Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Ictiômetro para biometria de surubins (pintado e cachara).

Atualmente o Brasil e considerado como o pais de maior potencial para a aquicultura no mundo. Contribuem para isso o clima quente o ano todo na maior parte do pais, os abundantes recursos hidricos, as grandes safras de graos e a grande diversidade de especies com potencial para cultivo, dentre os quais se destacam o pintado (Pseudoplatystoma corruscans) e o cachara (Pseudoplatystoma fasciatum), pertencentes a ordem Siluriformes e amplamente conhecidos como surubins. Com ocorrencia no Pantanal e em outras bacias hidrograficas do territorio brasileiro, os surubins sao os peixes de agua doce de maior valor comercial, pois sao bastante apreciados como especies para mesa e pesca esportiva e reunem atributos favoraveis para a criacao de forma industrial: crescimento rapido, eficiente conversao alimentar, alto valor economico, grande aceitacao no mercado nacional, file sem espinhos e com padrao para exportacao. Entretanto, mesmo possuindo grande importância economica, os sistemas de cultivo destes peixes ainda sao pouco estudados. Para o sucesso no cultivo destas especies torna-se necessario a busca de informacoes sobre o seu crescimento e desenvolvimento em cativeiro a fim de se conhecer o potencial produtivo destas especie em termos economicos e ambientais. Para tanto, a utilizacao de equipamentos adequados para as medicoes a campo se torna necessaria, principalmente devido a nova tendencia das pesquisas serem realizadas em parcerias com a iniciativa privada, nao admitindo, portanto, perdas significativas dos seus animais devido ao manejo necessario para o acompanhamento e mensuracao dos peixes que contribuem para os estudos. Este Comunicado Tecnico tem por objetivo divulgar aos piscicultores, pesquisadores e estudiosos da area de piscicultura um novo equipamento que visa auxiliar na biometria de surubins, promovendo assim um melhor desempenho e padronizacao destas atividades a campo.
Requirement of Phosphatidylglycerol for Maintenance of Photosynthetic Machinery1

Phosphatidylglycerol (PG) is a ubiquitous component of thylakoid membranes. Experiments with the pgsA mutant of the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 defective in biosynthesis of PG have demonstrated an indispensable role of PG in photosynthesis. In the present study, we have investigated the light susceptibility of the pgsA mutant with regard to the maintenance of the photosynthetic machinery. Growth of the mutant cells without PG increased the light susceptibility of the cells and resulted in severe photoinhibition of photosynthesis upon a high-light treatment, whereas the growth in the presence of PG was protected against photoinhibition. Photoinhibition induced by PG deprivation was mainly caused by an impairment of the restoration process. The primary target of the light-induced damage in thylakoid membranes, the D1 protein of photosystem (PS) II was, however, synthesized and degraded with similar rates irrespective of whether the mutant cells were incubated with PG or not. Intriguingly, it was found that instead of the synthesis of the D1 protein, the dimerization of the PSII core monomers was impaired in the PG-deprived mutant cells. Addition of PG to photoinhibited cells restored the dimerization capacity of PSII core monomers. These results suggest that PG plays an important role in the maintenance of the photosynthetic machinery through the dimerization and reactivation of the PSII core complex.
Protection scheme switch-timing for doubly-fed induction generator during fault conditions

This paper discusses the detailed switch-timing for converter protection schemes of doubly-fed induction generator (DFIG) to enhance the fault ride-through (FRT) capability. A new combined protection scheme with crowbar and series dynamic resistor (SDR) is used as proposed in former papers. Protection resistance values are calculated after the analysis of rotor fault current for practical application. The protection switching and rotor high current reduction performance are simulated with PSCAD/EMTDC. Fault ride-through performance including the reactive power supply, torque fluctuation and rotor speed with crowbar and series dynamic resistor are also shown. The proposed switch-timing scheme can reduce the time for fault ride-through, hence improving the DFIG fault ride-through performances.
Distribution of conjugated and free phenols in fruits: antioxidant activity and cultivar variations.

