Teachers' and students' views and attitudes towards a new mathematics curriculum: A case study

The education system in Portugal is in the midst of a period of intensive reform. This paper describes the findings of a qualitative case study focusing on the views and attitudes of teachers and students participating in a pilot curriculum development programme stressing active methodologies and group work, conducted by the Ministry of Education In particular it discusses their views and attitudes about mathematics, mathematics teaching and curriculum innovation. The teachers were found to struggle with a contradiction: whilst they approved the new orientations, which were seen as adequate and innovative, they complained strongly about the design and implementation of the programme Students had a generally positive attitude towards mathematics, although there were differences among them. The 7th graders were satisfied with their mathematics classes and with the new curriculum. The 10th graders did not consider the changes as significant in themselves, but expressed concern for their academic progress

CARACTERIZAÇÃO GEOMORFOLÓGICA DA BACIA DO RIO BACANGA, ILHA DO MARANHAO

A pesquisa tem como objetivo caracterizar a geomorfologia da bacia do rio Bacanga localizada na porção Centro-NW da Ilha do Maranhão, na qual foram desenvolvidos poucos estudos sobre essa temática, principalmente no que se refere às formas do terreno e da intensidade dos agentes morfogenéticos. Os procedimentos metodológicos adotados constam de levantamentos bibliográfico e cartográfico, e atividades de campo

Geoquímica isotópica Sr-Nd de amostras do CXG da área de Sarnadas do Ródão (Centro de Portugal): contributo para a comparação entre o Grupo do Douro e o Grupo das Beiras

Foram analisadas, para isótopos de Sr e Nd, cinco amostras de metassedimentos pertencentes ao Complexo Xisto-Grauváquico (CXG), ou Supergrupo Dúrico-Beirão, de idade ante-ordovícica, mais precisamente ediacarana. Quatro das amostras são de litologias pertencentes ao Grupo das Beiras do CXG, tendo sido colhidas na área de Sarnadas do Ródão, região da Beira-Baixa, ao longo das margens do Rio Ocreza, a NE do sinclinal ordovícico das Portas de Ródão. Para comparação, analisou-se também uma amostra do Grupo do Douro do CXG, proveniente do vale do Rio Távora, a SE de Tabuaço, na região do Alto Douro. Os resultados obtidos apontam para uma heterogeneidade nas litologias analisadas, destacando-se principalmente: a) a diferença na assinatura de isotópica de Nd entre as amostras do Grupo das Beiras e a do Grupo do Douro, sendo esta última a mais empobrecida em Nd radiogénico (εNd310Ma = -8.6; enquanto as do Grupo das Beiras têm -4.1 ≤ εNd310Ma ≤ -6.1); b) a individualização da amostra Alv55, do Grupo das Beiras, com valores claramente mais baixo de (87Sr/86Sr)310Ma (= 0.7117) e mais alto de εNd310Ma (= -4.1) relativamente às restantes amostras do mesmo grupo (de 0.7173 a 0.7207 e de -4.8 a -6.1, respetivamente). Tendo em conta que os últimos importantes reequilíbrios isotópicos terão ocorrido durante o metamorfismo varisco, foi feito o cálculo das razões isotópicas para uma idade de 310 Ma, tendo-se verificado uma concordância dos resultados obtidos com dados disponíveis na bibliografia. As amostras que em termos de geoquímica elementar revelam um protólito essencialmente detrítico projetam-se nos campos que podem ser definidos, com base em trabalhos anteriores, para os dois grupos do CXG, havendo total concordância entre a unidade em que cada amostra foi colhida e o campo em que se projeta. Quanto à amostra Alv55, a sua assinatura isotópica, distinta de todas as outras obtidas neste trabalho, deverá relacionar-se com um protólito sedimentar com material detrítico com menor maturidade e/ou em que terá ocorrido mistura com componente químico, como parece ser revelado pela geoquímica elementar, em que esta amostra apresenta teores de CaO muito mais elevados do que os das outras amostras da mesma área. Quanto às idades-modelo TDM, elas variam entre 1.2 e 1.6 Ga, o que está de acordo com o obtido em materiais análogos ao longo da cadeia varisca europeia. Neste parâmetro, a amostra do Grupo do Douro não se distingue das restantes. O valor mais baixo de TDM é o da amostra Alv55, o que reforça a interpretação apresentada acima. Tendo em conta que as idades-modelo podem ser vistas como a idade média da extração do manto dos materiais que originaram os metassedimentos analisados, poder-se-á concluir que as rochas estudadas são produtos de retrabalhamento de crosta continental cujos componentes mais antigos teriam, no mínimo, uma idade mesoproterozoica. Os dados obtidos confirmam resultados de trabalhos anteriores que apontavam para que as litologias metadetríticas dos dois grupos do CXG teriam assinaturas isotópicas de Nd distintas, sendo a do Grupo das Beiras mais radiogénica do que a do Grupo do Douro

ON THE INTRINSIC CHARM COMPONENT OF THE NUCLEON

Using a $\overline D$ meson cloud model we calculate the squared charm radius of the nucleon . The ratio between this squared radius and the ordinary baryon squared radius is identified with the probability of ``seeing'' the intrinsic charm component of the nucleon. Our estimate is compatible with those used to successfully describe the charm production phenomenology.Comment: 9 pages, 2 figures not included, avaiable from the author

Research of the optical communications groups at University of Aveiro and Institute of Telecommunications - Aveiro Pole

This paper summarizes the research activities of the optical communications group at University of Aveiro and Institute of Telecommunications – Aveiro pole. Several activities like clock recovery systems, both electrical and all optical, electrical equalizers for very high bit rate DST systems, post-detection filters for multigigabit optical receivers, soliton systems, simulation work on WDM, DST, EDFA and short pulse generation for high bit rate systems are presented

Harvest of endangered marine invertebrates in a priority area for conservation in Brazil

The harvesting of marine organisms for aquarium and ornamental art crafts is a very common and widespread activity, threatening a number of coral reef species. The goal of this manuscript is to report the intensive harvesting of two marine invertebrate species, the starfish Oreaster reticulatus and the gorgonian Phyllogorgia dilatata, in reef environments of a national priority area for the creation of a Marine Protected Area (MPA) in the Espírito Santo State, central coast of Brazil. These species were present on the 2003 Brazilian Red List of Endangered species as threatened of extinction, but P. dilatata was removed from the most recent 2014 Brazilian Red List, while O. reticulatus is currently considered vulnerable. Neither species have been assessed by IUCN. The harvest of these invertebrates was registered in 17% of the 51 days of monitoring (ten expeditions between March 2005 and February 2006), with catches of up to 24 starfishes and 1000 gorgonians in a single day. Starfishes used to be sold to local traders for US$0.50 each, and each gorgonian for US$ 0.15. This starfish is already in decline on a regional scale, and the actual harvesting rate of the gorgonian could lead to the extinction of the local population in about 17 years of exploitation. Due to the ecological importance of these two endangered species, their harvest threatens the entire local rocky reef ecosystem. Further ecological and fisheries studies on these species should be conducted, and the definition and creation of the MPA could help to manage all the unsustainable activities conducted and expected in the region

Muography in the university and in the museum

The LouMu team joins together specialists in particle detectors and in cosmic ray analyses, geophysicists and science communicators to muograph an underground gallery of an old mine, now open to visitors of a science museum. The muon telescope is made of Resistive Plate Chambers (RPCs) developed to operate stably and with low consumption at remote locations, and it has been tested in the Coimbra University, before being moved to an underground gallery in the Lousal Cieˆncia Viva Science Center, in Portugal. In parallel to the scientific goals of surveying the geological faults around the gallery, comparing and combining the information from muography and other techniques, and testing and possibly upgrading these detectors for muography, the project aims to engage students at several levels and the public at large. The telescope was thought to operate in front of visitors, all the project phases will be documented, and the muographic data collected in the university building and the mine gallery will be made available for educational use. Providing an almost online update of simple and complex muographies is a challenge but provides an opportunity for a valued interaction of the public with our usually distant work.The LouMu project would not be possible without the support of the Mine of Science, Centro Cieˆncia Viva do Lousal. LIP sup- ported the first steps of the project with funding and human resources from several groups, in particular from the Education, Communication, and Outreach group. The project is partially funded by Fundac ̧a ̃o para a Cieˆncia e Tecnologia (FCT), Portugal, EXPL/FIS-OUT/1185/2021

Establishing a marine monitoring programme to assess antibiotic resistance: a case study from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region

The World Health Organization considers antimicrobial resistance as one of the most pressing global issues which poses a fundamental threat to human health, development, and security. Due to demographic and environmental factors, the marine environment of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region may be particularly susceptible to the threat of antimicrobial resistance. However, there is currently little information on the presence of AMR in the GCC marine environment to inform the design of appropriate targeted surveillance activities. The objective of this study was to develop, implement and conduct a rapid regional baseline monitoring survey of the presence of AMR in the GCC marine environment, through the analysis of seawater collected from high-risk areas across four GCC states: (Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates). 560 Escherichia coli strains were analysed as part of this monitoring programme between December 2018 and May 2019. Multi-drug resistance (resistance to three or more structural classes of antimicrobials) was observed in 32.5% of tested isolates. High levels of reduced susceptibility to ampicillin (29.6%), nalidixic acid (27.9%), tetracycline (27.5%), sulfamethoxazole (22.5%) and trimethoprim (22.5%) were observed. Reduced susceptibility to the high priority critically important antimicrobials: azithromycin (9.3%), ceftazidime (12.7%), cefotaxime (12.7%), ciprofloxacin (44.6%), gentamicin (2.7%) and tigecycline (0.5%), was also noted. A subset of 173 isolates was whole genome sequenced, and high carriage rates of qnrS1 (60/173) and bla CTX-M-15 (45/173) were observed, correlating with reduced susceptibility to the fluoroquinolones and third generation cephalosporins, respectively. This study is important because of the resistance patterns observed, the demonstrated utility in applying genomic-based approaches to routine microbiological monitoring, and the overall establishment of a transnational AMR surveillance framework focussed on coastal and marine environments

Mortality inequalities measured by socioeconomic indicators in Brazil: a scoping review

OBJECTIVE Summarize the literature on the relationship between composite socioeconomic indicators and mortality in different geographical areas of Brazil. METHODS This scoping review included articles published between January 1, 2000, and August 31, 2020, retrieved by means of a bibliographic search carried out in the Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, and Lilacs databases. Studies reporting on the association between composite socioeconomic indicators and all-cause, or specific cause of death in any age group in different geographical areas were selected. The review summarized the measures constructed, their associations with the outcomes, and potential study limitations. RESULTS Of the 77 full texts that met the inclusion criteria, the study reviewed 24. The area level of composite socioeconomic indicators analyzed comprised municipalities (n = 6), districts (n = 5), census tracts (n = 4), state (n = 2), country (n = 2), and other areas (n = 5). Six studies used composite socioeconomic indicators such as the Human Development Index, Gross Domestic Product, and the Gini Index; the remaining 18 papers created their own socioeconomic measures based on sociodemographic and health indicators. Socioeconomic status was inversely associated with higher rates of all-cause mortality, external cause mortality, suicide, homicide, fetal and infant mortality, respiratory and circulatory diseases, stroke, infectious and parasitic diseases, malnutrition, gastroenteritis, and oropharyngeal cancer. Higher mortality rates due to colorectal cancer, leukemia, a general group of neoplasms, traffic accident, and suicide, in turn, were observed in less deprived areas and/or those with more significant socioeconomic development. Underreporting of death and differences in mortality coverage in Brazilian areas were cited as the main limitation. CONCLUSIONS Studies analyzed mortality inequalities in different geographical areas by means of composite socioeconomic indicators, showing that the association directions vary according to the mortality outcome. But studies on all-cause mortality and at the census tract level remain scarce. The results may guide the development of new composite socioeconomic indicators for use in mortality inequality analysis