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Smartphone use has increased globally and has become essential in daily life. Although benefits exist, concerns arise about the negative effects of prolonged hyperconnectivity. The excessive use of smartphones combined with demographic and mental health related risk factors can lead to problematic smartphone use (PSU). PSU is characterized as the compulsive use of smartphones that disrupts an individual's daily life, work, and relationships. Considering this scenario, the present paper proposes OntoKratos as an ontology designed to detect and prevent PSU. The ontology enables inferences, such as determining the individual's mental health and PSU state, inferring context information, identifying PSU demographic and emotional risk factors, and suggesting interventions. OntoKratos includes 89 classes, 43 object properties, 35 data properties, and 1,113 axioms. Evaluations performed through a simulated dataset demonstrated the ontology's effectiveness regarding PSU identification and interventions for PSU behaviors. Ontology's rules allowed the definition of accurate axioms, improving the correct classification and inference of eight instantiated individuals. This study presents the first ontology for PSU identification and intervention suggestions on PSU behaviors. OntoKratos allows to identify and assist individuals by considering mental health and PSU status, inferring potential PSU risk factors, and providing tailored intervention suggestions to cope with PSU.

The emergence of globally distributed teams and the evolution of mobile technologies have increased the number of mobile knowledge workers (MKW). MKW are professionals who frequently work on the move, far from a fixed workplace, performing knowledge-intensive activities. MKW often work alone, which leads them to face constant challenges in their work practices and difficulties to get timely knowledge to solve their problems alone. Still, little is known about how the collaborative problem-solving is carried out in the MKW's context. To address this gap, we adopted the Design Science Research (DSR) as a research method, and we applied activity theory (AT) and expansive learning as theoretical foundations to understand the MKW's context. We created an artifact - a method implemented via a mobile app - to support collaborative problem-solving processes on the move, which allowed us to understand better how these processes occur, contributing not only to problems resolutions but also to organizational learning.

Language learners often face communication problems when they need to express themselves and do not have the ability to do so. On the other hand, continuous advances in technology are creating new opportunities to improve second language (L2) acquisition through context-aware ubiquitous learning (CAUL) technology. Since vocabulary is the foundation of all language acquisition, this article presents ULearnEnglish, an open-source system to allow ubiquitous English learning focused on incidental vocabulary acquisition. To evaluate our proposal, 15 learners used the developed system, and 10 answered a survey based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). Results indicate a favorable response to the application of incidental learning techniques in combination with the learner context. ULearnEnglish achieved an acceptance rate of 78.66% for the perception of utility, 96% for the perception of ease of use, 86.5% for user context assessment, and 88% for ubiquity. Among its main contributions, this study demonstrates a possible tool for ubiquitous use in the future in language learning; additionally, further studies can use the available resources to develop the system.

This text describes a technology management case to be used as teaching material in postgraduate courses in administration and related areas. The manuscript design followed the appropriate methodology for case studies. The central characters in the case are João, technology manager at Tradição Ltda., an accounting firm, and Afonso, representative of a technology solution used by Tradição Ltda. The case addressed a difficult moment in the relationship between the customer and the technology provider when the customer became dependent on the technology solution, and the licensing costs began to rise: deciding whether to keep the solution or to substitute for another one. The text details the solution of a traditional company to remain competitive with new technologies and the decision regarding the implementation of a transformation plan first phase. The data presented aims to clarify the scenario related to costs and the scenario related to the qualitative aspects of the technology market. It is noteworthy that the established scenario lacks a multi-criteria analysis for decision making. Este texto tem como objetivo descrever um caso de ensino de administração de tecnologia, para ser utilizado como material didático em cursos de pós-graduação em administração e áreas afins. A elaboração do texto seguiu metodologia apropriada para casos de ensino. Os personagens centrais do caso são o João, gerente de tecnologia da Tradição Ltda., um escritório de contabilidade, e o Afonso, representante de uma solução de tecnologia utilizada pela Tradição Ltda. O caso aborda um momento difícil na relação entre cliente e fornecedor de tecnologia, quando o cliente se torna dependente de uma tecnologia e os custos dela começam a subir: decidir se mantém a solução ou se a substitui por outra. O texto relata a resposta de uma empresa tradicional para se manter competitiva frente às novas tecnologias, assim como a decisão e implantação de uma primeira etapa de um plano de transformação. Os dados apresentados visam esclarecer tanto o cenário relacionado aos custos quanto os aspectos qualitativos do mercado de tecnologia. Ressalta-se que o cenário estabelecido carece de uma análise multicritério para a tomada de decisão.

This text describes a teaching case of technology management, to be used as learning material in graduate courses in Administration and related areas, and prepared according to the appropriate methodology for teaching cases. The main characters are João, technology manager at Tradição Ltda., an accounting firm, and Afonso, representative of a firm that provides a technology solution used by the firm. The case addresses a difficult moment in the relationship between customer and technology supplier, when the customer depends on that technology, and the costs increase: to decide whether to keep the solution or replace it with another. The text approaches the reaction of a traditional company to remain competitive, in the face of new technologies, as well as the decision and implementation of a first stage of a changing plan. The data presented aim to clarify both the cost scenario and the qualitative aspects of the technology market. We emphasize that the established scenario needs a multi-criteria analysis for decision making.

Purpose - Increasing flexibility and complexity of modern process-aware information systems (PAIS) usually leads to less guidance for its users and consequently requires more experienced users. A flexible PAIS allows users to freely choose a specific execution sequence of activities. However, there are no guarantees that the chosen sequence conforms to established business rules. This context proposes a supervisory control service (SCS), which can be used to support end-users of flexible PAIS during process execution by giving a list of disabled (or enabled) events (activities), i.e. at any point in time a list of possible next steps is given.Design methodology approach - The SCS has been implemented in process mining framework (ProM - www.processmining.org) and the experiment that has been performed shows its feasibility. The computational infrastructure already implemented in ProM allows communication with external applications and allows the SCS to be integrated with PAIS that records events. This paper demonstrated that the SCS in ProM can cooperate with PAIS system in order to support users.Findings - The SCS proposed in this paper monitors and restricts execution sequences of activities such that business rules are always obeyed. The system offers support based on business rules but does not limit the user by imposing rigid control-flow structures. Users can adopt this service as a guide to execute activities with a guarantee that business rules are followed and goals are met. The SCS also offers flexibility to users to choose execution sequences.Originality value - The paper argues that the proposed approach has many advantages on controlling supporting flexible processes. Supervisory control theory allows an automatic control synthesis instead of the usual manual and heuristic procedures. Thus, new control actions may be rapidly and automatically designed when modifications, such as redefinition of business rules or activities arrangements, are necessary. The flexible processes can be made to behave optimally with respect to a variety of criteria, where optimal means in minimally restrictive way.

The lipase produced by the Aspergillus niger strain AC-54 has been widely studied due to its enantioselectivity for racemic mixtures. This study aimed to optimize the production of this enzyme using statistical methodology. Initially a Plackett-Burman (PB) design was used to evaluate the effects of the culture medium components and the culture conditions. Twelve factors were screened: water content, glucose, yeast extract, peptone, olive oil, temperature, NaH₂PO₄, KH₂PO₄, MgSO₄ㆍ7H₂O, CaCl₂, NaCl, and MnSO₄. The screening showed that the significant factors were water content, glucose, yeast extract, peptone, NaH₂PO₄, and KH₂PO₄, which were optimized using response surface methodology (RSM) and a mathematical model obtained to explain the behavioral process. The best lipase activity was attained using the following conditions: water content (20%), glucose (4.8%), yeast extract (4.0%), and NaH₂PO₄ (4.0%). The predicted lipase activity was 33.03 U/ml and the experimental data confirmed the validity of the model. The enzymatic activity was expressed as A mu moles of oleic acid released per minute of reaction (μmol/min).

The chairman of gambling regulator Philippine Amusement & Gaming Corp. is fielding calls and booking appointments to meet possible investors in a sprawling gambling and entertainment project his government hopes will rival Las Vegas in five years. [...] when you look at the stock market, it is relatively small for a country that size, and the good stocks are very expensive, said emerging-market investor Mark Mobius, executive chairman of Templeton Asset Management Ltd., in San Mateo, California.

DELIA COLLECTS SWEATERS AND SLACKS, FRANNIE COLLECTS KNITS, AND MOTHER HAS FIVE VERSIONS OF NORELL'S DOUBLE-KNIT WOOL DRESS IN HER CLOSET.

The aim of the present study is to analyze the effects of 5-aminoisoquinoline (5-AIQ), a poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP1) inhibitor, over renal dysfunction and fibrosis during recovery phase of cisplatin (CisPt)-induced acute kidney injury (AKI) in rats. Male Wistar rats were distributed in three groups (n=8 each group): control, CisPt, and CisPt + 5-AIQ. Control and CisPt groups received a subcutaneous injection of either saline or 7 mg/kg CisPt, respectively. CisPt + 5-AIQ group received two intraperitoneal injections of 10 mg/kg 5-AIQ 2 h before and 24 h after CisPt treatment. Thirteen days after the treatment, rats were housed in metabolic cages and 24-h urine collection was made. At day 14, CisPt-treated rats showed increased diuresis, N-acetyl-β-d-glucosaminidase (NAG) excretion, glucosuria and sodium fractional excretion (NaFE), and decreased creatinine clearance (CrCl). 5-AIQ significantly increased CrCl and decreased NAG excretion, glucosuria, and NaFE. In plasma, CisPt increased sodium, urea, and creatinine concentrations, while 5-AIQ treatment decreased these variables to the levels of control group. 5-AIQ completely prevented the body weight loss evoked by CisPt treatment. CisPt also induced an increased renal expression of PAR polymer, α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), and collagen-IV. These variables were decreased in CisPt + 5-AIQ group. Tubular lesions and renal fibrosis were also decreased by 5-AIQ treatment. We conclude that inhibition of PARP1 with 5-AIQ can attenuate long-term nephrotoxic effects associated with the CisPt treatment, preventing renal dysfunction and body weight decrease and ameliorating tubular lesions and collagen deposition.