Process quality in Portuguese preschool classrooms serving children at-risk of poverty and social exclusion and children with disabilities

This study investigates process quality and structural features of classrooms serving children at-risk of poverty and social exclusion and children with disabilities in Portugal. We examine (a) whether the three-domain structure of a widely used standard observational tool, the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS; Pianta, LaParo, & Hamre, 2008) describes adequately teacher–child interactions in those classrooms and (b) associations between CLASS domains and structural features, including teacher education and group size. The study was conducted in 178 preschool classrooms. Data included classroom observations using the CLASS Pre-K and teacher reports on structural features. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the three domains of teacher–child interactions. In addition, the CLASS domains described teacher–child interactions equally well across classrooms serving children with disabilities and children at-risk of poverty and social exclusion. Finally, we found modest associations between structural features and CLASS organizational and instructional support, suggesting a complex interplay among structural features in predicting levels of teacher–child interactions.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Análise dos efeitos da introduçāo de medidas de gestāo na pescaria de camarāo do Banco de Sofala

Biological effects of management measures introduced in the shrimp fishery from 1985 to 1990 are analysed as well as the results from simulation of different closed seasons. Observed changes in recruitment, total catch, biomass and average individual weight during 1985 to 1990 for Penaeus indicus and Hetapenaeus Monoceros are also analysed. Further studies on a stock-recruitment relationship are important due to decline of recruitment levels in this period. A three-month closed season starting in January is recommended, without increases in the monthly fishing effort. The TAC shall be fixed according to the recruitment level each year

Activity settings in toddler classrooms and quality of group and individual interactions

This study examined the variation of interaction quality both at the group and child levels across different activity settings in toddler classrooms. Participants were 104 children, with an average of 30.4 months old, of which 53.8% were boys. Educator-child interactions, at the group level, and child interactions with their educators, peers and tasks, at the child level, were observed through video-recordings across four activity settings, namely free play, early academic activities, aesthetics/arts activities and meals. Group level interactions were observed with the CLASS Toddler, and child level interactions with the inCLASS Toddler. Results showed that the quality of interactions at the group and child levels varied across different activity settings, but not always in the same direction. Findings suggest that activity settings play an important role in explaining the quality of interactions experienced by toddlers. Implications for early childhood educators are discussed.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Alternativas de gestāo da pescaria de camarāo de águas pouco profundas

The shallow-water shrimps represent the most economical resource in Mozambique. Therefore, annual surveys have been carried out to investigate the state of the stock, the fishing methods for a better analyses catch/effort statistics. Resource assessment was conducted on principal species - Metapenaeus monoceros and Penaeus indicus - to estimate levels of abundance and distribution in the Sofala Bank

Classroom quality and children's social skills and problem behaviors: dosage and disability status as moderators

Multiple studies have reported associations between early childhood education (ECE) quality and dosage and children’s social and behavior development, with some suggesting that this association may be stronger for specific groups of children. In this study, we examined the association between classroom quality and children’s social skills and problem behaviors, as reported by ECE teachers, as well as the moderating effects of ECE dosage and children’s disability status. Participants were 222 children (Mage = 63.75, SD = 7.77), including 180 typically developing (90 boys) and 42 children with disabilities (29 boys), from 44 inclusive classrooms in the Metropolitan Area of Lisbon, Portugal. Our results indicated that children’s social skills and behavior problems were not directly associated with observed classroom quality domains. However, lower classroom organization predicted lower social skills and higher externalizing behavior at higher number of months with the lead teacher; and instructional support predicted increased social skills for children with disabilities. Days absent from school predicted lower social skills. Overall, our results suggest that diverse types of dosage influence teacher’s reports of social and behavioral outcomes in different ways.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Projeto CARE: Desafios de uma avaliação relevante e culturalmente sensível dos contextos educativos a nível europeu

O projeto CARE, financiado pela Comissão Europeia e dedicado à Análise do Currículo, Qualidade e Revisão do Impacto da Educação e Cuidados para a Infância, a nível europeu, tem como principais objetivos desenvolver um quadro de referência europeu que sistematize (a) os objectivos para a educação e o desenvolvimento da criança, a avaliação da qualidade, as abordagens curriculares e as tomadas de decisão política na educação pré-escolar e cuidados para a infância, e (b) as estratégias mais eficazes para organizar, financiar e gerir os serviços de educação pré-escolar e cuidados para a infância. Este projeto, com início em Janeiro de 2014, será particularmente útil no desenvolvimento de um quadro europeu de educação de infância em dois aspectos: (1) na integração do conhecimento científico atual e não publicado desenvolvido em vários países europeus, e (2) na inclusão das perspectivas dos intervenientes na educação de infância, contribuindo assim para integrar valores e crenças culturais nos atuais quadros de referência em educação de infância. O presente trabalho pretende apresentar o projeto CARE e discutir como este aborda a problemática da avaliação dos contextos de educação pré-escolar de uma forma simultaneamente relevante e culturalmente sensível para os vários países europeus

