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Telemedicine: a comprehensive solution for traditional, complementary and alternative medicine
Get PDFThis project presents the development of a telemedicine platform that integrates traditional, complementary and alternative medicine into a digital ecosystem. The main
goal was to increase the accessibility to healthcare services while promoting an inclusive approach to patient care by combining technological innovation with diverse medical practices.
The application was developed using a microservices architecture, with a Java Spring Boot backend, Angular frontend and deployment through Docker and Kubernetes on Google Cloud Platform (GCP). The Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment process was automated using Jenkins, which orchestrates the compilation, Docker image creation and deployment in development environment. This architecture ensures scalability, maintainability and efficient resource management, while providing secure communication services between patients and healthcare professionals.
In addition, the platform was structured following a modular architecture composed of several independent services interconnected through an API Gateway, responsible for centralizing and managing system requests. This approach enhances modularity, resilience and horizontal scalability, optimizing performance and ensuring service continuity. In conclusion, this telemedicine solution represents a relevant contribution to digital health by accessibility, interoperability and integration between modern and traditional healthcare models.Este projeto apresenta o desenvolvimento de uma plataforma de telemedicina que integra a medicina tradicional, complementar e alternativa em um ecossistema digital unificado. O principal objetivo foi aumentar a acessibilidade aos serviços de saúde, promovendo uma abordagem inclusiva no atendimento ao paciente por meio da combinação entre inovação tecnológica e práticas médicas diversificadas.
A aplicação foi desenvolvida com base numa arquitetura de microsserviços, utilizando Java Spring Boot no backend, Angular no frontend e implementação através do Docker e Kubernetes na . O processo de integração e entrega contínua foi automatizado através do Jenkins, que coordena a compilação, criação de imagens Docker e implementação no ambiente de desenvolvimento. Essa arquitetura garante escalabilidade, facilidade de manutenção e gestão eficiente de recursos, além de proporcionar serviços de comunicação seguros entre pacientes e profissionais de saúde.
Além disso, a plataforma foi estruturada segundo uma arquitetura modular composta por diversos serviços independentes e interligados por meio de um API Gateway, responsável por centralizar e gerir as requisições do sistema. Esta abordagem reforça a modularidade, a resiliência e a capacidade de escalar horizontalmente, otimizando o desempenho e a continuidade do serviço.
Em conclusão, esta solução de telemedicina representa uma contribuição relevante para a saúde digital, ao promover a acessibilidade, a interoperabilidade e a integração entre modelos de cuidados modernos e tradicionais
Emotional intelligence as a cornerstone of palliative care: a narrative review
Get PDFEmotional Intelligence (EI) refers to the capacity to recognize and regulate emotions,
both in oneself and in interactions with others, emphasizing self-awareness and subsequently
social awareness, with an emphasis on responsibility, empathy, and compassion [1].
Emotional competence becomes particularly salient within the healthcare context, a field
encompassing the physical, emotional, and social dimensions of the human being. EI plays
a central role in the overall well-being and performance of healthcare professionals, directly
influencing the quality of care delivered. Salovey & Mayer [2] pioneered the concept of EI as
the ability to monitor and regulate emotions to guide thoughts and actions. This competency
is widely acknowledged as essential for effective communication, clinical decision-making,
and the promotion of well-being for both patients and professionals [3-5]. It also serves as a
protective factor against burnout [6,7]. Clinical communication models incorporate emotional
competencies [8] highlight EI’s role in mediating interactions among professionals, patients,
and families in end-of-life care.
Emotional intelligence; Palliative care; Empathy; Professional burnout; Health care provider
CFD analysis of multi-layer cooling channels in three-dimensionally structured grinding wheels
Get PDFMinimizing heat damage and surface integrity loss in grinding depends on effective cooling. Conventional techniques, however, suffer with low efficiency because of the fast air barrier restricting fluid access. Grinding wheels with internal cooling channels have been suggested to solve this; nonetheless, the impact of channel geometry and multi-layer topologies is yet unknown. This work investigates their effects on coolant flow pattern and thermal performance by means of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations, experimental validation, and statistical optimization combined. The ideal arrangement was found by the Taguchi- Grey study to be 30 channels, 78 degrees inclination, 1.7 mm diameter and 2 mm interlayer distance. ANOVA determined that diameter (59.7 %) and number of channels (21.8 %) are the most influential parameters. CFD results showed that multilayer structures significantly increase fluid dispersion in the workpiece. The three-layer design stood out for providing the most uniform and dynamic fluid distribution, reducing cooling inconsistencies. Grinding tests confirmed that this configuration achieved the lowest temperatures for all different depths of cut. These findings highlight that increasing the number of flutes alone is insufficient; a three-dimensional flute structure with optimized geometry is essential to ensure efficient cooling. By integrating numerical modeling, statistical optimization, and experimental validation, this study provides a framework for designing grinding wheels with internal cooling channels, improving fluid distribution and thermal control.This work was supported by FCT national funds, under the national support to R&D units grant, through the reference project UIDB/04436. The authors are grateful to the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) for financial support through national funds FCT/ MCTES (PIDDAC) to CIMO (UIDB/00690/2020 and UIDP/00690/2020) and SusTEC (LA/P/0007/2020). This work is within the scope of Sharlane Costa Ph.D. degree, in progress, financially supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) through the Ph.D grant reference 2021.07352.BD
Growth of Carbon Nanotubes on Co(x)‐Ni(1‐x) Ferrites by Chemical Vapor Deposition and Performance on Catalytic Wet Peroxide Oxidation
Get PDFUpcycling plastic solid wastes (PSWs) into high-value carbon nanotubes (CNTs) offers a promising approach to sustainable material development. This study explores the synthesis of CNTs via chemical vapor deposition (CVD) using mixed cobalt-nickel-iron oxide catalysts supported on alumina and PSW representative polyolefins as carbon sources. The impact of catalyst composition on the yield, morphology, and textural properties of CNTs was systematically evaluated. Characterization techniques, such as textural properties, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Raman spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), revealed that increasing cobalt content in the catalyst resulted in thicker CNT walls (9.2-23.6 nm) and different textural properties (SBET = 47-87 m2 g-1). The synthesized CNTs were then tested in catalytic wet peroxide oxidation (CWPO) for the degradation of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) and bisphenol A (BPA) in both single- and multi-component systems. The results indicated that a higher cobalt content in the CNT catalysts enhanced catalytic activity, particularly for BPA degradation, due to improved H2O2 decomposition. However, a higher leaching of Co and Fe was also observed. The CNTs synthesized with a Co/Ni catalyst composition ratio of 7/3 ([email protected]) exhibited the best balance among the tested materials in terms of CNTs yield, catalytic activity, and stability. These findings provide valuable insights to optimize CNT catalysts derived from waste plastics for environmental remediation applications.This work was financially supported by national funds through FCT/MCTES (PIDDAC): CeDRI, UIDB/05757/2020 (DOI: 10.54499/UIDB/05757/2020) and UIDP/05757/2020 (DOI: 10.54499/UIDB/05757/2020); CIMO, UIDB/00690/2020 (DOI: 10.54499/UIDB/00690/2020) and UIDP/00690/2020 (DOI: 10.54499/UIDP/00690/2020); SusTEC, LA/P/0007/2020 (DOI: 10.54499/LA/P/0007/2020). This work was also financially supported by: UID/50020 of LSRE-LCM–Laboratory of Separation and Reaction Engineering–Laboratory of Catalysis and Materials–funded by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P. /MCTES through national funds; and ALiCE, LA/P/0045/2020 (DOI: 10.54499/LA/P/0045/2020). Fernanda F. Roman acknowledges the national funding by FCT and the European Social Fund, FSE, through the individual research grant SFRH/BD/143224/2019. Adriano S. Silva was supported by the doctoral Grant SFRH/BD/151346/2021 and Ana Paula Ferreira by PRT/BD/153090/2021, financed by FCT with funds from NORTE2020, under MIT Portugal Program. Jose L. Diaz De Tuesta acknowledges the financial support through the program of Atracción al Talento of Comunidad de Madrid (Spain) for the individual research grant and project 2022-T1/AMB-23946 and through the program Consolidación Investigadora 2024 (CNS2024-154264) supported from Agencia Estatal de Investigación (Spain). The authors are also grateful for the finantial support provided by Sociedade Ponto Verde for the project “Estudo técnico-económico para a valorização de resíduos de embalagens plásticas na produção de nanotubos de carbono.
9th International Conference on Teacher Education: conference proceedings
Get PDFEm 2018, Seldon e Abidoye alertaram para a revolução iminente da inteligência artificial e chamaram a atenção de todos os educadores, professores e investigadores do mundo para o que os esperava.
Enquanto muitas áreas, como a medicina, os transportes ou a atividade militar, já tinham aplicado a inteligência artificial de forma extensiva, a educação era um domínio ainda negligenciado. De acordo com Seldon e Abidoye (2018), “a educação tem sido a Cinderela no contexto da história da IA – amplamente negligenciada pela literatura, pelos governos, pelas empresas e pelas instituições de ensino em todo o mundo”. Segundo os autores, “essa situação precisa de mudar urgentemente, pois a IA tem o potencial de se tornar tanto a Princesa Encantada quanto as Irmãs Feias da educação” (p. 3).
