Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Asimetrías neuromusculares entre miembros inferiores en jugadores de hockey sobre patines. [Lower limb neuromuscular asymmetry in roller hockey players].

espanolEl objetivo de este trabajo fue comparar y cuantificar las asimetrias neuromusculares entre las extremidades inferiores que presentan los jugadores de hockey sobre patines. Un objetivo secundario fue correlacionar el indice de asimetrias (ASI) entre las diferentes pruebas neuromusculares testadas. Un total de 27 jugadores de sexo masculino de hockey sobre patines (edad = 20,59 ± 3,81 anos) realizaron diferentes pruebas neuromusculares de forma unilateral: 1) Test de salto vertical con contra-movimiento (SLCJ), 2) Bateria de saltos horizontales (Hop test: single, triple y crossover hop test) y 3) Prueba de velocidad con cambio de direccion (COD test). Se observaron diferencias significativas (p 10% en el test de SLCJ, situacion considerada como posible factor de riesgo de lesion. Solamente se obtuvo una correlacion significativa entre el SLCJ y el COD test. En consecuencia, y con el objetivo de identificar las asimetrias entre miembros inferiores, es importante considerar la valoracion de las diferencias capacidades neuromusculares. EnglishAbstractThe aim of the current study was to compare and quantify the neuromuscular lower limb asymmetries present in roller hockey players and its link to high risk of injury. A secondary purpose was to correlate the index of asymmetries (ASI) between the different neuromuscular tests performed. 27 male roller hockey players (age = 20.59 ± 3.81 years) performed the single leg countermovement jump (SLCJ), the Hop Test battery (single hop test, triple hop test and crossover hop test) and the change of direction test (COD test). Significant differences were observed (p 10% in the SLCJ, a situation considered as an injury risk factor. Only a significant correlation was obtained between the SLCJ and the COD test. Consequently, it is suggested that the complete neuromuscular profile between lower limbs be evaluated with the different tests, for both in the conditioning programs and in the injury prevention and return-to- play.https://doi.org/10.5232/ricyde2018.05406
Considerations for Developing an RF Exposure System: A Review for in vitro Biological Experiments

This paper provides a detailed review and classification of exposure systems used in RF in vitro research from 1999 up to 2009. Since different endpoints and protocols are used in bioelectromagnetics studies, exposure systems cannot be standardized. However, a standardized procedure to achieve the optimum design of the exposure system is suggested. Following this procedure will lead to a known dose distribution within the biological sample and allow a better comparison with other in vitro studies. In addition, the quality of the study will be such that it will be more likely to be included in assessment procedures such as health-risk assessments.
Del autoconsumo a la inserción en el mercado local en el marco del proyecto estratégico de Seguridad Alimentaria (PESA) en los municipios de Tianguistengo y Xochicoatlán, Hidalgo

Objective: Iidentify the factors that allowed a product of the objectives of Tianguistengo and Xochicoatlan, of the state of Hidalgo to pass from self-consumption to the link with the market as a result of the support of the Strategic Food Security Project (PESA). Methodology: The main instrument of analysis was a survey, which is shown among 61 producers. Based on the theoretical approach to local development, five analysis variables were established: the availability of natural resources, the adoption of new production practices, teamwork among producers, the origin of capital with the start of their projects and actions of the local government. Results: results show that the work among producers, the availability of natural resources in the area and the adoption of new production practices allowed producers to increase their production and place it in local markets. Limitation: The long distance between each locality complicated the field visits. Conclusions: the results showed that the producers changed the destination of their production due to the joint action of different factors.
Importance of lipid–pore loop interface for potassium channel structure and function

Potassium (i.e., K+) channels allow for the controlled and selective passage of potassium ions across the plasma membrane via a conserved pore domain. In voltage-gated K+ channels, gating is the result of the coordinated action of two coupled gates: an activation gate at the intracellular entrance of the pore and an inactivation gate at the selectivity filter. By using solid-state NMR structural studies, in combination with electrophysiological experiments and molecular dynamics simulations, we show that the turret region connecting the outer transmembrane helix (transmembrane helix 1) and the pore helix behind the selectivity filter contributes to K+ channel inactivation and exhibits a remarkable structural plasticity that correlates to K+ channel inactivation. The transmembrane helix 1 unwinds when the K+ channel enters the inactivated state and rewinds during the transition to the closed state. In addition to well-characterized changes at the K+ ion coordination sites, this process is accompanied by conformational changes within the turret region and the pore helix. Further spectroscopic and computational results show that the same channel domain is critically involved in establishing functional contacts between pore domain and the cellular membrane. Taken together, our results suggest that the interaction between the K+ channel turret region and the lipid bilayer exerts an important influence on the selective passage of potassium ions via the K+ channel pore.
An Empirical Evaluation of Analysts' Herding Behavior Following Regulation Fair Disclosure

This study examines whether analysts' forecast revisions exhibited increased herding behavior following the adoption of Regulation Fair Disclosure. A recent model by Arya, Mittendorf, and Narayanamoorthy (2005) projects that one potential consequence of Regulation Fair Disclosure might be increased herding by financial analysts, although previous studies examining the economic consequences of Regulation FD have not found any averse consequence for investors. We examine financial analysts forecasting behavior before and after the adoption of Regulation FD in order to test the Arya et al. model. Our general finding is that increased herding behavior cannot be detected among either the firms most directly impacted by Regulation FD (those which used to hold closed press conferences), or those least affected (firms that used to hold open press conferences or did not hold them).
Perceiving Complex Visual Scenes: An Oscillator Neural Network Model that Integrates Selective Attention, Perceptual Organization, and Invariant Recognition

Which processes underly our ability to quickly recognize familiar objects within a complex visual input scene? In this paper an implemented neural network model is described that attempts to specify how selective visual attention, perceptual organisation, and invariance transformations might work together in order to segment, select, and recognize objects out of complex input scenes containing multiple, possibly overlapping objects. Retinotopically organized feature maps serve as input for two main processing routes: the 'where-pathway' dealing with location information and the 'what-pathway' computing the shape and attributes of objects. A location-based attention mechanism operates on an early stage of visual processing selecting a contigous region of the visual field for preferential processing. Additionally, location-based attention plays an important role for invariant object recognition controling appropriate normalization processes within the what-pathway. Object recognition is supported through the segmentation of the visual field into distinct entities. In order to represent different segmented entities at the same time, the model uses an oscillatory binding mechanism. Connections between the where-pathway and the what-pathway lead to a flexible cooperation between different functional subsystems producing an overall behavior which is consistent with a variety of psychophysical data.
Rapid Isolation of Extracellular Vesicles from Cell Culture and Biological Fluids Using a Synthetic Peptide with Specific Affinity for Heat Shock Proteins

Recent studies indicate that extracellular vesicles are an important source material for many clinical applications, including minimally-invasive disease diagnosis. However, challenges for rapid and simple extracellular vesicle collection have hindered their application. We have developed and validated a novel class of peptides (which we named venceremin, or Vn) that exhibit nucleotide-independent specific affinity for canonical heat shock proteins. The Vn peptides were validated to specifically and efficiently capture HSP-containing extracellular vesicles from cell culture growth media, plasma, and urine by electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, sequencing of nucleic acid cargo, proteomic profiling, immunoblotting, and nanoparticle tracking analysis. All of these analyses confirmed the material captured by the Vn peptides was comparable to those purified by the standard ultracentrifugation method. We show that the Vn peptides are a useful tool for the rapid isolation of extracellular vesicles using standard laboratory equipment. Moreover, the Vn peptides are adaptable to diverse platforms and therefore represent an excellent solution to the challenge of extracellular vesicle isolation for research and clinical applications.
Evaluating The Expression of Self-Renewal Genes in Human Endothelial Progenitor Cells

Objective: Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) have a potential application for cell therapy, however, their biological nature is not well-understood. EPCs also possess some stemness features, such as their clonogenicity and differentiation capacity. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the expression of certain transcription factors regulating selfrenewal property of stem cells. Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated from fresh human blood of several volunteers and were cultured in fibronectin- coated plates. EPCs were identified based on their morphology and growth characteristic. Then, the expression of some markers implicated in self-renewal capacity was assessed in the isolated cells using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RTPCR) and immunocytochemistry. Results: Expression of the cell surface markers, CD31 and CD34, was determined by RT-PCR and immunocytochemistry. Furthermore, these cells had the ability for Di-ACLDL incorporation as well as attachment to lectin I. EPCs did not express the main stem cell markers, like OCT4-A, Nanog, and Sox2; nevertheless, they expressed the weaker pluripotent markers, including OCT4B and OCT4-B1 spliced variants, such as Nucleostemin and ZFX. Furthermore, the expression of Nucleostemin and ZFX genes revealed a decreasing pattern from days 4th to 11th. Conclusion: The main regulators of stem cell self-renewal genes, including OCT4-A, Nanog, and Sox2 are not expressed in EPCs. Forced expression of these genes can elevate the stemness property and clinical application of EPCs.
Path Models of Vocal Emotion Communication

