Even though there is a growing number of studies focusing on Chatbots and artificial conversations, research lacks studies analyzing Chatbot characteristics and motives for using this technology. ...This displays a critical gap in the literature that the present study addresses. This work thus attempts to analyze the relationship between motives for using a Chatbot and satisfaction with Chatbot characteristics. Two questionnaires were developed, one to assess satisfaction with Chatbot characteristics, according to the Kano model and another to assessing motives for using Chatbots, based on previous qualitative research. Survey research was directed to the Portuguese population (N=258) and statistical analysis indicated that motives for using Chatbots do not seem to have a clear relationship with satisfaction with Chatbot characteristics. Furthermore, results suggest that equipping Chatbots with human-like characteristics, seems to be indifferent to Portuguese Millennials; instead, speed and accessibility of Chatbots seem to be valued, especially when using this technology for convenience purposes. A discussion on the possible implications for theory and practice on this topic is presented, and clues for future research are suggested.
Dizer e mostrar como performativos MARTINS, Helena
Revista de documentação de estudos em lingüística teórica e aplicada,
12/2016, Letnik:
32, Številka:
3
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
RESUMO Este artigo pensa a distinção wittgensteiniana entre dizer e mostrar sob a atmosfera das reflexões de Austin acerca da performatividade na linguagem. A literatura secundária sobre Wittgenstein ...tende a favorecer a tese de que desaparece dos escritos posteriores ao Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus e à Conferência sobre ética a oposição entre aquilo que se pode dizer e aquilo que apenas se mostra. Investiga-se aqui a pertinência do pensamento austiniano para reforçar a hipótese, menos disseminada, de que essa distinção sobrevive, modificada, na filosofia madura de Wittgenstein. Defende-se, ainda, a relevância do ponto em foco para além de seu aspecto meramente exegético.
Display omitted
•S. cerevisiae: P. kudriavzevii (1:1) starter decreased cocoa fermentation time.•P. kudriavzevii starter increased catechin and epicatechin levels.•S. cerevisiae: P. kudriavzevii ...enhanced phenylethylamine in fermented cocoa.•Formation of putrefactive amines was prevented by S. cerevisiae: P. kudriavzevii.
The use of starters during fermentation has been gaining momentum as it can warrant high-quality chocolate. The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Sc) and Pichia kudriavzevii (Pk) during on-farm fermentation on physico-chemical and microbiological characteristics and levels of methylxanthines and bioactive amines of cocoa. Four treatments were used: ScPk (1:1), only Sc, only Pk, and no starter (control). The starters lead to changes throughout fermentation, but provided fermented cocoa with similar pH, titratable acidity, reducing sugars and phenolic compounds. ScPk shortened fermentation time by 24 h. The ScPk fermented and dried cocoa had higher levels of monomeric phenols, methylxanthines, phenylethylamine and lower levels of the putrefactive amines – putrescine and cadaverine (p < 0.05). The results were confirmed by multivariate analysis. Based on these results, the mixture of both yeasts species is a promising starter for cocoa fermentation decreasing duration time and modulating high-quality components.
In the Central Iberian Zone synorogenic (syn- and late-D3, the last deformation phase) composite batholiths of biotite-rich granitods with peraluminous character are well represented. We report here ...U–Pb zircon and monazite ages, geochemical, Sr–Nd–O isotopic data and Anisotropy of Magnetic Susceptibility (AMS) studies for the late-D3 Vieira do Minho pluton, in northern Portugal. AMS reveals the paramagnetic behaviour of these granites and the magnetic fabric enhances the major role of NW–SE regional anisotropies on controlling the ascent and emplacement of the magmas. Magnetic anisotropy and medium temperature microstructures also point out the evolution of regional tectonics during crystallization of the magma. U–Pb zircon and monazite analyses yield consistent ages of 310±2Ma and 312±2Ma, interpreted as emplacement age.
The Vieira do Minho pluton consists of two peraluminous monzogranites, the VMG and the MRG. Both have similar εNd values (VMG=−5.2 to −5.7; MRG=−4.98 to −5.96) but the VMG is slightly enriched in 87Sr/86i=0.7087–0.7098 as well as in δ18O in the range of 10.6‰ to 11.0‰ than the MRG with 87Sr/86i=0.7064–0.7075 and δ18O=9.9‰–10.5‰. These granites are associated with coeval scarce grabroic intrusions and/or mafic microgranular enclaves which are not considered as mafic precursors of the associated granitic magmatism. Instead, a lower metaigneous crustal source, at different levels, is proposed based on the available data set.
► The NW–SE regional structures played a major role on the magma genesis. ► Magnetic fabric confirmed the control of these structures. ► Vieira do Minho pluton was emplaced at 310Ma. ► Isotopic data point out an involvement of felsic metaigneous lower crust.
Affective disorders are a group of neuropsychiatric disorders characterized by severe mood dysregulations accompanied by sleep, eating, cognitive, and attention disturbances, as well as recurring ...thoughts of suicide. Clinical studies consistently show that affective disorders are associated with reduced size of brain regions critical for mood and cognition, neuronal atrophy, and synaptic loss in these regions. However, the molecular mechanisms that mediate these changes and thereby increase the susceptibility to develop affective disorders remain poorly understood. MicroRNAs (miRNAs or miRs) are small regulatory RNAs that repress gene expression by binding to the 3'UTR of mRNAs. They have the ability to bind to hundreds of target mRNAs and to regulate entire gene networks and cellular pathways implicated in brain function and plasticity, many of them conserved in humans and other animals. In rodents, miRNAs regulate synaptic plasticity by controlling the morphology of dendrites and spines and the expression of neurotransmitter receptors. Furthermore, dysregulated miRNA expression is frequently observed in patients suffering from affective disorders. Together, multiple lines of evidence suggest a link between miRNA dysfunction and affective disorder pathology, providing a rationale to consider miRNAs as therapeutic tools or molecular biomarkers. This review aims to highlight the most recent and functionally relevant studies that contributed to a better understanding of miRNA function in the development and pathogenesis of affective disorders. We focused on in vivo functional studies, which demonstrate that miRNAs control higher brain functions, including mood and cognition, in rodents, and that their dysregulation causes disease-related behaviors.
In this article, we present data concerning the inclusion of students with disabilities in higher education (HE) at a Portuguese university. This research is part of a wider project designed to ...understand the trajectories and experiences of students with disabilities at the University of Algarve. This exploratory study raises questions about inclusion and discusses this concept based on the perspectives of academic and non-academic staff. A qualitative approach was used to provide an informative exploration of attitudes towards inclusive education and recommendations for promoting best practices therein. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews. We found positive perceptions of university staff members about the inclusion of the students with disabilities. However, more effort is needed to provide these students with opportunities to continue their academic career in HE and to promote inclusion, personal development and participation in social and economic life. Although inclusive education is on political and educational agendas, the perception of disabilities as deficits prevails. The findings of this study, therefore, reveal that changes must be implemented to effectively adopt the social and educational model of disability.
Display omitted
•Eugenol and analogues glycosides synthesis is proposed as antibacterial products.•Synthesized compounds were tested against food spoilage bacteria.•Glycosylation can increase the ...antibacterial aglycone supply into the cell.•Dihydroeugenol derivative was the most active product against the evaluated bacteria.
Essential oils, as well as their separate components, have shown promise as alternatives to synthetic preservatives. Therefore, it would be interesting to optimize the effect of these compounds and to evaluate their applicability as additives in food. To this end, six peracetyl and deacetyl glycosides were synthesized from eugenol, isoeugenol and dihydroeugenol. All of the glycosides were characterized by IR and NMR. The synthesized compounds and their aglycones were evaluated to determine their minimal bactericidal concentrations (MBC) against the spoilage food bacteria Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella enteritidis. All deacetyl glycosides were about twice as active as aglycones, and the peracetyl glycosides were, in most cases, equipotent with aglycones. The deacetyl glycoside of dihydroeugenol proved to be the most active compound against the bacteria tested, with a 0.37% MBC v/v for E. coli and 0.18% v/v for the other bacteria.
Soft skills are becoming increasingly important in the workplace. Due to their interpersonal nature and experiential face-to-face reality, they are often touted as nearly impossible to develop ...online; our study finds that an increasing body of literature is offering evidence and solutions to overcome impediments and promote digital technologies use in soft skills training. This review aims to perform a state of the art on the research on digital solutions for soft skills training using a systematic review of literature. A systematic literature review following the PRISMA statement was conducted on the ISI Web of Science, where from 109 originally collected papers, 37 papers were held into consideration for the in-depth analysis. This paper aims at bringing clarity for both research and practice to facilitate and promote more effective online training initiatives as well as innovative solutions for training in different areas. In recent years, the global economy has been facing structural changes, rapidly evolving into the world of digital transformation. The unpredictability of the nature and pace of the changes will make it crucial that individuals in groups, organizations and societies alike develop skills for dealing with all kinds of situations, especially soft skills and in particular emotional and social competencies. In this work we look into the literature in a systematic way in order to understand the types of competences most addressed, most commonly used techniques and positive and negative results of the training...
Depression: a new enzyme AT play Martins, Helena Caria; Schratt, Gerhard
EMBO reports,
03 April 2020, Letnik:
21, Številka:
4
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Neuronal activity is the main contributor to the high‐energy demand of the human brain. ATP is needed for the maintenance of ionic gradients, neurotransmitter transport, and release, as well as the ...signaling pathways that follow activation of post‐synaptic receptors. The inability to maintain a high supply of ATP through tight regulatory mechanisms can, therefore, have severe consequences for brain function. In this issue of EMBO Reports, Cui et al 1 show that pharmacological inhibition or genetic inactivation of CD39, an ectonucleotide tri(di)phosphohydrolase responsible for converting ATP into AMP, has antidepressant‐like effects by maintaining high extracellular ATP levels in the presence of stress.
The hippocampal ATP hydrolase CD39 contributes to chronic social defeat stress‐induced depression‐like behavior via hydrolyzing extracellular ATP, indicating that CD39 may be a new target for the treatment of depression.
Vancomycin has been in clinical use for nearly 50 years and remains the first-line treatment option for Gram-positive infections, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). There ...are multiple strategies to monitor therapy and adjust the dose of this antibiotic. AUC24/MIC ratio has been demonstrated to be the best parameter to predict the effectiveness and safety of vancomycin, and a target ratio of ≥400 is recommended. Still, trough and peak serum levels at steady-state conditions have been used in clinical settings as an accurate and practical method to monitor vancomycin.
In this work, we collected and analyzed clinical information of patients being treated in a hospital center in Porto (Portugal) and studied the pharmacokinetics of vancomycin in silico, developing several physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) models using simulation software GastroPlus™. Different dosages and treatment regimens were studied, and the influence of patients' age, weight and renal function was evaluated; a simulation population was also performed.
A linear effect of dose and a significant influence of weight and renal function in plasmatic levels of vancomycin was observed.
The results of this work corroborate the accumulation of vancomycin in plasma and identify some parameters that influence the pharmacokinetics of this antibiotic. The importance of therapeutic monitoring of vancomycin is highlighted, and the usefulness of in silico tools, namely PBPK modeling, is demonstrated.
PDF
