Striving against invalidity in qualitative research: Discussing a reflective framework

The aim of this paper is to discuss a reflective validation framework related with the study of teaching approaches, teaching styles or teaching orientations of university academics. In the recent years, and particularly since the eighties, there have been a growing number of investigations linking teaching conceptions with teaching practices. The majority of investigations dealing with university teachers’ conceptions and practices draw their conclusions based on indirect observation, since data gathering involves mainly semi-structured interviews or the application of questionnaires and inventories. Therefore ‘only-half-the-story’ has been reported. The presented validation framework has a five-part three-stage structure and was built upon earlier work (Selvaruby, O’Sullivan, & Watts, 2007). In this model validity is conceptualized as an ‘iterative-interactive-process’, therefore integrating a set of specific strategies envisaging the maximization of scientific quality. The application of the model is illustrated by using it for the discussion of a longitudinal study involving the investigation of the relationship between questioning practices and Trigwell and co-workers’ concept of preferential teaching approaches (Trigwell, Prosser & Taylor, 1994). Field work of this naturalistic-interpretative research was conducted during two academic years (2009/2010 and 2010/2011) and implied close collaboration with a group of four university teachers lecturing biology to undergraduates.This work was financed by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (SFRH/BD/44611/2008) and by Fundos FEDER através do Programa Operacional Fatores de Competitividade – COMPETE e por Fundos Nacionais através da FCT (PTDC/CPE-CED/117516/2010)

Contexts for questioning: Two zones of teaching and learning in undergraduate science

This is the author's accepted manuscript. The final published article is available from the link below. Copyright @ Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2012.Higher education institutions are currently undertaking a challenging process in moving from teacher-orientated to student-focused approaches. Students’ ability to asking questions is fundamental to developing critical reasoning, and to the process of scientific enquiry itself. Our premise is that questioning competences should become a central focus of current reforms in higher education. This study, part of a broader naturalistic research project, aims at developing a theoretical framework for conceptualizing different contexts for questioning, illustrating the application of the proposed framework (contextual questioning zones) and reflecting about some of the dimensions of teaching and learning, for overcoming some of the challenges that higher education institutions are facing presently. The discussion of two ‘opposite’ contexts of enquiry is based on qualitative data, gathered through close collaboration with four teachers of undergraduate biology at a Portuguese university. These teachers were observed during their ‘daily activity’ during an academic year. Data was also gathered by interviewing these teachers and 8 selected students, at the end of the year, and used to sustain the argumentation. The paper concludes with some reflections and suggestions to promote authentic enquiry-based learning experiences.Portuguese Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologi

Testing demand responsive shared transport services via agent-based simulations

Demand Responsive Shared Transport DRST services take advantage of Information and Communication Technologies ICT, to provide on demand transport services booking in real time a ride on a shared vehicle. In this paper, an agent-based model ABM is presented to test different the feasibility of different service configurations in a real context. First results show the impact of route choice strategy on the system performance

The old questions are the best: striving against invalidity in qualitative research

This chapter enters an old debate on the shape of validation processes in qualitative research. We discuss a reflective research validation framework related to teaching approaches and practices. The majority of investigations in this area draw mainly on indirect observation, semistructured interviews or the application of questionnaires and inventories. To this extent, only “half-the-story” has been reported. The validation framework here develops a five-part three stage structure, conceptualized as an “iterative-interactive-process,” integrating a set of strategies aimed at the “minimization of invalidity.” The application of the framework is illustrated through a longitudinal study investigating the relationship between classroom questioning practices and teachers’ preferential teaching approaches. Fieldwork in this naturalistic-interpretative research was conducted during four academic years and entailed close collaboration with a group of four university teachers lecturing biology to undergraduates.The authors acknowledge the financial support of Portuguese Fundac¸a˜o para a Cieˆncia e a Tecnologia (SFRH/BD/44611/2008; PTDC/CPE-CED/ 117516/2010).Portuguese Fundac ̧ a ̃ o para a Cieˆ ncia e a Tecnologia (SFRH/BD/44611/2008; PTDC/CPE-CED/ 117516/2010)

Transport of interfaces with surface tension by 2D viscous flows

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)We consider the problem of finding a global weak solution for two-dimensional, incompressible viscous flow on a torus, containing a surface-tension bearing curve transported by the flow. This is the simplest case of a class of two-phase flows considered by Plotnikov in [16] and Abels in [1]. Our work complements Abels' analysis by examining this special case in detail. We construct a family of approximations and show that the limit of these approximations satisfies, globally in time, an incomplete set of equations in the weak sense. In addition, we examine criteria for closure of the limit system, we find conditions which imply nontrivial dependence of the limiting solution on the surface tension parameter, and we obtain a new system of evolution equations which models our flow-interface problem, in a form that may be useful for further analysis and for numerical simulations.1212344NSF [DMS-0926378, DMS-0405066]Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)NSF [DMS-0926378, DMS-0405066]CNPq [303.301/2007-4, 302.214/2004-6]FAPESP [2007/51490-7

EFICÁCIA DOS RASPADORES DE LÍNGUA NA SAÚDE BUCAL

A literatura atual carece de estudos que comprovam a eficácia e  os  benefícios  dos  raspadores  de  língua.  Por  se  tratar  de  um  método  de prevenção de higiene bucal de baixo custo, podem ser utilizados por indivíduos de  todas  as  idades,  seus  benefícios  podem  atingir  todos  os  níveis  sociais inclusive as populações menos favorecidas

Characterisation of peripheral and central components of the rat monoiodoacetate model of Osteoarthritis

OBJECTIVE: Pain is the main reason patients report Osteoarthritis (OA), yet current analgesics remain relatively ineffective. This study investigated both peripheral and central mechanisms that lead to the development of OA associated chronic pain. DESIGN: The monoiodoacetate (MIA) model of OA was investigated at early (2-6 days post injection) and late (>14 days post injection) time points. Pain-like behaviour and knee histology were assessed to understand the extent of pain due to cartilage degradation. Electrophysiological single-unit recordings were taken from spinal wide dynamic range (WDR) neurons to investigate Diffuse Noxious Inhibitory Controls (DNIC) as a marker of potential changes in descending controls. Immunohistochemistry was performed on dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons to assess any MIA induced neuronal damage. Furthermore, qPCR was used to measure levels of glia cells and cytokines in the dorsal horn. RESULTS: Both MIA groups develop pain-like behaviour but only late phase animals display extensive cartilage degradation. Early phase animals have a normally functioning DNIC system but there is a loss of DNIC in late phase animals. We found no evidence for neuronal damage caused by MIA in either group, yet an increase in IL-1β mRNA in the dorsal horn of late phase animals. CONCLUSION: The loss of DNIC in late phase MIA animals suggests an imbalance in inhibitory and facilitatory descending controls, and a rise in the mRNA expression of IL-1β mRNA suggest the development of central sensitisation. Therefore, the pain associated with OA in late phase animals may not be attributed to purely peripheral mechanisms

Comparative study on the use of specific and heterologous microsatellite primers in the stingless bees Melipona rufiventris and M. mondury (Hymenoptera, Apidae)

Due to their high degree of polymorphism, microsatellites are considered useful tools for studying population genetics. Nevertheless, studies of genetic diversity in stingless bees by means of these primers have revealed a low level of polymorphism, possibly the consequence of the heterologous primers used, since in most cases these were not specifically designed for the species under consideration. Herein we compared the number of polymorphic loci and alleles per locus, as well as observed heterozygosity in Melipona rufiventris and M. mondury populations, using specific and heterologous primers. The use of specific primers placed in evidence the greater frequency of polymorphic loci and alleles per locus, besides an expressive increase in observed heterozygosity in M. rufiventris and M. mondury, thereby reinforcing the idea that populational studies should be undertaken by preferably using species-specific microsatellite primers

Influence of dietary supplementation with an amino acid mixture on inflammatory markers, immune status and serum proteome in lps-challenged weaned piglets

In order to investigate the effect of a dietary amino acid mixture supplementation in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-challenged weaned piglets, twenty-seven 28-day-old (8.2 ± 1.0 kg) newly weaned piglets were randomly allocated to one of three experimental treatments for five weeks. Diet 1: a CTRL treatment. Diet 2: an LPS treatment, where piglets were intraperitoneally administered LPS (25 µg/kg) on day 7. Diet 3: an LPS+MIX treatment, where piglets were intraperitoneally administered LPS on day 7 and fed a diet supplemented with a mixture of 0.3% of arginine, branched-chain amino acids (leucine, valine, and isoleucine), and cystine (MIX). Blood samples were drawn on day 10 and day 35, and serum was analysed for selected chemical parameters and proteomics. The LPS and LPS+MIX groups exhibited an increase in haptoglobin concentrations on day 10. The LPS group showed an increased cortisol concentration, while this concentration was reduced in the LPS+MIX group compared to the control group. Similarly, the LPS+MIX group showed a decreased haptoglobin concentration on day 35 compared to the two other groups. Immunoglobulin concentrations were affected by treatments. Indeed, on day 10, the concentrations of IgG and IgM were decreased by the LPS challenge, as illustrated by the lower concentrations of these two immunoglobulins in the LPS group compared to the control group. In addition, the supplementation with the amino acid mixture in the LPS+MIX further decreased IgG and increased IgM concentrations compared to the LPS group. Although a proteomics approach did not reveal important alterations in the protein profile in response to treatments, LPS-challenged piglets had an increase in proteins linked to the immune response, when compared to piglets supplemented with the amino acid mixture. Overall, data indicate that LPS-challenged piglets supplemented with this amino acid mixture are more protected against the detrimental effects of LPS.This study was supported by Ajinomoto Animal Nutrition Europe, by Indukern Portugal, Lda., and by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT, Lisbon, Portugal) through projects UIDB/CVT/00276/2020 to CIISA and PEST/UID/AGR/4129/2020 to LEAF. It was also supported by national funds, through FCT Stimulus of Scientific Employment Program to author P.A.L. (DL57/2016/CP1438/CT0007) and a Ph.D. grant (SFRH/BD/143992/2019) to author D.M.R. This work had the support from the Portuguese Mass Spectrometry Net-work, integrated in the National Roadmap of Research Infrastructures of Strategic Relevance (ROTEIRO/0028/2013; LISBOA-01-0145-FEDER-022125)