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This study aimed to determine the factors that affected the diminishing persistence of heterogeneous academic achievers when induced in homogeneous classes as a basis for developing a support system to address the situation. This study identified the common hindrances the heterogeneous academic achievers encountered as they were brought to a homogeneous class. It employed a qualitative approach to research in gathering the pertinent data. The participants of the study were subjected to a two-phase interview method. It was found that the participants experienced hindrances that diminished their academic persistence in class: intimidated feeling, low sense of belongingness, and peer influence and motivation. This study was limited to identifying the reasons behind the diminishing persistence of heterogeneous academic achievers when streamed in a homogenous class and crafting an action plan as the basis for the development support system to address the situation. The key informants were composed of 18 students who were chosen purposively from the classes of grades 8-10 for the school year 2018-2019.

The main purpose of this study is to determine the effect of using a new type of mnemonic device, utilizing dance steps in teaching Chemistry 7 in the retention rate of students on the properties of metals and non-metals. Different dance mnemonics corresponding to each property of the two types of elements were developed by the researcher. It was then utilized in teaching. The respondents of the study were the 91 grade 7 students of the two classes of the researcher in Science 7 during the first quarter of the S.Y. 2019-2020. Z-test was the statistical treatment used to compare the results of sample-experimental group to that of the population it was taken from. After utilizing the set of dance mnemonics developed corresponding to different properties of metals and non-metals, the samples performed better on the post-test compared to the population which means that using dance steps as mnemonic device increased the retention rate of grade 7 students. This study was limited only in the effect of using dance steps as a mnemonic device to increase the retention rate of grade 7 students in the properties of metals and non-metals.

In this article, we focus on a set of remote activities regarding simulated juries, judges' evaluations, communication of verdicts, and a post-discussion conversation. These activities aimed to promote learning of the preservice teachers about the differences between remote and in-person teaching in a chemistry teaching methods course. The set of activities was developed at the beginning of the course, during the Pandemic COVID-19, and the interchanging of roles was applied by the teacher educator. These structured activities were accomplished through the preservice teachers' interactions and their interactions with the teacher educator by means of arguments, explanations, dialogues, and injunctions. We used a multi-level method for discourse analysis to map, sample, and analyze virtual interactions, which afforded the following results: 1) the preservice teachers strongly engaged in the remote activities and constructed arguments and counterarguments in the simulated jury activities, showing active roles as knowledge producers in all set of activities; 2) several themes and subthemes were developed; 3) the teacher educator assumed the roles of instructor, manager of the discussions, and commentator; 4) the preservice teachers evaluated positively their experience with the set of activities; 5) the application of the multi-level method allowed us to make explicit the discursive moves of the participants and a model for the simulated juries and related activities.

Abstract The effects of physical exercise on attentional performance have received considerable interest in recent years. Most of previous studies that assessed the effect of an acute bout of exercise on attentional performance have generally been approached by analysing single attentional functions in isolation, thus ignoring the functioning of other attentional functions, which characterizes the real perception-action environmental conditions. Here, we investigated the effect of two different intensities (light vs. vigorous) of acute exercise on attentional performance by using the ANTI-Vea, a behavioral task that simultaneously measures three attentional functions (phasic alertness, orienting, and cognitive control) and the executive and arousal components of vigilance. 30 young (age = 20.93; SD = 1.51 years) physically active participants (21 men and 9 women) completed three experimental sessions: the first one to assess their physical fitness and baseline performance in the ANTI-Vea, and the other two sessions (in counterbalanced order) to assess changes in attentional and vigilance performance after an acute bout of light- intensity vs. vigorous- intensity physical exercise. Beneficial effects on some accuracy scores (i.e., overall higher accuracy in the attentional sub-task and fewer false alarms in the executive vigilance sub-task) were observed in the light- intensity exercise condition compared to baseline and vigorous- intensity. Additionally, the RT score of phasic alertness was increased after the light- intensity exercise in comparison with baseline. The present findings suggest that a bout of acute exercise at light- intensity might induce some short-term beneficial effects on some aspects of attention and vigilance.

