Education and development in early childhood in two portuguese cultural contexts: the mainland and Azores

The various aspects of a child’s development (physical, psychological, emotional, relational, cognitive, linguistic, perceptive, and motor), as well as the child’s needs and attitudes, are key throughout his/her life and have been studied over the years by various researchers. We will examine the similarities and differences observed in the education and stimulation of children in two cultural contexts: on the Portuguese mainland (Lisbon, Almada, Santarém, Almeirim, and Portalegre regions) and Azorean islands (São Miguel, Pico, and Terceira). Our research focussed on children’s upbringing and development in the following areas: food and hygiene; cognitive and linguistic development; perceptual and motor development; emotional and relational development; sleep; and play and childcare practices. We identify several aspects that contribute to children’s positive physical and psychological development in the first two years of life, both on the mainland and in the Azores, examining aspects, such as sensory stimulation, sleep, types of play, and toys.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Retrospective study of the association between neutering status and changes secondary to degenerative mitral valve disease

Dissertação de Mestrado Integrado em Medicina VeterináriaMyxomatous mitral valve disease is the most common cardiovascular disease reported in dogs. Although many patients may remain asymptomatic, some of them progress to left-sided congestive heart failure and develop clinical signs. Little has yet been published regarding the possible influence of the neutering status on changes secondary to myxomatous mitral valve disease. This study aims to assess a possible correlation between neutering status and myxomatous mitral valve disease. A retrospective study was conducted and included all the cases diagnosed with myxomatous mitral valve disease, consulted at the Cardiology service of the University of Liverpool. To help assess the association between neutering status and cardiac remodelling, dogs were categorized into four groups: FE (female entire), FN (female neutered), ME (male entire) and MN (male neutered). Retrospective review of echocardiographic data, signalment, and underlying diseases were performed. Echocardiographic measurements were made through offline analysis. Echocardiographic measurements were then compared between groups. Five hundred and eighty-two dogs (n = 582) were included: female entire (n = 24), female neutered (n = 235), male entire (n = 115) and male neutered (n = 208). Left ventricular internal diameter at end diastole (LVIDd), left atrial dimension to the aortic root diameter (LA:Ao) and left atrium maximal dimension to the aortic root dimension (LAmax:Ao) were significantly different between ME and MN, with ME dogs presenting higher mean values for LVIDd and higher median LA:Ao and LAmax:Ao measurements. Left ventricular internal diameter at end systole (LVIDs) was not significantly different between ME and MN. There were no significant differences between FE and FN groups. This study shows that neutering status may influence the development of myxomatous mitral valve disease in male dogs and that entire male dogs could be at higher risk of developing cardiac remodelling secondary to myxomatous mitral valve disease. On the other hand, neutering status doesn’t seem to have an influence on disease progression in female dogs.RESUMO - Estudo retrospetivo da associação entre a esterilização e alterações secundárias à doença mixomatosa da válvula mitral - A doença mixomatosa da válvula mitral é a doença cardiovascular mais prevalente em cães. Apesar da maior parte dos pacientes permanecerem assintomáticos, alguns podem progredir para insuficiência cardíaca esquerda e desenvolver sinais clínicos. Até hoje, existem poucas publicações sobre o possível efeito que a esterilização possa ter no desenvolvimento da doença mixomatosa da válvula mitral. O objetivo deste estudo é avaliar se existe de facto uma relação entre a esterilização e a doença mixomatosa da válvula mitral. Foi realizado um estudo retrospetivo que incluiu todos os casos diagnosticados com doença mixomatosa da válvula mitral consultados no serviço de Cardiologia da Universidade de Liverpool. Para avaliar a relação entre a esterilização e a presença de remodelação cardíaca, os cães foram categorizados em quatro grupos: FE (fêmeas inteiras), FN (fêmeas esterilizadas), ME (machos inteiros) e MN (machos castrados). A história pregressa e os dados ecocardiográficos dos animais foram revistos retrospetivamente e as medidas ecocardiográficas foram obtidas por medição offline. Estas medições foram depois comparadas entre os diferentes grupos. Quinhentos e oitenta e dois cães (n = 582) foram incluídos: fêmeas inteiras (n = 24), fêmeas esterilizadas (n = 235), machos inteiros (n = 115) e machos castrados (n = 208). Nos resultados obtidos, o diâmetro interno do ventrículo esquerdo no final da diástole (LVIDd), o rácio átrio esquerdo-aorta (LA:Ao) e o rácio diâmetro máximo do átrio esquerdo-aorta (LAmax:Ao) foram estatisticamente significativos entre machos inteiros e machos castrados. Os machos inteiros apresentaram não só um LVIDd médio superior, como também uma mediana de LA:Ao e LAmax:Ao superior aos machos castrados. Ao mesmo tempo, o diâmetro interno do ventrículo esquerdo no final da sístole (LVIDs) não mostrou ser estatisticamente significativo entre machos inteiros e machos castrados e nenhum dos parâmetros ecocardiográficos anteriormente referidos revelou ser estatisticamente significativo entre fêmeas inteiras e fêmeas esterilizadas. Este estudo demonstra que a esterilização poderá influenciar o desenvolvimento da doença mixomatosa da válvula mitral e que os cães machos inteiros poderão apresentar um maior risco de desenvolver remodelação cardíaca secundária a esta doença. No entanto, a esterilização não aparenta influenciar a progressão desta doença em cadelas.N/

Molecular analysis of anterior endoderm during Xenopus development: a funtional and genomic approach

Tese de doutoramento em Biologia (Biologia do Desenvolvimento), apresentada à Universidade de Lisboa através da Faculdade de Ciências, 2008Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT), (SFHR/BD/10035/2002

Quantization of Presymplectic Manifolds and Circle Actions

We prove several versions of "quantization commutes with reduction" for circle actions on manifolds that are not symplectic. Instead, these manifolds possess a weaker structure, such as a spin^c structure. Our theorems work whenever the quantization data and the reduction data are compatible; this condition always holds if we start from a presymplectic (in particular, symplectic) manifold.Comment: LaTeX 2e, 28 page

Farmers' Demand for Information about Agribusiness

This study is focused on the habits of the Brazilian farmers that access the Internet for searching information to their economical activities. The main goal is to understand how come those agents of the agribusiness use the formal and informal (personal contact) means of communication, as well as the functions that each of those means accomplish to this public. In other words, it intends to identify the channels of communication of major importance to farmers (used more often, considered the ones of more credibility and preferred among them). That is possible by means of a questionnaire sent exclusively by e-mail, answered by Brazilian farmers. The motivation of the study is to contribute to make the communication more efficient to those who work on farms. That can produce benefits to the communication companies and to the public. The results show that the Internet is the mean of communication more often used and preferred on the process of searching information about the agribusiness among Brazilian farmers. The personal contact, not considered in the valuation about preference, appears in second position in the ranking for intensity of use. On the other hand, the radio, regional press newspapers and newsletters of class entities were the less consulted and the last ones in the ranking of preference.Agribusiness, Teaching/Communication/Extension/Profession,

Um olhar sobre o passado da animação sociocultural para um futuro menos tecnológico e mais humano

Com este texto, pretende-se refletir sobre os paradigmas da animação sociocultural (ASC) e sobre a importância de perspetivar um paradigma humanístico que situe o humano no centro da ação dos/as animadores/as, apostando numa nova linguagem da ASC e na descoberta de formas de ensinar a animação para além do processo que consiste em observar, definir métodos e técnicas de diagnóstico, diagnosticar, estabelecer listas de necessidades, definir prioridades de intervenção, planear a intervenção, executar a planificação, monitorizar e avaliar a intervenção. Convida-se a olhar a animação como uma ação de compreensão e humanização das relações humanas, no contexto paradoxal em que vivemos de comunicação à escala global, consciência da nossa solidão e das barreiras da incompreensão.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Análise da dimensão de género nos recursos educativos digitais das áreas da literatura e língua portuguesa do portal das escolas

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Using Cost Observation to Regulate Bureaucratic Firms

We study regulation of a bureaucratic provider of a public good in the presence of moral hazard and adverse selection. By bureaucratic we mean that it values output in itself, and not only profit. Three different financing systems are studied - cost reimbursement, prospective payment, and the optimal contract. In all cases, the output level increases with the bureaucratic bias. We find that the optimal contract is linear in cost (fixed payment plus partial cost-reimbursement). A stronger preference for high output reduces the tendency of the firm to announce a high cost (adverse selection), allowing a more powered incentive scheme (a lower fraction of the costs is reimbursed), which alleviates the problem of moral hazard.Procurement, Regulation, Adverse selection, Moral hazard, Bureaucracy