In recent decades, research in science education, based on the Science-Technology-Society trinomial, has achieved a remarkable dimension, the result of the view that holds Science and Technology (S&T) as engines for the development of society. It is therefore important to understand the engagement of teachers in the 1st cycle of basic education, as they are one of the cornerstones of future development, in particular through the involvement they may inspire in their students. In this sense, this article seeks to understand the 1st cycle teachers (elementary school teachers (grades 1-4)) in the district of Guarda, Portugal, as social and cultural actors. The results reveal a group of teachers with moderate interest in S&T issues and a lot of interest in topics involving environmental issues. The prominence of this subject suggests that the teachers have been influenced by educational policies as well as the extent of information acquired through the media on this topic. Although the sample consists of highly experienced teachers, they revealed a degree of engagement far short of what would be desired, indicating interest, almost exclusively, in attending debates and meetings on the environment. As the teachers’ engagement in S&T is a result of their social and cultural interaction in society, the authors stress the importance of creating a social network to promote the creation of an "identity" which can deal with a world characterized by rapid scientific and technological change, solidifying the scientific knowledge of the teachers involved and optimizing the educational component of these social actors in the promotion and development of scientific literacy.

This empirical research aims to analyze the typology and operationalization of the homework prescribed by private Portuguese Basic School teachers. The data, collected through an instrument designed for this research, were analyzed in three curricular areas: Portuguese, Mathematics and Environment Study. This analysis made it possible to realize that teachers prescription´s favour the tasks of the same typology for the Mother Tongue and Mathematics. For Environment Study, a significant increase in prescribed homework is verifiable at the 4th grade. The Worksheet is the homework typology´s that teachers privilege. The results suggest that these teachers group need to rethink their practices in what the typologies and tasks inherent to homework concerns.

In the vascular system altered flow conditions, such as separation andflow-reversal zones play an important role in the development of arterial diseases.Nowadays computational biomechanics modeling is still in the research and developmentstage. This chapter presents a numerical computational methodology forblood flow simulation using the Finite Element method outlining field equations andapproaches for numerical solutions. Due to the complexity of the vascular systemsimplifying assumptions for the mathematical modeling process are made. Twoapplications of the developed tool to describe arterial hemodynamics are presented,a flow simulation in the human carotid artery bifurcation and a search for anoptimized geometry of an artificial bypass graft.

The numerical simulation of sheet metal forming processes is extensively used forthe analysis and the design of industrial parts avoiding the long and expensiveexperimental tryout procedures. This paper presents a new computational methodcoupling a finite element forming simulation and an evolutionary algorithm, in orderto optimise process parameters of sheet metal forming. The forming analysis isperformed by a commercial code and the evolutionary algorithm is described here.Applications are presented to demonstrate the applicability of the proposedmethod considering several relevant parameters including punch and die radii, punchand die angles and blank-holder force.

The rupture of atherosclerotic plaques is known to be associated with stresses that act on or within the arterial wall and is one of the leading causes of mortality and disability worldwide. In this study a fluid-structure interaction modeling of blood flow in a non-stenosed common carotid artery bifurcation is carried out using vascular geometries reconstructed from Doppler ultrasound images. Comparison of results between rigid wall model and fluid-structure interaction model is presented.

Masonry is a common building component with good durability and low cost and maintenance. Masonry units should not be considered without taking into account its thermal behavior. The increasing use in Portugal of lightweight concrete masonry blocks demands a study of the topology of these blocks in order to optimize their behavior. The aim of this project is to find an economic single leaf wall easier and quicker to lay with good thermal performance. The work presented here describes a computational method to optimize the topology of lightweight concrete masonry units according to thermal normative requests, where a developed numerical evolutionary algorithm iterates over the direct analysis performed by the commercial code ABAQUS.

In medical practice, bypass grafts are commonly used as an alternative route around strongly stenosed or occluded arteries. In contrast to arterial bifurcations, surgically created anastomosis can be modified with the objective of enabling optimal graft geometry to yield a flow environment that improves its longevity. This paper presents a three dimensional numerical study of blood flow through bypass systems with different geometries. Coupled with the finite element solver a shape optimization framework considering a genetic algorithm is presented. Numerical results show the benefits of understanding blood flow hemodynamic at anastomosis junctions achieving design improvements. Minimizing recirculation zones and flow stagnation can be useful in surgical planning.