Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Public Policy and Teacher Education in Brazil after 1990

The present research investigates public policy concerning teacher education in Brazil. It is a critical rereading of historical documents focusing on laws, legal documents, projects, institutional and public policies and teaching careers developed by the Brazilian state, as well as social and scientific organisations. Emphasis is given to current political, social and economic change and educational reform implemented since 1990 as well as to the effects of international decisions on the implementation of policies in Brazilian public education.
Hospital volume differences and five-year survival from breast cancer.

OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of hospital volume on long-term survival for women with breast cancer. METHODS Survival analysis and proportional-hazard modeling were used to assess 5-year survival and risk of death, adjusting for clinical and sociodemographic variables. RESULTS At 5 years, patients from very low-volume hospitals had a 60% greater risk of all-cause mortality than patients from high-volume hospitals. CONCLUSIONS Hospital volume of breast cancer surgical cases has a strong positive effect on 5-year survival. Research is needed to identify whether processes of care, especially postsurgical adjuvant treatments, contribute to survival differences.
What Future for the UN Charter System of War Prevention?

President George W. Bush historically challenged the United Nations Security Council when he uttered some memorable words in the course of his September 12, 2002, speech to the General Assembly: “Will the UN serve the purpose of its founding, or will it be irrelevant? ” In the aftermath of the Iraq war there are at least two answers to this question. The answer of the U.S. government would be to suggest that the United Nations turned out to be irrelevant due to its failure to endorse recourse to war against the Iraq of Saddam Hussein. The answer of those who opposed the war is that the UN Security Council served the purpose of its founding by its refusal to endorse recourse to a war that could not be persuasively reconciled with the UN Charter and international law. This difference of assessment is not just factual, whether Iraq was a threat and whether the inspection process was succeeding at a reasonable pace; it was also conceptual, even jurisprudential. The resolution of this latter debate is likely to shape the future role of the United Nations, as well as influence the attitude of the most powerful sovereign state as to the relationship between international law generally and the use of force as an instrument of foreign policy.
Regulation of NF‐κB by ubiquitination and degradation of the IκBs

Summary: The nuclear factor‐κB (NF‐κB) signaling pathway is a busy ground for the action of the ubiquitin–proteasome system; many of the signaling steps are coordinated by protein ubiquitination. The end point of this pathway is to induce transcription, and to this end, there is a need to overcome a major obstacle, a set of inhibitors (IκBs) that bind NF‐κB and prohibit either the nuclear entry or the DNA binding of the transcription factor. Two major signaling steps are required for the elimination of the inhibitors: activation of the IκB kinase (IKK) and degradation of the phosphorylated inhibitors. IKK activation and IκB degradation involve different ubiquitination modes; the latter is mediated by a specific E3 ubiquitin ligase SCFβ‐TrCP. The F‐box component of this E3, β‐TrCP, recognizes the IκB degron formed following phosphorylation by IKK and thus couples IκB phosphorylation to ubiquitination. SCFβ‐TrCP‐mediated IκB ubiquitination and degradation is a very efficient process, often resulting in complete degradation of the key inhibitor IκBα within a few minutes of cell stimulation. In vivo ablation of β‐TrCP results in accumulation of all the IκBs and complete NF‐κB inhibition. As many details of IκB‐β‐TrCP interaction have been worked out, the development of β‐TrCP inhibitors might be a feasible therapeutic approach for NF‐κB‐associated human disease. However, we may still need to advance our understanding of the mechanism of IκB degradation as well as of the diverse functions of β‐TrCP in vivo.
The 2.2 A structure of the rRNA methyltransferase ErmC' and its complexes with cofactor and cofactor analogs: implications for the reaction mechanism.

