Portuguese science scholars visiting Europe in the Beginning of 20th Century Engaging in the plans of Junta de Educação Nacional [Portuguese Board of Education]

In Portugal, since the end of the eighteen century, science professors at superior schools made scientific voyages through Europe. In 19th century, the country possessed two Polytechnic Schools, at Lisbon and Oporto, and one University in Coimbra, already centenary (1290). In the firsts decades of 20th century the Portuguese Governments tried to implement reforms at the superior education. In 1907 it ordered the establishment of grants to subsidize visits abroad, hoping to contribute to the development of the country. The superior schools were in charge of all the administrative process and they distributed the grants only among their scholars. Few professors had made those trips. Meanwhile, the republican movement appealed to the improvement of the country through progress and in 1911 they made a big reform on University. The professor’s visits abroad were also here but not many were undertaken. Besides the University or Coimbra there were created two new universities, at Lisbon and Oporto, based on the previous Polytechnical Schools. It was just after 1929 that we assist to the intensification of visits abroad, due to the work of Junta de Educação Nacional (JEN) [National Education Board]. JEN’s main objectives were to support, manage and promote the scientific research in Portugal. One of its main tasks was to provide grants to foreign countries. This was intended to comprehend all scholar population and not only to the university one. However, later on the majority of grant holders was attached at a superior school as professor or professor assistant. In the period 1929-1938 (roughly JEN’s first decade) the grants to foreign countries were around 32 by year. England, France and Germany were the countries more frequently chosen. Furthermore, there were grant holders going to Switzerland, Italy, Belgium, Poland, Yugoslavia, Spain and United States. So, Portuguese grant holders were visiting Central Europe, but also equally the western one. Grants to foreign countries covered a great scope of disciplines, from Astronomy to Zoologie and the preferred countries varied accordingly with those disciplines. The scientific activities developed by grant holders varied accordingly with their objectives and the period of time to accomplish them, as agreed with JEN. Those activities could be of different types, as apprenticeships, stages, voyages, or just taking a quick look to surroundings, so the expression “visit” abroad has a vast range of meanings. At our work we are studying JEN’s activities related with the service of grants abroad. Based on JEN grant’s information, we can take grant holders as professors of superior schools and the expression “visiting” abroad would have a great scope directed to the activities developed during the grant period. Then, JEN’s study would highlight us about the “visit professor” phenomena. (This work is part of the Project “The Scientific Research in Portugal between two world wars and the organization of a National Board of Education” financed by: FEDER Funds as Operacional Program of competitiveness factors (COMPETE) and by National Funds throught FCT project HC/0077/2009

Desenvolvimento do ensino da física experimental em Portugal 1780-1870

Doutoramento em FísicaNo presente trabalho apresentam-se os resultados da análise e interpretação relativos ao desenvolvimento do ensino da Física Experimental na Universidade de Coimbra e na Escola Politécnica de Lisboa no período compreendido entre 1780 e 1870. Tiveram-se em consideração os professores envolvidos, os métodos de ensino, os livros de texto e os instrumentos usados e adquiridos, procurando destacar-se a vertente experimental da disciplina. Relativamente à Universidade de Coimbra, apresenta-se ainda uma análise sobre os temas sorteados para os exames, referindo a sua correspondência com os livros de texto, o seu carácter experimental e a introdução de temas modernos. Examinam-se também os documentos de avaliação dos alunos que preparavam a sua licenciatura, uma vez que também contribuem para a caracterização do ensino da Física Experimental. A tipologia dos aparelhos adquiridos, considerada ainda em termos da sua aplicação ou utilidade, data de concepção e possíveis influências exercidas sobre a sua aquisição é apresentada, tendo como referência as duas instituições de ensino portuguesas analisadas. Os espaços condicionantes do trabalho experimental a desenvolver são considerados, particularmente no que se refere ao seu melhoramento e adequação às finalidades a que se destinam. As viagens científicas realizadas pelos professores e a sua influência na actualização do ensino da Física são um factor importante neste processo, contribuindo para a introdução de novos métodos de ensino, nomeadamente o recurso à projecção de fenómenos, à realização de “prelecções livres” e à realização de trabalhos práticos pelos alunos. Referem-se ainda brevemente o número de alunos e os problemas de emprego, a aquisição de publicações, as reformulações curriculares e os problemas de aprendizagem. Centra-se a atenção nos trabalhos realizados pelos professores, de que se destaca o projecto de realização sistemática de observações meteorológicas e magnéticas, com a instituição de observatórios, tanto na Universidade de Coimbra como na Escola Politécnica de Lisboa. Nesta última instituição considera-se o desenvolvimento de uma “escola de investigação” no âmbito daquelas observações. Faz-se ainda uma análise comparativa do desenvolvimento do ensino da Física Experimental entre as instituições portuguesas que foram consideradas e algumas outras instituições europeias equivalentes, principalmente em França, na Inglaterra, na Escócia e na Alemanha.This work aims to present the results of the analysis and interpretation of the development of experimental physics teaching at the Universidade de Coimbra and Escola Politécnica de Lisboa during the 1780-1870 period. Several factors were taken into consideration, namely the professors, the teaching methods, the used and acquired textbooks and instruments, trying to stand out the disciplines experimental field. Regarding the University of Coimbra it is also presented an analysis on the subjects that were drawn out in a raffle for the exams, referring its relation with textbooks, its experimental character and the introduction of modern themes. The evaluation documents of licence students are also examined, as they contribute to characterize the teaching of Experimental Physics. The typology of the acquired instruments, as well as its usefulness, date of conception and possible acquisition influences, are also presented, using as reference these two Portuguese teaching institutions. The spaces where the experimental work should be developed were also approached, namely concerning the improvements held in the rooms bound for the experiences. The scientific trips taken by the professors and their influence in the updating of the physics teaching are an important factor in this process, while contributing to the introduction of new teaching methods, namely the projection of phenomena, the performing of “free lectures” and the development of students’ practical works. There is also a brief reference to the number of students involved, some employment problems, to the acquisition of periodics and books, to curricular reforms and learning difficulties. It is given a special attention to the works carried out by professors, standing out the project of systematic magnetic and meteorological observations, held in the observatories set up at the Universidade de Coimbra and at Escola Politécnica de Lisboa. In this last institution, the development of a “research school” is considered in the scope of those observations. It is also performed a comparative analysis between these two Portuguese institutions and some other equivalent European institutions, namely in France, in England, in Scotland and in Germany

The role of Physicists in the «rebirth of a scientific movement» in Portugal during the inter war period

The advent of Republic in 1910 brought important higher education reforms in Portugal. In spite of strong political and financial difficulties in the next two decades, Portuguese universities supported graduation studies of young physics teachers abroad. However these relevant initiatives Portuguese republican government was not successful in creating a national institution able to promote and funding the organization of scientific research. Only in 1929 the government was able to set up this kind of institution, the “National Board of Education” [Junta de Educação Nacional], with the aim of funding research centres in the universities, as well as of providing grants for students to continue their studies at advanced level both at home and abroad. In the thirties an important group of young researchers went on to study in universities and laboratories of European advanced scientific countries, where some of them got their PhD degree. In Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics the school more demanded was Paris University. During this period Curie’s laboratory received an important group of Portuguese students. After four years stay abroad, having established important international scientific links, back at home, some of these young scientists played an important role in their universities promoting a rebirth of a scientific movement. This lasted till the end of the Second World War, when a good number of them were dismissed from their positions because of their active opposition to Salazar’s regime. Arriving home having experienced living in cities with intense political activity, some of these young scientists demonstrated a strong political commitment against the dictatorship regime and supported important activity in scientific associations and cultural organizations. The study of the scientific, cultural and political activity of this group is the purpose of this communication

Estudo da prevalência de anomalias congênitas em neonatos nascidos vivos em Dourados-MS/ Study of the prevalence of congenital anomalies in neonates born live in Dourados-MS

Os neonatos com anomalias congênitas e seus familiares necessitam de atendimento especializado, conforme a condicionalidade dos mesmos. Para planejamento e implementação de programas em saúde para atender essa população, são necessários estudos para caracterizar os tipos de anomalias. Nesse sentido, este estudo tem como objetivo verificar a prevalência de anomalias congênitas em neonatos nascidos vivos em Dourados-MS. Para isso, foi realizado estudo transversal com coleta de dados públicos no sitio eletrônico do Ministério da Saúde no período de 2013 a 2017, município de Dourados, Mato Grosso do Sul. Verificou-se que dos nascidos vivos (n=19.503), 0,90% apresentaram algum tipo de anomalia congênita, e a que apresentou maior prevalência foram as malformações não especificadas na base de dados (34,66%) e outras malformações e deformações do aparelho osteomuscular (20,45%). Com isso, existe baixa prevalência de anomalia entre os neonatos nascidos vivos em Dourados ou existe subnotificação devido à ausência de diagnóstico, o que pode ser um risco a vida desses neonatos. Ressalta-se a importância do diagnostico precoce e a educação em saúde para capacitar os profissionais no atendimento dos pais e familiares dos casos de anomalias congênitas

Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear un derstanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5–7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8–11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world’s most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepre sented in biodiversity databases.13–15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may elim inate pieces of the Amazon’s biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological com munities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple or ganism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region’s vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most ne glected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lostinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear understanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5,6,7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8,9,10,11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world's most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepresented in biodiversity databases.13,14,15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may eliminate pieces of the Amazon's biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological communities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple organism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region's vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most neglected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lost

Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear understanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5,6,7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8,9,10,11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world's most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepresented in biodiversity databases.13,14,15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may eliminate pieces of the Amazon's biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological communities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple organism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region's vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most neglected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lost

ATLANTIC ANTS: a data set of ants in Atlantic Forests of South America

International audienc

Characterisation of microbial attack on archaeological bone

As part of an EU funded project to investigate the factors influencing bone preservation in the archaeological record, more than 250 bones from 41 archaeological sites in five countries spanning four climatic regions were studied for diagenetic alteration. Sites were selected to cover a range of environmental conditions and archaeological contexts. Microscopic and physical (mercury intrusion porosimetry) analyses of these bones revealed that the majority (68%) had suffered microbial attack. Furthermore, significant differences were found between animal and human bone in both the state of preservation and the type of microbial attack present. These differences in preservation might result from differences in early taphonomy of the bones. © 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved