Teachable Moments: oportunidades a não perder

Neste texto começamos por analisar um episódio ao nível das ações desencadeadas por uma professora e do conhecimento didático que as suporta. Depois, analisamos a forma como futuros professores de Matemática, a iniciarem o seu mestrado profissionalizante entendem o episódio, do ponto de vista matemático e do ponto de vista da gestão da aula. Finalmente, terminamos com algumas questões para a formação de professores que decorrem desta análise

Find_Me: IoT indoor guidance system

This work presents an approach to combine location information from beacons and local building information to give real time location and guidance to a user inside a building. This information can help users orientation inside unknown buildings and the data stored from different users can provide useful information about users movements inside public building. Beacons are installed on the building and emit signals that give a geographic position with an associated imprecision, related with Bluetooth’s range. This uncertainty is handle by building layout and users’ movement in a developed system that maps users position, gives guidance and store user movements. This system is based on a App (Find Me!) for Android OS (Operating System) which captures the Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) signal coming from the beacon(s) and shows, through a map, the location of the user ‘s smart phone and guide him to the desired destinationinfo:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

The lessons learned from the unique characteristics of small technology-based firms.

The aim of this study is to identify how characteristics of small technology-based firms (STBFs), their unique combination of internal capabilities, structure, and processes, influence strategy formulation. Based on qualitative research using multiple case studies supported by semi-structured interviews, the study’s main results indicate the founder’s technical expertise shapes the business, mission, and vision. Lack of resources allows limited activities in strategy formulation with few matching capabilities analyses or benchmarking studies. STBFs favor competitive analysis almost exclusively in developing a market positioning strategy without regard for other methods

Recycling of Reinforced Glass Fibers Waste: Current Status

UID/00667/2020In this paper, a review of the current status and future perspectives for reinforced glass fiber waste is undertaken, as well as an evaluation of the management hierarchy for these end-of-life materials. Waste levels are expected to increase in the coming years, but an improvement of collection routes is still necessary. The recycling processes for these materials are presented. The associated advantages and disadvantages, as well as the corresponding mechanical characteristics, are described. Although mechanical shredding is currently the most used process, there is a potential for thermal processes to be more competitive than others due to the fiber quality after the recycling process. However, the energy requirements of each of the processes are not yet well explained, which compromises the determination of the economic value of the recycled fibers when included in other products, as well as the process feasibility. Nevertheless, the work of some authors that successfully integrated recycled glass fibers into other elements with increased mechanical properties is evaluated. Future recommendations for the recycling of glass fiber and its commercialization are made.publishersversionpublishe

AXL as a modulator of sunitinib response in glioblastoma cell lines

Receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) targeted therapy has been explored for glioblastoma treatment. However, it is unclear which RTK inhibitors are the most effective and there are no predictive biomarkers available. We recently identified the RTK AXL as a putative target for the pan-RTK inhibitors cediranib and sunitinib, which are under clinical trials for glioblastoma patients. Here, we provide evidence that AXL activity can modulate sunitinib response in glioblastoma cell lines. We found that AXL knockdown conferred lower sensitivity to sunitinib by rescuing migratory defects and inhibiting apoptosis in cells expressing high AXL basal levels. Accordingly, overactivation of AXL by its ligand GAS6 rendered AXL positive glioblastoma cells more sensitive to sunitinib. AXL knockdown induced a cellular rewiring of several growth signaling pathways through activation of RTKs, such as EGFR, as well as intracellular pathways such as MAPK and AKT. The combination of sunitinib with a specific AKT inhibitor reverted the resistance of AXL-silenced cells to sunitinib. Together, our results suggest that sunitinib inhibits AXL and AXL activation status modulates therapy response of glioblastoma cells to sunitinib. Moreover, it indicates that combining sunitinib therapy with AKT pathway inhibitors could overcome sunitinib resistance.This work was funded by Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia (FCT), Portugal (project: PTDC/SAU-TOX/114549/2009). Olga Martinho is a recipient of a Post-Doc fellowship (UMINHO/BPD/32/2013) from QREN. We would like to acknowledge Dr. Shuang-En Chuang from the National Health Research Institute, Taiwan, for providing AXL vectors, and Dr. Raquel Andrade for critical review of the manuscript

Are perceived benefits of heated tobacco products consumption aiding smoking cessation?

Background: The tobacco industry has been facing several transformations, considering that technology has evolved and health concerns have increased. One way for this industry to meet the growing social and health concerns is to provide alternative solutions. Heated tobacco products (HTPs) were the solution found, but they nevertheless pose several challenges to regulators, companies, and consumers, since HTPs are advertised as a less harmful alternative to conventional cigarettes. Focus of the Article: This study aims to analyze smokers' perception of HTPs to provide insights for social marketing campaigns targeting behavioral change. Research questions: The main objectives of this research are: (1) to assess whether smokers and ex-smokers view HTPs as less harmful to health than traditional cigarettes; and (2) to determine to what extent HTPs can help increase the intention to quit smoking. Methods: This study explores smokers’ perception of HTPs consumption using a modified version of the Health Belief Model (HBM). A survey study involving 250 smokers and ex-smokers was conducted to test the conceptual model using PLS-Path modeling to validate the research hypotheses. The data were analyzed using the SPSS 27 and SmartPLS 3.3 programs. Results: The results suggest that the perceived benefits of heated tobacco consumption negatively influence the likelihood of quitting smoking. Therefore, HTPs do not work as auxiliary products with regard to the intention to quit smoking. In some cases, the effect is quite the opposite, as HTPs use increases tobacco consumption and dependence. Perceived susceptibility and perceived severity are not significant predictors of the decision to quit smoking. Research limitations: Future research could use a sample that includes only HTPs smokers and ex-smokers, analyze HTPs benefits and understand the primary motivation behind replacing conventional cigarettes with HTPs. Practical implications: Entities attempting to promote the reduction of tobacco consumption should equate HTPs to conventional tobacco and focus on campaigns targeting only HTPs smokers. Whenever studying perceptions on HTPs, it is important to consider smokers’ dependence on nicotine and the particularities of the devices used to consume HTPs. Importance to the Social Marketing Field: Considering the social relevance and growth of heated tobacco consumption, as well as the increase of the tobacco industry’s economic power, this research offers relevant insights into consumers’ perceptions toward HTPs.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio