Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A CULTURA DA CONVERGÊNCIA E O DIÁLOGO NA EAD: ENCONTROS E POSSIBILIDADES NA LEITURA DE BAKHTIN, VYGOTSKY E JENKINS

Este trabalho pretende problematizar as questoes de dialogo e comunicacao no contexto da educacao a distância, ou EaD, principalmente pautando-se na questao da producao de conteudos didatico-educativos e na construcao de toda a interface entre docentes, alunos, tutores e demais atores do processo de ensino-aprendizagem nesta modalidade. Para tanto, se apoia na articulacao de pensamentos relacionados aos conceitos do Circulo de Bakhtin no que tange a linguagem e o processo; de Vygotsky especialmente o desenvolvimento das funcoes psiquicas superiores; e de Henry Jenkins, os conceitos de narrativa transmidia e de convergencia midiatica. Pretende-se assim tracar algumas consideracoes sobre como as transformacoes decorrentes de uma revolucao tecnologica em voga cria e recria novas possibilidades e potencialidades na educacao – principalmente a EaD enquanto efeito colateral da insercao das midias digitais no cotidiano do mundo contemporâneo.
Roles of Glycoproteins and Oligosaccharides Found in Human Vaginal Fluid in Bacterial Adherence

ABSTRACT Adherence of type 1-piliated Escherichia coli to carbohydrate structures of vaginal mucosa plays a major role in the pathogenesis of ascending urinary tract infections in women. Colonization of the vaginal introitus is influenced by interactions between pathogens, vaginal fluid, and vaginal epithelium. In this study, the type and amount of carbohydrates and glycoproteins present in vaginal fluid were determined. Free and protein-bound oligosaccharides in vaginal fluid specimens were analyzed by fluorophore-assisted carbohydrate electrophoresis (FACE) and high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). Two-dimensional electrophoretic separations of vaginal fluid glycoproteins were performed together with bacterial overlay assays. The results of FACE showed that the majority of the oligosaccharides are in the free state and the bound oligosaccharides are undetectable. HPLC analysis of free sugars revealed glucose as the major sugar (3.3 ± 0.3 mM), and the concentrations of mannose and glucosamine were 0.065 ± 0.04 and 0.02 ± 0.001 mM, respectively. Radiolabeled E. coli bound three vaginal fluid glycoproteins with the following molecular masses and pIs: 82 kDa and pI 5.5, 55 kDa and pI 4.5, and 55 kDa and pI 6.5. The binding was inhibited by mannose and by deglycosylation of the proteins prior to the overlay assay. One of these putative receptors was identified to be the heavy chain of secretory IgA (S-IgA). These data suggest that the free mannose in the fluid is less than that required to affect E. coli-epithelial cell binding interactions and that S-IgA may bindE. coli in the vaginal introitus.
Placental blood for bone marrow replacement: the New York Blood Center's program and clinical results.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Placental/umbilical cord blood (PCB) has been used for allogeneic bone marrow replacement since 1988. The Placental Blood Program of the New York Blood Center has developed techniques for collecting, testing, freezing and searching units on behalf of unrelated patients in need of hematopoietic stem cell replacement since 1993 and provided analysis of the outcomes of these transplants identified variables associated with clinical outcomes. In this review, after considering practical and conceptual aspects of the technology, we update information on the clinical outcomes of these transplants. MATERIALS AND METHODS All 861 patients transplanted through 1999 with PCB from our Program are included in this report. Two thirds were diagnosed with leukaemia or lymphoma, 25% with inherited conditions and 7% with acquired diseases. Outcome data were provided by the respective Transplant Center and analyses included both univariate and multivariate regression tests and actuarial (Kaplan-Meier) techniques. RESULTS Engraftment was achieved by over 90% of recipients (Kaplan-Meier estimate). Multivariate analysis confirmed the influence of cell dose, HLA matching, disease diagnosis and transplant center location (US vs. foreign). Patient age and HLA match grade independently affected the frequency and severity of acute graft vs. host disease. Leukaemic relapse was associated with the stage of disease at transplantation and the prior existence of acute graft vs. host disease. The probability of transplant-related events was independently associated with disease diagnosis, cell dose, number of HLA mismatches and transplant center, while the cell dose failed to associate significantly with the relative risk of reaching this endpoint in the subset of patients who achieved engraftment. Overall, event-free survival rates at one year post-transplant were 49 and 30%, respectively for genetic disease and haematologic malignancies and 35% for patients with acquired diseases, respectively. CONCLUSIONS These results confirm and extend earlier data, particularly establishing the significant association of transplant success with histocompatibility matching grades, and indicatng the urgency of improving the transplant match levels.
Crucial Commitment of Proteolytic Activity of a Purified Recombinant Major House Dust Mite Allergen Der p1 to Sensitization toward IgE and IgG Responses1

The major proteolytic allergen derived from the house dust mite Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, Der p1, is one of the most clinically relevant allergens worldwide. In the present study, we evaluate the contribution of the proteolytic activity and structure of a highly purified rDer p 1 to immune responses. Mice were i.p. immunized with three forms of rDer p 1 adsorbed to Alum: one enzymatically active, one treated with an irreversible cysteine protease-specific inhibitor, E-64, and one heat denatured. Immunization with E-64-treated or heat-denatured rDer p 1 elicited much less production of serum total IgE and not only rDer p 1-specific IgE but also IgGs compared with immunization with active rDer p 1. Assays for Ab-binding and its inhibition and structural analyses indicated that E-64-treated rDer p 1 retained its global structure and conformational B cell epitopes. A proliferative response and production of IL-5 by spleen cells restimulated with rDer p 1 were observed on immunization with the active rDer p 1 but not E-64-treated rDer p 1. The cells from mice immunized with heat-denatured rDer p 1 exhibited the highest levels of proliferation and production of IL-5 and IFN-γ. The results indicate that the proteolytic activity of the highly purified rDer p 1 crucially commits to the sensitization process, including both IgE and IgG responses. Additionally, we demonstrated immunogenic differences by functional or structural manipulations of the rDer p 1. The findings have implications for sensitization to this relevant allergen in humans and for the design of modified allergen-vaccines for future allergen-specific immunotherapy.
Pharmacokinetics and tolerance of cefuroxime axetil in volunteers during repeated dosing

A total of 158 volunteers each received 21 repeated oral doses of 500 mg of cefuroxime axetil (CAE) during four comparative cross-over trials. Pharmacokinetics were studied in 8 volunteers (CAE versus ampicillin), relative bioavailability and tolerance were studied in 100 volunteers (CAE versus pivmecillinam and CAE versus pivampicillin), and tolerance alone was studied in 50 volunteers (CAE versus ampicillin). Overall, urinary recoveries of the active antibiotics ranked absorption of the drugs in the order least to greatest: pivmecillinam, ampicillin, CAE, and pivampicillin. The pharmacokinetics of CAE and ampicillin did not change after repeated dosing. Peak serum levels of cefuroxime were significantly higher than those of ampicillin after doses 1 and 21 but the urinary recoveries of both antibiotics were around 35% of the dose. CAE was as well tolerated as ampicillin but there were smaller numbers of episodes of fluid bowel motions on pivmecillinam and pivampicillin than on CAE, which may have been due to the smaller amounts of active antibiotic in the doses of the pivaloyloxymethyl esters.
Micromachined Energy-Harvester Stack With Enhanced Electromagnetic Induction Through Vertical Integration of Magnets

This paper presents a stacked microfabricated power generator that vertically integrates multiple magnets on silicon wafers in a batch process to enhance electromagnetic induction multiple times. The power output is increased by increasing the magnetic flux change for each power-generator unit in the stack, in addition to the increase due to increased number of units. A stack consisting of two arrays of four power-generator units is fabricated and characterized. Wax-bonded Nd-Fe-B powders are embedded in the silicon wafer and magnetized as an integrated micromagnet, which serves as a proof mass suspended by a parylene diaphragm. Dual-layer coils are isolated by a parylene layer, connected via a hole and fabricated with electroplating copper on the same wafer. Experimental results show an improvement by about a factor of four on the power output from the same coils when two power-generator arrays are stacked vertically. In particular, an array of four microfabricated power generators occupying a volume of 51 × 11 × 0.4 mm3 in the stack produces an induced electromotive force of 1.02 mV with 0.55 nW power output when it is vibrated at 400 Hz with vibration amplitude of 10 μm.
Novel cognitive improving and neuroprotective activities of Polygala tenuifolia Willdenow extract, BT‐11

We carried out this study to search a new active constituent that had cognitive enhancing activity and low side effects from natural source. We found that the extract of dried root of Polygala tenuifolia Willdenow (BT‐11, 10 mg/kg, i.p.) could significantly reverse scopolamine‐induced cognitive impairments in rat, using a passive avoidance and a water maze test. We also investigated the effects of BT‐11 on neurotoxicity induced by glutamate (Glu) and toxic metabolites of amyloid precursor protein (APP) such as amyloid β protein (Aβ) and C‐terminal fragment of APP (CT) in primary cultured neurons of rat. The pretreatment of BT‐11 (0.5, 3, and 5 μg/ml) significantly reduced cell death induced by Glu (1 mM), Aβ (10 μM) and CT105 (10 μM) in a dose‐dependent manner. In addition, BT‐11 inhibited acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity in a dose‐dependent and non‐competitive manner (IC50 value; 263.7 μg/ml). Our novel findings suggest the possibility that this extract may have some protective effects against neuronal death and cognitive impairments in Alzheimer's disease (AD), or other neurodegenerative diseases related to excitotoxicity and central cholinergic dysfunction. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Crosstalk Reduction With Bidirectional Signal Assignment on Square Lattice Structure 16-Core Fiber Over WDM Transmission for Gradual Upgrade of SMF-Based Lines

C-band and L-band wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) transmission performance was improved by using bidirectional signal assignment (BSA) to reduce crosstalk (XT) in square lattice structure 16-core fiber. Transmission of 16 WDM channels with 256-Gb/s polarization multiplexed-16 quadrature amplitude modulation signals on a 50-GHz grid with a net spectral efficiency of 4 b/s/Hz over 55-km of 16-core fiber spans was achieved. Use of BSA to reduce XT extended the transmission distance to 880 km in both types of transmission. Furthermore, transmission was achieved over eight mixed spans consisting of 16-core fiber and conventional single-mode fiber (SMF), demonstrating the possibility of gradually upgrading standard SMF-based lines to multicore fiber-based lines. With BSA, six 16-core fiber spans can be acceptable if the Q penalty from XT is below 0.5 dB.
Safety and Security of Cyber-Physical and Internet of Things Systems [Point of View]

Computer system security and engineering system safety have traditionally been very distinct topics pursued by people with very different expertise. The advent of cyber–physical systems and the Internet-of-Things (IoT) changes that dynamic. Safety and security are now inextricably linked through our linkage of computer hardware and software with complex physical plants. Computers have been added to traditional engineering systems to achieve goals that we cannot achieve using traditional mechanical control. The automobile provides an important early example of the benefits of cyber–physical systems: computer engine control allowed manufacturers to simultaneously meet stiff requirements on both fuel economy and emissions; features such as antilock brakes and traction control improved vehicle handling and safety; and a new generation of supercars use software to not only provide sophisticated vehicle capabilities but also to change the vehicle’s handling characteristics at the push of a button.
The ND-IRIS-0405 Iris Image Dataset

The Computer Vision Research Lab at the University of Notre Dame began collecting iris images in the spring semester of 2004. The initial data collections used an LG 2200 iris imaging system for image acquisition. Image datasets acquired in 2004-2005 at Notre Dame with this LG 2200 have been used in the ICE 2005 and ICE 2006 iris biometric evaluations. The ICE 2005 iris image dataset has been distributed to over 100 research groups around the world. The purpose of this document is to describe the content of the ND-IRIS-0405 iris image dataset. This dataset is a superset of the iris image datasets used in ICE 2005 and ICE 2006. The ND 2004-2005 iris image dataset contains 64,980 images corresponding to 356 unique subjects, and 712 unique irises. The age range of the subjects is 18 to 75 years old. 158 of the subjects are female, and 198 are male. 250 of the subjects are Caucasian, 82 are Asian, and 24 are other ethnicities.
Circadian Rhythms of Isoprene Biosynthesis in Grey Poplar Leaves1

Isoprene (2-methyl-1,3-butadiene) emission varies diurnally in different species. In poplar (Populus spp.), it has recently been shown that the gene encoding the synthesizing enzyme for isoprene, isoprene synthase (ISPS), displays diurnal variation in expression. Working on shoot cultures of Grey poplar (Populus × canescens) placed under a different light regime in phytochambers, we showed that these variations in PcISPS gene expression, measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, are not only due to day-night changes, but also are linked to an internal circadian clock. Measurement of additional selected isoprenoid genes revealed that phytoene synthase (carotenoid pathway) displays similar fluctuations, whereas 1-deoxy-d-xylulose 5-phosphate reductoisomerase, possibly the first committed enzyme of the 1-deoxy-d-xylulose 5-phosphate pathway, only shows light regulation. On the protein level, it appeared that PcISPS activity and protein content became reduced under constant darkness, whereas under constant light, activity and protein content of this enzyme were kept high. In contrast, isoprene emission rates under continuous irradiation displayed circadian changes as is the case for gene expression of PcISPS. Furthermore, binding assays with Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) late elongated hypocotyl, a transcription factor of Arabidopsis involved in circadian regulation, clearly revealed the presence of circadian-determining regulatory elements in the promoter region of PcISPS.
Multi-channel Bayesian adaptive resonance associative memory for environment learning and topological map building

This paper presents a new network for environment learning and online topological map building. It comprises two layers: input and memory. The input layer collects sensory information and incrementally categorizes the obtained information into a set of topological nodes. In the memory layer, edges are connect clustered information (nodes) to form a topological map. Edges store robot's actions and bearing. The advantages of the proposed method are: 1) it represents multiple places using multidimensional Gaussian distribution and does not require prior knowledge to make it work in a natural environment; 2) it can process more than one sensory source simultaneously in continuous space during robot navigation; and 3) it is an incremental and using Bayes' decision theory for learning and inference. Finally, the proposed method was validated using several standardized benchmark datasets.
An unexpected disruption of the atmospheric quasi-biennial oscillation

One of the most repeatable phenomena seen in the atmosphere, the quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) between prevailing eastward and westward wind jets in the equatorial stratosphere (approximately 16 to 50 kilometers altitude), was unexpectedly disrupted in February 2016. An unprecedented westward jet formed within the eastward phase in the lower stratosphere and cannot be accounted for by the standard QBO paradigm based on vertical momentum transport. Instead, the primary cause was waves transporting momentum from the Northern Hemisphere. Seasonal forecasts did not predict the disruption, but analogous QBO disruptions are seen very occasionally in some climate simulations. A return to more typical QBO behavior within the next year is forecast, although the possibility of more frequent occurrences of similar disruptions is projected for a warming climate.
The biology and genetics of curly hair

Hair fibres show wide diversity across and within all human populations, suggesting that hair fibre form and colour have been subject to much adaptive pressure over thousands of years. All human hair fibres typically have the same basic structure. However, the three‐dimensional shape of the entire fibre varies considerably depending on ethnicity and geography, with examples from very straight hair with no rotational turn about the long axis, to the tightly sprung coils of African races. The creation of the highly complex biomaterials in hair follicle and how these confer mechanical functions on the fibre so formed is a topic that remains relatively unexplained thus far. We review the current understanding on how hair fibres are formed into a nonlinear coiled form and which genetic and biological factors are thought to be responsible for hair shape. We report on a new GWAS comparing low and high curl individuals in South Africa, revealing strong links to polymorphic variation in trichohyalin, a copper transporter protein CUTC and the inner root sheath component keratin 74. This builds onto the growing knowledge base describing the control of curly hair formation.
A substantial part of the fallopian tube is left after standard prophylactic bilateral salpingo‐oophorectomy

Women with a deleterious germline mutation in BRCA1 or BRCA2 are candidates for bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (BSO). To address the need for adjustment of the current BSO procedure, we investigated the length and the nature of the fallopian tube epithelium that is not removed by BSO. Fourteen consecutive hysterectomy specimens were collected. Complete cross-sections with a 3-mm interval were made of the tubal lumen from the outside of the uterus at the cutoff point of the current BSO procedure to the uterine cavity and examined for the presence or absence of tubal type (ciliated) epithelium and subepithelial endometrial stroma. The fallopian tube remnant had a median length of 12 mm (range 6–15 mm). Tubal type (ciliated) epithelium was shown to be present in all uteri in the first cross-section containing 100% endometrial stroma, as well as in the uterine cavity of all but two of the hysterectomy specimens. A substantial part of the fallopian tube remains in situ after prophylactic BSO and is covered with tubal type ciliated epithelium. More research is necessary to investigate the role of this remnant part of the tube for BRCA carriers.
The complex phylogeography of the Indo‐Malayan Alophoixus bulbuls with the description of a putative new ring species complex

The Indo‐Malayan bioregion has provided some of the most spectacular discoveries of new vertebrate species (e.g. saola, khanyou, bare‐faced bulbul) over the last 25 years. Yet, very little is known about the processes that led to the current biodiversity in this region. We reconstructed the phylogeographic history of a group of closely related passerines, the Alophoixus bulbuls. These birds are continuously distributed in Indo‐Malaya around the Thailand lowlands such that their distribution resembles a ring. Our analyses revealed a single colonization event of the mainland from Sundaland with sequential divergence of taxa from southwest to northeast characterized by significant gene flow between parapatric taxa, and reduced or ancient gene flow involving the two taxa at the extremities of the ring. We detected evidence of population expansion in two subspecies, including one that was involved in the closing of the ring. Hence, our analyses indicate that the diversification pattern of Alophoixus bulbuls fits a ring species model driven by geographic isolation. To our knowledge, the Alophoixus bulbuls represent the first case of a putative broken ring species complex in Indo‐Malaya. We also discuss the implications of our results on our understanding of the biogeography in Indo‐Malaya.
No Sliding during Homology Search by RecA Protein*

The RecA protein of Escherichia coliis a prototype of the RecA/Rad51 family of proteins that exist in virtually all the organisms. In a process called DNA synapsis, RecA first polymerizes onto a single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) molecule; the resulting RecA-ssDNA complex then searches for and binds to a double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) molecule containing the almost identical, or “homologous,” sequence. The RecA-ssDNA complex thus can be envisioned as a sequence-specific binding entity. How does the complex search for its target buried within nonspecific sequences? One possible mechanism is the sliding mechanism, in which the complex first binds to a dsDNA molecule nonspecifically and then linearly diffuses, or slides, along the dsDNA. To understand the mechanism of homology search by RecA, this sliding model was tested. A plasmid containing four homologous targets in tandem was constructed and used as the dsDNA substrate in the synapsis reaction. If the sliding is the predominant search mode, the two outermost targets should act as more efficient targets than the inner targets. No such positional preference was observed, indicating that a long range sliding of the RecA-ssDNA complex does not occur. These and other available data can be adequately explained by a simple three-dimensional random collision mechanism.