Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Análise de isótopos de carbono e nitrogênio: a dieta antes e após a presença de cerâmica no sítio Forte Marechal Luz

Nesse estudo foram realizadas analises de isotopos de carbono e nitrogenio de esmalte dentario e dentina de individuos sepultados em camadas sem e com cerâmica do sitio Forte Marechal Luz, localizado no litoral de Santa Catarina. Os resultados do colageno da dentina sugerem que os individuos teriam uma dieta proteica rica em recursos marinhos durante o periodo de formacao dos dentes analisados. No entanto, comparando periodos anteriores com posteriores a presenca da cerâmica, observa-se uma leve tendencia para resultados mais negativos no carbono nas camadas com cerâmica, indicando um maior consumo de recursos como plantas C3 e animais terrestres durante os periodos posteriores de ocupacao do sitio e, consequentemente uma evidencia de maior diversificacao alimentar.
Usability and User Experience Evaluation of Learning Management Systems - A Systematic Mapping Study

Background: Advances in technology made possible the development of powerful platforms called Learning Management Systems (LMSs), designed to help the teaching and learning process. Studies show that usability and User Experience (UX) of such platforms may influence in this process. Although several studies had been conducted in this area, most of them are at initial stages and need improvements or deeper empirical studies. Aim: This work aims to analyze scientific publications in order to characterize the usability and UX evaluation techniques in the context of LMSs. Method: We performed a systematic mapping study regarding the usability and UX evaluation techniques in the context of LMSs. Results: A total of 62 publications were accepted in this mapping, which helped identifying the techniques used to evaluate the usability and UX of LMSs and their characteristics such as its origin, type, performing method, learning factors, restriction and availability. Conclusion: Several studies were conducted regarding the evaluation of LMSs. However, there are still some gaps such as the lack of techniques with some features, e.g., feedback with suggestions to correct the identified problems. Besides, there is no sufficient evidence of which of them is best suited for this context.
A wideband power-efficient inductive wireless link for implantable microelectronic devices using multiple carriers

This paper presents a novel inductive link for wireless transmission of power and data to biomedical implantable microelectronic devices using multiple carrier frequencies. Achieving higher data bandwidth without compromising the power efficiency is the driving force to use two separate carriers. Two separate pairs of coils have been utilized for inductive power and forward data transmission. One major challenge, however, is to minimize the interference among these carriers especially on the implantable side, where size and power are highly limited. Planar power coils with spiral shape are optimized in geometry to provide maximum coupling coefficient, k. The data coils are designed rectangular in shape and wound across the power coils diameter to be oriented perpendicular to the power coil planes. The goal is to maximize data coils direct coupling, while minimize their cross-coupling with the power coils. The effects of coils geometry, relative distance, and misalignments on the coupling coefficients have been modeled and experimentally measured
Very high (over 40 Gb/s) speed circuits for optical communications design methodology and application examples

The important increase of communication services, and particularly the Internet traffic, needs to be supported by the development of adequate communication networks. High speed electronic circuits can be successfully used in MultiGigabit-rate Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) transmission systems. In this paper we discuss main characteristics and challenges of ICs for optical communications. The design methodology, and necessary CAD tools are presented. MS-DFF design for 40 Gb/s is given as an example.
Presenilin-1 Dependent Neurogenesis Regulates Hippocampal Learning and Memory

Presenilin-1 (PS1), the catalytic core of the aspartyl protease γ-secretase, regulates adult neurogenesis. However, it is not clear whether the role of neurogenesis in hippocampal learning and memory is PS1-dependent, or whether PS1 loss of function in adult hippocampal neurogenesis can cause learning and memory deficits. Here we show that downregulation of PS1 in hippocampal neural progenitor cells causes progressive deficits in pattern separation and novelty exploration. New granule neurons expressing reduced PS1 levels exhibit decreased dendritic branching and dendritic spines. Further, they exhibit reduced survival. Lastly, we show that PS1 effect on neurogenesis is mediated via β-catenin phosphorylation and notch signaling. Together, these observations suggest that impairments in adult neurogenesis induce learning and memory deficits and may play a role in the cognitive deficits observed in Alzheimer’s disease.
A case study of language learners’ social presence in synchronous CMC

Abstract This study adopts a case study approach to investigate the impacts of synchronous computer-mediated communication (CMC) learning environments on learners’ perception of social presence. The participants were twelve French as a foreign language (FFL) beginners in a Taiwanese university. Divided into three groups, they conducted some tasks in three different learning environments (video/audio, audio and face-to-face) during an academic semester. Before each oral task, all the participants had to conduct the same task in synchronous text chat. The participants’ interview transcriptions, learning journals and the instructor's observation journal provided information about the impacts of each environment on their perception of social presence. The results of the study suggested that the differences in the environments are reflected in the learners’ perception of social presence.
A Hybrid Graph-drawing Algorithm for Large, Naturally-clustered, Disconnected Graphs

