Two spelling programmes that promote understanding of the alphabetic principle in preschool children

Our aim in this study was to test two programmes designed to lead preschool children to use conventional letters to spell the initial consonants of words. These programmes differed in terms of the characteristics of the vowels that followed those consonants. The participants were 45 five-year-old Portuguese children whose spelling was pre-syllabic - they used strings of random letters in their spelling, making no attempt to match the oral to the written language. They were divided into two experimental and a control group. Their age, level of intelligence, and phonological awareness were controlled. Their spelling was assessed in a pre- and a post-test. In-between, children from the experimental groups participated in two programmes where they had to think about the relationships between the initial consonant and the corresponding phoneme in different words: In Experimental Group 1, the initial consonants were followed by an open vowel, and in Experimental Group 2, these same consonants were followed by a closed vowel. The control group classified geometric shapes. Experimental Group 1 achieved better results than Experimental Group 2 following open vowels, being more able to generalize the phonological procedures to sounds that were not taught during the programmes. Both experimental groups used conventional letters to represent several phonemes in the post-test whereas the control group continued to produce pre-syllabic spellings

Twists and turns in the salicylate catabolism of aspergillus terreus, revealing new roles of the 3-hydroxyanthranilate pathway

This work was financially supported by Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia (FCT), project MOSTMICRO ITQB with reference no. UIDB/04612/2020 and UIDP/04612/2020, and by project "PinusResina" no. PDR2020-101-031905, funded by PDR2020 through Portugal2020. This research was carried out through a partnership with the RESOLUTION LAB, an infrastructure at NOVA School of Science and Technology. The authors acknowledge and thank the support given by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) to CENSE through the strategic project UIDB/04085/2020. T.M. and C.M. are grateful to FCT for the working contract financed by national funds under Norma Transitoria D.L. no. 57/2016 and the fellowship SFRH/BD/118377/2016, respectively.In fungi, salicylate catabolism was believed to proceed only through the catechol branch of the 3-oxoadipate pathway, as shown, e.g., in Aspergillus nidulans. However, the observation of a transient accumulation of gentisate upon the cultivation of Aspergillus terreus in salicylate medium questions this concept. To address this, we have run a comparative analysis of the transcriptome of these two species after growth in salicylate using acetate as a control condition. The results revealed the high complexity of the salicylate metabolism in A. terreus with the concomitant positive regulation of several pathways for the catabolism of aromatic compounds. This included the unexpected joint action of two pathways—3-hydroxyanthranilate and nicotinate—possibly crucial for the catabolism of aromatics in this fungus. Importantly, the 3-hydroxyanthranilate catabolic pathway in fungi is described here for the first time, whereas new genes participating in the nicotinate metabolism are also proposed. The transcriptome analysis showed also for the two species an intimate relationship between salicylate catabolism and secondary metabolism. This study emphasizes that the central pathways for the catabolism of aromatic hydrocarbons in fungi hold many mysteries yet to be discovered. IMPORTANCE Aspergilli are versatile cell factories used in industry for the production of organic acids, enzymes, and pharmaceutical drugs. To date, bio-based production of organic acids relies on food substrates. These processes are currently being challenged to switch to renewable nonfood raw materials—a reality that should inspire the use of lignin-derived aromatic monomers. In this context, aspergilli emerge at the forefront of future bio-based approaches due to their industrial relevance and recognized prolific catabolism of aromatic compounds. Notwithstanding considerable advances in the field, there are still important knowledge gaps in the central catabolism of aromatic hydrocarbons in fungi. Here, we disclose a novel central pathway, 3-hydroxyanthranilate, defying previously established ideas on the central metabolism of the aromatic amino acid tryptophan in Ascomycota. We also observe that the catabolism of the aromatic salicylate greatly activated the secondary metabolism, furthering the significance of using lignin-derived aromatic hydrocarbons as a distinctive biomass source.publishersversionpublishe

Budgetary restrictions and ethical behaviours in a hospital context : evidence from general surgeons

