Partner support, social-cognitive variables and their role in adherence to self-monitoring of blood glucose in type 2 diabetes

In Portugal, diabetes affects 11.7% of the population, of whom about 90% have type 2 diabetes. Patients and their partners are affected and the latter have a direct impact on patients’ adaptation to diabetes. A large proportion of patients, at diagnosis, have to readjust their daily routines in order to integrate self-care behaviours related to diabetes. The goal of this study was to analyse the relationship among partner support, social-cognitive variables about self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) (intentions, attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behaviour control, action planning and coping planning), adherence and glycaemic control in type 2 diabetes patients, diagnosed in the past 12 months. A total of 179 people with diabetes participated in the study. The instruments used were: Multidimensional Diabetes Questionnaire; Revised Summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activities Scale; and Planned Behavior Questionnaire – Self-Monitoring of Blood Glucose. Glycaemic control was assessed by HbA1c. The perception of positive support from partners and intention to perform SMBG predicted adherence to SMBG. Furthermore, positive support mediated the relationship between intention and adherence to SMBG. Positive and negative partner support were positively associated with intention, action and coping planning and adherence to SMBG. Good metabolic control was negatively associated with negative support. The results show the importance of partners’ support and social-cognitive variables, regarding self-monitoring of blood glucose, on patients’ adherenceFundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT

Adaptive response of single and binary biofilms formed in the presence of benzalkonium chloride

In actual situations bacteria can live nicely in hostile environments in part due to its ability to live in biofilms and to regulate gene expression as an adaptive response to a variety of stresses. This altered profile, compared to planktonic counterparts, as well as the interactions amongst the several strains existing within the biofilm seems to be responsible for the gradual loss of susceptibility to antimicrobials. The presence of biofilms on the surfaces of various types of medical surfaces and equipment can be the source of pathogens and contribute to biofilm-associated infections. The aim of this work was to examine whether exposure of P.aeruginosa and E.coli to an antimicrobial agent – benzalkoniun chloride (BC) – during single and binary biofilm formation could induce an adaptive response in bacteria and further evaluate the biofilm behaviour after aggression with the same agent. Biofilms were formed in microtiter plates for 5 days in presence of 0.9 mM of BC, being afterwards submitted to BC attack (1 mM). Biofilms were characterized by total mass, through crystal violet, metabolic activity, through XTT method, and number of cells. The data showed that both single and binary biofilms formed in the presence of BC have clearly more mass, less activity and slight less number of cells. These events could be sign of a different metabolic state of the cells entrapped in the biofilms previously exposed to the surfactant. The simultaneous growth of both species seems not prejudice or favour binary biofilm development. After BC attack, biofilms developed in the absence of the surfactant suffered mass and activity reduction and had fewer cells, probably due to the toxic effect of the product. Conversely, when the biofilms were developed in the presence of BC, the attack leads to biofilms with more mass and activity, being however the number of cells reduced. This discrepancy may be due to the loss of culturability of bacteria in solid media. These facts emphasise that BC is not effective against biofilms developed in its presence. It can be concluded that the presence of BC during single and binary sessile growth seems to induce an adaptive resistance of P. aeruginosa and E. coli biofilms. This biofilm features, resulting from an adverse situation, can play a significant role in the selection of resistant pathogenic bacteria and be on the basis of recalcitrant biofilms, contaminating medical surfaces and causing nosocomial infections.IBB-CEB and FCT, for the financial support (Project PTDC/SAU-ESA/64609/2006; PhD Grant SFRH/BD/31065/2006)

The Circular Economy and the 2030 Agenda: progress analysis in Portugal

A crescente consciencialização da sociedade para os problemas ambientais, aquecimento global, consumo massivo de recursos e aumento das desigualdades, tem exercido uma forte pressão sobre os países e organizações, estando na base da Agenda Global 2030, adotada pelas Nações Unidas, e na definição dos Objetivos de Desenvolvimento Sustentável. Neste contexto, a Economia Circular é considerada uma abordagem fundamental para alcançar alguns desses objetivos uma vez que procura a implementação de processos de produção tecnologicamente inovadores e eficientes, que se traduzam na redução do consumo e extração de recursos finitos, na reconversão e reutilização dos resíduos e na utilização de “energias limpas”. Este trabalho pretende discutir a relação entre a Economia Circular e o Desenvolvimento Sustentável e fazer uma análise comparativa, no contexto europeu, à evolução de Portugal para alguns dos indicadores específicos estabelecidos na Agenda 2030. A análise indica que, apesar da evolução positiva, em vários dos indicadores analisados, o desempenho português, em termos globais, está abaixo do desempenho médio europeu. Adicionalmente, para alguns indicadores a evolução ocorreu em sentido contrário ao desejável. Apesar de termos uma sociedade e cidadãos cada vez mais conscientes e atentos a produtos, processos e entidades “sustentáveis”, há ainda um longo caminho a percorrer para que os pressupostos da Economia Circular e do Desenvolvimento Sustentável sejam plenamente reconhecidos e aplicados.Society's growing awareness of environmental problems, global warming, massive consumption of resources, and increasing inequalities, has put strong pressure on countries and organizations, underpinning the Global Agenda 2030, adopted by the United Nations, and the definition of a set of Sustainable Development Goals. In this context, Circular Economy is recognized as a fundamental approach to achieve some of these goals since it seeks the implementation of technologically innovative and efficient production processes that lead to the reduction of consumption and extraction of finite resources, the reconversion and reuse of waste, and the use of "clean energy". This paper aims to discuss the relationship between Circular Economy and Sustainable Development and to provide a comparative analysis, in the European context, of Portugal's evolution for some of the specific indicators established in the 2030 Agenda. The analysis indicates that, despite the positive evolution in several of the indicators analyzed, the Portuguese performance, in global terms, is below the European average performance. Additionally, for some indicators, the evolution has gone in the opposite direction of what is required. Although our society and citizens are increasingly aware and attentive to "sustainable" products, processes, and entities, there is still a long way to go for the assumptions of the Circular Economy and Sustainable Development to be fully recognized and applied

Google Earth™ search engine: classificação de imagens aéreas

O reconhecimento de padrões com recurso a redes neuronais é cada vez mais utilizado, numa tentativa de dotar as máquinas computacionais de inteligência e capacidade de aprendizagem. Neste trabalho pretende-se reconhecer determinados elementos naturais como ’água’, ’casas’ ou ’estradas’, em imagens aéreas provenientes do Google EarthTMe do Google MapsTM, recorrendo à utilizando redes neuronais para o efeito. Foram realizadas experiências com quatro conjuntos de imagens utilizados para o treino da rede neuronal, com variação de número de neurónios, e foram analisados os erros de classificação testando cinco novos conjuntos de imagens. Foram ainda realizadas diversas experiências quanto aos métodos de extração de características e à aplicação de operadores morfológicos com diferentes elementos estruturais visando o pós-processamento dos resultados obtidos.Pattern recognition using neural networks is increasingly used in an attempt to provid to machines computational intelligence and learning ability. This work aims to recognize certain natural elements like ’water’, ’house’ or ’roads’ in aerial images from Google Earth TMand Google Maps TM, resorting to using neural networks for the purpose. Experiments were performed with four sets of images used for training the neural network, with varying number of neurons, and analyzed the classification errors by testing five new sets of images. Were also carried out several experiments on methods of feature extraction and application of morphological operators with different structural elements aimed at the post-processing of results

The Korsakow platform and nonlinear narratives as a means to enhance foreign language learning in HE

The Covid-19 pandemic has posed great challenges to higher education (HE) and, in particular, to foreign language (FL) teaching. If, on the one hand, the lockdown and remote learning measures have brought constraints to teaching and research activities, on the other hand, they have fostered resilience, promoted creativity, and accelerated the use of technologies and digital transformation. The use of the Korsakow platform and the creation of non-linear storytelling are the strategies underlying an innovative methodology concerning the learning process of French and English as FL, in HE in Portugal. The JASM project (Open window onto the world: foreign languages, multimodal creativity, and pedagogical innovation in higher education) involves a group of students attending the bachelor’s course in Media Studies of the School of Education in Viseu. Students develop their assignments based on data analysis, related to diverse cultural and linguistic contexts within the city of Viseu, including interviews, photographs, and narratives centred on a migrant’s tradition. Digital art and online tools ensure greater motivation in acquiring multilingual skills and developing multilingual awareness. In this way, the various dimensions of language (aesthetic, emotional, and cognitive) are reinforced, in a remote teaching scenario/context, which is creative and collaborative while also mobilizing interdisciplinary skills. Such a reflection appears to be particularly relevant at a time when one needs clearly to adapt teaching and learning to the needs of society and rely upon pedagogical innovation, with students whose HE training has specific objectives other than the ones of those enrolled in language courses. The methodology is discussed, and the results of this project-based learning are presented.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Looking into Foreign Languages and Multimodal Creativity as a Tool for Pedagogical Innovation in Higher Education: The JASM Project - Open Window onto the World

The innovation of pedagogical practices is a challenge currently faced by higher education, in which the student is the main actor in the learning process. The aim of this project is to develop collaborative work, using multimodality in communication, adapted to the professional context, as a strategy to foster the learning of foreign languages. The JASM project ([Janela aberta sobre o mundo].Open Window onto the World: Foreign Languages, Multimodal Creativity and Pedagogical Innovation in Higher Education), developed by a multidisciplinary team, rests upon an active learning dynamic based on projects, through the creation of digital narratives focused on the linguistic and cultural diversity of a city in Beira Alta, Viseu. The use of several action-research approaches allowed students of the undergraduate course in media studies at the School of Education in Viseu to develop a multilingual and multicultural awareness, in a creative, collaborative, and interdisciplinary environment.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Macrofauna associada às estruturas de fixação de Saccorhiza polyschides (Lightfoot) Batters 1902

Dissertação de mestrado em EcologiaOs padrões de distribuição das espécies e os mecanismos que levam a esses padrões são, desde sempre, questões fundamentais da ecologia, bem como a percepção dos processos que determinam a composição em espécies e estruturação das assembleias de organismos. Neste trabalho foram estudados os padrões de distribuição da macrofauna associada aos rizóides de Saccorhiza polyschides entre o norte e centro da costa oeste da Península Ibérica. Os principais objectivos foram avaliar (i) o papel dos rizóides de Saccorhiza polyschides como habitat para a macrofauna litoral, (ii) a influência do gradiente latitudinal peninsular nos padrões de colonização, e (iii) determinar os processos que condicionam esses padrões de colonização. O estudo foi realizado em três locais ao longo da costa oeste da Península Ibérica, Ferrol (norte de Espanha), Viana do Castelo (norte de Portugal) e Figueira da Foz (centro de Portugal). A amostragem da macrofauna foi realizada com recurso a mergulho autónomo, tendo sido realizadas oito amostras por local, na zona subtidal rochosa e a uma profundidade média de 1,5 metros. As espécies recolhidas foram identificadas até ao maior detalhe taxonómico possível. Sobre a matriz de dados obtida foram efectuadas análises aglomerativas (análise hierárquica e NMDS), que permitiram a separação das amostras em dois grupos distintos: um correspondente ao extremo norte da zona amostrada (Ferrol) e outro correspondente aos dois locais situados em Portugal (Viana do Castelo e Figueira da Foz). Esta separação parece ser compatível com o gradiente de latitude amostrado. A organização intrínseca às amostras aponta ainda para a influência do grau de exposição nas zonas amostradas. Os padrões de colonização detectados são consistentes com um ambiente de elevado stresse ambiental, relacionável com a duração anual dos rizóides.Distribution patterns of species and the causes driving its distribution have always been central questions in ecology, as well as the mechanisms determining species composition and structure of organisms assemblages. In the present work the distribution patterns of the macrofauna associated with Saccorhiza polyschides holdfasts along the western coast of Iberian Peninsula was studied. The aims of this work were to evaluate (i) the role of Saccorhiza polyschides holfasts as suitable habitat for litoral macrofauna, (ii) the influence of latitude on the colonization patterns, and (iii) to examine the processes determining these colonization patterns. This study took place at three different locations along the western coast of Iberian Peninsula, Ferrol (northern Spain, Galicia), Viana do Castelo (northern Portugal) and Figueira da Foz (central Portugal). Sampling of macrofaunal organisms was held by scuba diving and eight samples were collected, in the rocky subtidal zone of each site. All species were identified to the highest taxonomic level possible. Similarity analyses (Cluster and NMDS) showed the separation of the sampling sites in two different groups: one corresponding to the northern limit of the study area (Ferrol) and another corresponding to the two Portuguese sampling sites (Viana do Castelo and Figueira da Foz). The inner organisation of samples points to the influence of the exposure degree of the sampling areas. The observed colonization patters are consistent with habitats with high level of environmental stress, which could be related to the seasonal instability of holdfasts

JASM: Active Pedagogy for Foreign Language Learning in Higher Education.

PROJ/IPV/ID&I/030JASM project (Janela aberta sobre o mundo: línguas estrangeiras, criatividade multimodal e inovação pedagógica no ensino superior) consists of an experience of active pedagogy with students of the undergraduate course in Media Studies at the School of Education in Viseu (Portugal). The main objective of JASM is to promote the acquisition of multilingual and multicultural skills and to generate multilingual awareness. In addition to the cognitive dimension, students explore the aesthetic and emotional dimensions of language. Experiences of artistic creativity (media arts, multimedia art, among others) enable multimodal communication in English and French, starting off with information gathering pertaining to the cultural and linguistic diversity of Viseu. After conducting research on the countries of origin of the chosen nationalities as well as the underlying cultures, the students, working in groups, found out about the life stories of migrants on the basis of interviews. Experiences of artistic creativity made it possible to exercise multimodal communication. An object or a tradition mentioned in the stories told by migrants allowed them to build a fictional story around the said object or tradition. Photos were taken at all stages of this work. A storyboard of each fictional story was developed. The Korsakow system made it possible to create dynamic documentaries. The disclosure of this learning experience is made public on the project site and through an e-book.The students' language level (written and oral comprehension and expression) was assessed at the start of the project, using tests. The intermediate evaluation is of a qualitative type as well as the final evaluation (interview type, carried out with students and teachers) due to COVID-19 crisis. The progress of the learning process, as well as the involvement of the teachers could thus be documented.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio