Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Does the Situational Couple Violence- Intimate Terrorism Typology Explain Cohabitors’ High Risk of Intimate Partner Violence?

This study examines M. P. Johnson’s assertion that violence in marital unions is more likely to be intimate terrorism (IT) and violence in cohabiting unions is more likely to be situational couple violence (SCV). Having overcome limitations of the data on which Johnson based his assertion, the results show that cohabiting and married victims of violence are equally likely to report experiencing SCV and IT. Moreover, cohabitors have higher odds of experiencing SCV and IT compared to their counterparts living in a marital union. These marital status differences are explained by selection and relationship factors theorized to account for them. Although the SCV— IT typology does appear to shed light on gender differences, the results of this study suggest that, where relevant, researchers using this typology should not neglect risk factors derived from theories for understanding intimate partner violence (IPV).
Robust Control of a Nonlinear Process with System Uncertainty and Delay using Variable Structure

A nonlinear variable structure control strategy is combined with the reaction invariant to control pH in a mixing tank with process delay. A nonlinear predictor is utilized to estimate the actual pH from its measured value. System response is significantly improved by overlaying a variable structure on the controller gains. Uncertainty in the process delay, titration curve and influent disturbance is incorporated into the controller design. Robust controller design is obtained by incorporating a procedure based on the binary classification of the system response to produce system behavior which is insensitive to the given system parameter uncertainty. This procedure provides a practical design of a variable structure controller regulating a system with significant process delay where the system state is not directly available.
Biofilm formation in bacterial pathogens of veterinary importance

Abstract Bacterial biofilms are structured communities of bacterial cells enclosed in a self-produced polymer matrix that is attached to a surface. Biofilms protect and allow bacteria to survive and thrive in hostile environments. Bacteria within biofilms can withstand host immune responses, and are much less susceptible to antibiotics and disinfectants when compared with their planktonic counterparts. The ability to form biofilms is now considered a universal attribute of micro-organisms. Diseases associated with biofilms require novel methods for their prevention, diagnosis and treatment; this is largely due to the properties of biofilms. Surprisingly, biofilm formation by bacterial pathogens of veterinary importance has received relatively little attention. Here, we review the current knowledge of bacterial biofilms as well as studies performed on animal pathogens.
Entangled Objects and Hybrid Practices: Colonial Contacts and Elite Connections at Monte Prama, Sardinia

The Iron Age statues of Monte Prama (west-central Sardinia) have long been famous for their unique nature and reputation as the best known examples of Phoenician colonial influence on indigenous Nuragic traditions. These statues, however, form part of a much more complex site that in turn was integrated within a wider colonial landscape. In this paper we propose a new reading of the Monte Prama evidence both by examining the site itself in minute detail and by exploring its wider social and colonial contexts. This detailed analysis enables us to advance our understanding of the colonial situation in west central Sardinia during the 7th century BC.
Distribuciones de Clases No Balanceadas: Métricas, Análisis de Complejidad y Algoritmos de Aprendizaje

El problema de las distribuciones no balanceadas de datos entre clases ha recibido una considerable atencion en disciplinas como el Aprendizaje Automatico, el Reconocimiento de Formas y la Mineria de Datos, Un conjunto de dos clases se dice que es no balanceado si una de las clases (mayoritaria) esta significativamente mas representada que la otra (minoritaria). Este tipo de complejidad de los datos puede conducir, en metodos tradicionales de clasificacion, a aprendizajes sesgados en perjuicio de la clase minoritaria que, usualmente, contiene los casos de mayor interes. Actualmente, es posible identificar tres grandes lineas de investigacion sobre dicha problematica. En este sentido, la presente tesis doctoral aborda el problema del desbalance desde las perspectivas de evaluacion del aprendizaje, solucion y analisis de la complejidad de los datos. En el caso de las metricas de efectividad, se propone una nueva forma de evaluar los clasificadores que solventa una posible desventaja de las metricas tradicionales, las cuales no consideran la magnitud ni el sentido de la diferencia entre las tasas de aciertos por clase. Dentro del campo de las soluciones para tratar el desbalance, se proponen nuevos esquemas para reducir/incrementar la talla de las clases mayoritaria/minoritaria, respectivamente. Asimismo, se presenta una solucion algoritmica para la regla del vecino mas cercano con el objetivo de favorecer la clasificacion de muestras de la clase minoritaria. Este analisis no solo se centra en el beneficio que podria representar cada una de las soluciones, sino tambien en como estas se ven afectadas por la naturaleza del clasificador, el sesgo de los datos y las metricas de efectividad. Finalmente, la tercera linea de investigacion abordada en esta tesis se centra en analizar los efectos sobre el aprendizaje que produce la presencia en los datos de complejidades como el desbalance y solapamiento. Los resultados muestran que el desbalance local en la region de solapamiento puede ser mas determinante que el desbalance global y que la talla de dicha region
Distinct functional roles for the two SLX4 ubiquitin-binding UBZ domains mutated in Fanconi anemia

ABSTRACT Defects in SLX4, a scaffold for DNA repair nucleases, result in Fanconi anemia (FA), due to the defective repair of inter-strand DNA crosslinks (ICLs). Some FA patients have an SLX4 deletion removing two tandem UBZ4-type ubiquitin-binding domains that are implicated in protein recruitment to sites of DNA damage. Here, we show that human SLX4 is recruited to sites of ICL induction but that the UBZ-deleted form of SLX4 in cells from FA patients is not. SLX4 recruitment does not require either the ubiquitylation of FANCD2 or the E3 ligases RNF8, RAD18 and BRCA1. We show that the first (UBZ-1) but not the second UBZ domain of SLX4 binds to ubiquitin polymers, with a preference for K63-linked chains. Furthermore, UBZ-1 is required for SLX4 recruitment to ICL sites and for efficient ICL repair in murine fibroblasts. The SLX4 UBZ-2 domain does not bind to ubiquitin in vitro or contribute to ICL repair, but it is required for the resolution of Holliday junctions in vivo. These data shed light on SLX4 recruitment, and they point to the existence of currently unidentified ubiquitylated ligands and E3 ligases that are crucial for ICL repair.
Heavy metals in tributaries of Pampulha Reservoir, Minas Gerais.

A great amount of heavy metals enter Pampulha Reservoir via it's main tributaries (Sarandi and Ressaca). Although no water quality classification has been carried out for these tributaries, the reservoir is expected to be in class 2 of the CONAMA-86 system. As part of a monitoring scheme of the Pampulha Watershed, heavy metals (Zn, Pb, Cd, Ni, Cu, Cr, Mn and Fe) were investigated in the water at a control site (considered free from direct human influence) and at potential sites of toxicity and contamination during August (dry season) and November (wet season) of 1998. The results for the first sampling period showed relatively high concentrations of zinc (0.22 mg.L-1) in the upper portion of the reservoir. The highest values of nickel and chromium (0.19 and 0.89 mg.L-1, respectively) were found in the initial portion of the Sarandi Stream, while the highest concentrations of lead (0.05 mg.L-1), cadmium (0.014 mg.L-1), manganese (0.43 mg.L-1) and iron (15.25 mg.L-1) were detected in the Ressaca Stream by the landfill dump of Belo Horizonte. A relatively high concentration of cadmium was also detected at the confluence of the two streams. During the second sampling period, there was an increase in the concentrations of zinc at all sampling sites except the control, with values varying from 0.71 mg.L-1 (the Sarandi Stream) to 2.50 mg.L-1 (the Ressaca Stream). Lead, cadmium, nickel and chromium concentrations were also higher in the Ressaca Stream, but not detected at the other sampling sites. Copper values were higher than in the first period: 0.10 mg.L-1 at the control up to 0.38 mg.L-1 at the confluence of the streams. Similar results were found for manganese and iron, with values reaching up to 19.30 and 125 mg.L-1, respectively. Moreover, all values recorded in the second sampling period were much higher than recommended for class 2 waters. These results emphasize the need for such monitoring in relation to better water quality management of this reservoir.
A BRCA1‐interacting lncRNA regulates homologous recombination

Long non‐coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are important players in diverse biological processes. Upon DNA damage, cells activate a complex signaling cascade referred to as the DNA damage response (DDR). Using a microarray screen, we identify here a novel lncRNA, DDSR1 (DNA damage‐sensitive RNA1), which is induced upon DNA damage. DDSR1 induction is triggered in an ATM‐NF‐κB pathway‐dependent manner by several DNA double‐strand break (DSB) agents. Loss of DDSR1 impairs cell proliferation and DDR signaling and reduces DNA repair capacity by homologous recombination (HR). The HR defect in the absence of DDSR1 is marked by aberrant accumulation of BRCA1 and RAP80 at DSB sites. In line with a role in regulating HR, DDSR1 interacts with BRCA1 and hnRNPUL1, an RNA‐binding protein involved in DNA end resection. Our results suggest a role for the lncRNA DDSR1 in modulating DNA repair by HR.
Coronary arterial abnormalities in pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum diagnosed during fetal life

Objectives: To establish the prevalence of coronary arterial abnormalities in mid-trimester fetuses with pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum, and whether their presence correlates with right ventricular morphology. Background: The presence of coronary arterial fistulas significantly alters the surgical options and prognosis for patients with pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum. The lesion can reliably be diagnosed using fetal echocardiography, and further definition of the prognosis is important for counselling parents. Methods: We examined the hearts of 39 pathological specimens diagnosed during fetal life, 3 of whom died postnatally. Coronary arterial abnormalities were defined as non-connection of the left or right coronary arteries to the aorta, ostial stenosis, marked tortuosity, dilation, thickening or abnormal myocardial branching. Mild tortuosity, or myocardial bridging, were considered normal. We measured the dimensions of the tricuspid valve along with the inlet and outlet portions of the ventricles. Ebstein's malformation, tricuspid valvar dysplasia, and the presence or absence of the infundibulum, were especially noted. We examined also 12 normal hearts as controls. Results: Coronary arterial abnormalities were found in 14/39 (36%). The dimensions of the right ventricle and tricuspid valves, and the gestational ages of the fetuses, were compared for these 14 with the 25 having no abnormalities using independent t-tests. The gestational ages were similar, 21.9 vs 21.1 weeks. The mean dimensions of the tricuspid valve, median z-scores, and right ventricle were smaller, 2.9 vs 7.2 mm; p < 0.002; −4.46 vs 0.23; p < 0.03; and 6.9 vs 13.7 mm; p < 0.002, for those with coronary arterial abnormalities. Ebstein's malformation, or dysplasia of the tricuspid valve, was present in 4 of 14 with, vs 15 of 25 without, coronary arterial abnormalities. A patent infundibulum was noted in 34 of 39 specimens. Conclusions: Mid-trimester fetuses with pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum already exhibit coronary arterial abnormalities, with a prevalence of 36%. The presence of a patent infundibulum confirms that atresia of the pulmonary valve is an acquired process. Coronary arterial abnormalities are seen in 50% of those with hypoplastic right ventricles, but less frequently in the presence of well developed ventricles. This is important information for those involved in counselling parents.
Activity of siderophores against drug-resistant Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria

Infections by drug-resistant bacteria are life-threatening. As iron is a vital element for the growth of bacteria, iron-chelating agents (siderophores) can be used to arrest their multiplication. Exogenous siderophores – exochelin-MS and deferoxamine-B – were evaluated for their inhibitory activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and metallo-β-lactamase producers – Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii – by disc diffusion, micro-broth dilution, and turbidimetric growth assays. The drug-resistant isolates were inhibited by the synergistic activity of siderophores and antibiotics. Minimum inhibitory concentration of exochelin-MS+ampicillin for different isolates was between 0.05 and 0.5 mg/mL. Minimum inhibitory concentration of deferoxamine-B+ampicillin was 1.0 mg/mL and greater. Iron-chelation therapy could provide a complementary approach to overcome drug resistance in pathogenic bacteria.
Coordination of expression of Zymomonas mobilis glycolytic and fermentative enzymes: a simple hypothesis based on mRNA stability

Although Zymomonas mobilis is prototrophic, glycolytic and fermentative enzymes (ethanologenic enzymes) constitute over half of the cytoplasmic protein. In this study, transcript stability, functional message pools, and the abundance of cytoplasmic products were compared for genes encoding eight of these essential enzymes. The transcripts of all were very stable, with half-lives ranging from 8 to 18 min. This transcript stability is proposed as an important feature in Z. mobilis that may distinguish highly expressed genes for energy generation from biosynthetic genes, which are required at much lower levels. The evolution of multiple promoters to enhance transcription from single-copy genes, of structural features that alter translational efficiency, and of differences in protein turnover is hypothesized to serve a subordinate role in the regulation of Z. mobilis gene expression. Among the eight ethanologenic genes examined, differences in transcript stability were found to directly correlate with differences in functional message pools and cytoplasmic protein levels. These differences in transcript stability are hypothesized to have evolved as a primary mechanism to balance the levels of individual enzymes within the glycolytic and fermentative pathways.
Factors of collaborative working : a framework for a collaboration model

The ability of organisations to support collaborative working environments is of increasing importance as they move towards more distributed ways of working. Despite the attention collaboration has received from a number of disparate fields, there is a lack of a unified understanding of the component factors of collaboration. As part of our work on a European Integrated Project, CoSpaces, collaboration and collaborative working and the factors which define it were examined through the literature and new empirical work with a number of partner user companies in the aerospace, automotive and construction sectors. This was to support development of a descriptive human factors model of collaboration – the CoSpaces Collaborative Working Model (CCWM). We identified seven main categories of factors involved in collaboration: Context, Support, Tasks, Interaction Processes, Teams, Individuals, and Overarching Factors, and summarised these in a framework which forms a basis for the model. We discuss supporting evidence for the factors which emerged from our fieldwork with user partners, and use of the model in activities such as collaboration readiness profiling.
Classification of Electroencephlography ( EEG ) Alcoholic and Control Subjects using Machine Learning Ensemble Methods

Electroencephalography (EEG) is a method to measure the electrical activity of brain signals by electrodes attached to the scalp at multiple locations. In this study we used the EEG signals of Alcoholic and Control subjects were obtained from Machine Learning repository according to the 10-20 International System. There were 29 subjects from control group and 29 from alcoholic comprising of electrodes from different brain lobes such as Central Lobe (C3, C4), Frontal (F3, F4, F7, F8), Occipital Lobe (O1, O2), Parietal Lobe (P3, P4), Temporal Lobe (T7) and Front Polar (Fp1, Fp2). In the first phase, the nonlinear complexity based features are computed such as Approximate Entropy, Sample Entropy and Wavelet Entropy. These features for each electrode are passed as input to the Machine Learning classifiers such as Multilayer Perceptron (MPL), K-nearest Neighbor (KNN) and LIB Support Vector Machine (SVM) to classify for alcoholic and control group. The highest accuracy was obtained using MLP of 98.22 % at electrode C3. Moreover, above 90% accuracy was obtained using MPL at electrode C3, C4, F7; KNN at electrodes C3, C4, F7 and LIB SVM at electrodes C3, C4, F7 where KNN gives highest accuracy of 97.67% at electrode C4 and LIB SVM an accuracy of 94.67 % at electrode F7. Secondly, the ensemble methods are employed such as Minimum, Maximum, Sum, Average, Product, Majority Vote, Bayes, Decision Template and Dempster Shefer Fusion. Using ensemble methods most electrodes depicted higher accuracy than individual classifier such as Electrode F4, Fp2, O1, O2 and T7. While electrode C3 the ensemble methods Moving Average, DT, DFT gives highest accuracy of 98.22% and at electrodes C4 Moving Average, Sum, Average, DT, DFT provided an accuracy of 97.11%. Keywords—Electroencephalogram(EEG); Multiscale Sample Entropy (MSE); Multiscale Approx. Entropy (MAE); Multiscale Wavelet Entropy (MWE), Multilayer Percerptron (MLP); KNearest Neighbor (KNN); Support Vector Machine (SVM); Ensemble Methods (EM); Decision Template (DT) and Dempster Shefer Fusion (DSF).
A novel reconfigurable antenna based on active band reflective frequency selective surface

A newly proposed electronically antenna with a reconfigurable azimuth radiation pattern, has been experimentally investigated in this work. In this design a coaxial colinear (COCO) antenna is located in the middle of a cylinder shield as an omnidirectional source. The cylindrical shield is constructed with active band reflective unit cells. The antenna has been fabricated and measured. A tunable step of 18° is realized. Front-to-back ratio in the directivity pattern is about 20 dB with the depth of null point at -34 dB and the gain of the antenna can be promoted to 9.35 dB.
Numerical analysis of typical STT-MTJ stacks for 1T-1R memory arrays

This paper presents a numerical analysis of four genres of STT-MTJ stacks. A comprehensive study based on critical memory performance metrics such as TMR, JC, and write cycle shows the relative merits and demerits of each stack for embedded memory applications. The impact of stray fields in memory stability and cell density is analyzed. It shows the benefits of Synthetic AntiFerromagnet (SAF) free layer in providing immunity against thermal disturbances in scaled technology generations.
Peripheral blood stem cell yield in 400 normal donors mobilised with granulocyte colony‐stimulating factor (G‐CSF): impact of age, sex, donor weight and type of G‐CSF used

Mobilised peripheral blood is now the main source of stem cells collected from normal donors. We report our experience of mobilising and collecting 400 normal healthy donors using standardised procedures and techniques. Target recipient doses were reached with one aphaeresis in 63% of donors and with two aphaereses in 81% of donors. Approximately 2% of donors yielded such low progenitor values that they were termed ‘poor mobilisers’. There were minor effects of donor age, weight and sex and where possible, larger male donors under the age of 55 years should be selected. Two forms of granulocyte colony‐stimulating factor (G‐CSF) were used at the same dose and no significant difference was seen in the yield of CD34+ cells collected/l of blood processed. However, a greater number of granulocyte‐macrophage colony‐forming cells were harvested using lenograstim (glycosylated G‐CSF) compared with filgrastim (non‐glycosylated G‐CSF; P = 0·002). CD34+ cell yields were also measured halfway through the aphaeresis procedure. This was found to be highly predictive of final yield and facilitated distribution of the stem cell product to other centres. The observation that CD34+ yields did not decline in the second half compared with the first half of aphaeresis suggests that the circulating cell numbers are not static.
Genetic shifts of Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B antigens and the quest for a broadly cross-protective vaccine

Serogroup B Neisseria meningitidis is the leading cause of meningococcal disease in developed countries. There is currently no vaccine offering wide-ranging protection. Development of a serogroup B polysaccharide-based vaccine has been hindered by potential risks of autoantibodies that cross-react with glycosylated host antigens. A number of subcapsular vaccine candidates, including outer membrane proteins (OMPs), are therefore being investigated. The availability of several meningococcal genome sequences has allowed for a comprehensive analysis of genetic differences occurring within the species. Novel vaccine candidates have been identified by means of reverse vaccinology utilizing the serogroup B meningococcal genome and show promising results for safe and effective vaccines against serogroup B N. meningitidis. The design of protein-based meningococcal vaccines is, however, complicated by the high level of genetic and antigenic diversity exhibited by the meningococcus. N. meningitidis has the capability to change its genome and adapt surface structures to changing environments by a variety of genetic mechanisms. Knowledge of the extent and structuring of this diversity has implications for the use of particular proteins as potential vaccine candidates. In this article, we describe the high degree of genomic variability in N. meningitidis and several of the mechanisms involved. An overview of the implications of antigenic variation of several surface-exposed proteins on their potential vaccine candidacy is provided. The outlook for the quest for broadly cross-protective meningococcal serogroup B vaccine components in the postgenomic era will be discussed.
La Economía Informal y el Mercado Laboral en la Argentina: Un Análisis desde la Perspectiva del Trabajo Decente

El objetivo de este estudio es explorar, desde una perspectiva dinamica, el impacto del fenomeno de la informalidad, analizado en terminos de deficit de trabajo decente, en la estructura del mercado laboral argentino. Con este fin, se estiman matrices de transicion, brechas salariales y modelos mixtos finitos, que permiten estimar el numero de posibles segmentos existentes en ese sector. El resultado mas relevante es la evidencia encontrada a favor de la segmentacion del sector formal. La importancia de este hallazgo radica en sus implicaciones respecto de un grupo de trabajadores —los asalariados no registrados— que permanecen bajo condiciones laborales desfavorables.