Perceções de docentes do ensino básico e secundário sobre o papel da supervisão pedagógica enquanto contexto de desenvolvimento profissional: um estudo com professores de geografia

Tese de Doutoramento em Ciências da Educação (área de especialização em Supervisão Pedagógica)

Distance perception in immersive environments: the role of photorealism

Immersive environments (IE) are being increasingly used in order to perform psychophysical experiments. The versatility in terms of stimuli presentation and control and the less time-consuming procedures are their greatest strengths. However, to ensure that IE results can be generalized to real world scenarios we must first provide evidence that performance in IE is quantitatively indistinguishable from performance in real-world. Our goal was to perceptually validate distance perception for CAVE-like IEs. Participants performed a Frontal Matching Distance Task (Durgin & Li, 2011) in three different conditions: real-world scenario (RWS); photorealistic IE (IEPH) and non-photorealistic IE (IENPH). Underestimation of distance was found across all the conditions, with a significant difference between the three conditions (Wilks’ Lambda = .38, F(2,134)= 110.8, p<.01, significant pairwise differences with p<.01). We found a mean error of 2.3 meters for the RWS, 5 meters for the IEPH, and of 6 meters for the IENPH in a pooled data set of 5 participants. Results indicate that while having a photorealistic IE with perspective and stereoscopic depth cues might not be enough to elicit a real-world performance in distance judgment tasks, nevertheless this type of environment minimizes the discrepancy between simulation and real-world when compared with non-photorealistic IEs.

Lithium ion rechargeable batteries: State of the art and future needs of microscopic theoretical models and simulations

This review deals with the recent developments and present status of the theoretical models for the simulation of the performance of lithium ion batteries. Preceded by a description of the main materials used for each of the components of a battery -anode, cathode and separator- and how material characteristics affect battery performance, a description of the main theoretical models describing the operation and performance of a battery are presented. The influence of the most relevant parameters of the models, such as boundary conditions, geometry and material characteristics are discussed. Finally, suggestions for future work are proposed.

Honours students: good marks and what else?

Currently in Portugal academic excellence in higher education is given recognition through merit prizes. Because honours students can be seen as having the potential to achieve imporant levels of professional expertise, especially if they have some personal skills, it is important to know not only the marks of the students but also the personal characteristics that contribute to academic success and which may also be important for career success. Some theoretical models of giftedness and excellence agree with this idea and this work considers the latest contribution of Renzulli (2005) where it is pointed out that excellent achievements result from the combination of motivational, intellectual and creative factors as well as from co-cognitive factors which are most associated with personality functioning in a particular context. The main purpose of this paper is to analyze how honours students differ from their classmates in various psychological dimensions: Cognition-creativity, Motivation and Learning Strategies, Persistence, Social Interaction, Drive for Excellence and Cultural Interest. These dimensions were measured by the Inventory of Psychological Characteristics Associated with Academic Performance (ICPADA), which was constructed taking into consideration the previous study of Scaeger et al. (2012). The sample included 914 Portuguese higher educatoin students from a first cycle degree in the Bologna process. Participants were selected from three different fields of study: Social and Human Sciences; Science and Technology; Arts and Humanities. The data collected through the administration of the ICPADA was presented, and the results revealed a higher self-perception by honours students in all areas analyzed, with the exception of the dimension of social interaction. In addition an interaction effect was revealed for persistence, social interaction, and cultural interest. The field of study and whether the participants were honours students or not were also taken into account. Some implications for future studies are presented here along with possible interventions for honours students.

Lazer e livre motricidade: caminhos para o desenvolvimento da inteligência e sustentabilidade

O objetivo fundamental deste texto é realizar uma abordagem introdutória sobre a perspectiva do lazer e da (livre) motricidade, como caminhos para o desenvolvimento da inteligência emocional, tendo como referência temporal as primeiras idades. Vivemos num contexto de pós-modernidade (corpo e espírito sujeito a novas tensões) e, ao mesmo tempo, presenciamos uma crise antropológica e ontológica profunda. O desaparecimento do exemplo e o relativismo dos valores levaram ao paradoxo atual – viver entre a felicidade (“efêmera”?!) e a infelicidade com medo do futuro. A esse propósito, Sennet (2000) refere que: “…assiste-se à inquietação dos mais velhos que reclamam da destruição daquilo que lhes permitiu constituírem-se enquanto pessoas: relações e profissões definidas e estáveis; vidas estruturadas e organizadas em forma de rentabilizar o tempo, a única coisa que realmente possuíam. Valores como a lealdade, a solidariedade, a cooperação, o investimento recíproco, o prosseguimento de objetivos a longo prazo… resultavam experiências ricas e compensadoras…. por seu lado, os mais novos também se sentem inquietos, porque receiam viver num mundo que não lhes dá a segurança, que estruturou a vida dos seus pais… Neste sentido a vida Social, Profissional, Familiar (EDUCATIVA), desenrola-se segundo valores pouco sólidos…” (p.126). É esse progressivo apagar de valores e emoções que orienta a vida dos cidadãos que Sennett chama de “Corrosão do Caráter”. Nessa direção, pretendemos fazer um exercício teórico e recuperar a memória antropológica e ontológica ao enfatizar a livre motricidade e o lazer como instrumentos da “naturalidade humana” que sempre estiveram a serviço do seu equilíbrio (emocional) e da sua felicidade, e, também, posicionar a educação emocional nesse contexto do núcleo familiar.

Adolescent parents’ values: the role played by retrospective perceptions of the family-of-origin

Family-of-origin is an important system in individual’s lives, and its influence is extensive over the life cycle. The aim of this study was to investigate, in a sample of adolescents’ parents, whether their retrospective perceptions of parenting and relationship qualities within their families-of-origin during adolescence predicted their current collectivist and individualist values. Participants included 110 Portuguese adults with a mean age of 46.86 years old. The results of structural equation modeling supported that retrospective perceptions of parenting and relationship qualities in the family-of-origin predicted the adults’ collectivist values but not their individualist values. This study highlights the importance of retrospective perceptions of supporting and non-rejecting parenting for value acquisition. The results also suggest that values that preserve and protect family connections and collaborations are more likely to be socialized by families. Implications for practice and for the theories on parenting, values, family-of-origin influences and family intergenerational transmission are discussed.

Influência do pH e temperatura sobre a atividade amilolítica de rizóbios isolados de solos da Amazônia

Poucas são as informações referentes ao perfil enzimático de bactérias rizobiais. Em meio de cultura solidificado, foi conduzido um experimento em fatorial 7 x 3 x 3 para avaliar o efeito do pH (5,0; 6,5 e 8,0) e da temperatura (25, 35 e 42 ºC) sobre a atividade amilolítica de sete isolados de rizóbio. As maiores atividades amilolíticas foram observadas em ambientes ácidos, com algumas bactérias também produzindo níveis significativos em pH 8,0. Entre as interações significativas (P<0,01), os isolados INPA R-110 e R-822 apresentaram máximas atividades em pH 5,0 e 25 ºC, com o R-822 também sendo um bom produtor de amilase nas temperaturas de 35 e 42 ºC. Em termos gerais, os isolados INPA R-110 e R-822 foram os melhores produtores de amilases, com atividades enzimáticas maiores do que 2,0.

Density, size and distribution of stomata in 35 rainforest tree species in Central Amazonia

Stomata are turgor-operated valves that control water loss and CO2 uptake during photosynthesis, and thereby water relation and plant biomass accumulation is closely related to stomatal functioning. The aims of this work were to document how stomata are distributed on the leaf surface and to determine if there is any significant variation in stomatal characteristics among Amazonian tree species, and finally to study the relationship between stomatal density (S D) and tree height. Thirty five trees (>17 m tall) of different species were selected. Stomatal type, density (S D), size (S S) and stomatal distribution on the leaf surface were determined using nail polish imprints taken from both leaf surfaces. Irrespective of tree species, stomata were located only on the abaxial surface (hypostomaty), with large variation in both S D and S S among species. S D ranged from 110 mm-2 in Neea altissima to 846 mm-2 in Qualea acuminata. However, in most species S D ranges between 271 and 543 mm-2, with a negative relationship between S D and S S. We also found a positive relationship between S D and tree height (r² = 0.14, p < 0.01), but no correlation was found between S D and leaf thickness. The most common stomatal type was anomocytic (37%), followed by paracytic (26%) and anisocytic (11%). We conclude that in Amazonian tree species, stomatal distribution on the leaf surface is a response most likely dependent on the genetic background of every species, rather than a reaction to environmental changes, and that somehow S D is influenced by environmental factors dependent on tree height.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis causing tuberculous lymphadenitis in Maputo, Mozambique

BACKGROUND: The zoonosis bovine tuberculosis (TB) is known to be responsible for a considerable proportion of extrapulmonary TB. In Mozambique, bovine TB is a recognised problem in cattle, but little has been done to evaluate how Mycobacterium bovis has contributed to human TB. We here explore the public health risk for bovine TB in Maputo, by characterizing the isolates from tuberculous lymphadenitis (TBLN) cases, a common manifestation of bovine TB in humans, in the Pathology Service of Maputo Central Hospital, in Mozambique, during one year. RESULTS: Among 110 patients suspected of having TBLN, 49 had a positive culture result. Of those, 48 (98 %) were positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex and one for nontuberculous mycobacteria. Of the 45 isolates analysed by spoligotyping and Mycobacterial Interspersed Repetitive Unit - Variable Number Tandem Repeat (MIRU-VNTR), all were M. tuberculosis. No M. bovis was found. Cervical TBLN, corresponding to 39 (86.7 %) cases, was the main cause of TBLN and 66.7 % of those where from HIV positive patients. We found that TBLN in Maputo was caused by a variety of M. tuberculosis strains. The most prevalent lineage was the EAI (n?=?19; 43.2 %). Particular common spoligotypes were SIT 48 (EAI1_SOM sublineage), SIT 42 (LAM 9), SIT 1 (Beijing) and SIT53 (T1), similar to findings among pulmonary cases. CONCLUSIONS: M. tuberculosis was the main etiological agent of TBLN in Maputo. M. tuberculosis genotypes were similar to the ones causing pulmonary TB, suggesting that in Maputo, cases of TBLN arise from the same source as pulmonary TB, rather than from an external zoonotic source. Further research is needed on other forms of extrapulmonary TB and in rural areas where there is high prevalence of bovine TB in cattle, to evaluate the risk of transmission of M. bovis from cattle to humans.

Maternidade e parentalidade: reconfigurações e conflitos ideológicos

(Excerto) A construção da maternidade como o acto paradigmático de cuidado adequado deve ser vista como uma construção cultural específica. É comum conceber o cuidado como uma relação entre duas pessoas e especialmente como uma relação entre mãe e filho. Como observa Joan Tronto, uma tal compreensão conduziu frequentemente à idealização deste duo que se converteu numa espécie de casal romântico no discurso contemporâneo ocidental sobre a maternidade (Tronto, 1993, pp. 103, 109-110). A ênfase ideológica na díade mãe/filho subsiste, não obstante revestir-se de novos cambiantes e ser paralela à valorização da paternidade reflectida numa diversidade de estudos (e.g. Monteiro & Domingos, 2013; Torres, 2002) e nas práticas sociais.

Proving the suitability of magnetoelectric stimuli for tissue engineering applications

A novel approach for tissue engineering applications based on the use of magnetoelectric materials is presented. This work proves that magnetoelectric Terfenol-D/poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-trifluoroethylene) composites are able to provide mechanical and electrical stimuli to MC3T3-E1 pre-osteoblast cells and that those stimuli can be remotely triggered by an applied magnetic field. Cell proliferation is enhanced up to 25% when cells are cultured under mechanical (up to 110 ppm) and electrical stimulation (up to 0.115 mV), showing that magnetoelectric cell stimulation is a novel and suitable approach for tissue engineering allowing magnetic, mechanical and electrical stimuli.

The display gamut available to simulate colors perceived by anomalous trichromats

The aim of this work was to investigate the effect on a display gamut of varying the optical density and the position of the maximum sensitivity of the cones spectra of anomalous trichromatic observers. The anomalous cone spectral sensitivities were estimated for a set of varying optical density and maximum sensitivity spectra conditions and used to compute the display color gamut. The computed display gamut simulated for normal observers the chro- matic diversity perceived by anomalous observers. It was found that even small variations on the optical density and on the position of the maximum sensitivity spectra have an impact on the simulations of the display gamut for anomalous observers. It was also found that simulations for deuteroanomalous observers are the ones with greater impact if the estimation of the corresponding color display gamut is not carefully adjusted for the observer.

Risco de suicídio em pacientes em hemodiálise: evolução e mortalidade em três anos

A morte por suicídio em pacientes portadores de insuficiência renal crônica (IRC) em diálise tem sido reportada há décadas. No Brasil, raros são os estudos que têm mensurado sua prevalência, evolução e mortalidade. OBJETIVO: Identificar a presença de risco de suicídio, em duas unidades de diálise e analisar a evolução e a mortalidade por três anos. MÉTODO: O MINI foi utilizado em três etapas. Foram obtidas as freqüências do transtorno e sua evolução foi acompanhada. A curva de Kaplan-Meier e a regressão de Cox foram aplicadas para estudar a mortalidade. RESULTADOS: Participaram 244 pacientes na primeira etapa, 200, na segunda etapa e 110, na terceira etapa. O risco de suicídio foi diagnosticado em 40 pacientes na primeira etapa, 49, na segunda etapa e sete na terceira etapa. Da primeira para a segunda etapa, nove pacientes morreram, 29 continuaram e 20 outros pacientes passaram a apresentar a condição. Da segunda para a terceira etapa, 13 deles morreram, sete continuaram a apresentar e 29 evoluíram para outro transtorno. A incidência de óbitos naqueles sem o transtorno foi de 3,35 e naqueles com risco de suicídio, 9,91 (RR = 2,87; IC 95% [1,69-4,87]). CONCLUSÕES: O risco de suicídio teve alta prevalência, e a mortalidade associada a esta condição é elevada.

Chitosan-based scaffolds for tissue regeneration: preparation and microstructure characterization

Scaffolds are porous three-dimensional supports, designed to mimic the extracellular environment and remain temporarily integrated into the host tissue while stimulating, at the molecular level, specific cellular responses to each type of body tissues. The major goal of the research work entertained herein was to study the microstructure of scaffolds made from chitosan (Ch), blends of chitosan and sodium alginate (Ch/NaAlg), blends of chitosan, sodium alginate and calcium chloride (Ch/NaAlg/CaCl2) and blends of chitosan, sodium alginate and hydroxyapatite (Ch/NaAlg/HA). Scaffolds possessing ideal physicochemical properties facilitate cell proliferation and greatly increase the rate of recovery of a damaged organ tissue. Using CT three-dimensional images of the scaffolds, it was observed that all scaffolds had a porosity in the range 64%-92%, a radius of maximum pore occurrence in the range 95m-260m and a permeability in the range 1×10-10-18×10-10 m2. From the results obtained, the scaffolds based on Ch, Ch/NaAlg and Ch/NaAlg/CaCl2 would be most appropriate both for the growth of osteoid and for bone tissue regeneration, while the scaffold made with a blend of Ch/NaAlg/HA, by possessing larger pores size, might be used as a support for fibrovascular tissue.

Redução do tempo de montagem final de transformadores CORE através da aplicação de ferramentas LEAN

Dissertação de mestrado em Engenharia Industrial