Phylogeographic and Demographic Analysis of the Asian Black Bear (Ursus thibetanus) Based on Mitochondrial DNA.

The Asian black bear Ursus thibetanus is widely distributed in Asia and is adapted to broad-leaved deciduous forests, playing an important ecological role in the natural environment. Several subspecies of U. thibetanus have been recognized, one of which, the Japanese black bear, is distributed in the Japanese archipelago. Recent molecular phylogeographic studies clarified that this subspecies is genetically distantly related to continental subspecies, suggesting an earlier origin. However, the evolutionary relationship between the Japanese and continental subspecies remained unclear. To understand the evolution of the Asian black bear in relation to geological events such as climatic and transgression-regression cycles, a reliable time estimation is also essential. To address these issues, we determined and analyzed the mt-genome of the Japanese subspecies. This indicates that the Japanese subspecies initially diverged from other Asian black bears in around 1.46Ma. The Northern continental population (northeast China, Russia, Korean peninsula) subsequently evolved, relatively recently, from the Southern continental population (southern China and Southeast Asia). While the Japanese black bear has an early origin, the tMRCAs and the dynamics of population sizes suggest that it dispersed relatively recently in the main Japanese islands: during the late Middle and Late Pleistocene, probably during or soon after the extinction of the brown bear in Honshu in the same period. Our estimation that the population size of the Japanese subspecies increased rapidly during the Late Pleistocene is the first evidential signal of a niche exchange between brown bears and black bears in the Japanese main islands. This interpretation seems plausible but was not corroborated by paleontological evidence that fossil record of the Japanese subspecies limited after the Late Pleistocene. We also report here a new fossil record of the oldest Japanese black bear from the Middle Pleistocene, and it supports our new evolutionary hypothesis of the Japanese black bear

EMPATHY OF NURSING STUDENTS IN A SIMULATED CLINICAL ACTIVITY

Objetivo: identificar e avaliar a empatia de estudantes de enfermagem antes e após atividade clínica simulada.Método: trata-se de um estudo quantitativo e quase-experimental, realizado no interior do Estado de São Paulo. Fizeram parte do estudo 107 estudantes de graduação em enfermagem. Foi construído e validado um cenário de simulação clínica de média fidelidade. A empatia foi avaliada por meio do Inventário de Empatia antes e após a atividade clínica simulada.Resultados: houve mudanças positivas após a atividade clínica simulada nos componentes cognitivos da empatia e não houve mudanças, em partes, no componente afetivo da empatia.Conclusão: a atividade clínica simulada bem delineada em um cenário de simulação clínica validada foi capaz de melhorar o componente cognitivo da empatia, porém não foi passível de mudanças no componente afetivo da empatia, o qual transfigura em sentimentos de compaixão e altruísmo.Objetivo: Identificar y evaluar la empatía de estudiantes de enfermería antes y después deactividad clínica simulada.Método: estudio cuantitativo e cuasi experimental, realizado en el interior del Estado deSão Paulo. Participaron del estudio 107 estudiantes de grado de enfermería. Se construyó yvalidó un escenario de simulación clínica de fidelidad media. La empatía se evaluó utilizandoel Inventario de Empatía antes y después de la actividad clínica simulada.Resultados: hubo cambios positivos después de la actividad clínica simulada en loscomponentes cognitivos de la empatía mientras que no los hubo en el componente afectivode la empatía.Conclusión: la actividad clínica simulada bien diseñada en un escenario de simulación clínicavalidado pudo mejorar el componente cognitivo de la empatía, pero no estuvo sujeta acambios en el componente afectivo de la empatía, lo que se transfigura en sentimientos decompasión y altruismo.Objective: To identify and evaluate the empathy of nursing students before and after asimulated clinical activity.Method: This is a quantitative and quasi-experimental study, carried out in the inland of thestate of São Paulo. 107 nursing students participated in the study. A medium-fidelity clinicalsimulation scenario was built and validated. Empathy was evaluated through the EmpathyInventory before and after the simulated clinical activity.Results: There were positive changes after the simulated clinical activity in the cognitivecomponents of empathy and there were no changes, in parts, in the affective component ofempathy.Conclusion: The simulated clinical activity, well outlined in a validated clinical simulationscenario, was able to improve the cognitive component of empathy but was not susceptibleto changes in the affective component of empathy, which transfigures into feelings ofcompassion and altruism

Benefits of Qigong as an integrative and complementary practice for health: a systematic review

Objetivo: analisar na literatura as evidências sobre os benefícios da prática integrativa e complementar de Qigong à saúde de pessoas adultas e idosas. Método: revisão sistemática mediante a busca de estudos nas bases de dados PubMed, CINAHL, LILACS, EMBASE e Cochrane Library. Foram incluídos ensaios clínicos randomizados e não randomizados; em português, inglês e espanhol; de 2008 a 2018. Adotou-se a estratégia Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses, bem como a recomendação da Colaboração Cochrane para a avaliação do risco de viés dos ensaios clínicos analisados. Resultados: foram selecionados 28 estudos que indicaram o benefício da prática para o público-alvo, podendo ser utilizada para inúmeras condições de saúde, como: câncer; fibromialgia; Doença de Parkinson; Doença Pulmonar Obstrutiva Crônica; Burnout; estresse; isolamento social; lombalgia crônica; dor cervical; zumbido; osteoartrite; fadiga; depressão; e doenças cardiovasculares. Notou-se, contudo, grande risco de viés no que tange ao cegamento das pesquisas. Conclusão: a prática de Qigong produz resultados positivos sobre a saúde, principalmente, a médio e longo prazo. Este estudo contribui para o avanço no uso de práticas integrativas e complementares na enfermagem uma vez que reúne a produção científica na área a partir dos melhores resultados de pesquisas disponíveis.Objetivo: analizar las evidencias presentes en la literatura acerca de los beneficios del Qigong como práctica integradora y complementaria en relación a la salud de adultos y ancianos. Método: revisión sistemática mediante la búsqueda de estudios en las siguientes bases de datos: PubMed, CINAHL, LILACS, EMBASE y Cochrane Library. Se incluyeron ensayos clínicos aleatorizados y no aleatorizados en portugués, inglés y español, de 2008 a 2018. Se adoptó la estrategia Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses, así como la recomendación de la Colaboración Cochrane empleada para evaluar el riesgo de sesgo de los ensayos clínicos analizados. Resultados: se seleccionaron 28 estudios que indicaron los beneficios de la práctica para el público objetivo, empleada en la afección de numerosos problemas de salud como cáncer, fibromialgia, Mal de Parkinson, Enfermedad Pulmonar Obstructiva Crónica, Burnout, estrés, aislamiento social, lumbalgia crónica, dolor cervical, tinnitus, osteoartritis, fatiga, depresión y enfermedades cardiovasculares. No obstante, se registró un gran riesgo de sesgo en lo que se refiere al procedimiento de enmascaramiento de las investigaciones. Conclusión: practicar Qigong produce resultados positivos en la salud, principalmente, a mediano y largo plazo. Este estudio contribuye al avance en el uso de prácticas integradoras y complementarias en enfermería, ya que reúne la producción científica en el área, seleccionada a partir de los mejores resultados de las investigaciones disponibles.Objective: to analyze, in the literature, evidence about the benefits of the integrative and complementary practice of Qigong with regard to the health of adults and the elderly. Method: a systematic review by searching for studies in the PubMed, CINAHL, LILACS, EMBASE and Cochrane Library databases. Randomized and non-randomized clinical trials were included; in Portuguese, English and Spanish; from 2008 to 2018. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses strategy was adopted, as well as the recommendation of the Cochrane Collaboration for assessing the risk of bias in the clinical trials analyzed. Results: 28 studies were selected that indicated the benefit of the practice to the target audience, which can be used for numerous health conditions, such as: cancer; fibromyalgia; Parkinson’s disease; Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease; Burnout; stress; social isolation; chronic low back pain; cervical pain; buzz; osteoarthritis; fatigue; depression; and cardiovascular diseases. However, there was a great risk of bias in terms of the blinding of the research studies. Conclusion: the practice of Qigong produces positive results on health, mainly in the medium and long term. This study contributes to the advancement in the use of integrative and complementary practices in nursing, since it brings together the scientific production in the area from the best research results available

Hepatitis B virus strains of subgenotype A2 with an identical sequence spreading rapidly from the capital region to all over Japan in patients with acute hepatitis B

