Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Î²2-glicoproteína I no contexto da resposta inflamatória de fase aguda

The β2GPI in the acute phase of the inflammatory response condition The β2-glycoprotein I (β2GPI) is an acute phase protein, produced mainly in the liver and intestine. The effects of this protein upon mononuclear cells were investigated both in monocytes from human peripheral blood, and in the human promonocytic cells from the ATCC THP-1 cell line. The correlations between its plasma concentration and systemic inflammation intensity were evaluated in humans and in ad experimental model of systemic infection in rats. No β2GPI effects were observed upon the oxidative response of blood monocytes during the phagocytosis of opsonized zymosan or S. aureus as analysed by luminol amplified chemiluminescence and flow cytometry. β2GPI enhanced the cellular viability and stimulated the differentiation of the promonocytes. The THP-1 cells treated with β2GPI presented increased adhesion to the plastic of cell culture plates as well as increased expression of CD54 and CD14 antigens. The supplementation with β2GPI was sufficient to support the proliferation of THP-1 cells in serum free culture conditions for 72 h. There were no correlations between the β2GPI plasma concentration and clinical parameters of the acute inflammatory response in septic patients. The β2GPI concentrations didn’t correlated with the plasma concentrations of IL-8, SAA and C reactive protein, despite these substances were found increased in the blood of patients with sepsis. The β2GPI plasma concentration response was a very early phenomenon in the experimental sepsis and bacterial translocation model. The β2GPI concentration decreased within the first 3h after endovenous sepsis induction, depending on the infection intensity. Very early compartment effects associated with the portal blood are suggested to mediate such regulation. The lowest β2GPI concentrations were found in the animals exposed to bacterial translocation through the intestinal mucosa, associated with a mild inflammatory condition. The lymph derivation completely prevented the plasma β2GPI decrease. Taken together, the results revealed the relevance of both the infection route and intensity to the control of plasma β2GPI concentrations during the acute phase response.
An Improved Acoustic Scene Classification Method Using Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs)

Predicting acoustic environment by analyzing and classifying sound recording of the scene is an emerging research area. This paper presents and compares different acoustic scene classification (ASC) methods to differentiate between different acoustic environments. In particular, two deep learning techniques of classifica-tion i.e. Deep Neural Network (DNN) and Convolution Neural Network (CNN) have been applied using a combination of Mel-Frequency Cepstral Coefficients (MFCCs) and Log Mel energies as features. DNN and CNN are state-of-the-art techniques which are being used widely in speech recognition, computer vision, and natural language processing applications. These techniques have recently achieved great success in the field of audio classification for various applications. Both techniques have been implemented and tuned by performing a variety of experiments with different hyper parameters, hidden layers and units on public benchmark datasets provided in the DCASE 2017 challenge. The proposed method uses frame level randomization of the combined acoustic features i.e. MFCC and log mel energy, for training of model to achieve higher accuracy with DNN and CNN. It has reported higher accuracy than the previous work done on public benchmark datasets provided in the DCASE 2017 challenge. It is observed that DNN achieved 83.45% and CNN achieved 83.65% accuracy that is higher than the previous work done on public benchmark datasets provided in the DCASE 2017 challenge.
Plataforma BIM: contribuições para a gestão e coordenação de projetos em uma organização militar

Com a busca por empreendimentos cada vez mais racionais, o processo de producao da construcao passa pela evolucao do desenvolvimento do projeto, eliminando-se falhas, aperfeicoando a construcao, com otimizacao dos recursos e aumento da produtividade. A elaboracao de projetos e execucao de obras de edificacoes apresenta intensa complexidade devido a participacao de diversos agentes e ao grande fluxo de informacoes no decorrer do processo. Esse panorama demanda a substituicao do processo tradicional (sequencial) por um ambiente de trabalho colaborativo, no qual e necessario a adocao de metodos eficazes de gestao e coordenacao de projetos, principalmente em uma entidade publica, onde os recursos sao advindos da populcao e sao regulados por leis especificas. Nesse contexto, a utilizacao da tecnologia BIM (Building Information Modeling) apresenta-se como ferramenta de auxilio no processo de gestao de projeto, de forma a promover a otimizacao e o controle das informacoes da construcao, proporcionando reducao de desperdicios e custos e consequentemente a execucao de empreendimentos mais sustentaveis. Este trabalho realiza um estudo de caso sobre a implementacao da plataforma BIM em uma entidade publica, nos quais sao apresentadas as principais implicacoes e contribuicoes da utilizacao do BIM para a Gestao e Coordenacao de Projetos de empreendimentos publicos.
The iPad and the development of speaking and writing in the secondary EFL classroom

Recent research (Kukulska-Hulme & Viberg, 2018) indicates that mobile technology can support second language learning and educational literacy. The iPad is a mobile device that is having a large distribution in schools and an important impact on second language formal and informal learning. However, studies focused on the use of the iPad to specifically enhance and support second language learning and teaching are still scarce. Against this backdrop, this study sought to investigate learners’ and teachers’ perceptions of mobile learning, the implementation of technology-mediated language tasks and the potential impact of the iPad in developing writing and speaking skills in an English as a foreign language classroom in a secondary school in Italy. The data was collected through classroom observations, interviews, recorded teacher meetings, students’ written assignments, and lesson plans. The data collected has been analysed from a socio-cultural theory perspective. The analysis of written data was also informed by Hallidayan Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL), and a Task-based language teaching (TBLT) framework was used to design writing and speaking tasks. Results show a positive influence on student motivation towards the performance of speaking tasks and improvements on technology-mediated second language writing tasks. In addition, the study found that the use of the iPad had a positive impact on the design of speaking and writing tasks for teachers. Moreover this action research study contributes to mobile assisted language learning by providing further understanding of how the iPad can enhance foreign language learning, especially teaching speaking and writing in the context of secondary education, and provides educators with recommendations on how to design specific language tasks.
Comunidades de prática na formação docente: aprendendo a usar ferramenta da web 2.0

O ensino de linguas mediado pelo computador ganha mais expressao com as novas ferramentas tecnologicas da segunda geracao da web conhecida como Web 2.0. As ferramentas da Web 2.0, tais como Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts e redes sociais oferecem aos usuarios possibilidades de interacao e colaboracao no meio virtual, atraves de recursos cominterface amigavel e intuitiva. Dessa forma, todos os internautas podem contribuir com o conteudo apresentado na rede mundial de computadores. Aliada as ferramentas da Web 2.0, as comunidades de pratica surgem no ambito educacional como um ambiente virtual propicio para a organizacao e disseminacao do conhecimento. Sua utilizacao permite a aproximacao de pessoas que estao dispostas a compartilhar e a aprender colaborativamente. Para sustentar asanalises e discussoes desta pesquisa, e apresentada uma revisao da Teoria das comunidades de pratica de Wenger (1998) e Wenger, McDemott e Snyder (2002). Neste trabalho, analisa-se aparticipacao dos membros de acordo com os tres niveis central, ativo e periferico propostos por Wenger, McDemott e Snyder (2002). Esses membros sao formados pelos alunos da graduacao do curso de Letras da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais matriculados na disciplina on-line Letramento Digital durante o segundo semestre de 2008.Essa disciplina foi classificada como uma comunidade de pratica por apresentar as caracteristicas descritas por Wenger (1998) como dominio, comunidade e pratica. Alem disso, os alunos/membros da CoP desenvolveram o engajamento mutuo, o repertorio compartilhadoe o empreendimento conjunto, demonstrando comprometimento com a comunidade. Atraves da analise de dados, ficou comprovado que, independente do conhecimento tecnologico e nivel de pertencimento dos alunos na CoP, a construcao do conhecimento aconteceu de formacolaborativa, cada aluno contribuindo de acordo com seu conhecimento; dessa forma, eles aprenderam com todos os colegas localizados nos tres niveis de participacao. Para os alunos, o uso das ferramentas tecnologicas no ensino deve ser assunto discutido no meio academico, favorecendo a formacao e capacitacao dos professores de lingua estrangeira.
Firm Decisions under Jump-Diffusive Dynamics

We present a model of firm investment under uncertainty and partial irreversibility in which uncertainty is represented by a jump diffusion. This allows to represent both the continuous Gaussian volatility and the discontinuous uncertainty related to information arrival, sudden changes and large shocks. The model shows how both sources of uncertainty negatively impact the optimal investment and disinvestment policies, and how the presence of large negative jumps can drastically affect the firm’s ability to recover. Our results show that the standard Gaussian framework consistently underestimates the negative effect of uncertainty on firm investment decisions. We test these predictions on a panel dataset of UK firms: we first structurally estimate the uncertainty parameters using multinomial maximum likelihood and differential evolution techniques and subsequently study their impact on firm investment rates, validating our model predictions.
Euro Area Government Bond Yield and Liquidity Dependence during different Monetary Policy Accommodation Phases

In this paper, we analyze the relationship between various risk factors and euro area government bond yield spreads, focusing particularly on the monetary policy stance. Our results show that credit and common risk factors are consistently priced in government bond yield spreads, while liquidity differentials are relevant especially during periods of stressed market conditions. We demonstrate that the liquidity component has been more prominent during periods of declining interest rates and increasing reserves, while it has diminished on announcement days of monetary policy decisions related to PSPP. Overall, the liquidity component has been statistically insignificant since the announcement of accommodative non-standard monetary policy measures.
Unsupervised feature learning for writer identification

Our work presents a research on unsupervised feature learning methods for writer identification and retrieval. We want to study the impact of deep learning alternatives in this field by proposing methodologies which explore different uses of autoencoder networks. Taking a patch extraction algorithm as a starting point, we aim to obtain characteristics from patches of handwritten documents in an unsupervised way, meaning no label information is used for the task. To prove if the extraction of features is valid for writer identification, the approaches we propose are evaluated and compared with state-of-the-art methods on the ICDAR2013 and ICDAR2017 datasets for writer identification.
Constrained after College: Student Loans and Early Career Occupational Choices

In the early 2000s, a highly selective university introduced a “no-loans” policy under which the loan component of financial aid awards was replaced with grants. We use this natural experiment to identify the causal effect of student debt on employment outcomes. In the standard life-cycle model, young people make optimal educational investment decisions if they are able to finance these investments by borrowing against future earnings; the presence of debt has only income effects on investment decisions. We find that debt causes graduates to choose substantially higher-salary jobs and reduces the probability that students choose low-paid “public interest” jobs. We also find some evidence that debt affects students' academic decisions during college. Our estimates suggest that recent college graduates are not life-cycle agents. Two potential explanations are that young workers are credit constrained or that they are averse to holding debt. We find suggestive evidence that debt reduces students' donations to the institution in the years after they graduate and increases the likelihood that a graduate will default on a pledge made during her senior year; we argue this result is more likely consistent with credit constraints than with debt aversion.
Infants reduce their movements when their partner sings

Goldberg, S. (1977). Social competence in infancy: A model of parent–infant interaction. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 23, 163–177. Nakata, T. , & Trehub, S. E. (2004). Infant’s responsiveness to maternal speech and singing. Infant Behavior and Development, 27, 455-464. Thelen, E. (1981). Rythmical Behavior in Infancy: An ethological perscpective. Developmental Psychobiology, 17(3), 237-257. Procedure : Six contrasted interactive episodes (i.e., in the passive presence of, or engaged in interaction with, either the mother or a stranger singing a nursery rhyme)
Tissue-based genomics: which test and when.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW The clinical course of localized prostate cancer varies widely, ranging from indolent disease unlikely to require treatment to aggressive cancers meriting intensive, multimodal therapy. Management recommendations have traditionally been determined based on clinical and pathologic factors, including serum prostate - specific antigen (PSA), clinical stage, and Gleason score. Unfortunately, these factors have limited ability to describe the underlying biology of a given tumor. Tissue-based genomic tests have emerged as a promising tool to more accurately characterize prostate cancer biology and projected clinical course. The current review article summarizes available data describing the clinical use of genomic assays, with a specific focus on three critical scenarios. RECENT FINDINGS We reviewed the potential role of tissue-based genomic assays in determining: the appropriateness of active surveillance versus definitive therapy, patients that will benefit from adjuvant radiation therapy following radical prostatectomy, and men most likely to benefit from concurrent androgen deprivation therapy with primary radiotherapy. SUMMARY Current literature suggests that commercially available genomic tests provide prognostic information independent of traditional risk factors that may augment clinical decision-making. Additional data will better clarify the optimal use of each test across common clinical scenarios.
Pathological Features of Diabetic Retinopathy in Spontaneously Diabetic Torii Fatty Rats

Objective The Spontaneously Diabetic Torii (SDT) fatty rat, established by introducing the fa allele (obesity gene) of the Zucker fatty rat into the SDT rat genome, is a new model of obese type 2 diabetes. We studied the pathologic features of diabetic retinopathy (DR) in this animal. Methods The eyes of SDT fatty, SDT (controls), and Sprague Dawley (SD) rats (normal controls) were enucleated at 8, 16, 24, 32, and 40 weeks of age (n = 5‐6 for each rat type at each age). The retinal thicknesses, numbers of retinal folds, and choroidal thicknesses were evaluated. Immunostaining for glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was performed. Quantitative analyses of the immunopositive regions were performed using a cell-counting algorithm. Results The retinas tended to be thicker in the SDT fatty rats and SDT rats than in the SD rats; the choroids tended to be thicker in the SDT fatty rats than in the SD rats. The retinal folds in the SDT fatty rats developed earlier and were more severe than in the SDT rats. Quantitative analyses showed that the GFAP- and VEGF-positive regions in the retinas of the SDT fatty rats were significantly larger than those of the SDT rats. Conclusions SDT fatty rats developed more severe DR earlier than the SDT rats. The SDT fatty rats might be useful as a type 2 diabetes animal model to study DR.
The role of dance therapy in the rehabilitation of Parkinson disease patients

Introduction: Parkinson disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disease which requires a complex approach including pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment. While kinesiotherapy is a must in Parkinson’s disease patients, dance therapy in rehabilitation programs is not often taken into consideration. Dance therapy is a challenging non-pharmacological treatment which merges physical activity with musical synchronization, socialization , disease acceptance and creativity with daily activities. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of dance therapy on the quality of life, functionality and decrease of depression in Parkinson patients. Material and method: We developed a case control study to evaluate the benefit of dance therapy in Parkinson Patients. The study group consisted in 10 patients from “Puterea Sperantei Project”. The intervention consisted in 40 minutes/day of dance therapy during two weeks. First control group consisted of 10 patients admitted to Cluj-Napoca Rehabilitation Hospital for two weeks. The second control group consisted in 5 patients enrolled in the “Puterea Sperantei Project” which did not attended dance classes. All three groups followed standard therapy: kineto-therapy and ergo-therapy. To assess the effect of dance therapy we used: Beck scale, Parkinson Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39) and a satisfaction questionnaire which we developed, for the dance therapy. Results and discussions: In the study group we registered an improvement of depression symptoms (p=0,017) and an increase in the life quality (p=0,005). In the hospital control group and in the “Puterea Speratei Project” control group there was no decrease in the depressions score (p >0,05). However, the quality of life increased also in the control group enrolled in the Rehabilitation Hospital, probably due to medication change. The mean of satisfaction questionnaire for dance therapy in the study group was 39,70 from a maximum of 48 points. Conclusions: Dance therapy is a holistic non-pharmacological therapy which improves the depression index, the quality of life and functionality of Parkinson disease patients. This initial results raise the possibility of including dance therapy as an alternative of non-pharmacological therapy in the rehabilitation programs for Parkinson Disease Patients.
Motivación y estrategias de aprendizaje en estudiantes de grado en Educación Primaria: análisis según factores académicos y hábitos saludables

El desarrollo de estrategias de aprendizaje, niveles adecuados de motivación de orientación intrínseca y la prevención de altos niveles de estrés y ansiedad académica resulta esencial para el logro del desempeño académico en el contexto universitario. El presente estudio, de carácter descriptivo y corte transversal, persigue como objetivo relacionar los niveles de motivación y estrategias de aprendizaje con el rendimiento académico y la práctica de actividad física de estudiantes universitarios (n=225). Para ello se emplea como principal instrumento el cuestionario MLSQ-SF, utilizando el software IBM SPSS® 23.0 para el análisis estadístico. Los resultados revelan una asociación negativa entre la calificación y el valor de la tarea, así como una relación positiva entre la calificación y las estrategias de organización, el tiempo y hábitos de estudio y la regulación del esfuerzo. Asimismo, se observó como el nivel de motivación intrínseca se asociaba positivamente con la regulación del esfuerzo, las estrategias de organización, elaboración y meta-cognitivas, o con el tiempo y hábitos de estudio. En relación a los hábitos saludables, se pudo observar que la práctica de actividad física disminuía los niveles de ansiedad y se relacionaba con peores estrategias y regulación del esfuerzo.
Menstruation, Menstrual Cups and School Attendance: Evidence from a Randomized Trial in Uganda

Several organizations claim menstruation and lack of proper sanitary protection to be one reason for lower school attendance in developing countries. These claims are stated to cause lower progression rates to secondary school among girls, and further increase the gender gap in enrollment to higher education. This study aims to examine the effects of menstruation on school attendance and to evaluate further what impact provision of menstrual cups have on girls´ schooling. The results are presented from a randomized trial that assigned menstrual cups to adolescent girls in rural Uganda. Girls are randomly assigned a menstrual cup for use during their menstruation to measure the effect on school attendance. The findings suggest that the effects are minimal and do not support that menstruation or lack of proper sanitary protection has a significant impact on education as has been claimed. The effect of menstruation on school attendance indicate that girls miss on average 0.009 days of school over 34 schooldays. Girls being allocated a menstrual cup are 0.028 days more likely to attend school during period days. I control for age, girls´ years of education, parents´ years of education and parents´ monthly work for pay. The method used in the analysis is the difference-in-difference estimator. Quantitative and qualitative data were conducted with 58 participants. (Less)
Numerical analysis of concrete degradation due tochloride-induced steel corrosion

Concrete structures in marine environment are susceptible to chloride attack, where chloride diffusion results in the corrosion of steel bar and further lead to the cracking of concrete cover. This process causes structural deterioration and affects the response of concrete structures to different forms of loading. This paper presents the use of ABAQUS Finite Element Software in simulating the processes involved in concrete\'s structural degradation from chloride diffusion to steel corrosion and concrete cover cracking. Fick\'s law was used for the chloride diffusion, while the mass loss from steel corrosion was obtained using Faraday\'s law. Pressure generated by steel corrosion product at the concrete-steel interface was modeled by applying uniform radial displacements, while concrete smeared cracking alongside the Extended Finite Element Method (XFEM) was used for concrete cover cracking simulation. Results show that, chloride concentration decreases with penetration depth, but increases with exposure time at the concrete-steel interface. Cracks initiate and propagate in the concrete cover as pressure caused by the steel corrosion product increases. Furthermore, the crack width increases with the exposure time on the surface of the concrete.