O jogo e o desenvolvimento do raciocínio lógico-matemático: explorações no jardim-de-infância

Quando falamos de jogos pensamos no seu carácter lúdico e divertido. De facto, as crianças facilmente se sentem atraídas pelo jogo, que constitui um importante factor de motivação. Os processos matemáticos envolvidos nos jogos promovem a comunicação aliada à tomada de decisões, ao planeamento e à definição de estratégias. No contexto do desenvolvimento do raciocínio lógico-matemático, os jogos são parceiros fundamentais desde os primeiros anos de vida, devendo-se implementá-los desde cedo no pré-escolar. É importante que os jogos sejam adaptados para as diferentes idades das crianças, desenvolvendo assim as diferentes vertentes do raciocínio lógico-matemático, como seja, a seriação, a classificação, as relações numéricas ou as relações espaciais. Neste artigo, apresentam-se algumas tarefas realizadas com crianças de cinco e seis anos, desenvolvidas no âmbito do Mestrado em Educação Pré-Escolar e Ensino do 1º Ciclo do Ensino Básico, da Universidade dos Açores. As actividades decorreram entre os meses de Março e Maio de 2012

O Jogo e o desenvolvimento de competências numéricas no 1.º Ciclo do Ensino Básico

IX Congresso Iberoamericano de Psicologia/2.º Congresso da Ordem dos Psicólogos Portugueses, Lisboa, 9-13 Setembro 2014.Desde os primórdios da Humanidade, o jogo tem feito parte da vida do Homem e as suas potencialidades lúdicas e pedagógicas têm despertado grande interesse e fascínio. Uma viagem atenta pela nossa história permite recolher um vasto leque de exemplos de jogos que fizeram sucesso na sua época, alguns dos quais continuam a fascinar jovens e menos jovens hoje em dia. Actualmente é grande o consenso sobre as virtudes da prática de alguns jogos. Por este motivo, o jogo é um recurso de aprendizagem cada vez mais utilizado na aula de Matemática, em clubes de Matemática e em outras actividades extracurriculares. Para além da evidente componente competitiva, muitos jogos apresentam regras que permitem estimular o raciocínio lógico-matemático e possibilitam a modelação de situações reais ou imaginárias. Alguns são mesmo direccionados para a exploração de diversos conceitos matemáticos, uns com ênfase no cálculo, outros em determinados temas de geometria, por exemplo. Mesmo para aqueles jogos que aparentemente não têm como objectivo a exploração de conteúdos matemáticos concretos, um olhar mais atento pode revelar a sua extrema utilidade para a aprendizagem da Matemática. Ao longo deste artigo, serão apresentados alguns exemplos que procuram mostrar as potencialidades da exploração do jogo no âmbito do desenvolvimento de competências numéricas e da superação de dificuldades, proporcionando momentos ricos de investigação matemática na sala de aula. Os jogos foram implementados com alunos do 1.º ciclo do ensino básico, a maioria a frequentar o 3.º ano de escolaridade.ABSTRACT: Games are part of human patrimony and have always been viewed as edutainment and pedagogical tools. These characteristics have turned them into a source of passion and interest. A journey through human history reveals the success of different types of games through different epochs, some of them still being very popular at the present times. Nowadays there is a large consensus about the practical utility of games for learning. In mathematical classrooms or at math clubs and other extracurricular activities, their use is getting increasingly popular. Beyond the competitive feature, games leverage mathematical reasoning and, in most of the cases, allow to model real and imaginary scenarios. Some of them target specific mathematical concepts such as calculus or geometry. Others, usually not considered as an instrument for learning skills or for conceptual understanding, at a closer look, they turn out to be very useful for mathematical learning. In this paper, examples are provided to show how games can be used by teachers in the classroom to foster students’ arithmetic skills and to leverage mathematical reasoning, providing important insight into research mathematics education. The games were implemented in the 1st cycle of basic education with a majority of experiments made with students at the 3rd grade.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Normal range and lateral symmetry in the skin temperature profile of pregnant women

Body skin temperature is a useful parameter for diagnosing diseases and infrared thermography can, be a powerful tool in providing important information to detect body temperature changes in a noninvasive way. The aim of this work was to study the pattern of skin temperature during pregnancy, to establish skin temperature reference values and to find correlations between these and the pregnant population characteristics. Sixty-one healthy pregnant women (mean age 30.6 +/- 5.1 years) in the 8th-40th gestational week with normal pregnancies were examined in 31 regions of interest (ROI). The ROIs were defined all over the body in order to determine the most influenced by factors such as age or body mass index (BMI). The results obtained in this work highlight that in normal pregnant women the skin temperature is symmetrically distributed, with the symmetrical areas differing less than 0.5 degrees C, with a mean value of 0.25 +/- 0.23 degrees C. This study identified a significant negative correlation between the BMI and temperature. Age has been shown to have great influence on the skin temperature, with a significant increase of temperature observed with age. This work explores a novel medical application of infrared thermography and provides a characterization of thermal skin profile in human pregnancy for a large set of ROIs while also evaluating the effects of age and BMI.This work is funded by FEDER funds through the COMPETE 2020 Programme and National Funds through FCT - Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology under the project UID/CTM/50025/2013. Thermal equipment provided through the REEQ/ 1033/CTM/ 2005 POCI 2010 program. Project "Do-IT", co-financed by the European Community Fund through COMPETE Programa Operacional Factores de Competitividade. Hospital de Braga for authorizing the study and providing facilities for data collection. We also acknowledge the collaboration from the entire staff at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of the Hospital de Braga.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Biological and immunological characterization of recombinant Yellow Fever 17D Viruses expressing a Trypanosoma cruzi Amastigote Surface Protein-2 CD8+ T cell epitope at two distinct regions of the genome

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The attenuated Yellow fever (YF) 17D vaccine virus is one of the safest and most effective viral vaccines administered to humans, in which it elicits a polyvalent immune response. Herein, we used the YF 17D backbone to express a <it>Trypanosoma cruzi </it>CD8⁺T cell epitope from the Amastigote Surface Protein 2 (ASP-2) to provide further evidence for the potential of this virus to express foreign epitopes. The TEWETGQI CD8⁺T cell epitope was cloned and expressed based on two different genomic insertion sites: in the <it>fg </it>loop of the viral Envelope protein and the protease cleavage site between the NS2B and NS3. We investigated whether the site of expression had any influence on immunogenicity of this model epitope.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Recombinant viruses replicated similarly to vaccine virus YF 17D in cell culture and remained genetically stable after several serial passages in Vero cells. Immunogenicity studies revealed that both recombinant viruses elicited neutralizing antibodies to the YF virus as well as generated an antigen-specific gamma interferon mediated T-cell response in immunized mice. The recombinant viruses displayed a more attenuated phenotype than the YF 17DD vaccine counterpart in mice. Vaccination of a mouse lineage highly susceptible to infection by <it>T. cruzi </it>with a homologous prime-boost regimen of recombinant YF viruses elicited TEWETGQI specific CD8⁺T cells which might be correlated with a delay in mouse mortality after a challenge with a lethal dose of <it>T. cruzi</it>.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>We conclude that the YF 17D platform is useful to express <it>T. cruzi </it>(Protozoan) antigens at different functional regions of its genome with minimal reduction of vector fitness. In addition, the model <it>T. cruzi </it>epitope expressed at different regions of the YF 17D genome elicited a similar T cell-based immune response, suggesting that both expression sites are useful. However, the epitope as such is not protective and it remains to be seen whether expression of larger domains of ASP-2, which include the TEWETGQI epitope, will elicit better T-CD8+ responses to the latter. It is likely that additional antigens and recombinant virus formulations will be necessary to generate a protective response.</p

Psychoactive substance consumption by Portuguese population

BACKGROUND: Increasing consumption of psychoactive substances is a major social concern worldwide. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the prevalence of psychoactive substances consumption in the Portuguese population, lifetime and recently, the main reasons for the consumption and associated factors. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was based on the ASSIST applied to Portuguese population. It was used descriptive statistics, the qui-square, Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests, with a significance level of 5%. RESULTS: Alcohol was the most consumed throughout life (86%), followed by xanthines (79%) and tobacco (60%). In the last 3 months, xanthines (49%) were the most consumed daily, followed by tobacco (22%) and alcohol (9%). Socializing was the main reason for consumption of alcohol (67%), tobacco (36%) and cannabis (34%). Anxiolytics have been used to sleep (50%) and xanthines to increase cognitive capacity (35%). Tobacco (p=0.016), alcohol (p=0.03) and illicit substances (p<0.001) were more consumed by men and anxiolytics by women (p=0.027). Alcohol (p=0.008), cannabis (p=0.027), and xanthines (p=0.009) were mostly consumed by young adults. CONCLUSIONS: The results reveal sporadic and recreational use of illicit substances, and regular use of alcohol, tobacco and xanthines, mostly by young adults and men, and anxiolytics by women. Socializing was the main reason for psychoactive substances consumption.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

AVALIAÇÃO ECOTOXICOLÓGICA DA ÁGUA DE LAVAGEM DA PURIFICAÇÃO DE BIODIESEL DE SOJA METÍLICO UTILIZANDO Danio rerio COMO ORGANISMO-TESTE

Biodiesel pode ser produzido a partir de óleos vegetais e gordura animal, através da reação de transesterificação com álcoois de cadeia curta, como metanol e o etanol. Indústrias e laboratórios que produzem biodiesel usam grande volume de água em seus processos uma vez que após a reação para sua produção é necessário efetuar uma purificação, a qual gera o resíduo “água de lavagem” com potencial de poluir os ecossistemas caso venham a ser descartada em córregos e rios. Ensaios ecotoxicológicos têm sido empregados na avaliação de risco ambiental de diversos processos industriais incluindo a avaliação de resíduos e efluentes. Considerando que o Núcleo de Biodiesel localizado na UFMA planeja para os próximos anos produzir o biodiesel utilizado pelos veículos da Universidade, e como esta produção viria a gerar grande quantidade de efluentes, surge a necessidade de avaliar a toxicidade deste efluente para tentar minimizar os prováveis efeitos danosos causados ao ambiente. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a toxicidade aguda da água de lavagem proveniente da purificação de biodiesel metílico de soja por meio de ensaios ecotoxicológicos com a espécie de peixe Danio rerio. As reações de transesterificação foram processadas na proporção de 100 g de óleo de soja para 40 ml de metanol e 1,5 g do catalisador (KOH), sob constante agitação durante 90 min. No processo de lavagem, foi utilizado o método de borbulhamento com ar com seis lavagens de 20 minutos, sendo cada litro de biodiesel lavado com 250 ml de solução 0,01 N de HCl e 5 porções de 250 ml de água destilada. Os elevados valores de turbidez, DBO e DQO, caracterizam a água de lavagem como um efluente industrial, sendo que se enquadra na classificação “muito tóxico” para o peixe Danio rerio com uma CL50(48h) média de 13,94%.Palavras-chave: ecotoxicologia, metanol, paulistinha, poluição.ABSTRACTEcotixological evaluation of methyl biodiesel purification residue using Danio rerio as test organismBiodiesel can be produced from vegetable oils and animal fat by transesterification reaction with short chain alcohols such as methanol and ethanol. Industries and laboratories that produce biodiesel use large amounts of water in their processes since after the reaction it is necessary to perform a purification, which generates “water wash” waste with the potential to pollute ecosystems in case of its disposal in streams and rivers. Ecotoxicological tests have been done in environmental risk assessment of various industrial processes including assessment of waste and effluents. Considering that the Núcleo de Biodiesel located in the UFMA pretends to produce the necessary biodiesel to be used by the University vehicles for the coming years, and that this production would generate large amounts of waste, arises the necessity to evaluate the toxicity of these wastes to determine the need for treatment and to minimize the probably harmful effects caused to the environment. This study aims to assess the acute toxicity of water used to purify the methyl soy biodiesel through ecotoxicological assays with fish species Danio rerio. Transesterification reaction were carry out with 100 g of soybean oil, 40 ml of methanol and 1,5 g of KOH under constant mixture during 90 min. It was employed air bubbling with six washing of 20 minutes using 250 ml of HCl 0,01 N and 5 potions of 250 ml distillated water. Turbidity, DOB and DOQ characterized “water wash” as an industrial effluent being considered “very toxic” to Danio rerio with a LC50 (48h) average of 13.94%.Keywords: ecotoxicology, methanol, pollution, zebrafish

Influência do coeficiente de difusão na qualidade da água em trecho de vazão reduzida

In some hydroelectric plants, downstream of the dams, there is the formation of reduced instream flow. Normally, dams structures with sills are added to increase the width of the channel and, consequently, reduce environmental impacts. This hydraulic configuration increases the liquid depth and reduces the average velocity, which causes more importance of the diffusive term in the behavior of the water quality parameters along the reduce instream flow. The focus of the study is the Capim Branco I Hydroelectric Power Plant, located in the lower course of the Araguari River, Triângulo Mineiro, which has 9 km of length and five small structures with sills. The simulations of OD, DBO, organic nitrogen, ammonia, nitrate and phosphorus parameters were performed in the AQUATOOL tool, from October 2009 to September 2010. The simulations for the diffusion coefficients E equal to 5, 10, 15 and 20 m2/s were compared with simulations of E equal to zero. The reduced value of E results greater influence on the behavior of water quality parameters. The pollutant load of the Marimbondo stream increased considerably the variation of BOD, phosphorus and organic nitrogen (dry and rainy period, respectively, 2% and 4% for BOD, 6% and 7% for phosphorus and 5% and 6 % for organic nitrogen). The DO variation was reduced in the dry and rainy season, remaining less than 1% in the majority of reduce instream flow. The nitrification process resulted in high ammonia variations, with a peak of 10% in the dry period and 14% in the rainy season, and a high nitrate variation, with a peak of 16% in the dry period and 18% in the rainy season. Towards the impact of E coefficient on the behavior of the parameters, it is suggested that this coefficient is previously obtained in the field by experimental methods with tracers.Em algumas instalações hidrelétricas existe a formação de trecho de vazão reduzida a jusante do barramento. Normalmente são introduzidas estruturas de barramento com soleiras para aumentar a largura do canal e, consequentemente, diminuir os impactos ambientais. Esta configuração hidráulica aumenta a profundidade líquida e reduz a velocidade média do escoamento, o que faz com que o termo difusivo ganhe importância no comportamento dos parâmetros de qualidade da água ao longo do trecho de vazão reduzida. O foco do estudo é o trecho de vazão reduzida da Central Hidrelétrica Capim Branco I, localizado no baixo curso do rio Araguari, Triângulo Mineiro e que possui a extensão de 9 km e cinco pequenos barramentos. As simulações dos parâmetros OD, DBO, nitrogênio orgânico, amônia, nitrato e fósforo total foram realizadas na ferramenta AQUATOOL, no período de outubro de 2009 até setembro de 2010. As simulações para os coeficientes de difusão E iguais a 5, 10, 15 e 20 m2/s foram comparadas com os simulados para E igual a zero. O valor reduzido de E traz maior influência sobre o comportamento dos parâmetros de qualidade da água. O incremento de carga poluidora do córrego Marimbondo aumentou consideravelmente a variação de DBO, fósforo total e nitrogênio orgânico (para o período seco e chuvoso, respectivamente, 2% e 4% para a DBO, 6% e 7% para o fósforo total e 5% e 6% para o nitrogênio orgânico). A variação de OD foi reduzida no período seco e chuvoso, mantendo-se inferior a 1% na maioria do trecho de vazão reduzida. O processo de nitrificação ocasionou elevadas variações de amônia, com pico de 10% no período seco e de 14% no chuvoso, além de elevada variação de nitrato, com pico de 16% no período seco e 18% no chuvoso. Diante do impacto de E no comportamento dos parâmetros, sugere-se que este coeficiente seja previamente obtido em campo por meio de métodos experimentais com traçadores

Volunteered Geographical Information and Recreational Uses within Metropolitan and Rural Contexts

UIDB/04647/2020 UIDP/04647/2020 DL 57/2016/CP1453/CT0004Data obtained through Volunteered Geographical Information (VGI) have gradually been used to monitor and support planning mainly in urban contexts. Regarding recreational activities in peri-urban green and natural areas, VGI has been used to map, measure use intensity, profile users, and evaluate their preferences and motivations. Given their extensive use, it is now worthwhile to assess the value of VGI data to (1) compare recreational uses, profile users and map recreational activities in different contexts (metropolitan vs. rural areas), and (2) evaluate outdoor and adventure tourist products such as Grand Routes (GR). Data from former GPSies (AllTrails nowadays), one of the most popular web-share services, were used to assess recreational uses in Lisbon Metropolitan Area (LMA) and southwest Portugal (SWPT). A set of 22,031 tracks of “on foot” and “on wheels” activities, submitted by 3297 national and foreign users, covering 12 years, was analysed within a GIS modelling environment. Results indicate that, although there are many more submissions in the LMA, the influence of foreigners in the SWPT is higher (11% vs. 19%). The existing GR in SWPT concentrates the foreign use for hiking (71% of foreign vs. 28% of national users), demonstrating its attractiveness. For the favourite activity in both areas—Mountain biking—results show a higher spatial dispersion, yet part of the activity in SWPT still conforms to the GR (16% of foreign and 20% of national use). This study proves other applications for VGI, showing its usefulness for assessing recreational uses in both metropolitan and rural areas. Spatial knowledge about recreational uses is a valuable tool to evaluate and monitor such activities, and to know what users like to do, and where, and is also useful information when designing recreational products considering their tourist potential, thus adding value to these offers.publishersversionpublishe