ObjectiveTo examine recent trends of acute infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) in Japan by nationwide surveillance and phylogenetic analyses.MethodsDuring 1991 through 2009, a sentinel surveillance was conducted in 28 national hospitals in a prospective cohort study. Genotypes of HBV were determined in 547 patients with acute hepatitis B. Nucleotide sequences in the preS1/S2/S gene of genotype A and B isolates were determined for phylogenetic analyses.ResultsHBV genotype A was detected in 137 (25% (accompanied by genotype G in one)) patients, B in 48 (9%), C in 359 (66%), and other genotypes in the remaining three (0.5%). HBV persisted in five with genotype A including the one accompanied by genotype G; another was co-infected with HIV type 1. The genotype was A in 4.8% of patients during 1991-1996, 29.3% during 1997-2002, and 50.0% during 2003-2008 in the capital region, as against 6.5%, 8.5% and 33.1%, respectively, in other regions. Of the 114 genotype A isolates, 13 (11.4%) were subgenotype A1, and 101 (88.6%) were A2, whereas of the 43 genotype B isolates, 10 (23.3%) were subgenotype B1, 28 (65.1%) were B2, two (4.7%) were B3, and three (7.0%) were B4. Sequences of 65 (64%) isolates of A2 were identical, as were three (23%) of A1, and five (18%) of B2, but none of the B1, B3 and B4 isolates shared a sequence.ConclusionsAcute infection with HBV of genotype A, subgenotype A2 in particular, appear to be increasing, mainly through sexual contact, and spreading from the capital region to other regions in Japan nationwide. Infection persisted in 4% of the patients with genotype A, and HBV strains with an identical sequence prevailed in subgenotype A2 infections. This study indicates the need for universal vaccination of young people to prevent increases in HBV infection in Japan

Baseline gene signatures of reactogenicity to Ebola vaccination: a machine learning approach across multiple cohorts

Introduction: The rVSVDG-ZEBOV-GP (Ervebo®) vaccine is both immunogenic and protective against Ebola. However, the vaccine can cause a broad range of transient adverse reactions, from headache to arthritis. Identifying baseline reactogenicity signatures can advance personalized vaccinology and increase our understanding of the molecular factors associated with such adverse events. Methods: In this study, we developed a machine learning approach to integrate prevaccination gene expression data with adverse events that occurred within 14 days post-vaccination. Results and Discussion: We analyzed the expression of 144 genes across 343 blood samples collected from participants of 4 phase I clinical trial cohorts: Switzerland, USA, Gabon, and Kenya. Our machine learning approach revealed 22 key genes associated with adverse events such as local reactions, fatigue, headache, myalgia, fever, chills, arthralgia, nausea, and arthritis, providing insights into potential biological mechanisms linked to vaccine reactogenicity

Correlations between neuropsychological test results and P300 latency during silent-count and button-press tasks in post-traumatic brain injury patients.

To evaluate the correlations between memory function and intelligence and event-related potential, the P300 component for different tasks was studied for 30 post-traumatic brain injury patients (mean age 31.6 ± 13.7 years; 23 male and 7 female). Memory function, intelligence, and depression were measured by using the Mini-Mental State Examination, the revised Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale and the Self-Rating Depression Scale, respectively. P300 latency was measured during silent-count and button-press tests at three midline scalp (Fz, Cz, and Pz) sites for all subjects by using an auditory ‘odd-ball’ paradigm. Neuropsychological memory score was predicted by intelligence score, but neurophysiological P300 latency was predicted by memory score for the silent-count test and by intelligence score for the button-press test. These results show that the P300 event-related potential component is sensitive to the diverse nature of cognitive deficits in post-traumatic brain injury patients during different types of discrimination tasks. However, future research is necessary to replicate and extend these findings

Exploiting the Internet of Things with Artificial Intelligence in the context of Health Smart Homes: a physical and emotional approach

Devido ao aumento da população idosa ou com limitações físicas/mentais é possível observar o crescimento de estudos na área de Internet das Coisas com o objetivo de monitorar a saúde e auxiliar no gerenciamento e melhora na qualidade de vida dessa parte da população. Nesse sentido, a abordagem baseada em Internet das Coisas aplicada em ambientes médicos e casas inteligentes tem o objetivo de fornecer conectividade entre o paciente e o ambiente ao seu redor, provendo mecanismos para ajudar em diagnósticos e prevenção de acidentes e/ou doenças. Nesse contexto surge a oportunidade de explorar sistemas computacionais para identificar o estado físico e emocional, em tempo real, de indivíduos com alguma limitação para monitorar a saúde; por exemplo, identificar o comportamento da rotina do usuário e emitir alertas aos familiares e/ou equipe médica sobre algum evento anormal ou identificar indícios de distúrbios emocionais. Ainda, com base na Inteligência Artificial é possível que sistemas computacionais possam aprender e se adaptar ao contexto que se encontra, por exemplo aprender e se adaptar a quantidade de exercícios e/ou estado emocional do usuário em determinadas situações, combinando conceitos tanto de Internet of Things quanto de Inteligência Artificial. Assim, este projeto tem como objetivo desenvolver e avaliar um modelo que possa: i.) identificar o estado físico e emocional do usuário; ii.) prover um mecanismo que possa monitorar de maneira inteligente as atividades do cotidiano do usuário e; iii.) explorar a abordagem de integração de dados com a utilização de múltiplos sensores IoT para uma melhor interação entre dispositivos computacionais no ambiente Health Smart Homes.Due to the increase in the elderly population or with physical/mental limitations it is possible to observe the growth of studies in the field of Internet of Things with the objective of monitoring health and assisting in the management and improvement of the quality of life of this part of the population . In this sense, the Internet of Things approach applied in medical environments and smart homes aims to provide connectivity between the patient and the environment around them, providing mechanisms to aid in diagnosis and prevention of accidents and/or diseases. In this context the opportunity arises to explore computational systems to identify the physical and emotional state, in real time, of individuals with some limitation to monitor health; for example, identifying the behavior of the users routine and issuing alerts to family members and/or medical staff about some abnormal event or identifying evidence of emotional disturbances. Also, based on Artificial Intelligence, it is possible for computational systems to learn and adapt to the context they are in, for example learning and adapting the amount of exercises and/or emotional state of the user in certain situations, combining concepts both of Internet of Things and of Artificial Intelligence. Thus, this project aims to develop and evaluate a model that can: i) identify the physical and emotional state of the user; ii) provide a mechanism that can intelligently monitor the daily activities of the user and; iii) explore the data integration approach with the use of multiple IoT sensors for better interaction between computing devices in the Health Smart Homes environment

Exploiting the Internet of Things with Artificial Intelligence in the context of Health Smart Homes: a physical and emotional approach

Devido ao aumento da população idosa ou com limitações físicas/mentais é possível observar o crescimento de estudos na área de Internet das Coisas com o objetivo de monitorar a saúde e auxiliar no gerenciamento e melhora na qualidade de vida dessa parte da população. Nesse sentido, a abordagem baseada em Internet das Coisas aplicada em ambientes médicos e casas inteligentes tem o objetivo de fornecer conectividade entre o paciente e o ambiente ao seu redor, provendo mecanismos para ajudar em diagnósticos e prevenção de acidentes e/ou doenças. Nesse contexto surge a oportunidade de explorar sistemas computacionais para identificar o estado físico e emocional, em tempo real, de indivíduos com alguma limitação para monitorar a saúde; por exemplo, identificar o comportamento da rotina do usuário e emitir alertas aos familiares e/ou equipe médica sobre algum evento anormal ou identificar indícios de distúrbios emocionais. Ainda, com base na Inteligência Artificial é possível que sistemas computacionais possam aprender e se adaptar ao contexto que se encontra, por exemplo aprender e se adaptar a quantidade de exercícios e/ou estado emocional do usuário em determinadas situações, combinando conceitos tanto de Internet of Things quanto de Inteligência Artificial. Assim, este projeto tem como objetivo desenvolver e avaliar um modelo que possa: i.) identificar o estado físico e emocional do usuário; ii.) prover um mecanismo que possa monitorar de maneira inteligente as atividades do cotidiano do usuário e; iii.) explorar a abordagem de integração de dados com a utilização de múltiplos sensores IoT para uma melhor interação entre dispositivos computacionais no ambiente Health Smart Homes.Due to the increase in the elderly population or with physical/mental limitations it is possible to observe the growth of studies in the field of Internet of Things with the objective of monitoring health and assisting in the management and improvement of the quality of life of this part of the population . In this sense, the Internet of Things approach applied in medical environments and smart homes aims to provide connectivity between the patient and the environment around them, providing mechanisms to aid in diagnosis and prevention of accidents and/or diseases. In this context the opportunity arises to explore computational systems to identify the physical and emotional state, in real time, of individuals with some limitation to monitor health; for example, identifying the behavior of the users routine and issuing alerts to family members and/or medical staff about some abnormal event or identifying evidence of emotional disturbances. Also, based on Artificial Intelligence, it is possible for computational systems to learn and adapt to the context they are in, for example learning and adapting the amount of exercises and/or emotional state of the user in certain situations, combining concepts both of Internet of Things and of Artificial Intelligence. Thus, this project aims to develop and evaluate a model that can: i) identify the physical and emotional state of the user; ii) provide a mechanism that can intelligently monitor the daily activities of the user and; iii) explore the data integration approach with the use of multiple IoT sensors for better interaction between computing devices in the Health Smart Homes environment

FlexPersuade Exploring a flexible approach to persuasion software: a case study with music players

Estudos atuais na área de Interação Humano-Computador evidenciam a importância de se considerar aspectos emocionais na interação com sistemas computacionais. Acredita-se que ao permitir agentes artificiais identificar emoções de usuários, em uma interação humano-computador, torna-se possível induzir e despertar emoções a fim de estimulá-los em suas atividades. Um dos grandes desafios dos pesquisadores em Interação humano-computador é prover sistemas capazes de reconhecer, interpretar e reagir de modo inteligente e sensível às emoções do usuário, para atender aos requisitos do maior número possível de indivíduos; um dos caminhos que se apresenta é o desenvolvimento de sistemas flexíveis. O principal objetivo de se promover essa interação emotiva é contribuir para o aumento da coerência, consistência e credibilidade das reações e respostas computacionais providas durante a interação humana via interface humano-computador. Nesse contexto, surge a oportunidade de explorar sistemas computacionais capazes de identificar e inferir o estado emocional do usuário em tempo de execução. Este projeto tem como objetivo desenvolver e avaliar um modelo que possa: i.) identificar o estado emocional do usuário; ii.) prover um mecanismo de persuasão com vistas a mudar o estado emocional do usuário (com um estudo de caso em player de música) e; iii.) explorar a abordagem flexível na persuasão (de acordo com o estado emocional particular de cada usuário) através de mecanismos persuasivos que poderão variar entre um player de música, jogos e/ou vídeos. Assim, ao longo do estudo, o modelo baseado em Comitê de Classificação se mostrou eficiente na identificação das emoções básicas (alegria, aversão, medo, neutro, raiva, surpresa e tristeza) com média de acurácia superior a 80% e, ainda, observou-se a satisfação dos usuários mediante a aplicação do modelo com o player de música.Current studies in the field of Human-Computer Interaction highlight the relevance of emotional aspects while interacting with computers systems. It is believed that allowing intelligent agents to identify users emotions, they can induce and awaken emotions in order to stimulate them while interacting with computers. A major challenge for researchers in human-computer interaction is to provide systems capable of recognizing, interpreting and reacting intelligently and sensitively to the emotions of the user, to meet the requirements of the largest possible number of individuals. One of the ways presented in this project is the development of flexible systems to meet a large number of emotions/behaviors. The main objective of promoting this emotional interaction is to contribute to increasing the coherence, consistency and credibility of reactions and computational responses provided during human interaction via human-computer interface. In this context, the opportunity arises to explore computational systems able to identify and infer the emotional state of the user at runtime. This project aims to develop and evaluate a model that can: i.) identify the emotional state of the user/developer; ii.) provide a mechanism of persuasion in order to change the emotional state of the user (with a case study in music player) and; iii.) explore the flexible approach in persuasion (according to the particular emotional state of each user) through persuasive mechanisms that may vary from a music player, games and/or videos. Thus, throughout the study, the Rating Committee based model is efficient for identification of basic emotions (happiness, disgust, fear, neutral, anger, surprise and sadness) with average accuracy higher than 80% and also noted himself to user satisfaction by applying the model to the music player