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The paper presents a reflection on the LifeComp framework within the planning activities of Service-Learning projects carried out in mixed teams composed of teaching staff and educators from the non-profit sector. By considering the theme of interprofessionality as a central field of the development of the teaching profession within the educational scenarios generated by the pandemic, by national and international indications, the research focuses on the identification of the competences of the LifeComp framework present in the narratives produced by teachers and educators during the first phase of the project. Using service learning is functional to enable the teachers and educators involved to adopt an attitude of research and openness towards the other; at the same time, it is an approach that can provide a methodological framework for designing student-centred interventions and school-territory collaboration that simultaneously develop cognitive and educational skills. Il Service-Learning per lo sviluppo interprofessionale della collaborazione scuola-territorio nel quadro del LifeComp. Il paper presenta una riflessione sul framework LifeComp all’interno delle attività di progettazione di percorsi di Service Learning realizzate in equipe miste, composte da personale docente ed educatori del terzo settore. Considerando centrale il tema dell’interprofessionalità come ambito dello sviluppo della professione docente all’interno degli scenari educativi determinati dalla pandemia, dalle indicazioni nazionali e internazionali, la ricerca si focalizza sull’individuazione delle competenze del framework LifeComp presenti nelle narrazioni prodotte da docenti ed educatori nel corso della prima fase di avvio del percorso. L’apprendimento servizio è funzionale ad attivare nei docenti e negli educatori un atteggiamento di ricerca e apertura verso l’altro; allo stesso tempo è un approccio in grado di fornire una cornice metodologica per la progettazione di interventi centrati sullo studente e sulla collaborazione scuola-territorio che sviluppano contemporaneamente competenze di tipo cognitivo ed educativo.

Neste artigo, os casos de censura à peça O Evangelho Segundo Jesus, Rainha do Céu, que retrata Jesus Cristo na pele da atriz transexual Renata Carvalho, são utilizados como o arcabouço ilustrativo para as discussões acerca da virada conservadora brasileira. O trabalho apresenta como objetivo principal traçar reflexões teóricas que relacionam o contexto do país ao cultural backlash, bem como discutir as noções de pânico moral e de liberdade de expressão. O percurso metodológico abrange revisão bibliográfica, análise documental de processos de caráter censório e estudo da repercussão dos casos na mídia a partir de um levantamento não sistemático de materiais jornalísticos. Como resultados, compreendemos que os gestos censórios, além de impedir o debate público sobre diversidade e impor atitudes autoritárias ao tentar coibir a arte, atuam também inviabilizando identidades e sujeitos que são violentamente estereotipados.

This article is a retrospective overview of work performed in the domain of Active Assisted Living over a span of almost 18 years. The authors have been creating and refining artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics solutions to support older adults in maintaining their independence and improving their quality of life. The goal of this article is to identify strong features and general lessons learned from those experiences and conceive guidelines and new research directions for future deployment, also relying on an analysis of similar research efforts. The work considers key points that have contributed to increase the success of the innovative solutions grounding them on known technology acceptance models. The analysis is presented with a threefold perspective: A Technological vision illustrates the characteristics of the support systems to operate in a real environment with continuity, robustness, and safety; a Socio-Health perspective highlights the role of experts in the socio-assistance domain to provide contextualized and personalized help based on actual people’s needs; finally, a Human dimension takes into account the personal aspects that influence the interaction with technology in the long term experience. The article promotes the crucial role of AI and robotics in ensuring intelligent and situated assistive behaviours. Finally, considering that the produced solutions are socio-technical systems, the article suggests a transdisciplinary approach in which different relevant disciplines merge together to have a complete, coordinated, and more informed vision of the problem.

No Brasil observa-se a subutilização e ciclo de vida reduzido da madeira que é empregada na execução de sistemas estruturais em concreto armado moldados in loco. Por não se tratar do material que caracteriza a técnica construtiva, o perfil de consumo da madeira é subjugado pela literatura que apresenta escassez de dados. Neste contexto, o objetivo desta pesquisa é analisar o consumo de madeira associado à execução de obras térreas residenciais em concreto armado moldado in loco com vedação em alvenaria, avaliando também a geração e destinação final do resíduo. Para isto, empregou-se pesquisa quali-quanti com abordagens teórica e prática. A análise teórica consistiu na caracterização do estoque habitacional brasileiro, levantamento de plantas com tipologia representativa, e quantificação da madeira empregada em fôrmas de concretagem. A análise prática considerou estudos de caso na cidade de Foz do Iguaçu-PR, e levantou informações por meio de entrevistas com responsáveis técnicos e consultas a documentos das construções. Os resultados indicam que 100 m² de obra residencial com sistema estrutural em concreto armado moldado in loco consome de 4,2 a 7,6 m³ de madeira (0,042 e 0,076 m³/m²), sendo 100% desta madeira convertida em resíduos dispostos em aterro, caracterizando um uso temporário do material.

O estudo das plantas é tão antigo quanto a própria humanidade. Estudá-las é fundamental para diminuir as barreiras da “cegueira botânica” e do “analfabetismo botânico”, conceitos estes decorrentes da forma como a Botânica é ensinada nas escolas. Para auxiliar na superação disto, foi proposto uma sequência didática de Botânica através do Ensino por Investigação para os 9º anos do Ensino Fundamental II em uma escola municipal de Araras/SP. Para avaliação, utilizou-se um único questionário de quatro perguntas com os estudantes em dois momentos: antes e após as aulas. Os resultados indicaram que este é um caminho plausível, pois quadruplicou o número de estudantes que conseguiram fazer uma relação válida entre um órgão vegetal e sua respectiva função na planta. Portanto, o presente artigo traz que o ensino de Botânica deve ser explorado de formas diferentes do tradicional a fim de reduzir as lacunas da Educação Básica.

Adaptive radiotherapy performed on the daily magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an option to improve the treatment quality. In the adapt-to-shape workflow of 1.5-T MR-Linac, the contours of structures are adjusted on the basis of patient daily MRI, and the adapted plan is recalculated on the MRI-based synthetic computed tomography (syCT) generated by bulk density assignment. Because dosimetric accuracy of this strategy is a priority and requires evaluation, this study aims to explore the usefulness of adding an assessment of dosimetric errors associated with recalculation on syCT to the clinical workflow. Sixty-one patients, with various tumor sites, treated using a 1.5-T MR-Linac were included in this study. In Monaco V5.4, the target and organs at risk (OARs) were contoured, and a reference CT plan that contains information about the outlined contours, their average electron density (ED), and the priority of ED assignment was generated. To evaluate the dosimetric error of syCT caused by the inherent approximation within bulk density assignment, the reference CT plan was recalculated on the syCT obtained from the reference CT by forcing all contoured structures to their mean ED defined on the reference plan. The dose–volume histogram (DVH) and dose distribution of the CT and syCT plan were compared. The causes of dosimetric discrepancies were investigated, and the reference plan was reworked to minimize errors if needed. For 54 patients, gamma analysis of the dose distribution on syCT and CT show a median pass rate of 99.7% and 98.5% with the criteria of 3%/3 mm and 2%/2 mm, respectively. DVH difference of targets and OARs remained less than 1.5% or 1 Gy. For the remaining patients, factors (i.e., inappropriate ED assignments) influenced the dosimetric agreement of the syCT vs. CT reference DVH by up to 21%. The causes of the errors were promptly identified, and the DVH dosimetry was realigned except for two lung treatments for which a significant discrepancy remained. The recalculation on the syCT obtained from the planning CT is a powerful tool to assess and decrease the minimal error committed during the adaptive plan on the MRI-based syCT.

Pomegranate fruit (PF) is a fruit rich in nutraceuticals. Nonedible parts of the fruit, especially peels, contain high amounts of bioactive components that have been largely used in traditional medicine, such as the Chinese, Unani, and Ayurvedic ones, for treating several diseases. Polyphenols such as anthocyanins, tannins, flavonoids, phenolic acids, and lignans are the major bioactive molecules present in PF. Therefore, PF is considered a source of natural multifunctional agents that exert simultaneously antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, antidiabetic, cardiovascular, and neuroprotective activities. Recently, several studies have reported that the nutraceuticals contained in PF (seed, peel, and juice) have a potential beneficial role in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Research suggests that the neuroprotective effect of PF is mostly due to its potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities which contribute to attenuate the neuroinflammation associated with AD. Despite the numerous works conducted on PF, to date the mechanism by which PF acts in combatting AD is not completely known. Here, we summarize all the recent findings (in vitro and in vivo studies) related to the positive effects that PF and its bioactive components can have in the neurodegeneration processes occurring during AD. Moreover, considering the high biotransformation characteristics of the nutraceuticals present in PF, we propose to consider the chemical structure of its active metabolites as a source of inspiration to design new molecules with the same beneficial effects but less prone to be affected by the metabolic degradation process.

Background: To evaluate the rates of lumbar puncture (LP) in infants with culture-proven sepsis. Study design: We prospectively enrolled 400 infants with early- or late-onset sepsis due to Group B streptococcus (GBS) or Eschericha coli, diagnosed within 90 days of life. Rates of LP and potential variables associated with LP performance were evaluated. Moreover, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) characteristics and results of the molecular analysis were investigated. Results: LP was performed in 228/400 (57.0%) infants; 123/228 LPs (53.9%) were performed after antibiotic initiation, hampering the ability to identify the pathogen in the CSF culture. However, polymerase chain reaction increased the probability of positive results of CSF analysis compared to microbiological culture (28/79, 35.4% vs. 14/79, 17.7%, p = 0.001). Severe clinical presentation and GBS infection were associated with higher LP rates. The rate of meningitis was 28.5% (65/228). Conclusions: Rates of LP are low in culture-proven neonatal sepsis and antibiotics are frequently given before LP is carried out. Thus meningitis may be underestimated, and the chances of giving an effective therapy to the newborn are reduced. LP should be performed before the start of antibiotics when there is a clinical suspicion of infection.

In 2022, the International Council for Harmonisation released draft guidelines Q2(R2) and Q14, intending to specify the development and validation activities that should be carried out during the lifespan of an analytical technique addressed to assess the quality of medicinal products. In the present study, these recommendations were implemented in Capillary Electrophoresis method development for the quality control of a drug product containing trimecaine, by applying Analytical Quality by Design. According to the Analytical Target Profile, the procedure should be able to simultaneously quantify trimecaine and its four impurities, with specified analytical performances. The selected operative mode was Micellar ElectroKinetic Chromatography employing sodium dodecyl sulfate micelles supplemented with dimethyl-β-cyclodextrin, in a phosphate-borate buffer. The Knowledge Space was investigated through a screening matrix encompassing the composition of the background electrolyte and the instrumental settings. The Critical Method Attributes were identified as analysis time, efficiency, and critical resolution values. Response Surface Methodology and Monte Carlo Simulations allowed the definition of the Method Operable Design Region: 21–26 mM phosphate-borate buffer pH 9.50–9.77; 65.0 mM sodium dodecyl sulfate; 0.25–1.29% v/v n-butanol; 21–26 mM dimethyl-β-cyclodextrin; temperature, 22 °C; voltage, 23–29 kV. The method was validated and applied to ampoules drug products.