Fatal portraits: The selfie as agent of radicalization

For the modern-day jihadist, the digital self-portrait or, more specifically, battlefield selfie is a popular tool for identity building. Similarly to the selfies taken by non-violent practitioners of self-capture culture, the jihadist selfie represents an alternative to the Cartesian formulation of a unitary and indivisible self. Rather, it is a product of social relations and performative actions, constituted in dialogue with others through very specific socio-cultural frameworks and expectations. However, unlike its non-violent Doppelgänger, the expectations of this dialogue are centred around a larger political agenda which actively seeks to reformat collective memories of imperial Islamic conquests and co-opt religion as a way to impose a moral order on its violence. Importantly, the battlefield selfie allows the jihadist easily to traverse the boundaries between two seemingly opposing belief systems. Although there exists a wealth of scholarship of self-capture culture, image sharing sites and micro-celebritism, their pervasive influence and practice on battlefield is understudied. This article draws from the personal histories of key Islamic extremists who were both lionized and demonized as a result of their battlefield micro-influencer practices. Today, however, the same individuals can achieve internet fame by participating in self-capture culture – posting selfies, videos or blogging. In other words, never before has a soldier’s public communication been so personal yet collective.    &nbsp

Improving Bayesian statistics understanding in the age of Big Data with the bayesvl R package

The exponential growth of social data both in volume and complexity has increasingly exposed many of the shortcomings of the conventional frequentist approach to statistics. The scientific community has called for careful usage of the approach and its inference. Meanwhile, the alternative method, Bayesian statistics, still faces considerable barriers toward a more widespread application. The bayesvl R package is an open program, designed for implementing Bayesian modeling and analysis using the Stan language’s no-U-turn (NUTS) sampler. The package combines the ability to construct Bayesian network models using directed acyclic graphs (DAGs), the Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) simulation technique, and the graphic capability of the ggplot2 package. As a result, it can improve the user experience and intuitive understanding when constructing and analyzing Bayesian network models. A case example is offered to illustrate the usefulness of the package for Big Data analytics and cognitive computing

Quadro sulla riabilitazione del Cerebral Visual Impairment (C.V.I.) e della sua efficacia: una scoping review.

Introduzione Il Central Visual Impairment o Cortical Visual Impairment (C.V.I.), in italiano Deficit Visivo di Origine Centrale (D.V.O.C.), è una patologia acquisita, in epoca pre o peri-natale, che colpisce le vie visive retro-chiasmatiche e le vie cerebrali associate alla funzione visiva. Il C.V.I. è la prima causa di disabilità visiva nei paesi sviluppati e la sua incidenza sta aumentando a causa dell’aumento della sopravvivenza di bambini molto prematuri con quadri di sofferenza neonatale o in quadri di patologie rare. Questa patologia ha un grande impatto sullo sviluppo cognitivo e motorio. Per questo motivo le diverse figure professionali coinvolte, come quella del fisioterapista, sono obbligate a tenerne conto durante la presa in carico riabilitativa dei bambini con associati disturbi neuromotori. L'obiettivo di questa scoping review è quello di fornire una panoramica sui metodi di trattamento del CVI e della loro efficacia nel ridurre la disabilità visuo-motoria. Metodi La ricerca è stata condotta su banche dati come Pubmed, Science direct e Research gate nei mesi di Agosto e Settembre 2021. Non sono stati utilizzati filtri di ricerca. Dalla ricerca sono stati selezionati 4 studi che trattavano diversi metodi di riabilitazione del C.V.I. Risultati Gli studi includono diversi metodi di riabilitazione, da quelli più convenzionali a quelli di nuova generazione. 2 studi avevano come misura di outcome la valutazione visiva attraverso scale di misurazione apposite, 1 studio valutava il miglioramento delle abilità motorie grossolane e fini, 1 studio valutava il miglioramento della performance visuo-motoria in compiti complessi. Conclusioni I risultati degli studi evidenziano l’utilità e l’efficacia della riabilitazione sin dai primi anni di età. Sono necessari ulteriori studi sistematici, multicentrici e generalizzabili che analizzino l’efficacia effettiva dei trattamenti, permettendo un approccio alla riabilitazione più rigoroso e personalizzato

Torque-speed Linearization of a D.C. Servo System

In early 1973 Professor Fred O. Simons Jr., of Florida Technological University, suggested the topic for this research report. During control engineering discussions, it was proposed that a D.C. Shunt Motor could be constrained to perform in an idealized sense for the static case. The purpose of this report is to provide a reasonably comprehensive examination of a control which linearizes the torque-speed relationship of a dc servo system. The fundamental goal is to determine a control which linearizes the torque-speed output relation of a system, in which a dc shunt motor is under basic armature control. Consequently, the emphasis is on a concept and technique rather than the design of the system process. In this regard, the report does not delve into performance analysis, or design of the system to constrain the torque and speed parameters to operate along an idealized curve

Genetic linkage mapping in Hevea brasiliensis

Orientadores: Anete Pereira de Souza, Antonio Augusto Franco GarciaTese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de BiologiaResumo: Aproximadamente 2.500 espécies são conhecidas por produzirem borracha natural e a seringueira, [Hevea brasiliensis (Willd. ex Adr. de Juss.) Muell-Arg.], espécie nativa da Amazônia e pertencente ao gênero Hevea, é a maior fonte de borracha natural do mundo. A borracha natural é matéria prima para fabricação de mais de 40.000 produtos tendo importância fundamental na indústria de pneus. Apesar de a região Amazônica oferecer condições climáticas adequadas para seu crescimento e desenvolvimento, esta área também possui condições favoráveis à ocorrência do mal-das-folhas (Microcyclus ulei P. Henn v. Arx), doença também conhecida como mal sulamericano das folhas (South American Leaf Bligth ¿ SALB). Dessa maneira, a heveicultura se expandiu para áreas de escape que propiciam novas condições de estresse, limitando o seu crescimento e a produção de látex. O melhoramento genético vem buscando cultivares adaptados a estas regiões de escape, porém o ciclo de melhoramento da seringueira é longo e não permite o rápido desenvolvimento de novos cultivares. O desenvolvimento de ferramentas na biologia molecular permite o melhor entendimento da espécie e pode diminuir o tempo gasto nos ensaios de campo. O presente trabalho desenvolveu novos marcadores microssatélites (SSRs) a partir de bibliotecas enriquecidas em microssatélites. A caracterização destes marcadores mostrou a alta variabilidade alélica dentro de H. brasiliensis e o teste de transferibilidade dos SSRs em outras seis espécies do gênero Hevea mostrou alelos exclusivos para as mesmas e taxas de amplificação superior a 80%. Com o objetivo desenvolver novos marcadores SSRs e single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) em larga escala, foi sequenciado na plataforma Illumina GAIIx o transcriptoma de painel de dois cultivares importantes para a heveicultura (GT1 e PR255). A montagem e a caracterização do transcriptoma permitiu o melhor entendimento da dinâmica do transcriptoma em H. brasiliensis e identificou novos transcritos para a espécie. As sequências do transcriptoma foram submetidas à busca de SSRs e SNPs. No transcriptoma, foram identificados 1.709 novas sequências contendo SSRs para seringueira, a uma frequência de um SSR a cada 2,8 kb. Já a busca de SNPs identificou 404.114 SNPs com frequência de um SNP a cada 125 pb. Através da anotação no Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), foram identificadas sequências anotadas a todas as enzimas referentes às duas vias de síntese de látex (mevalonato - MVA e C-metileritritol 4-fosfato -MEP). Apesar de as vias MVA e MEP serem muitos estudadas, esta foi a primeira vez que SNPs foram identificados e validados. Os marcadores SSRs e SNPs foram então mapeados em uma população segregante F1. O mapa genético obtido contém 383 marcadores mapeados em 20 grupos de ligação. Neste trabalho foram desenvolvidos 52 SSRs e 51 SNPs do total de marcadores mapeados. Como o número de grupos de ligação esperado é 18 (2n=36), conclui-se que o mapa genético obtido mostra que ainda há uma cobertura incompleta do genoma. Devido à alta frequência de SNPs no genoma, o desenvolvimento de novos marcadores poderá saturar o mapa de forma homogênea, permitindo o agrupamento dos marcadores nos 18 grupos de ligação esperadosAbstract: Approximately 2.500 species are known to produce natural rubber. Hevea brasiliensis (Willd. ex Adr. de Juss.) Muell-Arg. also known as rubber tree is a species native to the Amazon rainforest and is the largest source of natural rubber in the world. Natural rubber has been used in more than 40,000 products and has great importance in the tire industry. Although the Amazon rainforest offers optimal conditions for growth and rubber yields due to its warm and humid climate, this region also provides optimal conditions for the fungus Microcyclus ulei P. Henn v. Arx which causes the South American Leaf Blight (SALB) disease. Thus, rubber tree plantations have expanded to escape areas that provides new stress conditions limiting their growth and latex production. The rubber tree breeding is trying to create a new cultivar that is resistant to these new conditions but the rubber tree cycle breeding is long and does not allow a rapid cultivar development. Thus, molecular biology techniques could provide a greater knowledge of H. brasiliensis genetic and could optimize field evaluation and, thus, reduce the time and area required for experiments. The present work developed new microsatellites (SSRs) markers for rubber tree from genomic enriched libraries. The new microsatellites were characterized and demonstrated a high allelic variability within H. brasiliensis genotypes. The transferability rate in other six species of the genus Hevea was greater than 80%. To develop new SSRs and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) markers, the panel transcriptome from two important cultivars (GT1 and PR255) was sequenced in Illumina GAIIx platform. The transcriptome obtained allowed a better knowledge about H. brasiliensis transcriptome and identified new transcripts for rubber tree public database. The sequences were submitted to a SSR and SNP search. The SSR frequency was one SSR each 2.8 kb and it was identified 1.709 new sequences with new SSRs for rubber tree database. A total of 404.114 putative SNPs were detected with a frequency of one SNP every 125 bp. Through Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) annotation, it was identified contigs corresponding to all the enzymes of mevalonate (MVA) and -C-methyl-D-erythritol 4-phosphate (MEP). Despite MVA and MEP pathways are being very well studied, since they are directly involved to rubber biosynthesis, this is the first time that molecular markers have been developed for such important pathways. The SSRs and SNPs developed were mapped in a full-sib population. The genetic linkage map has 383 molecular markers distributed in 20 linkage groups. This project contributed with 52 SSRs and 51 SNPs of the total mapped markers. Although the expected number of linkage groups are 18 (2n=36), the new genetic linkage map still has an incomplete coverage of the genome. Due to the high frequency of the SNPs in the genome, the development of new markers can saturate this map homogeneouslyDoutoradoGenetica Vegetal e MelhoramentoDoutora em Genética e Biologia Molecula

Genetic diversity among air yam (dioscorea bulbifera) varieties based on single sequence repeat markers

Dioscorea is the largest genus in the Dioscoreaceae family, and includes a number of economically important species including the air yam, D. bulbifera L. This study aimed to develop new single sequence repeat primers and characterize the genetic diversity of local varieties that originated in several municipalities of Brazil. We developed an enriched genomic library for D. bulbifera resulting in seven primers, six of which were polymorphic, and added four polymorphic loci developed for other Dioscorea species. This resulted in 10 polymorphic primers to evaluate 42 air yam accessions. Thirty-three alleles (bands) were found, with an average of 3.3 alleles per locus. The discrimination power ranged from 0.113 to 0.834, with an average of 0.595. Both principal coordinate and cluster analyses (using the Jaccard Index) failed to clearly separate the accessions according to their origins. However, the 13 accessions from Conceição dos Ouros, Minas Gerais State were clustered above zero on the principal coordinate 2 axis, and were also clustered into one subgroup in the cluster analysis. Accessions from Ubatuba, São Paulo State were clustered below zero on the same principal coordinate 2 axis, except for one accession, although they were scattered in several subgroups in the cluster analysis. Therefore, we found little spatial structure in the accessions, although those from Conceição dos Ouros and Ubatuba exhibited some spatial structure, and that there is a considerable level of genetic diversity in D. bulbifera maintained by traditional farmers in Brazil152CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICO - CNPQFUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO - FAPESPnão tem2007/04805-