A Soft Computing Approach to Acute Coronary Syndrome

Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) is transversal to a broad and heterogeneous set of human beings, and assumed as a serious diagnosis and risk stratification problem. Although one may be faced with or had at his disposition different tools as biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of ACS, they have to be previously evaluated and validated in different scenarios and patient cohorts. Besides ensuring that a diagnosis is correct, attention should also be directed to ensure that therapies are either correctly or safely applied. Indeed, this work will focus on the development of a diagnosis decision support system in terms of its knowledge representation and reasoning mechanisms, given here in terms of a formal framework based on Logic Programming, complemented with a problem solving methodology to computing anchored on Artificial Neural Networks. On the one hand it caters for the evaluation of ACS predisposing risk and the respective Degree-of-Confidence that one has on such a happening. On the other hand it may be seen as a major development on the Multi-Value Logics to understand things and ones behavior. Undeniably, the proposed model allows for an improvement of the diagnosis process, classifying properly the patients that presented the pathology (sensitivity ranging from 89.7% to 90.9%) as well as classifying the absence of ACS (specificity ranging from 88.4% to 90.2%)

An Integrated Soft Computing Approach to Hughes Syndrome Risk Assessment

The AntiPhospholipid Syndrome (APS) is an acquired autoimmune disorder induced by high levels of antiphospholipid antibodies that cause arterial and veins thrombosis, as well as pregnancy-related complications and morbidity, as clinical manifestations. This autoimmune hypercoagulable state, usually known as Hughes syndrome, has severe consequences for the patients, being one of the main causes of thrombotic disorders and death. Therefore, it is required to be preventive; being aware of how probable is to have that kind of syndrome. Despite the updated of antiphospholipid syndrome classification, the diagnosis remains difficult to establish. Additional research on clinically relevant antibodies and standardization of their quantification are required in order to improve the antiphospholipid syndrome risk assessment. Thus, this work will focus on the development of a diagnosis decision support system in terms of a formal agenda built on a Logic Programming approach to knowledge representation and reasoning, complemented with a computational framework based on Artificial Neural Networks. The proposed model allows for improving the diagnosis, classifying properly the patients that really presented this pathology (sensitivity higher than 85%), as well as classifying the absence of APS (specificity close to 95%)

A case-based reasoning view of thrombophilia risk

Thrombophilia stands for a genetic or an acquired tendency to hypercoagulable states that increase the risk of venous and arterial thromboses. Indeed, venous thromboembolism is often a chronic illness, mainly in deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, requiring lifelong prevention strategies. Therefore, it is crucial to identify the cause of the disease, the most appropriate treatment, the length of treatment or prevent a thrombotic recurrence. Thus, this work will focus on the development of a diagnosis decision support system in terms of a formal agenda built on a logic programming approach to knowledge representation and reasoning, complemented with a case-based approach to computing. The proposed model has been quite accurate in the assessment of thrombophilia predisposition risk, since the overall accuracy is higher than 90% and sensitivity ranging in the interval [86.5%, 88.1%]. The main strength of the proposed solution is the ability to deal explicitly with incomplete, unknown, or even self-contradictory information

Modalidades de imagem na osteonecrose dos maxilares relacionada à medicamentos: revisão de literatura

Osteonecrosis occurs by cellular death of the bone tissue due to an irreversible external factor. This disorder may be clinically unidentified in the early stages and result in degradation of the bone architectural structure, leading to pain, bone destruction, and loss of function. Thus, imaging exams become relevant to the recognition and definition of the bone necroses. The aim of this study was to review the literature on imaging exams frequently used for the diagnosis and evaluation of patients undergoing drug therapies associated with osteonecrosis of the jaw, such as panoramic radiography, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging and bone scintigraphy.A osteonecrose ocorre pela morte celular do tecido ósseo devido a um fator externo irreversível. Esse distúrbio pode não ser clinicamente identificado nos estágios iniciais gerando quadros de dor, destruição da arquitetura óssea e perda de função. Assim, os exames de imagem se tornam relevantes para o reconhecimento e a definição das necroses ósseas. O objetivo deste estudo foi revisar a literatura a respeito das diferentes modalidades de exames de imagem frequentemente utilizados para diagnóstico e avaliação de pacientes submetidos a terapias medicamentosas associadas à osteonecrose dos maxilares, como a radiografia panorâmica, tomografia computadorizada, ressonância magnética e cintilografia óssea

