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After the popular uprising in Tunisia in 2011, a new debate on racial issues, ethnic minorities, and racism has emerged in the country. Until then, speaking about Blackness and racism had been blanketed by a culture of silence, and the historical phenomena of the trans-Saharan slave trade and of slavery had been relegated to a past which was considered to have no ramifications into the present. On the contrary, today’s Tunisia is a “post-colonial” and “post-slavery” society, and slavery left a profound legacy onto contemporary racial dynamics. This is particularly evident in the South of the country, where racial regimes are made by social categories which are racialized according to skin colour, origin, and social status. In this article, I will analyse the history and meanings of Blackness among a lineage whose members are racialized as Black, and whose ethnonym clearly recalls a slavery past. Analysing race in the Tunisian South as a sedimented concept which stems from contingent historical trajectories, I delineate a new perspective for the study of race in Tunisia and in North Africa at large.

Neste trabalho apresenta-se uma revisão da literatura, em que foram reunidos e discutidos um conjunto de trabalhos científicos visando um aprofundamento teórico a fim de contribuir para elucidação dos conceitos e área de abrangência da Divulgação Científica (DC) e sua articulação com as Feiras de Ciências (FCs). São abordados aspectos relacionados: a uma breve biográfica do cientista José Reis e suas contribuições para a DC no Brasil; as terminologias associadas a DC e suas origens; as questões que permeiam os propósitos e práticas em divulgação científica; as contribuições da DC para o Ensino e; a estreita relação da DC com as FCs. A partir da discussão feita, argumentamos que a Feira de Ciências constitui um importante meio para DC dialógica, na acepção de Paulo Freire, visto que se trata de um espaço de troca e socialização dos conhecimentos científicos. Além disso, torna-se necessário conduzir um maior número de estudos a fim de contribuir para um melhor tratamento da temática e investigar as suas potencialidades

Abstract Background Low back pain (LBP) is the leading cause of years lived with disability worldwide. Public safety workers are highly exposed to physically demanding activities and inappropriate postures, increasing the risk of experiencing LBP. Smartphone app-based self-managed interventions may be an alternative for chronic non-specific LBP (CNSLBP) treatment. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a smartphone app-based self-managed exercise program plus health education, compared to a health education program alone, on neuromuscular and perceptual outcomes in police officers and firefighters with CNSLBP. Methods This is a parallel, two-armed, blinded evaluator randomized clinical trial. Police officers and firefighters (from public safety institutions in the Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil) will be randomly assigned to a m-health self-managed exercise program (twice a week) plus health education or health education alone. Self-management exercise program components are mobility and core resistance exercises, available on the app. Follow-ups will be conducted post-treatment (8 weeks) and 16 weeks after randomization. The co-primary outcomes will be pain intensity and disability post-treatment (8 weeks). Secondary outcomes will be biopsychosocial factors related to CNSLBP. Discussion We hypothesize that the effects of a smartphone app-based self-managed exercise program on co-primary and secondary outcomes will be superior, compared to the health education only in public safety workers with CNSLBP. Trial registration The study was prospectively registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05481996. Registered on August 01, 2022).

Feeding/behavior problems are highly prevalent in autistic children. This study aimed to explore the interplay between autistic features, sensory processing patterns, emotional/behavioral difficulties, and feeding problems in children with a clinical diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder. Ninety-nine children aged 1.5-5 years were assessed using the Children's Eating Behavior Inventory (CEBI), the Child Behavior Checklist, the Revised Sensory Profile--Second Edition (SP-2), and the Food Frequency Questionnaire. The sample was divided into two subgroups based on the presence of feeding behavior problems as rated by parents on the CEBI. Children with feeding problems showed more severe internalizing symptoms and were more reactive to sensory stimuli than children without feeding problems. We also found a significant relationship between higher levels of autistic features and greater feeding behavior problems. A mediation analysis model indicated that this relationship was mediated by sensory processing, as reflected by SP-2 quadrants scores. Although preliminary, these findings suggest that children with higher levels of autistic features could be at greater risk of developing feeding behavior problems only if they also have a higher sensory sensitivity to environmental stimuli.

Atualmente, ocorrem centenas de feiras de ciências pelo país. De diferentes tamanhos e proporções, cada feira tem enorme contribuição para a divulgação e popularização da ciência, além de proporcionar, ao estudante, a alfabetização científica e o desenvolvimento pessoal. Neste estudo, o propósito é identificar e analisar dissertações e teses brasileiras que tratam do tema feiras de ciências, dando foco ao planejamento, à organização e à execução desses eventos. O objetivo é extrair, dessas produções, elementos que contribuam para a criação ou o aprimoramento de projetos semelhantes. Trata-se de uma revisão sistemática de literatura, delineada em três etapas: planejamento, sistematização e análise qualitativa dos dados. Foram usados, como bases de dados, os portais de busca Biblioteca Digital Brasileira de Teses e Dissertações, Portal Brasileiro de Publicações Científicas em Acesso Aberto e o Catálogo de Teses e Dissertações da Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES). Encontramos dez dissertações que tratam do tema e enfoque abordados neste artigo. Baseados na análise dessas dissertações, os resultados levam a indicar a formação de subcomissões e de uma comissão organizadora, de modo a contemplar o planejamento, a execução e a avaliação dos eventos. Concluímos que se encontra, nesse assunto, lacuna para debate e justificativas para novas propostas de pesquisas.

Abstract Background Genetic risk factors impact around 15% of Parkinson's disease (PD) patients and at least 23 variants have been identified including Glucocerebrosidase (GBA) gene variants. Using different clinical and instrumental qualitative‐based data, various studies have been published on GBA‐PD cohorts which suggested possible differences in dopaminergic nigrostriatal denervation pattern, particularly in caudate and putamen nuclei. Methods This retrospective study included two consecutive homogenous cohorts of GBA‐PD and idiopathic (I‐PD) patients. Each consecutive GBA‐PD patient has been matched with a 1:1 pairing method with a consecutive I‐PD subject according to age, age at disease onset, sex, Hoehn & Yahr (H&Y) staging scale and comorbidity level (CCI). Semiquantitative volumetric data by the DaTQUANTTM software integrated in the DaTSCAN exam performed at time of the diagnosis (SPECT imaging performed according to current guidelines of I‐123 FPCIT SPECT imaging) were extrapolated. Bilateral specific binding ratios (SBR) at putamen and caudate levels were calculated, using the occipital lobes uptake. The Mann–Whitney test was performed to compare the two cohorts while the Spearman's test was used to find correlations between motor and volumetric data in each group. Bonferroni correction was used to account for multiple comparisons. Results Two cohorts of 25 patients each (GBA‐PD and I‐PD), were included. By comparing GBA‐PD and I‐PD patients, lower SBR values were found in the most affected anterior putamen and left caudate of the GBA‐PD cohort. Furthermore, in the GBA‐PD cohort the SBR of the most affected posterior putamen negatively correlated with the H&Y scale. However, none of these differences or correlations remained significant after Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons. Conclusions We observed differences in SBR values in GBA‐PD patients compared with I‐PD. However, these differences were no longer significant after Bonferroni multiple comparisons correction highlighting the need for larger, longitudinal studies.

Mutant KRAS (KM) is associated with poor prognosis in lung cancer and reported to promote lipid metabolism. Here, the authors show that fatty acid synthesis, which provides lipids to repair oxidized phospholipids through the FASN-Lands cycle axis, is a specific vulnerability for KM lung cancer.

Abstract Background In vertebrate cells, the Golgi functional subunits, mini-stacks, are linked into a tri-dimensional network. How this “ribbon” architecture relates to Golgi functions remains unclear. Are all connections between mini-stacks equal? Is the local structure of the ribbon of functional importance? These are difficult questions to address, without a quantifiable readout of the output of ribbon-embedded mini-stacks. Endothelial cells produce secretory granules, the Weibel-Palade bodies (WPB), whose von Willebrand Factor (VWF) cargo is central to hemostasis. The Golgi apparatus controls WPB size at both mini-stack and ribbon levels. Mini-stack dimensions delimit the size of VWF "boluses” whilst the ribbon architecture allows their linear co-packaging, thereby generating WPBs of different lengths. This Golgi/WPB size relationship suits mathematical analysis. Results WPB lengths were quantized as multiples of the bolus size and mathematical modeling simulated the effects of different Golgi ribbon organizations on WPB size, to be compared with the ground truth of experimental data. An initial simple model, with the Golgi as a single long ribbon composed of linearly interlinked mini-stacks, was refined to a collection of mini-ribbons and then to a mixture of mini-stack dimers plus long ribbon segments. Complementing these models with cell culture experiments led to novel findings. Firstly, one-bolus sized WPBs are secreted faster than larger secretory granules. Secondly, microtubule depolymerization unlinks the Golgi into equal proportions of mini-stack monomers and dimers. Kinetics of binding/unbinding of mini-stack monomers underpinning the presence of stable dimers was then simulated. Assuming that stable mini-stack dimers and monomers persist within the ribbon resulted in a final model that predicts a “breathing” arrangement of the Golgi, where monomer and dimer mini-stacks within longer structures undergo continuous linking/unlinking, consistent with experimentally observed WPB size distributions. Conclusions Hypothetical Golgi organizations were validated against a quantifiable secretory output. The best-fitting Golgi model, accounting for stable mini-stack dimers, is consistent with a highly dynamic ribbon structure, capable of rapid rearrangement. Our modeling exercise therefore predicts that at the fine-grained level the Golgi ribbon is more complex than generally thought. Future experiments will confirm whether such a ribbon organization is endothelial-specific or a general feature of vertebrate cells.

Las vasculitis asociadas a ANCA representan un grupo de enfermedades autoinmunes, multisistémicas, que afectan principalmente a los vasos de pequeño calibre, pudiendo comprometer el tracto respiratorio superior e inferior, el aparato otorrinolaringológico, riñón y piel, aunque eventualmente cualquier órgano puede estar involucrado. Son enfermedades con potencial y severo compromiso de órganos y elevada morbimortalidad. El objetivo de estas guías fue desarrollar las primeras recomendaciones argentinas para su tratamiento, basadas en la revisión de la literatura mediante metodología GRADE. Un panel de expertos en vasculitis elaboró las preguntas en formato PICO (población, intervención, comparador y outcomes), y luego un panel de expertos en metodología efectuó la revisión de la bibliografía con la extracción de la evidencia para cada una de las preguntas. Se realizó un focus group de pacientes para conocer sus preferencias y experiencias. Finalmente, con la información recabada, el panel de expertos en vasculitis procedió a la votación de las recomendaciones que a continuación se presentan.

Autonomous robotic Ultrasound (US) scanning has been the subject of research for more than 2 decades. However, little work has been done to apply this concept into a minimally invasive setting, in which accurate force sensing is generally not available and robot kinematics are unreliable due to the tendon-driven, compliant robot structure. As a result, the adequate orientation of the probe towards the tissue surface remains unknown and the anatomy reconstructed from scan may become highly inaccurate. In this work we present solutions to both of these challenges: an attitude sensor fusion scheme for improved kinematic sensing and a visual, deep learning based algorithm to establish and maintain contact between the organ surface and the US probe. We further introduce a novel scheme to estimate and orient the probe perpendicular to the center line of a vascular structure. Our approach enables, for the first time, to autonomously scan across a non-planar surface and navigate along an anatomical structure with a robotically guided minimally invasive US probe. Our experiments on a vessel phantom with a convex surface confirm a significant improvement of the reconstructed curved vessel geometry, with our approach strongly reducing the mean positional error and variance. In the future, our approach could help identify vascular structures more effectively and help pave the way towards semi-autonomous assistance during partial hepatectomy and the potential to reduce procedure length and complication rates.

IntroductionAction Observation Treatment (AOT) and Motor Imagery (MI) represent very promising cognitive strategies in neuro-rehabilitation. This study aims to compare the effectiveness of the two cognitive strategies, taken alone or combined, in Parkinson's disease patients.Material and methodsThis study is designed as a prospective randomized controlled trial, with four arms. We estimated a sample size of 64 patients (16 in each treatment group) to be able to detect an effect size of F = 0.4 with a statistical significance of 0.05. Primary outcomes will be functional gains in the FIM and UPDRS scales. Secondary outcome measure will be functional gain as revealed by kinematic parameters measured at Gait Analysis.DiscussionThe results of this trial will provide insights into the use of AOT and MI, taken alone or combined, in the rehabilitation of Parkinson's disease patients.Ethics and disseminationThe study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Don Gnocchi Foundation. The study will be conducted in accordance with the 1996 World Medical Association guidelines and according to good clinical practice. The study has been registered on clinicaltrial.gov under the following code: AOTPRFDG. Dissemination will include both submission of the study to peer-reviewed journals and discussion of the study protocol at conferences.

La arteritis de células gigantes (ACG) es una vasculitis sistémica que afecta a personas adultas; compromete vasos arteriales de mediano y gran calibre, con potenciales complicaciones de gravedad, como la ceguera, y es considerada una emergencia médica. El objetivo de estas guías fue desarrollar las primeras recomendaciones argentinas para su tratamiento, basadas en la revisión de la literatura mediante metodología GRADE. Un panel de expertos en vasculitis elaboró las preguntas en formato PICO (población, intervención, comparador y outcomes), y luego un panel de expertos en metodología efectuó la revisión de la bibliografía con la extracción de la evidencia para cada una de las preguntas. Se realizó un focus group de pacientes para conocer sus preferencias y experiencias. Finalmente, con la información recabada, el panel de expertos en vasculitis procedió a la votación de las recomendaciones que a continuación se presentan.