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Inclusive education and the implementation of Information and Communication Technologies in the 21st century classroom are priority objectives in global agendas. However, few studies focus on and combine the following areas of study: Inclusive education and Digital Competence (IE and DC). This research gathers the opinion of 221 active teachers on these two variables through a sample composed of participants from Spain and 10 Latin American countries. These educational professionals responded to a questionnaire created ad hoc, tested by a group of experts, and based on instruments previously validated by the scientific community. There were 30 items scored on a scale of 1-7 for the areas of study. The results indicate that the participating teachers attach high importance to the study variables, although they lack the training and competence necessary for their performance. Furthermore, basic and advanced levels of perception regarding the importance of inclusive education and digital competence are identified, which are similar in the basic levels and increasingly disparate at the advanced levels due to specialization. Keywords: Compulsory Education; Digital Competences; Inclusive Education; Technology; Teachers.

This chapter attempts to explain the historical process by which Japan succeeded in becoming a leading colonial power in the Far East. It will analyze the dramatic changes that took place in Japanese foreign policy and international relations from the mid-nineteenth century onwards. Changes that enabled a country with a feudal-type structure to build a national and centralist state and to achieve an unprecedented expansion in the Pacific Ocean and continental Asia. In short, it will describe the process by which Tokyo created in a few decades one of the largest and most ephemeral colonial empires in the history of mankind, supported by rampant nationalism and militarism.

La violencia doméstica vulnera la salud física y mental de la víctima y de su entorno familiar; habitualmente las mujeres son las más afectadas, por razones culturales y sociales la violencia ha sido normalizada dentro del contexto familiar. Los perjuicios, sobre todo el daño psicológico, es una de las consecuencias que perduran en el tiempo a menos que la víctima reciba una atención integral enfocada en sus principales necesidades. Objetivo. El objetivo fue valorar la evidencia empírica actual de la Terapia Cognitivo-Conductual (TCC) para el tratamiento del daño psicológico en mujeres violentadas domésticamente por su pareja. Metodología. La revisión se realizó en la base de datos Scopus, PubMed y Web of Science, se utilizaron los lineamientos de la declaración Prisma y Consort para obtener la muestra final de los artículos seleccionados en base a los criterios de inclusión y exclusión propuestos. Resultados. La mayor parte de intervenciones cognitivo-conductuales se han centrado en el abordaje de la sintomatología del TEPT, depresión o ansiedad, logrando resultados favorables para este tipo de población. Conclusión. La TCC es eficaz para el tratamiento del daño psicológico en mujeres violentadas domésticamente por su pareja. Sin embargo, la ausencia de especificidad de las intervenciones constituye una limitante importante al momento de replicar en la práctica clínica.

El presente articulo, analiza la manera particular como se construye la idea de una “arquitectura moderna” en el contexto de las “Sabanas del Sur de Bolivar” lo que se conoce actualmente como el departamento de Sucre. Se examinan los distintos imaginarios urbanos identificados, “la ciudad y región de prosperidad y progreso” contrapuesta a una “provincia marginal” olvidada por una administración que no atendía sus necesidades. Diferentes formas de aprehender el mundo, las cuales confluyen en un objetivo, el deseo de transformar la ciudad, ligado al interés por una autonomía regional, motivo de la creación del departamento de Sucre.

The objective of this study was to adapt and know the factorial structure and reliability in the Ecuadorian population of the EFRATA Scale of Risk Factors Associated with Eating Disorders. A non-probabilistic sample of 1172 participants were used (age: M = 21.99; SD = 2.49; 58.6% women and 41.4% men). The first parallel analysis study identified seven interpretable factors that explain 50% of the variance. The second confirmatory factor analysis study indicates an acceptable fit (GFI = 0.96; AGFI = 0.95; NFI = 0.94; RMR = 0.08). The reliability coefficients for Cronbach's alpha and McDonald's omega were 0.89 and 0.90 respectively. The Ecuadorian version of the EFRATA shows good psychometric properties and adapts to the cultural context of this country. El objetivo de este estudio fue adaptar y conocer la estructura factorial y la confiabilidad en la población ecuatoriana de la Escala EFRATA de Factores de Riesgo Asociados a los Trastornos de la Conducta Alimentaria. Se utilizó una muestra no probabilística de 1172 participantes (edad: M = 21.99; DT = 2.49; 58.6% mujeres y 41.4% hombres). El primer estudio de análisis paralelo identificó siete factores interpretables que explican el 50% de la varianza. El segundo estudio de análisis factorial confirmatorio indica un ajuste aceptable (GFI = 0.96; AGFI = 0.95; NFI = 0,94; RMR = 0.08). Los coeficientes de confiabilidad para el alfa de Cronbach y el omega de McDonald's fueron 0.89 y 0.90 respectivamente. La versión ecuatoriana de la EFRATA muestra buenas propiedades psicométricas y se adapta al contexto cultural de este país.

Tolosa-Hunt syndrome consist of. unilateral or periorbital headache, paresis of the III, IV, and/or VI cranial nerve ipsilateral to the headache, and image evidence of pathology in the cavernous sinus or superior orbital fissure. We present the case of a 76 YO woman who developed Tolosa-Hunt syndrome posteriorly to the application of Sinovac vaccine against Covid-19.

BACKGROUND: Improvements in the early diagnosis of dengue are urgently needed, especially in resource-limited settings where the distinction between dengue and other febrile illnesses is crucial for patient management.METHODS: In this prospective, observational study (IDAMS), we included patients aged 5 years and older with undifferentiated fever at presentation from 26 outpatient facilities in eight countries (Bangladesh, Brazil, Cambodia, El Salvador, Indonesia, Malaysia, Venezuela, and Viet Nam). We used multivariable logistic regression to investigate the association between clinical symptoms and laboratory tests with dengue versus other febrile illnesses between day 2 and day 5 after onset of fever (ie, illness days). We built a set of candidate regression models including clinical and laboratory variables to reflect the need of a comprehensive versus parsimonious approach. We assessed performance of these models via standard measures of diagnostic values.FINDINGS: Between Oct 18, 2011, and Aug 4, 2016, we recruited 7428 patients, of whom 2694 (36%) were diagnosed with laboratory-confirmed dengue and 2495 (34%) with (non-dengue) other febrile illnesses and met inclusion criteria, and were included in the analysis. 2703 (52%) of 5189 included patients were younger than 15 years, 2486 (48%) were aged 15 years or older, 2179 (42%) were female and 3010 (58%) were male. Platelet count, white blood cell count, and the change in these variables from the previous day of illness had a strong association with dengue. Cough and rhinitis had strong associations with other febrile illnesses, whereas bleeding, anorexia, and skin flush were generally associated with dengue. Model performance increased between day 2 and 5 of illness. The comprehensive model (18 clinical and laboratory predictors) had sensitivities of 0·80 to 0·87 and specificities of 0·80 to 0·91, whereas the parsimonious model (eight clinical and laboratory predictors) had sensitivities of 0·80 to 0·88 and specificities of 0·81 to 0·89. A model that includes laboratory markers that are easy to measure (eg, platelet count or white blood cell count) outperformed the models based on clinical variables only.INTERPRETATION: Our results confirm the important role of platelet and white blood cell counts in diagnosing dengue, and the importance of serial measurements over subsequent days. We successfully quantified the performance of clinical and laboratory markers covering the early period of dengue. Resulting algorithms performed better than published schemes for distinction of dengue from other febrile illnesses, and take into account the dynamic changes over time. Our results provide crucial information needed for the update of guidelines, including the Integrated Management of Childhood Illness handbook.FUNDING: EU's Seventh Framework Programme.TRANSLATIONS: For the Bangla, Bahasa Indonesia, Portuguese, Khmer, Spanish and Vietnamese translations of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section.

The tailoring of novel nanomaterials for sensitive glucose detection through a non-enzymatic mechanism is currently under intensive research. Here, we present a laser-induced graphene (LIG) electrode decorated with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) as a catalytic element for the direct electrooxidation of glucose. The AgNPs were synthesized through cyclic voltammetry using LIG as a template, resulting in a porous tridimensional assembly with anchored nanostructures. The characterization corroborated the formation of LIG/AgNPs composite with distinctive peaks attributed to Ag2O and AgO interaction with glucose. The proposed non-enzymatic sensors were successfully applied for non-enzymatic amperometric detection, exhibiting a linear range from 1 to 10 mM in the first peak (+0.7 V) and a narrow range from 1 to 2 mM with higher sensitivity of 52.2 mA/mM and improved LOD of 45 μM in the second peak (+0.55 V). The applicability of the LIG/AgNPs sensor was evaluated with spiked artificial saliva in a PoC format using a smartphone potentiostat, showing an average recovery rate of 91%. The analysis was performed in a portable, mobile, and low-cost fashion using a simulated non-invasive sample, with promising results in clinical ranges.

