Reading comprehension predictors in adulthood: a study on European Portuguese

A maioria dos estudos sobre os preditores da compreensão leitora tem sido realizada com crianças em idade escolar e falantes de Inglês (ortografia opaca), o que representa uma limitação dada a impossibilidade de generalizar os resultados para populações adultas com ortografias de maior transparência. No presente estudo, recorrendo a path analysis, foram testadas duas versões do modelo Simple View of Reading (SVR; simples e alargada – com inclusão de fluência de leitura e vocabulário). Modelos de mediação adicionais foram igualmente testados para verificar se os efeitos da nomeação rápida automatizada, descodificação fonológica, consciência fonológica, consciência morfológica e memória de trabalho na compreensão leitora seriam diretos ou mediados pela leitura de palavras e fluência de leitura. Foi utilizada uma amostra de 67 jovens adultos (estudantes universitários) Portugueses, considerados leitores normativos. No modelo SVR simples, a compreensão da linguagem oral e a leitura de palavras explicaram cerca de 27% da variância na compreensão leitora, com o primeiro elemento a apresentar um efeito superior. No entanto, esta diferença não foi estatisticamente significativa. No modelo SVR alargado, fluência de leitura e vocabulário proporcionaram uma contribuição adicional significativa de variância explicada de 7%. Ademais, o vocabulário influenciou a compreensão leitora de forma direta e indireta - através da compreensão da linguagem oral. Nos modelos de mediação finais, a hipótese de mediação total foi rejeitada, e apenas a consciência morfológica apresentou um efeito direto na compreensão leitora. Estes resultados representam evidências preliminares de que o SVR (com a possível adição do vocabulário) pode ser um modelo fiável em populações adultas normativas e em ortografias semitransparentes. Além disso, a compreensão da linguagem oral e o vocabulário foram os melhores preditores na amostra em estudo, pelo que se sugere a sua promoção, de forma a obter melhorias nos níveis de compreensão leitora, nesta população.Most studies on the predictors of reading comprehension have been using samples of school-aged children and English speaking (considered an opaque orthography) readers, which represents a possible gap in the literature, since it is not possible to generalize the results to adult populations and other orthographies with different degrees of transparency. In the present study, through path analysis, two versions of the Simple View of Reading (SVR; simple and extended – with reading fluency and vocabulary) model were tested. Likewise, additional mediation models were tested to verify if the effects of rapid automatized naming, phonological decoding, phonological awareness, morphological awareness and working memory on reading comprehension were direct or mediated by word reading and reading fluency. A sample of 67 young adults (university students), considered to be normative readers, was utilized. In the simple SVR model, oral language comprehension and word reading explained about 27% of the variance in reading comprehension, with the first element displaying a larger effect. However, this difference was not statistically significant. In the extended SVR model, reading fluency and vocabulary provided an additional and significant contribution of 7% of explained variance. Moreover, vocabulary influenced reading comprehension directly and indirectly – via oral language comprehension. In the final mediation models, the total mediation hypothesis was rejected, and only morphological awareness had a direct effect on reading comprehension. These results provide preliminary evidence that the SVR (with the possible addition of vocabulary), might be a reliable model to explain reading comprehension in adult normative readers speaking a semitransparent orthography. Furthermore, oral language comprehension and vocabulary were the best predictors in the studied sample, so it is suggested that they should be promoted, as a way of increasing reading comprehension levels, in this population

Ion-beam sources based on superionic solid electrolytes

An ion emitter consisting of a sharp silver tip covered in RbAg4I5 solid electrolyte film has been developed and studied. An accelerating potential is applied and Ag+ ions are emitted from the tip’s apex by field evaporation. The emitted ions are collected by a Faraday cup, producing a current on the pico/nanoampere level which is read by an electrometer. The tips were produced mechanically by sandpaper polishing. The sharpest tip produced had a 2:4 m apex radius. Two deposition methods were studied: thermal vacuum and pulsed laser deposition. The best tip produced a peak current value of 96nA at 180oC, and a quasi-stable 4nA emission current at 160oC, both using an extraction potential of 10kV . The emission dependence on time, temperature and accelerating potential has been studied. Deposited films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), profilometry, optical and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Secondary Ion Mass Spectroscopy (SIMS) measurements. Several ion emitters were developed, the latter ones were all able to maintain stable high ion emissions for long periods of time. This investigation was a continuation of an ongoing project backed by the European Space Agency, with the objective of making a proof of concept of this kind of ion emitter with potential application on ion thrusters for orbiting satellites. Going forward, it would be interesting to make a finer analysis of the electrolyte’s conductivity at high temperatures, explore Wien Effect-based emission and to further develop a multi-tip ion emitter prototype

Tai Chi training can improve postural control

[EN] A traditional Chinese form of physical activity is Tai Chi Chuan (TCC)

Interacting and making personalized recommendations of places of interest to tourists

Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing, 353Nowadays, applications that are developed to support tourists should go much further than simply providing information about places or recommending places or routes based on the user location. They should be able to provide users with simple mechanisms to interact with places of interest and provide them with relevant information and recommendations about new relevant places of interest or tours according to their preferences and the preferences of other tourists with similar interests. In this work we describe a system that explores information about tourists’ interactions with places of interest and their opinions about each place, to recommend new places of interest, pedestrian tours and to promote products and services which are in accordance with their expectations. First experiments show that the system can help the tourists to interact with places of interest, helping them in their visits and also to promote shops and services

Communication and internationalization plan for Pinhal da Torre

A presente tese de mestrado é um projeto associado a uma empresa do sector vitivinícola, com o nome de Pinhal da Torre. Localizada em Alpiarça, na região do Tejo (aproximadamente a 90 km de Lisboa), esta empresa tem vindo a apostar desde o seu início na atividade vinícola, na expansão para mercados internacionais, deixando o Mercado português para trás devido à sua saturação. O seu sucesso tem vindo a crescer e a constante aposta em mercados internacionais e reconhecimento granjeado por parte de destacadas personalidades e organizações importantes desta indústria tem vindo a demonstrá-lo. Este projeto destina-se à elaboração e preparação de mais uma iniciativa de internacionalização em conjunto com ações de comunicação, desta vez para o mercado russo, uma vez que é um dos mercados com bastante potencial e cada vez mais procurado por empresas portuguesas. É um projeto baseado na realidade da empresa, com o objectivo de fomentar a sua imagem internacional e fornecer à empresa informações e conhecimentos não só a nível do mercado mas também a nível de estratégias de marketing, uma vez que é uma das lacunas. Todas as ações e estratégias desenvolvidas foram adequadas ao objetivo da empresa Pinhal da Torre, de forma a poderem ser postas em prática num futuro próximo.The present master’s thesis is a project associated with a company in vine sector, which name is Pinhal da Torre, and is located in Alpiarça in Tejo region (approximately 90 km from Lisbon). Since the beginning of vine activity, the company bet on expansion to international markets, leaving the Portuguese market behind due to his saturation. The success has been increasing and the constant bet on international markets and the recognition by important personalities and organizations in this area has shown it. This project is intended to development and preparation of one more internationalization initiative coupled with a set of communication actions, this time to Russian market, once is one of the potential and each time more requested markets by Portuguese companies. Is a company reality-based project, with the objective of projecting his international image and supply information’s and knowledge’s to the company not only at Russian market level, but also at the level of marketing strategies, which is a level that company has some barriers. In this way all actions and strategies developed were thought according to the objective of the company, in order to be applicable in a near future

Personalized care and treatment compliance in chronic conditions

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio