Brincando às profissões : intervenção em desenvolvimento vocacional no 1.º ciclo

IX Congresso Ibero-Americano de Psicologia, 2.º Congresso da Ordem dos Psicólogos Portugueses. Lisboa, 9 a 13 de Setembro de 2014.Os estudos no âmbito do desenvolvimento vocacional na infância afiguram-se escassos (Araújo, 2009), nomeadamente em Portugal. A ausência de um espaço-tempo na escola e no currículo prefigura uma clara falta de intenção educativa neste domínio (Baptista & Costa, 2004). Porém, é neste período que, de acordo com alguns autores (Super, 1990; Faria & Macedo, 2004; Peixoto, 2003) os autoconceitos se desenvolvem, através de processos de identificação, e é também na infância que a fantasia e a imaginação cumprem um importante papel para esta vertente do desenvolvimento. Foi nesse enquadramento que, no âmbito do programa de estudos em Psicologia, se decidiu ensaiar, com supervisão tutorial, um conjunto de atividades destinadas a crianças do 1.º ciclo do ensino básico, com o objetivo de contribuir para o seu desenvolvimento vocacional. As atividades decorreram ao longo de quatro sessões de 90 minutos, num registo de adição ao currículo escolar, e procuraram promover o conhecimento de si através da ludicidade, otimizando as possibilidades geradas pela inventiva e curiosidade infantil. A intervenção foi pré-experimental, pois existiu um grupo único de sujeitos alvo, uma turma do 3.º ano. Houve, contudo, uma tentativa de caracterização / avaliação pré e pós intervenção, com dados quantitativos e qualitativos. Os resultados quantitativos não corresponderam ao inicialmente desejado, uma vez que não se notaram efeitos positivos na promoção dos autoconceitos das crianças. No entanto, os registos qualitativos são encorajadores, tanto na ótica da participação e adesão daquelas, como de propiciarem uma oportunidade para reflexão e reequacionamento da ação empreendida e respetivos procedimentos de avaliação

Upgrade of PVAc-based glues for their application in wet environments and in structures:an industry-involving project

Polyvinyl acetate (PVAc)-based glues are very common in the furniture and joinery industries, among others, quite probably because they are relatively cheap and very easy to handle and apply. However, as the mechanism of gluing lies on the absorption of water by wood or wood derivatives, having as a consequence the coalescence of the polymer, their application is restricted to wood with less than 12% moisture content. Regarding the topic of the research work presented in short here, common PVAC glues have also fluency, meaning this that, once hardened, they are not stiff enough to be applied in glulam, for example, intended for structures, nor are they suitable for permanent or semi-permanent moist environments. This latter is because PVAc glues are reversible; i.e., moisture brings them to more or less their original liquid state. The aim of this research work was to upgrade common PVAc glues offered in the market, hence expanding their range of applications and enlarging their market opportunities, by the application of new crosslinkers of polyurethane nature specifically synthesised for purposes of this kind. The assessment of the quality of the gluelines to wood was carried out according to the appropriated testing European standards. The European standard EN 204:2001 - Classification of thermoplastic wood adhesives for non-structural applications, establishes classes from D1 less resistance to high moisture content to D4 maximum resistance to moisture content. normal PVAc glues usually classifies D2 which indicates preferential uses in occasional water contact and moisture content always below 18 % (interior), meanwhile D3 or D4 allow more frequent contact with water and occasional higher moisture contents, as it happens in exterior covered uses. Modified PVAc glues with addition of crosslinkers allowed this type of glues to improve from D2 to D3, opening the possibility of competing with solvent emission glues. The research team, that involved a chemical company, a wood products company, a group of researchers on polymer chemistry and a group of researchers on wood products, was successful in obtaining a glue formulation of D3 quality. The results from industrial-scale trials will also be reported. Actually, the synergy among companies and R&D organisations will also be highlighted

Micro-oxygenation level as a key to explain the variation in the colour and chemical composition of wine spirits aged with chestnut wood staves