The rRNA methyltransferase ErmC' transfers methyl groups from S -adenosyl-l-methionine to atom N6 of an adenine base within the peptidyltransferase loop of 23 S rRNA, thus conferring antibiotic resistance against a number of macrolide antibiotics. The crystal structures of ErmC' and of its complexes with the cofactor S -adenosyl-l-methionine, the reaction product S-adenosyl-l-homocysteine and the methyltransferase inhibitor Sinefungin, respectively, show that the enzyme undergoes small conformational changes upon ligand binding. Overall, the ligand molecules bind to the protein in a similar mode as observed for other methyltransferases. Small differences between the binding of the amino acid parts of the different ligands are correlated with differences in their chemical structure. A model for the transition-state based on the atomic details of the active site is consistent with a one-step methyl-transfer mechanism and might serve as a first step towards the design of potent Erm inhibitors.
Meeting the Demand for Highly Qualified Special Education Teachers During Severe Shortages

In the authors' response to the other articles in this special series, they acknowledge the dilemma that chronic teacher shortages and recent demands for a quality teacher for every child pose for securing sufficient numbers of special educators. We provide information about current policies and programs that states and districts are implementing that hold promise for improving the supply of qualified special educators. Although we recognize the potential effectiveness of individual strategies, such as induction programs, we emphasize the importance of a comprehensive, statewide reform effort as the most viable mechanism for resolving teacher shortages.
Maintaining front-line workers in child protection: a case for refocusing supervision

This paper suggests that a refocusing of supervision be seen as one possible strategy for lowering high attrition rates among child protection workers. Research findings from a qualitative study undertaken in two rural regions in the State of Victoria, Australia illustrate that the current model of supervision gives insufficient attention to the emotional intrusiveness of the work, to building resilience in workers and the implications of adult learning theory. An argument is made for a refocusing of supervision which moves beyond task, encompassing much of what is already known from the supervision literature. The supervisor can be thought of as a messenger who must send and receive messages to and from workers. What message is sent and how supervisors respond to what they receive are critical if the objective is to retain front-line staff. Critically, the supervisor must affirm both the merit and necessity of exploring the impact of feelings and thoughts on action and perception. A key message for supervisors to deliver is the value of individual workers to the organization, leading to increased self-esteem and self-efficacy. The paper also argues for adult learning via reflective supervision. This change to supervision involves a fundamental shift in organizational priorities and an acceptance throughout of the impact of anxiety on all those working in this field. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Decentralized leader-follower formation control with obstacle avoidance of multiple unicycle mobile robots

This work investigates the formation control and obstacle avoidance of multiple differentially driven wheeled mobile robots (WMRs) based on the kinematic model and the leader-follower approach. A combination of a linear model predictive control and input-output feedback linearization is implemented on a team of WMRs in order to accomplish a formation task. The linear model of each robot with nonlinear dynamics is found through feedback linearization, while model predictive control is applied to the linear model to perform the formation control. An obstacle avoidance algorithm also implemented to each robot in formation. The obstacle avoidance strategy is based on generating a virtual force that is considered to make corrections in the linear and angular velocities of each robot in formation. Simulation results are presented in order to demonstrate the performance of a team of WMRs with two formation mission scenarios.
A framework for RESTful object exchange through schematized XML (unRESTricted)

Client-server architectures with clients on divergent platforms are in need of services that serve a high level of interoperability and a loose binding. It should be prevented that clients become incompatible with the server after server-side changes in the data model. In practice it appears that existing systems donpsilat always meet these requirements and that known solutions are lacking supporting frameworks in the development of these services. This paper presents a framework for building RESTful services that publish data matching an internal object model. The internal objects are presented to the client by XML which conforms to an XML schema that is agnostic of the framework. The conversion between the XML documents and the internal objects is backed by the framework and abstracted from the service developer. An implementation of this framework in Java is described, together with client-side software that also relieves the client from marshaling logic and processing the serverpsilas response.
Collaborative Personalised TV Programming

We propose a set-top box design for giving the owner access to a number of TV channels adapted specifically to his/her interests. The channels are composed based on reviews distributed in RSS format. The reviews can originate from other users of similar devices as well as from other sources. The device trains an artificial neural network (Hertz et al., 1991) to prioritise the available programmes based on the available reviews and the feedback from the user. The proposal attempts to minimise the need for user interaction, as well as the need for centralised, critical services
Automated semen analysis: 'zona pellucida preferred' sperm morphometry and straight-line velocity are related to pregnancy rate in subfertile couples.

