Influência de liderança no capital psicológico: um estudo qualitativo

Ser líder é exercer influência social, criar significados e transformar conceitos e fornecer grelhas interpretativas da realidade. Esse conceito de liderança no contexto social é um dos mais abrangentes. Um dos aspectos em que a influência social é expectável ser exercida, é na promoção de estados psicológicos positivos, nomeadamente naquilo que tem sido designado na literatura em psicologia Capital Psicológico (Psycap). O capital psicológico é definido como um estado psicológico positivo composto originalmente por quatro dimensões, a esperança, o otimismo, a resiliência e a autoeficácia. O capital psicológico além de se associar ao desempenho faz também parte da qualidade de vida, pois reduz o estresse, facilita no processo de mudanças positivas e aumenta a performance dos funcionários. Através da discussão dos resultados é possível perceber a influência de diferentes posturas de liderança na geração do psycap dentro de organizações, indicando que quando o líder gera o psycap em seus liderados ele propicia um melhor desenvolvimento do processo de liderança e vice-versa; INFLUENCE OF LEADERSHIP ON PSYCHOLOGICAL CAPITAL: A QUALITATIVE STUDY ABSTRACT: The definition of leader is to exercise social influence, create meanings and transform concepts and provide interpretive grids of reality. This concept of leadership in the social context is one of the broadest. One of the aspects in which social influence is expected to be exercised, is in the promotion of positive psychological states, namely in what has been designated in the Psychological Capital Psychology literature (Psycap). Psychological capital is defined as a positive psychological state originally composed of four dimensions, hope, optimism, resilience and self-efficacy. Psychological capital, in addition to being associated with performance, is also part of the quality of life, as it reduces stress, facilitates the process of positive changes and increases the performance of employees. Through the discussion of the results, it is possible to perceive the influence of different leadership postures in the generation of psycap within organizations, indicating that when the leader generates psycap in his followers he provides a better development of the leadership process and vice versa

Moving beyond language(s): a case study on a newcomer’s translanguaging practices

Numerous scholars have investigated translanguaging in students with a migration background by examining the deployment of their linguistic repertoire. By contrast, few studies have adopted a social semiotic perspective on translanguaging. Similarly, studies on newcomers in this field are scarce. Newcomers, especially those to the trilingual education system in Luxembourg, face significant language challenges. The present paper explores the ways in which Portuguese-speaking Harry combined the resources of his semiotic repertoire in science and French lessons in Year 4, and discusses different combinations of resources. Findings based on field notes and video-recordings of classroom activities show that the eleven-year-old engaged in learning by activating his prior knowledge and deploying his semiotic repertoire in resourceful ways. He mobilised features of five languages, coordinated linguistic, paralinguistic and extralinguistic resources, and aligned his resources to those of his peers. Furthermore, he reproduced the semiotic combinations of peers as well as the translanguaging practices in class. We show that a newcomer orchestrates his semiotic resources in complex ways to communicate, make meaning and engage in learning processes. Further research into the deployment of the semiotic repertoire at school is needed

The SyBil-AA real-time fMRI neurofeedback study: protocol of a single-blind randomized controlled trial in alcohol use disorder

Background: Alcohol Use Disorder is a highly prevalent mental disorder which puts a severe burden on individuals, families, and society. The treatment of Alcohol Use Disorder is challenging and novel and innovative treatment approaches are needed to expand treatment options. A promising neuroscience-based intervention method that allows targeting cortical as well as subcortical brain processes is real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging neurofeedback. However, the efficacy of this technique as an add-on treatment of Alcohol Use Disorder in a clinical setting is hitherto unclear and will be assessed in the Systems Biology of Alcohol Addiction (SyBil-AA) neurofeedback study. Methods: N = 100 patients with Alcohol Use Disorder will be randomized to 5 parallel groups in a single-blind fashion and receive real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging neurofeedback while they are presented pictures of alcoholic beverages. The groups will either downregulate the ventral striatum, upregulate the right inferior frontal gyrus, negatively modulate the connectivity between these regions, upregulate, or downregulate the auditory cortex as a control region. After receiving 3 sessions of neurofeedback training within a maximum of 2 weeks, participants will be followed up monthly for a period of 3 months and relapse rates will be assessed as the primary outcome measure. Discussion: The results of this study will provide insights into the efficacy of real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging neurofeedback training in the treatment of Alcohol Use Disorder as well as in the involved brain systems. This might help to identify predictors of successful neurofeedback treatment which could potentially be useful in developing personalized treatment approaches. Trial registration: The study was retrospectively registered in the German Clinical Trials Register (trial identifier: DRKS00010253 ; WHO Universal Trial Number (UTN): U1111–1181-4218) on May 10th, 2016

Imaginary pills and open-label placebos can reduce test anxiety by means of placebo mechanisms

Placebos have been shown to be beneficial for various conditions even if administered with full transparency. Hence, so-called open-label placebos (OLPs) offer a new way to harness placebo effects ethically. To take this concept one step further, this study aimed at evaluating placebo effects without the use of a physical placebo, i.e., by imagining taking a pill. Healthy students (N = 173) with self-reported test anxiety were either randomized to an imaginary pill (IP; n = 55), an OLP (n = 59) or a control group (CG; n = 59). Both intervention groups were instructed to take two pills daily for three weeks. Primary outcome was test anxiety, secondary outcomes were sleep quality, general well-being and test performance. Groups test anxiety differed at study-endpoint, F(2,169) = 11.50, p < .001. Test anxiety was lower in the intervention groups compared to the CG, t(169) = − 4.44, p < .001, d = − 0.71. The interventions did not differ significantly, i.e., both were similarly efficacious, t(169) = 0.61, p = .540, d = 0.11. The interaction between group and time in explaining test anxiety was significant, F(5,407.93) = 6.13, p < .001. OLPs and IPs reduced test anxiety in healthy participants compared to the CG. This finding opens the door for a novel and ethical method to harness placebo effects.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Making data a first class scientific output : data citation and publication by NERC's Environmental Data Centres

The NERC Science Information Strategy Data Citation and Publication project aims to develop and formalise a method for formally citing and publishing the datasets stored in its environmental data centres. It is believed that this will act as an incentive for scientists, who often invest a great deal of effort in creating datasets, to submit their data to a suitable data repository where it can properly be archived and curated. Data citation and publication will also provide a mechanism for data producers to receive credit for their work, thereby encouraging them to share their data more freely

Comparative Analysis of Mesenchymal Stem Cell Cultivation in Fetal Calf Serum, Human Serum, and Platelet Lysate in 2D and 3D Systems

In vitro two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) cultivation of mammalian cells requires supplementation with serum. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are widely used in clinical trials for bioregenerative medicine and in most cases, in vitro expansion and differentiation of these cells are required before application. Optimized expansion and differentiation protocols play a key role in the treatment outcome. 3D cell cultivation systems are more comparable to in vivo conditions and can provide both, more physiological MSC expansion and a better understanding of intercellular and cell-matrix interactions. Xeno-free cultivation conditions minimize risks of immune response after implantation. Human platelet lysate (hPL) appears to be a valuable alternative to widely used fetal calf serum (FCS) since no ethical issues are associated with its harvest, it contains a high concentration of growth factors and cytokines and it can be produced from expired platelet concentrate. In this study, we analyzed and compared proliferation, as well as osteogenic and chondrogenic differentiation of human adipose tissue-derived MSCs (hAD-MSC) using three different supplements: FCS, human serum (HS), and hPL in 2D. Furthermore, online monitoring of osteogenic differentiation under the influence of different supplements was performed in 2D. hPL-cultivated MSCs exhibited a higher proliferation and differentiation rate compared to HS- or FCS-cultivated cells. We demonstrated a fast and successful chondrogenic differentiation in the 2D system with the addition of hPL. Additionally, FCS, HS, and hPL were used to formulate Gelatin-methacryloyl (GelMA) hydrogels in order to evaluate the influence of the different supplements on the cell spreading and proliferation of cells growing in 3D culture. In addition, the hydrogel constructs were cultivated in media supplemented with three different supplements. In comparison to FCS and HS, the addition of hPL to GelMA hydrogels during the encapsulation of hAD-MSCs resulted in enhanced cell spreading and proliferation. This effect was promoted even further by cultivating the hydrogel constructs in hPL-supplemented media