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Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is an endocrine disorder that affects million women worldwide, presenting a complex pathophysiology that has not been fully elucidated yet. Recently, it has been suggested that PCOS triggers the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, thus being associated with unfolded protein response (UPR) activation. Indeed, the UPR response has been associated with several pathological conditions, including in the reproductive system. Several studies demonstrated that ovarian UPR markers are upregulated in PCOS, being associated with worst ovarian outcomes, and this was ameliorated by ER stress inhibition. In this review, we aim to summarize the main findings from previous studies covering this topic, in an attempt to clarify the potential role of ER stress and the UPR response in the pathophysiology of PCOS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work presents a novel framework for web-based environment-aware rendering and interaction in augmented reality based on WebXR and three.js. It aims at accelerating the development of device-agnostic Augmented Reality (AR) applications. The solution allows for a realistic rendering of 3D elements, handles geometry occlusion, casts shadows of virtual objects onto real surfaces, and provides physics interaction with real-world objects. Unlike most existing state-of-the-art systems that are built to run on a specific hardware configuration, the proposed solution targets the web environment and is designed to work on a vast range of devices and configurations. Our solution can use monocular camera setups with depth data estimated by deep neural networks or, when available, use higher-quality depth sensors (e.g., LIDAR, structured light) that provide a more accurate perception of the environment. To ensure consistency in the rendering of the virtual scene a physically based rendering pipeline is used, in which physically correct attributes are associated with each 3D object, which, combined with lighting information captured by the device, enables the rendering of AR content matching the environment illumination. All these concepts are integrated and optimized into a pipeline capable of providing a fluid user experience even on middle-range devices. The solution is distributed as an open-source library that can be integrated into existing and new web-based AR projects. The proposed framework was evaluated and compared in terms of performance and visual features with two state-of-the-art alternatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Attachment theory (AT) is one of the most popular theories used among professionals working in children and family welfare worldwide. An important contribution relies on the central role of professionals in creating an emotional environment for children and youth psychosocial adaptation and development. Nevertheless, little research has been focused on comprehending caregiving challenges in such complex contexts as RC settings from an attachment theoretical framework. This study will focus on caregivers' narratives on major processes involved when supporting young people, problematizing professional caregiving and relational challenges. A semi-structured interview was conducted with 22 professionals working on four RC facilities in Portugal. Three major themes emerged during the analysis: "it is life we are dealing with, it's not work," "unfortunately (or not) we are human beings" and "someone to listen when you have a monkey on your back." By acknowledging the complex dynamics involved in the caregiving process in out-of-home contexts, this study stresses the need for an important change in the relational paradigm in child welfare, advocating for the role of reflexive practice and self-knowledge as important premises for secure base behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The purpose of this study is to determine whether a Transversus Abdominis Plane (TAP) block can reduce donor site morbidity among pediatric patients undergoing iliac crest bone grafting for repair of their alveolar cleft. Design: This retrospective cohort study was carried out at the Division of Dentistry at the Montreal Children's Hospital. Medical charts of patients who underwent alveolar cleft bone grafting between January 2011 and January 2021 were reviewed and they were divided into two groups, intraoperative TAP block and intraoperative local anesthesia infiltration (control group). The outcomes measured were patients' post-operative pain at the donor site, in-hospital narcotics requirements and length of stay. Results: A total of 66 patients were included. There were no significant differences in pain scale among the TAP group and control group [1.9 (SD 2.5) and 1.3 (SD 2.1), respectively (p = 0.23)]. The mean length of stay for both groups was 1 day. Interestingly, there was a significant higher proportion of patients who required in-hospital opioids (morphine) in the TAP block group when compared to the control group (p = 0.03). Conclusions: The results of our study suggest there may be no role for a TAP block in reducing pain and improving opioid stewardship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The star-shaped ordering between probability distributions is a common way to express aging properties. A well-known criterion was proposed by Saunders and Moran [(1978). On the quantiles of the gamma and F distributions. Journal of Applied Probability 15(2): 426–432], to order families of distributions depending on one real parameter. However, the lifetime of complex systems usually depends on several parameters, especially when considering heterogeneous components. We extend the Saunders and Moran criterion characterizing the star-shaped order when the multidimensional parameter moves along a given direction. A few applications to the lifetime of complex models, namely parallel and series models assuming different individual components behavior, are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - To analyze the possible association between non-financial risk disclosure and the (in) existence of reputation in the most prominent Brazilian publicly traded companies considering the legitimacy theory. Design/methodology/approach - The sample assembles 118 corporations listed on B3 and 345 reference forms from 2006 to 2018. In the analysis of corporate reputation, the presence or absence on ISE and, or ICO2 from B3 was considered. For non-financial risk disclosure, a factor checklist containing 31 risks was taken, categorized under operational, damage, integrity, and strategic risks, from the analysis of Reference Forms. A tree regression, a multiple correspondence analysis, and a T-test of the difference between means were used for data analysis. Findings - There is scientific evidence that the companies with reputations demonstrate non-financial risk disclosure superior to the others. This behavior is confirmed in the subcategories of integrity and strategic risks. Moreover, risk factors in the subcategory of integrity risks were crucial to non-financial risk disclosure. Originality/value - This research paves the way to deepen the early debate surrounding risk disclosure and corporate reputation, especially regarding the quality of non-financial risk disclosure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Systemic bacteria such as Xylella fastidiosa can be vertically transmitted by using diseased propagative material during nursery tree production. We tested the hypothesis that X. fastidiosa is not transmitted by symptomless olive tree sprouts. In addition, we investigated the distribution of bacteria in olive plants (different parts of canopy and root system) with initial leaf scorch symptoms and with symptoms spread throughout the canopy. In both studies, the presence of bacteria was tested by quantitative real‐time PCR (qPCR). For the first hypothesis, sprouts from a symptomless olive tree were rooted and checked for X. fastidiosa infection 32 months later. A total of 57.7% (41 of 71) of rooted seedlings were positive for X. fastidiosa (Ct from 24.25 to 31.82) but only one plant had scorched leaves. Regarding the distribution of the bacteria in the diseased plants, results based on qPCR showed that X. fastidiosa was systemically distributed through the olive plant canopy (30% to 77% of sampled tissues, with Ct values from 19.56 to 31.59). Samples from trees showing symptoms of olive quick decline syndrome (OQDS), taken 3 m above the lateral branch with symptoms, were positive for the presence of X. fastidiosa, as was the root system. The results demonstrate that vegetative material from olive plants used for rooting must be carefully selected for the absence of X. fastidiosa. Also, based on the qPCR‐positive results, pruning may have a limited effect on eliminating the bacteria from diseased plants, even from the ones showing few OQDS symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To support the nuances of collaborative work, many researchers have been exploring the field of Augmented Reality (AR), aiming to assist in co-located or remote scenarios. Solutions using AR allow taking advantage from seamless integration of virtual objects and real-world objects, thus providing collaborators with a shared understanding or common ground environment. However, most of the research efforts, so far, have been devoted to experiment with technology and mature methods to support its design and development. Therefore, it is now time to understand where the field stands and how well can it address collaborative work with AR, to better characterize and evaluate the collaboration process. In this article, we perform an analysis of the different dimensions that should be taken into account when analysing the contributions of AR to the collaborative work effort. Then, we bring these dimensions forward into a conceptual framework and propose an extended human-centered taxonomy for the categorization of the main features of Collaborative AR. Our goal is to foster harmonization of perspectives for the field, which may help create a common ground for systematization and discussion. We hope to influence and improve how research in this field is reported by providing a structured list of the defining characteristics. Finally, some