Have a Good Trip! Expanding our Concepts of the Quality of Everyday Travelling with Flow Theory

The dominant tradition in transport planning and policy practice considers travel as a derived activity and travel time as an economic disutility. A growing body of literature is challenging this perspective, demonstrating that being ‘on the move’ is a rich experience interlaced with profound shared and individual meanings that can have positive implications on quality of life, well-being and personal development. Yet, mobility in general, and commuting in particular, is often reported as one of the least pleasant daily experiences and as a source of massive environmental impacts. This exploratory article hypothesizes that flow theory, based on Csikszentmihalyi´s seminal work on optimal states of consciousness, has the potential to offer important insights that can contribute to research and policy action on achieving both sustainable and satisfying forms of daily mobility. The article draws on an online exploratory questionnaire in order to reflect on flow theory in relation to the capacity of different mobility modes to either facilitate or constrain the occurrence and duration of optimal states of consciousness. Preliminary conclusions provide a basis for outlining a set of future research directions aimed at better understanding mobility experiences and their relationships with flow theory

Inclusão e participação social em educação de infância

A inclusão em educação de infância pode ser definida como o conjunto de valores, políticas e práticas que apoiam o direito de cada criança e da sua família, independentemente das suas capacidades, a participar num vasto conjunto de atividades e contextos enquanto membros de pleno direito (DEC/ NAEYC, 2009). De acordo com esta definição, os resultados desejáveis das experiências inclusivas para crianças com e sem incapacidades, incluem um sentimento de pertença, relações sociais positivas e amizades, desenvolvimento e aprendizagem. Assim, podemos considerar que contextos de educação de infância de elevada qualidade são aqueles que permitem atingir estes objetivos, respondendo às necessidades de todas as crianças, de modo a que possam atingir todo o seu potencial.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Monovarietal extra-virgin olive oil classification: a fusion of human sensory attributes and an electronic tongue

Olive oil quality grading is traditionally assessed by human sensory evaluation of positive and negative attributes (olfactory, gustatory, and final olfactorygustatory sensations). However, it is not guaranteed that trained panelist can correctly classify monovarietal extra-virgin olive oils according to olive cultivar. In this work, the potential application of human (sensory panelists) and artificial (electronic tongue) sensory evaluation of olive oils was studied aiming to discriminate eight single-cultivar extra-virgin olive oils. Linear discriminant, partial least square discriminant, and sparse partial least square discriminant analyses were evaluated. The best predictive classification was obtained using linear discriminant analysis with simulated annealing selection algorithm. A low-level data fusion approach (18 electronic tongue signals and nine sensory attributes) enabled 100 % leave-one-out cross-validation correct classification, improving the discrimination capability of the individual use of sensor profiles or sensory attributes (70 and 57 % leave-one-out correct classifications, respectively). So, human sensory evaluation and electronic tongue analysis may be used as complementary tools allowing successful monovarietal olive oil discrimination.This work was co-financed by FCT/MEC and FEDER under Program PT2020 (Project UID/EQU/50020/2013); by Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia under the strategic funding of UID/BIO/04469/2013 unit; and by Project POCTEP through Project RED/AGROTEC-Experimentation network and transfer for development of agricultural and agro industrial sectors between Spain and Portugal

Evaluation of extra-virgin olive oils shelf life using an electronic tongue-chemometric approach

Physicochemical quality parameters, olfactory and gustatoryretronasal positive sensations of extra-virgin olive oils vary during storage leading to a decrease in the overall quality. Olive oil quality decline may prevent the compliance of olive oil quality with labeling and significantly reduce shelf life, resulting in important economic losses and negatively condition the consumer confidence. The feasibility of applying an electronic tongue to assess olive oils usual commercial light storage conditions and storage time was evaluated and compared with the discrimination potential of physicochemical or positive olfactory/gustatory sensorial parameters. Linear discriminant models, based on subsets of 58 electronic tongue sensor signals, selected by the meta-heuristic simulated annealing variable selection algorithm, allowed the correct classification of olive oils according to the light exposition conditions and/or storage time (sensitivities and specificities for leave-one-out cross-validation: 8296 %). The predictive performance of the E-tongue approach was further evaluated using an external independent dataset selected using the KennardStone algorithm and, in general, better classification rates (sensitivities and specificities for external dataset: 67100 %) were obtained compared to those achieved using physicochemical or sensorial data. So, the work carried out is a proof-of-principle that the proposed electrochemical device could be a practical and versatile tool for, in a single and fast electrochemical assay, successfully discriminate olive oils with different storage times and/or exposed to different light conditions.The authors acknowledge the financial support from the strategic funding of UID/BIO/04469/2013 unit, from Project POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006984—Associate Laboratory LSRELCM funded by FEDER funds through COMPETE2020—Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalização (POCI)—and by national funds through FCT—Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia and under the strategic funding of UID/BIO/04469/2013 unit. Nuno Rodrigues thanks FCT, POPH-QREN and FSE for the Ph.D. Grant (SFRH/BD/104038/2014).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio