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Background/purpose. Despite progress in inclusive education policies, research has largely neglected the analysis of learning environments that are adjustable for all students. School gardens are learning environments that emphasize the broader view of participation on current perspectives of inclusion. This article discusses the possibilities and limitations of using school gardens in inclusive learning environments and their relations with different inclusive education national policies. Materials/methods. We performed a content analysis of inclusive education national policies and 16 learning activities tested and implemented in four schools from Slovenia, Spain, Greece, and Portugal participating in an exchange project which promoted teaching with school gardens supported by digital tools. Results. The study revealed illustrations of how activities that combine the use of school gardens with digital tools can emphasize collaboration and participation in inclusive learning approaches. However, fostering inclusive practices was found to be either constrained or promoted by each country’s view of inclusion in educational policies. Conclusion. Integrating teacher collaboration and project-based learning with garden-based school activities fosters student collaboration and participation, while offering enriched sensorial experiences that benefit the learning and development of all students. School gardens also foster inclusion through deepening intercultural understanding and stronger student interactions that heighten awareness and normalization of diversity.

Introduction: Mental health issues are prevalent, yet their treatment remains inadequate. Tuberculosis presents substantial mental health challenges. Their co-occurrence is a frequent phenomenon. However, the integration of mental health professionals or services is not a common practice.

The broad development of digital technologies (TD) and their ubiquity in actual students are factors that cannot be ignored by the school and teacher. The present students were born in the digital era and wish to find in school rich environments in technology, meeting motivations. It is a school's commitment to ensure and to promote quality and expectations in teaching. It is hoped that teachers organize this pedagogical practice in a coherent and balanced process, using digital as a resource to improve the learning environment. The research shows that a factor influencing teachers' adoption of TD results from the technological experiences included in training programs. Therefore, this study examines how teachers integrate TD in pedagogical practice and how initial or continuing training programs influence this use. The study involved primary school teachers and finalist students of master's degrees in education, and was restricted to TD in the Portuguese class. For data collection, we used online questionnaire survey and interviews. The conclusions highlight how teachers' learning influences the effective integration of TD in class. There is a need for a profound didactic-pedagogical intervention in the initial and continuing teacher training programs, including the knowledge in using TD in school learning.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic led to widespread lockdowns and remote work and educational practices that have impacted the lives of many families. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to investigate how parents and caregivers altered their routines due to online schooling and teleworking, exploring their association with increased anxiety and depression symptoms. METHODS: We conducted an online cross-sectional study and collected data through snowball sampling. We asked questions about age, gender, dwelling area, educational level, and marital status, as well as an open-ended question about teleworking and homeschooling – "Did your routine change due to your children being forced to stay home and take online classes? If so, please explain how it has influenced your personal and professional life, both positively and negatively". Thematic analysis was used to analyse the responses. RESULTS: A total of 181 respondents, primarily women (72.4%), averaging 36.6 years old, holding bachelor's degrees (44.2%), were included. About 78.5% reported routine adjustments. Four salient themes emerged: 1) Perceived changes in professional and personal life, 2) Perceived changes in learning methods, 3) Mental health issues and 4) Perceived advantages of working from home with children at online school. Regarding mental health, 25.4% exhibited symptoms of anxiety, and 7.7% displayed depression symptoms, predominantly linked (80%) to the pandemic's impact. CONCLUSION: Family routines were disrupted, causing stress. In future crises, policymakers, public health experts, and researchers must acknowledge these challenges to mitigate negative consequences. Simultaneously, they should focus on strategies that enhance the positive aspects of restrictive measures and related policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective This study aimed to evaluate psychological and emotional violence in relation with sociodemographic characteristics and anxiety and depression symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic in a sample of Portuguese residents. Methods A cross-sectional online study using snowball sampling collected data on demographics, socioeconomic factors, mental health (anxiety and depression symptoms) and couple psychological and emotional violence. The study spanned three months and included 519 individuals aged 18 or above in a relationship since January 2020 or earlier. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics, t-tests, chi-squared tests, logistic regression models (Odds-Ratio [OR] and 95% Confident Interval [CI]), and cluster analysis (K-medoids) using R software (significance threshold of 0.05). Results The sample was predominantly composed of women (78.8%) with an average age of 36.8 years and 79% holding higher education degrees. Two clusters emerged: Cluster 1 (n = 420) presented fewer psychological and emotional violence victims, while Cluster 2 (n = 99) presented more. Older age (OR = 1.026, 95%CI 1.000–1.052) and depression symptoms (OR = 1.163, 95%CI 1.080–1.252) increased the likelihood of psychological and emotional abuse. Men also had 2.87 times higher odds of being victims (95%CI 0.203–0.599). Conclusions The study underscores the need for comprehensive interventions and prevention measures to address psychological and emotional violence by acknowledging it as a public health concern and pushing for interdisciplinary methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drosophila suzukii is a pest affecting a wide range of host plants, causing severe damage to small fruits, berries, and grapes. This study analyzed environmental factors influencing its population dynamics in regions where temperature is not a limiting factor. Data were collected in the spring–summer seasons of 2018 and 2019 across three vineyards in northwestern Portugal, examining the relationship between captured D. suzukii females, climatic variables, vine phenological stages, and ecological infrastructures. A stepwise linear model and Pearson correlation matrix were used. In 2020, a winter study was conducted in nine vineyards, focusing on landscape composition and its effect on D. suzukii populations. An ecological infrastructure index was created and correlated with captures data. Results show that vine phenological stages and nearby ecological infrastructures significantly affect population dynamics in spring and summer. Vineyards surrounded by complex landscapes, especially with wild hosts, supported higher D. suzukii populations during winter. These findings highlight the importance of ecological infrastructures in managing D. suzukii populations year-round and suggest their consideration in pest control strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports research that is part of a project to combat deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon rainforest by developing an online system designed to forecast deforestation risk over the short term, spanning 2 to 4 weeks. This online platform aims to empower stakeholders with timely data, facilitating proactive conservation and intervention strategies to safeguard the Amazon rainforest. We built a multitemporal database that compiles weekly deforestation alerts from the DETER project, forming our analysis's backbone. Utilizing the XGBOOST regression algorithm, we have crafted a predictive model that identifies areas within the Amazon at imminent risk of more intensive deforestation. Preliminary results reveal an RMSE of 0.29 for predicting areas under deforestation risk, as validated against early alert data from 2020 to 2023. Our work advances environmental monitoring by focusing on a spatial resolution of 25 km × 25 km, providing accessible, near real-time information on deforestation risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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