Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Muito além da cigarra e da formiga Far beyond the ant and the grasshopper

The intersemiotic discursive practices present in work songs are addressed here through theoretical triangulation between enunciative analysis of discourse, ergology and ethnomusicology. The main objective is to analyze how many human experiences in various cultures belie the discourse of "The Ant and the Grasshoper", that I characterize as the discourse that links music (indexing all art) to idleness, which decouples the music of everyday life. And as the other side of the coin, which considers the work just a burden, just a way to reach something, in which pleasure is not present. A video about working in a flour mill in the Barreiras Community, in the city of Barrocas in the State of Bahia (Brazil) is described and analyzed, allowing the conclusion that, in task forces where they sing while they work, the body-self (cf. SCHWARTZ) integrates aspects of identity, the fulfillment of the task and the collective memory of the group.
Native architecture of the Chlamydomonas chloroplast revealed by in situ cryo-electron tomography

Chloroplast function is orchestrated by the organelle's intricate architecture. By combining cryo-focused ion beam milling of vitreous Chlamydomonas cells with cryo-electron tomography, we acquired three-dimensional structures of the chloroplast in its native state within the cell. Chloroplast envelope inner membrane invaginations were frequently found in close association with thylakoid tips, and the tips of multiple thylakoid stacks converged at dynamic sites on the chloroplast envelope, implicating lipid transport in thylakoid biogenesis. Subtomogram averaging and nearest neighbor analysis revealed that RuBisCO complexes were hexagonally packed within the pyrenoid, with ∼15 nm between their centers. Thylakoid stacks and the pyrenoid were connected by cylindrical pyrenoid tubules, physically bridging the sites of light-dependent photosynthesis and light-independent carbon fixation. Multiple parallel minitubules were bundled within each pyrenoid tubule, possibly serving as conduits for the targeted one-dimensional diffusion of small molecules such as ATP and sugars between the chloroplast stroma and the pyrenoid matrix. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.7554/eLife.04889. 001
Functional Comparison of Plasmodium falciparum Transmission-Blocking Vaccine Candidates by the Standard Membrane-Feeding Assay

ABSTRACT Recently, there has been a renewed interest in the development of transmission-blocking vaccines (TBV) against Plasmodium falciparum malaria. While several candidate TBVs have been reported, studies directly comparing them in functional assays are limited. To this end, recombinant proteins of TBV candidates Pfs25, Pfs230, and PfHAP2 were expressed in the wheat germ cell-free expression system. Outbred CD-1 mice were immunized twice with the antigens. Two weeks after the second immunization, IgG levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and IgG functionality was assessed by the standard membrane-feeding assay (SMFA) using cultured P. falciparum NF54 gametocytes and Anopheles stephensi mosquitoes. All three recombinant proteins elicited similar levels of antigen-specific IgG judged by ELISA. When IgGs purified from pools of immune serum were tested at 0.75 mg/ml in the SMFA, all three IgGs showed 97 to 100% inhibition in oocyst intensity compared to control IgG. In two additional independent SMFA evaluations, anti-Pfs25, anti-Pfs230, and anti-PfHAP2 IgGs inhibited oocyst intensity in a dose-dependent manner. When all three data sets were analyzed, anti-Pfs25 antibody showed significantly higher inhibition than the other two antibodies (P < 0.001 for both), while there was no significant difference between the other two (P = 0.15). A proportion of plasma samples collected from adults living in an area of malaria endemicity in Mali recognized Pfs230 and PfHAP2. This is the first study showing that the HAP2 protein of P. falciparum can induce transmission-blocking antibody. The current study supports the possibility of using this system for a comparative study with multiple TBV candidates.
Mostly lock-free malloc

Modern multithreaded applications, such as application servers and database engines, can severely stress the performance of user-level memory allocators like the ubiquitous malloc subsystem. Such allocators can prove to be a major scalability impediment for the applications that use them, particularly for applications with large numbers of threads running on high-order multiprocessor systems.This paper introduces Multi-Processor Restartable Critical Sections, or MP-RCS. MP-RCS permits user-level threads to know precisely which processor they are executing on and then to safely manipulate CPU-specific data, such as malloc metadata, without locks or atomic instructions. MP-RCS avoids interference by using upcalls to notify user-level threads when preemption or migration has occurred. The upcall will abort and restart any interrupted critical sections.We use MP-RCS to implement a malloc package, LFMalloc (Lock-Free Malloc). LFMalloc is scalable, has extremely low latency, excellent cache characteristics, and is memory efficient. We present data from some existing benchmarks showing that LFMalloc is often 10 times faster than Hoard, another malloc replacement package.
Multimodal Biometric System

Single biometric system has certain inherent problems such as noisy sensor data, non-universality of biometric trait, restricted degrees of freedom and unaccepted error rates. Multibiometric system tries to overcome these problems by providing multiple evidences of the same identity. One other advantage is spoofing of these multibiometrics simultaneously become more difficult for an intruder. In this paper, iris and palmprint are the two biometrics used to build multibiometric system. Information presented by these two biometrics is fused to make the system efficient. Here fusion of two modalities is done at the matching score level by using a technique called sum rule. This paper presented experimental results of an Iris recognition, palmprint authentication and multibiometric system (fusion of iris and palmprint). An experimental result shows that the Multimodal biometric system is efficient compared to unimodal biometric system.
Neural Reorganization and Compensation in Aging

According to prominent theories of aging, the brain may reorganize to compensate for neural deterioration and prevent or offset cognitive decline. A frequent and striking finding in functional imaging studies is that older adults recruit additional regions relative to young adults performing the same task. This is often interpreted as evidence for functional reorganization, suggesting that, as people age, different regions or networks may support the same cognitive functions. Associations between additional recruitment and better performance in older adults have led to the suggestion that the additional recruitment may contribute to preserved cognitive function in old age and may explain some of the variation among individuals in preservation of function. However, many alternative explanations are possible, and recent findings and methodological developments have highlighted the need for more systematic approaches to determine whether reorganization occurs with age and whether it benefits performance. We reevaluate current evidence for compensatory functional reorganization in the light of recent moves to address these challenges.
Cross-sectional magnetic resonance imaging study of lumbar disc degeneration in 200 healthy individuals.

OBJECT The current cross-sectional observational MR imaging study aimed to investigate the prevalence and risk factors of lumbar disc degeneration in a healthy population and to establish the baseline data for a prospective longitudinal study. METHODS Two hundred healthy volunteers participated in this study after providing informed consent. The status of lumbar disc degeneration was assessed by 3 independent observers, who used sagittal T2-weighted MR imaging. Demographic data collected included age, sex, body mass index, episode(s) of low-back pain, smoking status, hours of standing and sitting, and Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire scores. There were 68 men and 132 women whose mean age was 39.7 years (range 30-55 years). Eighty-two individuals (41%) were smokers, and the Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire scores were averaged to 0.6/24. RESULTS The prevalence of disc degeneration was 7.0% in L1-2, 12.0% in L2-3, 15.5% in L3-4, 49.5% in L4-5, and 53.0% in L5-S1. A herniated disc was observed at the corresponding levels in 0.5, 3.5, 6.5, 25.0, and 35.0% of cases respectively. Spondylolisthesis was observed in < 3% of this population. Multiple logistic regression analysis demonstrated that age and hours sitting were significantly related to L4-5 disc herniation. Episode of low-back pain, smoking status, body mass index, and hours standing did not affect the prevalence of disc degeneration. CONCLUSIONS The current study established the baseline data of lumbar disc degeneration in a 30- to 55-year-old healthy population for a prospective longitudinal study. Hours spent sitting significantly increased the prevalence of disc herniation, but episode of low-back pain, smoking status, obesity, and standing hours were not significant risk factors.
On-line optical operant conditioning of cortical activity

Animals can learn to modify their voluntary behavior to gain rewards in the positive reinforcement form of operant conditioning. It has been shown that animals can also learn to modify neuronal activity that is directly rewarded by using electrophysiological recordings. Electrophysiological approaches exhibit excellent temporal resolution, but do not permit recordings from the same identified neurons in dense local circuits over multiple days. Two-photon calcium imaging makes it possible to observe the activity of the same population of identified neurons in behaving animals over long time periods. Here we introduce a platform to analyze calcium imaging data on-line and feed this neuronal activity back to behaving animals. We have used this approach to investigate how animals modify population activity during operant conditioning. We transfected neurons with adenoassociated virus encoding for the genetically encoded calcium indicator GCaMP6s. While performing calcium imaging, spiking events in multiple neurons could be inferred. Rewards were given to animals in response to inferred events. We found that single neurons in layer 2/3 of motor cortex could be trained to increase activity in a specific manner, and that this increase primes operant conditioning of the same neurons over subsequent days. We also developed 3D two-photon calcium imaging setup to simultaneously record dendritic and somatic activity, with the aim of performing operant conditioning of local dendritic activity. By identifying the neurons that trigger operant conditioning, the approach we have introduced should be useful for localizing plastic changes and determining the parameters that lead to these plastic changes in the dynamics of neuronal populations during learning.
Type I Interferons in the Pathogenesis of Tuberculosis: Molecular Drivers and Immunological Consequences

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major global health threat. Urgent needs in the fight against TB include improved and innovative treatment options for drug-sensitive and -resistant TB as well as reliable biological indicators that discriminate active from latent disease and enable monitoring of treatment success or failure. Prominent interferon (IFN) inducible gene signatures in TB patients and animal models of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection have drawn significant attention to the roles of type I IFNs in the host response to mycobacterial infections. Here, we review recent developments in the understanding of the innate immune pathways that drive type I IFN responses in mycobacteria-infected host cells and the functional consequences for the host defense against M. tuberculosis, with a view that such insights might be exploited for the development of targeted host-directed immunotherapies and development of reliable biomarkers.
Amyloidosis in Alzheimer's Disease: The Toxicity of Amyloid Beta (Aβ), Mechanisms of Its Accumulation and Implications of Medicinal Plants for Therapy

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that leads to memory deficits and death. While the number of individuals with AD is rising each year due to the longer life expectancy worldwide, current therapy can only somewhat relieve the symptoms of AD. There is no proven medication to cure or prevent the disease, possibly due to a lack of knowledge regarding the molecular mechanisms underlying disease pathogenesis. Most previous studies have accepted the “amyloid hypothesis,” in which the neuropathogenesis of AD is believed to be triggered by the accumulation of the toxic amyloid beta (Aβ) protein in the central nervous system (CNS). Lately, knowledge that may be critical to unraveling the hidden pathogenic pathway of AD has been revealed. This review concentrates on the toxicity of Aβ and the mechanism of accumulation of this toxic protein in the brain of individuals with AD and also summarizes recent advances in the study of these accumulation mechanisms together with the role of herbal medicines that could facilitate the development of more effective therapeutic and preventive strategies.
On the Acceptance of Automatic Facilitation in a Context-Adaptive Group Support System

Problem solving in groups usually consists of different phases. The quality of the results highly depends on applying suitable methods (e.g., to improve creativity or to support shared understanding). This is usually the responsibility of a trained facilitator. However, good facilitators are a scarce resource. In this paper, we explore the acceptance of automatic facilitation in a context-adaptive Group Support System (GSS) implemented on the Contact platform -- our infrastructure for implementing context-adaptive collaboration environments. We show how good practices related to the process of creative problem solving can be used to define interventions and identify the situations, in which they are needed, to achieve a good problem solving process. Based on these characterizations we show how to develop group-based adaptation policies implementing automatic facilitation. A pilot study with distributed autonomous teams of 4-5 people using our prototype system provide insights on the acceptance of automatic facilitation.
Group Parent Training Combined With Follow-Up Coaching for Parents of Children With Developmental Delays

The purpose of this study was to examine the relation between group training using an abbreviated version of the Incredible Years parent training with family coaching and positive parenting practices. Two at-risk mothers and their young children with disabilities participated in the study. Both mothers were enrolled in a group parent training program through their local early intervention agency. This study extends the research on parent training by examining the relation between group training with individualized, evidence-based coaching and positive parenting practices for parents of children with developmental disabilities. Results suggest coaching combined with group training is related to low to moderate increases in positive parenting practices. More intensive, individualized coaching for at-risk parents might maximize treatment outcomes of group parent training programs.
Usefulness of repetitive intraoperative indocyanine green-based videoangiography to confirm complete obliteration of micro-arteriovenous malformations

Background: It is difficult to intraoperatively confirm the total disappearance of arteriovenous (AV) shunts during surgery for microarteriovenous malformations (micro-AVMs), especially when the nidus is extremely small or diffuse on preoperative angiography. Although intraoperative angiography is effective for evaluating residual shunts, procedure-related risks raise important concerns. The purpose of this study was to assess the usefulness of intraoperative indocyanine green-based videoangiography (ICG–VA) to determine complete disappearance of micro-AVMs during surgery. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed eight patients with ruptured micro-AVMs who were treated using craniotomy with ICG–VA at our institution. Results: Two patients underwent emergency partial evacuation of hematoma and external decompression before the diagnostic angiography. While three patients had a nidus smaller than 1 cm, five patients had only early draining veins without an appreciable nidus. The draining veins were superficial in six cases and deep in two cases. The average interval from onset to surgery was 33 days (range, 2–57). ICG–VA was repetitively conducted until disappearance of the AV shunt was confirmed. No residual AV shunt was observed on postoperative radiological examinations. In all cases, the diagnosis of AVM was confirmed from the results of postoperative pathological examination. Conclusions: ICG–VA could detect early draining veins more clearly in situ than diagnostic angiography. Although it is not as effective for visualizing lesions with deep draining veins, repetitive ICG–VA was safe and effective for confirming the disappearance of AV shunts with superficial drainage.
Towards a holistic model of functions of music listening across cultures: A culturally decentred qualitative approach

The present article explores the functions of music listening from a cross-cultural perspective. We present a model of functions of music listening based on a multicultural qualitative approach. Our model covers personal, social and cultural musical experiences. Seven main functions of music listening were identified: music in the background, memories through music, music as diversion, emotions and self-regulation through music, music as reflection of self and social bonding through music. Our model was confirmed in an independent sample using a cross-method validation. Quantitative analyses of the qualitative data explored the salience of functions of music listening across four sub-samples: Asian and Latin-American sub-samples being more collectivistic and non- Anglophone Western and Anglophone Western sub-samples being more individualistic. Across all sub-samples the self-regulation function was the most important personal use of music, bonding was the most important social use of music and the expression of cultural identity was the most salient cultural function of music regardless of listeners’ cultural background. Apart from these similarities which point towards universalities, we also revealed cross-cultural differences pointing towards culture-specific uses of music. Limitations in the methodology of this exploratory cross-cultural approach and future directions in cross-cultural psychology of music are discussed.
Skeletonization in a real-time gesture recognition system

Advances in technology continue to make both hardware and software affordable and accessible; we have seen a rapid growth in computer vision and image processing applications. One area of interest in vision and image processing is automated identification of objects in real-time or recorded video streams and analysis of these identified objects. An important topic of research in this context is identification of humans and interpreting their actions. For example, a camera mounted on the front of a vehicle can capture images of pedestrians and analyse their actions to interpret if they are about to cross the path of the oncoming vehicle. This could be an important accident prevention technique. This paper presents part of our work in a project that deals with object detection and gesture recognition on video streams in real time that could support such applications. In order to recognize gestures of humans and human movements, we must first identify the moving objects in a video stream. Then the identified objects need to be tracked over the frames of the video and classified as human or non-human. Thereafter, the human objects must be skeletonized in order to encode their movements before interpretation can be done. This paper presents a research and analysis of various skeletonizing methods and illustrates our selection of a particular skeletonization method through implementation of algorithms and analysis of experimental data.
Amperometric Biosensors for Real Time Assays of Organophosphates

An amperometric biosensor based on acetylcholinesterase (AChE) immobilized in gelatin was used to develop an assay for the organophosphate paraoxon. The more traditional manner employing preincubation was used for comparison between measurement procedures, although the aim of the study was to examine the performance of the biosensor for real time monitoring of organophosphates. The biosensor was immersed in a reaction chamber and paraoxon was injected inside. We were able to detect 200 pg of paraoxon within one minute or 2.5 ppb when the biosensor was preincubed in the sample solution for 15 minutes. The practical impact and expectations are discussed.
FLT3 expressing leukemias are selectively sensitive to inhibitors of the molecular chaperone heat shock protein 90 through destabilization of signal transduction-associated kinases.

PURPOSE We conducted studies to evaluate the hypothesis that FLT3 is a client of heat shock protein (Hsp) 90 and inhibitors of Hsp90 may be useful for therapy of leukemia. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN The effects of the Hsp90-inhibitor 17-allylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin (17-AAG) on cell growth, expression of signal transduction kinases, apoptosis, FLT3 phosphorylation and interaction with Hsp90 was determined in FLT3(+) human leukemias. RESULTS We found that FLT3 is included in a multiprotein complex that includes Hsp90 and p23. 17-AAG inhibited FLT3 phosphorylation and interaction with Hsp90. FLT3(+) leukemias were significantly more sensitive to the Hsp90 inhibitors 17-AAG and Herbimycin A in cell growth assays than FLT3-negative leukemias. Cells transfected with FLT3 became sensitive to 17-AAG. Cell cycle inhibition and apoptosis were induced by 17-AAG. Cells with constitutive expression of FLT3, as a result of internal tandem duplication, were the most sensitive; cells with wild-type FLT3 were intermediate in sensitivity, and FLT3-negative cells were the least sensitive. 17-AAG resulted in reduced cellular mass of FLT3, RAF, and AKT. The mass of another Hsp, Hsp70, was increased. The expression level of MLL-AF4 fusion protein was not reduced by 17-AAG in human leukemia cells. CONCLUSIONS FLT3(+) leukemias are sensitive to 17-AAG and Herbimycin A. 17-AAG inhibits leukemia cells with either FLT3-internal tandem duplication or wild-type FLT3, in part through destabilization of client kinases including FLT3, RAF, and AKT. 17-AAG is potentially useful for therapy of FLT3-expressing leukemias, including the mixed lineage leukemia fusion gene leukemias.
Distoration Modeling Produced on Synthetic Aperture Radar's Image

Radar imaging systems are slant distance measuring systems. These distance measurements are obtained via time delays of sending and receiving a pulse. As a result of especial geometry imaging, so many geometry distortions are made in morph and size of complications (with considerable topography). Overriding factors in these distortions are layover phenomenon, foreshortening and radar's shadow. These phenomenons are functions of incoming local angle which are also dependent on vision angle and local slope of the earth's surface. In this paper, distortions are modeled in MATLAB software. Thereafter results of this modeling show the distortions produced on radar's image.