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Para avaliar o perfil biopsicossocial e o impacto da incontinência urinária na qualidade de vida das mulheres. Métodos: Foi realizado um estudo clínico transversal e cego, envolvendo 31 mulheres com incontinência urinária e idade média de 51,5±13,9 anos. Foram coletados dados sociodemográficos e respostas a questionários, incluindo o King's Health Questionnaire (KHQ), o Incontinence Severity Index (ISI-Q) e o Urogenital Distress Inventory (UDI). A análise estatística incluiu o teste de normalidade de Kolmogorov-Smirnov (p unilateral ≤0,001) e a correlação de Pearson. Resultados: Os dados sociodemográficos revelaram uma prevalência de incontinência urinária de esforço (n=18), seguida por incontinência urinária mista (n=11) e incontinência urinária de urgência (n=2). Os dados do King's Health Questionnaire mostraram valores significativos com correlação moderada nos domínios de limitações funcionais e medidas de gravidade (r=0,616); limitações físicas e limitações sociais (r=0,604); limitações físicas e relacionamentos pessoais (r=0,504); limitações físicas e escala de gravidade dos sintomas (r=0,538). Os escores do Incontinence Severity Index indicaram 9 mulheres com gravidade leve, 15 com gravidade moderada, 4 com gravidade grave e 3 com casos muito graves. Quanto ao impacto dos sintomas urinários medido pelo Urogenital Distress Inventory, relacionados à urgência urinária, incontinência de urgência, incontinência de esforço e/ou sintomas de esvaziamento, o valor médio foi de 26,7±17,1. Conclusão: Mulheres com incontinência urinária apresentam diversas alterações que afetam o bem-estar físico, funcional, psicológico e social, impactando negativamente sua qualidade de vida.

The Fraud Diamond theory (rationalization, opportunity, motivation and perceived capability) has been widely used as a framework to explain criminal behavior. However, little is known about its application in an academic context. Research on the relationship between the prevalence of academic fraud (e.g., cheating on exams, plagiarizing essays) and students’ perceptions of the severity of such behaviors is also lacking. We surveyed 1,032 university students and asked them whether they engaged in fraudulent behaviors and how severe they thought these behaviors were. The results showed that motivation, rationalization, and perceived capability dimensions of the Fraud Diamond theory are important factors in predicting the prevalence of students’ academic fraudulent behavior, but not opportunity. We also found that the more students reported that they engaged in fraudulent academic behaviors, the less severe they perceived those behaviors to be. However, only rationalization emerged as a predictor of perceived severity. The results suggest that the more students are able to find justifications for their fraudulent behavior, the less severe they perceive those behaviors to be. Rationalization seems to explain, therefore, the tendency to disassociate moral values from dishonest behavior. Taken together, the study shows a vicious cycle between engaging in fraudulent academic behavior and the ability to justify these acts. Implications for Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are discussed.

Objetivo: relatar a experiência ao abordar o meio ambiente no âmbito escolar. Materiais e Métodos: realizou-se uma visita a uma escola de ensino fundamental em Montes Claros-MG. Os temas foram abordados através de uma apresentação ministrada pelos acadêmicos do curso de Medicina Veterinária dentro da disciplina de Projeto Integrador Meio Ambiente e Sustentabilidade, ressaltando a importância do diálogo sobre meio ambiente e sustentabilidade durante a formação. Abordou-se, também, sobre a importância das plantas para a saúde da coletividade, bem como para a sustentabilidade. Foi expostas as etapas aos alunos, de forma prática, as etapas do plantio de lápis ecológicos, que continham sementes. Ademais, solicitou-se uma avaliação da atividade pelos discentes envolvidos, bem como a necessidade do contínuo acompanhamento do plantio realizado. Resultados: observou-se o sucesso da atividade realizada. As crianças mostraram interesse em participar da atividade e entusiasmadas ao receber o lápis com a semente. Além disso, puderam explorar a natureza, compreender a importância dos nutrientes e se interessaram em aprender sobre agricultura e sustentabilidade. Em seguida, houve espaço para discutir abertamente sobre os conceitos que envolviam o projeto. Foi notória a compreensão dos alunos ao abordar a importância de se exercer o papel de cidadão responsável em relação ao meio ambiente, além de ser um dever cuidar dos recursos ambientais. Conclusão: o projeto proporcionou uma interação positiva entre acadêmicos e sociedade, por incentivar as crianças a criarem uma consciência ambiental, formando cidadãos mais responsáveis com o meio ambiente e a saúde alimentar.

Introduction/Justification: Histoplasmosis is the 5th most common opportunistic fungal disease in Brazil, caused by Histoplasma capsulatum, affecting mainly the extremes of age and immunocompromised patients (HIV or use of immunosuppressive medication/glucocorticoids). The fungus has a natural habitat in soil rich in bird and bat excrement, and therefore, its main form of transmission is through inhalation. In some situations, this disease can occur in previously healthy patients with no known comorbidities or exposures, as is the case in the current report. In these situations, diagnosis becomes extremely challenging due to the wide variability of possible pathologies that can present with nonspecific symptoms, jeopardizing diagnostic confirmation and appropriate therapy. This study aims to demonstrate the usefulness of PET-CT in cases like this and to highlight its fundamental role in guiding the case and appropriate management. Report: Female, white, 11 years old, without comorbidities or previous surgeries, started experiencing fever, myalgia, and edema in the lower limbs in August 2022. After months of investigations, consultations with doctors from different specialties, and unsuccessful treatments, she underwent a PET/CT scan. The 18F-FDG PET/CT exams showed hypermetabolism in several lymph nodes, enlarged lymph nodes, and bony focal areas. With these findings, a biopsy of the lymph node tissue of the right internal mammary chain was performed, where the diagnosis of histoplasmosis was obtained, allowing for appropriate treatment with a combination of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole for one year and corticosteroid therapy for four months. In a little less than six months, evaluation of the treatment of the disease through PET-CT indicated the absence of hypermetabolic lesions, thus demonstrating the importance of PET/CT studies in the diagnostic elucidation and in the evaluation of the response to a case of histoplasmosis in an immunocompetent child, even in the absence of clinical suspicion. Conclusion: This case report aims to highlight the role of PET-CT (positron emission tomography-computed tomography) in identifying sites of fungal infection and guiding the locations for histopathological study. Thus, the use of PET-CT was crucial for directing biopsy and accurate diagnosis, as well as for determining the therapeutic response after initiating appropriate pharmacology.

Abstract Background Probiotics have gained attention for their potential maintaining gut and immune homeostasis. They have been found to confer protection against pathogen colonization, possess immunomodulatory effects, enhance gut barrier functionality, and mitigate inflammation. However, a thorough understanding of the unique mechanisms of effects triggered by individual strains is necessary to optimize their therapeutic efficacy. Probiogenomics, involving high-throughput techniques, can help identify uncharacterized strains and aid in the rational selection of new probiotics. This study evaluates the potential of the Escherichia coli CEC15 strain as a probiotic through in silico, in vitro, and in vivo analyses, comparing it to the well-known probiotic reference E. coli Nissle 1917. Genomic analysis was conducted to identify traits with potential beneficial activity and to assess the safety of each strain (genomic islands, bacteriocin production, antibiotic resistance, production of proteins involved in host homeostasis, and proteins with adhesive properties). In vitro studies assessed survival in gastrointestinal simulated conditions and adhesion to cultured human intestinal cells. Safety was evaluated in BALB/c mice, monitoring the impact of E. coli consumption on clinical signs, intestinal architecture, intestinal permeability, and fecal microbiota. Additionally, the protective effects of both strains were assessed in a murine model of 5-FU-induced mucositis. Results CEC15 mitigates inflammation, reinforces intestinal barrier, and modulates intestinal microbiota. In silico analysis revealed fewer pathogenicity-related traits in CEC15, when compared to Nissle 1917, with fewer toxin-associated genes and no gene suggesting the production of colibactin (a genotoxic agent). Most predicted antibiotic-resistance genes were neither associated with actual resistance, nor with transposable elements. The genome of CEC15 strain encodes proteins related to stress tolerance and to adhesion, in line with its better survival during digestion and higher adhesion to intestinal cells, when compared to Nissle 1917. Moreover, CEC15 exhibited beneficial effects on mice and their intestinal microbiota, both in healthy animals and against 5FU-induced intestinal mucositis. Conclusions These findings suggest that the CEC15 strain holds promise as a probiotic, as it could modulate the intestinal microbiota, providing immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory effects, and reinforcing the intestinal barrier. These findings may have implications for the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders, particularly some forms of diarrhea.

Abstract The early diagnosis of leprosy serves as an important tool to reduce the incidence of this disease in the world. Phage display (PD) technology can be used for mapping new antigens to the development of immunodiagnostic platforms. Our objective was to identify peptides that mimic Mycobacterium leprae proteins as serological markers using phage display technology. The phages were obtained in the biopanning using negative and positive serum from household contacts and leprosy patients, respectively. Then, the peptides were synthesized and validated in silico and in vitro for detection of IgG from patients and contacts. To characterize the native protein of M. leprae, scFv antibodies were selected against the synthetic peptides by PD. The scFv binding protein was obtained by immunocapture and confirmed using mass spectrometry. We selected two phase-fused peptides, MPML12 and MPML14, which mimic the HSP60 protein from M. leprae. The peptides MPML12 and MPML14 obtained 100% and 92.85% positivity in lepromatous patients. MPML12 and MPM14 detect IgG, especially in the multibacillary forms. The MPML12 and MPML14 peptides had positivity of 11.1% and 16.6% in household contacts, respectively. There was no cross-reaction in patient’s samples with visceral leishmaniasis, tuberculosis and other mycobacteriosis for both peptides. Given these results and the easy obtainment of mimetic antigens, our peptides are promising markers for application in the diagnosis of leprosy, especially in endemic and hyperendemic regions.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of humanity’s main health problems today. Despite all the breakthroughs and research over the past few years, the number of microbial illnesses that are resistant to the available antibiotics is increasing at an alarming rate. In this article, we estimated the biomedical potential of Portuguese propolis harvested from the Gerês apiary over five years, evaluating the in vitro antimicrobial effect of five hydroalcoholic extracts prepared from five single propolis samples and of a hydroalcoholic extract obtained from the mixture of all samples. The antimicrobial potential was firstly assessed by determining the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of these extracts against a panel of three Gram-positive (Bacillus subtilis, methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) and one Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli), as well as two yeasts (Candida albicans and Saccharomyces cerevisiae). As MIC values against each bacterium were consistent across all the evaluated propolis extracts, we decided to further conduct a disk diffusion assay, which included three commercial antibiotics—erythromycin, vancomycin, and amoxicillin/clavulanic acid—for comparison purposes. In addition to displaying a concentration-dependent antibacterial effect, the hydroalcoholic extracts prepared with 70% ethanol exhibited stronger antimicrobial capacity than vancomycin against B. subtilis (% of increase ranged between 26 and 59%) and methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (% of increase ranged between 63 and 77%). Moreover, methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) showed susceptibility to the activity of the same extracts and resistance to all tested antibiotics. These findings support that propolis from Gerês is a promising natural product with promising antimicrobial activity, representing a very stimulating result considering the actual problem with AMR.

Objetivo: relatar a experiência ao levar informações sobre a onicocriptose (unha encravada). Materiais e métodos: trata-se de um relato de experiência realizado por acadêmicas do 5º período do curso de Estética e Cosmética de uma instituição de ensino superior da cidade de Montes Claros-MG. Foi realizado um monitoramento entre os voluntários usuários do Spa Escola da mesma instituição, por um questionário, com o intuito de averiguar o conhecimento sobre as patologias que acometem as unhas através da plataforma Google Forms. A partir disso, foi desenvolvida uma cartilha com informações e cuidados a fim de prevenir e cuidar da onicocriptose. Resultados: a partir desse instrumento confeccionado, espera-se levar um maior conhecimento às pessoas em geral, como para os profissionais de saúde, sobre as patologias que acometem as unhas, fazendo com que a população possa compreender as causas e tratamentos para a onicocriptose e a importância de procurar um profissional adequado. Conclusão: observou-se, com a prática, que ainda há necessidade de mais estudos sobre a onicocriptose para o maior conhecimento da população. Dessa forma, para evitar ou tratar essa condição, deve-se buscar profissionais qualificados e cuidados específicos.

The present study evaluated the effects of dietary inclusion of spirulina on productive performance, nutrient utilization, and egg quality of Japanese quails. One hundred twenty quails were included in a completely randomized design with four treatments and five replicates. Treatments consisted of a control diet and three diets containing 0.3, 0.6, or 0.9% of spirulina powder. Spirulina inclusion had no effect (p > 0.05) on the productive performance, digestibility coefficients of dry matter and ether extract, calcium and phosphorus retention, weight and pH of the eggs, yolk index, albumen quality, and eggshell thickness when compared with the control diet. However, crude protein consumption was higher (p < 0.05) and the digestibility coefficient of crude protein was lower (p < 0.05) in birds in the 0.9% and 0.3% spirulina inclusion groups, respectively. The weights of the yolk and eggshell were improved (p < 0.007) by the inclusion of 0.6% and 0.9% and 0.9% spirulina, respectively. Quails fed diets containing 0.3% and 0.6% spirulina exhibited lower specific gravity of eggs (p < 0.019) than those fed diets containing 0.9% spirulina. Therefore, spirulina inclusion at 0.9% improved the eggshell quality and reduced the total lipid levels in the yolks.