Total and free phenolic contents of 16 commonly consumed fruits (comprising 9 apples, 4 pears, and one each of peach, plum, and kiwi fruit cultivars) were measured by Folin-Ciocalteu assay. Total phenol contents varied from 272 to 475 mg of CtE/100 g of fresh weight. Of the apple cultivars studied, Braeburn and Empire had the highest and lowest total phenol content, respectively. The apple cultivars ranked in the following decreasing order: Braeburn > Red Delicious > Crisp Pink > Granny Smith > Royal Gala > Bramley > Golden Delicious > Fuji > Empire. Among pear cultivars, the order was Forelle > Taylor's > Peckham's > Conference. Peach and plum equally had high contents. The percentage of conjugated phenolics ranged between 3 (Red Delicious) and 77% (Empire) of the total phenols. Comparison of different cultivars of the same fruit and between different fruits showed broad variations in both phenolic content and in vitro antioxidant activity; a weak correlation (R(2) = 0.58) was observed between the phenolic content of the fruits and the total antioxidant activity, as estimated by the FRAP assay. The calculated dietary intake of total, free, and conjugated phenols from average per capita consumption of apples and pears in different regions of the U.K. varied between 104-126, 53-64, and 51-62 mg of CtE/day, respectively.
ALLPATHS: de novo assembly of whole-genome shotgun microreads.

New DNA sequencing technologies deliver data at dramatically lower costs but demand new analytical methods to take full advantage of the very short reads that they produce. We provide an initial, theoretical solution to the challenge of de novo assembly from whole-genome shotgun "microreads. " For 11 genomes of sizes up to 39 Mb, we generated high-quality assemblies from 80x coverage by paired 30-base simulated reads modeled after real Illumina-Solexa reads. The bacterial genomes of Campylobacter jejuni and Escherichia coli assemble optimally, yielding single perfect contigs, and larger genomes yield assemblies that are highly connected and accurate. Assemblies are presented in a graph form that retains intrinsic ambiguities such as those arising from polymorphism, thereby providing information that has been absent from previous genome assemblies. For both C. jejuni and E. coli, this assembly graph is a single edge encompassing the entire genome. Larger genomes produce more complicated graphs, but the vast majority of the bases in their assemblies are present in long edges that are nearly always perfect. We describe a general method for genome assembly that can be applied to all types of DNA sequence data, not only short read data, but also conventional sequence reads.
Biomedical application of a superabsorbent hydrogel for body water elimination in the treatment of edemas.

A novel system of body water elimination to be used for the treatment of edemas, based on superabsorbent cellulose derivatives able to absorb large amounts of water and water solutions, has been investigated. Hydrogels have been synthesized starting from water solutions of carboxymethylcellulose sodium salt and hydroxyethylcellulose, chemically crosslinked with divinylsulphone. Polyelectrolyte hydrogels displayed high sensitivity in sorption capacity to variations of the ionic strength and pH of the external solution, which is a key parameter for the application under investigation. Further, swelling properties have been modulated acting on the degree of crosslinking of the macromolecular network, and a direct method for the measurement of this parameter based on NMR solid-state analysis has been provided. The hydrogel biocompatibility has been studied in terms of its capacity either to induce nitric oxide and lactate dehydrogenase release by macrophages or influence their viability. The eventual release of toxic substances from the hydrogel was also investigated using Swiss 3T3 fibroblasts. The results obtained from the biocompatibility studies carried out in this work are consistent with the hypothesis that this gel may represent an alternative to diuretic therapies in those pathologic conditions in which edemas occur.
Identify construction in two bilingual communities. Clashing nationalist discourses

Aquesta tesis analitza en profunditat un seguit d'esdeveniments socials enregistrats en un marc de treball de camp per tal de veure com les persones alhora mostrem i reconstruim les nostres identitats i ideologies. La tesis esta estructurada en tres parts. La primera part consta de tres capitols. El primer comenca definint "identitat" des d'un punt de vista postmodern, i tambe s'expliquen les principals teories del nacionalisme, adoptant un cop mes una postura postmoderna. El segon capitol se centra en el concepte "ideologia", que es diferencia del concepte "discurs social", i es teoritza que tan la ideologia com els discursos es perpetuen en les propies practiques socials en que els humans participem. La segona part del capitol se centra amb un tipus concert d'ideologies/discursos; els que tenen a veure amb el llenguatge. Precisament el llenguatge es el protagonista del tercer capitol, on es mostren dues escoles de pensament i s'adopta la visio que el llenguatge es un constructe cultural no innat. Tambe es fa una critica dels apropaments cognitivistes al camp de l'Adquisicio de Segones Llengues, i es situa la tesis dins la corrent teorica que lluita perque la realitat sociopolitica de l'aprenent sigui mes tinguda en compte en els analisis del processos d'aprenentatge. La segona part consta de dos capitols, on es descriuen els metodes usats per recollir les dades i per analitzar-les. El conjunt de dades es varen recollir en dues fases (una primera a Vitoria-Gasteiz durant el curs 2003-2003, i una segona a Lleida durant el curs 2004-2005) amb un apropament etnografic (basicament entrevistes a alumnes i professors i sessions grupals amb uns quants alumnes). Aquestes dades van ser transcrites i analitzades utilitzant, sobretot, el Membership Categorisation Analysis, una tecnica en que l'analista es fixa en com es construeixen i gestionen categories en les practiques socials. El marc analitic, pero, es l'Analisi Critica del Discurs, que permet a l'analista escollir entre un ampli ventall de tecniques. La tercera i darrera part consta de quatre capitols. En el primer es descriuen les principals afiliacions nacionals mostrades i negociades pels participants en les dades. El segon analitza la relacio entre emocions i decisions linguistiques, en relacio a fets esmentats a les dades i a les preses a les propies dades. El tercer se centra en la relacio entre l'us i l'aprenentatge de llengues, i es mostren els efectes que te l'enfocament que prima la gramatica i la forma escrita sobre l'us en el proces d'aprenentatge de llengues que no son presents a la societat on viuen els participants. El darrer capitol intenta aglutinar les idees principals dels tres anteriors.
Effect of allopurinol on blood pressure of adolescents with newly diagnosed essential hypertension: a randomized trial.

CONTEXT Hyperuricemia is a predictor for the development of hypertension and is commonly present in new-onset essential hypertension. Experimentally increasing uric acid levels using a uricase inhibitor causes systemic hypertension in animal models. OBJECTIVE To determine whether lowering uric acid lowers blood pressure (BP) in hyperuricemic adolescents with newly diagnosed hypertension. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PATIENTS Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial (September 2004-March 2007) involving 30 adolescents (aged 11-17 years) who had newly diagnosed, never-treated stage 1 essential hypertension and serum uric acid levels > or = 6 mg/dL. Participants were treated at the Pediatric Hypertension Clinic at Texas Children's Hospital in Houston. Patients were excluded if they had stage 2 hypertension or known renal, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal tract, hepatic, or endocrine disease. INTERVENTION Allopurinol, 200 mg twice daily for 4 weeks, and placebo, twice daily for 4 weeks, with a 2-week washout period between treatments. The order of the treatments was randomized. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Change in casual and ambulatory blood pressure. RESULTS For casual BP, the mean change in systolic BP for allopurinol was -6.9 mm Hg (95% confidence interval [CI], -4.5 to -9.3 mm Hg) vs -2.0 mm Hg (95% CI, 0.3 to -4.3 mm Hg; P = .009) for placebo, and the mean change in diastolic BP for allopurinol was -5.1 mm Hg (95% CI, -2.5 to -7.8 mm Hg) vs -2.4 (95% CI, 0.2 to -4.1; P = .05) for placebo. Mean change in mean 24-hour ambulatory systolic BP for allopurinol was -6.3 mm Hg (95% CI, -3.8 to -8.9 mm Hg) vs 0.8 mm Hg (95% CI, 3.4 to -2.9 mm Hg; P = .001) for placebo and mean 24-hour ambulatory diastolic BP for allopurinol was -4.6 mm Hg (-2.4 to -6.8 mm Hg) vs -0.3 mm Hg (95% CI, 2.3 to -2.1 mm Hg; P = .004) for placebo. Twenty of the 30 participants achieved normal BP by casual and ambulatory criteria while taking allopurinol vs 1 participant while taking placebo (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS In this short-term, crossover study of adolescents with newly diagnosed hypertension, treatment with allopurinol resulted in reduction of BP. The results represent a new potential therapeutic approach, although not a fully developed therapeutic strategy due to potential adverse effects. These preliminary findings require confirmation in larger clinical trials. TRIAL REGISTRATION clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00288184.
Fabrication of PECVD grown n-i-p silicon nanowire solar cells

Silicon nanowires have been shown to have strong light trapping properties making them a promising photovoltaic material. In this study, silicon nanowires, grown by RF plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), are incorporated as the absorbing layer in n-i-p solar cells. Silicon nanowires are fabricated at a temperature of 375 °C by Vapor Liquid Solid (VLS) method. Nanowire solar cells have an average specular reflectance of 6.3% as compared to 22.6% for the thin film amorphous silicon (a-Si) device (over λ = 350 nm − 750 nm). Similarly the average diffuse reflectance of the nanowire devices is 4.9% as compared to 9.4% for the thin film a-Si device. External quantum efficiency measurements indicate the largest contributor to collection efficiency losses is from the catalyst impurity used for nanowire growth.
Searching for Order in Turbulent Flow The observation of ordered flow patterns in a weakly turbulent liquid may lead to new ways of predicting the evolution of turbulent flow . by

M ost of us associate turbulence with a bumpy ride on a plane. Yet turbulent flow is practically everywhere, even if we aren’t aware of it. The air we exhale, the blood pumped through our bodies’ ascending aorta, and the steam rising from a hot cup of coffee are all in turbulent motion. Even if we could see these flows, it would be difficult to discern any order in the whirling currents that they contain. A group led by Michael Schatz at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta has now shown with experiments and simulations that flow patterns with a surprising amount of order can underlie turbulent flow [1], at least when the turbulence is weak. Having identified these ordered structures in the lab, they were able to predict the evolution of a turbulent flow, which had previously been difficult to do.
Alteration of integrin‐dependent adhesion and signaling in EMT‐like MDCK cells established through overexpression of calreticulin

Calreticulin (CRT) is a multi‐functional Ca2+‐binding molecular chaperone in the endoplasmic reticulum. We previously reported that kidney epithelial cell‐derived Madin‐Darby Canine Kidney cells were transformed into mesenchymal‐like cells by gene transfection of CRT. In this study, we investigated the altered characteristics of cell adhesion in these epithelial‐mesenchymal transition (EMT)‐like cells. Several extracellular matrix substrata were tested, and cell adhesion to fibronectin was found to be specifically increased in the CRT‐overexpressing cells compared to controls. The expression of integrins was significantly up‐regulated in subunits α5 and αV, resulting in an increase in the formation of complexes such as α5β1 and αVβ3. These integrins also contributed to the enhanced binding of fibronectin. In the CRT‐overexpressing cells, the phosphorylation of Akt, a downstream target of integrin‐linked kinase (ILK), was up‐regulated on attachment to fibronectin or collagen IV. Integrin‐associated signaling through ILK was also promoted on attachment to fibronectin, suggesting some of the correlation between ILK and Akt in the CRT‐overexpressing cells. Furthermore, on treatment with 1,2‐bis (2‐aminophenoxy) ethane‐N,N,N',N'‐tetraacetic acid tetra (acetoxymethyl) ester, a membrane‐permeable Ca2+ chelator, the enhanced Akt signaling was suppressed with a concomitant decrease in the formation of complexes between integrins and ILK in the CRT‐overexpressing cells. In conclusion, these findings demonstrate that CRT regulates cell‐substratum adhesion by modulating integrin‐associated signaling through altered Ca2+ homeostasis in the CRT‐overexpressing EMT‐like cells, suggesting a novel regulatory role for CRT in EMT. J. Cell. Biochem. 112: 2518–2528, 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Artificial Neural Networks Applied to Image Steganography

This paper presents a technique for transmitting information efficiently and securely, hiding confidential messages on seemingly innocent messages using steganography. The insertion technique in the least significant bit is used to insert images into digital pictures or other secret watermark. Artificial Neural Networks are used in the process of withdrawal of encrypted information acting as keys that determine the existence of hidden information.
Specific excitonic interactions in the aggregates of hyaluronic acid and cyanine dyes with different lengths of methine group

The absorption and circular dichroism (CD) spectra of three types of cyanine dyes with different lengths of methine group (3,3′-diethylthiadicarbocyanine iodide, DTDC; 3,3′-diethylthiacarbocyanine iodide, DTC; and 3,3′-diethylthiacyanine iodide, DTTHC) in an aqueous solution were compared with and without hyaluronic acid (HA), which has a helical structure. DTDC forms chiral H- and J-aggregates, whereas DTC and DTTHC are unable to form any aggregates. DTDC also forms H- and J-aggregates in the presence of sodium polyacrylate (PA) with a random-coil structure; however, the PA-DTDC aggregates exhibit no chirality. These results suggest that the chirality of HA-DTDC aggregates is induced by the helical structure of HA. In 2.4 vol% and 10 vol% methanol, HA-DTDC aggregates displayed different patterns of temperature dependence, whereas no aggregation was observed in 30 vol% methanol. The solubility of DTDC in a mixed solvent of water and methanol is generally improved by the addition of methanol, which prevents the aggregation of DTDC.
Sphingomyelinase Induces Aggregation and Fusion, but Phospholipase A2 Only Aggregation, of Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) Particles

During atherogenesis, low density lipoprotein (LDL) particles bind to extracellular matrix proteoglycans in the arterial wall, become modified, and appear as aggregated and fused particles. Sphingomyelinase (SMase) and phospholipase A2 (PLA2) have been found in the arterial wall, and, moreover, lesional LDL shows signs of hydrolysis of both sphingomyelin and phosphatidylcholine. We have now studied the effects of these two lipolytic modifications on the aggregation and fusion of LDL particles by hydrolyzing the particles with Bacillus cereus SMase or bee venom PLA2. In addition, the binding strengths of the modified LDL to human aortic proteoglycans (PG) were analyzed on an affinity column. We found that SMase induced aggregation and fusion of LDL, but PLA2 induced only aggregation of the particles. In addition, the SMase-induced aggregation and fusion of LDL was promoted by pretreatment of LDL with PLA2. Determination of the binding strengths of the hydrolyzed LDL revealed that mere lipolysis of LDL without aggregation or fusion, either by SMase or PLA2, did not affect the binding of the particles to PG. Aggregation and fusion of lipolyzed LDL particles, however, increased their strength of binding to PG. Active lysine residues in apolipoprotein B-100 (apoB-100) appear to be involved in the binding of LDL to PG, and, in fact, quantitative13C NMR analysis revealed that, in the fused LDL particles, the number of active lysine residues per apoB-100 moiety was increased. Moreover, aggregation and fusion of LDL increased the number of apoB-100 copies and, consequently, the number of active lysine residues per aggregate or fused particle. Our present findings therefore (i) show that treatment of LDL with SMase and PLA2 generates modified LDL particles, which then bind to human aortic PG with increased strength, and (ii) suggest that SMase- and PLA2-induced aggregation and fusion of LDL are potential mechanisms leading to focal retention of extracellular lipid in the arterial wall.
Frequency and Determinants of Screening for Diabetes in the U.S

OBJECTIVE To determine the prevalence of risk factors for non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) and the frequency of screening for NIDDM in U.S. adults. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS A detailed questionnaire was administered to a representative sample of 19,680 adults ≥18 years of age who reported no medical history of diabetes in the 1989 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). Information was obtained on risk factors for diabetes, complications related to diabetes, and whether the subjects had been screened for diabetes in the past year. Women reporting pregnancy in the past year were excluded from analysis. The prevalence of undiagnosed NIDDM according to the frequency of risk factors for NIDDM was determined based on oral glucose tolerance data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) II and Hispanic Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (HHANES). RESULTS Prevalence of undiagnosed NIDDM based on the NHANES II and HHANES increased with age, obesity, and family history of diabetes, reaching 11.7% in people with all three risk factors. Based on the NHIS, 77.5% of U.S. adults with no medical history of diabetes (131 million people) had at least one risk factor for NIDDM or complication related to NIDDM, and 22.9% (38 million people) had three or more risk factors or complications. Approximately 31% of adults reported being screened for diabetes in the past year. Screening rates increased with an increasing number of risk factors, but even among those with three risk factors, only 38.6% were screened for NIDDM. CONCLUSIONS More than 7 million U.S. adults have undiagnosed NIDDM. Nevertheless, screening for diabetes in high-risk groups occurs substantially less frequently than necessary to detect undiagnosed NIDDM and institute appropriate hypoglycemic treatment.