Construction of scientific knowledge and meaning: perceptions of Portuguese doctoral students

AbstractThis research focuses on how doctoral education is promoting, or can promote, levels of cognitive and psychosocial development that allow students to solve problems in creative, autonomous and cooperative ways. This goal is considered highly relevant for doctoral education, given its focus on the production of scientific knowledge. Following a qualitative design we analyse the preliminary results of a group of interviews carried out with recent PhD holders aimed at eliciting their retrospective thoughts about the PhD experience and the cognitive and psychosocial gains arising from this process

Organic food purchase and the influence of personality traits: a study with Portuguese consumers

Consumer concerns with the quality of their diet and with the origins of food products is a current and important topic in marketing research. It is evident that consumers are increasingly purchasing organic products primarily for health and environmental reasons. However, this pattern of behavior is not homogeneous and may depend on demographic and psychographic variables. Presently, knowledge on Portuguese attitudes towards organic food is still scarce. This study aims to contribute to fill a gap in literature concerning the extent to which personality traits may affect Portuguese consumers’ predisposition to buy and consume organic food products. Specifically, it has two objectives (i) to describe the buying habits of organic products; (ii) to categorize personality traits that influence this purchasing decision. A quantitative methodology based on an online questionnaire to a sample of 375 respondents was adopted and multivariate analysis methods were used in the evaluation and collection of statistical data to clarify and explain relationships among the different variables. Main results suggest that the major indicators for buying organic food products are: local production, social responsibility, health and quality, diet options and consumer routines. Moreover, online stores are identified as the preferred place to purchase organic food products, and durability and cost play an important role regarding the selection of products to be purchased. Finally, the personality traits that seem to play a significant role in people who buy organic products are Conscientiousness, Extraversion and Agreeableness.publishe

As imagens culturais na perspectiva vygotskiana

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PCN de tecnologias numa rede municipal

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Malaria and the heart: Two rare case reports of plasmodium falciparum-associated pericarditis

Malaria is one of the most important parasitic diseases in the world, causing significant mortality and morbidity in the tropical regions1 . Although symptoms can range from a mild fever to severe complicated forms, there are limited published data on cardiac involvement of malaria and only a few studies have been carried out regarding cardiac function in severe malaria2–3. Cardiac involvement in the course of malaria ranges from severe forms with hypatension, shock, circulatory collapse and impaired haemodynamic function, to mild disorders documented by Electrocardiogram (ECG) and echocardiography4–6. Pericardial involvement in malaria is a very rare event7–8. We report here two cases of falciparum malaria complicated with pericardial effusion

Polyhydroxyfullerene binds cadmium ions and alleviates metal-induced oxidative stress in saccharomyces cerevisiae

The water-soluble polyhydroxyfullerene (PHF) is a functionalized carbon nanomaterial with several industrial and commercial applications. There have been controversial reports on the toxicity and/or antioxidant properties of fullerenes and their derivatives. Conversely, metals have been recognized as toxic mainly due to their ability to induce oxidative stress in living organisms. We investigated the interactive effects of PHF and cadmium ions (Cd) on the model yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae by exposing cells to Cd (<= 5 mg liter(-1)) in the absence or presence of PHF (<= 500 mg liter(-1)) at different pHs (5.8 to 6.8). In the absence of Cd, PHF stimulated yeast growth up to 10.4%. Cd inhibited growth up to 79.7%, induced intracellular accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and promoted plasma membrane disruption in a dose- and pH-dependent manner. The negative effects of Cd on growth were attenuated by the presence of PHF, and maximum growth recovery (53.8%) was obtained at the highest PHF concentration and pH. The coexposure to Cd and PHF decreased ROS accumulation up to 36.7% and membrane disruption up to 30.7% in a dose- and pH-dependent manner. Two mechanisms helped to explain the role of PHF in alleviating Cd toxicity to yeasts: PHF decreased Cd-induced oxidative stress and bound significant amounts of Cd in the extracellular medium, reducing its bioavailability to the cells.FEDER-POFC-COMPETE; Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology [PEst-OE/BIA/UI4050/2014, PTDC/AAC-AMB/121650/2010]; [SFRH/BD/45614/2008]; [Pest-OE/EQB/LA0023/2013

Sequência didática eletrônica: um experimento com números decimais e o tema transversal trabalho e consumo com estudantes do ensino fundamental

Este trabalho apresenta os resultados da aplicação de uma Sequência Didática Eletrônica com estudantes do 6º ano do Ensino Fundamental, com a temática Números Decimais envolvendo o tema Transversal Trabalho e Consumo. O objetivo foi de identificar as potencialidades da Sequência Didática Eletrônica, implementada (desenvolvida, aplicada e avaliada) no Sistema Integrado de Ensino e Aprendizagem (SIENA), como estratégia de ensino para a temática investigada. Os resultados apontam que os estudantes apresentaram desempenho satisfatório em relação aos conceitos estudados sobre Números Decimais, sendo o maior desempenho no conceito de Exemplos/Situações do Dia a Dia, e o menor desempenho no desenvolvimento das atividades com Expressões Numéricas. Considera-se que a Seqüência Didática Eletrônica foi importante para os estudantes na construção dessa temática, proporcionando momentos de reflexão e uma visão diferenciada frente aos aspectos relacionados com consumo, ao valor do trabalho e de questões envolvendo o cotidiano

O erotismo e o desejo na obra Salomé, de Oscar Wilde

Oscar Wilde brings out a new woman in his Salome version, theatrical piece with a central focus on the biblical character Salome, the author’s eyes shows performed by its desires and its eroticism, that intoxicates and brings the ultimate consequences : kiss the lips of the prophet Iokanaan at any price. For this, the young princess is the dance of the seven veils for King Herod and proves that you can have it all with her ​​beauty and sensuality , even if it might be worth his life. This article aims to show how eroticism , desire, death and the body lead the direction of Wilde’s version , based on the works as Eroticism , George Bataille (1987 ) , The double flame, Octavio Paz (1994) , The dangerous body of Linda Hutcheon . Therefore, it can be seen that often , that desire can be matched is required great sacrifices , even if it takes death as a result and consummation.Oscar Wilde traz à tona uma nova mulher em sua versão de Salomé, peça teatral com foco central na personagem bíblica Salomé, que, aos olhos do autor, se mostra conduzida pelos seus desejos e pelo erotismo, que a embriaga e a leva as últimas consequências: beijar os lábios do profeta Iokanaan a qualquer preço. Para isso, a jovem princesa faz a dança dos setes véus para o rei Herodes e comprova que pode ter tudo com sua beleza e sensualidade, mesmo que isso possa lhe valer a vida. Esse artigo pretende mostrar de que forma o erotismo, o desejo, a morte e o corpo conduzem os rumos da versão de Wilde, baseado em obras teóricas como O erotismo, de George Bataille (1987), A dupla chama, de Octavio Paz (1994), O corpo perigoso de Linda Hutcheon. Pode-se perceber, que muitas vezes, para que o desejo possa ser correspondido são necessários grandes sacrifícios, mesmo que isso leve a morte, como consequência e consumação