A deep knowledge of oxygenation level effect on wine spirits’ ageing is imperative to understand ageing chemistry and to select the most suitable technological option towards quality and sustainability. Following two articles on the same trial, this work focused on colour, total phenolic index (TPI) and basic chemical characteristics of a wine spirit aged in 50 L demijohns with chestnut wood staves together with three micro-oxygenation (MOX) levels. Chromatic characteristics and TPI were monitored over time (8–365 days) while sensory colour, alcoholic strength, acidity, pH and dry extract were assessed at the end of ageing. Results showed that stronger oxygenation promoted significantly faster colour evolution (lower lightness, higher chroma, red, yellow and brown hues) and higher TPI than mild and intermediate oxygenation until 60 days, probably by favouring the leaching of outer wood layers and extraction/degradation of tannins. No significant differences were found between these ageing modalities at 365 days. Outcomes suggest that the stronger MOX is the most suitable modality in terms of quality and sustainability. Significant differences between wine spirits resulting from MOX and control modality (slower colour evolution, lower TPI and dry extract) confirms the oxygen pivotal role in wine spirit’s ageing, particularly in the colour evolutioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Negative symptoms mediate the relationship between social cognition and functioning in schizophrenia: a pilot study

In spite of significant advances in pharmacological and psychological treatments, schizophrenia still ranks among the leading causes of disability worldwide. People suffering from schizophrenia have significant impairment in major areas of everyday life, such as interpersonal relationships, work or school and even self-care. Enhancing the understanding of factors that hinder real-life functioning is therefore crucial for translating delivered care into more positive outcomes. Social cognition, defined as the mental operations that underlie social interactions, including perceiving, interpreting, and generating responses to the intentions, dispositions, and behaviors of others, has been implicated in impaired functioning. It is typically broken down into four domains: emotion processing, social perception, attributional bias and theory of mind. Negative symptoms have also been associated with patients' functional outcome; although generally conceptualized as a unitary construct, the most recent literature suggests that these symptoms are heterogeneous and include at least two factors: amotivation and diminished emotional expression. The aim of this study was to analyze the relationships between negative symptoms, social cognition and real-life functioning in people with schizophrenia. Methods: 12 patients with diagnosis of schizophrenia according to ICD-10 criteria were assessed cross-sectionally regarding relevant dimensions to our study: general psychopathology (Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale), social cognition (Face and Emotion Identification Test, Schema Component Sequencing Test - Revised, Social Perception Scale, Ambiguous Intentions and Hostility Questionnaire, Reading the Mind in The Eyes Test), negative symptoms (Clinical Assessment Interview for Negative Symptoms – CAINS) and general functioning (Personal and Social Performance scale – PSP). Spearman correlations were examined and regression and mediation models (Preacher and Hayes bootstrapping methodology) were performed. Results: In our preliminary results, emotion processing was the only social cognition dimension significantly correlated with functioning (rS = .87) and negative symptoms measured by the CAINS: rS = -.78 with amotivation; -.70 with diminished emotional expression and -.78 with total CAINS score (all Po.01). Both amotivation and diminished emotional expression, as well as negative symptoms as a whole, correlated with functioning (rS4.80, Po.01). Emotion processing was a significant predictor of amotivation, diminished emotional expression and total CAINS score (all Beta4-.65, p o.05). Both emotion processing (Beta = .71, P = 0.3) and amotivation (Beta = -.84, P = 0.001) were significant predictors of functioning. Finally, amotivation was found to be a partial mediator of the relationship between emotion processing and functioning (BCA 95% CI = .196 - 7.559). Discussion: Our results are in partial agreement with previous studies suggesting that emotional processing is the most relevant dimension of social cognition to everyday functioning, despite a possible contribution of theory of mind for such impairment in patients with schizophrenia. Regarding negative symptoms, amotivation seems to be the dimension of most relevance to functioning. Altogether, negative symptoms seem to be driven by social cognition deficits and, at least partially, negative symptoms may play a role in the deleterious impact of impaired social cognition on functional outcome. The complexity of the crosstalk between negative symptoms, social cognition and functioning will be better addressed in ongoing studies, as a greater understanding of underlying mechanisms is critical to development of effective treatments

Programa clínico para o tratamento das perturbações da relação e da comunicação, baseado no Modelo D.I.R.

As perturbações do espectro autista enquadram-se no grupo de perturbações mais severas com que os profissionais em saúde mental infantil lidam, dadas as suas repercussões no funcionamento da criança em áreas como as da socialização, comunicação e aprendizagem e a incerteza relativamente ao prognóstico. S. Greenspan e colaboradores desenvolveram um modelo explicativo para estas perturbações baseado numa abordagem desenvolvimental e estruturalista e na certeza de que em todas as crianças existe alguma capacidade para comunicar e que essa capacidade depende do seu grau de motivação e de envolvimento afectivo. O Modelo D.I.R. (Desenvolvimento, Diferenças Individuais e Relação) é um modelo de intervenção resultante destes pressupostos teóricos que engloba a abordagem Floor-time e diferentes especialidades terapêuticas (integração sensorial, comunicação aumentativa).Através da Associação de Apoio à Unidade da Primeira Infância, foi criado um programa intensivo de intervenção clínica baseado nestes princípios. O artigo apresenta a descrição do programa, das crianças e da sua evolução em termos de desenvolvimento e adaptação social e emocional

Livro Verde dos Montados

O Livro Verde dos Montados apresenta diversos objectivos que se interligam: Em primeiro lugar, o Livro Verde pretende reunir e sistematizar, de uma forma simples e acessível ao público, o conhecimento produzido em Portugal pelos investigadores e técnicos de várias instituições de investigação ou de gestão que estudam o Montado. Assume-se como uma oportunidade de caracterizar o sistema tendo em conta as suas várias dimensões, identificando as principais ameaças à sua preservação assim como os caminhos que podem ajudar à sua sustentabilidade. Não sendo um documento científico, baseia-se no conhecimento científico e pretende constituir a base para uma plataforma de organização, tanto dos investigadores como do conhecimento científico actualmente produzido em Portugal sobre o Montado.Em segundo lugar, o Livro Verde deverá contribuir para um entendimento partilhado do que é o Montado, por parte do público, de técnicos e de especialistas, conduzindo a uma classificação mais clara do que pode ser considerado Montado e de quais os tipos distintos de Montados que podem ser identificados. Em terceiro lugar, o Livro Verde estabelece as bases para uma estratégia coordenada de disponibilização de informação sobre o sistema Montado, visando o seu conhecimento, apreciação e valorização pela sociedade portuguesa no seu conjunto. Deste modo, o Livro Verde poderá constituir um instrumento congregador e inspirador para a realização de acções de sensibilização e informação sobre o Montado. Em quarto lugar, pretende-se que o Livro Verde contribua para um maior reconhecimento e valorização do Montado como sistema, a nível do desenho das políticas nacionais por parte dos vários sectores envolvidos.Finalmente, o Livro Verde constituirá um documento parceiro do Livro Verde das Dehesas, produzido em Espanha em 2010, de forma a reforçar o reconhecimento e a devida valorização destes sistemas silvo-pastoris no desenho das estratégias e políticas relevantes pelas instituições europeias. Em suma, os autores pretendem que o Livro Verde dos Montados se afirme como o primeiro passo para uma efectiva definição e implementação de uma estratégia nacional para os Montados

Influenza seroprotection correlates with predominant circulating viruses during 2014/15 and 2015/16 seasons in Portugal

Rede Portuguesa de Laboratórios para o Diagnóstico da GripeBACKGROUND: Population immune profile for influenza is highly affected by circulating influenza viruses, thus changing the risk of infection for influenza. This study aims to assess influenza immunity in the Portuguese population by age groups, during 2014 and 2015 and establish a relationship between seroprotection and circulating influenza viruses in 2014/15 and 2015/16 seasons. METHODS: Two cross-sectional studies were developed based on a convenience serum sample collected in June 2014 (n=626) and July 2015 (n=675) in hospitals from mainland and Azores and Madeira.Serums equally represent all age groups. Antibody titers were evaluated by HI assay for strains recommended for seasonal influenza vaccine northern hemisphere,2014/15 and 2015/2016. Seroprevalences were estimated for each strain by age group and the association with seasonal cumulative influenza-like illness (ILI) rates for influenza virus during both seasons was analised. RESULTS: In June 2014 the highest seroprotection was observed for influenza A(H3) (39.0%; 95% CI: 36.2-43.8%) and A(H1)pdm09 (29.7; 95% CI: 26.3-33.4%), with higher levels in children 5-14 years old. In 2014/2015 a dominant circulation of influenza B/Yamagata was observed with high incidence rates in individuals under 65 years old, the ones that had lower seroprotection. Although before the start of the season high protection for A(H3) was observed, the circulation of the new drift A(H3) strains had gained an immunological advantage,in accordance with A(H3) elevated incidence rates observed during 2014/15. In July 2015 the highest seroprotection was observed for influenza B/ Yamagata (55.1%; 95% CI: 51.4-58.9%), 2.4 times the estimated 2014.This increase was even more pronounced in younger (≤ 4 years old), 6.3 times increase in 2015.This fact is in agreement with the predominant influenza B virus detected and the high ILI incidence rate observed in children during 2014/2015 epidemic. Seroprotection levels for influenza A in July 2015 were not significantly different from 2014.During 2015/16 season, influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 was predominant, with high incidence rate in < 65 year old. Influenza B/Victoria lineage,although detected at low levels increased in frequency, in agreement with the lowest level of seroprotection detected in the general population before the start of 2015/2016 season (21.8%; 95% CI: 18.7-24.0%). CONCLUSIONS There was a correlation between virus circulation, incidence rates for each age group and the previous seroprotection for seasonal influenza viruses.Our study highlights the value of measuring the serological profile for influenza to establishe risk groups for infection for which an increase preventive measures, including vaccination, should be fostered.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Viral genetic clustering and transmission dynamics of the 2022 mpox outbreak in Portugal

