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This article aims to systematically investigate and elucidate the transformative effects of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) on marketing strategies and consumer engagement within the tourism and hospitality industries. The research methodology employed in this article encompasses a quantitative approach, underpinned by the use of cluster analysis to categorize and interpret complex multivariate data. This methodological framework is chosen to provide a rigorous, data-driven examination of the impacts of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) on marketing strategies and consumer behavior in the tourism and hospitality industry. The results of this investigation reveal significan t insights into the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) in enhancing marketing strategies within the tourism and hospitality sectors. Through the application of the k-means clustering algorithm to the collected dataset, distinct patterns of consumer behavior and preferences have emerged, underscoring the potential of AI and ML to revolutionize marketing approaches and consumer engagement. The findings from this research underscore the pivotal role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) in transforming marketing strategies and enhancing consumer engagement within the tourism and hospitality industries. The utilization of cluster analysis, specifically the k -means algorithm, has facilitated a deeper understanding of consumer behavior patterns, leading to several key conclusions.

Introduction: The affirmative policies in Brazil guarantee the provision of undergraduate medical education to People with Disability (PWD). The objective was to estimate the prevalence of PWD undergraduate medical students in Brazil in 2019.Methods: This is an exploratory, descriptive study that used census data from the total population of the undergraduatemedical students (N=183,646) who were enrolled at the Brazilian medical schools, in 2019. The data are secondary, unidentified and accessed online, and were originally collected by the Higher Education Census conducted by Anísio Teixeira National Institute of Educational Studies and Research (INEP), which used a questionnaire designed to capture information from students and medical courses. The descriptive analysis was based on absolute and relative frequencies.Results: The prevalence of medical students that were PWD was 0.80% (1,460/183,646), and this includes both Brazilian and foreign students. The latter includes people from 76 different countries. Foreign students who are PWD came from eight different countries: Bolivia, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Republic of Congo, Paraguay, Philippines, Singapore and Spain. Most of the PWD were male (51.37%), aged 20 to 24 years (46.78%) and of non-white ethnicity (52.26%). Most students were enrolled in public medical schools (73.97%). A fraction of PWD students (6.51%) was enrolled in medical schools with no specific resource or assistance for PWD. The highest prevalence was the physical disability (39.11%), followed by low vision accuracy (24.45%), intellectual (15.41%), low hearing (14.11%), blindness (3.97%), multiple disabilities (2.47%) and deafness (1.51%).Conclusions: The prevalence of PWD medical students in Brazil is low, and is dominated by students with physical and sensory disabilities but lacks the deaf-blind. Despite the existence of legal regulations favoring PWD to study medicine, some medical schools have not done adequate adjustments to accommodate them. This suggests that affirmative policies for the inclusion of PWD in higher education, particularly in medicine, still need improvement.

Aeromonas spp. are environmental bacteria able to infect animals and humans. Here, we aim to evaluate the role of biofilms in Aeromonas persistence in freshwater. Aeromonas were isolated from water and biofilm samples and identified by Vitek-MS and 16S rRNA sequencing. Antibiotic susceptibility profiles were determined according to EUCAST, and a crystal violet assay was used to assess biofilm assembly. MTT and the enumeration of colony-forming units were used to evaluate biofilm and planktonic Aeromonas susceptibility to chlorination, respectively. Identification at the species level was challenging, suggesting the need to improve the used methodologies. Five different Aeromonas species (A. salmonicida, A. hydrophila, A. media, A. popoffii and A. veronii) were identified from water, and one species was identified from biofilms (A. veronii). A. veronnii and A. salmonicida presented resistance to different antibiotics, whith the highest resistance rate observed for A. salmonicida (multiple antibiotic resistance index of 0.25). Of the 21 isolates, 11 were biofilm producers, and 10 of them were strong biofilm producers (SBPs). The SBPs presented increased tolerance to chlorine disinfection when compared with their planktonic counterparts. In order to elucidate the mechanisms underlying biofilm tolerance to chlorine and support the importance of preventing biofilm assembly in water reservoirs, further research is required.

A survey focused on 34 specific attributes of service quality in fitness centres was applied to 657 fitness centre clients in the city of Rio de Janeiro, following a stratified sampling process. The article aims to identify the most relevant attributes of service quality, from clients' perspective, necessary for potential future excellence-based classification schemes of fitness centres in Rio de Janeiro. A quartile analysis determined that the most critical attributes, i.e., with greatest average relevance, are related to the following aspects: (i) fitness centre environment, (ii) location and access, (iii) instructors' qualifications and (iv) results of training plans, while the items considered less relevant on average concern the following aspects: (i) additional services provided by the fitness centre, (ii) social interaction promoted by the centre and (iii) administrative employees. There is no similar research on the evaluation of service quality, from users' perspective, in fitness centers in Rio de Janeiro, and there is still no consensus in literature concerning instruments for such purpose and concerning what are the most relevant attributes to customers, when assessing service quality. In accordance, this research is relevant through providing data which are necessary to construct a hierarchical classification of fitness centres in relation to the quality of services provided.

The myeloid lineage is central to homeostasis and immunity. The authors provide an atlas of human iPSC-to-myeloid cell differentiation and demonstrate that the in vitro system recapitulates yolk sac differentiation, opening new avenues to human myelopoiesis.

The ability of governments and nations to handle crises and protect the lives of citizens is heavily dependent on the public's trust in their governments and related social institutions. The aim of the present research was to understand public trust in government during a time of crisis, drawing on interview data (N = 56) collected during the COVID-19 pandemic (2021). In addition to the general public (n = 11), participants were sampled to obtain diversity as it relates to identifying as First Nations, Métis, and Inuit (n = 7), LGBT2SQ+ (n = 5), low-income (n = 8), Black Canadians (n = 7), young adult (n = 8), and newcomers to Canada (n = 10). Data were coded in consideration of social theories of trust, and specifically the nature of trust between individuals and institutions working with government in pandemic management. Canadians' trust in government was shaped by perceptions of pandemic communication, as well as decision-making and implementation of countermeasures. Data suggest that although participants did not trust government, they were accepting of measures and messages as presented through government channels, pointing to the importance of (re)building trust in government. Perhaps more importantly however, data indicate that resources should be invested in monitoring and evaluating public perception of individuals and institutions generating the evidence-base used to guide government communication and decision-making to ensure trust is maintained. Theoretically, our work adds to our understanding of the nature of trust as it relates to the association between interpersonal and institutional trust, and also the nature of trust across institutions.

The article aims to compare the perceptions of three groups of stakeholders regarding the relevance of specific attributes of service quality in fitness centres in Rio de Janeiro. The approach was qualitative, of the survey type, with stratified sampling and application of a single instrument formed of 34 specific attributes of the quality of services in fitness centres. To identify differences in the relevance of each attribute for clients, managers and instructors, variance analysis was performed through the Kruskal-Wallis test. IBM SPSS v 25 for Windows was used for statistical treatment. The study was carried out with 657 clients, 123 managers and 180 instructors in the city of Rio de Janeiro. The scale with 34 items presented a global and group Cronbach alpha that validated the instrument's internal consistency, confirming that its items measure the same construct. There were differences in the relevance attributed by the three groups in 32,4% of the attributes, showing non-alignment in the perceptions of those who deliver, manage and consume services in those fitness centres. It was not possible to compare the results obtained with previous studies due to the non-existence of research focusing on different stakeholders' perceptions of the attributes of service quality in companies in this business segment, revealing that the topic is a new perspective in assessing the quality of services in fitness environments.

Psoriasis is a complex human-specific disease characterized by perturbed keratinocyte proliferation and a pro-inflammatory environment in the skin. Porcine skin architecture and immunity are very similar to that in humans, rendering the pig a suitable animal model for studying the biology and treatment of psoriasis. Expression of integrins, which is normally confined to the basal layer of the epidermis, is maintained in suprabasal keratinocytes in psoriatic skin, modulating proliferation and differentiation as well as leukocyte infiltration. Here, we generated minipigs co-expressing integrins α2 and β1 in suprabasal epidermal layers. Integrin-transgenic minipigs born into the project displayed skin phenotypes that correlated with the number of inserted transgenes. Molecular analyses were in good concordance with histological observations of psoriatic hallmarks, including hypogranulosis and T-lymphocyte infiltration. These findings mark the first creation of minipigs with a psoriasiform phenotype resembling human psoriasis and demonstrate that integrin signaling plays a key role in psoriasis pathology.

Almost two decades have passed since the beginning of the millennium, digital marketing and mobile technology are evolving so fast that has changed the way tourists travel, plan and experience their holidays, even more so with the newer generations, who are more propense to travel, discover the world and to use these technologies. The extraordinary increase of tourism in Portugal in the last decades, made it important to understand the role that digital marketing and mobile technology are playing in this area. Tourism in Portugal, is one of the most important economic sectors of the country, weighting 13,7% of the GDP in 2017, according to the Portuguese Republic and it’s growing year after year. Some of the reasons for this success are obviously the unique characteristics of this small country (The Algarve, Douro valley, historical cities like Lisbon and Oporto, gastronomical and wine variety, a friendly and welcoming people, cheap prices for European standards, security). Digital marketing and mobile technology are key factors for the players in the industry of tourism, so we are going to try and determine how they are influencing tourists in their choices. Based on the use of a quantitative research and in view of the fact that it is intended to analyze attitudes, intentions and behaviors the data was collected through a questionnaire (Cunha, 2019).

Several hospitality industry operations face the concerns of coordinating and organizing a customized customer contact service point for their customers, especially with the connection with the customer preference and details. Hence, customers experience some series of intermittent communications when they come across various contact points within the hospitality industry. Thus, the purpose of this study was to concentrate on ascertaining the impact of customized customer contact services on customer’s experience in the Oporto hospitality industry in Portugal. The study investigated two hundred participants, who are guests of hospitality industries in Oporto. The study adopted a descriptive analysis method to find the overall result of the study. The study further adopted T-test and ANOVA to carry out the analysis for this research. Findings from this work shows that guests of the hospitality industry highly acknowledged the importance of a customized contact service point and its positive impact on their lives. The study further showed that there is a significant difference between income of guests and how it impacts on their experience towards a customized contact point. Other findings showed that both age and gender of the customer does not necessarily impact on their experience towards a customized customer service contact point; thus the study shows no significant differences.

It is widely recognized in the literature that all the steps of the tourism journey, from inspiration to posttravel phase, are being influenced by mobile technologies. The characteristics of mobile and its several Apps revolutionized how tourists plan, experience and share feedback of their trips. Due to the fact that Millennials are very comfortable with technology and devices, this research explores how Portuguese Millennials use their mobile Apps before, during and after their trips. Based on the use of a quantitative research and in view of the fact that it intended to analyze attitudes, intentions and behaviours the data was collected through a questionnaire (Burns & Bush, 2006, Günther, 2006). The convenience sample used consisted of 1200 Portuguese part of the Millenials Generation.

The investigation in this study focuses on evaluating phenomenon, relationship and variance between variables in destructive relationships as a critical component of organizational life, facing it from various points of view, such as trust and partnering, project management and relational coordination. The term “co-destruction” is now used in the hospitality service environment to describe the phenomenon in which multiple actors interact and integrate their resources to realize valuable benefits, yet their collaborations result in a decline of the wellbeing of at least one of the participating actors. In the recent past, scholars have begun to dedicate their attention towards destructive relationships as a critical component of organizational life, facing it from various points of view, such as trust and partnering (Cunha, 2014), project management (Adrian et al, 2000), and relational coordination. The term “co-destruction” (Payne, 2016) is now used in the service ecosystem to describe the phenomenon in which multiple actors interact and integrate their resources to realize valuable benefits, yet their collaborations result in the decline of the wellbeing of at least one of the actors (Cunha, 2019). Considering the research objective of this investigation which thus focuses on evaluating phenomenon, relationship and variance between variables, the aim and objectives of this study were met through adopting a descriptive research design. Additionally, state of art aspects have been made through the use of an explorative research design for establishing the background for assessment of the capacity of the entire investigation

Este estudo, visa compreender a capacidade adaptativa dos cuidadores informais familiares (CIFs) face às dificuldades do dia-a-adia, através do conceito de resiliência. Formulado o problema Qual a capacidade de resiliência do CIF de idosos dependentes, face às dificuldades resultantes do ato de cuidar?, foram definidos os objetivos compreender as dificuldades associadas ao ato de cuidar; verificar quais os constrangimentos sentidos na vida pessoal do CIF e avaliar o seu nível de resiliência. A metodologia utilizada foi, quantitativa/qualitativa, os instrumentos de recolha de dados foram um inquérito por questionário, uma entrevista semiestruturada e a aplicação da Escala Breve de Coping Resiliente. Foi selecionada uma amostra por conveniência, 20 CIFs, 10 do meio urbano e 10 do meio rural. Os resultados permitiram verificar uma capacidade de resiliência superior quando são os filhos os cuidadores. As dificuldades estão relacionadas com o desgaste físico, emocional/psicológico, sendo a limitação da liberdade e a alteração da dinâmica familiar os constrangimentos da vida pessoal.

In this article we analyze the research studies carried out by northeast Portuguese about the existing Ethnomathematics knowledge in traditional professions and artefacts. We refer to craft trades such as cooperage, tinsmithing, locksmithing and carpentry, and artefacts built by these craftsmen, such as barrels and vats, oil cans and other canned vessels, wrought-iron balconies, and yokes. We reflect on these studies and we disclose their potential in educational terms. We verified that it is possible to apply ethnomathematical knowledge and know-how in the context of the mathematics classroom in the 2nd and 3rd cycles of Portuguese education, and that this has its advantages. The mathematical contents are contextualized and the students discover uses of mathematics that they did not suspect, although being very close to them. In short, artisans feel their work valued and students become more aware of the culture of their region, in addition to learning math in an experimental and more engaging way.

Este estudo sobre A perceção dos idosos autónomos face ao seu próprio envelhecimento tem como objetivos analisar como os idosos autónomos vivenciam o seu próprio processo de envelhecimento, refletir sobre os ganhos e perdas das suas vidas e verificar que estratégias de enfrentamento/adaptação são criadas, de forma a responder à questão chave Quais as perceções dos idosos autónomos face ao seu próprio envelhecimento? A metodologia utilizada é de natureza qualitativa, uma entrevista semiestruturada é aplicada a quatro idosos do sexo feminino e quatro do sexo masculino, sendo esta uma amostra não probabilística e intencional. A análise de conteúdo dos dados permite concluir que os participantes desenvolvem estratégias de enfrentamento e autodefesa, fazendo-se valer de fatores intrínsecos, como a continuidade das atividades de vida diária, a valorização da experiência e de fatores extrínsecos, como a satisfação com o bem-estar dos filhos e a preservação e valorização das relações sociais. Contudo, a velhice é percecionada num quadro negativo, associado à idade cronológica, dependência, fragilidade e solidão, o que gera frustração e dificuldade em lidar com o envelhecimento.

Tomando como premissa inicial o facto de que todo o trabalho educativo deve ter um caráter transdisciplinar, pretendemos com este estudo, de índole teórica, refletir sobre a transdisciplinaridade como estratégia de ensino aprendizagem. O principal objetivo é contribuir para o desenvolvimento formativo dos alunos do ensino superior e fomentar o desenvolvimento de competências que aportem ferramentas teóricas adequadas a uma educação formal e à sua própria vida, ajudando - os a cumprir o que lhes é exigido pelo sistema, reforçando o seu o espírito crítico. A metodologia utilizada tem por base a análise documental, baseada num processo colaborativo, no trabalho em equipa e no fornecimento de um conhecimento comum. Ancorados no lema de que a relação docente/discente assenta nas premissas aprender a aprender, aprender a ensinar, desenvolver o espírito crítico e as competências democráticas, a pesquisa transdisciplinar, como técnica de ensino-aprendizagem, permitirá que os diferentes atores atinjam o sucesso educativo.

The aim of this study was to document the records of bat species collected at the Estação de Pesquisa Treinamento e Educação Ambiental (EPTEA) da Mata do Paraíso, a small fragment of Atlantic Rainforest of 200 ha in Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Original data was obtained by capture sessions with mist nets from November 2007 to October 2008, and complemented with material from the collection database of Museu de Zoologia João Moojen, Universidade Federal de Viçosa. We found a total of 17 bat species distributed in five families at the EPTEA Mata do Paraíso.

We report the rediscovery of Lonchophylla bokermanni – a species threatened by extinction in Brazil – in Minas Gerais after 25 years (where it was known only from the type-locality), and add three new localities from Espírito Santo, southeastern Brazil. The external and craniodental measurements of the additional specimens fall within the expected range of values for L. bokermanni, although specimens from the Atlantic Rainforest (Rio de Janeiro and Espírito Santo) show a tendency to be smaller.

Este trabalho, de índole teórica, pretende evidenciar o papel do educador social, a necessidade de formação e de aquisição de competências instrumentais e sociais necessárias à criação dinâmica de pontes socioeducativas, determinantes na construção da sua identidade profissional O educador social é um profissional que desenvolve a sua prática num processo de ação reflexão ação, que se debate com problemas, conflitos e dilemas éticos. Serão abordados aspetos fundamentais para o seu reconhecimento público e consolidação enquanto profissional ativo e atuante, impulsionador das mudanças e da rentabilização dos recursos humanos e dos equipamentos a nível local e regional. Palavras- chave: educador social, competências formais e não formais; formação contínua, identidade profissional

O trabalho de projeto é uma metodologia investigativa centrada na resolução de problemas reais e pertinentes, que permite criar uma nova relação entre a prática e a teoria, entre os saberes escolares e os saberes sociais. O tema, considerado oportuno e de interesse para os alunos, permitirá cumprir a intencionalidade do estudo e preconizar aprendizagens significativas, ativas e socializadoras. Partir-se-á de um estudo de caso de tipo observacional em que, após a identificação e formulação de problemas, cujo diagnóstico será feito através de uma análise SWOT, se procederá à pesquisa e produção, que conduzirá à apresentação, globalização e avaliação final do produto. Para recolha de informação serão utilizadas como técnicas de pesquisa inquéritos por questionário, uma observação não participante e uma entrevista formal e individual à docente do 3º ano de escolaridade. A análise dos dados permitir-nos-á construir as considerações finais, com as quais se pretenderá uma reflexão crítica sobre a problemática enunciada. Palavras – chave: projeto, metodologia, saberes sociais, saberes escolares.

O principal objectivo deste trabalho foi uma investigação sobre a problemática, in(ex)clusão dos imigrantes em Bragança, cuja abordagem permitiu não só analisar as actuais tendências imigratórias e os impactos socioeconómicos que as mesmas têm a nível local, mas também reflectir sobre algumas respostas locaisarticuladas ao nível das necessidades de acolhimento e integração dos cidadãos imigrantes. A metodologia utilizada foi o método de análise extensiva, abrangente, em situações reais, sobre as quais, a posteriori, foram tecidas considerações finais, através de uma análise quantitativa e qualitativa. Como procedimento de recolha e análise de dados foram usadas técnicas de pesquisa diversificadas, através de uma observação não participante, tendo sido elaborados e aplicados sessenta e oito inquéritos por questionário e feita uma entrevista formal ao Senhor Presidente da Câmara Municipal de Bragança, pois a integração dos imigrantes realiza-se, sobretudo, a nível local/regional, com a colaboração de diferentes instituições, nomeadamente o poder autárquico. Palavras-chave: imigração, inclusão/exclusão social, económica, étnica, cultural, impactos económicos.

O presente trabalho tem como objetivo investigar aspetos do percurso escolar e da prática de ensino no primeiro ano da carreira docente de um professor de Matemática, relativa ao tema Sistemas de Equações, para um maior conhecimento do professor. O método usado foi o da análise documental, em particular do seu acervo pessoal. O estudo considerado mostra que o professor desde muito cedo escolheu a profissão docente e as aulas no ano letivo de 1999/2000 foram marcadas por um estilo de ensino expositivo, baseado na resolução de exercícios e que recorreu ao manual adotado e uma preocupação sumativa na avaliação.

The pattern of epidemic meningococcal disease in the African meningitis belt may be influenced by the background level of population immunity but this has been measured infrequently. A standardised enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for measuring meningococcal serogroup A IgG antibodies was established at five centres within the meningitis belt. Antibody concentrations were then measured in 3930 individuals stratified by age and residence from six countries. Seroprevalence by age was used in a catalytic model to determine the force of infection. Meningococcal serogroup A IgG antibody concentrations were high in each country but showed heterogeneity across the meningitis belt. The geometric mean concentration (GMC) was highest in Ghana (9.09 μg/mL [95% CI 8.29, 9.97]) and lowest in Ethiopia (1.43 μg/mL [95% CI 1.31, 1.57]) on the margins of the belt. The force of infection was lowest in Ethiopia (λ = 0.028). Variables associated with a concentration above the putative protective level of 2 μg/mL were age, urban residence and a history of recent vaccination with a meningococcal vaccine. Prior to vaccination with the serogroup A meningococcal conjugate vaccine, meningococcal serogroup A IgG antibody concentrations were high across the African meningitis belt and yet the region remained susceptible to epidemics.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0147928.].

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is characterized by great genetic and clinical heterogeneity which complicates prognostic prediction and influences treatment efficacy. The most common regimen, R-CHOP, consists of a combination of anthracycline- and immuno-based drugs including Rituximab. It remains elusive how and to which extent genetic variability impacts the response and potential tolerance to R-CHOP. Hence, an improved understanding of mechanisms leading to drug tolerance in B-cells is crucial, and modelling by genetic intervention directly in B-cells is fundamental in such investigations. Lentivirus-based gene vectors are widely used gene vehicles, which in B-cells are an attractive alternative to potentially toxic transfection-based methodologies. Here, we investigate the use of VSV-G-pseudotyped lentiviral vectors in B-cells for exploring the impact of microRNAs on tolerance to Rituximab. Notably, we find that robust lentiviral transduction of cancerous B-cell lines markedly and specifically enhances the resistance of transduced germinal center B-cells (GCBs) to Rituximab. Although Rituximab works partially through complement-mediated cell lysis, increased tolerance is not achieved through effects of lentiviral transduction on cell death mediated by complement. Rather, reduced levels of PARP1 and persistent high levels of CD43 in Rituximab-treated GCBs demonstrate anti-apoptotic effects of lentiviral transduction that may interfere with the outcome and interpretation of Rituximab tolerance studies. Our findings stress that caution should be exercised exploiting lentiviral vectors in studies of tolerance to therapeutics in DLBCL. Importantly, however, we demonstrate the feasibility of using the lentiviral gene delivery platform in studies addressing the impact of specific microRNAs on Rituximab responsiveness.

Integrins constitute a superfamily of transmembrane signaling receptors that play pivotal roles in cutaneous homeostasis by modulating cell growth and differentiation as well as inflammatory responses in the skin. Subrabasal expression of integrins α2 and/or β1 entails hyperproliferation and aberrant differentiation of keratinocytes and leads to dermal and epidermal influx of activated T-cells. The anatomical and physiological similarities between porcine and human skin make the pig a suitable model for human skin diseases. In efforts to generate a porcine model of cutaneous inflammation, we employed the Sleeping Beauty DNA transposon system for production of transgenic cloned Göttingen minipigs expressing human β1 or α2 integrin under the control of a promoter specific for subrabasal keratinocytes. Using pools of transgenic donor fibroblasts, cloning by somatic cell nuclear transfer was utilized to produce reconstructed embryos that were subsequently transferred to surrogate sows. The resulting pigs were all transgenic and harbored from one to six transgene integrants. Molecular analyses on skin biopsies and cultured keratinocytes showed ectopic expression of the human integrins and localization within the keratinocyte plasma membrane. Markers of perturbed skin homeostasis, including activation of the MAPK pathway, increased expression of the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-1α, and enhanced expression of the transcription factor c-Fos, were identified in keratinocytes from β1 and α2 integrin-transgenic minipigs, suggesting the induction of a chronic inflammatory phenotype in the skin. Notably, cellular dysregulation obtained by overexpression of either β1 or α2 integrin occurred through different cellular signaling pathways. Our findings mark the creation of the first cloned pig models with molecular markers of skin inflammation. Despite the absence of an overt psoriatic phenotype, these animals may possess increased susceptibility to severe skin damage-induced inflammation and should be of great potential in studies aiming at the development and refinement of topical therapies for cutaneous inflammation including psoriasis.