Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos
Recent publications
In this essay, we work over the imageries of exoplanetary exploration in digital games, observing their connections with concepts from media theories and science fiction studies. This articulation aims to comprehend how, in a philosofictional manner, games fictionally extrapolate the conditions of possibility for astronomical observation, allegorizing a series of contemporary themes regarding the technoscientific knowledge of space and planetary systems. As an analytical procedure, we observe game assets, images, and design dynamics, articulating them theoretically in three axes: technoscientific paraphernalia, compared planetology, and oblique orbits. With this, we understand how games can creatively approach (and, in the light of science fiction, extrapolate) contemporary relationships between science, technology, and society.
The proliferation of social media has begun to reshape the traditional dynamics of sales processes, an assumption central to contemporary research in this domain. This transformation has prompted an investigation into the relationship between social media use and firm performance, a pivotal query within the landscape of empirical theoretical models in sales research. Despite an abundance of related publications, a clear consensus on the catalyzers (inducers) and deterrents (inhibitors) influencing outcomes in salesperson social media use remains elusive. Bridging this knowledge gap, the present research undertakes a comprehensive meta-analysis of 1,391 effect sizes distilled from 49 related studies. Our research scrutinizes the antecedents, consequences, and moderating factors associated with salesperson social media use, thereby contributing both conceptually and empirically to the understanding of social media use in sales. Our findings indicate that both training and support as well as customer orientation are significant firm-related antecedents to social media use in sales. However, the impact of the former was found to be stronger than the latter. Furthermore, our research advises prudent judgment when employing social media for building relationships with clients. Even though a salesperson’s market knowledge can stimulate social media use and consequently enhance firm performance, our research posits that adaptive selling possesses the potential to facilitate this relationship more significantly. Lastly, our research enriches the social media and sales literature by illuminating the impact of dominant business models and the employment of customer relationship management (CRM), showing that strategies prevalent in business-to-consumer (B2C) contexts and the integration of CRM tend to amplify the positive effects of social media use on firm performance.
We present an updated distribution of Akodon reigi, a sigmodontine endemic to Campos in southern South America, and explore its habitat of occurrence and genetic diversity. Our findings reveal new occurrences of A. reigi extending approximately 110 km northwest and 120 km northeast beyond previously known limits. Contrary to previous assumptions of close association with forest formations, recent sightings suggest a degree of habitat plasticity within the species, with specimens found in shrubby/herbaceous phytophysiognomies. Fifty-three individuals sequenced for Cytochrome b (cyt b; 806 bp) and the first exon of Interphotoreceptor Retinoid Binding Protein (IRBP; 408 bp) showed low variability. Eleven distinct cyt b haplotypes were identified. The largest haplotype richness was observed in a locality in the Sul-Riograndense Shield, a region that could represent a center of the species’ genetic diversification. No nucleotide variation was observed for IRBP. No significant indications of population expansion or contraction were detected. The relatively small range, the low genetic diversity, and the current condition of habitat stress due to floods related to global climate change draw attention to the species’ conservation.
There are currently approximately 132 million wheelchair users worldwide, and technology plays a crucial role in addressing various aspects of health and well-being for persons who rely on wheelchairs. This systematic review highlights solutions and technologies developed using machine learning to enhance the well-being of wheelchair users, focusing on the benefits achieved. The research filtered and discussed 26 articles published between January 2012 and August 2023 from an initial corpus of 2,167 articles, using the academic databases ACM, IEEE, JMIR, PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, Springer, and Wiley. This article addresses the contributions of different technologies, such as systems for mapping accessible routes and posture analysis models. In addition, this research discusses the use of machine learning to improve the quality of life and well-being of wheelchair users. The review proposes a taxonomy that presents the subject distribution, such as which machine learning models are most used, which technologies were applied to collect data in work, and which concepts may represent the well-being of wheelchair users. The studies focus on physical activities, showing the absence of studies focusing on mental health.
Resveratrol, a natural polyphenol, has shown promising neuroprotective effects in several in vivo and in vitro experimental models. However, the mechanisms by which resveratrol mediates these effects are not fully understood. Glutamate is the major excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain; however, excessive extracellular glutamate levels can affect neural activity in several neurological diseases. Astrocytes are the glial cells that maintain brain homeostasis and can attenuate excitotoxicity by actively participating in glutamate neurotransmission. This study aimed to investigate the glioprotective effects of resveratrol against glutamate-induced cellular dysfunction in hippocampal slices and primary astrocyte cultures, with a focus on the role of heme-oxygenase 1 (HO-1). Glutamate impaired glutamate uptake activity through a glutamate receptor-dependent mechanism, in addition to altering other important astroglial parameters, including glutamine synthetase activity, glutathione levels and cystine uptake, which were normalized by resveratrol. Resveratrol also prevented glutamate-induced disruption in antioxidant defenses, as well as in trophic and inflammatory functions, including the nuclear factor κB (NFκB) transcriptional activity. Most of the effects of resveratrol, mainly in astrocytes, were dependent on the HO-1 signaling pathway, as they were abrogated when HO-1 was pharmacologically inhibited. Resveratrol also increased HO-1 mRNA expression and its transcriptional regulator, nuclear factor erythroid-derived 2-like 2 (Nrf2). Finally, resveratrol prevented glutamate-induced p21 senescence marker, indicating an anti-aging effect. Therefore, we demonstrated that the activation of the Nrf2/HO-1 system in astrocytes by resveratrol represents an astrocyte-targeted neuroprotective mechanism in neurodegeneration, with glutamate excitotoxicity, oxidative stress, and neuroinflammation as common neurochemical alterations.
Objective: 3p deletion syndrome is a rare monosomal disease that encompasses deletions throughout the short arm of chromosome 3. It is often in the distal region (3p25-pter), but variations in breakpoints and a complex clinical manifestation exist, with congenital heart defects being considered rare. We present the first case of hypoplastic left heart syndrome and minor dysmorphic features associated with 3p- syndrome. Furthermore, we aim to establish a gene-phenotype association. Case description: The diagnosis was made by karyotyping, followed by a literature investigation and in silico bioinformatic analysis about the possible candidate genes associated with congenital heart defects or hypoplastic left heart syndrome in 3p- syndrome. All genes analyzed that could affect heart formation are located in the 3p25.3 region, adjacent to the deleted region in the newborn from our case (3p26). Taking into account the technical limitations of the karyotype and the strength of evidence from each gene evaluated and locus proximity, it is likely that an unidentified partial break in the CAV3 gene occurred. Comments: We identified an indirect relation between gene CAV3 and hypoplastic left heart syndrome due to its strong association with cardiomyopathies and isolated cardiac defects. Furthermore, the cytogenetic band from our case is new information for the delimitation of a critical cardiac region on 3p syndrome, a discussion that has been ongoing since 1986. Thus, we reinforce the importance of cytogenetic investigation in patients with hypoplastic hearts and dysmorphia, assisting in diagnosis, definition of prognosis, and genetic counseling for the family. Keywords: Cardiomyopathies; Heart defects; congenital; Hypoplastic left heart syndrome; Chromosome disorders; Cytogenetic analysis; Fetal heart; Genetic diseases; inborn.
Este texto tem por objetivo historicizar o percurso de constituição da Mostra Internacional de Ciência e Tecnologia – Mostratec, evento organizado pela Fundação Escola Técnica Liberato Salzano Viera da Cunha, e compreender sua colaboração ao fortalecimento da representação de instituição de ensino de excelência, que realiza iniciação científica no Ensino Médio Técnico. Como escolha metodológica, foi utilizada a produção historiográfica vinculada à temática das Histórias das Instituições de Ensino. Ao se investigar a gênese do processo de implantação da feira na escola, foi possível compreender a construção da potencialização da representação de excelência de ensino em tal instituição e estabelecer as redes que possibilitaram a trajetória do evento nesta escola.
The present research focuses on the flow and heat transfer of Newtonian and viscoplastic liquids flowing through a heated tube row. It investigates the evolution of the system configurations to improve its performance based on the constructal design method (CDM). The method's implementation is associated with the design of experiments and computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Viscoplastic fluids with rheology predicted by a biviscosity equation based on the Bingham model were considered. The Plastic number gave the fluids' viscoplasticity degree, which varied between 0 and 0.75. The Bejan number gave the flow intensity, which ranged between 104 and 105. Three levels of evolution of the system were treated with one, two, and four degrees of freedom. A central composite design of simulations was performed. The results were fitted into polynomial curves for the one degree of freedom system and response surfaces with quadratic functions for the two and four degrees of freedom systems as functions of the distances between tubes and the diameter ratios between the main tubes and the additional tubes. As the system’s complexity was increased by adding smaller diameter tubes, increases between 20.82 and 41.16% in heat transfer density could be achieved for Bejan number cases 104 and 32.27–63.67% for Bejan number 105. The viscoplasticity impairs the convective process by forming unyielded and high viscosity zones. Through design evolution, it has been possible to obtain heat transfer densities for high-yield stress fluids comparable to those of Newtonian or low-yield stress fluids.
The rise of electric vehicles (EVs) has resulted in notable environmental benefits, yet challenges persist regarding battery disposal and recovery. The increasing demand for EVs heightens concerns about the environmental impact of lithium-ion battery (LIB) waste, which threatens both ecosystems and public health. Although remanufacturing is seen as a sustainable solution to these issues, current research does not thoroughly examine the role of Industry 5.0 technologies in optimising this process. This study aims to compare and assess the potential of various Industry 5.0 technologies and approaches to enhance the remanufacturing of lithium-ion batteries. Using the AHP-PROMETHEE method, we identify the most critical and influential Industry 5.0 prospects that should be prioritised for addressing key challenges such as diagnostic accuracy, safe disassembly, and high-quality reassembly. The multi-criteria analysis highlights key Industry 5.0 imperatives that can facilitate efficient and effective remanufacturing processes. The study identifies Digital Product Passport (DPP), Digital Twin (DT), and the Internet of Everything (IoE) as critical enablers in optimizing the LIB remanufacturing process. The analysis reveals that DPP stands out as the top enabler, significantly enhancing transparency, traceability, and lifecycle management for LIBs. DT and IoE follow closely, contributing to real-time monitoring, predictive maintenance, and seamless data integration across the supply chain. This paper delves in the emerging concept of the Digital Battery Passport (DBP), a DPP mandated by recent European regulations aimed at improving battery management and circularity. The DBP facilitates access to critical data throughout the battery’s lifecycle, including its origin, composition, and state of health. This information is crucial for optimising remanufacturing processes, ensuring compliance with sustainability standards, and extending battery life. The paper highlights the potential of DBP to transform the EV battery value chain by enhancing transparency and enabling more informed decision-making across stakeholders. Our findings offer significant insights for policymakers, battery manufacturers, and remanufacturing firms.
Objective: Understand how digital platforms can be used to render insidious acts, and what roles each actor plays within such ecosystem. Methods: We conducted a non-participant observation of 32 videos and thousands of comments on the YouTube platform on the context of digital predation of minors. Data were codified through thematic analysis. Results: We ended up unraveling six major enablers - i.e., (1) frailty, (2) burdening, (3) ineffective oversight, (4) unaccountability, (5) sense of impunity, and (6) digital naivety, at three levels: organizational, institutional, and individual. Conclusions: This research complements the theory of the digital platforms ecosystem by framing the ‘dark’ side of interactions and illustrating six building blocks that surround the insidious acts occurring within social media platforms. The proposed framework helps us understand how each of these actors facilitates the occurrence of insidious acts through the so-called enablers. Practical and social contributions were also provided. Keywords: dark side; digitalization; social media
Resumo Objetivo Identificar estudos acerca do trabalho no contexto da economia de plataforma, no que diz respeito às consequências da gestão algorítmica, financeirização e “dataficação” para a saúde dos trabalhadores. Métodos Revisão integrativa da literatura de saúde ocupacional publicada em revistas brasileiras entre 2017 e 2022. As buscas foram feitas no Portal de Periódicos da Capes e no SciELO. Resultados Dos 324 artigos identificados no levantamento, 10 atenderam aos critérios estabelecidos. Os estudos selecionados mostraram que no trabalho plataformizado dissimulam-se relações de produção assimétricas, podendo acentuar o controle e a exploração. Identificaram uma lógica de gerenciamento que busca simular relações entre “parceiros” e se eximir dos direitos associados ao trabalho decente. Com isso, os trabalhadores perceberam ampliar-se o sentimento de subsunção, a insegurança e a perda de sentido do próprio trabalho, elementos deletérios à sua saúde psicossocial. Conclusão A gestão algorítmica e a insegurança laboral provocam agravos à saúde física e mental, fazendo-se necessárias mais pesquisas que quantifiquem e descrevam com maior precisão as dificuldades e as estratégias de enfrentamento dos trabalhadores, para que se possa contribuir na elaboração de políticas que regulem o setor.
Objective To identify studies about working in the context of the platform economy, regarding the consequences of algorithmic management, financialization and datafication for workers´ health. Methods Integrative review of occupational health literature published in Brazilian journals between 2017 and 2022. Searches were conducted on the Capes Journal Portal and SciELO. Results Of the 324 articles identified in the survey, 10 met the established criteria. The selected studies showed that in platform work, asymmetrical production relations are concealed, which can accentuate control and exploitation. We identified a management logic that seeks to simulate relationships between “partners”, exempting itself from the rights associated with decent work. As a result, workers noticed an increase in feelings of subsumption, insecurity and loss of meaning in their work, elements that are harmful to their psychosocial health. Conclusion Algorithmic management and job insecurity cause harm to physical and mental health, making more research necessary to quantify and describe with greater precision the difficulties and coping strategies of the workers, so that it can contribute to the development of policies that regulate the sector.
Anthropogenic fire is a worldwide event that affects many ecosystems and organisms. In Southern Brazil, grassland management with fire has been highly employed since the mid‐18th century. Although the practice is regulated by federal law (prescribed fire), there is no detailed information about the impacts of this practice on the small, non‐volant fauna. We evaluated the effect of fire management on anuran species richness and community composition in Brazilian grassland areas that have adopted this practice for more than 15 years. Our results show that burning practices lead to a reduction of anuran richness. About 37% of the species occur exclusively in sites free of fire. Sites with fire management have low densities of taller grass and shrubs, which could reduce habitat availability for some anuran species. Nestedness and turnover components of beta diversity did not differ within and between treatments, but there was a tendency for a nestedness organization of the community in burned sites, suggesting that sites with fire management are a subsample of sites where fire is absent. Our results pointed out that prescribed fire practices have potentially negative effects on the anuran diversity. These results suggest that the changes in vegetation, in particular percentages of shrub cover, affect habitat suitability for some species. Therefore, anuran communities tend to become less diverse and lack arboreal species where fire occurs. Abstract in Portuguese is available with online material.
Resumo O artigo aborda a apreensão, ocorrida em fevereiro de 1964, da cartilha Viver é Lutar, produzida pelo Movimento de Educação de Base (MEB). Analisa o evento em duas dimensões: em relação ao contexto político nacional, com base na cobertura jornalística e nos textos respondendo ao processo instaurado pelo Departamento de Ordem Política e Social (DOPS) e em seu impacto no cotidiano das escolas radiofônicas, com base em um conjunto de cartas escritas pelas monitoras de Pernambuco. Como resultados, ampliam-se os conhecimentos sobre as tensões e contradições políticas envolvendo o Movimento no contexto pré-golpe civil-militar de 1964, bem como sobre os impactos em sua atuação com a instauração da ditadura.
Background Subjective cognitive decline (SCD) is the self‐perceived impairment of cognitive function and has been studied as a risk factor for objective cognitive impairment. Monitoring patients with SCD can aid in understanding the risk factors for dementia in low‐ and middle‐income countries. We aimed to describe the baseline sociodemographic and clinical data of the Brazilian Subjective Cognitive Decline (BRASCODE) Methods BRASCODE is an observational, prospective cohort study of cognitively unimpaired individuals with > 65 years‐old with cognitive complaints conducted at the Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Brazil. The baseline evaluation was performed from March 2022 to January 2024. Exclusion criteria were previous diagnosis of dementia or cerebrovascular disease and uncontrolled neuropsychiatric/clinical illness. Sociodemographic, memory complaint scale (MCS), Mini‐Mental State Examination (MMSE), Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) Scale and Cognitive Reserve Scale (CRS) were collected. Blood, cerebrospinal fluid, and imaging Alzheimer’s disease (AD) biomarkers were also performed. Results A total of 144 patients were included, with 72.2% being female. The majority were of white ethnicity (92.1%), belonging to middle‐class socioeconomic status (B and C ‐ 79.9%). The median age was 69 years, and the median education level was 15 years. The most prevalent comorbidities were arterial hypertension (46.5%), diabetes mellitus (14.6%), and smoking (6.9%). The median score on the MMSE was 29 [27, 30] points. Regarding the CDR scale, 109 patients (75.7%) had a CDR of 0, and 35 (24.3%) had a CDR of 0.5. CRS scores exhibited a positive correlation with MMSE (rho = 0.304; p = 0.0002) and years of formal education (rho = 0.408; p<0.0001). Age correlated negatively with MMSE (rho = ‐0.188; p = 0.024) and MCS (rho = ‐0.245; p = 0.003). MCS score of the subject and informant also correlated (rho = 0.305; p = 0.0002) and exhibited no correlation with CRS scores and MMSE. Conclusions Our results show an association between the patient’s cognitive reserve and education and formal cognitive testing (MMSE). The future availability of AD biomarkers and follow‐up data will provide additional information about cognitive progression of the SCD participants.
Background Subjective Cognitive Decline (SCD) is characterized by cognitive complaints in cognitively unimpaired (CU) individuals. Its condition displays considerable heterogeneity etiologies, including neurodegenerative diseases. Our aim is to compare the memory complaints between patients with SCD and their informants in the BRASCODE cohort. Method The BRASCODE cohort includes CU individuals aged >65 presenting memory complaints and at least one SCD‐plus criteria. The MCS was held separately with both participants and informants. Additionally, baseline sociodemographic and Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) data were held. Participants and informant’s concordance regarding patients' memory complaints was assessed using the MCS scale. If both answers were ≥ 7, there was concordance. The continuous variables were described as median (interquartile range, IQR) and categorical variables as frequencies. Scores of the MCS scale ranges from 0 to 14, with scores ≥ 7 indicating complaint; and were compared using Spearman’s rho and Mann‐Whitney test. Result Data were collected between March‐2022 and December‐2023. 143 SCD patients were included (mean age = 69; 72.2% female). The median MCS‐patient and MCS‐informant was 8 and 5, respectively. The patients have a median of 3 SCD‐plus criteria, most with complaints at age ≥ 60 and with concerns regarding memory. The SCD‐patient scale correlated negatively with patient age (rho = ‐0.244; p = 0.003) and positively with informant’s SCD scale (rho = 0.305; p = 0.0002), but not with patient education nor with MMSE results. Most participants (86, 60.1%) and their informants' perceptions disagree about patients' memory decline. The participants in the group with concordant MCS scores had lower education (11 vs 16) and were more balanced in relation to sex (32 [56.1], 71 [82.6]) than the group with discordante responses. The patients' age and MCS were not different between the groups. Conclusion The baseline results show that most dyads disagreed regarding participants' memory decline. In addition, the presence of informant perception of decline may be a risk factor for a future cognitive decline. The AD biomarkers analysis as well as one and two‐year follow‐ups may yield valuable insights into the correlation between patients' and informants' reported complaints.
Background Anterior component separation (ACS), or Ramirez component separation technique, is an established technique still used by surgeons to repair a ventral hernia. Compared with other ventral hernia repair techniques, recent studies about ACS show more postoperative complications like wound breakdown, wound infection, hematoma, skin necrosis, seroma, and recurrence. Our study aims to compare the ACS technique with the preservation perforator technique and verify if the perforator preservation technique can decrease postoperative complications. Materials and methods Cochrane Central, Embase, and PubMed were systematically searched for studies comparing the perforator-sparing ACS ventral hernia repair and the standard technique. Outcomes assessed were wound breakdown, skin necrosis, wound infection, seroma, hematoma, reoperation, and recurrence at least 3 months postoperatively. Statistical analysis was performed with R Studio. Results 94 studies were screened, and 11 studies were selected for full-text reading. Seven studies were selected, comprising 761 patients, of which 309 (40.6%) underwent the perforator-sparing ACS technique. We found lower wound breakdown rates for the preservation technique (RR 0.45; 95% CI 0.32; 0.63; p < 0.01). Also, the perforator-sparing technique presented lower reoperation rates (RR 0.59; 95% CI 0.35; 0.72; p < 0.01). No differences were found in skin necrosis (RR 0.22; 95% CI 0.03; 1.63; p = 0.14), wound infection (RR 0.69; 95% CI 0.25; 1.90; p = 0.47), seroma (RR 0.29; 95% CI 0.07; 1.26; p = 0.1), hematoma (RR 0.73; 95% CI 0.11; 5.06; p = 0.75), or recurrence (RR 0.81; 95% CI 0.37; 1.74; p = 0.59) rates. Conclusion Our comprehensive systematic review with meta-analysis compared the perforator-sparing ACS with the standard technique and found lower wound breakdown and reoperation rates for the perforator-sparing technique. No differences were found in the other outcomes analyzed.
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3,746 members
Marcelo Kehl de Souza
  • Programa de Pós-Graduação em Geologia
Sandro Binsfeld Ferreira
  • Electrical Engineering
Priscila Lora
  • Faculdade de Biomedicina
Murilo Zibetti
  • Programa de Pós-Graduação em Psicologia
Victor Hugo Valiati
  • Laboratory of Genetics and Molecular Biology (LGBM) (https://evoecogenecons.wixsite.com/labbiomol/home)
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