Armanda Matos

Television and aggression: a test of a mediated model with a sample of Portuguese students

ABSTRACT We examined the role of identification with violent TV heroes, enjoyment of TV violence, and perceived reality in TV violence as mediators of the relationship between viewing TV violence and subsequent physical and verbal aggression. A sample of 722 4th, 6th, and 8th grade students from schools in the central region of Portugal completed measures assessing enjoyment of TV violence, perceived reality, aggression, identification with violent TV heroes, and exposure to TV violence. The results showed that the relationship between TV violence and physical aggression is mediated by enjoyment of TV violence, perceived reality in TV violence, and identification with violent TV heroes. The TV violence to verbal aggression relationship was also mediated by enjoyment of TV violence.

Evaluation of a non-invasive fluorescence technique as a marker for diabetic lenses in vivo.

Abstract · Background: A fluorescence spectrometer has been constructed to study in vitro and in vivo fluorescence of human lenses. This instrument can measure fluorescence emission spectra, which can be useful in the characterisation of the lens endogenous fluorophores and evaluation of the feasibility of fluorescence measurement as a non-invasive marker for diabetes. The spectrometer allows determination of the optimum excitation and emission wavelengths, which can be used in simpler instrumentation for monitoring purposes. · Methods: To est the application in such studies a homogeneous group of type II diabetic subjects and normal controls was studied. For each subject the fluorescence emission spectra was measured using a spectrometer prototype consisting of a modified slit lamp coupled to a optical multichannel analyser (OMA). The incorporation of narrow-band filters allows the selection of three different excitation wavelengths: 404 nm, 436 nm and 485 nm. · Results: With both in vitro and in vivo measurements, no significant differences were found between diabetic and normal lenses concerning the wavelength of maximum emission of fluorescence. However, the spectra (λexc=436 nm) between 480 and 550 nm were better defined with diabetic lenses. Using ratios of fluorescence intensity at two different wavelengths allows for good discrimination between normal controls and diabetic patients. The use of ratios largely removes the effects due to attenuation of excitation light and emitted fluorescence. · Conclusions: The non-invasive evaluation of lens fluorescence is proposed as early indicator of ocular complications associated with diabetes.

Cyberbullying – do diagnóstico de necesidades à construçao de um manual de formaçao.

O impacto do cyberbullying na sociedade e junto das criancas e jovens, tao mais complexo quanto mais sofisticadas as ferramentas tecnologicas disponiveis, tem chamado a atencao para a importância, a nivel internacional, da definicao de estrategias de prevencao e intervencao junto de potenciais agentes educativos, isto e, para o desenvolvimento de uma proposta, com dimensao europeia, de Cyber- Training. Neste trabalho apos uma breve apresentacao do projectoCyberTraining: A Researchbased Training Manual On Cyberbullying1 dar-se-a a conhecer o processo de desenvolvimento de um manual de formacao baseado numa investigacao a nivel europeu suportada na plataforma Moodle e, nesta, pela ferramenta Forum. Atraves de uma analise de necesidades junto de formadores e do estudo, junto de especialistas, do estado de arte no dominio a nivel de diferentes paises, e mostrado todo um percurso inovador de construcao colaborativa de conhecimento relativamente ao conceito cyberbullying assim como relativamente ao desenvolvimento de praticas de formacao ou cybertraining. ---------------------------------------------------------------- The impact of the cyberbullying on society and among children and young people, revealed as ever more complex as more sophisticated technological tools become available, has called attention to the importance, at the international level, of a definition of strategies for prevention and intervention among potential educational agents, i.e. to develop a proposal for Cyber-Training, with a European dimension. In this paper, after a brief presentation of the European project CyberTraining: A Researchbased Training Manual on Cyberbullying, an account will be given of the process of developing a training manual based on research at European level supported in the Moodle platform, and within this, by the Forum tool. By means of a needs analysis among trainers and analysis by experts of the state of the art in the area in different countries, innovative paths to collaborative knowledge building are demonstrated, relating to the cyberbullying concept as well as to the development of training practices or cybertraining.

Cyberbullying in Portuguese Schools: Prevalence and Characteristics

ABSTRACT This study examined the extent and nature of cyberbullying in 23 Portuguese schools. A sample of 3,525 sixth-, eighth-, and eleventh-grade students completed a self-response questionnaire assessing their perceptions and experiences of cyberbullying. The findings showed that 7.6% of students have been victimized, and 3.9% have bullied others at least once over the last year. The incidences of victimization were higher for females and for the older students. In contrast, more boys reported having bullied others in the eleventh grade. The most frequent medium of cyberbullying was via websites, whilst sending offensive messages was the most widely reported type of behavior. Telling someone about cyberbullying is among the most frequent coping strategies used by cybervictims, who usually chose to tell their friends rather than adults. Implications of these findings for students, schools, and parents are discussed.