Este estudo teve por objetivo explicitar o que as pesquisas do período de 2017 a 2021 evidenciam em relação à escola enquanto lugar de aprendizagem docente. Para tal, utilizou-se como método, a Revisão Sistemática de Literatura (RSL), em suas três fases: planejamento, condução e relato (KITCHENHAM, 2004). Para análise dos dados, empregou-se a Espiral de Análise proposta por Creswell (2014). Os resultados evidenciaram uma categoria central, seguida de quatro subcategorias, que confirmam a escola como lugar privilegiado de aprendizagem docente, em quatro aspectos: na formação inicial, no desenvolvimento de atividades de ensino, pesquisa e extensão em cooperação com a escola; na formação continuada, quando reconhecidas as necessidades formativas dos professores; na realidade vivenciada na escola, onde as práticas são reconstruídas; e nos saberes experienciais compartilhados no meio escolar.

Computed tomography (CT) images contribute to high-quality medical diagnosis, but radiation dose can be quite high, requiring accurate assessment. CT dose index (CTDI) was developed for dosimetric purposes, but for scanners operated exclusively in axial mode. Nowadays, CTDI underestimate patient dose in helical CT exams. AAPM report TG111 (2010) suggested a new metric in which the patient's radiation dose is obtained from dose profiles constructed from several measurements made with a small ionization chamber. It is also possible to obtain dose profiles using properly calibrated OSL (optically stimulated luminescence) strips. The main objective of the present work is to contribute to optimizing CT dosimetry, comparing dose profiles obtained with OSL strips with measurements obtained by other authors. In this work, a “pencil” ionization chamber and 20 cm x 0.3 cm OSL strips were X-ray-irradiated, in air and in the holes of two cylindrical CT phantoms, using 100, 120, 140 kV peak voltages, both in lab and in a clinical CT scanner. Irradiated strips were read using an OSL reader built in the GDRFM. OSL profiles were calibrated against ionization chamber. From them, CTDIw and CTDIvol values were determined, differing approximately 3.9% from those of the CT scanner. From the profiles, also the planar equilibrium dose Deq,p (TG111) was evaluated in some CT protocols; Deq,p exceeded the CTDI values from the CT scanner in every case. E.g.: The percentage difference between Deq,p and CTDIvol for the head phantom ranged between 33-25%. Thus, in some cases, it could be advantageous to use calibrated OSL dosimeters instead of ionization chambers to obtain the profiles, saving time, because it is possible to obtain five OSL profiles from a single phantom irradiation.

RESUMO Objetivo Analisar a correlação entre resultados obtidos no Sinais Enunciativos de Aquisição da Linguagem (SEAL) e na Escala Bayley III e comparar bebês com e sem atraso na aquisição da linguagem aos 24 meses no desempenho obtido por ele e sua mãe no SEAL dos 3 aos 24 meses. Método A coleta do SEAL constou de filmagens de 45 bebês, realizadas nas faixas etárias de 3 a 24 meses em interação com suas mães, com duração de 15 minutos, que foram avaliados por duas fonoaudiólogas treinadas no uso do SEAL. Aos 24 meses, os 45 bebês foram avaliados pela Escala Bayley III e selecionado o item linguagem para classificá-los com e sem atraso. Sobre tais resultados realizaram-se as análises estatísticas com o teste de correlação de Pearson e o teste exato de Fisher. Resultados Obtiveram-se as médias de sinais no desenvolvimento típico que foi 18 sinais e, em casos de atraso, a média foi de 12 sinais. Na comparação da relação de presença e ausência dos sinais entre os grupos com e sem atraso na aquisição da linguagem, oito sinais do bebê e um da mãe diferiram estatisticamente na amostra. O fator materno apresentou-se tão importante quanto o infantil na compreensão do funcionamento de linguagem dos bebês na análise realizada com o SEAL nos casos de atraso. Conclusão Houve correlação significativa entre o desempenho no SEAL entre 3 e 24 meses e o desfecho de linguagem aos 24 meses avaliado pela Escala Bayley III nesta amostra.

Copyright of Environmental & Social Management Journal / Revista de Gestão Social e Ambiental is the property of Environmental & Social Management Journal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of GeSec: Revista de Gestao e Secretariado is the property of Sindicato das Secretarias e Secretarios do Estado de Sao Paulo (SINSESP) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Propolis, a natural resin created by bees, has garnered significant attention from both the scientific community and industry due to an impressive range of bioactivities. Nonetheless, the intrinsic variability in its chemical composition and bioactive profiles has been hindering propolis’ full potential use. We previously showed that ethanol extracts (EEs) of a Portuguese propolis sample (Gerês) collected over four consecutive years displayed similar chemical and biological profiles, a constancy never documented before. However, the characteristics of the unprocessed samples of Gerês propolis were never described. Hence, the central objective of this study is to assess the quality parameters of unprocessed propolis samples collected from Gerês (G), over a four-year period (2019–2022), alongside the analysis of the chemical composition and bioactivities of the EEs prepared with the same raw samples. The ash, wax, balsam and water contents of the unprocessed samples—G19 to G22—showed minor fluctuations, likely attributed to uncontrollable natural events impacting the propolis source and collection process. On the other hand, the antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of all the four ethanol extracts (G19.EE–G22.EE) consistently align with prior studies. Furthermore, the Gerês propolis extracts showed remarkable uniformity in chemical composition parameters too, particularly concerning total polyphenol, flavonoid and ortho-diphenol contents. In summary, our research reinforces the beneficial properties of propolis and show that extracts’ bioactivities remain within the reference ranges for Gerês propolis, despite minor differences in unprocessed samples, suggesting a consistent action over time. Thus, this work could be instrumental towards the establishment of standard parameters for propolis applications, offering valuable insights to this field of propolis research.

The aim of this study was to show how maltose production residues can be used to obtain natural pigments by Monascus ruber CCT 3802 in solid and submerged cultures. The microbial growth and the colour and heat stability characteristics of the pigments produced in both solid and submerged media, with different maltose syrup concentrations, were determined. The results showed that the addition of maltose provided significant increases in the velocity of microbial growth and production of red pigments. The highest radial growth velocity of Monascus ruber (0.1053 mm h−1) was obtained when cultivated in a medium containing 5 g L−1 of maltose syrup, corresponding to a 71.7% increase in growth as compared to the growth velocity in the control medium. Using submerged fermentation, the culture medium containing 10 g L−1 of maltose syrup provided the greatest concentrations of red pigments (14.54 AU510nm g−1 dry biomass) with an intense dark red colour, showing that Monascus ruber CCT 3802 had the capacity to assimilate the substrate and produce pigments. The red pigments produced in the cultures showed good heat stability with activation energies of 13.735 Kcal mol−1.

Introdução: Este caso descreve um dos efeitos adversos possíveis da contraceção intrauterina, nomeadamente do dispositivo intrauterino de cobre (Cu-DIU), e explora o procedimento a realizar no âmbito dos cuidados de saúde primários (CSP). Descrição do caso: Em outubro de 2019, a utente optou por Cu-DIU e realizou uma ecografia pré-procedimento (sem alterações). Em fevereiro de 2020 foi colocado um Cu-DIU nos CSP, o que ocorreu sem intercorrências; pediu-se ecografia de controlo. Devido ao contexto pandémico, a utente não a realizou e manteve método de barreira. Em março de 2021, a ecografia realizada não identificou o Cu-DIU. A utente negou perceção de expulsão do dispositivo ou outros sintomas. Na observação não foram detetados os fios do Cu-DIU, pelo que se solicitou radiografia abdominal. Realizada em abril de 2021, esta mostrava o dispositivo “na zona média da escavação pélvica, em posição oblíqua de perfil”. Uma nova ecografia ginecológica identificou o DIU na “escavação pélvica, em topografia extrauterina, lateralizado à esquerda do útero”. A utente foi encaminhada para consulta hospitalar urgente e notificou-se a ocorrência à Unidade de Vigilância de Produtos de Saúde (UVPS), da Direção de Produtos de Saúde (DPS) do INFARMED. Em consulta de ginecologia, em junho de 2021, a utente ficou inscrita para laparoscopia para remoção de Cu-DIU e salpingectomia bilateral para contraceção definitiva. Comentário: Este caso alerta para a importância da avaliação ecográfica, após colocação de dispositivos intrauterinos, para confirmação da sua localização e garantia, por um lado, da eficácia do método e, por outro, da rápida deteção de complicações. Pretendeu-se ainda fazer uma breve revisão do procedimento a adotar em casos semelhantes: realização de exame físico e exames complementares de diagnóstico, participação às autoridades competentes e referenciação precoce à ginecologia para a rápida resolução da situação.

Melanoma is the deadliest type of skin cancer, with about 61,000 deaths annually worldwide. Late diagnosis increases mortality rates due to melanoma’s capacity to metastasise rapidly and patients’ resistance to the available conventional therapies. Consequently, the interest in natural products as a strategy for drug discovery has been emerging. Propolis, a natural product produced by bees, has several biological properties, including anticancer effects. Propolis from Gerês is one of the most studied Portuguese propolis. Our group has previously demonstrated that an ethanol extract of Gerês propolis collected in 2018 (G18.EE) and its fractions (n-hexane, ethyl acetate, and n-butanol) decrease melanoma cell viability. Out of all the fractions, G18.EE-n-BuOH showed the highest potential as a melanoma pharmacological therapy. Thus, in this work, G18.EE-n-BuOH was fractioned into 17 subfractions whose effect was evaluated in A375 BRAF-mutated melanoma cells. The subfractions with the highest cytotoxic activity were analysed by UPLC-DAD-ESI/MSn in an attempt to understand which phenolic compounds could account for the anti-melanoma activity. The compounds identified are typical of the Gerês propolis, and some of them have already been linked with antitumor effectiveness. These results reaffirm that propolis compounds can be a source of new drugs and the isolation of compounds could allow its use in traditional medicine.

The Fraud Diamond theory (rationalization, opportunity, motivation and perceived capability) has been widely used as a framework to explain criminal behavior. However, little is known about its application in an academic context. Research on the relationship between the prevalence of academic fraud (e.g., cheating on exams, plagiarizing essays) and students' perceptions of the severity of such behaviors is also lacking. We surveyed 1,032 university students and asked them whether they engaged in fraudulent behaviors and how severe they thought these behaviors were. The results showed that motivation, rationalization, and perceived capability dimensions of the Fraud Diamond theory are important factors in predicting the prevalence of students' academic fraudulent behavior, but not opportunity. We also found that the more students reported that they engaged in fraudulent academic behaviors, the less severe they perceived those behaviors to be. However, only rationalization emerged as a predictor of perceived severity. The results suggest that the more students are able to find justifications for their fraudulent behavior, the less severe they perceive those behaviors to be. Rationalization seems to explain, therefore, the tendency to disassociate moral values from dishonest behavior. Taken together, the study shows a vicious cycle between engaging in fraudulent academic behavior and the ability to justify these acts. Implications for Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are discussed. Plain language summary: Understanding students' academic cheating using the fraud diamond theory Purpose: To examine whether the Fraud Diamond theory explains fraudulent academic behavior (e.g., cheating on exams, plagiarizing essays). More specifically, to determine the relationship between the prevalence of academic fraud and students' perceptions of the severity and whether the ability to justify fraudulent academic behavior is related to the students' perception of its severity. Methods: A survey was administered to 1,032 university students who agreed to participate in the study. Hypotheses were tested using correlational and predictive statistical techniques. Conclusions: The Fraud Diamond theory can be used to explain the prevalence of students' fraudulent academic behavior. The severity of such behavior is explained by the students' ability to justify their fraudulent actions. The more the students cheat, the less severe they find this behavior to be, suggesting that students feel that cheating occasionally is not a big deal. Implications: Promoting a culture of integrity is more than just the implementation of control mechanisms of face-to-face and virtual invigilation. Programs of academic integrity including institutional, group, and individual level approaches are needed to create a sense of moral identity and self-control mechanisms which will reduce the propensity to cheat. Limitations: The data for this study is drawn from the students subjective self-reported experiences of their fraudulent behavior and may not accurately reflect objective prevalence of fraudulent behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Objective: to apply an empathy map to assess nursing professionals’ needs, desires, frustrations and aspirations regarding educational actions. Methods: a cross-sectional study, carried out in a hospital institution with 164 nursing professionals, who responded to the empathy map, which clarified their participation in institutional educational actions, which were collected from 2019 to 2020, and analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: when using the empathy map, educational actions focused on routines predominated, with the sharing of knowledge; promotion of improvements in care; agreement of commitment with proposed actions; insufficient compliance; little incentive to participate; dispersed guidelines among professionals; increased labor demand; and educational activity during the working day. Conclusions: the empathy map, applied as an instrument for assessing the institutional educational process, qualified as appropriate educational actions or opportunities to improve significant learning for professional nursing education.