A construção de argumentos e representações gráficas : ensinando ciências para crianças pequenas no Brasil

No Brasil, as crianças de seis anos de idade foram incluídas no Ensino Fundamental, e, consequentemente, surgiu uma série de indagações sobre o Ensino de Ciências nessa série. Com o intuito de verificar os indícios do processo de Alfabetização Científica (AC) e um enfoque essencialmentequalitativo, foi estruturada uma Sequência de Ensino Investigativo para os alunos do 1° de uma escola de Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brasil. As aulas foram gravadas e as falas foram transcritas. Foi realizada a identificação dos indicadores de AC, a análise das argumentações e dos registros dos alunos, sendo possível verificar que as crianças pequenas também conseguem se engajar em discussões associadas a temas científicos. O desenvolvimento de habilidades, como seriar, classificar, observar, argumentar, explicar, entre outras possui uma implicação direta para o Ensino de Ciências

Trends in Tanning Bed Use, Motivation, and Risk Awareness in Germany: Findings from Four Waves of the National Cancer Aid Monitoring (NCAM)

Indoor tanning is an important risk factor for the development of melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer. With our nationally representative monitoring, we aimed at describing tanning bed use, user characteristics, reasons for use, and risk awareness over time. In the framework of the National Cancer Aid Monitoring (NCAM), we collected representative data on 12,000 individuals aged 14 to 45 years in annual waves of n = 3,000 participants in Germany between 2015 and 2018. We used descriptive statistics and chi²-tests to uncover group differences. To compare data from the different waves, we calculated confidence intervals. The use of tanning beds decreased from 2015 (11.0%, 95%-CI: 9.9%-12.1%) to 2018 (8.8%, 95%-CI: 7.8%-9.8%). However, this decrease did not affect all subgroups. For instance, there was an (non-significant) increase in minors and the prevalence remained stable for individuals with immigrant background and males. Attractiveness was an important reason for tanning bed use in each wave. Over time, there was an increase in medical-related reasons for use. Furthermore, monitoring showed a decrease in risk awareness regarding tanning bed use and ultraviolet (UV) radiation. While it is a positive development that the overall use of tanning beds in Germany has decreased over time, the increasing use by minors despite the legal ban is alarming. Due to the declining risk awareness it is necessary to implement prevention and education campaigns specifically targeted at this group

Os registros escritos infantis e alfabetização científica: Em foco, o ensino de ciências por investigação

Inquiry Based Science Teaching in the early years of schooling contributes to the development of the Scientific Literacy process. In the exhibition of part of research results, the collaborating children and teachers on stage are located in a public school of medium-sized city, in the West region of São Paulo. This is a third year Elementary School group that, in cooperative action, participated in activities resulting from the organization of an Investigative Teaching Sequence entitled “Photosynthesis and Food Chain”. In it, in the immersion of the culture produced by humanity, written and scientific language activities intertwine and contribute to the formation of children's intelligence and personality, highlighting how this teaching practice involving problem solving, hypothesis raising and discussions brings positive impacts to the production of authorial texts, in which the child, when recording what he thinks and learned in class, expands his desire to express himself in his project of saying, and appropriates specifically human abilities related to writing and science. Thus, investigative activities may be a possible way to enhance the literacy process, as well as the student's involvement with the scientific culture.La Enseñanza de la Investigación en Ciencias en los primeros años de escolaridad contribuye al desarrollo del proceso de Alfabetización Científica. En la exhibición de parte de los resultados de la investigación, los niños y maestros colaboradores en el escenario se encuentran en una escuela pública en un municipio de tamaño mediano, en el oeste de São Paulo. Este es un grupo de tercer año de escuela primaria que, en acción cooperativa, participó en actividades resultantes de la organización de una secuencia de enseñanza investigativa titulada "Fotosíntesis y cadena alimentaria". En él, en la inmersión de la cultura producida por la humanidad, las actividades lingüísticas escritas y científicas se entrelazan y contribuyen a la formación de la inteligencia y la personalidad de los niños, destacando cómo esta práctica de enseñanza que involucra la resolución de problemas, la formulación de hipótesis y las discusiones trae impactos positivos en la producción de textos de autor, en los que el niño, al registrar lo que piensa y aprende en clase, expande su deseo de expresarse en su proyecto de decir y se apropia específicamente de las habilidades humanas relacionadas con la escritura y la ciencia. Por lo tanto, las actividades de investigación pueden ser una posible forma de mejorar el proceso de alfabetización, así como la participación del estudiante en la cultura científica.O Ensino de Ciências por Investigação nos anos iniciais da escolarização contribui para o desenvolvimento do processo de Alfabetização Científica. Na exposição de parte dos resultados de pesquisa, crianças e professoras colaboradoras em cena, se situam em uma escola da rede pública de um município de médio porte, no oeste paulista. Trata-se de uma turma de terceiro ano do Ensino Fundamental que, em ação cooperativa, participou de atividades decorrentes da organização de uma Sequência de Ensino Investigativa, intitulada “Fotossíntese e cadeia alimentar”. Na imersão da cultura produzida pela humanidade, atividades de linguagens escrita e científica se entrelaçam e contribuem para a formação da inteligência e personalidade infantis, evidenciando o quanto essa prática de ensino – envolvendo resolução de problemas, levantamento de hipóteses e discussões – traz impactos positivos na produção de textos autorais, nos quais a criança, ao registrar o que pensa e aprendeu em aula, amplia o desejo de se expressar em seu projeto de dizer e se apropria de capacidades especificamente humanas, relativas à escrita e à ciência. Sendo assim, as atividades investigativas podem ser um caminho possível para potencializar o processo de alfabetização, bem como o envolvimento do aluno com a cultura científica

COVID-19-induced fatal thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura in a healthy young patient a case report

Since the global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic began, findings indicate that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) might induce autoimmune disorders. Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is a devastating disease if not emergently treated. It presents with severe thrombocytopenia, microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, and neurologic findings with or without renal insufficiency. The antibody-mediated reduced activity of the disintegrin and metalloproteinase with a thrombospondin type 1 motif, member 13 (ADAMTS13) induces the accumulation of ultrahigh-molecular-weight multimers of von Willebrand factor, leading to platelet aggregation and thrombosis. TTP can be an unusual presentation of COVID-19 disease mediated by the virus-induced immune response. We report a case of a healthy young patient presenting with the classic TTP pentad a few days after a diagnosis of COVID-19 confirmed by a positive SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR test. The patient was initially treated with high-dose methylprednisolone and fresh frozen plasma until she was transferred to a tertiary care facility and plasma exchange was available. She evolved with a malignant ischemic vascular accident and was declared brain-dead 24 hours after the first plasma exchange section

Nanorheology of viscoelastic shells: Applications to viral capsids

We study the microrheology of nanoparticle shells [Dinsmore et al. Science 298, 1006 (2002)] and viral capsids [Ivanovska et al. PNAS 101, 7600 (2004)] by computing the mechanical response function and thermal fluctuation spectrum of a viscoelastic spherical shell that is permeable to the surrounding solvent. We determine analytically the damped dynamics of the shear, bend, and compression modes of the shell coupled to the solvent both inside and outside the sphere in the zero Reynolds number limit. We identify fundamental length and time scales in the system, and compute the thermal correlation function of displacements of antipodal points on the sphere and the mechanical response to pinching forces applied at these points. We describe how such a frequency-dependent antipodal correlation and/or response function, which should be measurable in new AFM-based microrheology experiments, can probe the viscoelasticity of these synthetic and biological shells constructed of nanoparticles.Comment: 17 page

Contextual influences on physical activity and eating habits -options for action on the community level

Background: This conceptual paper aims to illustrate the ways in which communities are able to advance health improvements on a population level. Outcome measures may include increased physical activity and healthier eating habits in particular, as well as an improved health-related quality of life and social cohesion as more generic outcomes. Main body: The paper begins by asking initial questions: Why did previous health-specific interventions only show moderate effects on an individual level and mixed effects on a population level? What is the added value of a community-based public health perspective compared to the traditional biomedical perspective when it comes to prevention? Why are we living the way we are living? Why do we eat what we eat? Why do we move the way we move? Subsequently, we illustrate the broad spectrum of contextual interventions available to communities. These can have geographical and technological as well as economic, political, normative and attitude-specific dimensions. It is shown that communities have a strong influence on health-related contexts and decision-making of adults, adolescents and children. In addition contextual characteristics, effects, mediators, moderators and consequences relevant for health can differ greatly between age groups. Both small-scale settings and overarching sectors possess physical, economic, political and sociocultural characteristics that can be proactively influenced by community decision-makers in the sense of a “health in all policies”-strategy. Short conclusion: After presenting various interdisciplinary approaches to community-based health interventions, the manuscript closes with the following core message: Successful community-based health promotion strategies consist of multilevel – multicomponent interventions on the micro, meso and macro-level-environments

Efeitos de um treino de atenção, memória e funções executivas na cognição de idosos saudáveis

INTRODUÇÃO: Estudos mostram declínio significativo em funções cognitivas, como memória, atenção e funções executivas ao longo do processo de envelhecimento normal. OBJETIVO: Verificar os efeitos de um treino de atenção, memória e funções executivas na cognição de idosos saudáveis. MÉTODOS: 76 idosos saudáveis, divididos em grupo experimental (GE) e grupo controle (GC), cada um com 38 indivíduos. O GE recebeu doze sessões de treino de atenção, memória e funções executivas. RESULTADOS: O GE no pós-teste apresentou melhor desempenho em tarefas de atenção, memória de trabalho, linguagem (inferências e escrita espontânea), praxia construcional, resolução de problemas e funções executivas. Conclusão: O treino revelou resultados significativos para uma intervenção de doze sessões, indicando que idosos saudáveis podem melhorar seu desempenho cognitivo.INTRODUCTION: Studies show there is a significant decrease in cognitive functions such as attention, memory and executive functions throughout the normal aging process. OBJECTIVE: To verify the effects of an attention, memory and executive functions training on the cognition of healthy elderly people. METHODS: 76 healthy elderly subjects were divided into experimental (EG) and control groups (CG), both were composed by 38 participants each. The EG received 12 training sessions in attention, memory and executive functions. RESULTS: In the post-test, the EG presented better performance in tasks of attention, working memory, language (inferences and spontaneous writing), constructional praxia, problems solving, and executive functions. CONCLUSION: The training revealed significant results for a 12-session intervention, indicating that healthy elderly individuals may improve their cognitive functions