Construtivismo tecnológico para promoção de motivação e autonomia na aprendizagem

Dado que as tecnologias assumem nos nossos dias uma ubiquidade crescente, existem vantagens em prolongar esta omnipresença aos ambientes de aprendizagem. Neste texto apresentar-se-ão os resultados de uma investigação levada a cabo no âmbito de um projeto de intervenção pedagógica, que alicerçam a opção pelo uso de instrumentos tecnológicos para promoção da motivação e autonomia na aprendizagem. Começar-se-á por fundamentar a escolha do construtivismo como teoria pedagógica de suporte a este projeto e apontar-se-ão as razões que indicam o trabalho cooperativo e colaborativo em sala de aula como instrumentos promotores de motivação e autonomia. De seguida, ligando aos alicerces anteriores, fundamentar-se-á o uso das tecnologias escolhidas para formar a base do ambiente de aprendizagem que se pretende. Destas destaca-se o vídeo como ferramenta cognitiva e reflexiva (numa era de proliferação massificadora do Youtube), aplicações online de trabalho cooperativo e colaborativo, e o uso de smartphones como ferramentas de uma aprendizagem a qualquer hora e em qualquer lugar. Concluindo, apresentar-se-ão resultados da implementação do estudo num contexto real, efetuando a ligação entre a investigação e a ação

Use and misuse of medicines with psychoactive effects in Portugal

Tese de mestrado, Regulação e Avaliação do Medicamento e Produtos de Saúde, 2022, Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Farmácia.Introdução: O mau uso de medicamentos psicoativos (MUMP) é um problema de saúde pública, sendo mais significativo nos Estados Unidos da América. Na União Europeia (UE), a evidência é limitada e quase ausente em Portugal. O objetivo desta dissertação é adquirir conhecimento sobre as consequências do MUMP a nível europeu e nacional, e identificar indicadores de morbilidade associada a este fenómeno em Portugal (2014-2018). Metodologia: De forma a avaliar as consequências do MUMP na UE foi realizada uma scoping review. A PubMed, Scopus e a Web of Science foram as bases de dados (BD) utilizadas para a realização da pesquisa entre 2011 e 2020. Adicionalmente, artigos de outras fontes foram incluídos na pesquisa. Uma análise preliminar foi realizada à BD de hospitalizações. Resultados:Com a scoping review, foram identificados 1.339 artigos, dos quais 110 artigos foram incluídos. Os mesmos reportaram dados sobre o consumo, fatores de risco, mau uso e suas consequências e características da população. A análise preliminar da base de dados realça um total de 13.813 admissões hospitalares (AH) registadas num período de 5 anos, com uma tendência de cresci-mento observada (aumento de 2,2 vezes). A maioria das AH associadas ao mau uso de MP foram em mulheres e as principais classes terapêuticas foram ansiolíticos (65%) e antidepres-sivos (16%). Conclusão:A evidência disponível na UE sobre o MUMP, foca-se nos opioides, benzodiazepinas/z-hipnó-ticos e gabapentinoides. Foi observada uma diferença entre mulheres e homens, com estudos a reportar o mau uso de benzodiazepinas/z-hipnóticos em mulheres e o mau uso de opioides nos homens. Em Portugal, as AH envolveram mais mulheres, com ansiolíticos e sedativos como a causa principal de admissões hospitalares.Introduction: Misuse of psychoactive medicines is a worldwide public health concern, with a more significant problem in USA. European Union (EU) evidence is scarce, with an apparent increase in pre-scription drug abuse and misuse, and almost absent in Portugal. This dissertation aims to ac-quire knowledge on the consequences of misuse of psychoactive medicines at European and national levels and to study morbidity indicators associated with the identified problem of mis-use in Portugal, between 2014 and 2018. Methodology:To assess the health outcomes of PPD misuse in the EU, a scoping review on the misuse of PPDs was conducted using the PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases between 2011 and 2020. In addition, articles from other sources were included in the search. Furthermore, a preliminary analysis was performed to the hospital morbidity database. Results:In the scoping review, 1,339 articles were identified, of which 110 were included, reporting data on consumption, risk factors, misuse and its consequences, and demographic characteris-tics. The preliminary analysis of the Portuguese hospital morbidity database highlighted a total of 13,813 hospital admissions registered over this 5-year period, with an increasing trend ob-served (2.2-fold increase). Most hospital admissions associated with psychoactive substances misuse were in females and the top therapeutic classes identified were anxiolytics (65%) and antidepressants (16%). Conclusion:Current evidence on the misuse of PPD focuses on opioids, benzodiazepines/z-drugs, and gabapentinoids around the EU. A clear difference between females and males is identified, with females being more likely to misuse BZD/z-drugs and males more likely to misuse opioids. Specifically, in Portugal, hospital admissions were more observed in females, with anxiolytics and sedatives being the main therapeutic classes causing emergency visits

Understanding students' mobility habits towards the implementation of an adaptive ubiquitous platform

Adapting technological environments to users is a concern since Mark Weiser launched the concept of ubiquitous computing and, in order to do that, is necessary to understand users’ characteristics. In this context, the purpose of this paper is to present a study about students’ mobility habits within a university campus, having the intention of getting insights towards the best place to set an interactive public display and of predicting the main characteristics of the audience that will be present on that spot in forthcoming periods. Thus, the envisioned results of this work will allow the adaptation of the contents exhibited on the device to the audience. To perform the study, a set of logs of accesses to the university’s Wi-Fi was used, data mining techniques were implemented and forecasting models were built, using the line of work suggested by the CRISP-DM methodology. As result, students profile were built based on past wireless accesses and on their scholar schedules, and three time series models were used (Holt-Winters, Seasonal Naive and Simple Exponential Smoothing) to predict the presence of students on the envisioned spot in future periods

Understanding the referral mechanism between general practitioners and specialists in private healthcare using network science

Dissertation presented as the partial requirement for obtaining a Master's degree in Information Management, specialization in Knowledge Management and Business IntelligenceThe following document represents a master thesis dissertation, that consists in the development of a research project in which its main objective is to understand the referral mechanism between primary care physicians and specialists using network science and other tools. The referral network of a healthcare provider denotes an important source of costs and revenue, as it can affect directly the management of its clients and employees, namely through the quality of the care being provided and the level of satisfaction being achieved. The data provided for the development of the study was given by a European industry leader in private healthcare. It is important to highlight that this research study attempts maps the relationships between general practitioners and specialists using a large dataset of doctor’s appointments during 2012 and 2017. These relationships were mapped under the assumptions that two doctors had to share at least one patient, and the period between the two appointments could not be longer than 30 days. Moreover, the impact of the dynamics of the relationships between the two types of doctors in the primary-specialty referral mechanism is done by analyzing the referral patterns exhibited in network, and the performance of the physicians in terms of the centrality measures degree, betweenness and closeness. Additionally, two regression analysis are performed with the objective of identifying potential characteristics that might be affecting the referral rates of doctors. These characteristics include the social network metrics and the physician’s backgrounds

Analysis of the referral mechanism between family doctors and specialists using social network analysis

The following document represents a master thesis dissertation, that consists in the development of a research project in which its main objective is to understand the referral mechanism between primary care physicians and specialistsusing network science and other tools. The referral network of a healthcare provider denotes an important source of costs and revenue, as it can affect directly the management of its clients and employees, namely through the quality of the care being provided and the level of satisfaction being achieved. The data provided for the development of the study was given by a European industry leader in private healthcare. It is important to highlight that this research study attempts maps the relationships between general practitioners and specialists using a large dataset of doctor’s appointments during 2012 and 2017. These relationships were mapped under the assumptions that two doctors had to share at least one patient, and the period between the two appointments could not be longer than 30 days. Moreover, the impact of the dynamics of the relationships between the two types of doctors in the primary-specialty referral mechanism is done by analyzing the referral patterns exhibited in network, and the performance of the physicians in terms of the centrality measures degree, betweenness and closeness. Additionally, two regression analysis are performed with the objective of identifying potential characteristics that might be affecting the referral rates of doctors. These characteristics include the social network metrics and the physician’s backgrounds

Vehicle routing problems : investigação e construção de um sistema de informação geográfica

Dissertação de mestrado em Engenharia de SistemasO problema de encaminhamento de veículos ou Vehicle Routing Problem (VRP), apesar de ser estudado há mais de 5 décadas, toma nos dias de hoje especial relevo devido à escalada de custos associados ao sector da logística, que acompanham a subida do preço dos combustíveis. Paralelamente a este fator surgem avanços tecnológicos baseados na Web que permitem a obtenção, representação e análise de dados georreferenciados e textuais em aplicações próprias. Esta dissertação propõe-se a combinar estudos relativos ao problema de encaminhamento de veículos com tecnologias informáticas de cartografia digital baseadas na Web, para chegar a uma ferramenta de apoio à decisão na referida área da logística. No presente documento apresentar-se-á inicialmente o resultado de uma investigação sobre os VRP, seus constituintes, objetivos genéricos e principais instâncias, avançando-se de seguida para um estudo sobre as formas de resolução dos mesmos. Nesse ponto serão apresentados algoritmos exatos, heurísticas, meta-heurísticas e aproximações multiobjectivos que são bibliograficamente propostas para resolver a problemática. Apresentar-se-á de seguida o desenvolvimento de um Sistema de Informação Geográfica (SIG) de apoio à decisão. Este permitirá ao decisor albergar informação textual sobre o seu VRP, sendo que a informação cartográfica será construída com base nas informações prestadas e em dados obtidos automaticamente em serviços Web da aplicação Google Maps. A ferramenta facultará ao utilizador propostas de solução para o problema utilizando duas heurísticas construtivas e um método de melhoria local. Em nome da flexibilidade do sistema também será possível ao decisor gerar as suas rotas sem os referidos automatismos. Para demonstrar as potencialidades do sistema apresentar-se-ão vários testes à aplicação desenvolvida. Acredita-se que a ferramenta em questão além de permitir a análise e compreensão detalhada das heurísticas utilizadas devido à representação gráfica dos resultados das mesmas, tem aplicabilidade em casos reais e potencial de crescimento e adaptação que lhe permitem ser a base de outras ferramentas construídas para casos específicos.Despite being studied for more than 5 decades, the Vehicle Routing Problems (VRP) takes on special importance nowadays due to the escalating costs associated with logistics that come along with the rise of de fuel price. Alongside with this factor, there are technological advances emerging that enable Web-based retrieval, representation and analysis of spatial and textual data. The purpose of this dissertation is to combine an investigation about the problem of vehicle routing with computer technologies of Web-based digital mapping, to reach a decision support tool in that logistics area. In this document, the results of an investigation into the VRP will be presented, namely its components, objectives and generic instances, following up to a study about the methods to solve them. At this point will be studied exact algorithms, heuristics, meta-heuristics and multipurpose approximations that are bibliographically proposed to solve the problem. Subsequently will be presented the development of a Geographic Information System (GIS) for decision support where the decision maker may accommodate textual information about his VRP. The cartographic data will be built based on the information provided by the user and on data that will be automatically provided by Google Maps Web services. The application will provide to the user proposals for solving the problem using two constructive heuristics and a method of local improvement. On behalf of the flexibility of the system, it will also be possible to the decision maker to generate his own routes without the automation implicit on referred heuristics. To demonstrate the capabilities of the software, various tests will be presented. It is believed that the developed tool, in addition to offer detailed analysis and understanding of the heuristics used due to the graphical representation of the results, has applicability to real cases and potential of growth and adaptation that allow it to be the basis of other tools built for specific cases

Ensino de programação de sistemas informáticos: o construtivismo como plataforma impulsionadora de motivação e autonomia na aprendizagem

Relatório de estágio de mestrado em Ensino de Informática“Qualquer era tecnológica moldou, de alguma maneira, a educação à sua imagem” (Sharples, 2005, p.1). Na era do YouTube, dos smartphones, dos tablets, das redes sociais e da cloud computing, subsistirem ambientes de aprendizagem que não incluem inovação é obrigar os alunos a saírem da imersão tecnológica em que vivem, retirando-os do seu habitat natural e obrigando-os a retroceder no tempo para aprender. Na perspetiva oposta, a utilização estratégica de ferramentas tecnológicas emergentes em sala de aula poderá ser um catalisador de motivação e autonomia na aprendizagem, dada a curiosidade que geram em seu torno e o seu potencial inegável. Este trabalho expõe a aplicação destes princípios no âmbito de um projeto de intervenção pedagógica, numa disciplina de programação de sistemas informáticos de um curso profissional do ensino secundário, onde se verificou nos alunos falta de motivação e autonomia para a aprendizagem. Para enfrentar esse problema utilizaram-se estratégias pedagógicas construtivistas alicerçadas em tecnologias atuais, de onde se destaca a utilização do Prezi para a construção colaborativa do conhecimento ao invés de para exposição de conteúdos; do Moodle como prolongamento tecnológico da sala de aula, fornecendo aos alunos as rédeas da sua aprendizagem; do vídeo não apenas como produto multimédia de visualização, mas a sua produção como processo de construção cognitiva e reflexiva de aprendizagens; do Google Drive como ferramenta de eleição favorecedora de aprendizagens cooperativas; e do mobile-learning, através de um estudo exploratório com a ferramenta AnkiDroid, averiguando o impacto dessa forma de aprendizagem na motivação e autonomia. O resultado destas estratégias teve o efeito pretendido e concluiu-se que promovendo o aumento de motivação, promove-se o aumento da autonomia e atenuam-se problemas de aproveitamento, desinteresse, comportamento e assiduidade.“Every era of technology has, to some extent, formed education in its own image” (Sharples, 2005, p.1). At the era of YouTube, smartphones and tablets, of the social networks and of the cloud computing, the subsistence of learning environments that do not include technological innovations is to force students to get out of the technological emersion where they live, removing them from their natural habitat and obligating them to move back in time to learn. In the opposite perspective, the strategic use of emerging technological tools in classroom may be a catalyst of motivation and autonomy in learning process, given the curiosity that gravitates around those artifacts and their undeniable potential. This work exposes the application of these principles on a pedagogical intervention project that took place at a computer programming course of secondary school level, where was identified on students a lack of motivation and of autonomy on learning. To face these problems, were used constructivist pedagogical strategies grounded on recent technologies, from where are highlighted the use of Prezi for a collaborative construction of knowledge instead of to content exposal; Moodle as a technological extension of the classroom, providing students with the reins of their own learning; video not only as a multimedia product for visualization but its production as a process of cognitive and reflexive knowledge building; Google Drive as a top tool for cooperative learning; and mobile learning, through an exploratory study with the AnkiDroid application, ascertaining the impact of that form of learning on motivation and autonomy. These strategies had the pursued effect and it has been concluded that by promoting the raise of motivation, it is promoted the raise of autonomy and are reduced problems of low school performance, disregard, bad behavior and lack of class attendance

Engineering the activity and specificity of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Acetate Transporter Ady2/Ato1

Organic acids are industrially relevant chemicals with application in polymer, food, agricultural and pharmaceutical sectors. Yeasts commonly represent the organisms of choice for production of organic acids, namely due to their tolerance of low pH environments since such production conditions allow for direct formation of the desired protonated form of the acid and thus cut downstream processing costs. Since organic acid export over the plasma membrane represents one of the key steps in microbial production of these compounds, organic acid transporters started receiving greater attention in metabolic engineering strategies. Ato1 is the main transporter responsible for uptake of acetic acid into the cytosol in S. cerevisiae, while also being able to mediate organic acid transport in the opposite direction, as it was shown to be involved in the export of lactic acid from S. cerevisiae cells engineered for lactic acid production. Ato1 is a member of the Acetate Uptake Transporter Family (AceTR), with several functionally characterized homologues in yeast, fungi, and bacteria. Recently solved crystal structure of its bacterial homologue, SatP, depicts a hexameric anion channel. In this work, we studied the relationship between structure and function of Ato1 via rational mutagenesis and identified residues critical for Ato1 substrate specificity and transport activity. By utilizing computer-assisted three-dimensional modelling tools, we provide possible explanations of acquired features. Our final goal is to test applicability of these transporters in yeast cell factories that produce organic acids.Supported by strategic program UID/BIA/04050/2013 (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007569) and TransAcids (PTDC/BIAMIC/5184/2014) funded by national funds, FCT-IP and ERDF by COMPETE 2020-POCI; EcoAgriFood (NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000009), supported by NORTE-2020, under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement. TC acknowledges Yeastdoc European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 764927

A case report

INTRODUCTION: Calcaneal osteomyelitis poses a tough challenge for any reconstructive surgeon. The eradication of the infection and the reconstruction of the defect are the main goals of treatment. PRESENTATION OF CASE: We present the case of a 53-year-old male with chronic calcaneal osteomyelitis. The patient was submitted to several bone and soft tissue debridements and twice the application of gentamicin/sulfate implants at the wound bed with no success. He was then submitted to a partial calcanectomy followed by obliteration of the bone defect (4.5 × 2 × 1.5 cm) with a free vascularized fibula-flexor hallucis longus osteomuscular flap (bone dimension:4.5 × 1.5 × 1.2 cm; muscle size: 4 × 1.5 × 0.5 cm). The flap remained viable, and the post-operative period was uneventful. Bone incorporation was evident nine months after the surgery with no signs of recurrent infection or avascular necrosis. Final follow up, at one year, showed an excellent functional result. The patient was able to ambulate without assistance and referred occasional minimal foot pain. Donor site morbidity was minimal. CONCLUSION: The authors believe that this osteomuscular flap may be a valuable option to reconstruct calcaneal defects after chronic osteomyelitis.publishersversionpublishe