BACKGROUND Standard semen analysis has low objectivity and reproducibility and is not closely related to fertility. We assess the prognostic value of automated measurements of sperm motility and morphology. METHODS During 1997-1999, 1191 infertile couples with no known absolute barrier to conception were assessed by conventional semen analysis, and automated measurements of average straight-line velocity (VSL) and the percentage of sperm with characteristics that conform to those of sperm which bind to the zona pellucida of the human oocyte (%Z). During follow-up to 2001, there were 336 natural pregnancies. RESULTS Only %Z, VSL and female age were independently significantly related to pregnancy rate by Cox regression analysis. Pregnancy rate was higher with above average %Z and VSL, indicating a continuous rather than a threshold relationship. The likelihood of pregnancy within 12 cycles can be evaluated for specific values of %Z, VSL and female age using the Cox regression model. CONCLUSIONS The automated semen measures of sperm morphometry (%Z) and velocity (VSL) are related to pregnancy rates in subfertile couples and should assist clinicians in counselling subfertile patients about their prognosis for a natural pregnancy. Objective automated methods should replace the traditional manual assessments of semen quality.
Differential trellis coded modulation with state dependent mappings

Differential encoding (DE) is a classical technique without channel coding at the transmitter that allows simple noncoherent detection at the receiver. In this paper, we propose a new trellis coding extension of DE, called differential trellis coded modulation (DTCM), which extends our earlier work and consists of both design and distance analysis. DTCM is TCM with DE defined in states where distinct states may have distinct DE functions. We propose design methods of DE functions for noncoherently non-catastrophic DTCM. For MPSK signals, an additive distance measure and set partitioning are proposed. In addition, trellis diagrams of DTCM are designed and their minimum distances are analyzed.
On the Role of Domain Knowledge in Analogy-Based Story Generation

Computational narrative is a complex and interesting domain for exploring AI techniques that algorithmically analyze, understand, and most importantly, generate stories. This paper studies the importance of domain knowledge in story generation, and particularly in analogy-based story generation (ASG). Based on the construct of knowledge container in case-based reasoning, we present a theoretical framework for incorporating domain knowledge in ASG. We complement the framework with empirical results in our existing system Riu.
Single-Use Disposable Electrochemical Label-Free Immunosensor for Detection of Glycated Hemoglobin (HbA1c) Using Differential Pulse Voltammetry (DPV)

A single-use disposable in vitro electrochemical immunosensor for the detection of HbA1c in undiluted human serum using differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) was developed. A three-electrode configuration electrochemical biosensor consisted of 10-nm-thin gold film working and counter electrodes and a thick-film printed Ag/AgCl reference electrode was fabricated on a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate. Micro-fabrication techniques including sputtering vapor deposition and thick-film printing were used to fabricate the biosensor. This was a roll-to-roll cost-effective manufacturing process making the single-use disposable in vitro HbA1c biosensor a reality. Self-assembled monolayers of 3-Mercaptopropionic acid (MPA) were employed to covalently immobilize anti-HbA1c on the surface of gold electrodes. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) confirmed the excellent coverage of MPA-SAM and the upward orientation of carboxylic groups. The hindering effect of HbA1c on the ferricyanide/ferrocyanide electron transfer reaction was exploited as the HbA1c detection mechanism. The biosensor showed a linear range of 7.5–20 µg/mL of HbA1c in 0.1 M PBS. Using undiluted human serum as the test medium, the biosensor presented an excellent linear behavior (R2 = 0.999) in the range of 0.1–0.25 mg/mL of HbA1c. The potential application of this biosensor for in vitro measurement of HbA1c for diabetic management was demonstrated.
A New Subfamily of Sucrose Transporters, SUT4, with Low Affinity/High Capacity Localized in Enucleate Sieve Elements of Plants

A new subfamily of sucrose transporters from Arabidopsis (AtSUT4), tomato (LeSUT4), and potato (StSUT4) was isolated, demonstrating only 47% similarity to the previously characterized SUT1. SUT4 from two plant species conferred sucrose uptake activity when expressed in yeast. The Km for sucrose uptake by AtSUT4 of 11.6 ± 0.6 mM was ∼10-fold greater than for all other plant sucrose transporters characterized to date. An ortholog from potato had similar kinetic properties. Thus, SUT4 corresponds to the low-affinity/high-capacity saturable component of sucrose uptake found in leaves. In contrast to SUT1, SUT4 is expressed predominantly in minor veins in source leaves, where high-capacity sucrose transport is needed for phloem loading. In potato and tomato, SUT4 was immunolocalized specifically to enucleate sieve elements, indicating that like SUT1, macromolecular trafficking is required to transport the mRNA or the protein from companion cells through plasmodesmata into the sieve elements.
Accelerated Evolution of the Prdm9 Speciation Gene across Diverse Metazoan Taxa

The onset of prezygotic and postzygotic barriers to gene flow between populations is a hallmark of speciation. One of the earliest postzygotic isolating barriers to arise between incipient species is the sterility of the heterogametic sex in interspecies' hybrids. Four genes that underlie hybrid sterility have been identified in animals: Odysseus, JYalpha, and Overdrive in Drosophila and Prdm9 (Meisetz) in mice. Mouse Prdm9 encodes a protein with a KRAB motif, a histone methyltransferase domain and several zinc fingers. The difference of a single zinc finger distinguishes Prdm9 alleles that cause hybrid sterility from those that do not. We find that concerted evolution and positive selection have rapidly altered the number and sequence of Prdm9 zinc fingers across 13 rodent genomes. The patterns of positive selection in Prdm9 zinc fingers imply that rapid evolution has acted on the interface between the Prdm9 protein and the DNA sequences to which it binds. Similar patterns are apparent for Prdm9 zinc fingers for diverse metazoans, including primates. Indeed, allelic variation at the DNA–binding positions of human PRDM9 zinc fingers show significant association with decreased risk of infertility. Prdm9 thus plays a role in determining male sterility both between species (mouse) and within species (human). The recurrent episodes of positive selection acting on Prdm9 suggest that the DNA sequences to which it binds must also be evolving rapidly. Our findings do not identify the nature of the underlying DNA sequences, but argue against the proposed role of Prdm9 as an essential transcription factor in mouse meiosis. We propose a hypothetical model in which incompatibilities between Prdm9-binding specificity and satellite DNAs provide the molecular basis for Prdm9-mediated hybrid sterility. We suggest that Prdm9 should be investigated as a candidate gene in other instances of hybrid sterility in metazoans.
Lenguaje político y lenguaje políticamente correcto en España (con especial atención al discurso parlamentario).

Study of political and politically correct speech, the relations between language and knowledge, and its consequences for the political speech within mass media context. In the first part of this research, it is established the need to relate linguistic and extralinguistic factors. The close relation between language and power, and the adaptation of political rhetoric to context are good examples of such a need. Besides linguistic usage reveals as a powerful tool to correct reality. Within such a context, it seemed very relevant to investigate, on one side, American politically correct movement, as well as the consequences derived from it into Spanish society and language; on the other, the powerful influence of mass media, especially TV, to conform political speech. To finish, a review concerning the main research methodologies in Linguistics in order to determine which of these approaches have been most appropriate to give account of our subject matter. In the second part of our research, data are analysed, classified and described according to the results yield by el Debate sobre la Investidura a la Presidencia del Gobierno taking place at the Congress in 2000. These data revealed firstly that substitution, based on semantic analogy, is a fundamental linguistic tool to apprehend reality. Second, it also proved that value meaning, aimed mainly to correct, transform, and manipulate reality are primarily conveyed through euphemism (and disphemism) linguistic resources, but also through politically correct strategy as a variety of euphemism.
Effects of cardiac rehabilitation and exercise training in obese patients with coronary artery disease.

STUDY OBJECTIVE To determine the effects of cardiac rehabilitation and exercise training in obese coronary patients. DESIGN We compared data before and after cardiac rehabilitation between obese and nonobese patients. SETTING Two large teaching institutions. PATIENTS 116 obese (body mass index [BMI] > or = 27.8 kg/m2 for men and > or = 27.3 kg/m2 for women; mean, 31.2 +/- 3.2 kg/m2] and 198 (mean BMI, 24.6 +/- 2.1 kg/m2) nonobese patients with recent cardiac events. INTERVENTIONS A 3-month (36-session) formal, outpatient phase 2 cardiac rehabilitation and supervised exercise training program. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS At baseline, obese patients had higher levels of total cholesterol (p < 0.01), low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C [p < 0.01]), LDL-C/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) ratio (p < 0.01), percentage body fat (p < 0.02), and a higher prevalence of hypertension (p < 0.05) than the nonobese patients, but the prevalence of diabetes mellitus and of other coronary risk factors was similar. After cardiac rehabilitation, there were modest reductions in the prevalence of obesity (116 patients [37%] vs 104 patients [33%]) and severe obesity (BMI > or = 35 kg/m2 [3.5 vs 2.5%]), although these improvements were not statistically significant. The obese patients had improvements in exercise capacity (+24%; p < 0.001), BMI (-3%; p < 0.0001), LDL-C (-4%; p = 0.07), HDL-C (+6%; p < 0.001), and LDL-C/HDL-C ratio (-10%; p < 0.01). Although reduction in BMI was greater in the obese patients (-3 vs 0%; p < 0.0001), improvement in exercise capacity was greater in the nonobese (+36 vs +24%; p < 0.01); improvements in lipid fractions and percentage body fat were statistically similar between the groups. CONCLUSION Modest reductions in BMI, obesity, and severe obesity occur after cardiac rehabilitation. In addition, obese patients demonstrate significant improvements in most coronary risk factors after rehabilitation, although improvements in exercise capacity are greater in nonobese patients. Potentially, more significant improvements in exercise capacity and lipid values may occur by specifically targeting obese patients for further weight reduction and exercise training after major cardiac events.
On the Integration of In Silico Drug Design Methods for Drug Repurposing

Drug repurposing has become an important branch of drug discovery. Several computational approaches that help to uncover new repurposing opportunities and aid the discovery process have been put forward, or adapted from previous applications. A number of successful examples are now available. Overall, future developments will greatly benefit from integration of different methods, approaches and disciplines. Steps forward in this direction are expected to help to clarify, and therefore to rationally predict, new drug–target, target–disease, and ultimately drug–disease associations.
Towards the Gigantic: Entification and Standardization as Technologies of Control

This paper is based on studies of how standardized entities work as elements in a regime to control risk and hazardous work. Drawing on empirical examples from the petroleum industry and infrastructure sectors, we illustrate not only the mechanisms by which particular modes of entification are involved in regimes of control but also their shortcomings and seductive powers as representations. We show how the world is semantically captured and organized to consist of controllable standardized entities by the organizational regimes in the industries we have studied. This mode of entification is particularly effective in providing transcontextual mobility, as the registered entities can enter the ever-expanding information infrastructures of modernity. Although information infrastructures comprise the standards regulating communication, they commonly materialize in information and communication technologies (ICT) that provide an increasing number of effective and ubiquitous pathways through which standardized semantic signs can move and have effects. This is a core concern in the increasing focus on management by detailed regimes of accountability, measurement and standardization seen in most modern organizations. These developments, combined with the representational shortcomings of the standardized entifications, lead to a movement towards the gigantic. An ever-increasing number of signs with increasingly higher granularity are produced in order to control an ever-elusive non-entified world.