Primary school pupils’ misconceptions of the human respiratory system in primary school students: from identification to deconstruction

This study involved 38 students from the 6th year of schooling attending a state school in Lisbon in which the Science syllabus is centered on the study of human body systems. Its purpose was to determine: (i) whether the students possessed any of the misconceptions related to the human respiratory system referenced in other studies (e.g. air enters and leaves our bodies with no function, air tubes connect the lungs to the heart, the air exhaled is rich in carbon dioxide and poor in oxygen); (ii) whether a learning design focused on the deconstruction of these misconceptions would be effective to the conceptual change of these pupils. To this end, the experimental group (class A) experienced a learning design expressly conceived for the deconstruction of the misconceptions related to the human respiratory system, while the control group (class B) experienced a traditional approach with interactive lectures and use of the school textbook. The data were collected through a questionnaire administered in two stages (pre and post-test) and a t-test was used to compare the means obtained by the two groups in the pre-test and to verify the gains of each class between the pre and the post-test. After analysis of the results of the pre-test, it was found that the students of the two groups had several misconceptions of the human respiratory system. The experimental group had more significant gains, although the students in both groups reduced their misconceptions. Both results support the idea that formal education, if provided with well-structured activities, can contribute to the conceptual restructuring of the students’ mind, albeit with a different rate of success. Finally, the present study also helps to confirm the universality of certain misconceptions.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Light pollution and energy efficiency: a case study of the village of Vialonga

Since industrialization and the formation of larger urban centers in the nineteenth century, pollution of the environment was always present in daily life in various ways, namely in the form of light. Light pollution can cause various consequences, both for humans and for their ecosystem, producing effects on environmental, social, economic and scientific level. In Portugal, the lighting is responsible for 3% of total electricity consumption, energy costs are in some cases more than 50% towards the costs incurred by municipalities with energy, checking-in recent years a trend similar to that improvement of illumination levels in the region (about 4 to 5% per year). Proper use of lighting brings many benefits both to the citizen and environment, since greater energy efficiency can contribute to reducing CO2 emissions, energy costs, as well as to decrease the use of resources not-renewable and/or contamination of renewable resources, which can occurs in the process of obtaining electricity. The present study has a main goal to analyze the illuminance levels associated to the public lighting of the village of Vialonga, Vila Franca de Xira (Portugal), to verify if it is efficient. The aim is also to relate the efficiency of street lighting with the existence of light pollution

Internal dose of particles in the elderly: modeling based on aerosol measurements

The paper presents an integrated methodology that combines experimental and modeling techniques and links exposure to airborne particulate matter (PM) with internal dose in the respiratory system and burden in adjacent tissues over a period of time. The methodology is used to estimate doses in the respiratory systems of elders that reside in 10 elderly care centers (ECCs) in the metropolitan area of Lisbon. Measurements of PM were performed in the ECCs and combined with a time-budget survey for the occupants. This information served as input to the first model that estimated particle doses in the different regions of the respiratory tract of the elderly, and then a second model was used to calculate particle build-up in the alveolar region, the interstitium and the hilar lymph nodes of the elders over a 5-year exposure period. It was found that in 5 years of continuous exposure to the average particle concentration measured over all ECCs, 258 mg of all particles are deposited on the surface of the alveoli of which 79.6% are cleared, 18.8% are retained in the alveolar region, 1.5% translocate to the hilar lymph nodes, and 0.1% are transferred to the interstitium.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

O Modelo Integrativo Change & Grow: evolução de sintomas emocionais e comportamentais na perturbação da adição

Introdução: A dependência é considerada um fenómeno complexo, inserido num contexto de igual complexidade, dada a quantidade de variáveis que nele interfere, e ao mesmo tempo, por ele influenciadas. O tratamento desta perturbação deve ser planeado tendo em consideração a singularidade e necessidades de cada paciente, não se focando apenas no tipo de substância ou problema e centrando-se efetivamente nas pessoas e na relação que estas estabelecem com o agente causador da dependência. Objetivo: O presente estudo procura avaliar e analisar a evolução de determinadas variáveis como sintomas psicopatológicos (e.g. depressão, ansiedade e stress), processos psicológicos/regulação emocional (e.g., auto compaixão e a inflexibilidade psicológica), experiências precoces na infância (memórias de calor e segurança na interação com os pais) e estados emocionais (e.g., vergonha externa e interna, autoestima, afeto positivo e afeto negativo), de pacientes em várias fases do tratamento, com diagnóstico de perturbações relacionadas com o uso de substâncias e perturbações com outras adições, perturbações de personalidade e problemas emocionais e comportamentais, que se encontram em regime de internamento em Comunidade Terapêutica. Método: A amostra do nosso estudo longitudinal foi constituída por 32 pacientes, com idades compreendidas entre os 15 e 55 anos, de ambos os sexos, em tratamento. Os pacientes preencheram uma folha de dados sociodemográficos e questionários fidedignos em dois momentos distintos, com um intervalo de cinco meses, para avaliar sintomas de psicopatologia (Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scales -DASS-21), vivências de vergonha (Internalized Shame Scale – ISS; Other as Shamer-Brief - OAS2), a inflexibilidade psicológica (Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II -AAQ-II), a auto compaixão (Self – compassion Scale - SELFCS), afeto positivo e afeto negativo (Positive and Negative Affect Schedule –PANAS), e as memórias precoces de calor e segurança (Early Memories of Warmth and Safeness Scale - EMWS). Resultados: Os resultados obtidos indicam que, à exceção das memórias precoces de calor e segurança, houve diferenças significativas em todos os valores reportados pelos pacientes nos dois momentos. Verificou-se uma redução significativa a nível dos sintomas psicopatológicos. Relativamente aos processos de regulação emocional, verificou-se um aumento da auto compaixão e uma diminuição da inflexibilidade psicológica. Por último, verificou-se ainda uma diminuição dos estados emocionais como a vergonha externa e interna, bem como do afeto negativo, verificando-se, simultaneamente, um aumento da autoestima e do afeto positivo, após cinco meses de intervenção Conclusão: O presente estudo tem um papel inovador por abordar e dar a conhecer a intervenção com o Modelo Terapêutico Change & Grow, indicando os seus resultados efeitos promissores ao nível da mudança terapêutica. Realçamos as implicações clínicas dos resultados obtidos. O tratamento através do Modelo Terapêutico Change & Grow, por se tratar de um modelo integrativo de várias correntes da psicologia, e por conseguinte holístico, não se foca somente na abstinência de substâncias ou na diminuição da sintomatologia, mas procura promover o desenvolvimento pessoal, o crescimento interior e a mudança através da valorização pessoal, transformando estilos de vida em trajetórias individuais mais funcionais, adaptativas e equilibradas, em suma mais saudáveis. / Introduction: Addiction is considered a complex phenomenon, set within a framework of equal complexity, given the amount of variables which interfere with it, and at the same time, are influenced by it. The treatment for this disorder should be designed taking into account the uniqueness and needs of each patient, not just focusing on the type of substance or problem, but effectively targeting the people and the relationship they establish with the agent that causes the addiction. Objective: This study seeks to assess and analyse the evolution of certain variables such as psychopathological symptoms (e.g., depression, anxiety and stress), psychological processes / emotional regulation (e.g., self-compassion and psychological inflexibility), early childhood experiences (memories of warmth and safeness when interacting with parents) and emotional states (e.g., external and internal shame, self-esteem, positive affect and negative affect), on patients at various treatment stages, diagnosed with disorders related to substance use and disorders with other addictions, personality disorders and emotional and behavioural problems, who are in-patient therapeutic community. Method: The sample of our longitudinal study consisted of 32 patients, aged between 15 and 55 years, of both sexes, in treatment. Patients filled in a sociodemographic data sheet and reliable questionnaires at two distinct moments, with an interval of five months to evaluate symptoms of psychopathology (Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scales -DASS-21), shame experiences (Internalized Shame Scale – ISS; Other as Shamer-Brief - OAS2), psychological inflexibility (Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II -AAQ-II), self-compassion (Self – compassion Scale - SELFCS), positive affect and negative affect (Positive and Negative Affect Schedule -PANAS), and early memories of warmth and safeness (Early Memories of Warmth and Safeness Scale - EMWS). Results: The results indicate that, except for the early memories of warmth and safeness, there were significant differences in all the figures reported by patients at the two moments. Psychological symptoms were significantly reduced. As far as the emotional regulation processes were concerned, self-compassion increased and psychological inflexibility decreased. Finally, there was also a decline in emotional states such as external and internal shame, as well as the negative affect, being simultaneously verified an increased self-esteem and positive affect, after five months of intervention. Conclusion: This study is groundbreaking as it addresses and raises awareness to the intervention with the Therapeutic Model Change & Grow, whose results show promising effects on the therapeutic change. We highlight the clinical implications of the results. The Therapeutic Model Change & Grow treatment, since it is an integrative model of several psychology trends, and therefore holistic, does not focus only on the abstinence from substances or the decrease of symptoms, but seeks to promote personal development, inner growth and change through personal enrichment, by modifying lifestyles into more functional, adaptive and balanced, in short, healthier individual trajectories

Estratégias para a inclusão de pessoas com deficiência visual através dos dispositivos móveis

Este trabalho tem como objetivo norteador investigar a acessibilidade presente nos aplicativos de notícias G1, do Brasil, e Observador, de Portugal. Diante do atual contexto das novas tecnologias, reflete-se sobre como o jornalismo pode explorar os recursos de acessibilidade presentes nos dispositivos móveis para contribuir em discussões sobre o papel social do jornalismo na inclusão de pessoas com deficiência visual. Em um primeiro momento, realizou-se revisão bibliográfica para perceber as mudanças culturais através das tecnologias de informação e comunicação, as potencialidades das mídias móveis, a acessibilidade nesses meios e o uso de ferramentas disponíveis atualmente para incluí-la no jornalismo. Utilizou-se a técnica de observação sistemática como método de pesquisa para analisar a utilização dos aplicativos por grupos de pessoas com deficiência visual nos dois países. O trabalho expõe a análise dos aplicativos para verificar se são acessíveis, bem como ponderações de pontos importantes em relação à inclusão de acessibilidade em produtos jornalísticos. A pesquisa contribui para a reflexão sobre os potenciais desafios que precisam ser observados na construção de uma interface para dispositivos móveis direcionada também ao público com deficiência visual. A partir das análises dos aplicativos, observam-se erros que constituem barreiras à acessibilidade comunicacional.This research has the main goal of investigating the present accessibility in the G1 news applications of Brazil, and Observador, in Portugal. Looking now at the new technologies context, a reflection can be done about how journalism can explore the accessibility resources in the mobile devices in order to contribute in discussions about the social role of journalism in the inclusion of people with visual incapacity. At first, it was done a bibliographic review to a better understanding of the cultural changes through the information and communication technologies, the mobile media potentialities, the accessibility in these means and the use of available tools nowadays to include them in journalism. The systematic observation technique was used as a research method to analyse the applications use by groups of people with visual incapacities in the two countries. This work exposes the applications analysis and verifies if it is accessible in one hand and in other hand if it ponderates the important points related to the acessibility inclusion in journalistic products. The research contributes to the reflection about the potential challenges that need to be observed in an interface construction to mobile devices directed also to the public with visual incapacities. Through the applications analysis, errors were detected that constitute obstacles to the communicational accessibility

Lichens as biomonitors at indoor environments of primary schools

A biomonitoring study, using transplanted lichens Flavoparmelia caperata, was conducted to assess the indoor air quality in primary schools in urban (Lisbon) and rural (Ponte de Sor) Portuguese sites. The lichens exposure period occurred between April and June 2010 and two types of environments of the primary schools were studied: classrooms and outdoor/courtyard. Afterwards, the lichen samples were processed and analyzed by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) to assess a total of 20 chemical elements. Accumulated elements in the exposed lichens were assessed and enrichment factors (EF) were determined. Indoor and outdoor biomonitoring results were compared to evaluate how biomonitors (as lichens) react at indoor environments and to assess the type of pollutants that are prevalent in those environments

