Proportion in school mathematics textbooks: A comparative study

This paper analyses how proportion is introduced and developed in selected mathematics textbooks for middle school students of Portugal, Spain, Brazil, and USA. The analysis focuses on the nature of the approach and on the cognitive demand, structure, and context of the tasks. The results show that the textbooks tend to present tasks at an intermediate level of cognitive demand and with a closed structure. Nonmathematical contexts predominate in three of the four textbooks. However, there are marked differences in the way textbooks approach the conceptual and procedural aspects of proportion. The way the students are addressed also varies, ranging from a questioning/problem solving style, to an explaining/practicing style, each of these styles supporting a rather different kind of activity.Este artigo analisa como proporção é introduzida e desenvolvida nos livros didáticos matemática para alunos do ensino médio (Ensino Fundamental II) em Portugal, Espanha, Brasil e EUA. A análise incide sobre a natureza da abordagem e na demanda cognitiva, estrutura e contexto das tarefas. Os resultados mostram que os livros didáticos tendem a apresentar as tarefas em um nível intermediário de demanda cognitiva e com uma estrutura fechada. Contextos não-matemáticos predominam em três dos quatro livros didáticos analisados. No entanto, há diferenças marcantes no modo como os livros abordam os aspectos conceituais e procedimentais de proporção. A forma didática de tratar o assunto também varia, indo de um estilo de questionamento / resolução de problemas, a um modo explicativo/prático; cada um deles ampara-se em um tipo diferente de atividade

A study on the Contribution of TV to the Navigational Health Literacy (HL-NAV) of the Elderly in Portugal

UIDB/05021/2020 UIDP/05021/2020This study proposes to investigate the role of the media source for health information self-reported as the most relevant in Portugal, the TV. Despite the acknowledgement of this mass medium’s value to promote health literacy and namely to elderly people, the nature of the health-related information conveyed by TV has received limited attention. This study aims to fill this gap by investigating the role of TV in mediating the health literacy of the elderly in the country, particularly focused on the topic of navigation in health care which has also received relatively little specific attention. It has therefore a dual foci on what the televised health-related coverage imparts to the public and, the ways in which elderly people interpret these health care representations and apply them to form judgments and take decisions in using the HCS. The results will inform future endeavors to enhance the health literacy of the targeted population through more effective TV health-related communication strategies.publishersversionpublishe

Outcomes of patients with stage IB1 and IB2 Cervical Cancer who have had Wertheim's Hysterectomies with or without adjuvant chemo-radiotherapy as primary treatment at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital

A research report submitted to the University of the Witwatersrand in partial fulfilment for the degree of Master of Medicine 2016.Background Cervical cancer is the 3rd most common female malignancy worldwide. It is classified and managed according to stage as defined by the FIGO Committee on Gynaecology Oncology classification of 2009. Stage specific treatment is tailored according to prognosis and risk of recurrence as determined by tumour type, tumour size, tumour grade, lymph node metastases, lymphovascular space involvement (LVSI), parametrial spread and presence of any other metastatic deposits at presentation. This study only concentrated on patients who presented with Stage IB1 and 1B2 tumours managed by Class III / Meig’s Radical / Wertheim’s hysterectomy and bilateral pelvic lymphadenectomy. Aims Primary Outcome 1. Assess disease free interval and overall survival 2 years post-operatively. Secondary Outcomes 1. Assess adequacy of patient selection 2. Assess risk factors for recurrence 3. Compare recurrence risk of HIV positive patients versus HIV negative patients. 4. Determine surgical and post-surgical complication rate. Materials and Methods This was a retrospective institutional cohort study conducted at the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital. All patients with Stage IB1 or IB2 cervical cancer treated with Wertheim hysterectomies between 2002 and 2012 were included. Surgical records, histology records, further postoperative management records and gynaecological outpatient follow up records were used to collect data for the patients. Histological findings post-operatively determined further management. Surgical margins had to be 10mm clear of tumour with no positive lymph nodes otherwise external beam radiotherapy and brachytherapy or chemo-radiotherapy were recommended in addition to primary surgical management. Results Of the 72 patients initially identified, 69 patients were suitable for study inclusion. The mean age of the study population was 45 years. Study population racial distribution: 68.12% were Black, 26.09% were White, 2.9% were Coloured and 2.9% were Indian. Average parity and gravidity of patients alive at the end of the study was 2.86 and 3.56; while average parity and gravidity of patients deceased at the end of the study was 2.5 and 2.8 respectively. Study population ECOG status: 16% were ECOG 0, 83% were ECOG 1 and 1% were ECOG 2. Overall survival at the end of the study was 86% and patients were disease free postoperatively for an average of 5 years. Thirty three percent of the patients were disease free for more than 5 years. Preoperative clinical staging and postoperative histological staging correlated only in 61% of cases. Correct management by Wertheim’s hysterectomy was rendered to 75% of patients whereas the remainder were incorrectly managed and should have had either a simple hysterectomy with no pelvic lymphadenectomy or radiotherapy only as primary therapy. More advanced stages, tumours ≥ 4cm, adenomatous cell type, > 5mm depth of invasion, >7mm lateral spread, higher number of nodes positive for metastatic disease, surgical margins 10mm, positive lympohovascular space, parametrial and pouch of Douglas (POD) involvement were factors that had a poorer prognosis with regards overall survival, disease-free interval or both. Poorly differentiated tumours were more likely to recur but did not have a poorer prognosis compared with regards to overall survival or disease free interval at 2 or more years compared to well and moderately differentiated tumours. Mortality of HIV reactive patients was 16.7% compared to 12.5% for HIV non-reactive patients. This difference was not statistically significant at the 95% confidence level. HIV status also did not increase risk of recurrence. Lower CD4 counts were shown to have a lower disease-free period and overall survival. Intra-operative surgical complication rate was 6%. Immediate post-operative complication rate was 16%. Of the patients who required DXT or DXT and chemotherapy 33% had side-effects or complications from adjuvant therapy. Patients treated with DXT and chemotherapy had had more side-effects than those treated with DXT only. Conclusion The mean age of the study population was 45 years. This was lower compared to other larger studies possibly due to younger presentation related to HIV disease. HIV positive patients with lower CD4 counts were shown to have poorer prognosis with regards to survival. HIV status was not shown to be a risk factor for recurrence. The overall survival and disease-free period at 5 years was similar to that of other international studies. Only two thirds of the patients were adequately selected for surgery according to the institution’s criteria for a Wertheim’s hysterectomy and therefore it may be necessary to reconsider the pre-operative assessment of these patients. More advanced stages, tumours ≥ 4cm, adenomatous cell type, poor differentiation, > 5mm depth of invasion, >7mm lateral spread, higher number of nodes positive for metastatic disease, surgical margins ≤ 10mm, positive lympohovascular space, parametrial and pouch of Douglas involvement were factors that had a poorer prognosis with regards to recurrence, overall survival and disease-free interval. However, the rates of recurrence were not statistically significant at a 95% confidence level.LG201

Programmation architecturale et architecture virtuelle

La programmation architecturale constitue souvent la première étape d’un ensemble plus vaste et complexe nécessaire à l’édification d’un bâtiment. Cet article vise à dégager, à partir de la nouvelle pratique de l’architecture virtuelle, les éléments essentiels qui différencient sa programmation architecturale de celle d’une architecture traditionnelle. L’exposé introduit dans un premier temps la programmation architecturale, puis définit l’architecture virtuelle, pour ensuite exposer l’application de la programmation à l’architecture virtuelle.Architectural programming is often the first stage of a bigger and more complex set of necessary actions to building edification. This article aims at spotting from the new practice of virtual architecture, the essential elements, which differentiate its architectural programming from a traditional architecture. The paper introduces initially programming, and then defines virtual architecture, for then describing the application of programming to virtual architecture

Congruences and ideals on Boolean modules: a heterogeneous point of view

Definitions for heterogeneous congruences and heterogeneous ideals on a Boolean module M are given and the respective lattices CongM and IdeM are presented. A characterization of the simple Boolean modules is achieved differing from that given by Brink in a homogeneous approach. We construct the smallest and the greatest modular congruence having the same Boolean part. The same is established for modular ideals. The notions of kernel of a modular congruence and the congruence induced by a modular ideal are introduced to describe an isomorphism between CongM and IdeM. This isomorphism leads us to conclude that the class of the Boolean module is ideal determined

Práticas curriculares em jardim de infância com crianças com perturbações do espetro do autismo

Dissertação apresentada à Escola Superior de Educação de Lisboa para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Educação - Especialização em Educação EspecialA educação inclusiva assume um papel central na sociedade e as escolas, nomeadamente, os docentes, têm a função de proporcionar experiências de aprendizagem bem sucedidas a todos os alunos. Com formas únicas e alternativas de pensar e encarar o mundo, as crianças com perturbações do espetro do autismo (PEA), integram as turmas de jardim de infância do ensino regular, cada vez com mais frequência. Tendo em conta que a intervenção com as PEA deve ser o mais intensiva e precoce possível, o educador de infância tem um papel preponderante nesta intervenção. Este estudo tem como objetivo conhecer as conceções e as práticas dos Educadores de Infância na sua atividade diária com crianças com PEA em grupos de educação regular, procurando compreender: as suas principais preocupações e dificuldades no trabalho com a criança com PEA, as adequações no planeamento curricular para a criança com PEA e o tipo de participação da criança com PEA nas tarefas e rotinas do grupo. De caráter exploratório, este trabalho centrou-se em três grupos de jardim de infância do mesmo agrupamento de escolas, que incluíam crianças com PEA. Para a recolha de dados utilizámos as técnicas da entrevista e da observação direta em sala de jardim de infância. Concluímos que os educadores de infância sentem dificuldades no trabalho com crianças com PEA devido, principalmente, às caraterísticas especificas da problemática mas também, devido à falta de recursos humanos. Existe a preocupação com a incerteza do futuro destas crianças e com os efeitos que esta inclusão possa ter na aprendizagem do restante grupo. Escasso trabalho em equipa por parte dos agentes educativos e uma avaliação desadequada são outras das preocupações referidas. Realizando adequações em algumas das atividades, existe uma tentativa constante em incluir as crianças com PEA em todas as rotinas e tarefas do grupo e em promover a interação entre todas as crianças.ABSTRACT Inclusive education plays an essential role in society and schools, namely, to teachers whose job implies providing successful learning experiences to all students. With unique and alternative ways of thinking and facing the world, children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are attending classes in regular preschools more often. Given that intervention must be made the more intense and early as possible, the preschool teacher has a preponderant role in this intervention. The aim of this study is to identify the functions and practices of preschool teachers in their daily activities with children suffering from ASD in groups of regular education, and to understand: their main concerns and difficulties in their work with children with ASD, the adequacy of curricula planning for children with ASD, and the participation of children with ASD in activities and group daily tasks. This study, with an exploratory approach, has focused on three preschool groups of the same school grouping which included children with ASD. For data collection we used interviews and direct observation in preschool classrooms. We concluded that preschool teachers have many difficulties on their work with ASD children not only, and mainly, due to the specific problems of the disorder, but also due to the lack of human resources. There is great concern about the uncertainties of the future of these children, and also about the effects this inclusion may have on other children. Other concerns refer to little teamwork between teaching professionals, and inadequate assessment. The adequacy of some activities leads to a permanent attempt to include children with ASD in routines and group activities and to promote interaction between all the children

Near-Exact Distributions for Likelihood Ratio Statistics Used in the Simultaneous Test of Conditions on Mean Vectors and Patterns of Covariance Matrices

The authors address likelihood ratio statistics used to test simultaneously conditions on mean vectors and patterns on covariance matrices. Tests for conditions on mean vectors, assuming or not a given structure for the covariance matrix, are quite common, since they may be easily implemented. But, on the other hand, the practical use of simultaneous tests for conditions on the mean vectors and a given pattern for the covariance matrix is usually hindered by the nonmanageability of the expressions for their exact distribution functions. The authors show the importance of being able to adequately factorize the c.f. of the logarithm of likelihood ratio statistics in order to obtain sharp and highly manageable near-exact distributions, or even the exact distribution in a highly manageable form. The tests considered are the simultaneous tests of equality or nullity of means and circularity, compound symmetry, or sphericity of the covariance matrix. Numerical studies show the high accuracy of the near-exact distributions and their adequacy for cases with very small samples and/or large number of variables. The exact and near-exact quantiles computed show how the common chi-square asymptotic approximation is highly inadequate for situations with small samples or large number of variables

Higher education, stakeholders and collaborative work for entrepreneurial learning

Institutions of Higher Education can provide, in their internal environment, entrepreneurial learning opportunities for students stimulating new attitudes and behaviours towards entrepreneurship. The Portuguese universities have diversified their strategies to promote formal, informal and non formal entrepreneurial learning that can be encouraged in various strategies. The participation of key actors and stakeholders involved in awareness,mentoring and project implementation of the entrepreneurial learning process is crucial for collaborating work in a competitive world. Moreover, obtaining employment is increasingly dependent on not only the potentials of individuals, but also, and even more, the ability to build solid networks of partnerships in science and innovation and employment. Within the scope of the ongoing project "Entrepreneurial Learning, Cooperation and the Labour Market: Good Practice in Higher Education" this paper aims to highlight the importance of non formal and informal learning and to contribute to the reflection regarding added value of inter organizational cooperation and collaborative work

A auditoria das empresas na nova economia: Relato financeiro na Internet em Portugal

Os grandes desenvolvimentos da última década nas tecnologias de informação e de comunicação alteraram por completo os fluxos de informação, assim como a noção de tempo e de espaço. O aparecimento da Internet, do correio electrónico e das novas linguagens informáticas contribuíram para a democratização do relatório financeiro electrónico. Neste trabalho é abordado o impacto nas organizações da revolução das tecnologias de informação e da Era da Informação em que vivemos. A Internet está a alterar a política informativa das empresas em todo o mundo. Praticamente em todos os países desenvolvidos as empresas estão a utilizar, em maior ou menor escala, a Internet como meio de divulgação universal da sua informação financeira. A interactividade que permite este meio de comunicação, as ferramentas multimédia que facilitam a sua compreensão, o seu processamento e a sua distribuição, para além da facilidade no acesso de um volume de informação, até agora impensável e a um custo reduzido, são algumas das suas principais vantagens. Por último, é apresentado um estudo empírico com o objectivo de analisar a situação actual do relato financeiro via Internet em Portugal, investigando a tendência das 250 empresas portuguesas, mais rentáveis, no que se refere à organização e à informação financeira divulgada nos seus websites

Industrial multimedia put into practice

Recent developments in the factory floor technologies together with the widespread use of TCP/IP and the Internet are increasing the eagerness to support a new wide class of devices and applications, such as industrial multimedia applications, in factory floor networks. This paper presents how this new field of applications can be put into practice, via a manufacturing cell field trial being implemented. This manufacturing automation field trial involves the use of traditional distributed computer control systems and 'factory-floor-oriented' multimedia (e.g. voice, video) application services