Development and evaluation of lessons for class and group situations in grade one

Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston Universit

Differences in salivary α-amylase levels among women with different taste sensitivities

Saliva is the main component of taste receptor cells external environment, and consequently it may have a decisive role in taste perception. Taste sensitivity varies among different individuals. Sensitivity to the compound n-6-propylthiouracil (PROP) has been considerably studied and besides the known influence of genetic background, the contribution of perireceptor environment is not completely clear yet. Salivary α-amylase (one of the main proteins of saliva) is involved in carbohydrate digestion and its enzymatic activity may change the levels of sugars present in the mouth, influencing food perception. To evaluate differences in salivary total protein content and α-amylase activity and expression among individuals with different PROP taste sensitivities. Sixty seven female women (18-30 years old) were classified in one of the three groups of taste sensitivity (non-taster, medium-taster or super-taster), according to the perceived intensity for PROP, using Labeled Magnitude Scales. Saliva was collected without stimulation. Flow rate was calculated by dividing total volume for the 5 minutes collection. Bradford method was used for total protein assessment. Dinitrosalicylic acid assay was used for measuring the starch-hydrolyzing activity of salivary α-amylase, while the expression of this enzyme was evaluated by Wester blot. 20,9% of the subjects were classified as non-taters. The three groups presented similar saliva flow rates and total protein content was not significantly different although a tendency for lower protein concentration in medium-tasters individuals was observed. Salivary α-amylase activity (U/min) was higher in supertasters (P<0,05). Salivary α-amylase activity (U/min) was higher in super-tasters (P<0,05) without any significant differences in expression. In women individual differences in saliva composition can contribute to the different taste sensitivity. One of the differences appears to be α-amylase enzymatic activity. The reason for this deserves to be elucidated, as well as the potential involvement of others salivary proteins

Produção de mudas de Ipomoea acuminata (Vahl) Roem. & Schult. por estaquia: resultados preliminares.

Organizado por Patricia Póvoa de Mattos, Celso Garcia Auer, Rejane Stumpf Sberze, Katia Regina Pichelli e Paulo César Botosso

When sociable workers pay off: can firms internalize social capital externalities?

We use an endogenous growth model to contrast the socially optimal allocation of human capital with the decentralized solution, in a context where workers make the choices that determine social capital accumulation. As social capital is expected to increase productivity but is not traded in markets, a positive social capital externality is identified. We discuss the possibility that, in response to this externality, firms subsidize social capital accumulation activities, incurring into additional costs that are recouped through productivity gains. This reaction by firms may be seen as a justification for some corporate social responsibility actions targeted at workers, although a full internalization of the externality does not look achievable in practice.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Quebra de dormência de sementes de Albizia polycephala (Benth.) Killip.

Resumo 14

Quebra de dormência de sementes de Mimosa furfuracea Bentham.

Organizado por Patricia Póvoa de Mattos, Celso Garcia Auer, Rejane Stumpf Sberze, Katia Regina Pichelli e Paulo César Botosso

Evaluation of healthy and sensory indexes of sweetened beverages using an electronic tongue

Overconsumption of sugar-sweetened beverages may increase the risk of health problems and so, the evaluation of their glycemic load and fructose-intolerance level is essential since it may allow establishing possible relations between physiologic effects of sugar-rich beverages and health. In this work, an electronic tongue was used to accurately classify beverages according to glycemic load (low, medium or high load) as well to their adequacy for people suffering from fructose malabsorption syndrome (tolerable or not): 100% of correct classifications (leave-one-out cross-validation) using linear discriminant models based on potentiomentric signals selected by a meta-heuristic simulated annealing algorithm. These results may be partially explained by the electronic tongue’s capability to mimic the human sweetness perception and total acid flavor of beverages, which can be related with glycemic load and fructose-intolerance index. Finally, the E-tongue was also applied to quantify, accurately, healthy and sensory indexes using multiple linear regression models (leave-one-out cross-validation: Radj > 0.99) in the following dynamic ranges: 4.7 < glycemic load ≤ 30; 0.4 < fructose intolerance index ≤ 1.5; 32 < sweetness perception < 155; 1.3 < total acid flavor, g L−1 < 8.3; and, 5.8 < well-balanced flavor ≤ 74. So, the proposed electronic tongue could be used as a practical, fast, low-cost and green tool for beverage’s healthy and sensory evaluation.This work was partially co-financed by FCT and FEDER under Program COMPETE (Project PEst-C/EQB/LA0020/2013); by the Strategic Project PEst-OE/EQB/LA0023/2013 and by the project ref. RECI/BBB-EBI/0179/2012 (project number FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-027462) funded by Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia

Electrochemical routes for industrial synthesis

This review examines the reasons for increasing interest towards electrolyses by the chemical industry, reviews the electrochemical industries as most of them now exist, and provides a status report on the key technological advances which are occurring to meet present and future needs. Classical industries like those of chloroalkali, aluminium, p-aminophenol, adiponitrile, ethylene glycol, anthraquinone, perfluorinated products, glyoxylic acid and L-cysteine are initially covered. Considering the large amount of available publications in these topics of electrochemical engineering, the covered relevant information is treated at a scientific level, although in a simplified way. Then the paper deals with emerging inorganic and organic processes, e.g. electrosynthesis in ionic liquids and mediated electrochemical processes, and finishes by assessing what the future development trend might be given the electrochemical and non electrochemical competing influences. With this approach it is hoped to stimulate the interest of chemical engineers and scientists non-specialised in electrochemical routes, and to review some cutting edge research, particularly as far as electrosynthesis in ionic liquids is concerned

Fluorescence in nanostructured fulleride films

Applied Physics Letters, 89Nanostructuring of fullerene C60 beam deposited films is achieved by electrochemical reduction in a potassium hydroxide aqueous solution. Alkali fulleride clusters are formed at the electrode, as it is illustrated by cyclic voltammetry, x-ray diffraction, and scanning tunneling microscopy. Fluorescence emission from fluorophore doped fullerene reduced films was investigated by fluorescence spectroscopy and scanning near-field optical microscopy. These techniques lead to results which also fit such nanometer-sized fulleride cluster interpretation. In particular, the fluorophore fluorescence lifetime decreases as long as aggregation in the film is more effective,which occurs with the increase of film thickness

Modelo lógico de um programa de intervenção comunitária GerAcções

Os modelos lógicos são uma maneira sucinta de mostrar e ilustrar como um projecto foi concebido e está a ser desenvolvido e resume os principais elementos do projecto. O modelo lógico do programa GerAccões é apresentado. Foi desenvolvido como uma forma de planeamento estratégico, que vem sendo utilizado para uma melhoria contínua do programa e, agora, no final deste, para o planeamento da avaliação. Os componentes do modelo lógico do GerAcções são: (1) Missão do programa – envolver as pessoas que moram ou trabalham na Freguesia de Santa Maria de Belém (Lisboa), como os membros chave na promoção dos seus interesses e na resolução dos seus problemas, afim de construir uma comunidade saudável; (2) Recursos – parcerias, coligações comunitárias e patrocinadores; (3) Objectivos – Gerais: envolvimento de crianças e jovens, famílias e seniores no seu próprio processo de desenvolvimento, bem como o envolvimento da comunidade e parceiros da rede social para uma intervenção integrada no processo de construção de uma comunidade saudável, e Específicos: o empowerment comunitário, a promoção da saúde e prevenção da violência, o bem estar e qualidade de vida; (4) Actividades – Conselho Consultivo, a intervenção nas escolas, Roteiro de espaços lúdicos, Centro Jovem e Centro Sénior, Formação Parental, Comissão Social de Freguesia, Dia Europeu dos Vizinhos, Publicações; (5) Cronograma – desde Março de 2006 até Fevereiro de 2010; (6) Resultados – maior conhecimento em relação aos comportamentos positivos para a saúde, o aumento das competências pessoais e sociais para as crianças e os jovens, os pais aumentarem seus conhecimentos e competências de comunicação positiva, aumentar a participação comunitária, estabelecimento de redes de suporte formais e informais; (7) Indicadores – número de participantes, conhecimentos e competências alcançados, mudança de atitudes e de condições; (8) Medidas – quantitativa como inquéritos e aplicação de escalas, e qualitativas como grupos de discussão e entrevistas; (9) Sustentabilidade; e (10) Avaliação. A avaliação do programa GerAcções é pertinente, neste momento, providenciando informação sobre o valor e a importância do programa através de investigação sistemática. A avaliação tem um objectivo e as informações fornecidas serão usadas para facilitar a decisão do rumo das acções