Environment comparison in the germination of sugarcane seeds

A obtenção de cariopses de cana-de-açúcar por meio de cruzamento de parentais é de primordial importância para os programas de melhoramento de cultivares. Objetivou-se, neste trabalho comparar o ambiente de germinação de cariopses da casa de vegetação do Programa Cana IAC com um ambiente de condições controladas, a fim de avaliar sua eficiência, no período de 30/09 a 09/10/2004. Foram desenvolvidos dois experimentos, em delineamento experimental de blocos casualizados com quatro repetições, em Jaú, SP. Um deles foi montado sob condições de laboratório em câmara de germinação e outro em casa de vegetação em condições não controladas, sendo cada tratamento constituído por 100 cariopses por repetição, provenientes de seis cruzamentos. Foram realizadas avaliações do índice de velocidade de germinação (IVG), da porcentagem (%G) e dos dias para emergência (DE), em intervalos de 24 horas, após a instalação dos testes. A massa de 100 sementes de cada cruzamento também foi avaliada com o propósito de verificar sua influência nos demais atributos da germinação. Os resultados foram submetidos à análise de variância e a comparação de médias foi feita pelo teste de Tukey, a 0,05 de significância. A massa de 100 sementes foi diferente entre os cruzamentos, e interferiu, de maneira geral, nos atributos IVG e % G. Concluiu-se que a casa de vegetação utilizada pelo Programa Cana IAC proporciona porcentagens de germinação semelhantes às da câmara de germinação, porém condições controladas favorecem o IVG e os DE.The production of true seeds of sugarcane through parental crossing is primordial for the breeding programs of cultivars. With the objective of comparing the efficiency of the environment greenhouse used for seed germination in the IAC Sugarcane Program with an environment with controlled conditions (germination chamber), two experiments were carried out in a completely randomized block with four replicates of 100 seeds each, in Jaú (SP), from 09/30 to 10/09/2004. In both places the treatments were composed of seeds from six crossings. The evaluations accomplished were speed of germination index (SGI), germination percentage (% G) and days for emergence (DE) in 24 h intervals after set up treatments. The mass of 100 seeds of each crossing was also evaluated with the purpose of measuring its influence on other germination attributes. The data were submitted to the analysis of variance and averages were compared by the Tukey test at 0.005 significance. The weight of 100 seeds differed among the crossings, and, in general, it interfered with the attributes SGI and % G. It was concluded that the greenhouse used by the IAC Sugarcane Program provides germination percentages similar to the germination chamber; however, controlled conditions improve SGI and DE

Propofol-racemic ketamine or propofol-levogire ketamine in dogs : effects on electrocardiography and other physiological parameters

Estudaram-se os efeitos da infusão contínua da associação propofol e cetamina sobre variáveis fisiológicas e eletrocardiográficas e sua possível analgesia em 12 cadelas. Após indução com propofol, os animais receberam 0,4mg/kg/min de propofol + 0,2mg/kg/min de cetamina racêmica (n = 6, grupo PC) ou 0,4mg/kg/min de propofol + 0,1mg/kg/min de cetamina S+ (n = 6, grupo PCS). Avaliaram-se: teste álgico, freqüência cardíaca (FC), parâmetros eletrocardiográficos, freqüência respiratória (FR), pressão arterial sistólica, média e diastólica (PAS, PAM, PAD), saturação da oxiemoglobina (SpO2) e temperatura retal (TR). Houve elevação da FC sem alterações eletrocardiográficas, com exceção de aumento na amplitude da onda T em um animal de cada grupo. A FR diminuiu, e os valores de SpO2 ficaram abaixo de 90% em alguns momentos nos dois grupos. PAS, PAM e PAD diminuíram, mas não houve diferença entre os protocolos. Não se observou analgesia em sete animais, três cadelas apresentaram analgesia discreta, e apenas duas demonstraram analgesia favorável. Conclui-se que os protocolos são seguros em cadelas, contudo não há analgesia suficiente para procedimento cirúrgico. As alterações eletrocardiográficas foram relacionadas à FC e à amplitude de onda T, sendo esta sugestiva de hipóxia do miocárdio.The effects of propofol and ketamine on physiological parameters, electrocardiography, and analgesia were evaluated in twelve dogs that received propofol-ketamine (0.4mg/kg/min + 0.2mg/kg/min, n=6, PK group) or propofol-S+ketamine (0.4mg/kg/min + 0.1mg/kg/min, n=6, PKS group) after induction of anesthesia with propofol (8.0mg/kg). Assessments of pain; heart rate (HR); electrocardiography (ECG); respiratory rate (RR); systolic, medium, and diastolic arterial pressures (SAP, MAP, DAP); saturation of hemoglobin (SpO2); and rectal temperature (RT) were conducted. There was a rise in HR with no electrocardiographically changes, but an increase in amplitude of T wave in one animal of each group. RR decreased and SpO2 were lower than 90% in two moments of both groups. SAP, MAP, and DAP were reduced during the experimental period, but with no statistical difference between the protocols. There was no analgesia in seven bitches, mild analgesia was observed in three, and satisfactory analgesia in only two animals tested. It was concluded that the protocols are safe for dogs, but there is no analgesia for surgical procedures. The changes in ECG are related to HR and amplitude of T wave, which may be due to myocardial hypoxia