examples of the use of the taxonomy are presented to show how it can serve to gather information for characterizing AR-supported collaborative work, and illustrate its potential as the grounds to elicit further studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An efficient and unprecedented S-glycosylation reaction of benzo-2,1,3-thiadiazole at the C-5-position using a Pd-G3 Xantphos palladacycle precatalyst has been described. This methodology showed a high functional group tolerance to the electrophilic partner and can be successfully applied to a variety of β-mono- and di-thiosugar derivatives. A series of thioglycoside derivatives from benzo-2,1,3-thiadiazole were prepared in good to excellent yields under mild and operationally simple reaction conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent studies show that the metabolic characteristics of different leukocytes, such as, lymphocytes, neutrophils, and macrophages, undergo changes both in the face of infection with SARS-CoV-2 and in obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) condition. Thus, the objective of this review is to establish a correlation between the metabolic changes caused in leukocytes in DM2 and obesity that may favor a worse prognosis during SARS-Cov-2 infection. Chronic inflammation and hyperglycemia, specific and usual characteristics of obesity and DM2, contributes for the SARS-CoV-2 replication and metabolic disturbances in different leukocytes, favoring the proinflammatory response of these cells. Thus, obesity and DM2 are important risk factors for proinflammatory response and metabolic dysregulation that can favor the occurrence of the cytokine storm, implicated in the severity and high mortality risk of the COVID-19 in these patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work proposes an augmented reality serious game (ARSG) for supporting individuals with motor disabilities while controlling robotic wheelchairs. A racing track was used as the game narrative; this included restriction areas, static and dynamic virtual objects, as well as obstacles and signs. To experience the game, a prior configuration of the environment, made through a smartphone or a computer, was required. Furthermore, a visualization tool was developed to exhibit user performance while using the ARSG. Two user studies were conducted with 10 and 20 participants, respectively, to compare (1) how different devices enable configuring the ARSG, and (2) different tracking capabilities, i.e., methods used to place virtual content on the real-world environment while the user interacts with the game and controls the wheelchair in the physical space: C1—motion tracking using cloud anchors; C2—offline motion tracking. Results suggest that configuring the environment with the computer is more efficient and accurate, in contrast to the smartphone, which is characterized as more engaging. In addition, condition C1 stood out as more accurate and robust, while condition C2 appeared to be easier to use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Augmented Reality (AR) solutions are emerging in multiple scenarios of application as Industry 4.0 takes shape. In particular, for remote collaboration, flexible mechanisms such as authoring tools can be used to generate instructions and assist human operators as they experience increased complexity in their daily tasks. In addition to the traditional handicap of ensuring instructions can be intuitively created without having to understand complicated AR concepts, another relevant topic is the fact that the quality of said instructions is not properly analyzed prior to the tools being evaluated. This means that the characteristics of the visual content are not adequately assessed beforehand. Hence, it is essential to be aware of the cognitive workload associated with AR instructions to assert if they can be easily understood and accepted before being deployed in real-world scenarios. To address this, we focused on AR during sessions of remote guidance. Based on a participatory process with domain experts from the industry sector, a prototype for creating AR-based instructions was developed, and a user study with two parts was conducted: (1) first, a set of step-by-step instructions was produced, and their visual characteristics were evaluated by 129 participants based on a set of relevant dimensions; (2) afterward, these instructions were used by nine participants to understand if they could be used to assist on-site collaborators during real-life remote maintenance tasks. The results suggest that the AR instructions offer low visual complexity and considerable visual impact, clarity, and directed focus, thus improving situational understanding and promoting task resolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This case study explores the collaboration that occurs between therapist and client when reconceptualization innovative moments emerge. Reconceptualization innovative moments are exceptions to the problematic self-narrative that brought the client to therapy and are associated with successful psychotherapy. Reconceptualization innovative moments have two main