Background: The development of adipose tissue during adolescence may provide valuable insights into obesity-associated diseases. We propose an automated convolutional neural network (CNN) approach using Dixon-based magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to quantity abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) in children and adolescents. Methods: 474 abdominal Dixon MRI scans of 136 young healthy volunteers (aged 8–18) were included in this study. For each scan, an axial fat-only Dixon image located at the L2–L3 disc space and another image at the L4–L5 disc space were selected for quantification. For each image, an outer and an inner region around the abdomen wall, as well as SAT and VAT pixel masks, were generated by expert readers as reference standards. A standard U-Net CNN architecture was then used to train two models: one for region segmentation and one for fat pixel classification. The performance was evaluated using the dice similarity coefficient (DSC) with fivefold cross-validation, and by Pearson correlation and the Student’s t-test against the reference standards. Results: For the DSC results, means and standard deviations of the outer region, inner region, SAT, and VAT comparisons were 0.974 ± 0.026, 0.997 ± 0.003, 0.981 ± 0.025, and 0.932 ± 0.047, respectively. Pearson coefficients were 1.000 for both outer and inner regions, and 1.000 and 0.982 for SAT and VAT comparisons, respectively (all p = NS). Conclusion: These results show that our method not only provides excellent agreement with the reference SAT and VAT measurements, but also accurate abdominal wall region segmentation. The proposed combined region- and pixel-based CNN approach provides automated abdominal wall segmentation as well as SAT and VAT quantification with Dixon MRI and enables objective longitudinal assessment of adipose tissues in children during adolescence.

We propose fork-join and task-based hybrid implementations of four classical linear algebra iterative methods (Jacobi, Gauss-Seidel, conjugate gradient and biconjugate gradient stabilised) as well as variations of them. Algorithms are duly documented and the corresponding source code is made publicly available for reproducibility. Both weak and strong scalability benchmarks are conducted to statistically analyse their relative efficiencies. The weak scalability results assert the superiority of a task-based hybrid parallelisation over MPI-only and fork-join hybrid implementations. Indeed, the task-based model is able to achieve speedups of up to 25% larger than its MPI-only counterpart depending on the numerical method and the computational resources used. For strong scalability scenarios, hybrid methods based on tasks remain more efficient with moderate computational resources where data locality does not play an important role. Fork-join hybridisation often yields mixed results and hence does not present a competitive advantage over a much simpler MPI approach., Comment: 33 pages, 6 figures, accepted manuscript in Journal of Parallel and Distributed Computing

The geographic and evolutionary origins of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant (BA.1), which was first detected mid-November 2021 in Southern Africa, remain unknown. We tested 13,097 COVID-19 patients sampled between mid-2021 to early 2022 from 22 African countries for BA.1 by real-time RT-PCR. By November-December 2021, BA.1 had replaced the Delta variant in all African sub-regions following a South-North gradient, with a peak Rt of 4.1. Polymerase chain reaction and near-full genome sequencing data revealed genetically diverse Omicron ancestors already existed across Africa by August 2021. Mutations, altering viral tropism, replication and immune escape, gradually accumulated in the spike gene. Omicron ancestors were therefore present in several African countries months before Omicron dominated transmission. These data also indicate that travel bans are ineffective in the face of undetected and widespread infection.

Tensor computations are important mathematical operations for applications that rely on multidimensional data. The tensor-vector multiplication (TVM) is the most memory-bound tensor contraction in this class of operations. This paper proposes an open-source TVM algorithm which is much simpler and efficient than previous approaches, making it suitable for integration in the most popular BLAS libraries available today. Our algorithm has been written from scratch and features unit-stride memory accesses, cache awareness, mode obliviousness, full vectorization and multi-threading as well as NUMA awareness for non-hierarchically stored dense tensors. Numerical experiments are carried out on tensors up to order 10 and various compilers and hardware architectures equipped with traditional DDR and high bandwidth memory (HBM). For large tensors the average performance of the TVM ranges between 62% and 76% of the theoretical bandwidth for NUMA systems with DDR memory and remains independent of the contraction mode. On NUMA systems with HBM the TVM exhibits some mode dependency but manages to reach performance figures close to peak values. Finally, the higher-order power method is benchmarked with the proposed TVM kernel and delivers on average between 58% and 69% of the theoretical bandwidth for large tensors. This work was supported in part by MCIN/AEI and ESF under Grant RYC2019-027592-I, and in part by the HPC Technology Innovation Lab, a Barcelona Supercomputing Center and Huawei research cooperation agreement (2020).

