Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul

Emerging Applications of Virtual Reality and Artificial Intelligence in Schema Therapy: A Scoping Review

Digital tools have become increasingly integrated into contemporary psychological practice, responding to the growing demand for accessible, scalable, and experiential mental health interventions. Within this evolving landscape, Schema Therapy represents a promising field for tec...

Characterization of an EPS-Enriched Emulsifying Extracellular Fraction Produced by a Brazilian Strain of Vreelandella zhaodongensis

Microbial exopolysaccharides (EPS) are structurally diverse biopolymers with ecological and biotechnological relevance due to their physicochemical and functional properties, including emulsification, metal chelation, and contributions to biofilm formation. In this study, an EPS-...

Migraine in Real-World Clinical Practice: Patient Burden, Healthcare Utilization and Unmet Needs—A Cross-Sectional Analysis of the I-GRAINE Study

What are the main findings?Migraine care in Italy is characterized by a mismatch between healthcare resource utilization and clinical needs, with limited primary-care involvement, repeated specialist consultations, and healthcare nomadism.Healthcare resource utilization is substa...

Psychometric evaluation of the Brazilian version of the Postpartum Specific Anxiety Scale – Research Short-Form for Global Crises (PSAS-BR-RSF-C)

Abstract Purpose Anxiety symptoms are highly prevalent during the postpartum period; however, validated instruments to measure postpartum-specific anxiety in Brazil are lacking. This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Brazilian Portuguese version of the Po...

Temporal changes in pectoralis major mechanical properties during and following velocity-based resistance training: a repeated-measures myotonometric study

Abstract Background Resistance training induces fatigue-related responses that may reduce force-generating capacity through metabolic and neuromuscular mechanisms. Muscle mechanical properties, including stiffness, elasticity, and resting tone, assessed via myotonometry, provide...

Methodological Quality and Overlap of Systematic Reviews Comparing Carotid Endarterectomy versus Carotid Artery Stenting in Symptomatic Contralateral Carotid Occlusion: An Overview of Reviews

Background: Symptomatic contralateral carotid occlusion (CCO) is considered a high-risk scenario for carotid revascularization, yet the comparative evidence for carotid endarterectomy (CEA) versus carotid artery stenting (CAS) is largely derived from observational data and repeat...

Occurrence of Stenotrophomonas carrying β-lactamase-encoding genes in a veterinary hospital environment

Abstract Stenotrophomonas spp. are environmental bacteria increasingly recognized as opportunistic pathogens with multidrug resistance. This study characterized 17 environmental Stenotrophomonas isolates recovered from effluent samples and veterinary hospitalization units. The sp...

Streptomyces rhizobacteria enhance growth and drought tolerance in maize (Zea mays L.) under greenhouse conditions

Drought is among the most severe limitations to crop productivity, impairing plant development. Although plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria have been reported to alleviate drought stress in several crops, little is known about how Streptomyces affect vegetative growth of maize...

Oral reading fluency assessment assisted by AI: associations with executive functions and intelligence in schoolchildren

OBJECTIVE: Oral reading fluency is central to reading proficiency, yet its relationships with distinct cognitive domains remain unclear. This study investigated the associations between oral reading fluency, executive functions, and intelligence in schoolchildren. METHODS: Studen...

Self-report instruments for assessing transference in psychoanalytical research: a neglected or avoided concept? - A systematic review

Transference is defined as the possibility for the patient to relive, during the psychotherapy process, unconscious impulses and fantasies awakened in the relationship with a person from the patient’s earlier life and it plays an essential role in psychoanalytic treatments. This...

Probiotics for the prevention and treatment of oral candidiasis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Oral candidiasis is a common opportunistic fungal infection, and increasing antifungal resistance has encouraged the investigation of alternative therapeutic approaches, including probiotics. This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the effects of probiotics on microbio...

GW4869 Depletes Macrophages and Increases Number of Extracellular Vesicles in Murine Peritoneal Cavity Fluid

ABSTRACT Pharmacological strategies to modulate extracellular vesicle (EV) release in vivo are gaining traction, yet their broader effects on local immune microenvironments remain unclear. In this study, we assessed how repeated intraperitoneal (i.p.) dosing of the neutral sphing...

The relationship between congenital infections and autism spectrum disorder: a systematic review

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this systematic review (SR) is to evaluate the relationship between congenital infections (Toxoplasmosis, Cytomegalovirus, Rubella, Herpes simplex type 1 and 2, HIV, Zika, and Syphilis) and the development of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). DATA SOURCE: The...

Investigating consumer AI adoption in the banking sector: a cross-context meta-analysis of key determinants

Purpose This study addresses the fragmented and inconsistent findings regarding consumer adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the banking sector. Through a meta-analysis of existing empirical research, it identifies and evaluates the most influential determinants of AI ado...

The central role of fatigue and sleep in health behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic

To explore the associations between perceived fatigue and various health behaviors in a Brazilian adult sample using network analysis during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were collected via an online questionnaire between July 2020 and February 2021, including sociodemographic info...