Avaliação de um programa de promoção de competências sócio-emocionais : análise de processo dos incidentes críticos negativos

Tese de mestrado, Psicologia (Secção de Psicologia da Educação e da Orientação), Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Psicologia, 2011A presente dissertação incide essencialmente na temática da avaliação de programas, e constitui parte da avaliação formativa e de processo de um programa de promoção de competências sócio-emocionais intitulado “Devagar se vai ao longe” (Raimundo, 2008), construído com base na perspectiva Social and Emotional Learning [SEL]. Esta avaliação baseou-se na análise de conteúdo dos incidentes críticos negativos registados aquando da implementação do respectivo programa. Desta análise resultou uma categorização, que permitiu determinar a frequência de cada um dos incidentes críticos negativos ocorridos nas sessões. Para além disso, permitiu, numa fase final, a construção de uma Checklist que, em futuras aplicações do mesmo programa, facilitará o trabalho do aplicador e contribuirá para simplificar o processo de avaliação da implementação do mesmo.The present dissertation is essentially focused on the evaluation of programs and it is also a part of the formative and process evaluation of a program to promote social and emotional skills entitled “Slowly but steadly” (Raimundo, 2008), based on the Social and Emotional Learning [SEL] perspective. This evaluation consists on the content analysis of critical and negative incidents registered while the upper referred program was being implemented. From this analysis a categorization occurred which allowed to determine the amount of critical and negative incidents that took place in the sessions. Apart from this, it also allowed, on an ultimate step, the elaboration of a Checklist which, in future uses of the same program, will facilitate the expert´s work and will also contribute to streamline the evaluation process of its implementation

Effect of whey protein purity and glycerol content upon physical properties of edible films manufactured therefrom

This manuscript describes the detailed characterization of edible films made from two different protein products e whey protein isolate (WPI) and whey protein concentrate (WPC), added with three levels of glycerol (Gly) e i.e. 40, 50 and 60%(w/w). The molecular structure, as well as barrier, tensile, thermal,surface and optical properties of said films were determined, in attempts to provide a better understanding of the effects of proteinaceous purity and Gly content of the feedstock. WPI films exhibited statistically lower (p < 0.05) moisture content (MC), film solubility (S), water activity, water vapor permeability (WVP), oxygen and carbon dioxide permeabilities (O2P and CO2P, respectively) and color change values, as well as statistically higher (p < 0.05) density, surface hydrophobicity, mechanical resistance, elasticity, extensibility and transparency values than their WPC counterparts, for the same content of Gly. These results are consistent with data from thermal and FTIR analyses. Furthermore,a significant increase (p < 0.05) was observed in MC, S, WVP, O2P, CO2P, weight loss and extensibility of both protein films when the Gly content increased; whereas a significant decrease (p < 0.05) was observed in thermal features, as well as in mechanical resistance and elasticity e thus leading to weaker films. Therefore, fundamental elucidation was provided on the features of WPI and WPC germane to food packaging e along with suggestions to improve the most critical ones, i.e. extensibility and WVP.Partial funding for this research work was provided by project Milkfilm, administered by Agência de Inovação e POCTI: Programa Operacional de Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação (Portugal) Funding for author O. L. Ramos was via a postdoctoral fellowship (ref. SFRH/BPD/80766/2011), administered by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (Portugal) and supervised by author F. X.Malcata. A minor part of the experimental work was performed in CBQF premise

A quantitative approach to assess the contribution of seals to the permeability of water vapour and oxygen in thermosealed packages

Shelf-life of many foods is largely dependent on the barrier to moisture and oxygen of the respective package. Barrier is often assessed by measuring the transmission rate of films. However, in thermosealed packages leaks and weak seals can give rise to increased total mass transfer entering the system and reaching the food. While leaks are random defects and are associated to early failure, lower integrity of regular seals tends to affect whole batch causing a decrease in the product shelf-life. In the present work the contribution of the seals to total permeability of packages was assessed by measuring transmission rate of the film and of thermosealed packages of different sizes, therefore with different seals length. Packages made of PA/PE and PVDC coated PET/PE and their respective films were tested for moisture and oxygen transmission rate at different temperature and relative humidity. Results indicate that industrial regular produced seals can account for ca. 25% of the total mass transfer through the system. This decrease of the package barrier as compared to the material barrier will have a significant impact on the product shelf-life and it should be considered in the packaging design process