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to study how budgetary constraints can have ethical implications on patient treatment options. Design/methodology/approach – By applying a qualitative methodological approach (interviews) and participant observation, this paper studies the behaviour of surgeons in scenarios of financial restriction. Findings – The empirical findings show that despite the conflict between the economy and the leges artis, surgeons maintain the ethical and deontological principles of their profession with fair rules of orientation. Practical implications – The importance of this study can be realised by its continuity. One of the authors is already implicated on a wider research to investigate the influence of the economic scarcity of resources on general surgeons’ ethical behaviours. Social implications – This paper is a contribution to understanding the rules that restrain the activities of surgeons. Politicians sometimes do not have a full understanding of the pressures that the medical profession faces in their day-to-day activities. Currently, with the addition of problems relate to COVID-19, politicians and populations seem to better understand the importance of the Serviço Nacional de Saúde (SNS), This paper hopes that this understanding will be not only a conjectural moment. Originality/value – In conjunction with the economic recession that began in the first decade of this century, health institutions have long faced budgetary constraints that condition their material and human resources and correspondingly shape the scope of health professional activities. Until now, it has not been studied the impact of economic crises on the ethical behaviour of Portuguese surgeons. Therefore, this research is a first step and a useful contribution to understanding the rules that can restrain (or not) the ethical conduct of these health professionals.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Identificación de la hora de inicio de la sintomatología del infarto agudo de miocardio

Acute myocardial infarction is one of the leading causes of death in Portugal and worldwide. Several studies have shown a morning predominance of the onset of symptoms in this pathology. Objective: Describe the variation in onset of the infarction symptomatology and to analyze the average delay of admission in the emergency service of patients between 2015 and 2016 to a unit in northern Portugal. Methodology: Retrospective cross-sectional study. Fifty patients were studied, admitted to an emergency department diagnosed with acute myocardial infarction between 2015 and 2016 using clinical records. Results: The majority of participants were male (52%), with an average age of 79.6 years, presenting with hypertension (72%), dyslipidemia (54%), diabetes (46%), and obesity (20%). Onset time of acute myocardial infarction symptoms was generally between 6 a.m. and 12 p.m. (34%) and on average at 10 a.m. Conclusion: There was a predominance of symptom onset in the morning period.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Invented spelling and perspectives on spelling development: The necessity of an integrated cognitive model

There are several models about the mechanism that make pre-school children evolve regarding the quality of their invented spelling. Ehri's teorical perspective (1997) describes the development of children's spelling skills in terms of their increasing ability to map sounds of words to phonetically appropriate letters. According to this perspective, written language is conceived as an instrument for translating oral language and phonological awareness determines the precision of invented spelling. This model neglects linguistic variables that might influence children ability to analyse the oral and written language and also does not conceive children's reflection about written code as a factor of evolution. The constructivist perspective from Ferreiro (1988), emphasizes the importance of internal conflict between different criterion about the organization of the alphabetic code. For instance, the repetition of the same vowel in syllabic phonetised writing might cause a conflict in children's thinking with another criterion that they attaint, related with the variation of letters within the written word (e.g. Nunes Carraher and Rego (1984) cited a Portuguese-speaking child who spelled urubu 'vulture' as UUU). This conflict might lead children to analyse syllables in their phonemes and became a source for an alphabetic approach of writing. This and other conflicts are the main factor, from the point of view of this theory, for the evolution of children's conceptions about written language. However those mechanisms are described independently of children ability to analyse oral words or the frequency of words and the articulatory properties of phonemes that integrate those words. On the other hand, Polo, Kessler and Treiman (2005), think that that statistical learning skills exists from an early age. These skills are applied in learning to spell, as in other tasks. This perspective emphasizes that children's writing reflects the characteristics of the input to which they have been exposed as they try to find meaningful patterns in regularities of written language. These regularities give children information about graphical as well as phonological patterns of the language in which they reflected their very early spellings. However, this perspective never analyses the nature of children thinking and how that reflects their approach to written language. It is quite important to create a model that integrates these several contribution. © 2011 by Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.N/

Design and optimization of hot-filling pasteurization conditions

Cupuacüu (Theobroma grandiflorum) is an Amazonian tropical fruit with a great economic potential. Pasteurization, by a hot-filling technique, was suggested for the preservation of this fruit pulp at room temperature. The process was implemented with local communities in Brazil. The process was modeled, and a computer program was written in Turbo Pascal. The relative importance among the pasteurization process variables (initial product temperature, heating rate, holding temperature and time, container volume and shape, cooling medium type and temperature) on the microbial target and quality was investigated, by performing simulations according to a screening factorial design. Afterward, simulations of the different processing conditions were carried out. The holding temperature (TF) and time (thold) affected pasteurization value (P), and the container volume (V) influenced largely the quality parameters. The process was optimized for retail (1 L) and industrial (100 L) size containers, by maximizing volume average quality in terms of color lightness and sensory “fresh notes” and minimizing volume average total color difference and sensory “cooked notes”. Equivalent processes were designed and simulated (P91°C ) 4.6 min on Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris spores) and final quality (color, flavor, and aroma attributes) was evaluated. Color was slightly affected by the pasteurization processes, and few differences were observed between the six equivalent treatments designed (TF between 80 and 97 °C). TF g 91 °C minimized “cooked notes” and maximized “fresh notes” of cupuacüu pulp aroma and flavor for 1 L container. Concerning the 100 L size, the “cooked notes” development can be minimized with TF g 91 °C, but overall the quality was greatly degraded as a result of the long cooling times. A more efficient method to speed up the cooling phase was recommended, especially for the industrial size of containers

Relação entre síndrome da bexiga hiperativa e depressão em idosas

Monografia (graduação)—Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Ceilândia, 2014.A síndrome da bexiga hiperativa (SBH) atinge mulheres no mundo todo e estudos indicam haver uma associação dessa síndrome com a depressão, entretanto essa relação não está totalmente esclarecida. O objetivo do presente estudo foi avaliar a associação entre a SBH e a depressão em mulheres idosas, e, adicionalmente, investigar a relação da SBH com características clínico-demográficas. Métodos: Trata-se de um estudo do tipo observacional transversal analítico. Foram recrutadas 169 idosas. A amostra foi composta mulheres idosas assistidas pelo programa de atenção à saúde do idoso do Distrito Federal, no período de agosto de 2012 a novembro de 2013, residentes da cidade de Ceilândia – DF. Para identificação da SBH foi utilizado o Questionário de Avaliação de Bexiga Hiperativa – OAB-V8 (Overactive Bladder-Validated 8-question Screener). Os sintomas de depressão foram avaliados pela Escala de Depressão Geriátrica em versão reduzida de Yesavage. Para coleta das variáveis clínicas e demográficas foi realizada entrevista. Resultados: Dentre as idosas avaliadas, 129 (76,3%) apresentaram sintomas de bexiga hiperativa (OAB-V8 ≥ 8 pontos) e dentre as mulheres com SBH, 42,6% apresentaram depressão leve ou grave. Na comparação entre os grupos de estudo, observou-se que entre as mulheres com SBH (OAB-V8 ≥ 8) haviam menor frequência de primigestas e multigestas (p = 0,023), menor prevalência de parto vaginal (p=0,004) e maior frequência de depressão leve e grave em relação àquelas sem essa síndrome (p=0,003). Observou-se correlação significativa entre a SBH e a depressão (r=0,354; p=0,001). Conclusão: Conclui-se que existe alta frequência de SBH em mulheres idosas e que esses sintomas apresentaram-se relacionados aos sintomas de depressão leve e grave. ________________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACTThe overactive bladder syndrome affects women worldwide and studies indicate that there is an association of this syndrome with depression, but this relationship is not fully understood. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between OAB and depression in older women, and additionally investigate the relationship of OAB with clinical and demographic characteristics. A cross-sectional study is observational. Methods: 185 older women were recruited, 16 were excluded, leaving 169. The sample comprised older women assisted by the health care of the elderly in the Federal District program, from August 2012 to November 2013, residents of the city of Ceilândia - DF. OAB-V8 (Overactive Bladder-Validated 8-question Screener) - Identification of the OAB Assessment Questionnaire Overactive bladder was used. Symptoms of depression were assessed by the Geriatric Depression Scale in a reduced version of Yesavage. For the collection of clinical and demographic variables interview was conducted. Results: Among the older evaluated, 129 (76.3%) presented with symptoms of overactive bladder (OAB-V8 ≥ 8 points) and among women with SBH 42.6% had mild or severe depression. In the comparison between the study groups, we found that among women with OAB (OAB-V8 ≥ 8) had a lower frequency of primiparous and multiparous (p = 0.023), lower prevalence of vaginal delivery (p = 0.004) and more frequently mild and severe depression compared to those without the syndrome (p = 0.003). A significant correlation between SBH and depression (r = 0.354; p = 0.001). Conclusion: We conclude that there is a high frequency of OAB in older women and that these symptoms were presented related to symptoms of mild and severe depression

Projectos inovadores para a sustentabilidade local ancorados em dinâmicas sociais e redes de cidadãos. ensinamentos a registar e o papel do engenheiro do ambiente

Dissertação para obtenção do Grau de Mestre em Engenharia do Ambiente, perfil de Ordenamento do Território e Impactes AmbientaisA actualidade tem sido marcada por várias crises, não só a nível económico mas também a nível ambiental e social. De forma a contornar estas dificuldades é urgente actuar a nível dos problemas que ocorrem na sociedade. No entanto, é necessário que as comunidades se adaptem, que sejam resilientes, ou seja, tenham a capacidade de suportar perturbações sem colapsar, adaptando-se às novas condições de forma a reequilibra-las e a tornar a sociedade mais sustentável. Este discurso de sustentabilidade tem sido largamente discutido devido aos problemas que a sociedade enfrenta, e tem enfrentado, ao longo dos anos. Para a atingir é fundamental agir de forma mais incisiva. No entanto, a maioria dos problemas que impedem a sua prossecução possuem raízes locais, sendo assim indispensável actuar num âmbito territorial mais reduzido. De acordo com esta abordagem, é fundamental agir a nível da sustentabilidade local, com a colaboração de todos, como factor estratégico para uma sustentabilidade global. A realização desta dissertação teve como principal objectivo avaliar projectos inovadores, na Área Metropolitana de Lisboa, que contribuem para a sustentabilidade local. A sua avaliação foi realizada de modo a compreender as dinâmicas sociais e os motivos de sucesso, incidindo também na análise do papel que o Engenheiro do Ambiente desempenha ou que pode desempenhar neste tipo de projectos. Deste modo, foi possível verificar que os projectos em estudo seguiam um modelo de desenvolvimento integrado. Este facto é um dos motivos de sucesso dos projectos, pois torna-os eficazes na resolução dos problemas locais. Relativamente à mobilização da população, verificou-se que esta é cada vez maior. Os cidadãos demonstram, cada vez mais, uma preocupação e sentido de pertença pelo espaço público, e a sua cooperação com as autoridades locais e a participação nas acções a realizar para a execução dos projectos é visível de uma forma crescente na nossa sociedade. A colaboração de um Engenheiro do Ambiente foi verificada em alguns dos projectos, sendo que noutros essa participação não ocorreu. No entanto, considera-se que a colaboração do Engenheiro do Ambiente é sempre uma mais-valia para este tipo de projectos devido às suas competências profissionais e ao contributo que pode oferecer para a sua realização e sucesso

Análise da experiência turística associada ao sal: as suas dimensões e fatores influenciadores

O aproveitamento e comercialização de produtos locais tem-se revelado uma estratégia de crescimento para o setor do turismo. Algumas empresas turísticas têm, por isso, apostado nas potencialidades destes produtos para alargarem e impulsionarem os seus negócios, criando novas formas de atratividade como experiências turísticas associadas a produtos locais. Apesar de já existirem alguns estudos sobre a experiência turística com alguns produtos locais, como o vinho, o azeite e a cerveja, entre outros, não se conhece investigação sobre as experiências com o sal. Por isso, com a presente dissertação pretende-se caraterizar a experiência turística associada ao sal, identificando as suas dimensões, assim como identificar os fatores que influenciam esta experiência. Para alcançar estes objetivos, foi feita, primeiramente, uma revisão de literatura do conceito de experiência e experiência turística, das dimensões e fatores influenciadores da experiência turística com produtos locais, bem como dos produtos turísticos relacionados com o sal. Foi feita a caraterização do contexto de estudo, constituído pelos produtos turísticos associados ao sal com maior visibilidade. Neste contexto, procedeu-se a uma análise dos produtos turísticos relacionados com o sal oferecidos por diversas empresas, designadamente nos concelhos de Aveiro, Castro Marim, Figueira da Foz, Loulé e Rio Maior. Posteriormente, foi realizado um estudo empírico com o objetivo de analisar as dimensões das experiências turísticas relacionadas com o sal oferecidas pelas empresas que constituem o contexto de estudo anteriormente descrito. Neste estudo utilizou-se a netnografia, tendo-se analisado os comentários referentes às organizações que operam nos destinos selecionados, disponíveis na rede social online TripAdvisor (296 comentários feitos entre setembro de 2013 e maio de 2021). Os resultados permitiram perceber que as dimensões das experiências turísticas relacionadas com o sal mais referidas pelos visitantes foram a dimensão emocional, seguida da dimensão comportamental. Por sua vez, os fatores influenciadores mais mencionados dizem respeito a outras atrações relacionadas com o sal, como as lojas, spas e museus, seguidos da paisagem associada ao sal. A dissertação permite ainda chegar a diversas conclusões sobre as experiências e os fatores que as influenciam, tendo-se, também, observado que o impacte das diversas dimensões da experiência e dos diversos fatores influenciadores, na experiência global, varia consoante as dimensões da experiência e os fatores. O trabalho termina com as principais conclusões, apontando algumas implicações para o setor e para os gestores de destinos turísticos ligados ao sal.The use and sale of local products has proved to be a growth strategy for the tourism sector. Some tourist companies have, therefore, invested on the potential of these products to expand and boost their businesses, creating new forms of attractiveness such as tourist experiences associated with local products. Although there are already some studies on the tourist experience with some local products, such as wine, olive oil and beer, among others, there is no known research on experiences with salt. Therefore, this dissertation intends to characterize the tourist experience associated with salt, identifying its dimensions, as well as identifying the factors that influence this experience. To achieve these goals, a literature review of the concept of experience and tourist experience, the dimensions and influencing factors of the tourist experience with local products, as well as of tourist products related to salt, was carried out first. The study context was characterized, consisting of tourist products associated with salt with greater visibility. In this context, an analysis was carried out of tourist products related to salt offered by various companies, namely in the municipalities of Aveiro, Castro Marim, Figueira da Foz, Loulé and Rio Maior. Subsequently, an empirical study was carried out in order to analyze the dimensions of tourist experiences related to salt offered by companies that constitute the context of the study described above. In this study, netnography was used, and comments referring to organizations operating in selected destinations, available on the online social network TripAdvisor, were analyzed (296 comments made between September 2013 and May 2021). The results showed that the dimensions of tourist experiences related to salt most mentioned by visitors were the emotional dimension, followed by the behavioral dimension. In turn, the most mentioned influencing factors are related to other attractions related to salt, such as shops, spas and museums, followed by the landscape associated with salt. The dissertation also allows to reach some conclusions about the experiences and the factors that influence them, having also observed that the impact of the various dimensions of the experience and the various influencing factors, on the overall experience, varies according to the dimensions of the experience and the factors. The work ends with the main conclusions, pointing out some implications for the sector and for managers of tourist destinations linked to salt.Mestrado em Gestão e Planeamento em Turism

Justiça restaurativa na garantia do direito à educação: natureza, finalidades e instrumentos

A presente dissertação busca apresentar a Justiça Restaurativa como uma ferramenta possível na garantia do direito à educação no Brasil e em Portugal. Procura elencar a natureza, finalidades e instrumentos da Justiça Restaurativa para sua aplicação no âmbito da educação. Para isso, dividiu-se o trabalho em quatro capítulos, o primeiro capítulo detém-se ao estudo do tema a partir de uma análise histórica da Justiça Restaurativa no âmbito jurídico e educacional com seus princípios norteadores no ordenamento luso-brasileiro. O segundo capítulo analisa as normas legais internacionais que embasam o ordenamento luso-brasileiro referente à garantia do direito à educação. No terceiro capítulo será apresentada a Justiça Restaurativa como ferramenta de enfrentamento da violência e garantia do direito à educação, apresentando os desafios e possibilidades na realidade luso-brasileira. Por fim, o quarto capítulo trata de programas de Justiça Restaurativa como política pública de enfrentamento da violência e garantia de direitos no âmbito da educação no Brasil e em Portugal. Como metodologia de pesquisa para desenvolvimento desta dissertação, utilizou-se o método de abordagem dedutivo e dialético. No que se refere ao procedimento, os métodos adotados foram o histórico, o comparativo e o estudo de caso, através da apresentação de alguns programas existentes no Brasil e em Portugal. As técnicas de pesquisa utilizadas foram a bibliográfica e documental