A British military officer’s view of Portugal’s revolution of 1917

UID/ELT/04097/2013General Nathaniel Walter Barnardiston (1858-1919), who had been Assistant Director of Military Training and General Staff Officer (1910-1914) and had commanded the British troops at the capture of Tsingtao, North China, in 1914, was appointed Chief of the British Military Mission to Portugal (1916-19), where he was commissioned to supervise the training of the Portuguese troops for the war in western Front. He wrote reports on the political and military situation of the country and kept a diary where he recorded events and his impressions of the people he met and the parts of the country he visited. This paper aims to contextualize Barnardiston’s mission and to discuss not only his views on Sidónio Pais’s coup in December 1917, but also the opinion that he entertained of the Portuguese in general.publishersversionpublishe

latest developments and future directions of the EU-funded project Pan-European Task Activities for Language Learning

UID/ELT/04097/2013The Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) proposes Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) as an important strategy to develop the learners’ linguistic competences along with their communicative skills. Since it is learner-centred and relies mostly on engaging learners in meaningful communicative interchanges in a foreign language, it allows for greater interaction and collaboration between them in the development of products, in problem-solving processes and in the construction of knowledge. Nevertheless, teachers have revealed some resistance to this approach. Pan-European Task Activities for Language Learning (PETALL) is a project involving ten countries and seeks to address these problems by constructing a transnational strategy for Information and Communications Technology (ICT)-based task design management. It aims to produce tasks that can be implemented in different educational contexts, and offer training courses to help teachers build their confidence in TBLT. This presentation seeks to offer an overview of the project, including its objectives, underlying principles and deliverables (samples of good practices, the website, the courses, and the international conference).publishersversionpublishe

Salazar, London and the Process of Europe Integration up until the Signing of the Treaty of Rome

UID/ELT/04097/2013This article aims to shed some light on the political and ideological agendas of both London and Lisbon during the process leading up to the signing of the Treaty of Rome, on 25 March 1957. It focuses on four main questions. The frst one is on how the colonial issue still influenced their attitudes towards the process of European integration. The second one explores how the risks of isolation conditioned their understanding of the commercial and economic potential of a European common market. The third question addresses their inability to identify themselves with the principles and values of the European project. The fourth one seeks to ascertain the views exchanged between the British and Portuguese governments on issues such as the customs union, the common market and the free trade area.publishersversionpublishe

Texting, Textisms and Teaching Portuguese

This study examines the perception of digital Portuguese spelling and its relationship to the teaching of Portuguese as L1 and L2. 85 undergraduate and graduate students in the fields of education and communication participated in the study through a 35-item questionnaire, validated in both theoretical and the empirical terms. The qualitative analysis of the results showed a high rejection of the use of textisms at the graphic and phonological levels, which are regarded as being associated with standard Portuguese spelling mistakes. However, the multimodal elements of digital Portuguese were accepted as resources for the teaching of the language

Biomineralization studies on cellulose membrane exposed to biological fluids of Anodonta cygnea

The present work proposes to analyse the results obtained under in vitro conditions where cellulose artificial membranes were incubated with biological fluids from the freshwater bivalve Anodonta cygnea. The membranes were mounted between two half ‘Ussing chambers’ with different composition solutions in order to simulate epithelial surfaces separating organic fluid compartments. The membrane surfaces were submitted to two synthetic calcium and phosphate solutions on opposite sides, at pH 6.0, 7.0 or 9.0 during a period of 6 hours. Additional assays were accomplished mixing these solutions with haemolymph or extrapallial fluid from A. cygnea, only on the calcium side. A selective ion movement, mainly dependent on the membrane pore size and/or cationic affinity, occurred with higher permeability for calcium ions to the opposite phosphate chamber supported by calcium diffusion forces across the cellulose membrane. In general, this promoted a more intense mineral precipitation on the phosphate membrane surface. A strong deposition of calcium phosphate mineral was observed at pH 9.0 as a primary layer with a homogeneous microstructure, being totally absent at pH 6.0. The membrane showed an additional crystal phase at pH 7.0 exhibiting a very particular hexagonal or cuttlebone shape, mainly on the phosphate surface. When organic fluids of A. cygnea were included, these crystal forms presented a high tendency to aggregate under rosaceous shapes, also predominantly in the phosphate side. The cellulose membrane was permeable to small organic molecules that diffused from the calcium towards the phosphate side. In the calcium side, very few similar crystals were observed. The presence of organic matrix from A. cygnea fluids induced a preliminary apatite–brushite crystal polymorphism. So, the present results suggest that cellulose membranes can be used as surrogates of biological epithelia with preferential ionic diffusion from the calcium to the phosphate side where the main mineral precipitation events occurred. Additionally, the organic fluids from freshwater bivalves should be also thoroughly researched in the applied biomedical field, as mineral nucleators and crystal modulators on biosynthetic systems

Atividade física e alimentação em estudantes do ensino superior

The aim was to characterize the lifestyles of students at a higher education institution, in the dimensions of physical activity and nutrition, and to propose intervention strategies based on the results obtained. Exploratory, descriptive, transversal, and quantitative study. Data were collected through the Fantastic Lifestyle questionnaire (EVF) distributed to students of a Higher Education Institution in the interior of Portugal, via email, registered and analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences, version 22.0. The results obtained in the Physical Activity and Nutrition dimensions of the EVF stand out. A total of 455 students participated in the study, 42.0% reported that they walked, almost always, for at least 30 minutes a day, 14.1% did not practice any physical activity; 56.7% said they sometimes consume vegetables and fruit while 21.1% do it daily. On the other hand, the majority (80.9%) regularly consume some high-calorie foods, 19.4% are pre-obese. It was allowed to assess the situation in order to carry out a planning and implementation of strategies aimed at promoting the practice of regular physical activity and careful eating in a greater number of students, with specific interventions for those who do not practice any physical exercise and those who already have pre-obesity.Objetivou-se caracterizar os estilos de vida dos estudantes de uma instituição do ensino superior, nas dimensões atividade física e alimentação e propor estratégias de intervenção com base nos resultados obtidos. Estudo exploratório, descritivo, transversal e de carácter quantitativo. Os dados foram recolhidos através do questionário Estilo de Vida Fantástico (EVF) distribuído aos estudantes de uma Instituição de Ensino Superior do interior de Portugal, via correio eletrónico, registados e analisados com recurso ao Statistical Package for Social Sciences, versão 22.0. Destacam-se os resultados obtidos nas dimensões Atividade física e Nutrição do EVF. Participaram no estudo 455 estudantes, 42,0% referem que caminham, quase sempre, no mínimo 30 minutos por dia, 14,1% não praticam nenhuma atividade física; 56,7% afirmaram que às vezes consomem verduras e fruta enquanto 21,1% o faz diariamente. Por outro lado, a maioria (80,9%) consome regularmente alguns alimentos hipercalóricos, 19,4% apresenta pré-obesidade. Permitiu-se avaliar a situação de forma que seja efetuado um planeamento e implementação de estratégias que visem promover a prática de atividade física regular e uma alimentação cuidada em um maior número de estudantes, com intervenções específicas naqueles que não praticam nenhum exercício físico e nos que já apresentam pré-obesidade

Atividade física e alimentação em estudantes do ensino superior

The aim was to characterize the lifestyles of students at a higher education institution, in the dimensions of physical activity and nutrition, and to propose intervention strategies based on the results obtained. Exploratory, descriptive, transversal, and quantitative study. Data were collected through the Fantastic Lifestyle questionnaire (EVF) distributed to students of a Higher Education Institution in the interior of Portugal, via email, registered and analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences, version 22.0. The results obtained in the Physical Activity and Nutrition dimensions of the EVF stand out. A total of 455 students participated in the study, 42.0% reported that they walked, almost always, for at least 30 minutes a day, 14.1% did not practice any physical activity; 56.7% said they sometimes consume vegetables and fruit while 21.1% do it daily. On the other hand, the majority (80.9%) regularly consume some high-calorie foods, 19.4% are pre-obese. It was allowed to assess the situation in order to carry out a planning and implementation of strategies aimed at promoting the practice of regular physical activity and careful eating in a greater number of students, with specific interventions for those who do not practice any physical exercise and those who already have pre-obesity.Objetivou-se caracterizar os estilos de vida dos estudantes de uma instituição do ensino superior, nas dimensões atividade física e alimentação e propor estratégias de intervenção com base nos resultados obtidos. Estudo exploratório, descritivo, transversal e de carácter quantitativo. Os dados foram recolhidos através do questionário Estilo de Vida Fantástico (EVF) distribuído aos estudantes de uma Instituição de Ensino Superior do interior de Portugal, via correio eletrónico, registados e analisados com recurso ao Statistical Package for Social Sciences, versão 22.0. Destacam-se os resultados obtidos nas dimensões Atividade física e Nutrição do EVF. Participaram no estudo 455 estudantes, 42,0% referem que caminham, quase sempre, no mínimo 30 minutos por dia, 14,1% não praticam nenhuma atividade física; 56,7% afirmaram que às vezes consomem verduras e fruta enquanto 21,1% o faz diariamente. Por outro lado, a maioria (80,9%) consome regularmente alguns alimentos hipercalóricos, 19,4% apresenta pré-obesidade. Permitiu-se avaliar a situação de forma que seja efetuado um planeamento e implementação de estratégias que visem promover a prática de atividade física regular e uma alimentação cuidada em um maior número de estudantes, com intervenções específicas naqueles que não praticam nenhum exercício físico e nos que já apresentam pré-obesidade

Crescimento somático e desempenho motor de crianças madeirenses do pré-escolar

O objetivo foi investigar o dimorfismo sexual, a estabilidade e a mudança no crescimento somático e desempenho motor em crianças dos 3 aos 5 anos. A amostra foi composta por 55 (23 raparigas e 32 rapazes) alunos do Colégio do Marítimo. O crescimento, através do peso, altura e perímetro de cintura, foi aferido seguindo o protocolo descrito no The Leuven Growth Study. O desem penho motor foi avaliado através da Preschool Test Battery. A avaliação reali zou-se em 2 anos letivos consecutivos. O teste Mann-Whitney, a correlação de Spearman e o Wilcoxon signed rank test foram utilizados na análise. A altura revelou diferenças (U= 230,0; W= 819,0; p= 0,03) entre meninas (Md= 107,70) e meninos (Md= 104,40) no 1º ano, bem como um ano mais tarde. As meninas apresentaram valores medianos estaturais (Md= 112,10) superiores aos meninos (Md= 108,10). No desempenho motor, observaram se diferenças com significado estatístico no lançamento da bola de ténis nos dois momentos de avaliação. Os meninos (Md= 5,01) lançaram distâncias superiores às meninas (Md= 3,79), nos 1º e 2º momentos de avaliação (Md= 5,74 e Md= 4,71, respetivamente). A altura, nas raparigas, foi a variável que revelou maior estabilidade da 1ª para a 2ª avaliação (rho= 0,98). No desem penho motor, as correlações mais elevadas foram observadas na corrida de ida-e-volta para as meninas (rho> 0,85) e na corrida de velocidade para os meninos (rho> 0,83). A maior expressão na mudança foi observada no peso corporal, nas meninas (Z= -2,37; p= 0,018). Os scores medianos aumentaram dos 3 (Md= 15,40) para os 4 anos (Md= 17,40). Resultados similares foram observados na altura. No desempenho motor foram observadas melhorias estatisticamente significativas na quase totalidade dos testes. Exceções foram observadas na impulsão horizontal (Z= -1,86, p= 0,077; meninas), corrida de velocidade (Z= -1,83, p= 0,068; meninos) e lançamento da bola de ténis (Z= -1,85, p= 0,064; meninos). As diferenças entre sexos no crescimento somático e desempenho motor estão presentes em idade pré-escolar. A estabilidade foi elevada nas variáveis somáticas e melhorias no desempenho motor foram mais evidentes dos 4 para os 5 anos.The aim of this study was to investigate sexual dimorphism, stability and chan ge in somatic growth and motor performance in children, from 3 to 5 years. The sample consisted of 55 students (23 girls and 32 boys) from Colégio do Marítimo. Growth, through weight, height and waist circumference, was measured following the protocol described in The Leuven Growth Study. Motor performance was assessed through Preschool Test Battery. The evaluation was carried out in 2 consecutive school years. The Mann-Whitney test, the Spearman correlation and the Wilcoxon signed rank test were used in the analysis. The height revealed differences (U= 230,0; W= 819,0; p= 0,03) among girls (Md= 107,70) and boys (Md= 104,40) at the 1st evaluation moment, as well as in the following year´s evaluation. The girls had higher (Md= 112,10) mean values than boys (Md= 108,10). In motor performance, statistically significant differences were observed in the throwing of the tennis ball in the two moments of evaluation. The boys (Md= 5,01) launched distances higher than the girls (Md= 3,79) in the 1st and 2nd evaluation (Md= 5,74 e Md= 4,71 moments respectively. The height in girls was the variable that showed greater stabi lity from the 1st to the 2nd evaluation (rho= 0,98). In motor performance, the highest correlations were observed in the scramble for girls (rho> 0,85) and speed run for boys (rho> 0,83). The greatest expression in the change was observed in body weight in girls. (Z= -2,37; p= 0,018). Median scores increa sed from 3 (Md= 15,4) to 4 years (Md= 17,4). Similar results were observed at height. In motor performance, statistically significant improvements were obser ved in almost all tests. Exceptions have been observed in horizontal jump (Z= -1,86, p= 0,077; girls), speed run (Z= -1,83, p= 0,068; boys) and tennis ball throw (Z= -1,85, p= 0,064; boys). Differences between genders in somatic growth and motor performance are present at preschool age. Stability was high in somatic variables and improve ments in motor performance were more evident from 4 to 5 yearsinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

COVID-19 symptoms at hospital admission vary with age and sex: results from the ISARIC prospective multinational observational study

Background: The ISARIC prospective multinational observational study is the largest cohort of hospitalized patients with COVID-19. We present relationships of age, sex, and nationality to presenting symptoms. Methods: International, prospective observational study of 60 109 hospitalized symptomatic patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 recruited from 43 countries between 30 January and 3 August 2020. Logistic regression was performed to evaluate relationships of age and sex to published COVID-19 case definitions and the most commonly reported symptoms. Results: ‘Typical’ symptoms of fever (69%), cough (68%) and shortness of breath (66%) were the most commonly reported. 92% of patients experienced at least one of these. Prevalence of typical symptoms was greatest in 30- to 60-year-olds (respectively 80, 79, 69%; at least one 95%). They were reported less frequently in children (≤ 18 years: 69, 48, 23; 85%), older adults (≥ 70 years: 61, 62, 65; 90%), and women (66, 66, 64; 90%; vs. men 71, 70, 67; 93%, each P < 0.001). The most common atypical presentations under 60 years of age were nausea and vomiting and abdominal pain, and over 60 years was confusion. Regression models showed significant differences in symptoms with sex, age and country. Interpretation: This international collaboration has allowed us to report reliable symptom data from the largest cohort of patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19. Adults over 60 and children admitted to hospital with COVID-19 are less likely to present with typical symptoms. Nausea and vomiting are common atypical presentations under 30 years. Confusion is a frequent atypical presentation of COVID-19 in adults over 60 years. Women are less likely to experience typical symptoms than men