Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The aspirations and constraints of masculinity in the family trajectories of Cape Verdean men from Praia (1989-2009)

Transformations in male and female gender performance have been determinant in shaping the family trajectories of five men from Praia over the last twenty years. These men’s gender identifications have been performed through a hegemonic masculinity genre. Among the main elements that have affected their performance are the redefinition of social spaces, the various forces boosting women’s autonomy, their aging, and the Kriol narratives around the Cape Verdean collective identification. The propensity of men to depart from the genre learned early in their lives, or the depth of their conservatism depends on whether their aspirations and opportunities take them to social spaces where this genre is actually challenged or constantly re-enacted.
Applications of Adaptive-mesh Refinement in Computational Fluid Dynamics to Problems of Turbulent Flow and Heat Exchange

Original scientific paper Most processes occurring in devices in air-conditioning systems require fluid flow and heat exchange, and the functioning of these devices is crucially dependent on their understanding. Computational Fluid Dynamics is a modern tool which enables development engineers to simulate the physics of processes on a computer. Such simulations may contain errors because the original problem has been replaced by a simplified discrete problem, solved on a mesh of non-overlapping control volumes and assuming certain solution behaviour in every control volume of the modelled domain. This paper presents the advantages of adaptive-mesh refinement which helps engineers get accurate solutions without their intervention by modifying the mesh where higher accuracy is needed. The potential of the method is shown on some examples often found in engineering practice.
From FOND to Robust Probabilistic Planning: Computing Compact Policies that Bypass Avoidable Deadends

We address the class of probabilistic planning problems where the objective is to maximize the probability of reaching a prescribed goal. The complexity of probabilistic planning problems makes it difficult to compute high quality solutions for large instances, and existing algorithms either do not scale, or do so at the expense of the solution quality. We leverage core similarities between probabilistic and fully observable non-deterministic (FOND) planning to construct a sound, offline probabilistic planner, ProbPRP, that exploits algorithmic advances from state-of-the-art FOND planner, PRP, to compute compact policies that are guaranteed to bypass avoidable deadends. We evaluate ProbPRP on a selection of benchmarks used in past probabilistic planning competitions. The results show that ProbPRP, in many cases, outperforms the state of the art, computing substantially more robust policies and at times doing so orders of magnitude faster.
Progression elevated gene‐3 (PEG‐3) induces pleiotropic effects on tumor progression: Modulation of genomic stability and invasion

Progression elevated gene‐3 (PEG‐3) is a novel rodent gene, identified and cloned by subtraction hybridization, that associates with transformation progression in virus‐ and oncogene‐transformed rat embryo (RE) cells. Previous reports document that ectopic expression of PEG‐3 in rodent or human tumor cells produces an aggressive transformed/tumorigenic phenotype. Moreover, PEG‐3 expression in rodent tumor cells correlates directly with genomic instability, as indicated by chromosomal alterations and gene amplification, and it promotes angiogenesis. The present studies were designed to further elucidate the functional significance and role of PEG‐3 in cancer progression with a specific focus on genomic instability and cancer invasion. Genomic instability was assessed by micronucleus assays and staining of centrosomes to define centrosomal amplification. Immunocytochemical observations revealed that overexpression of PEG‐3 in transformed rodent cells induced a loss of chromosomes as established by the appearance of micronuclei and staining of the centrosomes with γ‐tubulin antibody, thereby confirming centrosome amplification. Overexpression of PEG‐3 modulated the expression of several genes involved in centrosomal duplication, such as p21CIP1/WAF1/MDA‐6, nucleophosmin (NPM), and aurora‐A kinase. In vitro invasion of transformed rodent cells was augmented by PEG‐3, which correlated with an increase in the transcription and activity of matrix metalloproteinase‐2 and ‐9 (MMP‐2 and MMP‐9), which play important roles in local invasion during cancer progression. These findings demonstrate that PEG‐3 plays a central role in augmenting tumor progression by modulating several critical parameters of the carcinogenic process, such as genomic stability and local tumor cell invasion. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Staphylococcus aureus multiresistance plasmid pSK41: analysis of the replication region, initiator protein binding and antisense RNA regulation

The vast majority of large staphylococcal plasmids characterized to date appear to possess an evolutionarily common replication system, which has clearly had a major impact on the evolution of antimicrobial resistant staphylococci worldwide. Related systems have also been found in plasmids from other Gram‐positive genera, including enterococci, streptococci and bacilli. The 46.4 kb plasmid pSK41 is the prototype of a family of conjugative staphylococcal multiresistance plasmids. The replication region of pSK41 encodes a protein product, Rep, which was shown to be essential for replication; mutations that truncated Rep could be complemented in trans. Rep was found to bind in vitro to four tandem repeat sequences located centrally within the rep coding region. An A + T‐rich inverted repeat sequence upstream of rep was required for efficient replication, whereas no sequences downstream of rep were necessary. An antisense countertranscript, RNAI, encoded upstream of rep was identified and transcriptional start points for both RNAI and the rep‐mRNA were defined.
Trust management system in wireless sensor networks: design considerations and research challenges

Trust is an important factor in wireless sensor networks (WSNs) in terms of security enhancement and successful collaboration. Trust management (TM) can ensure that all communicating nodes are trustworthy during authentication, authorisation, or key management, which makes traditional security services more robust and reliable. Moreover, by helping to find reliable nodes, TM improves cooperation among nodes, which is vital for improvement of system performance. Trust estimations and management are highly challenging issues because of the unique features and susceptibility of WSNs to different attacks. These factors prevent direct application of schemes suited to other networks and require careful design in a TM system. Hence, our objective is to discuss and present the concept and design factors of TM in WSNs in detail. Moreover, we explore the current state of research as well as open research issues by reviewing proposed trust computation and management schemes in WSNs. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Red Cell Distribution Width Predicts Contrast-Induced Nephropathy in Patients Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention for Acute Coronary Syndrome

We investigated the relationship between red cell distribution width (RDW) and contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) in patients (aged 61 ± 12, 69% men) with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Consecutive patients diagnosed with ACS (n = 662) who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) were included in the study. Patients were divided into 2 groups: CIN and no CIN. Contrast-induced nephropathy was defined as an increase in serum creatinine level of ≥0.5 mg/dL or ≥25% above baseline within 72 hours after PCI. Contrast-induced nephropathy occurred in 81 (12.2%) patients. Red cell distribution width, creatinine, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels were significantly higher in the CIN group than in the no-CIN group. Multivariate regression analysis revealed that baseline RDW level (odds ratio 1.379, 95% confidence interval 1.084-1.753, P = .009), age (P = .025), creatinine (P = .004), and left ventricular ejection fraction (P = .011) were independent risk factors for the development of CIN. In conclusion, increased RDW levels are independently associated with a greater risk of CIN in patients undergoing PCI for ACS.
Adaptive neurofuzzy inference systems networks design using hybrid genetic and singular value decomposition methods for modeling and prediction of the explosive cutting process

Genetic algorithm (GA) and singular value decomposition (SVD) are deployed for the optimal design of both Gaussian membership functions of antecedents and the vector of linear coefficients of consequents, respectively, of adaptive neurofuzzy inference systems (ANFIS) networks that are used for modeling of the explosive cutting process of plates by shaped charges. The aim of such modeling is to show how the depth of penetration varies with the variation of important parameters, namely, the apex angle, standoff, liner thickness, and mass of charge. It is demonstrated that SVD can be effectively used to optimally find the vector of linear coefficients of conclusion parts in ANFIS models and their Gaussian membership functions in premise parts are determined by a GA.
14, 15-epoxygeranylgeraniol and extracts isolated from Pterodon emarginatus Vog. fruits: antitumor activity on glioblastoma cells

Article history: Received on: 03/09/2012 Revised on: 14/09/2012 Accepted on: 20/09/2012 Available online: 28/09/2012 Plant-derived substances have traditionally played important roles in the treatment of human diseases, including of great significance to cancer therapy. Plants of the genus Pterodon (Fabaceae, Leguminosae), commonly known as ‘sucupira’, are disseminated throughout the central region of Brazil and have been used frequently in popular medicine. In recent years, interest in these plants has increased considerably. The biological effects of their extracts and pure metabolites have been investigated in several experimental models in vivo and in vitro. Until the present day, the antitumor effect of Pterodon plants on brain tumors is unknown. Therefore, the aim of this work was to investigate the action of P. emarginatus Vogel extracts and its fractions on glioblastoma cells. The hexane (HE), dichloromethane (DE) and ethanol (EE) extracts were obtained from seeds powder in each solvent. The diterpene 14,15-epoxygeranylgeraniol was obtained from HE fractionation. For tumorigenic assays, the extracts and fractions were added to U87MG, a human glioblastoma cells line. The cell viability assay showed that the proliferation of U87MG was inhibited by both extracts and the 14,15epoxygeranylgeraniol. Further trials in vivo will help to confirm these results, and may contribute to generate natural compounds for the treatment of this type of cancer.
Minimum-time trajectory planning for multiple manipulators handling an object with geometric path constraints

Presents an approach for optimizing the joint torques on the minimum-time trajectory in the criterion of minimum torque change. The torque change a summation of absolute values of differences between the torques at two discrete points, is a nonlinear function. To avoid the authors nonlinear optimization, the authors introduce a linear objective function which gives the same effect. On the basis of the linear objective function and dynamics of the system which constrains the joint torques and the internal forces between the manipulators and the object linearly, the linear programming approach is used to optimize the joint torques. <<ETX>>
Effect of Adolescent Cigarette Smoking on Adulthood Substance Use and Abuse: The Mediating Role of Educational Attainment

ABSTRACT Background: Even though the association between cigarette smoking and later substance use has been shown, there is still no compelling evidence that demonstrates the long-term effects in a high drug using community in African Americans. Few studies have examined the mediating mechanisms of the effect of adolescent cigarette smoking on the drug progression pathway. Objectives: We examined the long-term influence of adolescent smoking on later illegal drug use in a cohort of urban African Americans, and the mediating role of educational attainment in the drug progression pathway. Methods: The study used a longitudinal dataset from the Woodlawn Project that followed 1,242 African Americans from 1966–1967 (at age 6–7) through 2002–2003 (at age 42–43). We used the propensity score matching method to find a regular and a nonregular adolescent smoking group that had similar childhood characteristics; we used the matched sample to assess the association between adolescent smoking and drug progression, and the mediating role of educational attainment. Results: Adolescent regular smokers showed significantly higher odds of using marijuana, cocaine, and heroin, having alcohol abuse problems and any drug dependence, and abuse problems in adulthood. We found that educational attainment mediated most of the drug progression pathway, including cigarette smoking, marijuana, cocaine and heroin use, and drug dependence or abuse problems in adulthood, but not alcohol abuse. Conclusions: More focus needs to be put on high school dropout and development of interventions in community settings for African Americans to alter the pathway for drug progression for adolescents who use cigarettes regularly.
Nonlinear effects of potassium channel blockers on endothelium‐dependent hyperpolarization

In a number of published studies on endothelium‐dependent hyperpolarization and relaxation, the results of the effects of K+ blockers have been difficult to interpret. When the effects of two blockers have been studied, often either blocker by itself had little effect, whereas the two blockers combined tended to abolish the responses. Explanations suggested in the literature include an unusual pharmacology of the K+ channels, and possible blocker binding interactions. In contrast, when we applied the same blockers to segments of small blood vessels under voltage clamp, the blockers reduced the endothelium‐dependent K+ current in a linearly additive manner. Resolution of these contrasting results is important as endothelium‐derived hyperpolarization (EDH) makes its greatest contribution to vasorelaxation in arterioles and small resistance arteries, where it can exert a significant role in tissue perfusion and blood pressure regulation. Furthermore, EDH is impaired in various diseases. Here, we consider why the voltage‐clamp results differ from earlier free‐running membrane potential and contractility studies. We fitted voltage‐clamp‐derived current–voltage relationships with mathematical functions and considered theoretically the effects of partial and total block of endothelium‐derived K+‐currents on the membrane potential of small blood vessels. When the K+‐conductance was partially reduced, equivalent to applying a single blocker, the effect on EDH was small. Total block of the endothelium‐dependent K+ conductance abolished the hyperpolarization, in agreement with various published studies. We conclude that nonlinear summation of the hyperpolarizing response evoked by endothelial stimulation can explain the variable effectiveness of individual K+ channel blockers on endothelium‐dependent hyperpolarization and resulting relaxation.
Part of speech tagging for Arabic

Abstract This paper presents an investigation of part of speech (POS) tagging for Arabic as it occurs naturally, i.e. unvocalized text (without diacritics). We also do not assume any prior tokenization, although this was used previously as a basis for POS tagging. Arabic is a morphologically complex language, i.e. there is a high number of inflections per word; and the tagset is larger than the typical tagset for English. Both factors, the second one being partly dependent on the first, increase the number of word/tag combinations, for which the POS tagger needs to find estimates, and thus they contribute to data sparseness. We present a novel approach to Arabic POS tagging that does not require any pre-processing, such as segmentation or tokenization: whole word tagging. In this approach, the complete word is assigned a complex POS tag, which includes morphological information. A competing approach investigates the effect of segmentation and vocalization on POS tagging to alleviate data sparseness and ambiguity. In the segmentation-based approach, we first automatically segment words and then POS tags the segments. The complex tagset encompasses 993 POS tags, whereas the segment-based tagset encompasses only 139 tags. However, segments are also more ambiguous, thus there are more possible combinations of segment tags. In realistic situations, in which we have no information about segmentation or vocalization, whole word tagging reaches the highest accuracy of 94.74%. If gold standard segmentation or vocalization is available, including this information improves POS tagging accuracy. However, while our automatic segmentation and vocalization modules reach state-of-the-art performance, their performance is not reliable enough for POS tagging and actually impairs POS tagging performance. Finally, we investigate whether a reduction of the complex tagset to the Extra-Reduced Tagset as suggested by Habash and Rambow (Habash, N., and Rambow, O. 2005. Arabic tokenization, part-of-speech tagging and morphological disambiguation in one fell swoop. In Proceedings of the 43rd Annual Meeting of the Association for Computational Linguistics (ACL), Ann Arbor, MI, USA, pp. 573–80) will alleviate the data sparseness problem. While the POS tagging accuracy increases due to the smaller tagset, a closer look shows that using a complex tagset for POS tagging and then converting the resulting annotation to the smaller tagset results in a higher accuracy than tagging using the smaller tagset directly.
System-level design and stability analysis of DC microgrid

DC microgrid will be the main power supply system for the future sustainable homes and buildings due to the advantages of the low converter cost and easy control with no reactive power concern. The system-level stability is an important issue in the design of the DC power supply system. The overlap between the output impedance of paralleled converter and load input impedance causes the system instability. This paper presents the output impedance designed for the paralleled converter in DC microgrid and analyzes the output impedance peak of the paralleled converter which worked in droop control method. The impacts of the line filter parameters on the system stability are also discussed. Simulation results show that they are confirmed fitting the stability criterion in a simple DC microgrid.
Mechanism of interleukin‐1β‐induced proliferation in rat hepatic stellate cells from different levels of signal transduction

Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are the major producers of collagen in the liver. Their conversion from resting cells to proliferative, contractile, and activated cells is a critical step leading to liver fibrosis that is characterized by the deposition of excessive extracellular matrix. Interleukin‐1 (IL‐1) may play a role in maintaining HSC in a proliferative state that is responsible for hepatic fibrogenesis. The aim of this study was to study the roles of the IL‐1 type I receptor (IL‐1R1), c‐Jun N‐terminal kinase (JNK), and activation protein‐1 (AP‐1) in IL‐1β–mediated proliferation in rat HSCs. We showed that IL‐1β can upregulate proliferation in rat HSCs; however, inhibition of the JNK pathway could inhibit HSCs proliferation. Furthermore, IL‐1β activated IL‐1R1 expression, the JNK signaling pathway, and AP‐1 activity in a time‐dependent manner in rat HSCs. These data demonstrate that IL‐1β could promote the proliferation of rat HSCs and that the IL‐1R1, JNK, and AP‐1 pathways were involved in this process. In summary, IL‐1β‐induced proliferation is possibly mediated by the IL‐1R1, JNK, and AP‐1 pathways in rat HSCs. Therefore, drugs that block these pathways may inhibit the proliferation of HSCs and suppress liver fibrosis.
A versatile compact model for ballistic 1D transistor: Applications to GNRFET and CNTFET

This paper presents a versatile compact model dedicated to ballistic 1D transistors that are fabricated in very advanced technologies, in order to predict the ultimate performances of novel nano-device-based circuits. The results presented here after are related to MOS like CNTFET and GNRFET thanks to a unified expression of the non parabolic energy dispersion relation NPEDR which enhances other tentative works [1] limited to the parabolic case and to Boltzmann approximation. To warrant the accuracy as well as the flexibility of this compact model for ballistic 1D transistor, we have developed a thermionic charge model based on NPEDR. The NPEDR expression [2] is universal to describe small Si-Nanowire, CNT and GNR materials: (E − sbbd[p])(1+α[p](E − sbbd[p])) = h2k2 ÷ 2m∗[p]
Proteomic Analysis of Salt-Induced Changes in Protein Expression in PPAR α Null Mice

PPARs are ligand-activated nuclear transcription factors that regulate β-oxidation of fatty acids in the cardiovascular system and PPARα isoform is a putative target for regulation of cardiovascular function. High salt diet is an injurious stimulus to cardiovascular function but its effect on PPARα and PPARα–associated profile of proteins is unknown. Quantitative proteomics involving a two-dimensional electrophoresis (2D-DIGE) followed by LC-MS/MS technology was used to characterize the changes in protein expression profile in the kidney, heart, and blood vessels from PPARα null (KO) and wild type (WT) mice placed on normal (0.3%, NS) or high salt (4% NaCl, HS) diet. Initial biological variation analysis using DeCyder software (v. 6.0) revealed the presence of 20 upregulated proteins and 9 proteins that are downregulated in the kidney, aorta, and heart tissues from KO and WT mice. A multimodality comparison of the differentially expressed proteins showing ≥ 1.5-fold change, ≥20% appearance at P ≤ 0.05 between strains (WT vs KO) and treatment (NS vs HS) revealed that HS diet affected 20 proteins in WT mice and 17 proteins in KO mice. However, 9 proteins were altered between WT and KO placed on NS and 7 proteins were altered by HS between WT and KO mice. The identified proteins include but not limited to those involved in fatty acid oxidation (FAO), mitochondrial electron transport chain, amino acid metabolism, stress response, DNA synthesis, and programmed cell death. HS diet led to upregulation of FAO enzymes viz: acyl-coenzyme A dehydrogenase, transketolase, and electron-transferring-flavoprotein dehydrogenase to different extents in WT and KO mice. These data showed differential and protein-specific responses to HS diet in PPARα WT and KO mice that probably reflect the functional capacities of PPARα as a means to limiting any salt-induced injury to the heart, kidney, and blood vessels.