Abstract Long COVID is characterized by persistent that extends symptoms beyond established timeframes. Its varied presentation across different populations and healthcare systems poses significant challenges in understanding its clinical manifestations and implications. In this study, we present a novel application of text mining technique to automatically extract unstructured data from a long COVID survey conducted at a prominent university hospital in São Paulo, Brazil. Our phonetic text clustering (PTC) method enables the exploration of unstructured Electronic Healthcare Records (EHR) data to unify different written forms of similar terms into a single phonemic representation. We used n-gram text analysis to detect compound words and negated terms in Portuguese-BR, focusing on medical conditions and symptoms related to long COVID. By leveraging text mining, we aim to contribute to a deeper understanding of this chronic condition and its implications for healthcare systems globally. The model developed in this study has the potential for scalability and applicability in other healthcare settings, thereby supporting broader research efforts and informing clinical decision-making for long COVID patients.

The study aimed to reveal the challenges experienced by the education students in using digital technologies with the end phase of developing an institutionalization plan. The utilization and integration of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in the field is already critical to prepare the learners to be competent and skilled individuals for the 21st century's opportunities and challenges. However, various challenges and gaps arise because of the differences between and among the various stakeholders' preferences, capabilities, privileges, and affordances to digital technologies. It was even more intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic, where tertiary education institutes shifted to an online learning delivery modality. From the literature review, the researcher summarized the five factors that influenced the challenges of using digital technologies in education. Those are the availability and physical access to up-to-date devices and infrastructures; geographical location and community type; income, poverty, and socio-economic status; level of education and digital literacy skills of teachers; and motivation, engagement, and interest. These five (5) main factors have been the basis for crafting the interview questions administered to 20 second-year education students. Interview data were analyzed, and four themes emerged to generalize the challenges experienced by the students: (1) unavailability and physical inaccessibility to digital technologies; (2) poor internet connection relative to residence; (3) low socioeconomic status and inaccessibility to digital technologies; and (4) disengagement in using digital technologies. The four themes became the basis used in crafting the institutionalization plan.

This study determined the relationship of school principal-teacher interaction and teachers' professional well-being in the public secondary schools of Zone 1 of the Schools Division of Zambales during the Academic Year 2020-2021. A quantitative descriptive research design was employed in the study. A survey questionnaire was the main data gathering instrument to collect responses from the public secondary school teachers. The survey questionnaire consisted of item indicators with an excellent internal consistency of Cronbach's coefficient of 0.93. The findings of the study revealed that majority of the teacher-respondents are female, in their early adulthood, with MA units, a Teacher I and with adequate years in service. The teacher-respondents perceived that their School Principals "Always" interact in enhancing their teachers' professional well-being. The teacher-respondents strongly agree with regards to their professional well-being as indicated of their high level of well-being. Another salient finding of the study revealed a significant difference on the school principal-teacher interaction as to Supervision and Evaluation when they are grouped according to sex. There is also a significant difference on the professional well-being of teachers as to Professional Development when they are grouped according to age and educational attainment; significant differences surfaced as to Positive Relation with Colleagues when teachers are grouped according to educational attainment as well as to Autonomy in Professional Activities when they are grouped according to sex. It was also revealed that a significant relationship exists between school principal-teacher interaction and teachers' professional well-being.

This study aimed at exploring students' engagement, difficulties, and meaningful learning experiences in Biology class relative to the use of the intervention material developed--the digitized concept stories. Students' engagement towards learning Biology and difficulties experienced in class were revealed through in-depth interviews with 20 Grade 7 students. The digitized concept stories were structured based on the results covering the five (5) main topics in Biology 7 and Most Essential Learning Competencies (MELCs) identified by the Department of Education (DepEd). After the utilization of the intervention material, the same respondents were again interviewed to encapsulate their meaningful learning experiences while using the intervention. Meanwhile, to evaluate the qualities of the digitized concept stories, the researcher administered the acceptability survey questionnaire to 22 Science 7 teachers at the selected secondary schools in the 2nd Congressional District of the Quezon Province Schools Division Office. It was found out that digitized concept stories serve as a learning aid in Biology 7 because it makes the lesson easier to understand, help increase retention rate, provide additional knowledge, and clear explanation, and allows recognition of importance of the lessons delivered. It engaged the students by providing learning enjoyment and increasing their motivation and interest. It is appropriate in distance learning for Grade 7 students and can also be used for other topics in sciences and other disciplines. It was also found that the developed materials are acceptable for teachers as they gave favorable evaluation on its qualities. Hence, the validated digitized concepts stories are ready for utilization in Biology classes. It was then recommended that the developed intervention material may be used in an experimental study to further test its ability in improving students' academic performance.

Identifying bird numbers in hostile environments, such as poultry facilities, presents significant challenges. The complexity of these environments demands robust and adaptive algorithmic approaches for the accurate detection and tracking of birds over time, ensuring reliable data analysis. This study aims to enhance methodologies for automated chicken identification in videos, addressing the dynamic and non-standardized nature of poultry farming environments. The YOLOv8n model was chosen for chicken detection due to its high portability. The developed algorithm promptly identifies and labels chickens as they appear in the image. The process is illustrated in two parallel flowcharts, emphasizing different aspects of image processing and behavioral analysis. False regions such as the chickens’ heads and tails are excluded to calculate the body area more accurately. The following three scenarios were tested with the newly modified deep-learning algorithm: (1) reappearing chicken with temporary invisibility; (2) multiple missing chickens with object occlusion; and (3) multiple missing chickens with coalescing chickens. This results in a precise measure of the chickens’ size and shape, with the YOLO model achieving an accuracy above 0.98 and a loss of less than 0.1. In all scenarios, the modified algorithm improved accuracy in maintaining chicken identification, enabling the simultaneous tracking of several chickens with respective error rates of 0, 0.007, and 0.017. Morphological identification, based on features extracted from each chicken, proved to be an effective strategy for enhancing tracking accuracy.

Abstract Background Teleworking (TW) has recently shifted from a marginal into a common practice. Yet, concerns have been raised regarding potential work-health negative effects, related to the reduced socialization, and extended working hours with computers at home, possibly offset by reduced commuting time or better individual work-life balance. This paper aims at describing the influence of TW on health, well-being, and productivity perceptions, and how this is shaped by TW conditions. Methods We collected data from workers of 25 companies that exert their activity in Portugal. Data were completed with a representative sample of workers who regularly participate in surveys (total N = 1,069). We applied an on-line questionnaire from September the 1st 2022 to December the 1st 2022. We performed a simple descriptive analysis of each variable. Then, we analyzed the relationship between TW conditions and self-reported health, and between TW conditions at home and productivity, using logistic regression models. Results We observed a high prevalence of self-perceived health worsening (15.9%), mostly among those with poor TW conditions. Most teleworkers enjoyed favorable TW conditions, despite limited company support. Relevant changes were observed in lifestyle factors, towards more smoking (5.5%), alcohol drinking (4.5%), and worse diet (10.1%). Two thirds reported enhanced productivity. A statistically significant relationship was observed between inadequate TW conditions, health deterioration, and lower productivity. A 6.0% point (pp) increased risk of productivity worsening was observed when employees faced at least one inadequate condition at home (no private working place at home, inadequate heating, artificial light, or absence of well-being at home). The risk of health deterioration increased by 12.9 pp when facing at least one of these inadequate conditions, and by 6.3 under hybrid TW, compared to one or two days of TW. Conclusions Most teleworkers highlighted a positive perspective about teleworking. Yet, TW conditions are not favorable for all workers, with consequences on health, well-being, and productivity, suggesting that further support is needed for teleworkers to protect their health at home, and reach its maximum benefit.

Abstract The Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman and Luminescence for Organics and Chemicals (SHERLOC) instrument onboard the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover detected so far some of the most intense fluorescence signals in association with sulfates analyzing abraded patches of rocks at Jezero crater, Mars. To assess the plausibility of an organic origin of these signals, it is key to understand if organics can survive exposure to ambient Martian UV after exposure by the Perseverance abrasion tool and prior to analysis by SHERLOC. In this work, we investigated the stability of organo-sulfate assemblages under Martian-like UV irradiation and we observed that the spectroscopic features of phthalic and mellitic acid embedded into hydrated magnesium sulfate do not change for UV exposures corresponding to at least 48 Martian sols and, thus, should still be detectable in fluorescence when the SHERLOC analysis takes place, thanks to the photoprotective properties of magnesium sulfate. In addition, different photoproduct bands diagnostic of the parent carboxylic acid molecules could be observed. The photoprotective behavior of hydrated magnesium sulfate corroborates the hypothesis that sulfates might have played a key role in the preservation of organics on Mars, and that the fluorescence signals detected by SHERLOC in association with sulfates could potentially arise from organic compounds.

Background: Kidney transplant recipients face complex perioperative challenges due to comorbidities from chronic kidney disease. This study aimed to assess perioperative complications in kidney transplant recipients and evaluate the association between the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) and complication severity using the Clavien-Dindo (CD) classification. Methods: A prospective cohort study conducted at a tertiary hospital in South Brazil from September 2020 to March 2022, including 230 adult kidney transplant recipients. Data on demographics, comorbidities, and complications were collected. Complications were categorized using the CD scale, and their relationship with CCI was analyzed using univariate and multivariate Cox regression. Results: Mean age was 49.2 ± 12.7 years, with 58.7% male recipients. The mean CCI score was 3.65 ± 1.5 points. Intraoperative complications occurred in 10.9% of patients, with notable issues including bleeding and airway difficulties. In the immediate postoperative period, 9.1% required urgent dialysis. In the 30-day follow-up, 57.8% had delayed graft function, 21.7% infections, 11.3% had vascular complications, and the mortality was 1.7%. CCI was not a significant predictor of severe complications; however, congestive heart failure was strongly associated with severe complications (HR = 6.6 95% CI 2.6–6.7, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Despite a low overall comorbidity profile, kidney transplant recipients faced significant perioperative challenges. The lack of a significant association between the CCI score and severe complications suggests that traditional risk assessment tools may not fully capture the risks specific to the early postoperative period in kidney transplantation, and future research should focus on developing more refined risk assessment models for chronic kidney disease patients.

BackgroundAllergy disorders caused by biological particles, such as the proteins in some airborne pollen grains, are currently considered one of the most common chronic diseases, and European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology forecasts indicate that within 15 years 50% of Europeans will have some kind of allergy as a consequence of urbanization, industrialization, pollution, and climate change. ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to monitor and analyze the dissemination of information about pollen symptoms from December 2006 to January 2022. By conducting a comprehensive evaluation of public comments and trends on Twitter, the research sought to provide valuable insights into the impact of pollen on sensitive individuals, ultimately enhancing our understanding of how pollen-related information spreads and its implications for public health awareness. MethodsUsing a blend of large language models, dimensionality reduction, unsupervised clustering, and term frequency–inverse document frequency, alongside visual representations such as word clouds and semantic interaction graphs, our study analyzed Twitter data to uncover insights on respiratory allergies. This concise methodology enabled the extraction of significant themes and patterns, offering a deep dive into public knowledge and discussions surrounding respiratory allergies on Twitter. ResultsThe months between March and August had the highest volume of messages. The percentage of patient tweets appeared to increase notably during the later years, and there was also a potential increase in the prevalence of symptoms, mainly in the morning hours, indicating a potential rise in pollen allergies and related discussions on social media. While pollen allergy is a global issue, specific sociocultural, political, and economic contexts mean that patients experience symptomatology at a localized level, needing appropriate localized responses. ConclusionsThe interpretation of tweet information represents a valuable tool to take preventive measures to mitigate the impact of pollen allergy on sensitive patients to achieve equity in living conditions and enhance access to health information and services.

Nutrient bioremediation processes in wastewater are becoming a prevalent focus of research, with microalgae emerging as prominent players. Such microorganisms provide a compelling alternative to traditional sanitation approaches. In light of this emerging interest, the main objective of this study was to explore diverse growth conditions of a native microalgae-bacteria consortium in domestic wastewater, aiming at nutrient bioremediation and biomass production. The investigation was performed on a laboratory scale through Schott® 2.0 L glass bottle photobioreactors, utilizing anaerobically digested wastewater to mitigate its polluting potential effectively. At first, the impact of increasing inflow of CO2 was evaluated. It was found that the addition of 5% CO2 yielded the most favorable outcomes, with the remarkable 96.5% of total phosphorus removal within four days alongside a biomass production rate of 0.04 g.L-1.d-1. In later steps, variations in light intensity were analyzed, and with 304±3 μmol.m-2.s-1, yielded the most promising results, with total phosphorus removal of 97.1% within two days and biomass production rate of 0.31 g.L-1.d-1. Finally, the influence of temperature was assessed, uncovering 97.2% total phosphorus removal within two days, complemented by a biomass production rate of 0.29 g.L-1.d-1. These results facilitated the development of a surface model illustrating the intricate relationship between light and temperature for this consortium. Furthermore, the consortium exhibited remarkable proficiency in nutrient removal from anaerobically digested wastewater, showcasing noteworthy resilience to temperature and light intensity fluctuations.

Background In utero exposure to infections might set the stage for a chain of events leading to a wide spectrum of long-term health outcomes observed in children and adolescents. This proposal aims to investigate whether syphilis, zika, dengue and chikungunya during pregnancy can increase the risk of the offspring developing a non-infectious chronic condition during childhood and adolescence. Objectives 1) Estimate the risk of non-infectious chronic conditions associated to syphilis, zika, dengue and chikungunya during pregnancy and when appropriate, explore if the risk varies by timing during pregnancy when the infection is acquired (first, second or third trimester) and severity (such as severe or mild dengue); 2) Investigate whether in uterus exposure to maternal infection affects the growth pattern of children and adolescents; 3) Examine the extent to which the relationship between maternal infection and non-infectious chronic outcomes are mediated by intrauterine growth restriction and preterm birth. Methods We will compare health outcomes and growth trajectories of children and adolescents born to mothers with and without specific infections during pregnancy using conventional multivariable regression in the whole study population, in a within sibship design, using the subgroup of offspring with at least one sibling who is not exposed to the infection, and negative control outcome. Then we will decompose the direct and mediated effects (by preterm birth and small for gestational age) of maternal infection on chronic disorders. Results and Conclusions The results from this study will advance our understanding of the relationship between infections during pregnancy and chronic disorders, with widespread implications enabling targeting of critical points along the path from in utero exposure to outcomes to avoid or mitigate illness and disability over the life course.

Objetivo: Este trabalho tem como objetivo apresentar os resultados monitorados ao longo de cinco anos do Protocolo Assistencial de Avaliação de Risco e Gerenciamento de Pacientes com Ideação Suicida, Tentativas de Autoextermínio e Auto Mutilação, na Rede D'Or - Hospital São Luiz, Unidade Anália Franco, SP. Material e método: Trata-se de um estudo descritivo e exploratório, conduzido na rotina de qualidade e segurança do Hospital São Luiz, Unidade Anália Franco, em São Paulo. Utilizamos a pesquisa retrospectiva de 1235 protocolos abertos no período de 2019 a 2024, analisando os traçadores gerenciados e compilando informações quantificáveis. A amostra foi composta por 1235 pacientes adultos e pediátricos que deram entrada no Hospital e foram inseridos no Protocolo. A abertura do protocolo tem indicação para todos os casos de risco psíquico, tentativas de autoextermínio, ideação suicida e automutilação nas unidades de pronto atendimento, unidades de internação clínicas/cirúrgicas e unidades de tratamento intensivo, seguindo avaliação inicial e classificação de risco. Utilizamos como instrumentos de pesquisa, as planilhas gerenciadas e fichas de avaliação e acompanhamento dos pacientes, seguindo-se o fluxo definido pelo Protocolo e os indicadores pré determinados em nível institucional. Resultados: Durante o ano de 2019, foram abertos 165 protocolos, com média de 14 protocolos/mês. Em 2020, como reflexo da pandemia, foram abertos 157 protocolos, com média de 13 protocolos/mês. Em 2021, com variação positiva de +36%, foram abertos 213 protocolos, com média de 18 protocolos/mês. Em 2022 e 2023, foram abertos 256 e em 2023, 260 protocolos gerenciados, respectivamente, com média de 21 protocolos/mês e variação de +21% e +22%. Em 2024, no período de janeiro a julho foram abertos 184 protocolos com média de 30 protocolos/mês e variação de + 34%, corroborando com os dados da literatura que apontam o crescimento dos casos de comportamento suicida pós pandemia COVID 19. Conclusões: O Protocolo Assistencial de Avaliação de Risco e Gerenciamento de Pacientes com Ideação Suicida, Tentativas de Auto Extermínio e Auto Mutilação em nossa instituição, tem garantido a definição clara de critérios e procedimentos mínimos a serem seguidos para identificação, avaliação e encaminhamento dos pacientes com vulnerabilidade psíquica visando instituir medidas protetivas para garantir a sua segurança atendendo ás exigências éticas e legais e facilitando a compreensão da evolução do tratamento. Além disso, constata-se que nosso Hospital atende plenamente as exigências das certificadoras de qualidade (JCI), ao estabelecer critérios para os quais pacientes de risco psíquico são triados, conforme clinicamente indicado, com a utilização de ferramentas baseadas em evidências e adaptação do ambiente físico, minimizando danos. O monitoramento da efetividade do Protocolo e o treinamento dos profissionais, garantem a segurança no cuidado. Evidencia-se que a segurança do paciente, acompanhantes e colaboradores, sistematizada em um Protocolo gerenciado, contribui para o cuidado seguro integral e multidimensional.