Are the effects of unreal violent videogames pronounced when playing with a virtual reality system?

This study was conducted to analyze the short-term effects of violent electronic games, played with or without a virtual reality (VR) device, on the instigation of aggressive behavior. Physiological arousal (heart rate (HR)), priming of aggressive thoughts, and state hostility were also measured to test their possible mediation on the relationship between playing the violent game (VG) and aggression. The participants—148 undergraduate students—were randomly assigned to four treatment conditions: two groups played a violent computer game (Unreal Tournament), and the other two a non-violent game (Motocross Madness), half with a VR device and the remaining participants on the computer screen. In order to assess the game effects the following instruments were used: a BIOPAC System MP100 to measure HR, an Emotional Stroop task to analyze the priming of aggressive and fear thoughts, a self-report State Hostility Scale to measure hostility, and a competitive reaction-time task to assess aggressive behavior. The main results indicated that the violent computer game had effects on state hostility and aggression. Although no significant mediation effect could be detected, regression analyses showed an indirect effect of state hostility between playing a VG and aggressio

Voltammetric study and electrochemical degradation of reactive dyes

The aim of this study was, in a first stage, to investigate the voltammetric behavior of two reactive dyes, C.I.Reactive Orange 16 and C.I.Reactive Blue 19. Cyclic voltammetry technique (CV), on a glassy carbon electrode, was used for this purpose in order to identify the electrochemical activity of the chromophore group in each case, in the present experimental conditions. A second part of the study was to investigate the electrochemical degradation of the dyes, in the presence of hydrogen peroxide and copper ions. The reaction between the two species leads to the generation of hydroxyl radicals, which causes the oxidation and degradation of the organic compounds. The efficiency of dye degradation and ecolorization were evaluated by color removal and COD values. Depending on electrolysis time, applied potential, hydrogen peroxide concentration and dye concentration, different stages of color removal were attained

No Place for Pointless Jobs: How Social Responsibility Impacts Job Performance

We address the question of how organizations’ practices of social responsibility impact their employees’ job performance. Independent studies have shown that job performance is influenced by how employees perceive the organization they work for and how they perceive the work they perform for the organization. Moreover, studies on the relationship between social responsibility and job performance have shown that employees’ perceptions of their organization mediate the relationship. What is thus far neglected, however, is whether and how their perceptions of work itself mediate the relationship as well. We derive a sequential mediation model according to which social responsibility improves job performance by contributing to a supportive and trustworthy work context (employees’ perceptions of the organization they work for), in turn promoting work meaningfulness and engagement (employees’ perceptions of work itself). We collect survey data and test the sequential mediation model against a series of alternative models, each of which challenges a specific assumption of the proposed model. Our model provides the best tradeoff between the accuracy and the parsimony with which it describes the data collected, and is, therefore, expected to generalize best to other data.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

sanidade avícola contribui para o crescimento da produção de aves.

Projeto: 11.11.11.111

Coordenação e habilidades motoras. Associação com o crescimento físico humano, atividade física e fatores de envolvimento

o objetivo da presente pesquisa foi duplo: (1) analisar as diferenças entre sexos na coordenação motora (CM) e habilidades motoras (HMs) e (2) investigar a associação de características somáticas, do envolvimento familiar e da atividade fisica na CM e HMs. A amostra foi constituída por 1632 sujeitos, 835 raparigas e 797 rapazes, 3-14 anos, que participaram no projeto de investigação intitulado 'Crescer com Saúde na Região Autónoma da Madeira' (CRES). A CM foi avaliada através da bateria ' Kõrperkoordinations Test für Kinder' (KTK) e as HMs a partir do 'Test of Gross Motor Development 2 (TGMD2). A altura, o peso corporal e 5 pregas de adiposidade subcutânea foram avaliadas/medidas. A atividade fisica foi avaliada através do questionário de Godin e Shephard. O estatuto socioeconómico (ESE), a fratria e as variáveis relacionadas com o espaço habitacional e práticas educativas foram recolhidas via questionário e em forma de entrevista. Os rapazes apresentaram melhores desempenhos do que as raparigas na CM e HMs de manipulação. Nos rapazes, 20.6 % apresentaram perturbações de coordenação, 45.0% insuficiência coordenativa, 34.2% coordenação normal e 0.2% coordenação boa. As percentagens para as raparigas foram de 44.9%,39.1%,15.8% e 0.1%, respetivamente. A altura, o peso corporal e a soma das pregas de adiposidade foram os principais preditores da CM e HMs. O peso corporal e a soma das pregas de adiposidade estavam negativamente associados à CM e HMs. As crianças ativas apresentaram melhores desempenhos na CM e HMs de manipulação. As crianças do ESE elevado foram mais proficientes do que os seus pares dos ESE médio e baixo nos testes de CM e HMs. O tipo de brinquedos, a ordem de nascimento, o tipo de habitação, o limite geográfico, o número de assoalhadas e a existência de um parque, terraço, jardim ou quintal junto à habitação foram preditores da CM e HMs. Programas de intervenção para elevar os níveis de CM e HMs devem incidir na redução da gordura corporal, aumento dos níveis de atividade fisica e melhoria de outras características de envolvimento, tais como o ESE e as características da habitação

Amino acids based on 2,4,5-triarylimidazoles: synthesis and evaluation as new chemosensors for ion recognition

Sciforum Electronic Conference Series, Vol. 17, 2013, b015N-tert-butyloxycarbonyl-4-formylphenylalanine methyl ester and appropriate heterocyclic diones were used in the synthesis of novel fluorescent unnatural amino acids, namely 2,4,5-triarylimidazolyl-alanines. These new compounds were fully characterised by the usual spectroscopic techniques, such as IR and NMR. The photophysical properties of the amino acids were evaluated by UV-Vis absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy in solvents of different character. Interaction studies with biologically and analytically important ions such as F-, OH-, Cu2+ and Fe3+, through spectrophotometric and spectrofluorimetric titrations were carried out to assess their potential as chemosensors.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT

Comparative study on pilling resistence standard methods

Textile fabrics are prone to develop balls of fibre on the surface, which are known as pills. The pills are formed during wear and washing, when fibres on the fabric surface “tease out” and become entangled. Under the influence of the rubbing action these loose fibres develop into small spherical bundles anchored to the fabric by a few unbroken fibres. Such a surface deterioration is generally undesirable, but the degree of consumer tolerance for a given level of pilling will depend on the garment type and fabric end use

Phylogenetic analysis of Infectious Bursal Diseases Virus in South Brazil.

Projeto/Plano de Ação: 02.09.01.030