Humanos virtuais no treino de competências de comunicação em ciências farmacêuticas

Trabalho de projecto de mestrado, Informática, Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências, 2016As competências de comunicação são soft skills importantes em inúmeras atividades profissionais nas áreas da Saúde, como por exemplo nas profissões relacionadas com as Ciências Farmacêuticas. Nestas atividades existe um contacto próximo entre o profissional e o utente, sendo imperativo obter e fornecer informação de forma célere e correta. Hoje em dia é possível criar Humanos Virtuais que não só têm uma aparência realista, mas que também possuem comportamentos credíveis. Isto faz com que os Humanos Virtuais falantes e expressivos sejam interlocutores ideais em ferramentas de treino de comunicação que simulam interações reais entre humanos. Este projeto veio dar continuidade ao desenvolvimento de uma solução para treino de competências de comunicação em alunos de Ciências Farmacêuticas. Esta solução engloba uma ferramenta com duas componentes: uma aplicação destinada aos estudantes, que utiliza Humanos Virtuais para simular o atendimento de Pacientes Virtuais, com duas versões, uma de treino e uma de avaliação de conhecimentos; e um Backoffice que permite a um docente incorporar na aplicação novas simulações de atendimento, novos materiais de estudo e consultar informação sobre as atividades dos estudantes no uso da aplicação. No decorrer do projeto foram implementadas melhorias e novas funcionalidades que permitiram entender a ferramenta já existente. Destaca-se a incorporação de modelos de Humanos Virtuais de maior qualidade e a implementação de um solução web que facilita o acesso quer à aplicação e ao Backoffice, quer à informação dos utilizadores, que se encontra centralizada, garantindo assim a sua integridade. Finalmente foi realizado um estudo de usabilidade com profissionais da área de Ciências Farmacêuticas, que permitiu aferir a utilidade e benefícios do uso desta ferramenta para treino de competências de comunicação e protocolos de atendimento em farmácia, não apenas para estudantes mas também para os profissionais, podendo esta vir a ser utilizada em ações de formação e atualização dos conhecimentos destes últimos ao longo da vida profissional.Communication skills are important soft skills in numerous professional activities in the field of Health Sciences, such as professions related to Pharmaceutical Sciences. In these professions there is a close contact between professionals and patients, therefore obtaining and transmitting information quickly and correctly becomes imperative. Nowadays it is possible to create Virtual Humans that look realistic and exhibit believable human behaviours. This makes Virtual Humans with facial and body expressions as well as speech capabilities, the ideal interlocutors in tools for communication training that simulate real interactions between humans. This project continues the development of a solution for communication skills training in Pharmaceutical Sciences’ students. This solution includes two applications: one aimedat the students, that uses Virtual Humans to simulate the interaction with Virtual Patients, with two versions, one for training and another for evaluation; and a Back-office that enables professors to incorporate new simulations and studying material in the application, and to access information about the students’ activities using the application. During this project, new features and improvements were implemented to extend the existing tool. The most important improvements were the incorporation of higher quality Virtual Human models and the implementation of a web solution, developed to facilitate the access to the applications and Back-office, and also to the user information, which is now centralised, thus ensuring its integrity. Finally, a usability study was conducted with professionals in the field of Pharmaceutical Sciences, which allowed us to assess the utility and benefits of this tool for training communication skills and pharmacy service protocols, not only for students but also for professionals as during their active life

Virtual humans playing the role of patients in self‐medication consultations : perspectives of undergraduate pharmacy students

Poster presented at the GRAPP 2016 - 11th International Conference on Computer Graphics Theory and Application. 27-29 February 2016, RomeN/

PRINCÍPIO DA IMPARCIALIDADE DO JUIZ: CONFLITOS COM OS PROCESSOS MENTAIS HUMANOS

The research aims to analyze the relationship between cognitive psychology and judicial decisions, wondering the impartiality and neutrality of the judge exist when analyzing evidence and taking decisions. The work dealt with human mental cognitive processes and their importance in daily activities, as well as explain theories that contributed greatly to unveiling the development of human knowledge and how they form their actions. The emphasis of the work lies in the conflict between the mental functions (sensation, perception, thought, language, emotions, and memories) and the essentiality of the impartiality of the judge in the stage of instruction and procedural judgment. The reflection was made that human neutrality in a judicial decision is not possible and that impartiality exists in different proportions, enhancing the idea of a just sentence through an instructor judge and a judging judge. La investigación tiene por objetivo analizar las decisiones judiciales bajo la perspectiva de la psicología cognitiva. El problema se basa en el cuestionamiento de la existencia de la imparcialidad y de la neutralidad del juez en los análisis de las pruebas y tomas de decisiones. Se utilizó el método de investigación hipotético-deductivo con abordaje cualitativo y objetivos exploratorios. El trabajo abordó los procesos cognitivos mentales humanos y su importancia en las actividades en el cotidiano, además de explicar teorías que contribuyen a desvelar el desarrollo del conocimiento humano y la formación de sus acciones. El énfasis del trabajo está en el conflicto existente entre las funciones mentales (sensación, percepción, pensamiento, lenguaje, emociones y memorias) y la esencialidad de la imparcialidad del juez en la fase de instrucción y de juicio procesal. En las consideraciones finales, se señala que la neutralidad humana en una decisión judicial no es posible y que la imparcialidad existe en diferentes proporciones, mejorando la idea de sentencia justa por medio de un juez instructor y un juez juzgador.A pesquisa tem por objetivo analisar as decisões judiciais sob a perspectiva da psicologia cognitiva. O problema se assenta sobre o questionamento da (in) existência da imparcialidade e da neutralidade do juiz quando das análises das provas e tomadas de decisões. Utilizou-se do método de pesquisa hipotético-dedutivo com abordagem qualitativa e objetivos exploratórios. O trabalho abordou os processos cognitivos mentais humanos e sua importância nas atividades no cotidiano, além de explicar teorias que contribuem para desvendar o desenvolvimento do conhecimento humano e a formação de suas ações. A ênfase do trabalho está no conflito existente entre as funções mentais (sensação, percepção, pensamento, linguagem, emoções e memórias) e a essencialidade da imparcialidade do juiz na fase de instrução e de julgamento processual. Nas considerações finais, aponta-se que a neutralidade humana em uma decisão judicial não é possível e que a imparcialidade existe em diferentes proporcionalidades, aprimorando a ideia de sentença justa por meio de um juiz instrutor e um juiz julgador

PRINCÍPIO DA SEGURANÇA JURÍDICA NO CPC/2015: UMA PERSPECTIVA DE VALORIZAÇÃO DO PRINCIPIO DA IGUALDADE JURÍDICA

Busca-se dissertar sobre as principais características dos sistemas jurídicos civil law e common law, articulando reflexões sobre o ordenamento jurídico brasileiro, essencialmente, na busca pela segurança jurídica e igualdade no novo CPC. Trata-se do princípio constitucional da segurança jurídica inserido nos textos do novo CPC e da consequente valorização do princípio da igualdade. Questiona-se a aderência do commom law tradicional pelo Brasil ou seu uso como um paradigma. Houve uma tentativa de instaurar os precedentes com o novo CPC ou uma perspectiva de unificação das jurisprudências com finalidade de ressaltar o princípio constitucional da segurança jurídica

Early stage litter decomposition across biomes

© 2018 Elsevier B.V. Through litter decomposition enormous amounts of carbon is emitted to the atmosphere. Numerous large-scale decomposition experiments have been conducted focusing on this fundamental soil process in order to understand the controls on the terrestrial carbon transfer to the atmosphere. However, previous studies were mostly based on site-specific litter and methodologies, adding major uncertainty to syntheses, comparisons and meta-analyses across different experiments and sites. In the TeaComposition initiative, the potential litter decomposition is investigated by using standardized substrates (Rooibos and Green tea) for comparison of litter mass loss at 336 sites (ranging from −9 to +26 °C MAT and from 60 to 3113 mm MAP) across different ecosystems. In this study we tested the effect of climate (temperature and moisture), litter type and land-use on early stage decomposition (3 months) across nine biomes. We show that litter quality was the predominant controlling factor in early stage litter decomposition, which explained about 65% of the variability in litter decomposition at a global scale. The effect of climate, on the other hand, was not litter specific and explained <0.5% of the variation for Green tea and 5% for Rooibos tea, and was of significance only under unfavorable decomposition conditions (i.e. xeric versus mesic environments). When the data were aggregated at the biome scale, climate played a significant role on decomposition of both litter types (explaining 64% of the variation for Green tea and 72% for Rooibos tea). No significant effect of land-use on early stage litter decomposition was noted within the temperate biome. Our results indicate that multiple drivers are affecting early stage litter mass loss with litter quality being dominant. In order to be able to quantify the relative importance of the different drivers over time, long-term studies combined with experimental trials are needed

Effects of Climate and Atmospheric Nitrogen Deposition on Early to Mid-Term Stage Litter Decomposition Across Biomes

Litter decomposition is a key process for carbon and nutrient cycling in terrestrial ecosystems and is mainly controlled by environmental conditions, substrate quantity and quality as well as microbial community abundance and composition. In particular, the effects of climate and atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition on litter decomposition and its temporal dynamics are of significant importance, since their effects might change over the course of the decomposition process. Within the TeaComposition initiative, we incubated Green and Rooibos teas at 524 sites across nine biomes. We assessed how macroclimate and atmospheric inorganic N deposition under current and predicted scenarios (RCP 2.6, RCP 8.5) might affect litter mass loss measured after 3 and 12 months. Our study shows that the early to mid-term mass loss at the global scale was affected predominantly by litter quality (explaining 73% and 62% of the total variance after 3 and 12 months, respectively) followed by climate and N deposition. The effects of climate were not litter-specific and became increasingly significant as decomposition progressed, with MAP explaining 2% and MAT 4% of the variation after 12 months of incubation. The effect of N deposition was litter-specific, and significant only for 12-month decomposition of Rooibos tea at the global scale. However, in the temperate biome where atmospheric N deposition rates are relatively high, the 12-month mass loss of Green and Rooibos teas decreased significantly with increasing N deposition, explaining 9.5% and 1.1% of the variance, respectively. The expected changes in macroclimate and N deposition at the global scale by the end of this century are estimated to increase the 12-month mass loss of easily decomposable litter by 1.1-3.5% and of the more stable substrates by 3.8-10.6%, relative to current mass loss. In contrast, expected changes in atmospheric N deposition will decrease the mid-term mass loss of high-quality litter by 1.4-2.2% and that of low-quality litter by 0.9-1.5% in the temperate biome. Our results suggest that projected increases in N deposition may have the capacity to dampen the climate-driven increases in litter decomposition depending on the biome and decomposition stage of substrate.This work was performed within the TeaComposition initiative, carried out by 190 institutions worldwide. We thank for funding support for the workshop and data analysis from the ILTER. We acknowledge support by the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, funded by the German Research Foundation (FZT 118), Scientific Grant Agency VEGA (Grant No. 2/0101/18), as well as by the European Research Council under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Program (Grant Agreement No. 677232). Thanks are due to FCT/MCTES for the financial support to CESAM (UIDB/50017/2020 + UIDP/50017/2020) and to the project PORBIOTA (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-022127). AI Sousa was funded by national funds through the FCT-Foundation for Science and Technology, I.P., under the project CEECIND/00962/2017. HS and CB acknowledge FCT support to cE3c through UID/BIA/00329/2013, UID/BIA/00329/2019, and UIDB/00329/2020, and the project PORBIOTA - POCI-01-0145-FEDER-022127. We are also thankful to UNILEVER for sponsoring the Lipton tea

Effects of climate and atmospheric nitrogen deposition on early to mid-term stage litter decomposition across biomes

International audienceLitter decomposition is a key process for carbon and nutrient cycling in terrestrial ecosystems and is mainly controlled by environmental conditions, substrate quantity and quality as well as microbial community abundance and composition. In particular, the effects of climate and atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition on litter decomposition and its temporal dynamics are of significant importance, since their effects might change over the course of the decomposition process. Within the TeaComposition initiative, we incubated Green and Rooibos teas at 524 sites across nine biomes. We assessed how macroclimate and atmospheric inorganic N deposition under current and predicted scenarios (RCP 2.6, RCP 8.5) might affect litter mass loss measured after 3 and 12 months. Our study shows that the early to mid-term mass loss at the global scale was affected predominantly by litter quality (explaining 73% and 62% of the total variance after 3 and 12 months, respectively) followed by climate and N deposition. The effects of climate were not litter-specific and became increasingly significant as decomposition progressed, with MAP explaining 2% and MAT 4% of the variation after 12 months of incubation. The effect of N deposition was litter-specific, and significant only for 12-month decomposition of Rooibos tea at the global scale. However, in the temperate biome where atmospheric N deposition rates are relatively high, the 12-month mass loss of Green and Rooibos teas decreased significantly with increasing N deposition, explaining 9.5% and 1.1% of the variance, respectively. The expected changes in macroclimate and N deposition at the global scale by the end of this century are estimated to increase the 12-month mass loss of easily decomposable litter by 1.1– 3.5% and of the more stable substrates by 3.8–10.6%, relative to current mass loss. In contrast, expected changes in atmospheric N deposition will decrease the mid-term mass loss of high-quality litter by 1.4–2.2% and that of low-quality litter by 0.9–1.5% in the temperate biome. Our results suggest that projected increases in N deposition may have the capacity to dampen the climate-driven increases in litter decomposition depending on the biome and decomposition stage of substrate

Early stage litter decomposition across biomes

Through litter decomposition enormous amounts of carbon is emitted to the atmosphere. Numerous large-scale decomposition experiments have been conducted focusing on this fundamental soil process in order to understand the controls on the terrestrial carbon transfer to the atmosphere. However, previous studies were mostly based on site-specific litter and methodologies, adding major uncertainty to syntheses, comparisons and meta-analyses across different experiments and sites. In the TeaComposition initiative, the potential litter decomposition is investigated by using standardized substrates (Rooibos and Green tea) for comparison of litter mass loss at 336 sites (ranging from −9 to +26 °C MAT and from 60 to 3113 mm MAP) across different ecosystems. In this study we tested the effect of climate (temperature and moisture), litter type and land-use on early stage decomposition (3 months) across nine biomes. We show that litter quality was the predominant controlling factor in early stage litter decomposition, which explained about 65% of the variability in litter decomposition at a global scale. The effect of climate, on the other hand, was not litter specific and explained <0.5% of the variation for Green tea and 5% for Rooibos tea, and was of significance only under unfavorable decomposition conditions (i.e. xeric versus mesic environments). When the data were aggregated at the biome scale, climate played a significant role on decomposition of both litter types (explaining 64% of the variation for Green tea and 72% for Rooibos tea). No significant effect of land-use on early stage litter decomposition was noted within the temperate biome. Our results indicate that multiple drivers are affecting early stage litter mass loss with litter quality being dominant. In order to be able to quantify the relative importance of the different drivers over time, long-term studies combined with experimental trials are needed.This work was performed within the TeaComposition initiative, carried out by 190 institutions worldwide. We thank Gabrielle Drozdowski for her help with the packaging and shipping of tea, Zora Wessely and Johannes Spiegel for the creative implementation of the acknowledgement card, Josip Dusper for creative implementation of the graphical abstract, Christine Brendle for the GIS editing, and Marianne Debue for her help with the data cleaning. Further acknowledgements go to Adriana Principe, Melanie Köbel, Pedro Pinho, Thomas Parker, Steve Unger, Jon Gewirtzman and Margot McKleeven for the implementation of the study at their respective sites. We are very grateful to UNILEVER for sponsoring the Lipton tea bags and to the COST action ClimMani for scientific discussions, adoption and support to the idea of TeaComposition as a common metric. The initiative was supported by the following grants: ILTER Initiative Grant, ClimMani Short-Term Scientific Missions Grant (COST action ES1308; COST-STSM-ES1308-36004; COST-STM-ES1308-39006; ES1308-231015-068365), INTERACT (EU H2020 Grant No. 730938), and Austrian Environment Agency (UBA). Franz Zehetner acknowledges the support granted by the Prometeo Project of Ecuador's Secretariat of Higher Education, Science, Technology and Innovation (SENESCYT) as well as Charles Darwin Foundation for the Galapagos Islands (2190). Ana I. Sousa, Ana I. Lillebø and Marta Lopes thanks for the financial support to CESAM (UID/AMB/50017), to FCT/MEC through national funds (PIDDAC), and the co-funding by the FEDER, within the PT2020 Partnership Agreement and Compete 2020. The research was also funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, FCT, through SFRH/BPD/107823/2015 (A.I. Sousa), co-funded by POPH/FSE. Thomas Mozdzer thanks US National Science Foundation NSF DEB-1557009. Helena C. Serrano thanks Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (UID/BIA/00329/2013). Milan Barna acknowledges Scientific Grant Agency VEGA (2/0101/18). Anzar A Khuroo acknowledges financial support under HIMADRI project from SAC-ISRO, India