiate emotional states -- ANNs proved to be a system that allows an appropriate classification of such states -- This study shows that the extracted features using wavelet decomposition are enough to analyze and extract emotional content in audio signals presenting a high accuracy rate in classification of emotional states without the need to use other kinds of classical frequency-time features -- Accordingly, this paper seeks to characterize mathematically the six basic emotions in humans: boredom, disgust, happiness, anxiety, anger and sadness, also included the neutrality, for a total of seven states to identify

The use of solar colletor for heating and electricity for a single family house

The presented work is related to the use of solar energy for the needs of heating and electricity for a single house located in Poland. Electricity will provided by energy conversion in the turbine by means of Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC), in which the operating medium (water heated in solar collector) is heating refrigerator in the heating exchanger. The solar installation is integrated with heat accumulator and wood boiler, which is used in the situation that collector is not enough to fill requirements of thermal comfort. There are chosen also all the necessary components of the system. In the work is also performed the economic assessment, by F chart method, to evaluate the profitability of the project, taking into total costs and savings.

CAREGIVING FOR A FAMILY MEMBER WITH HEAD AND NECK CANCER

Objective: To know the perception of informal caregivers regarding the care for a family member with head and neck cancer. Methods: Qualitative study conducted between March and May 2014 in the radiotherapy outpatient center of the Centro de Alta Complexidade em Oncologia – CACON (Oncology High Complexity Center) of the Hospital Universitário de Brasília – HUB (University Hospital of Brasília) using semi-structured interviews with nine caregivers about the experience of caring for family members. Data underwent Content Analysis and four units of meaning were identified: “Representation of cancer in the Family”, “The care as debt, individual reward or reconstruction of family ties”, “Repercussions of cancer on the caregiver’s personal life” and “Social support and network used by caregivers”. Results: Feelings of sadness and surprise at the moment of diagnosis were attributed to cancer, as well as the idea of punishment. The care was seen as personal satisfaction, accomplishment and opportunity for family rapprochement. Work overload and change in routine were altered functions. Religiosity, exchange of experience in the waiting room and institutional support appeared as coping strategies. Conclusion: The experience of caring for family members with head and neck cancer directly interferes in the lives of caregivers. Pointing out the institutional embracement as a strategy within the social network reinforces the importance of integrating the caregivers as a significant part of the health care plan developed by the health team.

PERCEPTIONS AND EXPERIENCES OF FAMILY CAREGIVERS OF BEDRIDDEN ELDERLY

Objective: To know the perceptions and experiences of family caregivers of bedridden elderly. Methods: A qualitative descriptive exploratory study conducted in January 2015 with four caregivers in a Family Health Center in the municipality of Araripe, CE. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and the information was organized using the content analysis technique. A total of three categories emerged from the analysis of the reports of caregivers: the dependence process of the elderly; daily difficulties experienced by the caregiver; and satisfaction with the home care service. Results: The dependence process of the elderly took place as a consequence of pathological processes such as neoplasm, cerebrovascular accident and dementia. However, it could also be observed that physiological phenomena – common in old age – can also make individuals dependent on caregivers. As to the difficulties faced by the caregivers, they reported the need for greater involvement by the family, given that the centralization of work generates an overload and hence affects the care of the elderly. Teamwork in the home care context is fundamental, given that it allows a complementary and comprehensive care to the ledrely/caregiver binomial. Conclusion: Healthy aging is a major challenge to be overcome given that the development of a healthy lifestyle is difficult in all social strata. It is necessary to improve home care in order to provide support to caregivers so that the quality of life of bedridden elderly and caregivers is improved.

Proposta de um modelo de gestão de custos para pequenas propriedades rurais familiares com foco na tomada de decisão

This work was general-purpose, develop a proposal of a theoretical model of decisionmaking with a focus on management of small family farms costs, which enables support for decision making. And the following objectives: i) develop a structured methodology, which allows to form a literary basis to provide scientific support for the implementation of research; ii) develop based on the literature the dimensions and variables of the necessary models to propose an application and iii tooling) to implement the proposed model within the dimensions and variables, and validate every stage background and perform the necessary conclusions to verify the effectiveness of applied model. In terms of methodology, we used a structured methodology, which allowed forming a bibliographic portfolio of 29 articles, and through the research constructs developed, based on an existing model, an activity segmentation model for aid farmer of small family farms in the decision-making process with emphasis on cost management. The model was applied in six family farms in the South West region of Parana and Santa Catarina West. With regard to the search results, it was identified that the model can be applied to the specific context for which it was created. It was also possible to identify that the proposed model was valid and relevant to aid in the management of family farms by identifying, through the targeting of productive activities, investment priorities guided by the balance between managing costs and return activities. Moreover, possible to target the activities of six surveyed properties, demonstrating that the property 02, has the shape of more complex segmentation should be divided into three groups of activities, which can be conducted in parallel without any restrictions between activities. Other properties have the segmentation of the simplest activities, allowing viewing in this way that there are activities of groups that require prioritizing investments. Specifically the property 01 and 04 have the highest priority investment target groups, the most prominent activities of groups representing respectively 49.32% and 47.40%, which are represented by grain production activities on the property 01 and grain production, beef cattle and eggs on the property 04.

Epidemiology and genetic architecture of blood pressure: a family based study of Generation Scotland

Hypertension is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease and mortality, and a growing global public health concern, with up to one-third of the world’s population affected. Despite the vast amount of evidence for the benefits of blood pressure (BP) lowering accumulated to date, elevated BP is still the leading risk factor for disease and disability worldwide. It is well established that hypertension and BP are common complex traits, where multiple genetic and environmental factors contribute to BP variation. Furthermore, family and twin studies confirmed the genetic component of BP, with a heritability estimate in the range of 30-50%. Contemporary genomic tools enabling the genotyping of millions of genetic variants across the human genome in an efficient, reliable, and cost-effective manner, has transformed hypertension genetics research. This is accompanied by the presence of international consortia that have offered unprecedentedly large sample sizes for genome-wide association studies (GWASs). While GWAS for hypertension and BP have identified more than 60 loci, variants in these loci are associated with modest effects on BP and in aggregate can explain less than 3% of the variance in BP. The aims of this thesis are to study the genetic and environmental factors that influence BP and hypertension traits in the Scottish population, by performing several genetic epidemiological analyses. In the first part of this thesis, it aims to study the burden of hypertension in the Scottish population, along with assessing the familial aggregation and heritialbity of BP and hypertension traits. In the second part, it aims to validate the association of common SNPs reported in the large GWAS and to estimate the variance explained by these variants. In this thesis, comprehensive genetic epidemiology analyses were performed on Generation Scotland: Scottish Family Health Study (GS:SFHS), one of the largest population-based family design studies. The availability of clinical, biological samples, self-reported information, and medical records for study participants has allowed several assessments to be performed to evaluate factors that influence BP variation in the Scottish population. Of the 20,753 subjects genotyped in the study, a total of 18,470 individuals (grouped into 7,025 extended families) passed the stringent quality control (QC) criteria and were available for all subsequent analysis. Based on the BP-lowering treatment exposure sources, subjects were further classified into two groups. First, subjects with both a self-reported medications (SRMs) history and electronic-prescription records (EPRs; n =12,347); second, all the subjects with at least one medication history source (n =18,470). In the first group, the analysis showed a good concordance between SRMs and EPRs (kappa =71%), indicating that SRMs can be used as a surrogate to assess the exposure to BP-lowering medication in GS:SFHS participants. Although both sources suffer from some limitations, SRMs can be considered the best available source to estimate the drug exposure history in those without EPRs. The prevalence of hypertension was 40.8% with higher prevalence in men (46.3%) compared to women (35.8%). The prevalence of awareness, treatment and controlled hypertension as defined by the study definition were 25.3%, 31.2%, and 54.3%, respectively. These findings are lower than similar reported studies in other populations, with the exception of controlled hypertension prevalence, which can be considered better than other populations. Odds of hypertension were higher in men, obese or overweight individuals, people with a parental history of hypertension, and those living in the most deprived area of Scotland. On the other hand, deprivation was associated with higher odds of treatment, awareness and controlled hypertension, suggesting that people living in the most deprived area may have been receiving better quality of care, or have higher comorbidity levels requiring greater engagement with doctors. These findings highlight the need for further work to improve hypertension management in Scotland. The family design of GS:SFHS has allowed family-based analysis to be performed to assess the familial aggregation and heritability of BP and hypertension traits. The familial correlation of BP traits ranged from 0.07 to 0.20, and from 0.18 to 0.34 for parent-offspring pairs and sibling pairs, respectively. A higher correlation of BP traits was observed among first-degree relatives than other types of relative pairs. A variance-component model that was adjusted for sex, body mass index (BMI), age, and age-squared was used to estimate heritability of BP traits, which ranged from 24% to 32% with pulse pressure (PP) having the lowest estimates. The genetic correlation between BP traits showed a high correlation between systolic (SBP), diastolic (DBP) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) (G: 81% to 94%), but lower correlations with PP (G: 22% to 78%). The sibling recurrence risk ratio (λS) for hypertension and treatment were calculated as 1.60 and 2.04 respectively. These findings confirm the genetic components of BP traits in GS:SFHS, and justify further work to investigate genetic determinants of BP. Genetic variants reported in the recent large GWAS of BP traits were selected for genotyping in GS:SFHS using a custom designed TaqMan® OpenArray®. The genotyping plate included 44 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that have been previously reported to be associated with BP or hypertension at genome-wide significance level. A linear mixed model that is adjusted for age, age-squared, sex, and BMI was used to test for the association between the genetic variants and BP traits. Of the 43 variants that passed the QC, 11 variants showed statistically significant association with at least one BP trait. The phenotypic variance explained by these variant for the four BP traits were 1.4%, 1.5%, 1.6%, and 0.8% for SBP, DBP, MAP, and PP, respectively. The association of genetic risk score (GRS) that were constructed from selected variants has showed a positive association with BP level and hypertension prevalence, with an average effect of one mmHg increase with each 0.80 unit increases in the GRS across the different BP traits. The impact of BP-lowering medication on the genetic association study for BP traits has been established, with typical practice of adding a fixed value (i.e. 15/10 mmHg) to the measured BP values to adjust for BP treatment. Using the subset of participants with the two treatment exposure sources (i.e. SRMs and EPRs), the influence of using either source to justify the addition of fixed values in SNP association signal was analysed. BP phenotypes derived from EPRs were considered the true phenotypes, and those derived from SRMs were considered less accurate, with some phenotypic noise. Comparing SNPs association signals between the four BP traits in the two model derived from the different adjustments showed that MAP was the least impacted by the phenotypic noise. This was suggested by identifying the same overlapped significant SNPs for the two models in the case of MAP, while other BP traits had some discrepancy between the two sources

Le rôle des acides gras oméga-3 sur la balance énergétique, la régulation de l’appétit, l’état émotionnel et l’implication du récepteur GPR120

L’obésité est un facteur de risque lié à des problèmes physiques, émotionnels et comportementaux. Aujourd’hui, l’alimentation est composée d’un régime typiquement occidental «Western diet» qui est riche en acides gras saturés (AGS) et pauvre en acides gras polyinsaturés (AGPI) tel que les oméga-3 (N-3) et occasionnant un déséquilibre du ratio alimentaire N-6/N-3. Ce déséquilibre est une des causes de la prévalence des maladies mentales y compris celles des troubles de l'humeur et de l’anxiété. L’acide docosahexaénoïque (ADH, 22: 6 n-3) est l’acide gras (AG) le plus abondant dans le cerveau et son accumulation est particulièrement élevée pendant la période périnatale. Il joue un rôle important dans le développement neuronal et d'autres fonctions du cerveau tel l'apprentissage et la mémoire. Des perturbations de l’environnement périnatal peuvent influencer à très long terme l’avenir de la descendance en la rendant plus susceptible de développer des problèmes d’obésité dans un contexte nutritionnel riche. On ignore cependant si le déficit alimentaire chez la mère et particulièrement en ADH aura un impact sur la motivation alimentaire de la progéniture. L’objectif principal de cette thèse est d’étudier le rôle potentiel des N-3 sur la balance énergétique, la motivation alimentaire, la dépression et le niveau d’anxiété des descendants de souris mâles adultes assujetties à une alimentation riche en gras. Nos données ont démontré qu‘un régime maternel déficitaire en ADH durant la période périnatale incitait la descendance à fournir plus d’effort afin d’obtenir un aliment palatable. Ceci entraînerait un dérèglement de l’homéostasie énergétique en augmentant le gain de poids et en diminuant l’activité locomotrice tout en exacerbant le comportement de type anxieux dès que les souris sont exposées à un milieu obésogène. Les acides gras libres (AGL) sont des nutriments essentiels fonctionnant comme des molécules de signalisation dans le cerveau en ayant des récepteurs qui jouent un rôle important dans le contrôle du métabolisme énergétique. Parmi eux, on distingue un récepteur couplé à la protéine G (GPCR), le GPR120. Ce récepteur activé par les AGPI ω-3 intervient dans les mécanismes anti-inflammatoires et insulino-résistants via les N-3. Une mutation dans le gène GPR120 occasionnée par une réduction de l’activité de signalisation du gène est liée à l’obésité humaine. L'objectif premier de cette deuxième étude était d’évaluer l'impact de la stimulation pharmacologique de GPR120 dans le système nerveux central (SNC) sur l'alimentation, les dépenses d'énergie, le comportement de type anxieux et la récompense alimentaire. Nos résultats démontrent qu’une injection centrale aiguë d'agoniste GPR120 III réduit la prise alimentaire ad libitum et la motivation alimentaire pour un aliment riche en gras et en sucre; ainsi que les comportements de type anxieux. L’injection centrale chronique (21 jours) de ce même agoniste GPR120 III transmis par une pompe osmotique a démontré que les souris placées sous diète hypercalorique (HFD n’ont présenté aucune modification lors de la prise alimentaire ni de gain de poids mais qu’il y avait comparativement au groupe de véhicule, une réduction du comportement de type anxieux, que ce soit dans le labyrinthe en croix surélevé (LCS) ou dans le test à champ ouvert (OFT). L’ADH est reconnu pour ses propriétés anorexigènes au niveau central. De plus, la stimulation des récepteurs de GPR120 au niveau du cerveau avec un agoniste synthétique peut produire un effet intense intervenir sur le comportement lié à l'alimentation des rongeurs. Trouver une approche visant à contrôler à la fois la neuroinflammation, la récompense alimentaire et les troubles émotionnels aiderait assurément au traitement de l'obésité et du diabète de type 2.

A importância da informação financeira para o processo de tomada de decisão em empresas de estrutura familiar

Em Portugal, assim como um pouco por todo o mundo, a maioria das empresas são de cariz familiar. A predominância destas empresas faz com que as mesmas tenham um papel relevante na economia, seja pela criação e distribuição de riqueza seja pela criação de emprego. A importância que se lhes reconhece constituiu o fator ou motivação suficiente para desenvolver este trabalho que, com base numa metodologia preferencialmente quantitativa, aplicada a um conjunto de empresas familiares associadas da Associação Portuguesa das Empresas Familiares, se propõe averiguar se estas empresas atribuem importância à informação financeira no processo da tomada de decisão. Utilizou-se como instrumento de recolha de informação um inquérito por questionário e cujos resultados permitiram desenvolver uma análise descritiva exploratória e aplicar testes estatísticos não paramétricos. O trabalho realizado permitiu recolher evidência suficiente para concluir sobre a importância das demonstrações financeiras para o processo de tomada de decisão, em particular no que respeita à utilização do balanço e da demonstração dos resultados. Não foi, porém, possível identificar um padrão sobre as demonstrações financeiras preparadas em função do tipo de norma contabilística aplicável e do setor de atividade, nem sobre a importância atribuída à informação financeira em função da dimensão da empresa. Foi possível concluir que a informação financeira é, fundamentalmente, utilizada para avaliar os impactos financeiros, apoiar na gestão corrente, tomar decisões de investimento e cumprir com obrigações fiscais, sendo muito evidente a importância que as empresas familiares atribuem à informação financeira como forma de dar cumprimento às obrigações fiscais.

Living Adolescence in Family" parenting program: adaptation and implementation in social and school contexts

Adolescence is a developmental period that implies a series of rapid changes that might complicate the role of parents. This study evaluates changes in parental monitoring and the strategies to solve family conflicts reported by parents who participated in the "Living Adolescence in Family" program in local social services and school centers. In addition, the study analyses the moderating role of family and facilitator variables that may affect the final results. The participants were 697 parents attending the social services (438 in the intervention group and 259 in the control group) and 1283 parents from school centers (880 in the intervention group and 403 in the control group). The results showed that families from local social services decreased the amount of control and improved monitoring in education and leisure spheres as well as self-disclosure whereas the families coming from school centers improved supervision in leisure and in self-disclosure. In addition, both groups of families improved their strategies for solving family conflicts, increasing the use of integrative strategies and decreasing the use of dominant strategies. There were differences across contexts: the results of the program in the social services context differed according to the participant and professional profiles whereas program results were more homogeneous in the school context. In sum, the program appears to be an efficient work tool, both for the professionals who work with at-risk families with adolescents and for the teachers who make use of the program for families with children at risk of early school dropout.

Pratiquer l’égalité entre les femmes et les hommes au sein des organisations : étude de cas des ONG au Mali

Cette thèse analyse les pratiques d’égalité entre les femmes et les hommes au sein des organisations non gouvernementales (ONG) maliennes qui ont reçu du financement canadien. En effet, l’aide publique au développement a subi des transformations majeures depuis les années 1950. L’une de ces transformations a été le rôle important joué par les ONG dans les années 1990, à la suite de l’adoption des politiques d’ajustements structurels et de la fin de la monopolisation par l’État en ce qui a trait à l’aide publique pour les projets de développement. Entre autres, les ONG ont été sollicitées pour promouvoir les politiques d’égalité entre hommes et femmes. L’importance des ONG dans l’aide publique au développement a créé des relations de dépendances vis-à-vis des bailleurs de fonds qui imposent des conditionnalités. Nos résultats ont montré que les bailleurs de fonds exigent l’égalité entre les sexes en ce qui concerne les bénéficiaires des programmes, mais, paradoxalement, ne l’exigent pas à l’intérieur des ONG et dans leurs ressources humaines. En analysant la composition du personnel de huit ONG maliennes, nos résultats montrent que 34 % du personnel sont des femmes alors que 66 % sont des hommes, ce qui démontre un déséquilibre assez important en matière de parité. Cependant, une analyse plus fine nous indique que les pratiques d’égalité entre femmes et hommes dans les structures et dans la gestion des ressources humaines diffèrent d’une ONG à une autre. Ces pratiques dépendent beaucoup de la volonté et des valeurs des gestionnaires. Notre recherche a fait ressortir plusieurs explications de cette disparité au niveau de l’emploi des femmes. Les raisons souvent mentionnées étaient : 1) la nécessité d’avoir du personnel compétent, 2) la conciliation famille-travail, 3) le contexte socioculturel, 4) l’interprétation de la religion musulmane en matière d’égalité. En effet, nos résultats ont démontré que sous l’influence des bailleurs de fonds les ONG se sont professionnalisées, que l’impact de la professionnalisation a été différent selon le genre et que celle-ci s’est faite aux dépens des femmes. Ainsi, certains gestionnaires, quel que soit leur sexe, préfèrent recruter plus d’hommes parce qu’ils les jugent plus compétents.Nos résultats confirment la théorie du plafond de verre qui met en exergue le fait que les femmes ont de la difficulté à accéder à des postes de responsabilité. Nos résultats ont aussi démontré qu’au Mali, le contexte socioculturel et la religion jouent un grand rôle dans les relations sociales et surtout en ce qui concerne la place des femmes au sein de la société.

"The X in balance", a serious game to learn how to solve mathematical equations

(Prefácio) This dissertation is submitted for the degree of Masters (Engenharia Informática) at University of Évora. Under the supervision of Professor Francisco Manuel Gonçalves Coelho, i have selected to work on game design. With the specific period of time and resources, an attempt has been made to make a serious educational game. While writing this thesis, the objective was to describe a math game for solving mathematical equations. Injecting learning factor in a game, is a main concern of this project. The document is about the description of ‘X in Balance’ game. This game provides a platform for school aged students to solve the equations by playing game. It also gives a unique dimension of putting fun and math in a same platform. The document describes full detail on the project. The first chapter gives an introduction about the problem faced by students in doing maths and the learning behavior of a game. It also points out the opportunities that this game might brings and the motivation behind doing this work. It describes the game concept and its genre too. Besides, the second chapter tells state of an art of serous educational game. It defines the concept of serious game and its types. Furthermore, it justifies the flexibility of serious games to adapt all learning styles. The impact of serious games on learning is also mentioned. It also includes the related work of other researchers.