In this paper, we present a hybrid graph-drawing algorithm (GDA) for laying out large, naturally-clustered, disconnected graphs. We call it a hybrid algorithm because it is an implementation of a series of already known graph-drawing and graph-theoretic procedures. We remedy in this hybrid the problematic nature of the current force-based GDA which has the inability to scale to large, naturally- clustered, and disconnected graphs. These kinds of graphs usually model the complex inter-relationships among entities in social, biological, natural, and artificial networks. Obviously, the hybrid runs longer than the current GDAs. By using two extreme cases of graphs as inputs, we present the derivation of the time complexity of the hybrid which we found to be O(|V| 3 ), where V is the set of nodes in the graph.
Changes in blood lactate concentrations during taekwondo combat simulation

The aim of this study was to analyze blood lactate response before, during and after simulated taekwondo fight in young male athletes. The experiment was composed of simulated official taekwondo fight. During the experiment a total of 7 blood samples (25 μL) were collected that following: at rest, after 1st, 2nd, and 3rd rounds, and 3, 5, and 10 min after the end of combat. The results showed that blood lactate concentrations [Lac]B increased significantly after 1st, 2nd, and 3rd rounds of the combat compared to the rested values. The [Lac]B after 3rd round was higher when compared to 3, 5, and 10 min of recovery. After 10 min of passive recovery, the [Lac]B was significantly lesser than 3 and 5 min of recovery, and 2nd round. These data showed that taekwondo requires high activation of anaerobic lactic metabolism, and improves the ability to rapidly remove the lactate from blood.
Designing 3D input devices for immersive environments

In this paper we describe the end user driven development process of input devices for magnetic tracking in virtual immersive environments. Based on pretests with expert users we defined criteria for testing and found out about the preferences for handles of input devices. For this trial period we designed a new set of functional prototypes for magnetic tracking. Having taken the views of expert users into consideration, a controlled experiment was then conducted with novice users to compare the usability of an existing and a new device. Based on the results of this experiment we defined criteria to design input devices for immersive systems. A second controlled experiment was carried out to evaluate the revised device regarding its general design and the proposed design criteria. In this paper we would give a detailed presentation of the results of this experiment. From the results of this experiment we conclude that most of the applied design criteria have led to an improved input device.
RCFile: A fast and space-efficient data placement structure in MapReduce-based warehouse systems

MapReduce-based data warehouse systems are playing important roles of supporting big data analytics to understand quickly the dynamics of user behavior trends and their needs in typical Web service providers and social network sites (e.g., Facebook). In such a system, the data placement structure is a critical factor that can affect the warehouse performance in a fundamental way. Based on our observations and analysis of Facebook production systems, we have characterized four requirements for the data placement structure: (1) fast data loading, (2) fast query processing, (3) highly efficient storage space utilization, and (4) strong adaptivity to highly dynamic workload patterns. We have examined three commonly accepted data placement structures in conventional databases, namely row-stores, column-stores, and hybrid-stores in the context of large data analysis using MapReduce. We show that they are not very suitable for big data processing in distributed systems. In this paper, we present a big data placement structure called RCFile (Record Columnar File) and its implementation in the Hadoop system. With intensive experiments, we show the effectiveness of RCFile in satisfying the four requirements. RCFile has been chosen in Facebook data warehouse system as the default option. It has also been adopted by Hive and Pig, the two most widely used data analysis systems developed in Facebook and Yahoo!
Views on Treatment Necessity, Harm, and Benefits in Patients Using Statins

Background. Patients with dyslipidemia and high overall risk of ischemic heart disease are those most likely to benefit from treatment with statins. The objective of this study was to investigate patients’ views of the necessity, harm, and expected benefits of their statin treatment, as well as factors associated with these treatment beliefs. One main objective was to investigate whether cardiovascular risk level and previous coronary heart disease affect the way patients view these different aspects of their medication. Methods. A total of 829 statin users were recruited while visiting a pharmacy to collect their statin medication (response rate, 69.4%). Patients returned a questionnaire assessing their medical history, concurrent risk status, social demographic factors, as well as their views and expectations regarding their statin treatment. Results. Previous ischemic heart disease, or high risk of such disease, was not associated with a more favorable notion on statin treatment. Having an internal health locus of control as well as being satisfied with the physician’s treatment explanation were factors associated with more positive views on expected treatment effect. The views on necessity, harm, and treatment benefit were closely associated with each other. Conclusion. The main findings in this study suggest that cardiovascular risk level and previous coronary heart disease are not associated with the way patients value potential benefits of statin treatment. Patients’ views of the treatment’s necessity, harm, and benefits do not seem to be independent dimensions of patient beliefs but rather represent one overall question: is this good for me?
Continuous Query Processing on Spatio-Temporal Data Streams

This thesis addresses important challenges in the areas of s treaming and spatio-temporal databases. It focuses on continuous querying of spatio-tempora l environments characterized by (1) a large number of moving and stationary objects and queries; ( 2) need for near real-time results; (3) limited memory and cpu resources; and (4) different accurac y requirements. The first part of the thesis studies the problem of performanc e vs. accuracy tradeoff using different location modelling techniques when processing c ontinuous spatio-temporal range queries on moving objects. Two models for modeling the movement, nam ely: continuous and discrete models are described. This thesis introduces an accuracy co mparison model to estimate the quality of the answers returned by each of the models. Experimental e valuations show the effectiveness of each model given certain characteristics of spatio-temp oral environment (e.g., varying speed, location update frequency). The second part of the thesis introduces SCUBA, a S c lable Cluster Based Algorithm for evaluating a large set of continuous queries over spatio-tempor al data streams. Unlike the commonly used static grid indices, the key idea of SCUBA is to group mov ing objects and queries based on commondynamicproperties (e.g., speed, destination, and road network loc ation) at run-time into moving clusters. This results in improvement in performanc e which facilitate scalability. SCUBA exploits shared cluster-based execution consisting of two phases. In phase I, the evaluation of a set of spatio-temporal queries is abstracted as a spatial join b etween moving clusters for cluster-based filtering of true negatives. There after, in phase II, a fine-g rained join process is executed for all pairs identified as potentially joinable by a positive clust er-join match in phase I. If the clusters don’t satisfy the join predicate, the objects and queries th at belong to those clusters can be savely discarded as being guaranteed to not join individually eith er. This provides processing cost savings.Another advantage of SCUBA is that moving cluster-dri ven load shedding is facilitated. A moving cluster (or its subset, called nucleus) approximates the locations of its members. As a consequence relatively accurate answers can be produced us ing solely the abstracted cluster location information in place of precise object-by-object matc hes, resulting in savings in memory and i improvement in processing time. A theoretical analysis of S CUBA is presented with respect to the memory requirements, number of join comparisons and I/O cos ts. Experimental evaluations on real datasets demonstrate that SCUBA achieves a substantia l improvement when executing continuous queries on highly dense moving objects. The experim ents are conducted in a real data streaming system (CAPE) developed at WPI on real datasets ge nerat d by the Network-Based Moving Objects Generator.
Changes in global and regional modularity associated with increasing working memory load

Using graph theory measures common to complex network analyses of neuroimaging data, the objective of this study was to explore the effects of increasing working memory processing load on functional brain network topology in a cohort of young adults. Measures of modularity in complex brain networks quantify how well a network is organized into densely interconnected communities. We investigated changes in both the large-scale modular organization of the functional brain network as a whole and regional changes in modular organization as demands on working memory increased from n = 1 to n = 2 on the standard n-back task. We further investigated the relationship between modular properties across working memory load conditions and behavioral performance. Our results showed that regional modular organization within the default mode and working memory circuits significantly changed from 1-back to 2-back task conditions. However, the regional modular organization was not associated with behavioral performance. Global measures of modular organization did not change with working memory load but were associated with individual variability in behavioral performance. These findings indicate that regional and global network properties are modulated by different aspects of working memory under increasing load conditions. These findings highlight the importance of assessing multiple features of functional brain network topology at both global and regional scales rather than focusing on a single network property.
ERα as ligand-independent activator of CDH-1 regulates determination and maintenance of epithelial morphology in breast cancer cells

Estrogen receptor α (ERα) and E-cadherin are primary markers of luminal epithelial breast cancer cells with E-cadherin being a main caretaker of the epithelial phenotype. E-cadherin repression is needed for cancer cells to acquire motile and invasive properties, and it is known that in ER-positive breast cancer cells, estrogen down-regulate E-cadherin gene transcription. We report here that ERα is bound to the E-cadherin promoter in both the presence and the complete absence of estrogen, suggesting an unexpected role for unliganded ERα in E-cadherin transcription. Indeed, our data reveal that activation by unliganded ERα and repression by estrogen-activated ERα require direct binding to a half-estrogen response element within the E-cadherin promoter and exchange from associated coactivators to corepressors. Therefore, these results suggest a pivotal role for unliganded ERα in controlling a fundamental caretaker of the epithelial phenotype in breast cancer cells. Here, we show that ERα-positive breast cancer T47D cells transduced with the sfRON kinase undergo a full epithelial–mesenchymal conversion and lose E-cadherin and ERα expression. Our data show that, although the E-cadherin gene becomes hypermethylated and heterochromatic, kinase inhibitors can restore E-cadherin expression, together with an epithelial morphology in an ERα-dependent fashion. Similarly, transfection of ERα, in the absence of ligands, was sufficient to restore E-cadherin transcription in both sfRON-T47D and other ERα-, E-cadherin-negative cells. Therefore, our results suggest a novel role for the ERα that plays the dual role of ligand-independent activator and ligand-dependent repressor of E-cadherin in breast cancer cells.
FORMULATION AND EVALUATION OF SUSTAINED RELEASE MATRIX TABLETS OF NICORANDIL

In the present research, an attempt has been made to formulate sustained release matrix tablet of nicorandil, a novel potassium channel opener used in cardiovascular disease. The tablets were prepared by wet granulation method and studied the effect of matrix former xanthan gum and guar gum separately. Tablets were evaluated for uniformity of weight, drug content, friability, hardness, thickness, in vitro dissolution and swelling study. All the formulation showed compliance with pharmacopoeial standard. As the time increases, the swelling index was increased; later on it decreases gradually due to dissolution of outermost -gelled layer of tablet into dissolution medium. Comparison between xanthan gum and guar gum, it has been observed that swelling index of guar gum was significantly more compared to xanthan gum. The dissolution result shows that an increased amount of polymer resulted in retarded drug release. The maximum drug release was found to be 90% over a period of 12 hours in guar gum based tablets (F 4 ). Similarly maximum drug release was found to be 96% over a period of 12 hours in Xanthan gum based tablets (F 1 ). This indicates that the minimum quantity of guar gum and Xanthan gum that is drug to gum ratio of 1:1 is required to prepare the sustain release matrix tablets of nicorandil .
MapSense: Multi-Sensory Interactive Maps for Children Living with Visual Impairments

We report on the design process leading to the creation of MapSense, a multi-sensory interactive map for visually impaired children. We conducted a formative study in a specialized institute to understand children's educational needs, their context of care and their preferences regarding interactive technologies. The findings (1) outline the needs for tools and methods to help children to acquire spatial skills and (2) provide four design guidelines for educational assistive technologies. Based on these findings and an iterative process, we designed and deployed MapSense in the institute during two days. It enables collaborations between children with a broad range of impairments, proposes reflective and ludic scenarios and allows caretakers to customize it as they wish. A field experiment reveals that both children and caretakers considered the system successful and empowering.
Fasciola hepatica in a country of low incidence: a tricky diagnosis.

Background Fasciola hepatica is a foodborne trematode present worldwide. Definitive hosts are mostly ruminants such as cattle and sheep, as well as humans. In Switzerland, Fasciola infection in humans is rare. Unfortunately, many patients are likely to undergo multiple unnecessary investigations before the parasite is suspected and fascioliasis diagnosed, especially if symptoms are unspecific. Methods Retrospective analysis of all patients diagnosed with Fasciola hepatica at the University Hospital of Bern between 2005 and 2018. Diagnosis was positive if a positive serology and/or eggs in stool samples correlated with clinical presentation (symptoms and/or imaging). Patients were excluded if serology was weakly positive and another diagnosis more likely. Personal data, laboratory results, imaging, proposed treatment and outcome were collected from patient files. Results Sixty patients had a positive serology during this time period. Forty-seven of them had a more plausible alternative diagnosis and were not included in the study, leaving 13 patients for analyses; 46.2% (6/13) were male, mean age was 45.8 years old (range, 17-80 years old). Four patients (4/13, 30.8%) were asymptomatic, nine (9/13, 69.2%) presented with symptoms ranging from right upper quadrant abdominal pain (44.4%) and generalized pruritus (33.3%) to weight loss and night sweats (33.3%). The mean duration of symptoms until correct diagnosis was 8.9 months (range, 1-48 months). Five patients (5/13, 38.5%) had documented eosinophilia, four (4/13, 30.8%) elevated liver enzymes and seven (7/13, 53.8%) elevated cholestasis parameters. Mean antibody level on serology was 88 AU/mL (range, 3-134 AU/mL). Ultrasound was used most frequently (7/13, 53.8%), followed by magnetic resonance imaging (4/13, 30.8%), computed tomography and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (3/13, 23.1%). The most common findings were bile duct dilatation, followed by hepatic lesions. Treatment consisted of Triclabendazole 10 mg/Kg. One patient needed a second treatment course for persistent disease. There were no recurrences. Conclusions With a low incidence of Fasciola hepatica in Switzerland, correct diagnosis is often substantially delayed. Raising awareness among Swiss physicians is paramount, and a higher level of suspicion necessary when confronted with unspecific symptoms or liver imaging, thus avoiding a long delay in diagnosis, as well as unnecessary tests.