Práticas de Inclusão de Alunos com perturbações do espetro do autismo

Este artigo surge no âmbito de um estudo mais vasto que tem como principal objetivo identificar as Necessidades de Formação dos Docentes de Ensino Regular e de Educação Especial para a inclusão de alunos com Perturbações do Espetro do Autismo (PEA) nas escolas do ensino regular. Para a realização desse estudo, realizámos observações diretas em sala de aula e auscultámos os vários agentes educativos que podem contribuir para a inclusão efetiva destes alunos, nomeadamente os docentes de ensino regular (1º ciclo) e educação especial, diretores de agrupamentos de escolas com unidades de ensino estruturado para alunos autistas e encarregados de educação dos alunos com PEA. Paralelamente, analisámos os documentos de suporte ao desenvolvimento do processo educativo destes alunos. Mais especificamente, com as observações em sala de aula do ensino regular, pretendemos conhecer as práticas pedagógicas desenvolvidas e as formas de organização e gestão curricular da turma e de apoio e acompanhamento específico a estes alunos. Neste artigo apresentamos a análise das observações, tendo em conta: (i) o contexto de observação; (ii) as estratégias e atividades desenvolvidas; (iii) a relação comunicativa estabelecida.Desta análise, é possível inferir necessidades de formação que se situam tanto ao nível da compreensão da problemática das crianças como do planeamento e gestão curricular da turma.Abstract This article arises from a wider study and it aims to identify the Training Needs of General Education Teachers and Special Needs Teachers in order to allow the inclusion of students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) in mainstream schools. To perform this study, we conducted direct observations in the classroom and inquired several educational agents that can contribute to the effective inclusion of these students, namely general education teachers (1st cycle), special needs teachers, school groups directors with structured education units for autistic students, and parents of students with ASD. In line with this, we examined the documents supporting the development of the educational process of these students. In particular, with the observations in the regular education classroom, we intend to get to know the pedagogical practices developed, the organization and curricular management of the classroom and the means of specific support and monitoring of these students. In this article, we present the observations analysis, taking into account: (i) the context of the observation; (ii) the strategies and activities developed; (iii) the communicative relationship established. From this analysis, it is possible to infer training needs both in understanding the children‟s problematic and in the curriculum planning and management of the classroom.Résumé Cet article fait partie d'une étude plus large qui vise à identifier les besoins de formation des professeurs de l'enseignement régulier et l'éducation spéciale pour l'inclusion des élèves ayant des troubles du spectre autistique (TSA) dans les écoles ordinaires. Pour réaliser cette étude, nous avons effectué des observations directes dans la salle de classe et écouté les différents agents éducatifs qui peuvent contribuer à l'inclusion effective de ces élèves, y compris les professeurs de l‟enseignement régulier (1er cycle) et de l‟éducation spéciale, des directeurs de groupes scolaires avec des unités d‟enseignement structurées pour les élèves autistes et des parents d'élèves atteints de TSA. Parallèlement, nous avons analysé les documents d'appui au développement du processus éducatif de ces élèves. Plus précisément, avec les observations dans la salle de classe de l'enseignement régulier, nous voulons connaître les pratiques pédagogiques mises en place et les formes d'organisation et de gestion de classe, des programmes, de soutien et de suivi spécifique à ces élèves. Dans cet article, nous présentons l'analyse des observations, en tenant compte: (i) du contexte de l'observation; (Ii) des stratégies et des activités mises en place; (Iii) de la relation communicative établie. De cette analyse, nous pouvons déduire les besoins de formation qui se situent aussi bien au niveau de la compréhension du problème des enfants qu‟à celui de la planification et gestion de la classe et des programmes

Predictors and methological issues in tracking total body fat mass, trunk fat, mass and abdominal fat mass : changes in a weight loss intervention with overweight and obese women.

Doutoramento em Motricidade Humana, especialidade de Saúde e Condição FísicaOne of the purposes of this dissertation was to analyze the usefulness of simple anthropometric measurements in predicting total body fat mass, as well as trunk and abdominal fat regions of interest, assessed by DXA, along with their changes in a weight loss program. Another purpose was to examine the influence of different physical activity dimensions on body weight, total body fat mass, abdominal and trunk fat regions of interest, selected by conventional whole body DXA in premenopausal overweight and obese women. Three studies were conducted within the PESO Program (Promotion of Exercise and Health in Obesity), a behavioural intervention addressed to premenopausal overweight and obese women. Key results show that: a) changes in lifestyle habits during a weight loss intervention may provide a stimulus to reduce trunk fat mass, with special focus on abdominal fat mass; b) abdominal circumference is a better predictor of body fat mass loss than waist circumference; c) baseline values of body weight, BMI, sagital diameter and hip circumference, are able to predict total body fat mass changes, but are unable to predict alterations in more specific depots of body fat estimated by DXA; d) alterations in DXA abdominal fat mass estimations were reasonably detected by all the anthropometric variables, but cannot be used to quantify fat mass loss; e) physical activity variables did not induce changes in total body fat mass and body weight; f) an increase in the total amount of physical activity and the increment of total minutes walking played an important role in the reduction of abdominal fat mass estimated by DXA in obese women. RESUMO: Analisar a utilidade de simples medidas antropométricas na predição da massa gorda corporal total, assim como da massa gorda do tronco e região abdominal, estimadas por uma região de interesse obtida pela DXA, bem como as suas alterações, foi um dos objectivos desta dissertação. Outro dos objectivos desta tese prendeu-se com a análise da influência de diferentes dimensões de actividade física no peso corporal, massa gorda corporal total e regiões de interesse (tronco e abdominal) estimadas pela DXA em mulheres com excesso de peso ou obesas. Três estudos foram realizados com base no Programa PESO (Promoção do Exercício e da Saúde na Obesidade), uma intervenção de modificação comportamental em mulheres com excesso de peso ou obesas. Os resultados destes estudos demonstraram que: a) as alterações no estilo de vida durante uma intervenção de perda de peso podem constituir um estímulo na redução da massa gorda do tronco, em particular da massa gorda abdominal; b) o perímetro abdominal prediz melhor a perda de massa gorda corporal total do que o perímetro da cintura; c) os valores iniciais do peso corporal, IMC, diâmetro sagital e perímetro da anca, são bons predictores das alterações da massa gorda corporal total, mas são ineficazes na predição das alterações dos depósitos mais específicos estimados pela DXA; d) as alterações na estimação da massa gorda abdominal obtida pela DXA foram razoavelmente detectadas por todas as medidas antropométricas, mas estas medidas não podem ser utilizadas na quantificação da perda de massa gorda; e) as variáveis de actividade física não induziram alterações na massa gorda corporal total e no peso corporal; f) um incremento na quantidade total de actividade física e um incremento no número de minutos a caminhar podem ter um papel importante na redução da massa gorda abdominal estimada pela DXA em mulheres obesas

Evaluation of uv spectrophotometry for estimation of nitrite and nitrate in nitrified urine

Water is a limited resource for which demand is growing. Contaminated water from inadequate wastewater treatment provides one of the greatest health challenges as it restricts development and increases poverty in emerging and developing countries. Therefore, the connection between wastewater and human health is linked to access to sanitation and to human waste disposal. Adequate sanitation is expected to create a barrier between disposed human excreta and sources of drinking water. Different approaches to wastewater management are required for different geographical regions and different stages of economic governance depending on the capacity to manage wastewater. Effective wastewater management can contribute to overcome the challenges of water scarcity. Separate collection of human urine at its source is one promising approach that strongly reduces the economic and load demands on wastewater treatment plants (WWTP). Treatment of source-separated urine appears as a sanitation system that is affordable, produces a valuable fertiliser, reduces pollution of water resources and promotes health. However, the technical realisation of urine separation still faces challenges. Biological hydrolysis of urea causes a strong increase of ammonia and pH. Under these conditions ammonia volatilises which can cause odour problems and significant nitrogen losses. The above problems can be avoided by urine stabilisation. Biological nitrification is a suitable process for stabilisation of urine. Urine is a highly concentrated nutrient solution which can lead to strong inhibition effects during bacterial nitrification. This can further lead to process instabilities. The major cause of instability is accumulation of the inhibitory intermediate compound nitrite, which could lead to process breakdown. Enhanced on-line nitrite monitoring can be applied in biological source-separated urine nitrification reactors as a sustainable and efficient way to improve the reactor performance, avoiding reactor failures and eventual loss of biological activity. Spectrophotometry appears as a promising candidate for the development and application of on-line nitrite monitoring. Spectroscopic methods together with chemometrics are presented in this work as a powerful tool for estimation of nitrite concentrations. Principal component regression (PCR) is applied for the estimation of nitrite concentrations using an immersible UV sensor and off-line spectra acquisition. The effect of particles and the effect of saturation, respectively, on the UV absorbance spectra are investigated. The analysis allows to conclude that (i) saturation has a substantial effect on nitrite estimation; (ii) particles appear to have less impact on nitrite estimation. In addition, improper mixing together with instabilities in the urine nitrification process appears to significantly reduce the performance of the estimation model

O dia-a-dia de uma criança com paralesia cerebral numa sala de ensino regular e numa sala de ensino especial

Este Relatório Final estuda o dia-a-dia de uma criança com Paralisia Cerebral numa sala de ensino regular e numa sala de ensino especial e responde, como ponto de partida, à seguinte pergunta: Que diferenças se destacam, na criança com Paralisia Cerebral, no modo como é acompanhada em ambos as salas? Sendo um trabalho de investigação, que tenta compreender as práticas pedagógicas com uma criança com Paralisia Cerebral, procurou-se realizar um estudo inicial que lhe conferisse o devido suporte teórico, com referências de vários autores, que nos permitissem compreender as práticas observadas. A intenção deste trabalho é perceber e compreender as realidades distintas quer do contexto de ensino regular, quer do contexto de ensino especial. Para tal é necessário recorrer a um método de investigação que permita organizar a informação recolhida e, seguidamente, realizar uma reorganização da mesma informação par possibilitar uma interpretação dos factos. Para compreender as realidades onde a criança com Paralisia Cerebral está inserida, pretende-se considerar o conteúdo deste estudo, respondendo ao problema inicial e a futuras questões que possam corresponder a esta realidade

Sustainability strategies of the company TimorL: extending the applicability of legitimacy theory

Purpose This study aims to identify the legitimacy strategies employed by one of the largest Portuguese cement companies to defend and downplay its sustainability performance and activities related to two major controversies involving the company: co‐incineration and the location of the Outão plant. Design/methodology/approach A single case study methodology is employed for the empirical research. Sustainability reports were analysed in order to identify TimorL's sustainability disclosure practices, and semi‐structured interviews were conducted to complement the case analysis. This paper emphasises legitimacy theory and legitimacy repair strategies that were identified by Suchman. Findings Legitimacy strategies, including “don’t panic”; “create monitors”; “justify”; “disassociate” and “explain”, were identified in the actions TimorL took after the above‐mentioned controversies. The company initiated a series of actions to respond to the company's “crisis”. The conclusions of the study support the argument that sustainability strategies remain a powerful legitimacy tool. Originality/value The paper adds to the scarce research available on the sustainability disclosure and practices of companies by providing new empirical data. It contributes to a better understanding of how companies behave when they are faced with legitimacy gaps and how they act to restore their legitimacy.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Subjective appropriation of musical form in Schumann’s Carnaval, op. 9

The aim of this article is to analyze musical form in german composer Robert Schumann’s works (8 June 1810 – 29 July 1856), particularly that of piano solo piece Carnaval, op. 9, trying to understand what is revealed by the way he uses it in relation to his personality, not only in artistic terms (taking into account the context of German Romanticism) but also on a deeper psychological level. To come to an understanding of Schumann’s use of form, this paper begins with a brief description of the evolution of musical form since Viennese Classicism, with additional references to the baroque system of ‘affects’. Form in Schumann is compared with that of other significant composers of the romantic period and various points of intersection between music and other arts are analyzed, especially literature, in certain key works of this period. Parting from these reflections, we explore the question of the expressive intention behind his handling of form in Carnaval, op. 9. The aim of the investigation of this aspect is to understand how far the innovatory use of this parameter in Schumann, reflects a unique vision of the art of music

A Feminized Labour Market: Professional Opportunities and Constraints in Book Publishing in Portugal

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Urban walkers in medium-sized Portuguese cities: a study of Guimarães and Braga

People are walking in cities for different reasons. Some walkers walk to go to work, some walk for shopping and some walk for leisure during day and night hours. Medium-sized cities, such as Braga and Guimarães in Portugal, depend on cars for even short trips of up to 2 kilometres. However, the walkways are allowing people to walk conveniently and safely, including in the late night environment. The pedestrians feel it is troublesome to walk on the footpaths because of illegal parking and the discontinuation of walkways. This paper focuses on the types of walkers who use the walkways on a regular basis. Usually, people feel comfortable walking when they go to clubs and bars in a group in these small cities, especially after work. This paper tries to focus the variety of problems on walkways and to present policies that can improve the situation. Field surveys have been conducted, both in the form of a questionnaire and observation, during the end of 2009 and the results show different patterns of pedestrian behaviour as well as evidence that people get different experiences with problems while walking on the walkways in both surveyed towns. Considering the issues of sustainable mobility, this paper also tries to suggest policies to motivate more people to walk, especially in the medium-sized cities of Portugal. Keywords: urban, pedestrians, Braga, Guimarães, Portugal. 1 Introduction Walking is the oldest and most basic form of human transportation. It requires no fare, no fuel, no license, and no registration (Portland [6]). With the exception of devices to enhance the mobility of the disabled, walking demands no specialinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Do the Volume-of-Fluid and the Two-Phase Euler Compete for Modeling a Spillway Aerator?

ABSTRACT: Spillway design is key to the effective and safe operation of dams. Typically, the flow is characterized by high velocity, high levels of turbulence, and aeration. In the last two decades, advances in computational fluid dynamics (CFD) made available several numerical tools to aid hydraulic structures engineers. The most frequent approach is to solve the Reynolds-averaged Navier?Stokes equations using an Euler type model combined with the volume-of-fluid (VoF) method. Regardless of a few applications, the complete two-phase Euler is still considered to demand exorbitant computational resources. An assessment is performed in a spillway offset aerator, comparing the two-phase volume-of-fluid (TPVoF) with the complete two-phase Euler (CTPE). Both models are included in the OpenFOAM® toolbox. As expected, the TPVoF results depend highly on the mesh, not showing convergence in the maximum chute bottom pressure and the lower-nappe aeration, tending to null aeration as resolution increases. The CTPE combined with the k?? SST Sato turbulence model exhibits the most accurate results and mesh convergence in the lower-nappe aeration. Surprisingly, intermediate mesh resolutions are sufficient to surpass the TPVoF performance with reasonable calculation efforts. Moreover, compressibility, flow bulking, and several entrained air effects in the flow are comprehended. Despite not reproducing all aspects of the flow with acceptable accuracy, the complete two-phase Euler demonstrated an efficient cost-benefit performance and high value in spillway aerated flows. Nonetheless, further developments are expected to enhance the efficiency and stability of this model

Thermally modified wood of Acacia melanoxylon preliminary results

Due to the urban development and the continuous growth of cities, architects, engineers, and constructors are choosing sustainable materials. Wood is a natural, sustainable, and low-carbon material. However, wood presents some disadvantages (e.g. hygroscopicity and anisotropy), that can be overcome by thermal treatments [1]. The wood thermal modification only requires temperature and an oxygen-free atmosphere, it does not use any kind of chemical products and improves some wood properties such as dimensional stability, water resistance, and biological attack resistance [1]. Acacia melanoxylon is among the most widespread invasive plants in Europe. Today, Acacias are widely naturalized and have become an environmental problem in Southwestern Europe, particularly in Portugal. Its presence can be a threat to native species and has been declared ‘‘invaders’’ due to its rapid growth rate, prolific production of seeds with high longevity, and germination stimulated by fire. Acacia wood has very interesting mechanical properties which can be used in building construction, façades, walkways, and decks, among others. This study aimed to thermally modify Acacia wood in collaboration with a Portuguese company, Santos & Santos. Then the unmodified (A) and modified (MA) woods were exposed to weathering in two different environments (urban and industrial/maritime) and the color, chemical, and morphological changes were evaluated over time. The wood color was determined by a portable spectrometer measuring the CIELab parameters. The summative chemical analysis (e.g. total extractives and lignin contents) was made and the lignin monomeric composition was accessed by analytical pyrolysis (Py-GC/MS). Additionally, the samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The treatment induced a decrease in the soluble lignin content (1.1% for A and 0.70% for MA) and an increase in Klason lignin (17.2% for A and 27.0% for MA), which can be caused by a lignin degradation during the thermal treatment [2]. Py-GC/MS showed a decrease in S/G ratio in modified wood (2.2 vs. 1.7), caused by an increase of G-lignin units and a decrease of S-units in the modified acacia wood. This could be explained by lignin modifications during the treatment [2]. Through SEM/EDS analysis, some cracks in fibers and particles were detected in samples exposed to both environments. Some deposition of dust, aerosols from pollution, and salt particles were found in woods exposed to the industrial/maritime environment. Likewise, woods from the urban environment also had some deposition of dust. The study is still running and for that reason is not possible to present all the results, namely those from the analysis of the weathered samples.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio