Alteridad y emociones en las comunidades virtuales de aprendizaje

El artículo trata de un conjunto de reflexiones sobre las relaciones interpersonales y las emociones en las comunidades virtuales de aprendizaje. Los referentes teóricos se inspiran en los constructos bajtinianos de alteridad y dialogicidad y se complementan con las perspectivas de Vygotski sobre la construcción social del conocimiento y las emociones. Las relaciones interpersonales en las comunidades virtuales de aprendizaje y, sobretodo, las emociones vivenciadas en estos contextos son estudiadas en el ámbito del análisis de los discursos producidos en los foros de discusión. Los mensajes publicados y discutidos por los estudiantes y los profesores son analizados en el marco de la aplicación de metodologías cualitativas y del análisis de redes sociales. Los resultados preliminares de la investigación enfatizan la idea que, en las dos comunidades de virtuales de aprendizaje estudiadas, las relaciones interpersonales son reguladas por valores compartidos, por las emociones y los conflictos vivenciados. En este sentido, las emociones no han de estudiarse por el impacto que producen sobre el aprendizaje, sino en cuantos elementos integrados en el proceso de aprendizaje.This paper reveals some ideas concerning interpersonal relations and emotions in virtual learning communities. The main theoretical referents are founded in Bakhtin’s constructs of alterity and dialogy and are enriched by Vygostsky’s perspectives about social construction of knowledge and emotions. Interpersonal relations in virtual learning communities and, particularly, emotions experienced in these online contexts are studied through the analysis of discourses produced in discussion forums. These discourses that are published and discussed are analysed according to qualitative methodologies and reticular analysis of social interactions. The preliminary conclusions of this research show that, in the two virtual learning communities that were observed, the interpersonal relations are ruled not only by affinities and partnership but also by emotions and conflicts. These emotions should not be analysed according to their impact on learning; they should be looked as elements that make part of learning

Os "xistos" do Grupo do Douro como recurso geológico

Os xistos, nomeadamente os do Grupo do Douro, antigamente designado Complexo Xisto-Grauváquico, por serem pouco deformados e de baixo grau de metamorfismo podem ter interesse económico por possuírem características geoquímicas e físico-mecânicas que permitem o seu aproveitamento como rocha natural. Nesta contribuição, apresentamos os casos de Eucísia, Nozelos e Poio

The example of the quartzite from the Upper Quartzite Formation, from Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (Northern Portugal); its characterization to use as natural stone

Comunicação apresentada em: "Global Stone Congress 2012", Borba, Portugal, 16-20 July, 201

"Schist" from "Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro" (NE Portugal) - Potential use as Natural Stone

Publicado em: "Key Engineering Materials", Vol. 548 (2013), p. 205-21

Application of gold nanoparticles as radiosensitizer for metastatic prostate cancer cell lines

More than 50% of all prostate cancer (PCa) patients are treated by radiotherapy (RT). Radioresistance and cancer recurrence are two consequences of the therapy and are related to dose heterogeneity and non-selectivity between normal and tumoral cells. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) could be used as potential radiosensitizers to overcome these therapeutic limitations of RT. This study assessed the biological interaction of different morphologies of AuNPs with ionizing radiation (IR) in PCa cells. To achieve that aim, three different amine-pegylated AuNPs were synthesized with distinct sizes and shapes (spherical, AuNPsp-PEG, star, AuNPst-PEG, and rods, AuNPr-PEG) and viability, injury and colony assays were used to analyze their biological effect on PCa cells (PC3, DU145, and LNCaP) when submitted to the accumulative fraction of RT. The combinatory effect of AuNPs with IR decreased cell viability and increased apoptosis compared to cells treated only with IR or untreated cells. Additionally, our results showed an increase in the sensitization enhancement ratio by cells treated with AuNPs and IR, and this effect is cell line dependent. Our findings support that the design of AuNPs modulated their cellular behavior and suggested that AuNPs could improve the RT efficacy in PCa cells.The author is grateful for the financial support of Foundation for Science and Technology (grant reference: SFRH/BD/138271/2018).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio