The use of virtual environments as an extended classroom – A case study with adult learners in tertiary education

This study was conducted in immersive 3D virtual environment Second Life®, with the support of web 2.0 tools as a complement to physical classroom - extended classroom. It was assumed that socialization is a key factor for collaborative learning and knowledge construction. The study aims to identify the variables that may influence knowledge sharing in learning contexts using virtual environments; with the aim of contributing to the improvement of learning situations using the online tools. This research is exploratory in nature and falls within the field of phenomenological studies. The study was implemented in a tertiary education institution involving regular and adult learners. We conclude that in virtual environments learners tend to feel more confident, open, participatory, creative, understanding and seem to participate in training sessions because they are indeed interested in learning. On the other hand, the possibility of providing online tutorial session allows reaching a larger number of learners. These online sessions can be established in a time and place (virtual) free of constraints and can be tailored, allowing a more effective participation from learners.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The Humanities and the Digital

UIDB/05021/2020 UIDP/05021/2020The long history of human biological and cultural co-evolution has been, in its entirety, a history of the composition between the human and the non-human, a history of interactions and media- tions between the physical, biological, technological and symbolic dimensions of existence.The full recognition of this reality dictates the need for an extended ecological thinking that also imposes on the humanities. Their contribution to a general ecology is, in fact, crucial, as the latter cannot do without a critique of the Anthropos’s spiritual and cognitive primordiality and his exter- nalization in modes of perceiving, thinking and acting upon the world. Media studies have been central to this critique and to the post-human epistemology that emerged, in particular, through digital culture. Ecological thinking thus requires a cognitive ecol- ogy which, in turn, constitutes itself as a critique of mediation, increasingly necessary, as both cognition and existence are now permeated by informationalization, computation and algorithmic governance, forming a planetary scale digital environment.publishersversionpublishe

Storytelling as Media Literacy and Intercultural Dialogue in Post‐Colonial Societies

UIDB/05021/2020 UIDP/05021/2020This article reflects upon digital storytelling and collaborative media practices as valuable tools for reassessing memory, questioning identity discourses, and unveiling the cultural diversity of contemporary societies. The digital age allows for a constant re‐reading and re‐mediation of cultural archives by ordinary citizens, namely by younger generations, and for the production and dissemination of alternative narratives about the present. These are crucial opportunities for post‐colonial societies to overcome silences around difficult memories that hinder a collective reappropriation of the past, confront some of the current issues on ethnical diversity, and discrimination and reimagine a more inclusive identity. However, taking advantage of this opportunity implies fully recognizing the role of media technology in shaping memory, social individuation and establishing networks, making media literacy and media education crucial aspects of cultural dialogue. Based on the experience of a citizenship project about the post‐colonial condition and Afro‐European interculturality, this essay reflects on digital storytelling, and co‐creative practices as relevant literacy and education strategies for furthering interculturality in contemporary societies.publishersversionpublishe

Pathogen Strategies to Evade Innate Immune Response: A Signaling Point of View

An effective host defense against pathogens requires appropriate recognition of the invading microorganism by immune cells, conducing to an inflammatory process that involves recruitment of leukocytes to the site of infection, activation of antimicrobial effector mechanisms and induction of an adaptive immune response that ultimately will promote the clearance of infection. All these events require the coordination of multiple signaling pathways, initially triggered by the contact of the pathogen with innate immune cells. The “signal alarm” is normally triggered by ligation of microorganism, or microorganism’s components, to pattern-recognition receptors, causing their phosphorylation and recruitment of adapter molecules, which in turn will activate second messengers within the cytosol of the cells, allowing the transduction of the signal. The second messengers are often protein kinases that in a cascade process ultimately activate the transcription factors responsible for the expression of effector molecules like, cytokines, chemokines and reactive oxygen species, crucial elements to mount an adequate immune response. The activity of such critical intracellular signaling pathways is a process extremely well controlled by a balance of positive and negative regulation, being the activation of a given protein kinase normally counterbalanced by the activation of its opposing phosphatase. However, as part of their pathogenic strategies, several microorganisms exploit host cell signaling mechanisms by distorting this balance between positive and negative signals. They hijack crucial immunecell signaling pathways, subverting the immunogenic abilities of these cells and evading this way the host immune response. In the last few years a great effort has gone into understanding the molecular mechanisms behind this subversion, and various signaling cascades were identified as main targets of pathogens and virulence factors. Among these targets, assume particular importance the transcription factor nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), a cornerstone of innate immunity and inflammatory responses, as well as the mitogen activated protein kinases (MAPKs), signaling cascades implicated in the regulation of crucial aspects of immunity. Overall in this chapter, we will provide an overview of the current understanding of how pathogens interact with host cells and how these microorganisms exploit host immune response in a signaling point of view

Espaço, media e experiência. Na era do espaço virtual e do tempo real

As transformações da experiência, que a modernidade pensava fundamentalmente no tempo (como história, revolução e progresso), pensa-as a contemporaneidade numa relação intrínseca com o espaço. Na sociedade e na cultura em que as tecnologias da informação se tornam numa mediação generalizada da experiência, crescem de facto as alusões a uma relação fundamental com o espaço (mundialização, globalização, espaço virtual, telepresença). Esta reflexão interrogará a relação entre espaço, experiência e mediação, que encontra na nossa cultura outros momentos de grande significação histórica e cultural, como foram os da invenção da escrita ou ainda da perspectiva, que são também, a seu modo, reinvenções do espaço e agentes de uma espacialização da cultura. Mas nunca como hoje esse movimento fez vacilar de igual modo a nossa ideia de experiência e de realidade

Importancia del aprestamiento en Educación Inicial para la adquisición de la lectoescritura en niños y niñas del tercer nivel, del colegio San Luis del Municipio de Sébaco, durante el segundo semestre del año lectivo 2016

A través de la presente investigación se llevó a cabo el estudio del aprestamiento en Educación Inicial para la adquisición de aprendizaje. Se abordó específicamente la importancia del aprestamiento para la adquisición de la lectoescritura en niños y niñas del tercer nivel, del turno matutino; en el Colegio San Luis de Sébaco durante el curso escolar del II semestre del año 2016; con el objetivo de analizar los aspectos que hacen importante el aprestamiento en la adquisición de la lectoescritura en niños y niñas del tercer nivel de educación inicial. El valor de la temática abordada radica en el uso de estrategias para favorecer la adquisición de la lectoescritura en la etapa de aprestamiento, en niños y niñas de tercer nivel; ya que les permite brindarles oportunidades a los educandos para que exploren creativamente la escritura y la lectura. A su vez la ausencia de estas estrategias en las aulas de clase por falta de conocimiento del docente de los aspectos que por medio de un debido y correcto aprestamiento se favorece en esta etapa que el niño cursa. En conclusión se describe la importancia del aprestamiento para la adquisición de la lectoescritura en los niños y niñas de edad preescolar; ya que se estimulan las habilidades básicas y necesarias, para aprender leer y escribir. Además se identificó que la maestra utiliza pocas estrategias para el aprestamiento de la lectoescritura de los niños durante el desarrollo de la clase, también se propone una serie de actividades que le permiten al niño desarrollar habilidades necesarias para que construyan el placer por la lectura y escritur

Política Educacional : Ensino Médio e o lugar da Sociologia enquanto disciplina na Educação Básica

O presente trabalho destaca as políticas educacionais vinculadas à Educaçao Básica no país, mais especificamente aquelas direcionadas ao Ensino Médio e à situaçao da Sociologia nessa modalidade de ensino nas últimas décadas. A partir do aparato legal, verificou-se as políticas educacionais direcionadas ao Ensino Médio e os caminhos e objetivos percorridos pela legislaçao em suas diferentes nuances e períodos. Para isso,evidenciamos a Lei de Diretrizes e Bases da Educaçao Nacional no. 9.394/96 e as posteriores medidas tomadas pelos governos Fernando Henrique Cardoso e Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Num segundo momento, a partir das políticas dimensionadas para o Ensino Médio, abordamosa documentaçao legal que vincula a Sociologia enquanto disciplina a educaçao básica. Partindo do aparato educacional legal lançamos luz sobre a realidade escolar e o papel destinado à Sociologia no Ensino Médio, bem como seus desafio

The impact of energy prices on firms’ financial and environmental performance

This dissertation examines the impact of energy prices on firms’ financial and green performance. The analysis is conducted using firm-level data for more than 15 thousand firms of 14 different industries in Portugal between 2010 and 2017. The motivation behind this study is related with the growing importance of sustainability and the need of more environmental-friendly practices on business, furthermore, the absence of an empirical research exclusively for Portugal and the current energy crisis also inspire the realization of this work. The results show that increasing energy prices leads to a positive and significant effect on investment, however no significance for firms’ profitability and not a conclusive effect is found for overall employment. Moreover, the idea that higher energy prices induce companies towards more green practises does not hold, in fact for green investment and green employment no significance is found and for green revenues and green expenses, an increase in energy prices leads to a decrease in these variables. Additionally, an extension of the study to each industry and different energy dependence level is also performed to uncover some heterogeneity effects not shown in the aggregate results. The conclusions shed light on how and to what extent energy price affects firms and calls to policy makers to design a more comprehensive energy-policy that contributes to shifting firms to a greener state of business.A presente dissertação analisa o impacto dos preços da energia na performance financeira e ambiental das empresas. A análise é realizada usando dados ao nível da empresa para mais de 15 mil empresas de 14 indústrias diferentes em Portugal entre 2010 e 2017. A motivação por detrás deste estudo prende-se com a crescente importância da sustentabilidade e da necessidade de incorporação de práticas verdes nas empresas, adicionalmente a ausência de uma investigação empírica exclusiva a Portugal e a atual crise energética também inspiram a realização deste trabalho. Os resultados obtidos mostram que o aumento dos preços energéticos tem um efeito positivo e significativo no investimento das empresas, no entanto não têm um efeito significativo na rentabilidade e varia no que toca ao nível de emprego. Além disso, a ideia de que os aumentos dos preços energéticos induzem as empresas a práticas mais verdes não se verifica. De facto, para investimentos e emprego verde não foi encontrada significância nos resultados e no que respeita receitas e despesas verdes, um aumento nos preços da energia leva a uma diminuição das mesmas. A análise é também estendida para cada indústria e para diferentes níveis de dependência energética com o intuito de evidenciar alguns efeitos divergentes dos resultados gerais. As conclusões encontradas elucidam sobre como e em que medida o preço da energia afeta as empresas e apelam aos responsáveis políticos para que desenvolvam uma política energética mais abrangente que oriente as empresas a uma melhor performance ambiental

Integrating Ecological Principles for Addressing Plant Production Security and Move beyond the Dichotomy ‘Good or Bad’ for Nitrogen Inputs Choice

Mankind’s strong dependence on nitrogen (N) began when we started farming and, ever since, we have depended on nitrogen in the soil for plant production. More than a century has passed since the discovery of N as an element until the advent of synthetic fertilizers. Today, after a century of Haber–Bosch innovation, many other endeavors and challenges can be launched to understand how the effects of N in the environment can be perceived as ‘good’ or ‘bad’. All this knowledge evolution was truly dependent on the scientific advances, both technological and methodological, and particularly on the approaches at the micro and macro level. As with nearly everything in our lives (e.g., events, people, food, decisions, world history), we tend to use the dichotomy ‘good or bad’ to categorize, and scientific advances are no exception. The integration of scientific and technological advances allows us to move beyond this simple dichotomy ‘good or bad’ and to make choices. Here, we review the main marks in understanding plant nutrition throughout time, with special emphasis on N, from the Greeks to the most recent trends in the 21st century. Since improving plant N use efficiency is a main avenue to meet several Sustainable Developmental Goals (e.g., SDG2 zero hunger, SDG12 responsible production and consumption, SDG15 life on land), the European Green Deal, and The Farm to Fork strategy, we propose that the ecological principles must be integrated in agro-ecosystem management. During the last 40 years, our research group has contributed to: (i) the clarification of the so-called dichotomy of choices when it comes to the environmental effects of N; and (ii) fetching natural solutions for N manmade problems. This was based on the knowledge that life is a continuous symbiotic interplay between mutualism and parasitism depending on environmental conditions and that there is a need for feeding people, assuring food quality and diminishing environmental impacts. We argue that, as a society, we have the scientific and technological means to learn from nature and to apply the ecological rules in agro-ecosystems. However, this is a choice we must make as individuals and as a society.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio