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Dermal fibrosis is a consequence of damage to skin and is accompanied by dysfunction and cosmetic disfigurement. Improved understanding of the pathological factors driving skin fibrosis is critical to development of therapeutic modalities. Here, we describe that the Wnt signalling antagonist SFRP2 is upregulated in organotypic keratinocyte cultures upon experimental reduced hydration, a model that simulates the aberrant epidermal barrier state characteristic of several skin pathologies, including those that manifest in development of fibrosis. Consistent with this, we find that SFRP2 is overexpressed in both the dermis and epidermis of human hypertrophic scar tissue and lesional tissue of a mouse scleroderma model. Knockdown of SFRP2 expression in human fibroblasts antagonises proliferation and myofibroblast differentiation, including deposition of type I collagen, suggesting that SFRP2 signalling in fibroblasts may contribute to propagation of fibrosis in hypertrophic scar, as well as in other clinical indications characterised by skin fibrosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rhinocricid genus Alcimobolus is a monotypic genus endemic to the Dominican Republic. Herein, we provide a redescription of Alcimobolus domingensis (DeSaussure & Humbert, 1972) based on freshly collected material. In addition, we place Alcimobolus in a phylogenetic context. We performed a parsimony analysis under implied weighting with a total of 17 taxa and 32 morphological characters. All K values resulted in a single most parsimonious tree with the same topology (length = 48 steps; total fit = 23.500; CI = 0.70; RI = 0.80). The genus is recovered as the sister group of Neocricus Chamberlin, 1941. The clade Alcimobolus + Neocricus is supported by one synapomorphy (telopodite of the anterior gonopod distally elongated) and one homoplastic transformation (opening of the paraproct not prolonged). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pododactyl radiography is a non-invasive procedure that enables the detection of foot pathologies, as it provides detailed images of structures such as the metatarsus and phalanges, among others. This examination holds potential for employment in CAD systems. Our proposed methodology employs generative artificial intelligence to analyze pododactyl radiographs and generate automatic medical reports. We used a dataset comprising 16,710 exams, including images and medical reports on pododactylys. We implemented preprocessing of the images and text, as well as data augmentation techniques to improve the representativeness of the dataset. The proposed CAD system integrates pre-trained CNNs for feature extraction from the images and Transformers for report interpretation and generation. Our objective is to provide reports describing pododactyl pathologies, such as plantar fasciitis, bunions, heel spurs, flat feet, and lesions, among others, offering a second opinion to the specialist. The results are promising, with BLEU scores (1 to 4) of 0.612, 0.552, 0.507, and 0.470, respectively, a METEOR score of 0.471, and a ROUGE-L score of 0.633, demonstrating the model's ability to generate reports with qualities close to those produced by specialists. We demonstrate that generative AI trained with pododactyl radiographs has the potential to assist in diagnoses from these examinations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

NbAs is a Weyl semimetal and belongs to the group of topological phases that exhibit distinct quantum and topological attributes. Topological phases have a fundamentally different response to external perturbations, such as magnetic fields. To obtain insights into the response of such phases to pressure, we conducted a comprehensive study on the pressure-induced electronic and structural transitions in NbAs. We used micro-X-ray diffraction (XRD) and micro-X-ray spectroscopy (XAS) techniques to elucidate the changes at different atomic and electronic length scales (local, medium, and bulk) as combined with theoretical calculations. High-pressure XRD measurements revealed a rather common compression behavior up to ~12 GPa that could be fitted to an equation of state formalism with a bulk modulus of K 0 = 179.6 GPa. Complementary Nb K-edge XAS data unveiled anomalies at pressure intervals of ~12–15 and ~25–26 GPa in agreement with previous literature data from XRD studies. We attribute these anomalies to a previously reported topological Lifshitz transition and the tetragonal-to-hexagonal phase transition, respectively. Analysis of EXAFS results revealed slight changes in the mean next-nearest neighbor distance Nb–As(1) (~2.6 Å) at ~15 GPa, while the second nearest neighboring bond Nb–Nb(1) (~3.4 Å) shows a pronounced anomaly. This indicates that the electronic changes across the Lifshitz transition are accommodated first in the medium-range atomic structure and then at the local range and bulk. The variances of these bonds show anomalous but progressive evolutions close to the tetragonal-to-hexagonal transition at ~25 GPa, which allowed us to derive the evolution of vibration properties in this material. We suggest a prominent displacive character of the I 4 1 m d → P 6 ¯ m 2 transition facilitated by phonon modes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) have been investigated for their versatile properties and remarkable tunability. Recently, there has been a resurgence of interest in magnetically intercalated TMDCs, driven by their potential applications in spintronic devices. In this paper, we describe a novel high-pressure synthesis procedure, yielding nominal NixTi2S4 compositions in a one-step straightforward procedure, starting from TiS2 and Ni metal. According to the Rietveld-refined synchrotron X-ray diffraction data, the compound crystallizes into a trigonal space group P3¯m1 (No. 164) with a crystallographic formula of Ni0.8Ti2S4. We observe anomalies in the thermal evolution of the Ni–S pair-bond at ∼8 K, which were correlated to a minor deviation of ∼0.05% below 25 K from the Grüneisen model for the zero-pressure equation of state that describes the thermal expansion of the unit-cell volume. Extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) analysis probed the local atomic dynamics surrounding the Ni atoms (Ni K-edge). A careful examination of the bond variance in paths within the first shell indicated an increase in the covalent bonding between Ni and Ti, in contrast to other intercalated sulfides such as FexTi2S4. The investigated magnetic properties and specific heat do not demonstrate a long-range magnetic order. Instead, we observed a cluster glass-like behavior around 16 K, which suggests the coexistence of anti/ferromagnetic short-range magnetic interactions at low temperatures mediated by electron hopping between Ni eg states due to magnetic frustration in the system. The local atomic arrangement correlates to the short-range magnetic interactions, which suggests the occurrence of magnetoelastic coupling in Ni0.8Ti2S4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To identify the differences between the prevalence and factors associated with involvement in bullying among schoolchildren from Recife, in the role of victim and perpetrator. Method: This is an epidemiological, cross‐sectional, analytical study, with a probabilistic cluster sample of 1,402 students enrolled in high schools in Recife. Data analysis consisted of a descriptive analysis, followed by the application of Pearson's chi‐squared test with statistical significance of 0.05 and 95% confidence interval. For the association analysis, multilevel modeling was used to control the cluster effect. Results: It was observed that adolescents who feel different from other peers were associated with bullying, regardless of the role played. Being a victim was associated with being female, having low self‐esteem, and using tranquilizers; being a transgressor was a protective factor. As for the role of perpetrator, being male, excessive alcohol consumption, having poor school performance, being a transgressor, and accepting peer violence were the associated variables; in turn, not defending their ideas when among friends showed to be a protective factor for bullying. Conclusion: The differences between the adolescents, whether in the role of victim or perpetrator, indicate that the advocacy and prevention actions should focus on these aspects, mainly in the school environment. Resumo: Objetivo: Identificar as diferenças entre prevalências e os fatores associados ao envolvimento em bullying entre adolescentes escolares do Recife no papel de vítima e agressor. Método: Estudo epidemiológico de corte transversal analítico, com amostra probabilística por conglomerados de 1.402 estudantes matriculados no ensino médio de escolas do Recife. A análise dos dados foi constituída de uma análise descritiva, seguida da aplicação do teste de Qui‐Quadrado de Pearson com significância estatística de 0,05 e Intervalo de Confiança de 95%. Para a análise de associações foi empregada a modelagem multinível para controle do efeito do conglomerado. Resultados: Observou‐se que o adolescente que se sente diferente dos outros colegas apresentou associação com o bullying independente do papel desempenhado. A condição de ser vítima mostrou associação com ser do sexo feminino, ter baixa autoestima e utilizar tranquilizantes, além disso, ser transgressor mostrou ser fator de proteção. No papel de agressor de bullying ser do sexo masculino, fazer uso de álcool em excesso, ter um ruim desempenho escolar, ser transgressor e aceitar violência entre pares foram as variáveis associadas; por sua vez, não defender suas ideias com amigos revelou ser fator de proteção para prática do bullying. Conclusão: As diferenças apresentadas entre os adolescentes, seja no papel de vítima ou de agressor, apontam que condutas de promoção e prevenção tenham enfoque que considerem tais aspectos principalmente no ambiente escolar.

O presente trabalho tem como objetivo realizar uma revisão narrativa de literatura a respeito da ativação de crenças do terapeuta durante o processo psicoterápico, por meio da perspectiva cognitivo-comportamental. Busca-se compreender os impactos desse fenômeno na atuação do profissional, suas possíveis interferências e contribuições para o trabalho interventivo, bem como a utilização e formulação de estratégias para manejo desse processo. Para tanto, foram abordados os conceitos de relação terapêutica na terapia cognitivo-comportamental, transferência, contratransferência e distorções cognitivas, visando refletir sobre o impacto que causam no terapeuta e em sua prática clínica. Retoma-se a questão da formação e supervisão como alternativas para minimizar a interferência das distorções cognitivas do psicólogo no exercício de seu trabalho e como recursos para o aprimoramento de sua capacidade de escuta e intervenção. Por fim, questionam-se os limites da literatura na área e os observados no estudo proposto.

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Hospital-based studies recently have shown increases in colorectal cancer survival, and better survival for women, young people, and patients diagnosed at an early disease stage. OBJECTIVE: To describe the overall survival and analyze the prognostic factors of patients treated for colorectal cancer at an oncology center. METHODS: The analysis included patients diagnosed with colon and rectal adenocarcinoma between 2000 and 2013 and identified in the Hospital Cancer Registry at A.C.Camargo Cancer Center. Overall 5-year survival was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method, and prognostic factors were evaluated in a Cox regression model. Hazard ratios (HR) are reported with 95% confidence intervals (CI). RESULTS: Of 2,279 colorectal cancer cases analyzed, 58.4% were in the colon. The 5-year overall survival rate for colorectal cancer patients was 63.5% (65.6% and 60.6% for colonic and rectal malignancies, respectively). The risk of death was elevated for patients in the 50-74-year (HR=1.24, 95%CI =1.02-1.51) and ≥75-year (HR=3.02, 95%CI =2.42-3.78) age groups, for patients with rectal cancer (HR=1.37, 95%CI =1.11-1.69) and for those whose treatment was started >60 days after diagnosis (HR=1.22, 95%CI =1.04-1.43). The risk decreased for patients diagnosed in recent time periods (2005-2009 HR=0.76, 95%CI =0.63-0.91; 2010-2013 HR=0.69, 95%CI =0.57-0.83). CONCLUSION: Better survival of patients with colorectal cancer improves with early stage and started treatment within 60 days of diagnosis. Age over 70 years old was an independent factor predictive of a poor prognosis. The overall survival increased to all patients treated in the period 2000-2004 to 2010-2013.