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A warming decade unveils changes in the chaetognath Parasagitta friderici and appendicularian Oikopleura dioica abundance in a coastal system of the Iberian Peninsula
Publication . Dolgner, Nuno; Marques, Sónia Cotrim; Monteiro, Marta; Primo, Ana Lígia; Pardal, Miguel A.; Azeiteiro, Ulisses M.
The influence of multiscale processes such as climate, hydrodynamic and biological alterations on two coastal and estuarine gelatinous zooplankton groups were assessed under a warming decade from 2003 to 2012. At three sampling stations on the Mondego estuary, zooplankton and water samples were collected, evaluating the abundance of chaetognaths and appendicularians. P. friderici and O. dioica were the most prominent species from each gelatinous zooplankton group, occurring in 87% and 86% from all the samples analysed, respectively. Both species displayed higher abundances during summer–autumn months and presented similar seasonal peaks whose densities increased after the first half of the study period. Statistical analysis showed that water temperature, salinity and copepods abundance explained most of the variance in the interannual abundance of both species. This study emphasizes the importance of these less spoken species, which play crucial roles in the ecosystem and points out their resilience to extreme weather events, thriving under future climate change situations.
What factors of satisfaction and motivation are affecting the development of the academic career in Portuguese higher education institutions?
Publication . Machado-Taylor, Maria de Lourdes; Soares, Virgílio Meira; Ferreira, Jose; Gouveia, Odília Maria Rocha
An important constituent group and a key resource of higher education institutions (HEIs) is the faculty or academic staff. The centrality of the faculty role makes it a primary sculptor of institutional culture and has implications for the quality of the institution and therefore has a major role in achieving the objectives of the institution. Demand for academic staff in higher education has been increasing and may be expected to continue to increase. Moreover the performance of academic staff as teachers and researchers determines much of the student satisfaction and has an impact on student learning. There are many factors that serve to undermine the commitment of academics to their institutions and careers. Job satisfaction is important in revitalizing staff motivation and in keeping their enthusiasm alive. Well motivated academic staff can, with appropriate support, build a national and international reputation for themselves and the institution in the professional areas, in research and in publishing. This paper aims to identify the issues and their impacts on academic staff job satisfaction and motivation within Portuguese higher education institutions reporting an ongoing study financed by the European Union through the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology.
Student Portfolio and Critical Friendship: A Case of a Successful Learning Experience in a Nursing Practicum
Publication . Goncalves, Rui; Baptista, Ana Vitória; Lobão, Catarina; Melo, António
Portfolios are used in diverse human activities: it is a common practice among painters, cartoonists, designers, models, actors, and musicians, who select and organise sets of significant part of their work to show their skills to potential clients or employers. In the nursing teaching context, using the portfolio has a high impact, because, when properly used, it is considered an important tool for updating and developing intrapersonal, social academic and professional competences (...)
Práticas de um Aquarista no Sea Life Scheveningen
Publication . Preguza, Teodoro; Baptista, Teresa Maria Coelho Teresa Maria Coelho Baptista
Este relatório detalha um estágio de 10 meses no Sea Life Scheveningen, explorando a realidade operacional e científica de um aquário público. O estágio incluiu a manutenção de diversas espécies marinhas, de sistemas de suporte de vida e a análise de desafios específicos, como a baixa sobrevivência de cavalos-marinhos juvenis. Foram adquiridas competências práticas essenciais na qualidade da água, nutrição e bem-estar animal. Uma análise crítica propõe melhorias nos sistemas de filtração e na gestão comportamental, sublinhando o papel crucial dos aquários na conservação marinha. O estágio foi uma experiência transformadora, consolidando a formação académica em experiência prática.
Relationship Between Tethered Forces and the Four Swimming Techniques Performance
Publication . Morouço, Pedro; Keskinen, Kari L.; Vilas-Boas, João Paulo; Fernandes, Ricardo Jorge
The purpose of the current study was to identify the relationships between competitive performance and tether forces according to distance swam, in the four strokes, and to analyze if relative values of force production are better determinants of swimming performance than absolute values. The subjects (n = 32) performed a 30 s tethered swimming all-out effort. The competitive swimming velocities were obtained in the distances 50, 100 and 200 m using official chronometric values of competitions within 25 days after testing protocol. Mean force and velocity (50 m event) show significant correlations for front crawl (r = .92, p < .01), backstroke (r = .81, p < .05), breaststroke (r = .94, p < .01) and butterfly (r = .92, p < .01). The data suggests that absolute values of force production are more associated to competitive performance than relative values (normalized to body mass). Tethered swimming test seems to be a reliable protocol to evaluate the swimmer stroking force production and a helpful estimator of competitive performance in short distance competitive events.