Multidisciplinary Treatment of a Double First Mandibular Premolar

Gemination aka twinning and fusion, are rare occurrences in posterior mandibular teeth, often requiring endodontic and surgical treatment for functional, orthodontic or cosmetic reasons. The diagnosis and design of a precise treatment plan in cases involving double teeth are in most cases challenging. The purpose of this case report is to describe a successful multidisciplinary treatment protocol for a double tooth. Upon completion of the endodontic, restorative and orthodontic treatments, the clinical and radiographic three-year follow-up revealed that the rest of the transected premolar showed evidence of healing of the supporting tissues and satisfactory cosmetic result.Keywords: Double Tooth; Hemisection; Orthodontics; Root Canal Treatmen

A multimodal approach to identifying affective states in Computational Thinking practices

Computational thinking (CT) presents a common challenge: the limitations of assessment instruments. This article seeks to discuss how the multimodal approach (through the identification of students' affective states) can contribute to the assessment of the development of CT skills. As a method, it is considered the experiment of activities in pairs, with the participation of 40 high school students, analyzed in the tactic of plugged computing. During data collection, the following instruments were used: pre-test and post-test, video capture and open questionnaire. We separated into groups of “Have Gained” and “No Gained” for better characterization of affective states through the EZ-MMLA Toolkit tool, which results in student engagement in carrying out activities. Therefore, this study is a subsidy for evaluation frameworks in future work

O Pibid na formação do professor de geografia na Uesb

A formação de professores, nos dias atuais, representa um grande desafio. Desse modo, a adoção de políticas que possam contribuir para uma melhoria dos cursos de licenciatura e, consequentemente, do ensino, torna-se imprescindível. O presente artigo discute a formação do professor de Geografia, considerando as experiências propostas pelo Programa Institucional de Bolsas de Iniciação à Docência – Pibid, na Uesb, Campus de Vitória da Conquista/BA. A abordagem do tema foi fundamentada em pesquisas e artigos científicos, livros e revistas. Também, houve pesquisa em fontes secundárias (Projeto Pibid Capes, Projeto Pibid / Uesb, subprojeto Pibid / Geografia Uesb-Campus Vitória da Conquista e Projeto de Orientação Curricular do Curso de Licenciatura Plena em Geografia). Ao analisar o subprojeto de Geografia no Pibid foi verificado que esse programa fortalece a formação dos professores que atuarão na educação básica e, contribui, também, para a vivência dos alunos universitários no “Chão da Escola”, viabilizando experiências com os docentes de diferentes instituições de ensino e favorecendo práticas pedagógicas que são muito importantes para uma formação adequada dos futuros profissionais da educação

A sustainable circular 3D printing model for recycling metal scrap in the automotive industry

Industries and businesses are pursuing Industry 4.0 (I4.0) technologies and adopting a circular approach focused on improving manufacturing processes through the reduction of wastes, CO2 emissions, and mineral exploration to mitigate the impact of climate change. In this sense, Additive Manufacturing (AM), often referred to as 3D printing, can play a vital role in the closed loop of operations. However, academics and practitioners have scarcely discussed the feasibility of AM implementation alongside Circular Economy (CE) practices, the techniques and methods required, or how AM could benefit sustainability and circularity. This paper proposes a novel circular sustainable 3D printing model for scrap recycling in the automotive industry to address these gaps.The methodology uses a literature review-based approach followed by empirical research using metal scraps as the raw material for fabricating a powder to input a metal 3D printer for generating sustainable automotive components. A conceptual sustainable circular model for the automotive industry is proposed. Next, is conducted a focus group comprised of AM and automotive industry experts for evaluations. The results indicate that the proposed model can reintroduce waste back into the manufacturing chain as raw material for the on-demand manufacture and supply of automotive components and that it may also have social and environmental implications. This paper’s contributions are threefold: it explores the combined use of I4.0, CE, and Sustainability in the automotive industry, develops a new model to support the circularity and sustainability of the scrap chains, and proposes the use of AM as a catalyst of CE practices by reproducing recycled components with a 3D printer for fully functioning components