Context Abnormalities in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis are frequent accompaniments of depression, and studies have documented the role of stress and stressful life events in the ontogeny of perimenopausal depressions (PMD). Because HPA axis function in women is further modulated both by aging and ovarian steroids, it is possible that a dysregulated HPA axis contributes to the increased risk of PMD. Objective We examined HPA axis function in perimenopausal women with and without depression using the combined dexamethasone–corticotropin-releasing hormone (Dex/CRH) test. Methods Dex/CRH tests were performed on 20 women with PMD and 20 women who were also perimenopausal but without current or past depression (control women). Main outcome measures were plasma levels of cortisol and adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) and 24-hour urinary free cortisol (UFC). Five women took chronic stable medications, otherwise all women were medically healthy, and both groups were comparable with respect to reproductive stage and age. Standardized symptom rating scales were administered to each woman prior to Dex/CRH testing. Results No group differences were present in either baseline or stimulated ACTH and cortisol secretion. Baseline plasma measures of estradiol, progesterone, and 24-hour UFC levels similarly did not differ in PMD and control women. Conclusion Despite reports of increased stress responsiveness in PMD, we observed no abnormalities of HPA axis activity associated with PMD compared with women without depression. These findings suggest that PMD is not uniformly associated with HPA dysregulation and could reflect underlying pathophysiologic processes that are distinct from women with nonreproductive-related depressions.

Substantial evidence suggests that circulating ovarian steroids modulate behavior differently in women with PMDD than in those without this condition. However, hormonal state-related abnormalities of neural functioning in PMDD remain to be better characterized. In addition, while altered neural function in PMDD likely co-exists with alterations in intrinsic cellular function, such a relationship has not been explored. Here, we investigated the effects of ovarian steroids on basal, resting regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in PMDD, and, in an exploratory analysis, we tested whether the rCBF findings were linked to the expression of ESC/E(Z) genes, which form an essential ovarian steroid-regulated gene-silencing complex. Resting rCBF was measured with oxygen-15 water PET (189 PET sessions in 43 healthy women and 20 women with PMDD) during three self-as-own-control conditions: GnRH agonist (Lupron)-induced ovarian suppression, estradiol add-back, and progesterone add-back. ESC/E(Z) gene expression data were obtained from RNA-sequencing of lymphoblastoid cell lines performed in a previous study and were examined in relation to hormone-induced changes in rCBF. In the rCBF PET data, there was a significant diagnosis-by-hormone interaction in the subgenual cingulate (PFDR = 0.05), an important neuroanatomical hub for regulating affective state. Whereas control women showed no hormonally-related changes in resting rCBF, those with PMDD showed decreased resting rCBF during both estradiol (P = 0.02) and progesterone (P = 0.0002) add-back conditions. In addition, in PMDD, ESC/E(Z) gene expression correlated with the change in resting rCBF between Lupron-alone and progesterone conditions (Pearson r = −0.807, P = 0.016). This work offers a formulation of PMDD that integrates behavioral, neural circuit, and cellular mechanisms, and may provide new targets for future therapeutic interventions.

This study aimed to analyse and understand the perception about Education for Sustainability from the perspective of secondary school students in the Basque Autonomous Community by means of a quali...

Background Iatrogenic bile duct injury (IBDI) is a challenging surgical complication. IBDI management can be guided by artificial intelligence models. Our study identified the factors associated with successful initial repair of IBDI and predicted the success of definitive repair based on patient risk levels. Methods This is a retrospective multi-institution cohort of patients with IBDI after cholecystectomy conducted between 1990 and 2020. We implemented a decision tree analysis to determine the factors that contribute to successful initial repair and developed a risk-scoring model based on the Comprehensive Complication Index. Results We analyzed 748 patients across 22 hospitals. Our decision tree model was 82.8% accurate in predicting the success of the initial repair. Non-type E (p p p Discussion Machine learning algorithms for IBDI are a novel tool may help to improve the decision-making process and guide management of these patients.

El ascenso del Imperio japonés como potencia militar y naval desde mediados del siglo xix comenzó pronto a verse desde Madrid con recelo. La vibrante economía nipona y la creciente expansión de su población hicieron que Tokio comenzase a poner sus miras en la adquisición de territorios coloniales en el Pacífico y Asia Meridional que garantizar el acceso a recursos naturales que abasteciesen su industria y una salida para sus excedentes demográficos. España, una vieja potencia colonial atascada en sus interminables problemas internos y con escasa capacidad de reacción, detectó la amenaza que ello suponía para el manteamiento de sus territorios en la región y dispuso que sendos oficiales del Ejército y la Armada fueran destinados a Tokio como agregados a la Embajada, con la intención de que sirviesen en la recolección de cuanta información fuese de interés en previsión de un futuro conflicto.

Advances in comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) of lung adenocarcinomas (LUADs) led to personalized treatment for patients. This study evaluated medical oncologists' attitudes toward CGP in a scenario where sponsored funding for CGP was available.We designed an online survey assessing CGP use and treating physicians' confidence, composed of three self-confidence domains, which are as follows: confidence in interpreting CGP results, confidence in treating oncogenic-driven LUAD, and confidence in managing tyrosine kinase inhibitor adverse events. The survey was distributed to medical oncologists who treat lung cancer in Brazil. Comparisons between groups were performed using the chi-square or Fisher's exact test. Univariable and multivariable (adjusted OR) analyses were performed.Among 104 respondents who treat patients with lung cancer, 55% were from the Southeast region, 28% had high lung cancer clinical load, and 33% had in-house molecular testing. More than half (51%) of the participants request CGP systematically to stage IV LUAD. As for provider confidence, 67% stated being confident in all three domains: 76% confident in interpreting CGP, 84% confident in treating oncogenic-driven LUAD, and 81% in managing tyrosine kinase inhibitor adverse events. Providers' confidence was associated with systematically requesting CGP to stage IV LUAD (Even though CGP for stage IV LUAD in Brazil is fully sponsored, only half of the oncologists in our survey systematically request it.. Requesting CGP was associated with providers' confidence. Improving access and promoting providers' awareness of CGP utility is necessary to increase CGP use and better inform treatment decisions.

Objective We examined the short-term efficacies of three estrogen-like compounds under placebo-controlled conditions in women with perimenopause-related depression (PMD). Methods Women with PMD were randomized in a double-blind parallel design to one of four treatments: transdermal 17-beta estradiol (TE) (100 mcg/d); oral raloxifene (60 mg/d); a proprietary phytoestrogen compound, Rimostil (1,000 mg twice/d); or placebo for 8 weeks. The main outcome measures were the Center for Epidemiology Studies Depression Scale, 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD), and the Beck Depression Inventory completed at each clinic visit. Secondary outcomes included a visual analogue self-rating completed at each clinic visit, and daily self-ratings of hot flush severity. Cognitive tests were performed at pretreatment baseline and at the end of the trial. In the primary analysis, we obtained four repeated measures in each woman in the four treatment arms. Analyses were done with SAS Version 9.4 software (SAS Institute, Inc, Cary, NC), using PROC MIXED (for mixed models). All models included the following four explanatory variables, regardless of whether they were statistically significant: 1) treatment group (TE, raloxifene, Rimostil, placebo); 2) week (W2, W4, W6, W8); 3) treatment group-by-week interaction; and 4) baseline value of the measure being analyzed. The inclusion of additional variables was evaluated individually for each outcome measure. Results Sixty-six women were randomized into the trial, four women dropped out of the trial, and 62 women were included in the final data analysis. No effect of treatment group was observed in either the Center for Epidemiology Studies Depression Scale (P = 0.34) or Beck Depression Inventory (P = 0.27) scores; however, there was a difference in HRSD scores between treatment groups (P = 0.0037) that pair-wise comparisons of the combined weekly scores in each treatment demonstrated TE's beneficial effects on HRSD scores compared with Rimostil (P = 0.0005), and less consistently with placebo (P = 0.099). The average (SD) of the baseline scores for each treatment group on the HRSD was as follows: TE-15.3 (4.5), raloxifene-16.0 (3.7), Rimostil-14.0 (2.7), and placebo-15.2 (3.0). Whereas the HRSD scores after 8 weeks of treatment (least-square means) were TE-5.2(1.1), raloxifene-5.8(1.2), Rimostil-11.2(1.4), and placebo-7.8(1.1). No differences were observed between raloxifene and either TE or placebo in any scale score. HRSD scores in women assigned to TE were improved compared with those on Rimostil during weeks 6 and 8 (P values = 0.0008, 0.0011, respectively). Cognitive testing at week 8 showed that none of the three active treatment groups performed better than placebo. Conclusions This study did not identify significant therapeutic benefits of TE, Rimostil, or raloxifene compared with placebo in PMD. However, improvements in depression ratings were observed between TE compared with Rimostil. Thus, our findings do not support the role of ERbeta compounds in the treatment of PMD (and indeed could suggest a more important role of ERalpha).

Coupled inductors are widely used in multiple outputs and interleaved dc–dc converters. Also filters often use coupled inductors as their inductive part. A generalized design procedure is proposed in this article focused on current ripple minimization and applicable to coupled inductors exposed to pulsewidth modulation signals and in continuous conduction mode. The design provides a very large inductance for all windings but one. Compared to other designs, it adapts to the existing magnetic properties of the magnetic device changing only the inductance ratio, simplifying the design and manufacturing process. It is based on the equivalent inductance value and its divergences. The only assumption applied is that the coupling coefficient among all windings is the same, which is an acceptable approximation in many magnetic core architectures. The theoretical results are experimentally verified. Not only almost zero ripple current is achieved, but also mass and volume is reduced compared to noncoupled inductors. This is an additional advantage of coupled inductors in mass and volume critical applications such as aerospace.

Argentina was able to anticipate public health interventions in order to flatten the contagion curve of CoViD-19. Eighty-three surgeons answered an online survey to assess the impact of the pandemic on bariatric surgery (BS) in Argentina. Most of them showed a high economic dependence on BS. Near 90% of health institutions were on phase 0 or I. While 90% still performed other laparoscopic surgeries, BS was suspended. In many surgeries for nonsuspected CoViD-19 patients, high personnel protection resources were applied. Ninety-five percent offered virtual consults. Most surgeons would not change usual algorithms or techniques. To restart BS a scientific society recommendation was expected, including patient selection criteria. The opinions gathered by this survey were taken into account to elaborate official recommendations for restarting elective BS.

The estimated 20–30% of women who develop perimenopausal depression (PMD) are at an increased risk of cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. The therapeutic benefits of estradiol (E2) and symptom-provoking effects of E2-withdrawal (E2-WD) suggest that a greater sensitivity to changes in E2 at the cellular level contribute to PMD. We developed an in vitro model of PMD with lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) derived from participants of a prior E2-WD clinical study. LCLs from women with past PMD (n = 8) or control women (n = 9) were cultured in three experimental conditions: at vehicle baseline, during E2 treatment, and following E2-WD. Transcriptome analysis revealed significant differences in transcript expression in PMD in all experimental conditions, and significant overlap in genes that were changed in PMD regardless of experimental condition. Of these, chemokine CXCL10, previously linked to cardiovascular disease, was upregulated in women with PMD, but most so after E2-WD (p

The reduction of embedded portable devices involves a magnetic field interference problem when it integrates near field communication (NFC) due to the presence of conductive surfaces, such as ground planes, batteries, or metallic enclosures. Flexible sintered ferrite sheets (FSFS) represent an interesting shielding solution to prevent electromagnetic interferences problems related to NFC, thanks to their ability to control the magnetic flux. The characterization of FSFS effectiveness is analyzed as a function of the sheet thickness in this contribution. This is performed with the aim of determining which is the optimum thickness value to retune an NFC antenna to its original operation frequency value (13.56 MHz) when it is affected by a near conductive surface. A finite element method simulation model is designed and corroborated with the experimental results to evaluate the performance of different FSFS thicknesses in terms of resonant frequency shift, magnetic field strength, and communication distance. An electromagnetic scanner is also used to determine the ability of the best FSFS thickness to shield an NFC transmitter antenna when a battery is set under it, emulating a usual problem. The results obtained show that the magnetic field strength is significantly attenuated and the communication distance is highly shorted. Therefore, besides selecting a material that provides high reflection and low losses at 13.56 MHz, thickness must be considered to ensure the greatest communication effectiveness. Consequently, the use of a wrong FSFS thickness could lead to shifting the resonance frequency to lower values than expected, detuning the communication.