Turismo na República Popular da China: políticas e desenvolvimento económico

Mestrado em Estudos ChinesesO presente trabalho propõe-se a investigar o percurso da indústria do turismo na República Popular da China nos últimos 50 anos, desde a fase em que o país mergulhou numa política de completo isolamento em relação ao resto do mundo, até se ter tornado num dos principais intervenientes económicos e políticos a nível mundial. Paralelamente, o sector do turismo acompanhou essas mudanças que se foram desenvolvendo ao longo dos tempos, para passar a ser hoje um dos principais sectores da economia da China. O presente trabalho de investigação examina as principais mudanças ocorridas ao nível das políticas lançadas para o sector em questão, bem como o impacto que elas tiveram no desenvolvimento económico do país. Pretende-se, portanto, determinar até que ponto os resultados económicos desta indústria foram determinados pelas acções e programas lançados pelo Governo Chinês ao longo dos últimos 50 anos.This thesis researches the path that the tourism industry followed in the People’s Republic of China over the last fifty years, since the period when the country closed itself off from the rest of the world until it had become one of the big economic and politic players on the world scene. The tourism industry also followed the changes that were developing over time and became one of the most important economic sectors in China. This work examines the major policy changes that occurred within the sector, as well as the impact they had on the economy. It attempts to determine the extent to which the economic results accomplished by this industry were determined by the actions and programmes launched by the Chinese Government

Internationalization of Tourism Destinations: Networking systems management

This paper aims to fill a gap in the existing research about the internationalization of tourism destinations through a systematic review of the literature focusing on publications presented between 2007 and 2017. The research followed the assumptions of the non-probabilistic snowball sampling technique. In addition, the computer programs VosViewer, for bibliometric analysis, and NVivo 10, for content analysis were used. Tourism destinations’ internationalization is a combination of: (i) integration of organizational interest with stakeholders’ interests; (ii) understanding that what moves these elements are endogenous and exogenous business opportunities; (iii) integrating external opportunities in the destination by aligning them with its territorial identity; (iv) achieving coherence between the previous three components through the implementation of a governance model; (v) a governance model that facilitates the destination’s organization by conciliating interests, resources and opportunities; (vi) and the DMOs that coordinate the dynamics generated between the elements of this system, making it possible to organize the supply following its territorial identity. The internationalization process of tourism destinations highlights factors different from the internationalization of companies. In the first scenario, politics, planning, and territory internationalization strategies should target different kinds of reflections according to the level of intervention (local, regional, national or international). In the second, it is essential that supply is aware of investment opportunities abroad, financial packages to support businesses, innovation, and entrepreneurship. The current period exposed the fragility of the tourism sector and how external threats can influence it. Thinking about the internationalization of tourism destinations shows how important it is to organize the tourism offer in accordance with the challenges the sector faces, at the same time as explaining the role of DMOs. Until now, this theme has been mainly studied from the perspective of demand, creating a gap in the existing knowledge about the organizational systems.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Formazione e ruolo degli operatori museali turistici per un piano di rilancio del museo

Il museo, considerato “tempio di conservazione della memoria dell’uomo”, noto ai più come “cimitero di oggetti vecchi”, è stato protagonista di un percorso storico che ha condotto, di recente, all’affermazione della sua mission educativa e d’intrattenimento significativo, diventando, in tal modo, luogo di formazione, al pari delle altre agenzie educative, e centro di svago, al pari del teatro, del cinema, della televisione, dei parchi divertimento, etc. In tal senso, il museo ed il patrimonio culturale, presenti in un territorio, possono costituire un’importante risorsa per un turismo culturale competitivo. È necessario, pertanto, rendere il museo attraente, attuando alcune strategie finalizzate a comunicare un’immagine del museo dinamica e non statica, viva e non morta. Un ruolo chiave in tale processo di riproposta del museo rivestono i professionisti che operano nel campo dei beni culturali e del turismo. Ragion per cui, è sembrato indispensabile riflettere su quali competenze debbano sviluppare gli operatori turistici e gli educatori museali e, di conseguenza, sull’orientamento della loro formazione.Although museums have been considered «temples for the preservation of the memory of mankind», or, by many, simply as «cemeteries of old objects», they have played a specific role throughout their history, which, more recently, has led to the recognition of the museum’s pedagogical mission and, in addition, its function as a form of entertainment. In this way, they have become educational centres on the same level as schools, and a place for entertainment alongside theatres, cinemas, parks, etc. In this light, museums, like all the cultural heritage of a territory, should be considered as an important resource in the development of a more competitive cultural tourism. It is, therefore, imperative to make museums more attractive by using strategies aimed at communicating a dynamic and lively image. In the process of making museums more competitive, a key role is played by the experts who work in the field of cultural heritage and tourism. Thus, reflection is needed upon what kind of skills are to be developed in tourist operators and museum educators, and, consequently, upon the right training to offer them

Spherical f-tilings by two non congruent classes of isosceles triangles - I

The theory of f-tilings is related to the theory of isometric foldings, initiated by S. Robertson [8] in 1977. The study of dihedral f-tilings of the Euclidean sphere $S^2$ by triangles and r-sided regular polygons was initiated in 2004, where the case r=4$was considered [4]. In a subsequent paper [1], the study of all spherical f-tilings by triangles and r-sided regular polygons, for any$rge 5$, was described. Recently, in [2] and [3] a classification of all triangular dihedral spherical f-tilings for which one of the prototiles is an equilateral triangle is given. In this paper, we extend these results considering the dihedral case of two non congruent isosceles triangles in a particular way of adjacency ending up to a class of$f$-tilings composed by three parametrised families, denoted by$mathcal{F}_{k, alpha}$,$mathcal{E}_{alpha}$and$mathcal{L}_{k}, ; kgeq 3, ; alpha>frac{pi}{2}$, respectively, and one isolated tiling, denoted by$mathcal{G}$. The combinatorial structure including the symmetry group of each tiling is also given. Dawson and Doyle in [6], [7] have also been working on spherical tilings, relaxing the edge to edge condition

Aprendiendo funciones complejas con GeoGebra

In this paper we describe a teaching experiment targeting with students of Complex Analysis attending an undergraduate course of a Portuguese university. Our main goal is the understanding of the GeoGebra role with respect to visualization and as a technological mediator, according to Vygotsky theory, in the teaching and learning process of complex functions. The first step of our study was the conception of a sequence of didactical tasks and the development of GeoGebra tools related to the target didactical objectives. Here we will describe the procedure related to the tasks implementation in a classroom environment and the achieved results based on the collected data composed by written assignments produced by students, video recording the student performance during the experiment, and the student constructions with GeoGebra. All the collected data were analysed from a qualitative and interpretative paradigm.publishe

Resting state connectivity and cognitive performance in adults with cerebral autosomal-dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy

Cognitive impairment is an inevitable feature of cerebral autosomal-dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL), affecting executive function, attention and processing speed from an early stage. Impairment is associated with structural markers such as lacunes, but associations with functional connectivity have not yet been reported. Twenty-two adults with genetically-confirmed CADASIL (11 male; aged 49.8 ± 11.2 years) underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging at rest. Intrinsic attentional/executive networks were identified using group independent components analysis. A linear regression model tested voxel-wise associations between cognitive measures and component spatial maps, and Pearson correlations were performed with mean intra-component connectivity z-scores. Two frontoparietal components were associated with cognitive performance. Voxel-wise analyses showed an association between one component cluster and processing speed (left middle temporal gyrus; peak −48, −18, −14; ZE = 5.65, pFWEcorr = 0.001). Mean connectivity in both components correlated with processing speed (r = 0.45, p = 0.043; r = 0.56, p = 0.008). Mean connectivity in one component correlated with faster Trailmaking B minus A time (r = −0.77, p < 0.001) and better executive performance (r = 0.56, p = 0.011). This preliminary study provides evidence for associations between cognitive performance and attentional network connectivity in CADASIL. Functional connectivity may be a useful biomarker of cognitive performance in this population