components: a contrast between a past problematic facet and a current, more adjusted one (e.g., before I did/thought/felt X..., now, I do/think/feel Y) and an attribution for what allowed this transformation to occur (e.g., this was possible because I realized Z). The collaboration between therapist and client was analyzed using the Therapeutic Collaboration Coding System, which conceptualizes the relationship as collaborative or as noncollaborative. The majority of interactions in this case were clearly collaborative, with the therapist and client working inside the therapeutic zone of proximal development, which is typical of successful psychotherapy cases. Reconceptualization innovative moments begin with collaborative exchanges in which the therapist supported the problem and the client elaborated on the change afterward. Implications of these findings for change in psychotherapy are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Educational Data Virtual Lab (EDVL) is an open-source platform for data exploration and analysis that combines the power of a coding environment, the convenience of an interactive visualization engine, and the infrastructure needed to handle the complete data lifecycle. Based on the building blocks of the FIWARE European platform and Apache Zeppelin, this tool allows domain experts to become acquainted with data science methods using the data available within their own organization, ensuring that the skills they acquire are relevant to their field and driven by their own professional goals. We used EDVL in a pilot study in which we carried out a focus group within a multinational company to gain insight into potential users' perceptions of EDVL, both from the educational and operational points of view. The results of our evaluation suggest that EDVL holds a great potential to train the workforce in data science skills and to enable collaboration among professionals with different levels of expertise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Physiotherapists have an ethical, professional, and regulatory responsibility for safety in all aspects of patient care. Notwithstanding, the adverse events issue has been inadequately addressed in the rehabilitation research field. Objectives: To determine the frequency and characterize the adverse events that occur during or in between physiotherapy sessions for parkinsonian syndromes. Methods: An exploratory clinical study was conducted. Physiotherapists were asked to actively report the adverse events that occurred during or between sessions for parkinsonian syndromes. Results: A total of 100 patients were enrolled in the study, which resulted in 1845 sessions. The most common adverse events reported were falls, pain/discomfort, and hypotension, with a total of 128 adverse events reported. Conclusions: During the physiotherapy sessions, adverse events do occur. Future research should clarify the relationship between AE occurrence and the type of intervention as well as causality and risk‐minimization strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes the motivation, design, and evaluation of the VisVisual toolkit to engage students in learning essential visualization concepts, algorithms, and techniques. The toolkit includes four independent components: 1) VolumeVisual, 2) FlowVisual, 3) GraphVisual, and 4) TreeVisual, covering scalar and vector data visualization in scientific visualization and graph and tree layouts in information visualization. Complementary to the toolkit design is resource development, aiming to help instructors integrate VisVisual into their curriculum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During these past years, several studies have provided serological evidence regarding the circulation of West Nile virus (WNV) in Brazil. Despite some reports, much is still unknown regarding the genomic diversity and transmission dynamics of this virus in the country. Recently, genomic monitoring activities in horses revealed the circulation of WNV in several Brazilian regions. These findings on the paucity of genomic data reinforce the need for prompt investigation of WNV infection in horses, which may precede human cases of encephalitis in Brazil. Thus, in this study, we retrospectively screened 54 suspicious WNV samples collected between 2017 and 2020 from the spinal cord and brain of horses with encephalitis and generated three new WNV genomes from the Ceará and Bahia states, located in the northeastern region of Brazil. The Bayesian reconstruction revealed that at least two independent introduction events occurred in Brazil. The first introduction event appears to be likely related to the North American outbreak, and was estimated to have occurred in March 2013.The second introduction event appears to have occurred in September 2017 and appears to be likely related to the South American outbreak. Together, our results reinforce the importance of increasing the priority of WNV genomic monitoring in equines with encephalitis in order to track the dispersion of this emerging pathogen through the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering the worrying emergence of multidrug resistance, including in animal husbandry and especially in food-producing animals, the need to detect antimicrobial resistance strains in poultry environments is relevant, mainly considering a One Health approach. Thus, this study aimed to conduct longitudinal monitoring of antimicrobial resistance in broiler chicken farms, with an emphasis on evaluating the frequency of resistance to fosfomycin and β-lactams. Escherichia coli was isolated from broiler chicken farms (cloacal swabs, meconium, poultry feed, water, poultry litter, and Alphitobius diaperinus) in northern Paraná from 2019 to 2020 during three periods: the first period (1st days of life), the second period (20th to 25th days of life), and third period (40th to 42nd days of life). Antibiogram tests and the detection of phenotypic extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) were performed, and they were confirmed by seaching for genes from the bla CTX–M group. The other resistance genes searched were mcr-1 and fosA3. Some ESBL bla CTX–M– 1 group strains were selected for ESBL identification by sequencing and enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus-polymerase chain reaction analysis. To determine the transferability of the bla CTX–M– 1– and fosA3 -carrying plasmids, strains were subjected to conjugation experiments. A total of 507 E. coli were analyzed: 360 from cloacal swabs, 24 from meconium samples, 3 from poultry feed samples, 18 from water samples, 69 from poultry litter samples, and 33 from A. diaperinus samples. Among the strain isolate, 80% (406/507) were multidrug-resistant (MDR), and 51% (260/507) were ESBL-positive, with the bla CTX–M– 1 group being the most frequent. For the fosA3 gene, 68% (344/507) of the strains isolated were positive, deserves to be highlighted E. coli isolated from day-old chickens (OR 6.34, CI 2.34–17.17), when compared with strains isolated from other origins (poultry litter, A. diaperinus , water, and poultry feed). This work alerts us to the high frequency of the fosA3 gene correlated with the CTX-M-1 group (OR 3.57, CI 95% 2.7–4.72, p < 0.05), especially the bla CTX–M– 55 gene, in broiler chickens. This profile was observed mainly in day-old chicken, with a high percentage of E. coli that were MDR. The findings emphasize the importance of conducting longitudinal monitoring to detect the primary risk points during poultry production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the widespread advent of visualization techniques to convey complex data, visualization literacy (VL) is growing in importance. Two noteworthy facets of literacy are user understanding and the discovery of visual patterns with the help of graphical representations. The research literature on VL provides useful guidance and opportunities for further studies in this field. This introduction summarizes and presents research on VL that examines how well users understand basic and advanced data representations. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first tutorial article on interactive VL. We describe evaluation categories of existing relevant research into unique subject groups that facilitate and inform comparisons of literacy literature and provide a starting point for interested readers. In addition, the introduction also provides an overview of the various evaluation techniques used in this field of research and their challenging nature. Our introduction provides researchers with unexplored directions that may lead to future work. This starting point serves as a valuable resource for beginners interested in the topic of VL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Banisteriopsis caapi is used to prepare the psychoactive beverage ayahuasca, and both have therapeutic potential for the treatment of many central nervous system (CNS) conditions. This study aimed to isolate new bioactive compounds from B. caapi extract and evaluate their biological activity, and that of the known β-carboline components of the plant (harmine, harmaline, and tetrahydroharmine), in BV-2 microglial cells, the in vivo activation of which is implicated in the physiopathology of CNS disorders. B. caapi extract was fractionated using semipreparative liquid chromatography (HPLC-DAD) and the exact masses ([M + H]+m/z) of the compounds in the 5 isolated fractions were determined by high-resolution LC-MS/MS: F1 (174.0918 and 233.1289), F2 (353.1722), F3 (304.3001), F4 (188.1081), and F5 (205.0785). Harmine (75.5–302 µM) significantly decreased cell viability after 2 h of treatment and increased the number of necrotic cells and production of reactive oxygen species at equal or lower concentrations after 24 h. F4 did not impact viability but was also cytotoxic after 24 h. Most treatments reduced proinflammatory cytokine production (IL-2, IL-6, IL-17, and/or TNF), especially harmaline and F5 at 2.5 µM and higher concentrations, tetrahydroharmine (9.3 µM and higher), and F5 (10.7 µM and higher). The results suggest that the compounds found in B. caapi extract have anti-inflammatory potential that could be explored for the development of treatments for neurodegenerative diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]