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In the last year, and largely due to the pandemic situation of COVID-19, teachers experimented with technology in an innovative way not only to keep students engaged, but also to make learning more active and more significant. The Microsoft 365 was one of the solutions that provided schools, teachers and students with all the necessary resources to continue teaching and learning in a remote mode. In this work, we present a study that aims to know the opinions of several teachers about the use they made of Microsoft 365 during distance education and to know the degree of satisfaction obtained with its use. The adopted method has a descriptive and exploratory nature, focusing on a quantitative paradigm. The study participants were 101 teachers of basic1 and secondary education2 from schools in Northern Portugal. A questionnaire survey was used as a data collection instrument, which was mainly disseminated by email from Outlook. Data analysis was performed using Excel (Office 2016). The results suggest that Microsoft 365 was the appropriate response to the constraints imposed by the pandemic, and that most respondents revealed a high level of satisfaction with its use, despite not having much training in the use of teaching platforms.

In the last two decades, Mozambique's plantation forestry has witnessed several twists, which were driven by domestic and global changes. However, empirical evidence on the governance issues that account for a bleak plantation forestry future in Mozambique are lacking. This paper explores the governance issues that militate for the rise and fall in plantation forestry in northern Mozambique. We conducted an online email, face-to-face or phone call interview with 20 forest experts deeply informed about a decade and a half of plantation development in northern Mozambique, using 2005 as the baseline year. We then proceed with an explorative case study of two operational companies in the Niassa province: The Florestas do Niassa (now, build it) and Green Resources. We found strong evidence of a decline in the forest sector in northern Mozambique, linked to the following governance issues: (i) lack of flexibility, clarity and delay on the part of Mozambican Government to issue the land title (DUAT's); (ii) Increase in forest fires, perpetrated by local communities who provided land for the plantations companies, but were dissatisfied with the unfair distribution of the benefits from afforestation projects; (iii) Poor infrastructures, especially road accessibility; (iv) lack of skilled labour as well as (v) political instability. Furthermore, the research illustrates how difficult it is to invest in forest plantations in Mozambique, despite its high potential and natural competitive advantages for the establishment of commercial plantations.

Ana Filipa Moleiro,1,2 Ana Francisca Aires,3 Hélio Alves,4 João Viana Pinto,5 Ângela Carneiro,1,2 Fernando Falcão-Reis,1,2 Luís Figueira,1,4 João Pinheiro-Costa1,4 1Department of Ophthalmology, Centro Hospitalar Universitário São João, Porto, Portugal; 2Department of Surgery and Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal; 3Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal; 4Department of Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal; 5Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Centro Hospitalar Universitário São João, Porto, PortugalCorrespondence: Ana Filipa MoleiroDepartment of Ophthalmology, Centro Hospitalar Universitário São João, Alameda Prof. Hernâni Monteiro, Porto, 4200-319, PortugalTel +35 1915689259Email anafomoleiro@gmail.comPurpose: Although classically classified as a non-inflammatory condition, an inflammatory basis for keratoconus (KC) appears to be a growing evidence. Recently, it has been shown that KC patients have an increased choroidal thickness (CT). Among inflammatory disorders, atopy has been associated with KC development; therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate if the increased CT in patients with KC is related to atopy.Methods: This is an analytical cross-sectional study of patients with KC. Patients were classified as atopic and non-atopic according to their atopy history (allergic rhinoconjunctivitis (AR), asthma (AA) and/or atopic dermatitis (AD)) and were also classified based on their eye rubbing habits. Choroidal profile of all subjects was evaluated using a Spectralis optical coherence tomography (OCT) device with enhanced depth imaging (EDI) mode. CT was measured and compared between groups at the center of the fovea and at 500 μm intervals along a horizontal section. A multivariable analysis, adjusted for sex, age, spherical equivalent, history of medication and atopy, was performed to assess the influence of atopy in CT.Results: Of the 80 patients included, 51 were atopic and 29 non-atopic. Atopic patients showed a thicker choroid in every measured location than the non-atopic patients (mean subfoveal CT 391.53 μm vs 351.17 μm, respectively), although the differences were not statistically different. The multivariable analysis revealed that being atopic makes the choroid statistically thicker, on average, 55.14 μm, when compared to non-atopic patients (p=0.043). Furthermore, patients who are frequent eye rubbers have significantly thicker choroids than non-rubbers (p=0.004).Conclusion: Although some results do not reach statistical significance, atopic KC patients seem to have thicker choroids compared with non-atopic KC patients, suggesting a possible role for atopy in the choroidal profile of KC. This constitutes a completely new sight in this field of research that needs further investigation.Keywords: atopy, choroid, choroidal thickness, cornea, keratoconus

Empresas florestais necessitam maximizar lucros e minimizar o nível de risco e incerteza, sendo uma das principais estratégias plantar povoamentos de crescimento rápido e de alta produtividade. Foi com esse intuito que a Empresa Florestas do Niassa, estabeleceu um experimento com cinco procedências e 28 progênies de P. Tecunumanii Eguiluz & Perry, no norte de Moçambique. O experimento foi estabelecido em blocos ao acaso com quatro linhas de repetição. Aos dois, quatro e oito anos de idade foram medidas altura total, diâmetro altura do peito (DAP) e sobrevivência. Os resultados de sobrevivência aos oito anos de idade não apresentaram diferenças significativas, tendo ficado acima dos 90% para todas as procedências incluindo a testemunha. Houve diferenças significativas de crescimento entre procedência para os restantes parâmetros avaliados. O melhor desempenho aos oito anos foi para as procedências Villa Santa, San Rafael del Norte e Yucul. O desdobramento das procedências entre progênies com o uso do recurso de agrupamento de clusters identificou três grupos distintos: O primeiro, composto pelas 12 (41,38%) progênies de melhor desempenho, majoritariamente da Villa Santa e Yucul; o segundo intermediário e composto por sete (24,14%) das progênies, na sua maioria de Yucul e Km 33; o último foi composto por 10 (34,4%) das progênies de pior desempenho, na sua maioria de San Jeronimo e Km 33. A maior parte das 10 melhores progênies classificadas com base no efeito genético aditivo predito e ganho genético, pertencem a Villa Santa, confirmando os resultados dos clusters. Já a maioria das progênies (45%) ao nível dos 20 melhores indivíduos classificados, pertenceram a procedência Villa Santa e podem ser usadas para futuros projetos de melhoramento no ambiente do Niassa. A seleção das melhores progênies pode ser feita a partir do DAP, dado que este apresentou um coeficiente de correlação acima dos 90% com o volume.

The aim of this work was to improve the knowledge about the potential of Douro region (North of Portugal) to produce table grapes of superior quality. Skin, pulp, and seeds of four table grapes ‘Alphonse Lavallée’, ‘Cardinal’, ‘Dona Maria’ and ‘Muscat Hamburgo’ produced in Dour region, collected at commercial maturity stage, were evaluated. Phenolic compounds, organic acids and sugars were determined in each cultivar and in the different parts of the grape by HPLC-DAD, while the antioxidant properties were evaluated by DPPH, Cuprac and lipid peroxidation assays. Phenolics from different classes were found: four anthocyanins (delphynidin, cyanidin, petunidin and malvidin), two hydroxibenzoic acids (gallic acid and protocatechuic acid), three hydroxycinnamic acids (caffeic, chlorogenic and coumaric acids), one flavonol (rutin), three flavan-3-ols ((+)-catechin, (-)-epicatechin, and (-)-epicagallocatechin)), one oligomer (procyanidin B2) and one stilbene (resveratrol). In addition, three organic acids (tartaric, malic and citric acids) and two types of sugars (glucose and fructose) were detected in all samples. Differences were found between cultivars (p

In order to determine the potential energy of forest fuels in Pinus elliottii stands, we investigated the best season to collect fuel material considering fuel availability, moisture content, Higher Calorific Value (HCV) and immediate chemical composition, from the plots established and monitored during one year at Rio Negro Research station, Paraná state, Brazil. The year’s seasons (winter, summer, spring and autumn) were considered as experimental blocks while the diameter of the materials (AA, AB and AC) as treatments. These treatments were pre-defined in the following diameter classes: AA, in the upper layer; AB, in the intermediate layer; AC, in the lower layer, all materials up to 0,7 cm; and B, with material of 0.71 to 2.5 cm. The fuel material of all year’s seasons was collected in sub plots of 900 cm2, weighted in the field and taken to the laboratory of the Federal University of Paraná (UFPR) to carry out the rest of analyzes including: moisture on the dry basis, fuel availability, Higher Calorific Value (HCV) and immediate chemical composition. Analyses of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey test were performed to compare the differences between seasons and material classes. Together with low moisture content and greater fuel availability, the mean test showed that, for all material classes, the winter was the best season to collect forest fuel material of Pinus elliottii stands. The results also showed that, for immediate composition and HCV, the mean class AA and B were statistically superior than the other classes. The fuel loading had a considerable density of energetic (12,275.42.105 kcal. ha-1) for bioenergy conversion and utilization.

(1) Background: the Miombo woodlands comprise the most important vegetation from southern Africa and are dominated by tree legumes with an ecology highly driven by fires. Here, we report on the characterization of bacterial communities from the rhizosphere of Brachystegia boehmii in different soil types from areas subjected to different regimes. (2) Methods: bacterial communities were identified through Illumina MiSeq sequencing (16S rRNA). Vigna unguiculata was used as a trap to capture nitrogen-fixing bacteria and culture-dependent methods in selective media were used to isolate plant growth promoting bacteria (PGPB). PGP traits were analysed and molecular taxonomy of the purified isolates was performed. (3) Results: Bacterial communities in the Miombo rhizosphere are highly diverse and driven by soil type and fire regime. Independent of the soil or fire regime, the functional diversity was high, and the different consortia maintained the general functions. A diverse pool of diazotrophs was isolated, and included symbiotic (e.g., Mesorhizobium sp., Neorhizobium galegae, Rhizobium sp., and Ensifer adhaerens), and non-symbiotic (e.g., Agrobacterium sp., Burkholderia sp., Cohnella sp., Microvirga sp., Pseudomonas sp., and Stenotrophomonas sp.) bacteria. Several isolates presented cumulative PGP traits. (4) Conclusions: Although the dynamics of bacterial communities from the Miombo rhizosphere is driven by fire, the maintenance of high levels of diversity and functions remain unchanged, constituting a source of promising bacteria in terms of plant-beneficial activities such as mobilization and acquisition of nutrients, mitigation of abiotic stress, and modulation of plant hormone levels.

This study was conducted in order to evaluate the performance of Nesterov indexes and of Monte Alegre formula (FMA) in Lichinga environment (northern Mozambique) in order to suggest the best index to be used in this region. To do so, we used daily meteorological data (temperature, precipitation and relative humidity) and registration data of forest fire occurrences in a period of three years (2010 - 2012). Meteorological data were provided by the Mozambican Agricultural Research Institute of Mozambique in Lichinga (IIAM-Lichinga), whereas the data base of fire occurrence record was provided by the Center for Monitoring and Control of Forest Fires (CCMIF) of the company Chikweti Forest of Niassa After that Then, fire danger indexes and the degree of daily danger were calculated for both indexes, where it was observed the predominance of very high degree of danger in almost every year, with a percentage of 52.65% for the FMA and 37.96% for Nesterov index. Along with values of Skill Score (SS) of 0.11 Percent Success (PS) of 44.82%, Nesterov index showed best performance for this region unlike FMA, that presented a weak performance with values of 0, 07 of SS and 35.62%of PS.

The Niassa National Reserve (NNR) is the most extensive conservation area in Mozambique and the third largest in Africa, encompassing 42,000 km2 of endemic miombo vegetation. Dambos wetlands occur within the wooded grassland and grassland vegetation of NNR and provide a wide range of Ecosystem Services (ES), including life support for animal species, regulation of water flow and prevention of soil erosion. It also generates income for the livelihoods of local communities by providing land for agriculture and harvesting of non-timber products. The dynamics of these ecosystems is poorly understood despite the contribution of the dambos to global biodiversity and ES. This research is the first preliminary assessment of the vegetation structure and composition of six dambos within NNR, selected using Google Earth, MODIS satellite images and an exploratory field visit. Field data collection was performed using a two-stage systematic sampling approach, along transect lines of 100 × 10 m (0.1 ha), perpendicular to the dambos' flow. Square plots of 0.25 m2 were established for grass survey within the transects where grass vegetation was measured, counted and identified. Data were analyzed with R software. The sociological position of each species was analyzed with regard to the vertical structure while for horizontal structure, the abundance, dominance, frequency and Importance Value Index (IVI) were determined. In order to understand the differences between dambos, evenness (H) and reciprocal of Simpson's heterogeneity index (Hill's N2) were calculated. Principal Coordinates Analysis (PCoA) and Cluster Analysis were also used to characterize the surveyed species communities. A total of 58 transects (5.8 ha) and 336 subplots were assessed, recording 110 woody and 73 grass species, respectively. The most common tree species were Vitex doniana, Burkea africana, Syzygium cordatum and Annona senegalensis, while for grass vegetation the most abundant species were Andropogon eucomus and Helictotrichon turgidulum. According to the IVI, the most dominant tree and shrub species were V. doniana, Pseudolachnostylis maprouneifolia, A. senegalensis and S. cordatum. Homogeneity (Hill's N2 = 18.92) and evenness (H = −4.27) were, on average, low in all dambos. Dambo 2 was the most heterogeneous (Hill's N2 = 18.21) while dambo 1 was the least heterogeneous (Hill's N2 = 5.71). Dambo 6 was most equitable (H = −1.35) whereas dambo 2 the least equitable (H = −3.72). Using species abundance and based on PCoA and cluster analysis, four main groups of dambos were identified based mainly on the water gradient, with data variation captured by the first three axes reaching almost 83%. The p-value (0.42), suggested no significant differences between species communities in the dambos, and thus, human disturbances appear not to be enough to modify dambos microenvironment. Accordingly, the results suggest that human activities, at this level, do not necessarily affect the structure and diversity of dambos in the NNR. The results also suggest that the species A. senegalensis, Combretum psidioides, Crossopteryx febrifuga, Protea nitida, P. maprouneifolia and S. cordatum can be used as indicator dambo species in NNR, with high likelihood of occurrence. Keywords: Dambos wetland, Horizontal and vertical structure, Sampling-based rarefaction, Species diversity, Indicators species

The data content of this paper is related to the original research article entitled “Vegetation Structure and Effects of Human Use of the Dambo Ecosystem in Northern Mozambique” that was published in the Global Ecology and Conservation. Woody and grass vegetation was inventoried in the dambos wetlands of the Niassa National Reserve (NNR), the largest Protected Area (PA) in Mozambique and the third largest in Africa. The six dambos assessed were selected through Google Earth, MODIS satellite images and exploratory field visits. The selected dambos were surveyed using a two-stage systematic sampling procedure in which woody vegetation was inventoried by means of transects, and the grass was inventoried using quadratic sub-plots laid down within the transects. The woody vegetation survey included the identification of all individuals to the species level, measurement of total height and diameter at breast height (DBH). The grass vegetation survey consisted of measurement of the total height and species identification within sub-plots. Woody vegetation data in this article includes also estimation of total richness, absolute and relative abundance, dominance, frequency, species volume and successional stage of each species in the vertical structure. Estimation of richness and absolute dominance is also presented for the grass vegetation. Keywords: Dambos ecosystem, Horizontal and vertical structure, Transect lines and vegetation survey

This work is the result of a pre-experiment carried out as part of a master's course, dealing with the study of the parabola through different mathematical views. It aims to recognize possible didactic obstacles in its teaching, based on intuitive manifestations in the resolution of a didactic situation based on GeoGebra software. The methodology adopted was didactic engineering in its four phases, experimented with a teacher in initial training. The observation and data collection provided us with elements for a posteriori analysis and validation of the experiment in which we verified the need to discuss the parabola, articulating its geometric, algebraic, and analytical views.

Rice farming systems (RFSs) in southern Mozambique are very heterogeneous and diversified, which has implications for smallholders’ adoption of each RFS, as well as on rice production and productivity in the region. In this regard, it is important to understand: (i) which RFS typologies can be leveraged to improve rice production and productivity; (ii) the drivers for smallholder farmers’ decisions to adopt an RFS; and (iii) which policies/incentives could enhance existing RFSs. The present study was based on surveys of 341 smallholder rice farmers in the Chókwè Irrigation Scheme (CIS), southern Mozambique. Data on the productivity of rice, size of the herd, and total other crop types were used to frame the RFS typologies. A multinomial logit model (MLM) and multiple linear regression (MLR) were applied to determine the driver for each RFS, and predict the constraints for production and yield. Based on cluster analysis, four typologies of RFSs were identified: the subsistence farming system (FS), specialised rice FS, mixed crops FS, and rice–livestock FS. Farms with longer experience reported applying more fertiliser and seedlings per unit hectare. The availability of labour increased the likelihood of adopting the mixed crops FS and rice–livestock FS. Older households were more likely to adopt the subsistence FS, and live closer to the farming fields. Yield of rice was positively associated with inputs such as fertilisers, pesticides, and seedlings, as well as years of experience of the household. Our results suggest that smallholder farmers need more assistance and technical support to identify and adopt more productive and less costly RFSs in this region.

Accelerated land use change is a current challenge for environmental management worldwide. Given the urgent need to incorporate economic and ecological goals in landscape planning, cost-effective conservation strategies are required. In this study, we validated the benefit of fusing imagery from multiple sensors to assess the impact of landscape changes on ecosystem services (ES) and their economic values in the Long County, Shaanxi Province, China. We applied several landscape metrics to assess the local spatial configuration over 15 years (2004–2019) from fused imageries. Using Landsat-7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+), Landsat-8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) and Indian Remote Sensing Satellite System Linear Imaging Self Scanning Sensor 3 (IRS LISS 3) imageries fused for 2004, 2009, 2014 and 2019, we reclassified land use/land cover (LULC) changes, through the rotation forest (RF) machine-learning algorithm. We proposed an equivalent monetary metric for estimating the ES values, which also could be used in the whole China. Results showed that agriculture farmland and unused land decreased their spatial distribution over time, with an observed increase on woodland, grassland, water bodies and built-up area. Our findings suggested that the patterns of landscape uniformity and connectivity improved, while the distribution of landscape types stabilized, while the landscape diversity had a slight improvement. The overall ES values increased (4.34%) under a benefit transfer approach, mainly concerning woodland and grassland. A sensitivity analysis showed the selected economic value (EV) was relevant and suitable for the study area associated with our ES for LULC changes. We suggested that changes in landscape patterns affected the ESV trends, while the increases on some LULC classes slightly improved the landscape diversity. Using an interdisciplinary approach, we recommend that local authorities and environmental practitioners should balance the economic benefits and ecological gains in different landscapes to achieve a sustainable development from local to regional scales.

RESUMO A política brasileira tem sido caracterizada por uma polarização ideológica e consequente radicalização dos indivíduos, tornando-se relevante a validação de instrumentos que possibilitem análises confiáveis sobre o comportamento político no país. Nesse sentido, este estudo apresenta as propriedades psicométricas da Escala de Intenção ao Ativismo e Radicalismo para o contexto brasileiro. A pesquisa contou com 389 participantes. A Análise Fatorial Exploratória indicou uma representação com dois fatores, corroborando a estrutura da versão original, com cargas fatoriais elevadas e sem evidência de itens com cargas cruzadas. A fidedignidade composta dos fatores, a medida de replicabilidade da estrutura fatorial e os índices de ajuste foram adequados. Com base nisso, conclui-se pela adequação do instrumento para o contexto brasileiro, ressalta a confiabilidade dos resultados de estudos anteriores, e permitirá o avanço na compreensão do radicalismo político no país.

Interdevice precision and accuracy are not investigated for precision livestock farming (PLF) technologies, but are fundamental for the use of data in populational metrics and to compare cows' data. This study aimed to validate a behavior monitoring collar (BMC; CowMed, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil) and its interdevice reliability. First, we compared observations with the BMC, and second the interdevice precision and accuracy for rumination, feeding activity, and idle time of lactating dairy cows. Holstein cows (n = 23) were housed in a voluntary milk system freestall barn and fitted with 2 devices within the same cow. Observations were made over 2 periods of one day (0700 to 1100 h, 1400 to 1700 h); the 7 h per cow were summarized for each behavior to assess the agreement of observed behavior and BMC data. To assess the interdevice reliability, 26 d of BMC data were summarized by day per cow for both devices. Pearson correlation (r), coefficient of determination (R2), Lin's concordance correlation coefficient (ρc), linear regression, and Bland-Altman plots (BAP) were calculated for each period of observation. For the validation, we found high correlations for feeding activity, very high for idle time, but low correlations for rumination. The BAP were deemed acceptable and without bias; BAP mean differences ± SD were 0.83 ± 4.01, −0.48 ± 4.15, and 7.17 ± 3.94 min/h for rumination, feeding activity, and idle time, respectively. The slope of the linear regression did not differ from 1 for any behaviors but idle. For interdevice comparison, we found moderate correlations for feeding activity and idle time, and a low correlation for rumination. The BAP was deemed acceptable and without bias; BAP mean differences were −0.36 ± 2.84, 0.45 ± 3.51, and −0.06 ± 2.81 min/h for rumination, feeding activity, and idle time, respectively. All slopes of the linear regressions differed from 1 except feeding time. Thus, the interdevice comparison did not meet the accuracy criteria. In summary, this study validated the precision of the BMC for recording feeding activity of lactating dairy cows.

Introdução: A depressão é um problema de saúde frequente entre idosos e, muitas vezes, de difícil identificação na prática clínica. Acarreta perda de autonomia, agravamento de quadros patológicos preexistentes e se associa com maior risco de morbimortalidade, suicídio e negligência no autocuidado. O diagnóstico e o tratamento ainda se configuram deficientes. Objetivos: Identificar o uso de escalas de triagem, conhecer dados epidemiológicos na realidade brasileira e fatores de risco relacionados à depressão no idoso. Método: Estudo exploratório utilizando pesquisa bibliográfica de consulta a livros, documentos e artigos das bases MEDLINE, SCIELO, LILACS publicados de 2006 a 2011 referentes ao tema. Resultados: Síndromes depressivas são os distúrbios psiquiátricos mais prevalentes em idosos, com taxas de depressão de cerca de 5% e sintomas depressivos significativos em até 15%. A prevalência em idosos hospitalizados ou institucionalizados atinge 22%. Na comunidade, a prevalência na literatura varia entre 6,4%-59,3%. Dentre os principais fatores de risco estão: sexo feminino, viuvez, baixas escolaridade e renda, presença de doenças físicas crônicas, vulnerabilidade neurológica e eventos estressantes da vida. Os principais métodos de triagem identificados para diagnóstico foram: escala de depressão geriátrica, Center for Epidemiological Studies e DSM-IV-TR. Conclusões: A depressão no idoso é um problema de saúde pública que não pode ser entendido como manifestação do envelhecimento fisiológico. O uso rotineiro de instrumentos de triagem permite o diagnóstico de muitos casos que passam despercebidos e podem influenciar na qualidade de vida dos pacientes.

OBJETIVO: A presença de doença arterial obstrutiva periférica (DAOP) aumenta o risco para vulnerabilidade e desfechos clínicos adversos em idosos. Assim, foi investigada a relação entre desempenho funcional e indicadores de DAOP em idosas. MÉTODOS: Estudo transversal, no qual foram avaliadas 54 idosas pelo questionário Mini Exame do Estado Mental (MEEM), Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), Índice Tornozelo‑Braço (ITB), Perfil de Atividade Humana (PAH) e questionário de Edimburgo. A análise estatística foi realizada por meio da ANOVA, teste t de Student e correlação de Pearson. Foi considerado p < 0,05 como nível de significância. RESULTADOS: A média de idade, SPPB e ITB foram respectivamente 69,2 (± 6,9) anos, 9,42 (± 2,55) e 1,04 (± 0,14). A prevalência de DAOP foi de 16,3%. Houve correlação significativa entre ITB e velocidade da marcha (r = 0,75; p = 0,001) e entre PAH e SPPB (p = 0,001). CONCLUSÕES: Sugere‑se que o declínio do desempenho funcional em idosas, expresso no componente velocidade de marcha no SPPB, está relacionado à presença de DAOP.

In the context of aquaculture, fish length is a key parameter to assess fish stocks, essential for feeding regime and contributes for decisions at several production levels. However, taking length measurements is a cumbersome task that, when applied to living individuals, can induce considerable stress, increasing the risk of damage or hindering their growth. Computer vision is one of the most used non-contact tools to overcome this issue, being fast, consistent and repeatable. However, its use in aquatic environments is limited by the high cost, the difficulty of calibrating the system in underwater conditions and the complexity of implementation. This paper proposes a low-cost easy-to-use vision system that can take measurements on live fish in aquatic conditions, without the need for a special calibration or a demanding in-water calibration service. The present work implemented a compact stereo vision system and developed a method that estimates the correct length of fish, based on the variation of the angle of incidence of the light rays in the water. Given some structural conditions such as a short baseline, the system is able to measure fish with an error of less than 1%. The short baseline allows to have a compact system and reduces the effect of water refraction on the 3D reconstruction. A set of experiments were performed with real fish, working robustly for a set of orientations of the fish (even when the caudal fin and snout are on different distances to the cameras).

INTRODUCTION: Dementia syndromes are a major cause of mortality and disability in the population. Although these patients bear a high burden of symptoms and comorbidities, the provision of palliative care is delayed until there are excessive symptoms or death is near. OBJECTIVE: To undertake an integrative review of the literature that addresses palliative care in the dementia syndromes, identifying limitations and barriers that preclude or hinder the introduction of palliative care for patients with dementia. METHOD: The MEDLINE (via PubMed), WEB OF KNOWLEDGE, and SCOPUS databases and the SCIELO Digital Library were searched to identify articles published in the last 10 years that addressed barriers to the introduction of palliative care in dementia. RESULTS: Six articles were identified, which discussed the following as main barriers: lack of knowledge, unpredictability of the disease, lack of criteria for indications, lack of communication, limited access and resources, beliefs and preconceptions in relation to death, and refusal by the patient and family. CONCLUSION: Additional investment is needed in education of professionals and the population on the indications and importance of palliative care, as well as in communication strategies as a way to facilitate the effective introduction of such care for people with dementia syndromes.

OBJECTIVE: To conduct an integrative literature review on epidemiology of falls in older adults in Brazil, seeking to identify occurrence rate, recurrence, and potentially modifiable factors associated with these events. METHOD: This literature review consisted of searching the Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (MEDLINE), Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO), and Latin American and Caribbean Center on Health Sciences Information (LILACS) databases for scientific articles on November 14, 2017. The following keywords were used for finding articles: “accidental falls,” AND/OR “elderly,” AND/OR “Brazil.” Epidemiological data were collected from primary studies and then compared. RESULTS: Thirty-five studies were selected. Most of them were performed in the Brazilian Southeast (15) and South (11) regions. The occurrence rate of falls ranged from 10.7 to 59.3%. The most common setting for falls was the home during daytime. The most commonly described circumstances were tripping, slipping, dizziness, and uneven flooring, resulting in falling from one’s own height. The factors most frequently associated with falls were female sex, age greater than 80 years, cognitive impairment, and depressive symptoms. The reported consequences were fractures and fear of falling again. CONCLUSION: As some factors associated with falls in older adults in Brazil are modifiable, fall prevention may reduce morbidity and mortality in this population.

Virtual Learning Environments have become innovative tools in health professionals education. Through Massive Open Online Courses, they enable different ways of connecting with knowledge, facilitating study autonomy, interaction, and closer alignment with professional practices and the context of course participants. MOOCs comprise an educational strategy for many fields, including health. As they educate health professionals about a variety of practices, MOOCs play a crucial role in interculturality by enabling professionals to approach cultural diversity in work settings. This study provides a review of the literature investigating the element of interculturality in the production of healthcare-related MOOCs intended for a variety of audiences, including practicing healthcare professionals, healthcare professional trainees, and the general public. Based on a systematic review protocol, we searched for peer-reviewed studies published between 2016 and 2023 in Science Direct, PubMed, ERIC, and Scopus. Fifteen studies were selected for final analysis, which highlighted MOOC development, its underlying processes, and its importance in promoting health and social well-being. MOOCs have (1) provided new approaches to technology-mediated learning in distance health education, (2) aided training, (3) disseminated knowledge, and (4) promoted interculturality. Continuous collaboration and innovation in MOOC development are essential to ensure their effectiveness and relevance in the contemporary educational scenario.

Este estudo discute uma estratégia de ensino que se utiliza da paisagem linguística para promover o ensino de inglês em uma escola profissional de nível médio. No âmbito de uma experiência de ensino realizada em 2022, foi ministrada uma aula com os objetivos de identificar o vocabulário utilizado em 4 imagens e perceber a relação das imagens com o consumo de fast food. A aula foi ministrada para uma turma do terceiro ano do curso técnico de Nutrição e Dietética e se utilizou de 1 imagem da fachada de uma lanchonete e 3 imagens de anúncios publicitários de estabelecimentos comerciais locais, presentes na cidade dos estudantes. Neste artigo, a aula ministrada é descrita, salientando a paisagem linguística utilizada. Além disso, as respostas de 10 estudantes a uma entrevista semiestruturada sobre o consumo de fast food são analisadas à luz da perspectiva de língua do Círculo de Bakhtin. A análise do corpus revelou que os estudantes se posicionam de modo a evitar o consumo de fast food, em relação dialógica com conhecimentos/conteúdos e com a experiência de ensino/professora. Conclui-se que a utilização da paisagem linguística na aula de inglês pode contribuir para a aprendizagem da língua enquanto prática socia

In a viral society in which the social being claims the ability to maintain distance and the socially desirable representation of the body, in particular the face, claims its concealment, the distance educational relationship represents a critical area that deserves to be highlighted in the research agendas. This study aims to explore the sense of belonging of 144 students who attend a distance learning university. For this purpose, an open-ended questionnaire was applied, previously disclosed in closed groups on social networks. The students' sense of belonging was analysed through the types of connections they maintain with the campus, course, peers and teachers. The analysis of the narratives expresses a great diversity, density of experiences and expectations in the connections and senses of belonging. Attributing great importance to teachers in the appropriation of knowledge, it is essentially with their peers -- other students -- that the connections and sense of belonging acquire greater expression.