Publications by authors named "Alan P Silva"

Introduction: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has characteristics that have been observed to develop over time, such as the difficulty of affective, sensory, and emotional processing, which trigger some problems during childhood, limiting children's development. Applied behavior analysis (ABA) is among the therapeutic approaches for ASD, in which treatment can be tailored according to the patient's objectives.

Objective: Based on ABA, we aimed to analyze the therapeutic strategy for independence in different skill performance tasks of patients diagnosed with ASD.

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Diabetes mellitus (DM) stands out among the most important public health problems worldwide since it represents a high burden on health systems and is associated with higher hospitalization rates, and a higher incidence of cardiovascular diseases. Amputations are among the most common complications, leading to disability and increasing care costs. This research aims to analyze the prevalence of DM-related amputations, comorbidities and associated risk factors in the diabetic population residing in the State of Espírito Santo, Brazil.

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Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITSs) are concerned with the use of artificial intelligence techniques for performing adaptive tutoring to learners' according to what they know about the domain. Researchers are increasingly interested in applying gamification in e-learning systems to engage students and to drive desired learning behaviors. However, little attention has been drawn to the effective application of gamification in ITS, and how to connect theories of both concepts in a standard and formal way.

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New technologies designed to improve the communication of autistic children can also help to promote interaction processes and cognitive and social development. The aim of this study was to analyze the instruments used to improve the communication skills of children with autism spectrum disorder. We searched the PubMed and Web of Science databases using the descriptors "autism", "Asperger", "education", "children" and "assistive technology" and selected articles that met the following inclusion criteria: (i) original research; (ii) written in English; (iii) based on participants with a primary diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder; and (iv) tested an instrument designed to promote communication in children with autism spectrum disorder.

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Introduction: The concept of assistive technology covers several areas of action; one of them is communication with the elaboration of accessible solutions to overcome daily difficulties. It contributes to the resumption of functional abilities, expanding and facilitating inclusion and independent living.

Objective: To analyze the usability of a low cost prototype device to support educational activities of adolescents with cerebral palsy.

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A series of thiosemicarbazone (TSC) p-substituted acetophenone derivatives were synthesized and chemically characterized. The p-substituents appended to the phenyl group of the TSC structures were hydrogen, fluor, chlorine, methyl, and nitro, producing compounds named TSC-H, TSC-F, TSC-Cl, TSC-Me, and TSC-NO2, respectively. The TSC compounds were evaluated for their capacity to induce mitochondrial permeability, to deplete mitochondrial thiol content, and to promote cell death in the K562 cell lineage using flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy.

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Article Synopsis
  • Gabapentin (GBP) is an anti-convulsant medication used to manage neuropathic pain, and this study assessed its effects on nerve inflammation in Wistar rats following sciatic nerve injury.
  • GBP treatment resulted in improved pain response and motor function at certain doses, indicating potential benefits in pain management, but also heightened inflammatory markers in the nerves.
  • The findings suggest that while GBP can effectively reduce pain, it may simultaneously provoke inflammatory responses, raising concerns about its widespread clinical application.
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A series of thiosemicarbazones deriving from the natural sesquiterpene (-)-alpha-bisabolol were synthesized and tested against a panel of eight human tumor cell lines to evaluate their anti-tumor potential. Some of the compounds exhibited inhibitory effects on the growth of a wide range of cancer cell lines, but myeloid leukemia cells (K-562) were especially sensitive to all tested thiosemicarbazones (GI(50) 0.01-4.

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