LMATE: An Innovative Bachelor Degree Connecting Mathematics And Industry

The bachelor degree in Mathematics Applied to Technology and Enterprise (LMATE) has an innovative structure, working in partnership with industry, involving a transdisciplinarity curriculum plan, with a solid mathematical base including extensive knowledge in statistics, optimization, modeling and programming (Python, R, etc.), along with training in engineering, physics and management. LMATE presents three differences in relation to other applied mathematics portuguese bachelors degrees: it was constructed upside down towards the usual, once partner entities (enterprises, public entities and research centers) were consulted on relevant mathematical contents to solve their problems, instead of being created exclusively by the academy; in its curricular plan has optional curricular units from several engineering areas; and is the only bachelor degree in applied mathematics that has an internship integrated. As LMATE performance evaluation measures the following can be listed: the number of partner entities has increased to 37 currently; demand has been far greater than the offer of vacancies, reaching around 800%; average entry grades have been increasing (from 12.6 to 15.2); and more than 70 of the 176 students who entered in the six years of LMATE have graduated, having done internships in partner entities. Based on a follow-up study of students who have already finished LMATE to assess the quality of the knowledge acquired and its employability, it is concluded that many of finalists enroll in master\u27s degrees, the majority just after LMATE; others enter the labor market straight away, but all feel that LMATE provided them with adequate preparation

An approach to teach Calculus/Mathematical Analysis (for engineering students) using computers and active learning – its conception, development of materials and evaluation

Dissertação para obtenção do Grau de Doutor em Ciências da EducaçãoThis thesis reports a new approach to the teaching of Mathematical Analysis 1/ Calculus (AM1) to students of engineering, applying results of research on the use of computers and active learning with the aim of enhancing understanding. The main goal of the new approach is to reduce the known problem of failure and superficial understanding in introductory college mathematics in Portugal (and other countries). This researcher created the approach named ActivMathComp where: - Students are active and collaborate with colleagues during classes; - Computer is embedded as a communication, interaction and computational tool; - Students use interactive digital learning documents; - Students explore concepts in order to develop a deep understanding of them; - Students contact with mathematical applications; - Students have frequent short quizzes with immediate feedback on a Learning Management System; - The teacher/student relationship is grounded on trust, on mutual understanding and on students’ involvement on their own learning. The interactive digital documents were created assuming principles such as the zone of proximal development and multiple representations. Towards its comparison with the traditional approach, the ActivMathComp was implemented in a group of 16 AM1 students at the Civil Engineering Undergraduate Program of the Instituto Superior de Engenharia de Lisboa. The participants freely chose to enrol in the group and were required to bring their own laptop to classes. Took place a quasi-experiment where all the other seven classes following AM1 were taken as a comparison group. The participating students got significantly higher grades than the other students and had a higher success rate. Data gathered from questionnaires and tests were screened to identify possible bias. The participating students evaluated ActivMathComp as highly positive in nearly all aspects

A Study of the Application of Weekly Online Quizzes in Two Courses of Mathematics for Engineering Students – Is it a fair and effective strategy to increase students’ learning?

While the application of quizzes has been the subject of research there is still not consensus regarding the best strategy to implement them or if they effectively increase students’ learning. This study investigated the application of weekly online quizzes in two courses of mathematics for engineering students to determine if it is a fair and effective strategy to increase students’ learning. Two sets of quizzes were applied to Single and to Multivariable Calculus, each with around 100 students. The quizzes were not mandatory, questions were the same for every student (not randomised) and the students could resubmit without penalty. It was expected that all students would achieve the total quiz grades, which represented 10% of the final grade, but only if they got more than 45% in their regular assessments. It was made clear to students that the quizzes were relevant for them as formative assessment. The conclusions were that students strongly adhere to quizzes, and that they make students study more and become more aware of their level of understanding. Very few students classified quizzes as unfair. Nearly all students answering the surveys found quizzes useful and believed that it helped them to achieve better grades. Course grades also increased in those semesters

ActivMathComp – Computers and Active Learning as support of a whole learning environment to Calculus/Mathematical Analysis

Research reports many success cases where computers and active learning enhance students understanding. ActivMathComp is a whole learning environment created to this research to teach Calculus/Mathematical Analysis 1 (MA1) to Civil Engineering students of the Polytechnic Institute of Lisbon, Portugal. Some principles guide the whole learning environment: Students are active and collaborate with colleagues during classes; Computers are embedded in all activities, as a communication, interaction, and computational tool; Students use a set of digital interactive learning documents created to the approach that include the slides, the daily diary, the exercises list, the theory book, etc; Students answer weekly to short quizzes with immediate feedback on a Learning Management System; The teacher/student relationship is grounded on trust, on mutual understanding and on students' involvement on their own learning; Students explore concepts from multiple perspectives (visual, verbal, numerical, and analytical); Students keep in touch with mathematical applications, particularly in Civil Engineering. ActivMathComp was applied to a class with the students that choose to subscribe it; they could not be randomly assigned because they must take their personal laptop to every class. This way, it was created a quasi-experiment to answer the research question: Does ActivMathComp approach generate higher grades and higher success rate than the traditional approach to teach MA1 course? A questionnaire was applied to all MA1 students to study if the students that participated in ActivMathComp were different from the others in terms of background, attitudes or behaviours. A second questionnaire and two focus groups were applied to ActivMathComp students in order to understand what evaluation they have made of the approach. Participating students got significantly higher grades and higher success rate than other students (some threats to validity remain). Participating students evaluated the learning environment as highly positive in nearly all aspects

AS STEM E O PENSAMENTO COMPUTACIONAL: RESOLVENDO DESAFIOS DA VIDA REAL NO ENSINO SUPERIOR

A promoção da educação STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) tem sido cada vez mais defendida, não só para motivar os estudantes para estas áreas, mas também para os preparar para os desafios do mundo real. Em particular, tem sido recomendada para promover a aprendizagem da matemática, muitas vezes acusada de contribuir para o problema da insuficiência de licenciados em áreas relacionadas com as STEM. Por outro lado, o Pensamento Computacional é um processo cognitivo que pode ser aplicado num contexto STEM e que requer capacidade de resolução de problemas, assim como pode contribuir para a aprendizagem da matemática. Este artigo apresenta o projeto CarRace que foi implementado numa turma de matemática de alunos de engenharia informática, entre os anos letivos 2017/18 e 2021/22; dele participaram um total de 581 estudantes. Com uma metodologia qualitativa, seguindo um paradigma interpretativo, conclui-se que o projeto promoveu o Pensamento Computacional nos estudantes, num contexto de educação STEM. Os resultados obtidos mostram a importância de implementar este tipo de abordagem com estudantes do ensino superior, nomeadamente estudantes de engenharia

AS STEM E O PENSAMENTO COMPUTACIONAL: RESOLVENDO DESAFIOS DA VIDA REAL NO ENSINO SUPERIOR

The promotion of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education has been increasingly advocated, not only to motivate students towards these areas, but also to prepare them for the challenges of the real world. In particular, it has been recommended to promote the learning of mathematics, often accused of contributing to the problem of a shortage of STEM graduates. On the other hand, Computational Thinking is a cognitive process that can be applied in a STEM context and requires problem-solving skills, as well as contributing to mathematics learning. This paper presents the CarRace project that was implemented in a math class of computer engineering students between the academic years 2017/18 and 2021/22, with a total of 581 students taking part. With a qualitative methodology, following an interpretive paradigm, it is concluded that the project promoted Computational Thinking in students, in a STEM education context. The results show the importance of implementing this type of approach with higher education students, particularly engineering students.Se ha abogado cada vez más por la promoción de la educación STEM (Ciencia, Tecnología, Ingeniería y Matemáticas), no sólo para motivar a los estudiantes hacia estas áreas, sino también para prepararlos para los desafíos del mundo real. En particular, se ha recomendado promover el aprendizaje de las matemáticas, a menudo acusadas de contribuir al problema de la insuficiencia de graduados en áreas relacionadas con STEM. Por otro lado, el Pensamiento Computacional es un proceso cognitivo que se puede aplicar en un contexto STEM y que requiere habilidades de resolución de problemas, además de contribuir al aprendizaje de las matemáticas. Este artículo presenta el proyecto CarRace, que se implementó en una clase de matemáticas de estudiantes de ingeniería informática, entre los cursos 2017/18 y 2021/22, con un total de 581 estudiantes participantes. Utilizando una metodología cualitativa, siguiendo un paradigma interpretativo, se concluye que el proyecto promovió el Pensamiento Computacional en los estudiantes, en un contexto de educación STEM. Los resultados obtenidos muestran la importancia de implementar este tipo de enfoque con estudiantes de educación superior, particularmente estudiantes de ingeniería.A promoção da educação STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) tem sido cada vez mais defendida, não só para motivar os estudantes para estas áreas, mas também para os preparar para os desafios do mundo real. Em particular, tem sido recomendada para promover a aprendizagem da matemática, muitas vezes acusada de contribuir para o problema da insuficiência de licenciados em áreas relacionadas com as STEM. Por outro lado, o Pensamento Computacional é um processo cognitivo que pode ser aplicado num contexto STEM e que requer capacidade de resolução de problemas, assim como pode contribuir para a aprendizagem da matemática. Este artigo apresenta o projeto CarRace que foi implementado numa turma de matemática de alunos de engenharia informática, entre os anos letivos 2017/18 e 2021/22; dele participaram um total de 581 estudantes. Com uma metodologia qualitativa, seguindo um paradigma interpretativo, conclui-se que o projeto promoveu o Pensamento Computacional nos estudantes, num contexto de educação STEM. Os resultados obtidos mostram a importância de implementar este tipo de abordagem com estudantes do ensino superior, nomeadamente estudantes de engenharia

Leukocyte Imbalances in Mucopolysaccharidoses Patients

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Inherited Metabolic Disorders: From Bench to Bedside)Mucopolysaccharidoses (MPSs) are rare inherited lysosomal storage diseases (LSDs) caused by deficient activity in one of the enzymes responsible for glycosaminoglycans lysosomal degradation. MPS II is caused by pathogenic mutations in the IDS gene, leading to deficient activity of the enzyme iduronate-2-sulfatase, which causes dermatan and heparan sulfate storage in the lysosomes. In MPS VI, there is dermatan sulfate lysosomal accumulation due to pathogenic mutations in the ARSB gene, leading to arylsulfatase B deficiency. Alterations in the immune system of MPS mouse models have already been described, but data concerning MPSs patients is still scarce. Herein, we study different leukocyte populations in MPS II and VI disease patients. MPS VI, but not MPS II patients, have a decrease percentage of natural killer (NK) cells and monocytes when compared with controls. No alterations were identified in the percentage of T, invariant NKT, and B cells in both groups of MPS disease patients. However, we discovered alterations in the naïve versus memory status of both helper and cytotoxic T cells in MPS VI disease patients compared to control group. Indeed, MPS VI disease patients have a higher frequency of naïve T cells and, consequently, lower memory T cell frequency than control subjects. Altogether, these results reveal MPS VI disease-specific alterations in some leukocyte populations, suggesting that the type of substrate accumulated and/or enzyme deficiency in the lysosome may have a particular effect on the normal cellular composition of the immune system.This work was funded by National Funds through FCT—Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P., under the project UIDB/04293/2020.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Machado-Joseph disease in a Nigerian family: mutational origin and review of the literature

Machado-Joseph disease (MJD) has been described in Africans, but no cases have been reported from Nigeria. Current MJD global distribution results from both the ancestral populations-of-origin and the founder effects of mutations, some as a consequence of the Portuguese sea travels in the 15th to 16th century. Two main ancestral haplotypes have been identified: the Machado lineage, which is more recent, predominant in families of Portuguese extraction, and the Joseph lineage, which is much older and worldwide spread, postulated to have an Asian origin. We report a Nigerian family with MJD from Calabar, once settled by Portuguese slave traders, and assessed its mutational origin. The proband was a 33-year-old man with progressive unsteady gait, weakness of all limbs, dysphagia, dysarthria, urinary frequency and diaphoresis. He had end-of-gaze nystagmus, spastic quadriparesis and atrophic small muscles of the hand. He showed fibrillation potentials on EMG, and nerve conduction studies suggested a central axonopathy without demyelination. This family bears the Joseph haplotype, which has a founder effect in the island of Flores, in the Azores (and their descendants in North-America), but is also the most common in non-Portuguese populations worldwide, with an estimated mutation age of around 7000 years.SM is the recipient of a scholarship (SFRH/BPD/77969/2011) from the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT); IPATIMUP is partially supported by FCT. This work was co-financed by the European Social Fund (Human Potential Thematic Operational Programme)

Mitochondrial diseases in the next generation sequencing era: study of 450 patients

As doenças mitocondriais (DM) são doenças raras, clínica e geneticamente heterogéneas, de difícil diagnóstico, para as quais não existe uma terapia eficaz. O desenvolvimento da tecnologia de sequenciação de nova geração (NGS) revolucionou o diagnóstico molecular deste grupo de doenças, permitindo a identificação de novos genes associados a estas patologias. Nesta nova era genética, através da utilização da tecnologia de NGS, estudamos um grupo de 450 doentes suspeitos de DM, sem etiologia molecular. A nossa estratégia combinada de NGS, englobou a sequenciação de um painel de 213 genes nucleares associados a DM e do DNA mitocondrial completo. Neste estudo, identificamos variantes causais em 134 (30%) doentes analisados, 88 dos quais apresentaram variantes no DNA nuclear e 46 no DNA mitocondrial, tratando-se na maioria de doentes pediátricos (66%). Neste grupo de doentes, identificamos 72 variantes patogénicas descritas na literatura e 20 novas variantes provavelmente patogénicas, assim como 62 variantes de significado indeterminado. Como laboratório nacional de referência para o estudo e investigação das DM, demonstramos o contributo da tecnologia de NGS para esclarecer a etiologia molecular destes doentes, para expandir o espectro mutacional associado a estas patologias e oferecer um diagnóstico pré-natal e aconselhamento genético aos casais em risco.Mitochondrial diseases (MD) are rare disorders, clinically and genetically heterogeneous, making their diagnosis a challenge and with hither to no ef fective therapy options. The development of Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) technologies has revolutionized the understanding of many genes involved in the pathogenesis of MD. In this new genetic era, using a NGS approach, we studied a cohor t of 450 Por tuguese patients suspected of MD, and without a molecular etiology. Our combined NGS approach was first based on analysis of a custom-made targeted mitochondrial panel of 213 nuclear genes followed by the whole mitochondrial genome. In this study, we identif ied disease related variants in 134 (30%) analyzed patients, 88 with nuclear DNA and 46 with mitochondrial DNA variants, being most of them pediatric patients (66%). The molecular analysis of this cohor t revealed 72 already described pathogenic and 20 novel probably pathogenic variants, as well as 62 variants of unknown signif icance. As a national laboratory for the study and research of MD, we demonstrated the power of NGS to achieve a molecular etiology of these patients, to expand the mutational spectrum associated to MD and to propose a prenatal diagnosis as well as an accurate genetic counseling for af fected families.Fundação da Ciência e Tecnologia (PTDC/DTP-PIC/2220/2014, Genetic Defects of Mitochondrial Diseases: a Next Generation Sequencing Approach); Ao Programa Nor te 2020 (NORTE-01-0246- -FEDER-000014, DESVENDAR “DEScobrir, VENcer as Doenças rARas”)info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio