"It's just one of the wonders of the world": James Donaghue in Under the Net

Analyis of the central character of Iris Murdoch's Under the Net as picaresque

Curricular articulation in higher education: an experience in initial teacher education

Curricular Articulation (CA) is undoubtedly a fundamental practice in the teaching-learning process. On the one hand, the construction of effective and solid knowledge implies holistic approaches at the level of disciplinary contents; on the other hand, it also implies a transversal intervention regarding the skills and abilities to be developed by students. Therefore, we advocate for a dynamic curricular conception in an integrative perspective to enable the promotion of significant learning. Based on these assumptions, this text is the result of an experiment conducted with 3rd year Basic Education students in a Polytechnic Institute in the North of Portugal in the academic year of 2019/2020. In this period, CA was carried out in two Curricular Units: one in the field of Portuguese Didactics, and the other one under internship conditions in Initiation to Professional Practice 3. By analyzing the study cycle, it is clear that there are contact points in terms of skills and content in this training process, which explains this experiment. Furthermore, the interconnection of knowledge, which will influence the students’ pedagogical practices in the future by providing them with experiences, is also considered fundamental. In methodological terms, this is an exploratory study, since it is the first experiment in this Curricular Unit involving both students and teachers. The results allow one to conclude that CA is seen in a very positive light by students, and it is undeniably an experience to be repeated by teachers. Students highlight the possibility of carrying out tasks, evaluative and reflective moments mutual to both Curricular Units, which allow them to articulate learning. In this sense, they consider the mobilization of knowledge, capacities, and skills relevant to both areas of utmost importance. They also highlight the use of certain resources which, built within the scope of one Curricular Unit, are (re)adapted in the light of the other, therefore enabling constant reorganization processes of high significance for future education professionals. In the same way, they also mention the development of significant learning which contributes to the construction of knowledge they consider fundamental. Furthermore, they consider this articulation to be necessary, as it allows them to experience model situations that can be mobilized for their future practice. The teachers mention the collaborative work involved as a strong point, namely in the planning of lessons and in the structuring of resources, highlighting the possibility of (re)building knowledge together.B217-9560-A2C5 | Ana Raquel Costa AguiarN/

Critical thinking: an experiment in initial teacher education

It is undeniable that educational institutions play an important role in any society’s development. It is expected for schools to contribute to people’s development in a whole, as well as to prepare students for the personal, professional, social, and economic challenges that a constant changing world demands. Such form of education involves building knowledge, developing dispositions, values, abilities, and skills, so that individuals can have a holistic understanding of the world, while also knowing when and how to act in all life’s challenging situations. Being aware of how to think and act critically from early on is particularly decisive in initial teacher education curricula, especially in the Curricular Unit “Initiation to Professional Practice 3”, which was attended by 3rd year students of Basic Education of a Polytechnic Institute in the North of Portugal, in the 2020/2021 academic year. This was achieved throughout appropriate strategies and methodologies, which were able to promote: (1) the development of the students’ critical skills, who will ultimately become future education professionals; (2) the development of the students’ sensitivity to understand the decisive role they have in shaping their potential students’ future; and (3) their empowerment as promoters of critical thinking. It was the first time that students and teachers worked in this Curricular Unit and, therefore, from a methodological point of view, it was openly and experimental endeavour. Based on the resources and guidelines made available, and after carrying out various training actions with children ranging between three and 10 years old, in this experiment, future teachers were suggested to identify different educational contexts and practices and were proposed to carry out an analysis, an evaluation and a reflection of and on several parameter Based on the resources and guidelines made available, and after carrying out various training actions with children ranging between the ages of three and 10, in this experiment, future teachers were suggested to identify different educational contexts and practices while also being advised to carry out an analysis, an evaluation and a reflection of and on several parameters Data were mainly collected from written records made by students and from conversations between them and/or between students and teachers. All of these took place in the classroom, where all tasks were monitored. By analysing the collected data, it was made clear that the cognitive processes were highlighted during the resolution of the aforementioned tasks. That said, a few higher-level tasks were performed with certain difficulty by the students. They have reacted positively to these tasks, even though they have often focused on the content of the work instead of focusing on the skills as expected. Students have valued the opportunity to get to know different contexts, as well as various educational resources and model practices that could be applied in their future careers. By recognizing the importance of training selective, assertive, and thoughtful professionals, the teaching team believes that the Curricular Internship Units allow students to reflect critically about several aspects that relate, either directly or indirectly, to education, as well as to the sharing of exemplary, inspiring, challenging, innovative, and context-appropriate educational practices, experiments and resources.B217-9560-A2C5 | Ana Raquel Costa Aguiarinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The effects of ionizing radiation on gut microbiota, a systematic review

Background: The human gut microbiota is defined as the microorganisms that collectively inhabit the intestinal tract. Its composition is relatively stable; however, an imbalance can be precipitated by various factors and is known to be associated with various diseases. Humans are daily exposed to ionizing radiation from ambient and medical procedures, and gastrointestinal side effects are not rare. Methods: A systematic search of PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases was conducted. Primary outcomes were changes in composition, richness, and diversity of the gut microbiota after ionizing radiation exposure. Standard methodological procedures expected by Cochrane were used. Results: A total of 2929 nonduplicated records were identified, and based on the inclusion criteria, 11 studies were considered. Studies were heterogeneous, with differences in population and outcomes. Overall, we found evidence for an association between ionizing radiation exposure and dysbiosis: reduction in microbiota diversity and richness, increase in pathogenic bacteria abundance (Proteobacteria and Fusobacteria), and decrease in beneficial bacteria (Faecalibacterium and Bifidobacterium). Conclusions: This review highlights the importance of considering the influence of ionizing radiation exposure on gut microbiota, especially when considering the side effects of abdominal and pelvic radiotherapy. Better knowledge of these effects, with larger population studies, is needed.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Ionizing radiation from radiopharmaceuticals and the human gut microbiota: An ex vivo approach

This study aimed to determine the effect of three widely used radiopharmaceuticals with intestinal excretion on selected relevant bacteria that are part of the human gut microbiota, using an ex vivo approach. Fecal samples obtained from healthy volunteers were analyzed. Each sample was divided into four smaller aliquots. One served as the non-irradiated control. The other three were homogenized with three radiopharmaceutical solutions ([131I]NaI, [99mTc]NaTcO4, and [223Ra]RaCl2). Relative quantification of each taxa was determined by the 2−ΔΔC method, using the ribosomal gene 16S as an internal control (primers 534/385). Twelve fecal samples were analysed: three controls and nine irradiated. Our experiment showed fold changes in all analyzed taxa with all radiopharmaceuticals, but results were more significant with I-131, ranging from 1.87–83.58; whereas no relevant differences were found with Tc-99m and Ra-223, ranging from 0.98–1.58 and 0.83–1.97, respectively. This study corroborates limited existing research on how ionizing radiation changes the gut microbiota composition, providing novel data regarding the ex vivo effect of radiopharmaceuticals. Our findings justify the need for future larger scale projects.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Le Temps Retrouvé no Cinema

Estudo comparativo entre o último tomo da obra À la recherche du temps perdu, de Marcel Proust (1871-1922), e a adaptação cinematográfica de Raoul Ruiz intitulada Le temps retrouvé (1999). O tema que orientará esta reflexão será o da criação artística na literatura e no cinema. A arte poderá ser apreendida como jogo, onde tempo e memória se revelam ingredientes essenciais na tentativa de aproximação entre o real e o ficcional.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

What about the Rogue? : survival and metamorphosis in contemporary british literature

Tese de doutoramento em Estudos Literários (Literatura Comparada), apresentada à Universidade de Lisboa através da Faculdade de Letras, 2008The present dissertation aims at giving an account of the significance of the rogue in contemporary British literature, focusing on this character's survival and metamorphosis particularly from the second half of the 20th century onwards. The thesis is divided into five sections, comprising three main chapters. The opening section is a general introduction showing the main steps in my approach to the subject under discussion and the attending methodology. In the first chapter I deal with the origins of the literature of roguery and the development of the rogue. Starting with the analysis of six previously selected novels, the second chapter studies the revival of the rogue mainly in the 1950s, adopting a comparative perspective. For this purpose I analyse and contextualise the following works: Joyce Cary's The Horse's Mouth (1944) and Iris Murdoch's Under the Net (1954); John Wain's Hurry on Down (1953), Kingsley Amis's Lucky Jim (1954), John Braine's Room at the Top (1957) and Allan Sillitoe's Saturday Night and Sunday Morning (1958). This section closes with an analysis of the transformations undergone by Bill Naughton's radio play, Alfie Elkins and His Little Life (1962), making manifest the multiple possibilities inherent in a character such as the rogue. My third chapter deals with fiction produced in Britain in the last decades of the second millennium and the beginning of a new one, focusing on Martin Amis' and Irvine Welsh's literary works. In their novels, especially Amis's Money: A Suicide Note (1984), London Fields (1989) and Yellow Dog (2003), and Welsh's trilogy Trainspotting (1993), Glue (2001) and Porno (2002), the rogue is an effective vehicle for both the depiction and the questioning of the society we live in. The conclusion brings together the main ideas developed in the thesis, concentrating on the characteristics of the rogue and the literature of roguery in the present. The dissertation closes with a section containing attachments and bibliography

Avaliação da interferência aerodinâmica entre as pás e a torre de uma turbina eólica

Tese de mestrado, Engenharia da Energia e do Ambiente, Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências, 2010Devido à crise energética e problemas ambientais, houve uma forte aposta na diversificação de recursos energéticos, particularmente nas energias renováveis, de forma a assegurar a diversidade e a segurança no abastecimento de energia. A Energia eólica é uma das mais promissoras, sendo utilizada em pequena e grande escala, maioritariamente em parques eólicos capazes de gerar grande quantidade de energia. O diâmetro do rotor tem aumentado significativamente ao longo dos anos, sendo necessário estudar os efeitos adversos que ocorrem nas pás durante a sua rotação. A interferência aerodinâmica que ocorre, quando as pás de uma turbina de eixo horizontal, se encontram próximas da torre, é designada efeito sombra. Este efeito provoca um défice da velocidade do vento causado pela obstrução da torre quando cada pá passa à frente dessa no seu movimento de rotação, causando perda de potência e vibrações na estrutura. Este efeito é mais significativo quando o rotor se encontra a jusante da torre, downwind, provocando flexões nas pás e contribuindo para o seu stress, aumentando o ruído. Para as turbinas com o rotor a montante, upwind, da torre este efeito é menos significativo sentindo-se no entanto oscilações significativas nos coeficientes aerodinâmicos da pá. O presente trabalho consistiu no estudo deste efeito através de ensaios em túnel de vento dos modelos da torre e da pá, e a determinação dos coeficientes aerodinâmicos desta para o escoamento não perturbado e para o escoamento afectado pelo posicionamento da torre, numa turbina upwind, considerando várias posições relativas da trajectória da pá quando esta passa em frente à torre. Para a realização dos ensaios utilizou-se um perfil alar 2D e um cilindro cujo diâmetro e afastamento da pá foram escalados a partir da pá, tomando a dimensão da corda como referência. Finalmente foram analisados os resultados e constatada a importância desta interferência aerodinâmica.Due to the energy crises and environmental problems the latest development in the energy sector reflected a strong focus on diversification of energy resources particularly in renewable energy in order to ensure diversity and security of energy supply. Wind energy is one of the most promising, being used on small and large scale; mainly in wind farms that can generate large amounts of energy. As the rotor diameter as increased significantly over the years is necessary to study the adverse effects that occur on the blades during their rotation. The aerodynamic interference that occurs when the rotor blades, of a horizontal turbine, are closer to the wind tower is known as tower shadow effect. This effect induces a wind speed deficit caused by obstruction of the tower when each blade passes in front of it during their rotation, causing a decrease of power and induced vibrations in the structure. This effect is more significant when the rotor is located downstream of the tower, downwind, causing inflections in the blades contributing to their stress and increasing the noise. For turbines with the rotor upstream, upwind, of the tower this interference is less significant. However there are significant oscillations in the blades aerodynamic coefficients. This work is to study this effect by testing in a wind tunnel, tower and blade models and to determine blade’s aerodynamic coefficients for undisturbed flow and for the flow affected by the tower, in a upwind turbine considering various positions on the trajectory of the blade as it passes in front of the tower. For the tests we used a 2D airfoil, and a cylinder whose diameter and spacing of the blade has been scaled from the blade, taking the dimension of the chord as a reference. Finally the results confirmed the importance of aerodynamic interference