An approach to online assessment in higher education: social networked eportfolios

O Ensino Superior, dadas as exigências inerentes a uma sociedade do conhecimento e da informação, em constante transformação, e em que os avanços tecnológicos têm contribuído, de modo significativo, para todo o sistema educacional, tem vindo a proceder a alterações no sentido de cumprir um papel sociopedagógico que possibilite a inserção activa de indivíduos no mundo actual de trabalho. A avaliação é, indubitavelmente, parte integrante do processo de ensino e de aprendizagem. Neste artigo, faz-se uma reflexão sobre a avaliação, com particular relevância para a avaliação online, ancorada em conceitos de “avaliação autêntica” e de “avaliação sustentável”. A educação à distância tem um papel relevante no ensino superior. Assim, e no sentido de garantir a sua credibilidade, a avaliação online tem sido alvo de muita reflexão e preocupação. Destaca-se, igualmente, a relevância dos e-portfolio em rede social como uma ferramenta proeminente na avaliação online. Higher Education systems have been constantly changing in order to accommodate the demands of a knowledge and information society which is constantly evolving due to technological advances. Thus, they have a key social and pedagogical role to meet, enabling an effective inclusion of individuals in today's labour market. This article presents a reflection on assessment, which is, undoubtedly an important part of the learning process, with particular relevance to online assessment, anchored in concepts like "authentic assessment” and “sustainable assessment". Assessment is vital in the learning process and should not be limited to the classifying function. Instead, it should promote deep learning, through the application of a myriad of tools and assessment strategies. E-learning plays an important role in higher education and, to ensure its credibility, a lot of research has been done about assessment in online environments. We will also address the relevance of the social network ePortfolio as an outstanding tool in online assessment

Effect of Preoperative Home-Based Exercise Training on Quality of Life After Lung Cancer Surgery: A Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial

Background. Preoperative exercise training is recommended for improvement of clinical outcomes after lung cancer (LC) surgery. However, its efectiveness in preventing postoperative decline in quality of life (QoL) remains unknown. This study investigated the efect of preoperative home-based exercise training (PHET) on QoL after LC surgery. Methods. Patients awaiting LC resection were randomized to PHET or a control group (CG). The PHET program combined aerobic and resistance exercise, with weekly telephone supervision. Primary outcome was QoL-assessed with the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life Questionnaire C30 (QLQC30) at baseline, before surgery, and 1 month after surgery. The secondary outcomes were hospital length of stay and physical performance. The main analysis included a factorial repeated-measures analysis of variance. Additionally, the proportion of patients experiencing clinical deterioration from baseline to post-surgery was assessed. Results. The study included 41 patients (68.1±9.3 years; 68.3% male) in the intention-to-treat analysis (20 PHET patients, 21 CG patients). A signifcant group × time interaction was observed for global QoL (p =0.004). Betweengroup diferences in global QoL were statistically and clinically signifcant before surgery (mean diference [MD], 13.5 points; 95% confdence interval [CI], 2.4–24.6; p =0.019) and after surgery (MD, 12.4 points; 95% CI, 1.3–23.4; p=0.029), favoring PHET. Clinical deterioration of global QoL was reported by 71.4% of the CG patients compared with 30 % of the PHET patients (p =0.003). Between-group diferences in favor of PHET were found in pain and appetite loss as well as in physical, emotional and role functions after surgery (p <0.05). Compared with CG, PHET was superior in improving preoperative fve-times sit-to-stand and postoperative exercise capacity (p <0.05). No between-group diferences in other secondary outcomes were observed. Conclusion. The study showed that PHET can efectively prevent the decline in QoL after LC surgery.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The transcription factor Ndt80 is a repressor of candida parapsilosis virulence attributes

Candida parapsilosis is an emergent opportunistic yeast among hospital settings that affects mainly neonates and immunocompromised patients. Its most remarkable virulence traits are the ability to adhere to prosthetic materials, as well as the formation of biofilm on abiotic surfaces. The Ndt80 transcription factor was identified as one of the regulators of biofilm formation by C. parapsilosis; however, its function in this process was not yet clarified. By knocking out NDT80 (CPAR2-213640) gene, or even just one single copy of the gene, we observed substantial alterations of virulence attributes, including morphogenetic changes, adhesion and biofilm growth profiles. Both ndt80Δ and ndt80ΔΔ mutants changed colony and cell morphologies from smooth, yeast-shaped to crepe and pseudohyphal elongated forms, exhibiting promoted adherence to polystyrene microspheres and notably, forming a higher amount of biofilm compared to wild-type strain. Interestingly, we identified transcription factors Ume6, Cph2, Cwh41, Ace2, Bcr1, protein kinase Mkc1 and adhesin Als7 to be under Ndt80 negative regulation, partially explaining the phenotypes displayed by the ndt80ΔΔ mutant. Furthermore, ndt80ΔΔ pseudohyphae adhered more rapidly and were more resistant to murine macrophage attack, becoming deleterious to such cells after phagocytosis. Unexpectedly, our findings provide the first evidence for a direct role of Ndt80 as a repressor of C. parapsilosis virulence attributes. This finding shows that C. parapsilosis Ndt80 functionally diverges from its homolog in the close related fungal pathogen C. albicans.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

International mobility in the Pharmacy degree at the school of allied health sciences of Oporto

Background: The Erasmus program is a subprogram of the Lifelong Learning program, exclusive for Higher Education that promotes (among other initiatives), the mobility of students(studies, training or internships). The mobility of students of higher education seeks to improve the quality and development of future professionals, providing a multidisciplinary and multicultural experience. Setting: Academic Pharmacy/Pharmacy Technicians Methods: We conducted a descriptive and transversal study on the implementation of the mobility program and analyze the results, which involved applying a survey to students. Results: Since 2009/2010, the Pharmacy Degree at ESTSP has established 7 SMs protocols resulting in an average mobility of 5 students IN and 7 Students OUT. We have also endeavoured in SMp Protocols for extracurricular training with an average of 3 students OUT. The application process is normally open during the year before the mobility period. For most of the students involved, this was a first time opportunity to be in a foreign country and more than 70% choose the mobility program because it is seen as a possibility to improve their curriculum, for personal development or even to pursue employment opportunities abroad. The mobility for teachers is also encouraged. Conclusions: The exchange of experiences and training, acquired during cooperation activities should be an element of continuous dynamics and institutional affirmation. Initiatives such as the ERASMUS Program contribute to the educational and scientific enrichment, and promote international competitiveness among Higher Education Institutions

Profile of human resources and skills needs in the portuguese tourism sector

The tourism sector has been presented as one of the most important sectors of diverse economies due to its capacity to contribute to economic growth and job creation. Being an industry of people, it directly depends on the performance of activities, skills, professionalism, quality and competitiveness, so it is essential to answer with precise planning politics which should be the most approximated ones to the real needs of the sector. In Portugal, the tourism sector continues to reinforce its importance in society and in the national economy since it remains the main exporting economic sector. On the other hand, the main challenge of this sector is qualifying and increasing the level of qualification of its workers due to their inadequate level of qualification, since 50% of the employed population in this sector has a primary education level. Therefore, it has defined, in its public policies, the goal of duplicating, in the next decade, the number of employees with high school education qualifications. In this sense, once skills are becoming the global currency of the 21st century, this study aims to feature the main soft skills that touristic human resources should hold, based on the importance given to them by the national entrepreneurs of the sector. This study is based on a sample of 555 answers and used a qualitative methodology throughout a profound review of the literature as well as a quantitative methodology where an online survey was implemented, expecting to develop the ideal profile of the tourism human resources. The results of the study suggest that the profile of human resources in the tourism sector should include skills such as teamwork, knowledge of market trends, ability to conduct efficient strategic processes and decisions, as well as language skills, sales skills and digital communication.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

AtGRP3 is implicated in root size and aluminum response pathways in Arabidopsis

AtGRP3 is a glycine-rich protein (GRP) from Arabidopsis thaliana shown to interact with the receptor-like kinase AtWAK1 in yeast, in vitro and in planta. In this work, phenotypic analyses using transgenic plants were performed in order to better characterize this GRP. Plants of two independent knockout alleles of AtGRP3 develop longer roots suggesting its involvement in root size determination. Confocal microscopy analysis showed an abnormal cell division and elongation in grp3-1 knockout mutants. Moreover, we also show that grp3-1 exhibits an enhanced Aluminum (Al) tolerance, a feature also described in AtWAK1 overexpressing plants. Together, these results implicate AtGRP3 function root size determination during development and in Al stress

Association of 3-Phenoxybenzoic Acid Exposure during Pregnancy with Maternal Outcomes and Newborn Anthropometric Measures: Results from the IoMum Cohort Study

The aims of this study were to characterize the exposure of pregnant women living in Portugal to 3-phenoxybenzoic acid (3-PBA) and to evaluate the association of this exposure with maternal outcomes and newborn anthropometric measures. We also aimed to compare exposure in summer with exposure in winter. Pregnant women attending ultrasound scans from April 2018 to April 2019 at a central hospital in Porto, Portugal, were invited to participate. Inclusion criteria were: gestational week between 10 and 13, confirmed fetal vitality, and a signature of informed consent. 3-PBA was measured in spot urine samples by gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The median 3-PBA concentration was 0.263 (0.167; 0.458) μg/g creatinine (n = 145). 3-PBA excretion was negatively associated with maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) (p = 0.049), and it was higher during the summer when compared to winter (p < 0.001). The frequency of fish or yogurt consumption was associated positively with 3-PBA excretion, particularly during the winter (p = 0.002 and p = 0.015, respectively), when environmental exposure is low. Moreover, 3-PBA was associated with levothyroxine use (p = 0.01), a proxy for hypothyroidism, which could be due to a putative 3-PBA—thyroid hormone antagonistic effect. 3-PBA levels were not associated with the anthropometric measures of the newborn. In conclusion, pregnant women living in Portugal are exposed to 3-PBA, particularly during summer, and this exposure may be associated with maternal clinical features.This article was supported by national funds through the FCT Foundation for Science and Technology, I.P., within the scope of the projects RISE - LA/P/0053/2020; CINTESIS, R&D UNIT (reference UIDB/4255/2020) and LAQV (references: UIDB/50006/2020 AND UIDP/50006/2020). Virgínia Cruz Fernandes was funded by FCT/MCTES (Foundation for Science and Technology and Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education) and the ESF (European Social Fund) through NORTE 2020 (North Region Operational Program) through a grant of Post-Doc (reference SFRH/BPD/109153/2015). Juliana Guimarães was funded by FCT/MCTES (Foundation for Science and Technology and Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education) under CINTESIS by a PhD scholarship (reference UI/BD/152087/2021). The authors would like to thank the kind participation of all pregnant women and the support of the recruitment activities by the health professionals of the Department of Obstetrics, Centro Hospitalar Universitário S. João, Porto, Portugal and also to the professionals of REQUIMTE/LAQV, Instituto Superior de Engenharia, Politécnico do Porto, for their collaboration in carrying out the analyzes of the 3-PBA metabolite. This work received support from PT national funds (FCT/MCTES, Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia and Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior) through the projects LA/P/0053/2020; UIDB/4255/2020; UIDB/5006/2020 and UIDP/50006/2020. Virgínia Cruz Fernandes thanks FCT/MCTES (Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia and Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior) and ESF (European Social Fund) through NORTE 2020 (Programa Operacional Região Norte) for his/her Post-Doc grant ref. SFRH/BPD/109153/2015). Juliana Guimarães was funded by FCT/MCTES (Foundation for Science and Technology and Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education) under CINTESIS by a PhD scholarship (reference UI/BD/152087/2021).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio