Surficial sediment texture database for the south-western Iberian Atlantic margin

Assessing the impact of changes on the environment driven by natural or anthropogenic forcers includes the comparison between antecedent and post-event conditions. The latter is particularly relevant in order to better understand to which extent those changes actually impact or alter a particular environment and associated services and to determine the resilience of a system. In this regard, it becomes essential to create or provide databases to inform about baseline conditions. Here, we present a database that integrates surficial sediment samples collected and analysed for textural characterization within the framework of a series of research projects over circa 20 years. Collected samples along the south-western Atlantic margin of the Iberian Peninsula extend from estuaries and beaches to the adjacent continental shelf. For the case of the more dynamic environments, namely coastal sandy barriers, samples were repeated over time in order to capture the intrinsic variability of the system. Examples of the utility of this data set for a variety of purposes and environments are also included within this paper through three examples. Therefore, here we show the added value of the database as it can be used to assess the impact of a particular event or activity at an estuary by providing baseline conditions, evaluate the continental shelf sediment suitability for nourishment activities, or contribute to the understanding of the morphodynamics and classification of beaches. Finally, it is worth stating the importance of such databases to analyse medium- to long-term variability as the one induced by sea level rise, changes in storminess, or human activities.FCT Investigator programme [IF/01047/2014]info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Avaliação de opções : fundamentos e análise do modelo de black-scholes

Mestrado em Matemática Aplicada à Economia e Gestãoinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Avaliação da eficácia de um programa de inteligência emocional: abordagem quantitativa

A Inteligência Emocional é hoje um conceito com elevada importância e relevância na sociedade e em diversas áreas. O Instituto Politécnico do Porto organizou um programa de Workshops que visaram desenvolver as competências de Inteligência Emocional. Pretendemos avaliar a eficácia desse programa, utilizando grupo de controlo, de forma a evidenciar evolução de competências de inteligência e coping emocionais. Utilizou-se uma metodologia de avaliação de programa aleatoriamente controlado através da aplicação de: questionário semi-estruturado de dados socio-demográficos, a Trail Meta Mood Scale (TMMS) e o Coping Through Emotional Approach (CTEA) a uma amostra de 47 estudantes com idade média de 22.34 (SD=4.33). Os resultados demonstraram que existem diferenças estatisticamente significativas entre os dois grupos, tendo o grupo experimental valores superiores no que se refere à atenção, reparação clareza e coping emocional. É discutida a sua relevância, aplicabilidade e eficácia neste contexto

Microcephaly in early intervention: effective intervention strategies

O presente estudo, tem como finalidade contribuir para a melhoria e desenvolvimento de estratégias eficazes de intervenção no âmbito da Intervenção Precoce na Infância. Como método de investigação, optou-se por um estudo de caso que requer critérios que o definem de acordo com a investigação a realizar. O objetivo da investigação do mesmo incidiu sobre uma questão, saber quais as estratégias a desenvolver para uma intervenção mais eficaz, nos casos de risco estabelecido, com o diagnóstico de microcefalia. Foi adotada uma investigação de natureza qualitativa, tendo-se para isso, recorrido à utilização de entrevistas como instrumento de recolha de dados. Construiu-se um guião para três educadores de Infância e outro para a família, com questões abertas de forma a permitir aos entrevistados a fluência do seu discurso, exprimindo-se com abertura sobre as suas perceções, os seus valores, ajudando assim à compreensão das questões formuladas. Os resultados indicam que as estratégias de intervenção eficazes assentam nas principais premissas da Intervenção Precoce, comunicação, partilha de informação, preparar o trabalho conjuntamente, ter em consideração os sistemas individuais e contexto natural, no sentido de preparar programas educativos individuais adequados ao perfil de funcionalidade de cada criança.This study aims to contribute to the improvement and development of effective intervention strategies in the context of Early Intervention for Children. The purpose of the investigation of this case study focuses on a base question: what are the strategies to be developed for more effective intervention in cases of risk established, with the diagnosis of microcephaly. Thus we propose a qualitative research method based on the use of interviews, for which we built a script for three educators for children and another family with open questions to allow the interviewee fluency of his speech, expressing with openness about their perceptions, their values, thus helping to understand the applied questions. The results were against the fundamental questions posed to the study. In fact the effective intervention strategies based on key assumptions of early intervention, communication, information sharing, prepare work together, take into account the individual systems and natural context, to prepare individual educational programs appropriate to the functionality profile of each child.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

P. aeruginosa antimicrobial resistance and cross resistance : the role of sessile growth and induced tolerance

Universidade do Minho. Centro de Engenharia Biológica. Instituto de Biotecnologia e Bioengenharia (IBB-CEB) e Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) - Project PTDC/SAU-ESA/64609/2006, PhD Grant SFRH/BD/31065/200

S. aureus modulates P. aeruginosa small-colony variants formation

EUROBIOFILMS 2017 - 5th European Congress on Microbial BiofilmsSome studies reported that, in polymicrobial consortia, some P. a eruginosa exoproducts suppresses the growth of S.aureus and provokes the emergence of SCV, associated with antimicrobial resistance, altered metabolism and reduced immunogenicity. However, the role of S.aureus in P.aerugionsa behavior has still not been deciphered. This work aimed to deeply investigate the phenotypic changes undergone by P. aeruginosa and S.aureus in a co-infection scenario. The cells recovered from 24 -h-old single and dual-species biofilms were inspected regarding their colony morphology differentiation, antibiotic susceptibility profiles and expression of virulence factors. The population analysis profiles showed the existence of two P.aeruginosa SCV resulting only from the dual-species biofilms. These SCV exhibited impressive ability to form biofilm, impaired swimming, twitching and swarming abilities, in comparison with the wild -type morphotype. Their morphologies remained unchangeable over 10 passages onto solid media, which may mean these phenotypic alterations were not adaptive. Yet, the two SCV were susceptible to the action of several classes of antibiotics. In conclusion, the presence of S.aureus in biofilms seemed to modulate some phenotypic alterations in P.aeruginosa that may be clinically relevant as two SCV were detected. As t he role of S. aureus over P. aeruginosa stills not full clear, some tests are being run to more comprehensively know how these P. aeruginosa SCV modulate the dual -species community response to in - use antimicrobials.Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), through the strategic funding of UID/BIO/04469/2013 and COMPETE 2020 (POCI- 01-0145-FEDER-006684), and FCT and the European Community fund FEDER, through COMPETE and BioTecNorte operation (NORTE-01-0145-FEDER -000004) funded by the European Regional Development Fund under the scope of Norte2020. Grants of SPL (SFRH/BPD/95616/2013) and APM (UMINHO/BD/25/2016)info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Monitorização de PSP na costa portuguesa através de espécies-indicadoras

[POR] A monitorização de PSP através do uso das mesmas espécies- indicadoras para a contaminação com DSP foi avaliado por HPLC-FLD durante os blooms que ocorreram na costa NW portuguesa durante o Outono/Inverno de 2005 e Verão de 2006. Entre as espécies estuarinas consumidas habitualmente, o mexilhão foi a espécie que atingiu níveis mais elevados e manteve as toxinas por mais tempo, não podendo ser usado por si só como único indicador para todos os bivalves comerciais. Já o berbigão apresenta contaminação durante períodos mais curtos e adequa-se a representar as restantes espécies. Uma excepção foi constituída por Scrobicularia plana que apresenta toxicidade prolongada. De entre as espécies litorais, não foi possível obter dados para a conquilha, a principal espécie indicadora da contaminação com DSP. Sabe-se actualmente que a amêijoa-branca não deve ser usada como única espécie indicadora, devido à potencialização da toxicidade por conversão enzimática. [ESP] Monitoreo de PSP mediante el uso de la misma especie- indicadores de contaminación con DSP fueron evaluados por HPLC-FLD durante las floraciones que ocurrieron en la costa noroeste portuguesa durante el Otoño/Invierno 2005 y Verano 2006. Entre las especies estuarinas comúnmente consumido, el mejillón fue la especie que alcanzó mayores niveles alto y mantuvo las toxinas durante más tiempo, por lo que no podía usarse solo como un único indicador para todos los bivalvos comerciales. Ya el berberecho presenta contaminación por periodos más cortos y es apta para representar a las demás especies. Una excepción fue hecha por Escobicularia plana que tiene toxicidad prolongada. entre el especies litorales, no fue posible obtener datos de caracol, el principal especies indicadoras de contaminación con DSP. Actualmente se sabe que la la almeja blanca no debe utilizarse como única especie indicadora, debido a la potenciación de la toxicidad por conversión enzimática.O Programa “Segurança, vigilância e qualidade de moluscos bivalves” (QCAIII/med.4/MARE) financiou este trabalho na totalidade. Às técnicas Alcina Santos e Delfina Augusto pela preparação das amostras

Interleukin-10: A Key Cytokine in Depression?

An increasing body of evidence implicates proinflammatory cytokines in psychiatric disorders, namely, in depression. Of notice, recent studies showed that anti-inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-10, also modulate depressive-like behavior. In this article, we propose that the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 is a putative link between two of the most widely reported phenomenon observed in depressed patients: the disruption of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and the imbalanced production of cytokines. If so, IL-10 might represent a novel target for antidepressant therapy

Stress factors in clinical teaching in nursing : the students' perspective

Comunicação apresentada na International Conference of Psychology and Education: Practices, Training and Research, que decorreu em 2009 na Universidade da Beira Interior.In nursing courses, clinical teaching is a crucial experience which gives students the opportunity to explore, interiorise and implement what they have learned before becoming professional nurses. At the same time, they constitute a stage in which their learning, skills and performance are evaluated, which can lead to stress. This paper aims to identify the situations encountered in Clinical Teaching in Nursing (CTN) which are perceived as stressors. A total of 1,283 students from the four years’ bachelor degree course in nursing participated in this research. The results enabled the identification of five stressors: CTN guidance, specific nursing situations, evaluation, personal aspects and time and work management. The results revealed the existence of statistically significant differences in the perception levels of stress-inducing situations depending on the course year attended by the students and on their sex, demonstrating that females’ perception level of stressors is significantly higher than that of males