Neste sentido, prevê-se que esta revolução, baseada no modelo da inteligência artificial, venha a remodelar o paradigma educativo (Holmes & Porayska-Pomsta, 2022; Khan, 2024). Este novo modelo poderá facilitar a transição digital e influenciar (positivamente) a educação e a inovação pedagógica.
No entanto, ao longo destes seis anos, a inteligência artificial continuou a ser amplamente discutida, com alguns a reconhecerem os seus benefícios, aplaudindo a introdução de assistentes virtuais (chatbots) na educação, como o ChatGPT (Sidorkin, 2024), e outros a alertarem para as potenciais ameaças inerentes ao uso da AI (Harsbist, 2023). Decorrente do seu programa “Shaping Europe’s Digital Future”, a União Europeia (UE) criou uma lei da inteligência artificial que foi acordada em dezembro de 2023 pelo Parlamento Europeu e pelo Conselho da EU (European Commission, 2023).
Esta lei pretende desempenhar um papel regulador dos riscos da inteligência artificial, propondo uma abordagem baseada no risco. As atividades de alto risco incluem a formação educacional e profissional, que têm potencial para influenciar o acesso à educação e à formação profissional de forma desigual.
Estas atividades podem também abranger ações de aplicação da lei que ameaçam condicionar direitos fundamentais dos indivíduos
Interspecific differences in the physiological condition of native freshwater mussels in response to the invasive Asian clam Corbicula fluminea
No full textThe Asian clam Corbicula fluminea has been widely introduced into aquatic ecosystems and may impact the physiological condition and survival of native freshwater mussels. However, very few studies have evaluated this issue quantitatively. To fill this gap, manipulative field experiments were performed to assess two possible mechanisms of impact on native mussels: (i) interspecific interactions, and (ii) C. fluminea die-offs. We assessed these effects by measuring the physiological condition through the analysis of glycogen content in the foot tissue of the native freshwater mussel species Anodonta anatina, Potomida littoralis, and Unio delphinus. Although with interspecific differences, our results suggest that C. fluminea can impact the physiological condition of native freshwater mussels. Anodonta anatina showed positive significant variations on glycogen content when subjected to high densities of live C. fluminea in contrast to the other native species studied, P. littoralis and U. delphinus, where no significances were observed. On the other hand, these native species do not seem be significantly impacted by the decomposition of C. fluminea resulting from a die-off. Overall, and contrary to our expectations, both experiments showed a positive (or no) effect of C. fluminea on the physiological condition of the three freshwater mussel species.VM, PC, and FC were supported by doctoral grants SFRH/BD/108298/2015, SFRH/BD/131814/2017 and SFRH/BD/119957/2016, respectively, from the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology - FCT through POPH/FSE funds. FCT also supported MLL under contract (2020.03608.CEECIND). This study was conducted within the project FRESHCO - Multiple implications of invasive species on Freshwater Mussel coextinction processes, supported by FCT and COMPETE funds (contract: PTDC/AGR-FOR/1627/2014). This study was also supported by national funds through FCT - Foundation for Science and Technology within the scope of UIDB/04423/2020 and UIDP/04423/2020.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Teachers’ Perceptions of Knowledge Production in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: A Systematic Literature Review
No full textThis article aims to carry out a systematic review of the literature on Artificial Intelligence and knowledge production in educational contexts. Using parameters and guidelines based on the PRISMA Group, a collection of papers was selected from the Web of Science, Scopus and Scielo bibliographic databases with the aim of verifying perceptions of the use of AI solutions in the student learning process, as well as challenges and possibilities. To this end, a biblio- graphic review and corresponding analysis and reflection on the research results found between 2019 and 2024 were carried out. The results allow us to see that this is an area in rapid development, although there are challenges and consid- erations linked to ethical commitment, authorship, and originality, including the most comprehensive proposals, even within the scope of this research.This work has been supported by FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e Tec- nologia within the Research Center in Basic Education with reference UIDB/05777/2020 (https:// doi.org/https://doi.org/10.54499/UIDB/05777/2020).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Bioaccessibility Performance of Phenolic Compounds from Red Fruits During Simulated Gastrointestinal Digestion and Colonic Fermentation
No full textRed fruits are rich in phenolic compounds, particularly anthocyanins, which contribute to their vibrant colors and
health benefits. However, anthocyanins are chemically sensitive during digestion, which affects their bioaccessibility. This study
evaluated the impact of simulated gastrointestinal digestion on whole red fruits (oral, gastric, intestinal, and colonic phases). Total
phenolic content (TPC) ranged from 8.60−50.41 mg GAE/g DW, total flavonoid content (TFC) from 1.66−10.67 mg CAT/g DW,
and total monomeric anthocyanins (TMA) from 0.54−1.28 mg CYA/g DW. Antioxidant activity strongly correlated with TPC (r ≥
0.91). High-phenolic fruits showed lower bioaccessibility compared with low-phenolic ones. HPLC-DAD-ESI/MSn identified
glycosylated anthocyanins, which were highly sensitive; jaboticaba anthocyanins were nonbioaccessible, while 51.83% remained
bioaccessible in raspberries. Colonic fermentation further reduced TPC and TFC, and anthocyanins were entirely degraded. These
results highlight the need for innovative delivery systems to improve anthocyanin bioaccessibility and functional benefits.The authors are thankful to the National Council for Scientific
and Technological Development (CNPq, grant number
304722/2019-7) and the Coordination for the Improvement
of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES Contract
88882.381635/2019-01). In addition, they are grateful to the
Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) for
financial support through national funds FCT/MCTES
(PIDDAC) to CIMO (UIDB/00690/2020 and UIDP/
00690/2020) and SusTEC (LA/P/0007/2021). National
funding by FCT, P.I., through the individual scientific
employment program-contract for the contract of L. Barros
(CEECIND/01011/2018)
Authenticity and Bioactive Markers Search in the Phenolic‐Rich Extracts of Asteraceae Medicinal Plants Through Integrative Computational Chemometrics
No full textThe Asteraceae family has been of significant concern for ethnobotanical studies, thanks to its health-promoting
properties
linked to a plethora of bioactive compounds, among which phenolic compounds play a critical role. In this work, a workflow
based on computational chemometrics was employed to assess the authenticity and biomarker search of five key Asteraceae
species commonly employed in traditional medicine. The UHPLC-DAD-
ESI/
MS–MS phenolic profile of Asteraceae extracts was
combined with the evaluation of several in vitro biological properties. Caffeoylquinic acids (CQAs), chicoric acids, and flavonoid
glycosides were reported as authenticity markers of Achillea millefolium, Taraxacum officinale, and Arnica montana, respectively.
The integration of phenolic profile and in vitro bioactivities provide insights for the identification of trans 3,5-O-
dicaffeoylquinic
acid (3,5-O-
diCQA)
and isorhamnetin glycosides as the major antioxidant agents in Asteraceae extracts, whereas several CQAs
and caffeoyl-deoxy-
octulopyranosonic
acids have been reported as responsible for their cytotoxic and anti-inflammatory
activities.
These results shed light on the authentication and quality evaluation of Asteraceae extracts, along with the characterization
of their functional properties, leading to their application in the design of novel plant-based
functional foods.Pascual García-Pérez thanks the finantial support through the Ramón y Cajal program (reference: RYC2023-044123-I)
by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, the
National Research Agency (MCIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033)
and the European Social Fund Plus (FSE+). This work was also
supported by national funds through FCT/MCTES (PIDDAC):
CIMO, UIDB/00690/2020 (DOI: 10.54499/UIDB/00690/2020) and
UIDP/00690/2020 (DOI: 10.54499/UIDP/00690/2020); and SusTEC,
LA/P/0007/2020 (DOI: 10.54499/LA/P/0007/2020). L. Barros (DOI:
10.54499/CEECINST/00107/2021/CP2793/CT0002) and R. Calhelha
(DOI: 10.54499/CEECINST/00016/2018/CP1505/CT0009) thanks FCT
through the institutional scientific employment program–contract for
their contract. Funding for open access charges: Universidade de Vigo/CRUE-CISUG.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Comunicação em cuidados intensivos
No full textCom o avanço da tecnologia médica e a crescente diversidade
nos cenários de cuidados de saúde, as estratégias de comunicação
têm evoluído, enfrentando desafios únicos e oportunidades
inovadoras. Nos ambientes de alta pressão das Unidades de
Tratamento Intensivo (UTIs), a comunicação eficaz entre enfermeiros,
pacientes críticos e suas famílias é um elemento fundamental
para garantir um atendimento de qualidade e centrado no
paciente. Enfermeiros, atuando como intermediários cruciais,
enfrentam o desafio de comunicar efetivamente em um ambiente
onde os pacientes estão muitas vezes incapacitados. Como
destacado por Jones et al. (2021), os enfermeiros desempenham
um papel crucial ao facilitar a comunicação em ambientes intensivos,
o que pode impactar significativamente os resultados
clínicos e a satisfação do paciente. A habilidade comunicativa
dos enfermeiros é tão vital quanto suas competências clínicas
em UTIs. A comunicação na UTI transcende a mera transmissão
de informações clínicas, é um componente integral do cuidado
que afeta diretamente a segurança do paciente, a qualidade do
cuidado e a experiência do paciente e da família, conforme observado
por Smith e Nguyen (2020)