Scientific update on the iodine content of Portuguese foods

WHO Collaborating Centre for Nutrition and Childhood Obesity.Iodine is an essential trace element in human and animal diets. However, mild to moderate iodine deficiency has been reported in several countries. Food is the natural source of iodine. Detectable analytical values, expressed in SI units (µg/kg), are required to guarantee reliable measurement results used to estimate iodine intake over time at national and international level. The aim of this work, conducted as an activity of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Nutrition and Childhood Obesity, was to develop a database of the iodine content of foods in order to predict nutritional adequacy of dietary intake. This database may be used as a tool to promote iodine intake through consumption of foods rich in iodine. The specific objective of this report is to provide updated data on the iodine content of Portuguese foods as consumed within, and as representative of, the Portuguese diet. The methodology selected for quantification of this nutrient was inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) assisted by microwave after alkaline digestion.Eight groups of food were analysed: (1) meat; (2) fish and seafood; (3) milk and milk products, eggs; (4) fruit; (5) vegetables and pulses; (6) sweets and beverages; (7) cereals and tubers; and (8) meals. These foods were collected on the basis of consumption patterns drawn from national food consumption surveys (Fabrice Elegbede et al., 2017). The proportion of samples beyond the limit of detection (LoD) ranged between 0% in fish, seafood and dairy products to 81.3% in fruit. The food samples with detectable iodine content showed a wide variation: 2.4–7.8 µ g/100 g for meat; 2.8–289.3 µ g/100 g for fish and seafood; 15.8–39.4 µ g/100 g for milk, milk products and eggs; 3.3–26.6 µ g/100 g for fruit; 0.3–6.5 µ g/100 g for vegetables and pulses; 0.3–22.7 µ g/100 g for sweets and beverages; 0.9–4.7 µ g/100 g for cereals and tubers; and 0.7–56.8 µ g/100 g for meals. The results showed that in Portugal a diet rich in fish, seafood and dairy products supplies the recommended daily intake of iodine for a healthy adult.Este trabalho foi desenvolvido com o apoio da FCT.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The DNA methylation in HeLa cells after valproic acid treatment

Orientadores: Maria Luiza Silveira Mello, Benedicto de Campos VidalDissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de BiologiaResumo: O ácido valproico (VPA) é um antiepiléptico de uso bem estabelecido que também é reconhecido como inibidor de deacetilases de histonas (HDAC), induzindo hiperacetilação de histonas H3 e H4. Adicionalmente, tem sido sugerido papel do VPA na demetilação do DNA em diversos tipos celulares, possivelmente de maneira ativa e independente do processo de replicação. O presente trabalho estudou os efeitos do VPA sobre a abundância de 5-metilcitosina (5mC) e elementos das vias de demetilação do DNA em células HeLa, comparado à ação da droga de conhecida ação demetilante, 5-aza-2¿-deoxicitidina (5-aza-CdR). Foi também investigada a possível contribuição da ação demetiladora do DNA pelo VPA na remodelação da cromatina previamente atribuída à inibição de HDAC neste tipo celular, bem como os impactos de possíveis alterações induzidas pelo VPA nas marcas de 5mC sobre o perfil espectral do DNA ao infravermelho. Em células tratadas com VPA e 5-aza-CdR, os níveis de metilação do DNA foram avaliados por imunocitoquímica e ELISA. Os derivados da citosina 5-hidroximetilcitosina (5hmC), 5-carboxilcitosina (5caC) e 5-formilcitosina (5fC) foram investigados por imunocitoquímica. Em paralelo, PCR quantitativo em tempo real foi realizado para acessar informações a respeito dos níveis de expressão gênica da DNA metiltransferase 1 (DNMT1) e de enzimas da família das ten-eleven-translocation (TET), TET1 e TET2, além de Western blotting para medir os níveis proteicos de DNMT1 e TET2. Ensaios ao microespectrofotômeto de varredura foram realizados a fim de constatar alterações na supraorganização cromatínica de células HeLa tratadas com VPA e perfis espectrais do DNA foram obtidos por microespectroscopia no infravermelho por transformada de Fourier (FT-IR). Foi comprovada a indução de hipometilação do DNA pelo VPA em células HeLa, semelhante ao observado em tratamentos com a 5-aza-CdR. A redução nos níveis de 5mC concomitante a um efeito de descompactação cromatínica pelo VPA nestas células persistiram por 24 h na ausência da droga, porém não por 48 h, demonstrando papel da metilação de DNA em eventos de remodelação da cromatina, com efeitos de longa duração. A demetilação observada em resposta ao VPA também influenciou os perfis espectrais do DNA no infravermelho, afetando mais significativamente os picos relacionados a vibrações de estiramento simétrico e antissimétrico do grupamento metil da 5mC. Tanto os tratamentos com VPA quanto com a 5-aza-CdR não alteraram as marcas de 5caC e 5fC mas foram capazes de aumentar os níveis de 5hmC, enquanto as enzimas estudadas (DNMT1, TET1 e TET2) apresentaram resposta diferencial a estas drogas. Foi assim reforçada a influência do VPA e da 5-aza-CdR sobre vias ativas de demetilação do DNA e demonstrado que estas drogas atuam por meio de mecanismos distintos. Em conjunto, foi possível obter maiores informações a respeito da ação do VPA sobre a metilação de DNA em células HeLa, permitindo comparações dos efeitos desta droga sobre outras linhagens tumorais agressivas. Também foi possível estabelecer um paralelo entre a ação epigenética do VPA com a de outro composto, a 5-aza-CdR, e assim ter maior conhecimento dos mecanismos de ação destas drogas amplamente utilizadasAbstract: Valproic acid (VPA) is a well-established antiepileptic drug and also an inhibitor of histone deacetylases (HDAC), leading to hyperacetylation of histones H3 and H4. Moreover, VPA has been suggested to induce DNA demethylation in several cell types, possibly through an active and replication-independent way. In the present work, the effects of VPA over the 5-methylcytosine (5mC) abundance and active DNA demethylation elements were studied in HeLa cells, compared to 5-aza-2¿-deoxycytidine (5-aza-CdR), a known DNA demethylator. In addition, the contribution of the VPA-induced DNA demethylation on the chromatin remodeling, previously attributed to HDAC inhibition, was investigated in this cell type. The effect of VPA on DNA 5mC marks was also studied analyzing DNA infrared spectral profiles. In both VPA- and 5-aza-CdR treated cells, immunocytochemistry and ELISA techniques were used to evaluate DNA methylation levels. The cytosine derivatives 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC), 5-carboxylcytosine (5caC) and 5-formylcytosine (5-fC) were investigated by immunocytochemistry. The gene expression of DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) and of enzymes of the ten-eleven translocation family (TET), TET1 and TET2 was assessed by quantitative real time PCR, and protein levels of DNMT1 and TET2 were obtained using Western blotting. Scanning microspectrophotometer assays allowed the analysis of changes in chromatin supraorganization of HeLa cells treated with VPA and spectral profiles of DNA were obtained by Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) microspectroscopy. Induction of DNA hypomethylation was found to be induced by both VPA and 5-aza-CdR treatments. The reduction of 5mC levels concomitant to a chromatin decondensation status induced by VPA in these cells persisted for 24 h in the absence of the drug, although not for 48 h, demonstrating a role of DNA methylation on chromatin remodeling events, with long-standing effects. The demethylation observed in response to VPA also influenced the DNA infrared spectral profiles, affecting more significantly the peaks related to symmetric and antisymmetric stretching vibrations of the methyl group from 5mC. No changes in 5caC and 5fC were observed in VPA- or 5-aza-CdR treatments, although both drugs increased 5hmC levels and differentially affected the enzymes studied here (DNMT1, TET1 and TET2). Thereby, the influence of VPA and 5-aza-CdR on active DNA demethylation pathways was reinforced and it was demonstrated that these drugs act by different mechanisms. Taken these results together, more information regarding the effects of VPA on DNA methylation in HeLa cells was obtained, allowing further comparisons between the effects of this drug on other tumor cell lines as aggressive as HeLa cells. Furthermore, a parallel was established between the epigenetic action of VPA and that of another compound, 5-aza-CdR, thus contributing with additional and new data on the mechanisms of action of these widely used drugsMestradoBiologia CelularMestra em Biologia Celular e Estrutural2014/23842-0CNPQFAPES

Contributo de um programa de competências de leitura e escrita para um jovem com síndrome de Rasmussen

Este trabalho insere-se no âmbito da temática da epilepsia, incidindo mais especificamente na síndrome de Rasmussen, desordem neurológica rara e progressiva caracterizada por ataques epilépticos frequentes e severos com perda de habilidades motoras. Sendo esta síndrome ainda pouco estudada tal constitui per si motivação para a aprofundar. Assim, partindo da constatação empírica de que a epilepsia interfere com as aquisições académicas de um jovem com síndrome de Rasmussen, pretendemos verificar em que medida a aplicação de um programa de competências de leitura e escrita poderá contribuir para aumentar os seus níveis de sucesso nas várias áreas curriculares, influenciando a sua qualidade de vida. Dado o contexto de investigação, a metodologia escolhida foi o estudo de caso, pelo facto do problema em estudo se situar muito próximo da nossa realidade. Trata-se de um jovem aluno de onze anos portador de síndrome de Rasmussen, sujeito a uma hemisferectomia, que levou ao controle da atividade cerebral – crises epiléticas. Com aplicação do programa de competências de leitura e escrita o aluno melhorou significativamente na capacidade de descodificação de enunciados e conseguiu parcialmente ultrapassar as suas dificuldades na expressão escrita. Podemos concluir das vantagens que um programa deste tipo pôde trazer ao jovem, nomeadamente ao permitir-lhe aceder com sucesso ao restante currículo escolar