Extraction, characterization and properties evaluation of pineapple leaf fibers from Azores pineapple.

Pineapple leaves can provide competitive and high-quality fibers for textile purposes. Despite pineapple being cultivated in the Portugues islands there is still a technology gap for the extraction and treatment of Pineapple Leaf Fibers (PALF) in Europe. Since Azorean Pineapple differs significantly from other plants in the bromeliad family, the properties and characterization of its leaf fibers were explored for the first time. Long fibers have been extracted by hand scraping and compared to biological retting at 25 °C for different time periods. It was explored the properties of PALF from plants of different ages (11- and 18-months) and from different zones of the leaves (beginning, middle, and tip). Physical-mechanical properties of Azores PALF were determined, including diameter, linear density, strength, Young's modulus, and elongation at break and characterized by ATR-FTIR, XRD, TGA/DTG, and FESEM to understand their chemical and morphological characteristics. While slight differences were observed between different ages, variations in physical-mechanical properties were notable among fibers extracted from different leaf positions. Extraction of Azores PALF through 25 °C biological retting for 14 days effectively eliminated non-fibrous matter and produced the thinnest and strongest fibers. These fibers ranged between 34.9 and 168.3 µm in diameter, 1.39 and 7.07 tex in linear mass density, 37-993 MPa in tensile strength, 1.0-3.9 % in elongation at break, and 2.4-21.8 GPa in Young's modulus.

Occurrence and evolutionary conservation analysis of α-helical cationic amphiphilic segments in the human proteome.

The existence of encrypted fragments with antimicrobial activity in human proteins has been thoroughly demonstrated in the literature. Recently, algorithms for the large-scale identification of these segments in whole proteomes were developed, and the pervasiveness of this phenomenon was stated. These algorithms typically mine encrypted cationic and amphiphilic segments of proteins, which, when synthesized as individual polypeptide sequences, exert antimicrobial activity by membrane disruption. In the present report, the human reference proteome was submitted to the software kamal for the uncovering of protein segments that correspond to putative intragenic antimicrobial peptides (IAPs). The assessment of the identity of these segments, frequency, functional classes of parent proteins, structural relevance, and evolutionary conservation of amino acid residues within their corresponding proteins was conducted in silico. Additionally, the antimicrobial and anticancer activity of six selected synthetic peptides was evaluated. Our results indicate that cationic and amphiphilic segments can be found in 2% of all human proteins, but are more common in transmembrane and peripheral membrane proteins. These segments are surface-exposed basic patches whose amino acid residues present similar conservation scores to other residues with similar solvent accessibility. Moreover, the antimicrobial and anticancer activity of the synthetic putative IAP sequences was irrespective to whether these are associated to membranes in the cellular setting. Our study discusses these findings in light of the current understanding of encrypted peptide sequences, offering some insights into the relevance of these segments to the organism in the context of their harboring proteins or as separate polypeptide sequences.

Drug resistance and vaccine target surveillance of Plasmodium falciparum using nanopore sequencing in Ghana.

Malaria results in over 600,000 deaths annually, with the highest burden of deaths in young children living in sub-Saharan Africa. Molecular surveillance can provide important information for malaria control policies, including detection of antimalarial drug resistance. However, genome sequencing capacity in malaria-endemic countries is limited. We designed and implemented an end-to-end workflow to detect Plasmodium falciparum antimalarial resistance markers and diversity in the vaccine target circumsporozoite protein (csp) using nanopore sequencing in Ghana. We analysed 196 clinical samples and showed that our method is rapid, robust, accurate and straightforward to implement. Importantly, our method could be applied to dried blood spot samples, which are readily collected in endemic settings. We report that P. falciparum parasites in Ghana are mostly susceptible to chloroquine, with persistent sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine resistance and no evidence of artemisinin resistance. Multiple single nucleotide polymorphisms were identified in csp, but their significance is uncertain. Our study demonstrates the feasibility of nanopore sequencing for malaria genomic surveillance in endemic countries.

Food Addiction and Grazing-The Role of Difficulties in Emotion Regulation and Negative Urgency in University Students.

University students are a vulnerable population to the development of disordered eating, such as food addiction (FA) and grazing. FA is an emerging concept characterized by an intense desire to eat hyper-palatable foods. Grazing is characterized by the repetitive and unplanned ingestion of food throughout a period of time. Both FA and grazing have been associated with increased scores of negative urgency (NU) and difficulties in emotion regulation (ER). This study aims to evaluate the frequency of FA and grazing in a university population and to test the direct, total, and indirect effects-via FA-of ER and NU on repetitive eating and compulsive grazing. A total of 338 participants responded to a set of psychological measures assessing these variables. Thirty-six (10.7%) participants met the criteria for FA diagnosis and 184 (54.4%) presented grazing. Confirmatory factor analysis showed acceptable fit indexes for the model tested (χ2(1695) = 3167.575; p < 0.001; CFI = 0.955; NFI = 0.908; TLI = 0.953; SRMR = 0.085; RMSEA = 0.051; CI 90% (0.048; 0.053); P[RMSEA ≤ 0.05] = 0.318) and suggested that FA partially mediated the effect of difficulties in ER and NU on grazing, specifically on compulsive grazing. The results indicate that individuals with difficulties in ER and impulse control under negative emotions are more likely to engage in grazing if food addiction scores are higher. These results highlight the importance of assessing these variables, particularly in at-risk populations such as university students.

Loss of Control over Eating, Inhibitory Control, and Reward Sensitivity in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review.

OVERVIEW: In recent years, there has been increasing clinical and empirical interest in the concept of pediatric loss of control over eating, particularly about its link with the executive functions related to the concept of impulsivity, such as inhibitory control and reward sensitivity. However, there has yet to be a comprehensive literature synthesis about the associations between these variables. A comprehensive literature synthesis would help identify future research directions to advance the field in this area. Therefore, this systematic review aimed to synthesize evidence concerning the associations between loss of control over eating, inhibitory control, and reward sensitivity in children and adolescents. METHODS: The systematic review was conducted according to the guidelines proposed by PRISMA in Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, and PsycINFO. The Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross-Sectional Studies was used to assess the risk of bias. RESULTS: Twelve studies met the selection criteria and were included in the final review. Overall, methodological heterogeneity, variability in assessment methods, and the age of participants make it difficult to draw general conclusions. Nevertheless, most studies with community samples of adolescents indicate that inhibitory control difficulties are linked to the concept of loss of control eating. The presence of obesity seems to be associated with inhibitory control difficulties, regardless of the presence of loss of control eating. Studies on reward sensitivity are scarcer. However, it has been suggested that higher reward sensitivity is related to loss of control eating behaviors in young people, particularly binge eating. CONCLUSIONS: The literature on the link between loss of control eating and trait-level facets of impulsivity (low inhibitory control and higher reward sensitivity) among young people remains limited, and more studies on children are needed. Findings from this review may make healthcare professionals more aware of the potential clinical importance of targeting the trait-level facets of impulsivity and help to inform existing and future weight-loss/maintenance interventions in childhood and adolescence.

Appearance Comparisons, Affect, Body Dissatisfaction and Eating Pathology in Portuguese Female University Students.

Physical appearance comparisons have been theorized to be associated with negative indicators of body image. This study aimed to study appearance comparisons and their association to affect, body dissatisfaction, and eating pathology. Three hundred and ten female university students with ages between 17 and 25 years (M = 20.2, SD = 1.9) completed sociodemographic and clinical data, self-reported questionnaires, and questions about appearance comparisons. Among the participants, 98.71% reported making appearance comparisons, and 42.15% of these reported making them frequently or always. Higher reported frequencies of appearance comparisons were related to higher levels of body dissatisfaction, negative affect, and eating pathology. Appearance comparisons to acquaintances were the most frequent. Comparisons in person and through media were reported in similar proportions. Upward comparisons were more frequent than lateral and downward comparisons and were related to higher levels of body dissatisfaction than downward comparisons and to higher levels of body dissatisfaction, negative affect, and eating pathology than lateral comparisons. Upward comparisons to close peers were associated with higher body dissatisfaction as opposed to models/celebrities. Results, limitations, and implications are discussed.

Membrane-Peptide Interactions: From Basics to Current Applications 2.0.

The interaction between peptides and biological membranes is of fundamental importance in the mechanism of numerous membrane-mediated cellular processes, including antimicrobial peptide action, hormone-receptor interactions, drug bioavailability across the blood-brain barrier, and viral fusion processes [...].

Eating disorders during lockdown: the transcultural influence on eating and mood disturbances in Ibero-Brazilian population.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 pandemic has implied exceptional restrictive measures to contain its widespread, with adverse consequences on mental health, especially for those people with a background of mental illness, such as eating disorders (EDs). In this population, the influence of socio-cultural aspects on mental health has been still underexplored. Then, the main aim of this study was to assess changes in eating and general psychopathology in people with EDs during lockdown regarding the ED subtype, age, and provenance, and considering socio-cultural aspects (e.g., socioeconomical factors such as work and financial losses, social support, restrictive measures, or health accessibility, among others). METHODS: The clinical sample was composed of 264 female participants with EDs (74 anorexia nervosa (AN), 44 bulimia nervosa (BN), 81 binge eating disorder (BED), and 65 other specified feeding and eating disorder (OSFED)), with a mean age of 33.49 years old (SD = 12.54), from specialized ED units in Brazil, Portugal, and Spain. The participants were evaluated using the COVID-19 Isolation Eating Scale (CIES). RESULTS: A global impairment in mood symptoms and emotion regulation was reported in all the ED subtypes, groups of age, and countries. Spanish and Portuguese individuals seemed more resilient than Brazilian ones (p < .05), who reported a more adverse socio-cultural context (i.e., physical health, socio-familial, occupational, and economic status) (p < .001). A global trend to eating symptoms worsening during lockdown was observed, regardless of the ED subtype, group of age, and country, but without reaching statistical significance. However, the AN and BED groups described the highest worsening of the eating habits during lockdown. Moreover, individuals with BED significantly increased their weight and body mass index, similarly to BN, and in contrast to the AN and OSFED groups. Finally, we failed to find significant differences between groups of age although the younger group described a significant worsening of the eating symptoms during lockdown. CONCLUSIONS: This study reports a psychopathological impairment in patients with EDs during lockdown, being socio-cultural aspects potential modulatory factors. Individualized approaches to detect special vulnerable groups and long-term follow-ups are still needed.

Coping as a Mediator and Moderator between Psychological Distress and Disordered Eating Behaviors and Weight Changes during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Previous research has already shown the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on college students' well-being and mental health. Eating problems and weight gain due to changes in eating habits and physical activity experienced during this period have also been noticed. However, few studies have explored the role of students' resources as used during the COVID-19 pandemic, such as coping strategies. This study aimed to (1) explore the associations among psychological distress, disordered eating, coping strategies, and weight changes; (2) examine the moderating role of coping strategies in the process of weight gain and weight loss; and (3) study the mediating role of coping strategies in the process of weight gain and weight loss. The participants in this study were 772 students at a Portuguese university. The data collected included sociodemographic data and three self-reported questionnaires (Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale; Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire; Brief COPE) during the first few months of the pandemic, which included a 72-day full national lockdown. The results showed that depression, anxiety, stress, and disordered eating were related to increased weight. Guilt, denial, self-distraction, use of substances, and behavior disinvestment were also related to increased weight. Behavioral disinvestment had a strong mediating effect on weight gain. Additionally, planning, positive reframing, and acceptance all showed a moderating effect between psychological distress and weight changes. In conclusion, coping strategies allow for a better understanding of the mechanisms by which psychological distress and disordered eating were related to weight changes during the pandemic.

Responding to everyday problems and crises: Measuring community resilience.

Resilience is of the upmost importance to deal with everyday problems faced by communities. The concept of community resilience is gaining prominence in disaster management policy and practice, and it has been shown to be an important factor during pandemic recovery such as during the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak. We present an instrument for community resilience assessment adapted for disasters like the pandemics. The instrument was based on the theory-based and evidence-informed Communities Advancing Resilience Toolkit (CART) Assessment Survey, adapted for the first time to Portuguese. Another strong feature of this study relates to the targeted participants, namely human service workers (598). They are key informants for their close involvement with communities. This version of the CART was reliable. A confirmatory factor analysis indicated a good relationship between the observed variables and their underlying latent constructs. Moreover, tests for measurement invariance across participants showed that differences in factor variances and covariances were not attributable to age-based differences in the properties of the scales themselves. Our findings support the fundamental idea that it is worthwhile to have an instrument to measure community resilience. Thus, our study adds to the evaluation of the CART, supporting its value as a robust instrument to measure resilience at the community level in different countries.

Malaria outbreak in Laos driven by a selective sweep for Plasmodium falciparum kelch13 R539T mutants: a genetic epidemiology analysis.

BACKGROUND: Malaria outbreaks are important public health concerns that can cause resurgence in endemic regions approaching elimination. We investigated a Plasmodium falciparum outbreak in Attapeu Province, Laos, during the 2020-21 malaria season, using genomic epidemiology methods to elucidate parasite population dynamics and identify its causes. METHODS: In this genetic analysis, 2164 P falciparum dried blood spot samples were collected from southern Laos between Jan 1, 2017, and April 1, 2021, which included 249 collected during the Attapeu outbreak between April 1, 2020, and April 1, 2021, by routine surveillance. Genetic barcodes obtained from these samples were used to investigate epidemiological changes underpinning the outbreak, estimate population diversity, and analyse population structure. Whole-genome sequencing data from additional historical samples were used to reconstruct the ancestry of outbreak strains using identity-by-descent analyses. FINDINGS: The outbreak parasite populations were characterised by unprecedented loss of genetic diversity, primarily caused by rapid clonal expansion of a multidrug-resistant strain (LAA1) carrying the kelch13 Arg539Thr (R539T) mutation. LAA1 replaced kelch13 Cys580Tyr (C580Y) mutants resistant to dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (KEL1/PLA1) as the dominant strain. LAA1 inherited 58·8% of its genome from a strain circulating in Cambodia in 2008. A secondary outbreak strain (LAA2) carried the kelch13 C580Y allele, and a genome that is essentially identical to a Cambodian parasite from 2009. A third, low-frequency strain (LAA7) was a recombinant of KEL1/PLA1 with a kelch13 R539T mutant. INTERPRETATION: These results strongly suggest that the outbreak was driven by a selective sweep, possibly associated with multidrug-resistant phenotypes of the outbreak strains. Established resistant populations can circulate at low frequencies for years before suddenly overwhelming dominant strains when the conditions for selection become favourable-eg, when front-line therapies change. Genetic surveillance can support elimination by characterising key properties of outbreaks such as population diversity, drug resistance marker prevalence, and the origins of outbreak strains. FUNDING: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria; Wellcome Trust. TRANSLATION: For the Lao translation of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section.

Mapping the social representations of Psychology: a study in a Portuguese context / Mapeamento das representações sociais da Psicologia: um estudo em contexto português

Objective: The present study aimed to analyse the social representations of Psychology in a sample of Portuguese respondents, thus contributing to a better understanding of the social meaning of this scientific area. Method: A free association task was performed by a sample of 205 Portuguese individuals who were given the word "Psychology" as a stimulus. Data were analysed using content analysis, supported by the Max-Qda software. Results: The main results show a greater diversity of representations compared to previous studies. However, the dominant representation in terms of intervention is still the curative clinic and the medical paradigm. Conclusion: This research made it possible to highlight the need for Psychology professionals, and the entities that represent them, to reinforce the visibility and awareness of the community in general, of the application areas both in the scientific and professional context.

Objetivo: O presente estudo teve por objetivo analisar as representações sociais da Psicologia numa amostra de inquiridos portugueses, contribuindo, assim, para um maior entendimento do significado social dessa área científica. Método: Foi realizada uma tarefa de associação em uma amostra composta de 205 portugueses aos quais foi dado como estímulo a palavra "Psicologia". Os dados foram analisados através de análise de conteúdo, com apoio do software Max-Qda. Resultados: Os principais resultados evidenciam uma maior diversidade de representações face a estudos anteriores. No entanto, a representação dominante em termos interventivos continua a ser a clínica curativa e o paradigma médico. Conclusão: Esta pesquisa permitiu evidenciar a necessidade de que profissionais de Psicologia e entidades que os representam reforcem a visibilidade e a consciência da comunidade em geral sobre as áreas de aplicação da Psicologia, quer no contexto científico, quer no profissional.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Diagnosis and Management of Gynecological Cancer: A Single-Center Analysis.

Background and Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic impacted health systems worldwide, particularly cancer care. Because the actual implications of these changes on gynecological oncology healthcare are still unclear, we aim to evaluate the impact of this pandemic on the diagnosis and management of gynecological cancer. Materials and Methods: This is a single-center retrospective observational study, including patients diagnosed with gynecological malignancies between January 2019 and December 2021. Patients were included into three groups based on the timing of cancer diagnosis: pre-pandemic (2019), pandemic with high restrictions (2020) and pandemic recovery (2021). Results: Overall, 234 patients were diagnosed with gynecological cancer during the period of study. A decrease in the number of newly diagnosed cervical cancers and other rare tumors (leiomyosarcoma, invasive hydatidiform mole) was apparent in 2020. Some aggressive histological types of endometrial and ovarian cancer were more commonly diagnosed in the pandemic recovery group (p < 0.05), although no differences were demonstrated concerning tumor staging in all gynecological cancers. The median time between the first multidisciplinary team meeting and the treatment initiation was higher after the COVID-19 pandemic in endometrial cancer (23.0 vs. 34.0 vs. 36.0 days, p < 0.05). Patients with ovarian cancer were more frequently proposed for neoadjuvant therapy in 2020 compared to the other periods (33.3% vs. 55.0% vs. 10.0% p < 0.05). A significant reduction in the laparoscopic approach was observed during 2020 in endometrial cancer (32.1% vs. 14.3% vs. 36.4%, p < 0.05). No significant differences were registered regarding median hospitalization days or intra- and post-operative complications between these periods. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the diagnosis and management of most gynecological malignancies, namely, on time to first treatment, chosen oncological therapies and surgical approaches. These results suggest important clinical and healthcare implications that should be addressed in future prospective studies.

Food Addiction Problems in College Students: The Relationship between Weight-Related Variables, Eating Habits, and Food Choices.

The concept of food addiction, characterized by a strong urge to overeat highly palatable foods, has gained increased research attention over the last decade. College students are a recognized risk group for manifesting an eating pathology and weight gain due to the changes in eating habits experienced during this period. However, there is a gap in the literature connecting food addiction with eating and weight variables in this population. Thus, the present study aims to characterize food addiction in a sample of college students and enlighten the relationship between food addiction, weight-variables, eating habits, and food choices in this population. A sample of 194 college students (89.2% females) aged between 18 and 32 years old (M = 20.85, SD = 2.78) completed a set of self-reported online questionnaires on Google Forms. Namely, a Sociodemographic and Anthropometric Questionnaire, a questionnaire on Food Choices Characterization, the Eating Habits Scale, and the Portuguese Yale Food Addiction Scale 2.0. Thirty (22.2%) participants presented food addiction problems. The logistic regression models utilized suggest that participants in the group with food addiction problems are more likely to seek clinical help to control weight, to consider that they should eat less food high in sugar, and to report lower food adequacy. In sum, this finding highlighted a connection between food addiction, weight dissatisfaction, eating habits, and food choices in college students, a population at risk for developing and retaining eating pathologies. Further research is essential to evaluate and implement interventions regarding food addiction, weight dissatisfaction, eating habits, and food choices in college students.

Population genomics reveal distinct and diverging populations of An. minimus in Cambodia.

Anopheles minimus is an important malaria vector throughout its wide geographic range across Southeast Asia. Genome sequencing could provide important insights into the unique malaria transmission dynamics in this region, where many vector species feed and rest outdoors. We describe results from a study using Illumina deep whole-genome sequencing of 302 wild-caught An. minimus collected from three Cambodian provinces over several years (2010, 2014, 2016) and seasons to examine the level of population structure and genetic diversity within this species. These specimens cluster into four distinct populations of An. minimus s.s., with two populations overlapping geographically. We describe the underlying genetic diversity and divergence of these populations and investigated the genetic variation in genes known to be involved in insecticide resistance. We found strong signals of selection within these An. minimus populations, most of which were present in the two Northeastern Cambodian populations and differ from those previously described in African malaria vectors. Cambodia is the focus of the emergence and spread of drug-resistant malaria parasites, so understanding the underlying genetic diversity and resilience of the vectors of these parasites is key to implementing effective malaria control and elimination strategies. These data are publicly available as part of the MalariaGEN Vector Observatory, an open access resource of genome sequence data.

Nanoparticle-peptide conjugates for bacterial detection and neutralization: Potential applications in diagnostics and therapy.

Infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria continue to challenge the medical field, mostly due to conventional treatments inefficiency after years of overuse and misuse in clinics. Cases of multiresistant bacterial infections are increasing every year. This led the World Health Organization (WHO) to update the list of resistant micro-organisms that represent greatest threat to human health. To stop the growing of the global resistance to antimicrobial drugs, new alternatives are necessary to fight these pathogens. In this context, antimicrobials peptides (AMPs) emerge as a new alternative to the current antibiotics in the pharmaceutical market. To improve their antimicrobial activity, different strategies are being developed to overcome antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Nanotechnology can be used to further potentiate antimicrobials, by increasing their activity or assisting in their delivering, frequently using nanostructured materials. There are already several antimicrobial peptides used in therapeutics, some of them coupled to nanoparticles. Additionally, detection strategies taking advantage of peptides as recognition agents are also being explored. Several examples are detailed of peptides that are specific to bacterial targets, and how that specificity can be used in diagnostics systems, coupled with nanoparticles-based signal detection approaches. Thus, the same properties of AMPs that enable specific neutralization can be harnessed to detect the very same bacteria they target. Overall, this review is focused on current research on nanoparticles coupled to antimicrobial peptides and how they can be used against multidrug-resistant bacteria as antimicrobials and/or as detection system. This article is categorized under: Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Nanomedicine for Infectious Disease Nanotechnology Approaches to Biology > Nanoscale Systems in Biology.

An N-capping asparagine-lysine-proline (NKP) motif contributes to a hybrid flexible/stable multifunctional peptide scaffold.

Structural diversity drives multiple biological activities and mechanisms of action in linear peptides. Here we describe an unusual N-capping asparagine-lysine-proline (NKP) motif that confers a hybrid multifunctional scaffold to a computationally designed peptide (PaDBS1R7). PaDBS1R7 has a shorter α-helix segment than other computationally designed peptides of similar sequence but with key residue substitutions. Although this motif acts as an α-helix breaker in PaDBS1R7, the Asn5 presents exclusive N-capping effects, forming a belt to establish hydrogen bonds for an amphipathic α-helix stabilization. The combination of these different structural profiles was described as a coil/N-cap/α-helix scaffold, which was also observed in diverse computational peptide mutants. Biological studies revealed that all peptides displayed antibacterial activities. However, only PaDBS1R7 displayed anticancer properties, eradicated Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms, decreased bacterial counts by 100-1000-fold in vivo, reduced lipopolysaccharide-induced macrophages stress, and stimulated fibroblast migration for wound healing. This study extends our understanding of an N-capping NKP motif to engineering hybrid multifunctional peptide drug candidates with potent anti-infective and immunomodulatory properties.

Smartphone Use Side-by-Side with Burnout: Mediation of Work-Family Interaction and Loneliness.

The main objective of this investigation is to study the relationship between compulsive smartphone use and burnout, and the potential mediating effect of negative work−family interaction and loneliness in this relationship. An online questionnaire was applied to a sample of 228 Portuguese workers, from various sectors, aged between 19 and 60 years (mean = 32.32); (standard deviation = 9.25), mostly female (64.5%; n = 154). The data were analyzed through descriptive and inferential statistics. The main results show that the compulsive use of the smartphone is positively and expressively related (ß = 0.258; p < 0.001) to burnout, with compulsive users reporting more symptoms of burnout. In addition, this study shows the mediating power of negative work−family interaction and loneliness, in the relationship between compulsive smartphone use and burnout, with this effect being positive and significant (B = 0.072; 95% CI [0.026; 0.145]; B = 0.068; 95% CI [0.008; 0.141]). These results highlight the need for individuals and organizations to use smartphones with caution, as well as reinforce that companies must develop a way to prevent and treat possible risk factors associated with this phenomenon.