We propose to use a comprehensive path model of vocal emotion communication, encompassing encoding, transmission, and decoding processes, to empirically model data sets on emotion expression and recognition. The utility of the approach is demonstrated for two data sets from two different cultures and languages, based on corpora of vocal emotion enactment by professional actors and emotion inference by naïve listeners. Lens model equations, hierarchical regression, and multivariate path analysis are used to compare the relative contributions of objectively measured acoustic cues in the enacted expressions and subjective voice cues as perceived by listeners to the variance in emotion inference from vocal expressions for four emotion families (fear, anger, happiness, and sadness). While the results confirm the central role of arousal in vocal emotion communication, the utility of applying an extended path modeling framework is demonstrated by the identification of unique combinations of distal cues and proximal percepts carrying information about specific emotion families, independent of arousal. The statistical models generated show that more sophisticated acoustic parameters need to be developed to explain the distal underpinnings of subjective voice quality percepts that account for much of the variance in emotion inference, in particular voice instability and roughness. The general approach advocated here, as well as the specific results, open up new research strategies for work in psychology (specifically emotion and social perception research) and engineering and computer science (specifically research and development in the domain of affective computing, particularly on automatic emotion detection and synthetic emotion expression in avatars).
Sustaining diversity in trait-based models of phytoplankton communities

It is well-established that when equilibrium is attained for two species competing for the same limiting resource in a stable, uniform environment, one species will eliminate the other due to competitive exclusion. While competitive exclusion is observed in laboratory experiments and ecological models, the phenomenon seems less common in nature, where static equilibrium is prevented by the fluctuating physical environment and by other factors that constantly change species abundances and the nature of competitive interactions. Trait-based models of phytoplankton communities appear to be useful tools for describing the evolution of large assemblages of species with aggregate group properties such as total biomass, mean trait, and trait variance, the latter representing the functional diversity of the community. Such an approach, however, is limited by the tendency of the trait variance to unrealistically decline to zero over time. This tendency to lose diversity, and therefore adaptive capacity, is typically "solved" by fixing the variance or by considering exogenous processes such as immigration. Exogenous processes, however, cannot explain the maintenance of adaptive capacity often observed in the closed environment of chemostat experiments. Here we present a new method to sustain diversity in adaptive trait-based models of phytoplankton communities based on a mechanism of trait diffusion through subsequent generations. Our modeling approach can therefore account for endogenous processes such as rapid evolution or transgenerational trait plasticity.
Effect of differentiated learning method on students’ motivation and achievement in learning Arabic as a foreign language

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of Differentiated Learning Method (DLM) on students’ motivation and achievement towards studying Arabic Language (AL) as a foreign language for non-native speakers. The participants in this study were 100 (47 males and 53 females) form four Malaysian students in secondary school from Kolej Islam Sultan Alam Shah (KISAS). This study applied a quasi-experimental design. The instruments employed were demographics questionnaire, the motivation questionnaire, and the AL achievement tests to determine the students’ motivation and achievement towards studying AL (writing, reading, grammar). For this purpose, the researcher taught two different groups. The first group, which is the experimental group, was taught by using DLM. The other group which is the control group was taught by using Teacher-Centered Method (TCM). A descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the collected data in this study using SPSS software. An analysis of covariance (one-way ANCOVA) was conducted to compare the students' achievement in AL based on the post-test scores in the aspects of interpretive reading, writing, and grammar between the control and experimental groups while statistically controlled the pre-test effect. Furthermore, the independent sample t-test was used to compare the students’ motivation based on the post-test scores in the aspects of attainment value, extrinsic value, intrinsic value, study habit, cost value, expectancy for success, and ability belief between the experimental and control groups. In addition, Paired sample t-test was conducted to compare the effect of (DLM) on the achievements of the students while learning AL based on the pre-test and post-test scores in one group. In short, this study found that using DLM helped students perform and achieve significantly better than the control group while learning AL writing, reading, and grammar. The mean score in reading for the experimental group (M=20.04, SD= 4.43) was higher than the mean scores for the control group (M=18.38, SD= 4.69); t (1.82); p<. 05). The same results have been found in grammar, the mean score for the experimental group (M=24.02, SD= 6.07) was higher than the mean scores for the control group (M=19.28, SD= 7.66); t (3.42); p=. 00). Also, the mean score in writing for experimental groups (M=10.14, SD= 2.79) was higher than the mean score for the control group (M=8.20, SD= 2.38); t (3.73); p=. 00). In addition, the students using DLM were obviously more motivated towards learning AL (M=155.74, SD= 12.66) than the students using TCM (M=145.28, SD= 14.41); t (3.85); p<. 05) in the aspects of attainment value, study habit, extrinsic value, intrinsic value, cost value, expectancy for success, and ability belief. Finally, this research provides evidence that using DLM improved students’ motivation and achievement towards studying AL as a foreign language.
Experimental and Numerical Studies of a High-Head Francis Turbine: A Review of the Francis-99 Test Case

Hydraulic turbines are widely used to meet real-time electricity demands. Computational fluid dynamic (CFD) techniques have played an important role in the design and development of such turbines. The simulation of a complete turbine requires substantial computational resources. A specific approach that is applied to investigate the flow field of one turbine may not work for another turbine. A series of Francis-99 workshops have been planned to discuss and explore the CFD techniques applied within the field of hydropower with application to high-head Francis turbines. The first workshop was held in December 2014 at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway. The steady-state measurements were conducted on a model Francis turbine. Three operating points, part load, best efficiency point, and high load, were investigated. The complete geometry, meshing, and experimental data concerning the hydraulic efficiency, pressure, and velocity were provided to the academic and industrial research groups. Various researchers have conducted extensive numerical studies on the high-head Francis turbine, and the obtained results were presented during the workshop. This paper discusses the presented numerical results and the important outcome of the extensive numerical studies on the Francis turbine. The use of a wall function assuming equilibrium between the production and dissipation of turbulence is widely used in the simulation of hydraulic turbines. The boundary layer of hydraulic turbines is not fully developed because of the continuously-changing geometry and large pressure gradients. There is a need to develop wall functions that enable the estimation of viscous losses under boundary development for accurate simulations. Improved simulations and results enable reliable estimation of the blade loading. Numerical investigations on leakage flow through the labyrinth seals were conducted. The volumetric efficiency and losses in the seals were determined. The seal leakage losses formulated through analytical techniques are sufficient.
Assessing Drivers of Web Technology Investment in Malaysia Service Industry: An Application of Technological, Organizational and Environmental (TOE) Model

Using TOE Model, this paper aims to examine drivers of web technology investment in Malaysia service industry using questionnaire survey. The structural equation modelling (SEM) results indicate that firm size, managerial beliefs, and pressure intensity explain the variance in web technology investment. Managerial belief is found to have the function of mediator in the relationship between pressure intensity and web technology investment.
Are Bisphosphonates Effective in the Treatment of Osteoarthritis Pain? A Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review

Objective Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis worldwide. Pain and reduced function are the main symptoms in this prevalent disease. There are currently no treatments for OA that modify disease progression; therefore analgesic drugs and joint replacement for larger joints are the standard of care. In light of several recent studies reporting the use of bisphosphonates for OA treatment, our work aimed to evaluate published literature to assess the effectiveness of bisphosphonates in OA treatment. Methods Literature databases were searched from inception to the 30th June 2012 for clinical trials of bisphosphonates to treat OA pain. Data was appraised and levels of evidence determined qualitatively using best evidence synthesis from the Cochrane Collaboration. The two largest studies were conducted with risedronate in the treatment of knee OA, for which meta-analyses were performed for pain and functional outcomes. Results Our searches found 13/297 eligible studies, which included a total of 3832 participants. The trials recruited participants with OA of the hand (n = 1), knee (n = 8), knee and spine (n = 3), or hip (n = 1). Our meta-analysis of the two largest knee studies using risedronate 15 mg showed odds ratios favouring placebo interventions for the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC) pain (1.73), WOMAC function (2.03), and WOMAC stiffness (1.82). However, 8 trials (61.5%) reported that bisphosphonates improve pain assessed by VAS scores and 2 (38.5%) reported significant improvement in WOMAC pain scores compared to control groups. Conclusions There is limited evidence that bisphosphonates are effective in the treatment of OA pain. Limitations of the studies we analysed included the differences in duration of bisphosphonate use, the dose and route of administration and the lack of long-term data on OA joint structure modification post-bisphosphonate therapy. Future more targeted studies are required to appreciate the value of bisphosphonates in treating osteoarthritis pain. Trial Registration PROSPERO Register CRD42012002541