Pathogen genome sequencing during epidemics enhances our ability to identify and understand suspected clusters and investigate their relationships. Here, we combine genomic and epidemiological data of the 2022 mpox outbreak to better understand early viral spread, diversification and transmission dynamics. By sequencing 52% of the confirmed cases in Portugal, we identified the mpox virus sublineages with the highest impact on case numbers and fitted them into a global context, finding evidence that several international sublineages probably emerged or spread early in Portugal. We estimated a 62% infection reporting rate and that 1.3% of the population of men who have sex with men in Portugal were infected. We infer the critical role played by sexual networks and superspreader gatherings, such as sauna attendance, in the dissemination of mpox virus. Overall, our findings highlight genomic epidemiology as a tool for the real-time monitoring and control of mpox epidemics, and can guide future vaccine policy in a highly susceptible population.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

SARS-CoV-2 introductions and early dynamics of the epidemic in Portugal

Genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in Portugal was rapidly implemented by the National Institute of Health in the early stages of the COVID-19 epidemic, in collaboration with more than 50 laboratories distributed nationwide. Methods By applying recent phylodynamic models that allow integration of individual-based travel history, we reconstructed and characterized the spatio-temporal dynamics of SARSCoV-2 introductions and early dissemination in Portugal. Results We detected at least 277 independent SARS-CoV-2 introductions, mostly from European countries (namely the United Kingdom, Spain, France, Italy, and Switzerland), which were consistent with the countries with the highest connectivity with Portugal. Although most introductions were estimated to have occurred during early March 2020, it is likely that SARS-CoV-2 was silently circulating in Portugal throughout February, before the first cases were confirmed. Conclusions Here we conclude that the earlier implementation of measures could have minimized the number of introductions and subsequent virus expansion in Portugal. This study lays the foundation for genomic epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 in Portugal, and highlights the need for systematic and geographically-representative genomic surveillance.We gratefully acknowledge to Sara Hill and Nuno Faria (University of Oxford) and Joshua Quick and Nick Loman (University of Birmingham) for kindly providing us with the initial sets of Artic Network primers for NGS; Rafael Mamede (MRamirez team, IMM, Lisbon) for developing and sharing a bioinformatics script for sequence curation (https://github.com/rfm-targa/BioinfUtils); Philippe Lemey (KU Leuven) for providing guidance on the implementation of the phylodynamic models; Joshua L. Cherry (National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health) for providing guidance with the subsampling strategies; and all authors, originating and submitting laboratories who have contributed genome data on GISAID (https://www.gisaid.org/) on which part of this research is based. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not reflect the view of the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Health and Human Services, or the United States government. This study is co-funded by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia and Agência de Investigação Clínica e Inovação Biomédica (234_596874175) on behalf of the Research 4 COVID-19 call. Some infrastructural resources used in this study come from the GenomePT project (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-022184), supported by COMPETE 2020 - Operational Programme for Competitiveness and Internationalisation (POCI), Lisboa Portugal Regional Operational Programme (Lisboa2020), Algarve Portugal Regional Operational Programme (CRESC Algarve2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), and by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio