A inspecção da educação na República Democrática de São Tomé e Príncipe: concepções, dinâmicas e estruturas organizacionais

Dissertação apresentada à Escola Superior de Educação de Lisboa para Obtenção de Grau de Mestre em Ciências da Educação - Especialização em Supervisão da Educação

Peroral susceptibility of Aedes albifasciatus and Culex pipiens complex mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) from Argentina to western equine encephalitis virus

The transmission cycle of western equine encephalitis (WEE) virus in South America is unknown. A WEE virus strain was isolated from Aedes albifasciatus in Argentina during the WEE epizootic of 1982-83. Also, Culex pipiens from Argentina was reported to be able to transmit WEE virus experimentally, but other results indicate that Cx. pipiens from the USA is refractory to this virus. We determined the susceptibility of Argentina strains of Ae. albifasciatus and Culex pipiens complex mosquites to infection by WEE virus by the oral route. Adult females were fed on chicks infected with a WEE virus strain isolated in Cordoba Province, Argentina, or were fed on a blood/virus suspension. Each mosquito ingested between 10(1.6) to 10(6.4) vero cell plaque-forming units of virus. Each of 28 Ae. albifasciatus was positive for virus from the fourth day postfeeding, and there was evidence for virus replication. In contrast, 0/44 Cx. p. quinquefasciatus and only 1/15 Cx. p. pipiens was positive. Aedes albifasciatus is susceptible to infection by WEE virus and should be considered a potential vector of this virus in Argentina. Both subspecies of Cx. pipiens are refractory to peroral infection by WEE virus and probably do not play a role in the WEE virus cycle in Argentina.

Simple thermodynamics of jet engines

We use the first and second laws of thermodynamics to analyze the behavior of an ideal jet engine. Simple analytical expressions for the thermal efficiency, the overall efficiency, and the reduced thrust are derived. We show that the thermal efficiency depends only on the compression ratio r and on the velocity of the aircraft. The other two performance measures depend also on the ratio of the temperature at the turbine to the inlet temperature in the engine, T-3/T-i. An analysis of these expressions shows that it is not possible to choose an optimal set of values of r and T-3/T-i that maximize both the overall efficiency and thrust. We study how irreversibilities in the compressor and the turbine decrease the overall efficiency of jet engines and show that this effect is more pronounced for smaller T-3/T-i.

Scheduling of head-dependent cascaded reservoirs considering discharge ramping constraints and start/stop of units

This paper is on the problem of short-term hydro scheduling (STHS), particularly concerning head-dependent reservoirs under competitive environment. We propose a novel method, based on mixed-integer nonlinear programming (MINLP), for optimising power generation efficiency. This method considers hydroelectric power generation as a nonlinear function of water discharge and of the head. The main contribution of this paper is that discharge ramping constraints and start/stop of units are also considered, in order to obtain more realistic and feasible results. The proposed method has been applied successfully to solve two case studies based on Portuguese cascaded hydro systems, providing a higher profit at an acceptable computation time in comparison with classical optimisation methods based on mixed-integer linear programming (MILP).

How to teach mathematics with MOODLE

The aim of this article is to present a Project in the Oporto’s Institute of Accounting and Administration, which pretends to contribute for a change in the way of teaching and learning Mathematics. One of the main objectives of this project is to innovate the teaching and learning processes, exploring technologies as a pedagogical resource and to induce higher motivation to students, improve the rate of success and make available to students a set of materials adapted to their needs. This concern is justified due to the fact that students have a weak preparation, without consolidated basis. Since the year 2007/2008 the courses were adjusted to the Bologna process, which requires several changes in teacher’s and student’s roles, methodologies and assessment. The number of weekly classes has been reduced, so it was necessary to develop new strategies and methodologies to support the student. With the implementation of the Bologna Process in the Accounting degree, we felt a great need to provide other types of activities to students. To complement our theoretical and practical classes we have developed a project called MatActiva based on the Moodle platform offered by PAOL - Projecto de Apoio On-Line (Online Support Project). Moodle allows us to use the language TEX to create materials that use mathematical symbols. Using this functionality, we created a set of easy to use interactive resources. In MatActiva project, the students have access to a variety of different materials. We have followed a strategy that makes the project compatible with the theoretical and practical subjects/classes, complementing them. To do so, we created some resources, for instance multiple-choice tests, which are the most accessed by the students. These tests can be realized and corrected on-line and for each wrong answer there is a feedback with the resolution. We can find other types of resources: diagnostic tests, theoretical notes. There are not only the pre-requirements for subjects mathematics, but also materials to help students follow up the programs. We also developed several lessons. This activity consists of a number of pages, where each page has contents and leads to other pages, based on the student's progress. The teacher creates the choices and determines the next page that the student will see, based upon their knowledge. There is also an area of doubts, where the students can place all the mathematical doubts they have, and a teacher gives the answers or clues to help them in their work. MatActiva also offers an area where we can find some humour, curiosities, contests and games including mathematical contents to test the math skills, as well as links to pages about mathematical contents that could be useful for the study. Since ISCAP receives ERASMUS students and some of them attend mathematics, we developed some materials in English, so they can also use MatActiva. The main objectives of our project are not only to bring success in the subjects of mathematics, but also to motivate the students, encourage them to overcome theirs difficulties through an auto-study giving them more confidence and improve their relationship with the mathematics as well as the communication between students and teachers and among students.

Deep ocean species. The little that is known mostly comes from collected specimens. Comment on L.A. Rocha et al. Letter "Specimen collection: An essential tool" (23 May, 344: 814).

Deep Ocean Species. The little that is known mostly comes from collected specimens. L.A. Rocha et al. Letter "Specimen collection: An essential tool" (23 May, 344: 814) brilliantly discuss the importance of specimen collection and present the evolution of collecting since the mid-19th century until our present strict codes and conducts. However, it is also important to emphasize the fact that the vast majority of deep ocean macro-organisms are only known to us because of collection and this is a strong argument that should be present in our actions as scientists. If the deep is considered the least known of Earth’s habitats (1% or so according to recent estimates) then what awesome collection of yet to discover species are still there to be properly described? As the authors point citing (1), something around 86% of species remain unknown. Voucher specimens are fundamental for the reasons pointed out and perhaps the vast depths of the World’s oceans are the best example of that importance. The resumed report of 2010 Census of Marine Life (2) showed that among the millions of specimens collected in both familiar and seldom-explored waters, the Census found more than 6,000 potentially new species and completed formal descriptions of more than 1,200 of them. It also found that a number of rare species are in fact common. Voucher specimens are essential and, again agreeing with L.A. Rocha et al. Letter (see above), the modern approach for collecting will not be a cause for extinctions but instead a valuable tool for knowledge, description and even, as seen above, a way to find out that supposed rare species may not be that rare and even prove to reach abundant populations.

Ultrasensitive detection of ovarian cancer marker using immunoliposomes and gold nanoelectrodes

Mucin-16 (MUC16) is the established ovarian cancer marker used to follow the disease during or after treatment for epithelial ovarian cancer. The emerging science of cancer markers also demands for the new sensitive detection methods. In this work, we have developed an electrochemical immunosensor for antigen MUC16 using gold nanoelectrode ensemble (GNEE) and ferrocene carboxylic acid encapsulated liposomes tethered with monoclonal anti-Mucin-16 antibodies ( MUC16). GNEEs were fabricated by electroless deposition of the gold within the pores of polycarbonate track-etched membranes. Afterwards, MUC16 were immobilized on preformed self-assembled monolayer of cysteamine on the GNEE via cross-linking with EDC-Sulfo-NHS. A sandwich immunoassay was performed on MUC16 functionalized GNEE with MUC16 and immunoliposomes. The differential pulse voltammetry was employed to quantify the faradic redox response of ferrocene carboxylic acid released from immunoliposomes. The dose–response curve for MUC16 concentration was found between the range of 0.001–300 U mL−1. The lowest detection limit was found to be 5 × 10−4 U mL−1 (S/N = 3). We evaluated the performance of this developed immunosensor with commercial ELISA assay by comparing results obtained from spiked serum samples and real blood serum samples from volunteers.

As crónicas jornalísticas de Horácio Bento de Gouveia e afirmação da identidade madeirense

Dissertação de Mestrado, Ciências da Comunicação, 3 de Junho de 2015, Universidade dos Açores.

Long-term modifications of coastal defences enhance marine biodiversity

Realization that hard coastal infrastructures support lower biodiversity than natural habitats has prompted a wealth of research seeking to identify design enhancements offering ecological benefits. Some studies showed that artificial structures could be modified to increase levels of diversity. Most studies, however, only considered the short-term ecological effects of such modifications, even though reliance on results from short-term studies may lead to serious misjudgements in conservation. In this study, a sevenyear experiment examined how the addition of small pits to otherwise featureless seawalls may enhance the stocks of a highly-exploited limpet. Modified areas of the seawall supported enhanced stocks of limpets seven years after the addition of pits. Modified areas of the seawall also supported a community that differed in the abundance of littorinids, barnacles andmacroalgae compared to the controls. Responses to different treatments (numbers and size of pits) were speciesspecific and, while some species responded directly to differences among treatments, others might have responded indirectly via changes in the distribution of competing species. This type of habitat enhancement can have positive long-lasting effects on the ecology of urban seascapes.Understanding of species interactions could be used to develop a rule-based approach to enhance biodiversity.

Shear-induced lamellar phase of an ionic liquid crystal at room temperature

The phase behaviour of a number of N-alkylimidazolium salts was studied using polarizing optical microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffraction. Two of these compounds exhibit lamellar mesophases at temperatures above 50 degrees C. In these systems, the liquid crystalline behaviour may be induced at room temperature by shear. Sheared films of these materials, observed between crossed polarisers, have a morphology that is typical of (wet) liquid foams: they partition into dark domains separated by brighter (birefringent) walls, which are approximately arcs of circle and meet at "Plateau borders" with three or more sides. Where walls meet three at a time, they do so at approximately 120 degrees angles. These patterns coarsen with time and both T1 and T2 processes have been observed, as in foams. The time evolution of domains is also consistent with von Neumann's law. We conjecture that the bright walls are regions of high concentration of defects produced by shear, and that the system is dominated by the interfacial tension between these walls and the uniform domains. The control of self-organised monodomains, as observed in these systems, is expected to play an important role in potential applications.

Telling stories of culture through literature

Grounded on Raymond Williams‘s definition of knowable community as a cultural tool to analyse literary texts, the essay reads the texts D.H.Lawrence wrote while travelling in the Mediterranean (Twilight in Italy, Sea and Sardinia and Etruscan Places) as knowable communities, bringing to the discussion the wide importance of literature not only as an object for aesthetic or textual readings, but also as a signifying practice which tells stories of culture. Departing from some considerations regarding the historical development of the relationship between literature and culture, the essay analyses the ways D. H. Lawrence constructed maps of meaning, where the readers, in a dynamic relation with the texts, apprehend experiences, structures and feelings; putting into perspective Williams‘s theory of culture as a whole way of life, it also analyses the ways the author communicates and organizes these experiences, creating a space of communication and operating at different levels of reality: on the one hand, the reality of the whole way of Italian life, and, on the other hand, the reality of the reader who aspires to make sense and to create an interpretative context where all the information is put, and, also, the reality of the writer in the poetic act of writing. To read these travel writings as knowable communities is to understand them as a form that invents a community with no other existence but that of the literary text. The cultural construction we find in these texts is the result of the selection, and interpretation done by D.H.Lawrence, as well as the product of the author‘s enunciative positions, and of his epistemological and ontological filigrees of existence, structured by the conditions of possibility. In the rearticulation of the text, of the writer and of the reader, in a dynamic and shared process of discursive alliances, we understand that Lawrence tells stories of the Mediterranean through his literary art.

Assessment of genotoxic effects in nurses handling cytostatic drugs

Several antineoplastic drugs have been classified as carcinogens by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) on the basis of epidemiological findings, animal carcinogenicity data, and outcomes of in vitro genotoxicity studies. 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU), which is easily absorbed through the skin, is the most frequently used antineoplastic agent in Portuguese hospitals and therefore may be used as an indicator of surface contamination. The aims of the present investigation were to (1) examine surface contamination by 5-FU and (2) assess the genotoxic risk using cytokinesis-block micronucleus assay in nurses from two Portuguese hospitals. The study consisted of 2 groups: 27 nurses occupationally exposed to cytostatic agents (cases) and 111 unexposed individuals (controls). Peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) were collected in order to measure micronuclei (MN) in both groups. Hospital B showed a higher numerical level of contamination but not significantly different from Hospital A. However; Hospital A presented the highest value of contamination and also a higher proportion of contaminated samples. The mean frequency of MN was significantly higher in exposed workers compared with controls. No significant differences were found among MN levels between the two hospitals. The analysis of confounding factors showed that age is a significant variable in MN frequency occurrence. Data suggest that there is a potential genotoxic damage related to occupational exposure to cytostatic drugs in oncology nurses.

Determination of airborne nanoparticles in elderly care centres

According to numerous studies, airborne nanoparticles have a potential to produce serious adverse human health effects when deposited into the respiratory tract. The most important parts of the lung are the alveolar regions with their enormous surface areas and potential to transfer nanoparticles into the blood stream. These effects may be potentiated in case of the elderly, since this population is more susceptible to air pollutants in general and more to nanoparticles than larger particles. The main goal of this investigation was to determine the exposure of institutionalized elders to nanoparticles using Nanoparticle Surface Area Monitor (NSAM) equipment to calculate the deposited surface area (DSA) of nanoparticles into elderly lungs. In total, 193 institutionalized individuals over 65 yr of age were examined in four elderly care centers (ECC). The occupancy daily pattern was achieved by applying a questionnaire, and it was concluded that these subjects spent most of their time indoors, including the bedroom and living room, the indoor microenvironments with higher prevalence of elderly occupancy. The deposited surface area ranged from 10 to 46 μm2/cm3. The living rooms presented significantly higher levels compared with bedrooms. Comparing PM10 concentrations with nanoparticles deposited surface area in elderly lungs, it is conceivable that living rooms presented the highest concentration of PM10 and were similar to the highest average DSA. The temporal distribution of DSA was also assessed. While data showed a quantitative fluctuation in values in bedrooms, high peaks were detected in living rooms.

Electrochemical analysis of opiates—an overview

The analysis of opiates is of vital interest in drug abuse monitoring and research. This review presents a general overview of the electrochemical methods used for detection and quantification of opiates in a variety of matrices. Emphasis has been placed on the voltammetric methods used for study and determination of morphine, codeine, and heroin. Specific issues that need to be solved and better explained as well as future trends in the use of electrochemical methods in the examination of opiates are also discussed.

Use of solvent extraction to remediate soils contaminated with hydrocarbons

The main objective of this research is to exploit the possibility of using an ex situ solvent extraction technique for the remediation of soils contaminated with semi-volatile petroleum hydrocarbons. The composition of the organic phase was chosen in order to form a single phase mixture with an aqueous phase and simultaneously not being disturbed (forming stable emulsions) by the soil particles hauling the contaminants. It should also permit a regeneration of the organic solvent phase. As first, we studied the miscibility domain of the chosen ternary systems constituted by ethyl acetate–acetone–water. This system proved to satisfy the previous requirements allowing for the formation of a single liquid phase mixture within a large spectrum of compositions, and also allowing for an intimate contact with the soil. Contaminants in the diesel range within different functional groups were selected: xylene, naphthalene and hexadecane. The analytical control was done by gas chromatography with FID detector. The kinetics of the extractions proved to be fast, leading to equilibrium after 10 min. The effect of the solid–liquid ratio on the extraction efficiency was studied. Lower S/L ratios (1:8, w/v) proved to be more efficient, reaching recoveries in the order of 95%. The option of extraction in multiple contacts did not improve the recovery in relation to a single contact. The solvent can be regenerated by distillation with a loss around 10%. The contaminants are not evaporated and they remain in the non-volatile phase. The global results show that the ex situ solvent extraction is technically a feasible option for the remediation of semi-volatile aromatic, polyaromatic and linear hydrocarbons.