Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
INTERACTIONS OF CORTISOL, TESTOSTERONE, AND RESISTANCE TRAINING: INFLUENCE OF CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS

Diurnal variation of sports performance usually peaks in the late afternoon, coinciding with increased body temperature. This circadian pattern of performance may be explained by the effect of increased core temperature on peripheral mechanisms, as neural drive does not appear to exhibit nycthemeral variation. This typical diurnal regularity has been reported in a variety of physical activities spanning the energy systems, from Adenosine triphosphate-phosphocreatine (ATP-PC) to anaerobic and aerobic metabolism, and is evident across all muscle contractions (eccentric, isometric, concentric) in a large number of muscle groups. Increased nerve conduction velocity, joint suppleness, increased muscular blood flow, improvements of glycogenolysis and glycolysis, increased environmental temperature, and preferential meteorological conditions may all contribute to diurnal variation in physical performance. However, the diurnal variation in strength performance can be blunted by a repeated-morning resistance training protocol. Optimal adaptations to resistance training (muscle hypertrophy and strength increases) also seem to occur in the late afternoon, which is interesting, since cortisol and, particularly, testosterone (T) concentrations are higher in the morning. T has repeatedly been linked with resistance training adaptation, and higher concentrations appear preferential. This has been determined by suppression of endogenous production and exogenous supplementation. However, the cortisol (C)/T ratio may indicate the catabolic/anabolic environment of an organism due to their roles in protein degradation and protein synthesis, respectively. The morning elevated T level (seen as beneficial to achieve muscle hypertrophy) may be counteracted by the morning elevated C level and, therefore, protein degradation. Although T levels are higher in the morning, an increased resistance exercise–induced T response has been found in the late afternoon, suggesting greater responsiveness of the hypothalamo-pituitary-testicular axis then. Individual responsiveness has also been observed, with some participants experiencing greater hypertrophy and strength increases in response to strength protocols, whereas others respond preferentially to power, hypertrophy, or strength endurance protocols dependent on which protocol elicited the greatest T response. It appears that physical performance is dependent on a number of endogenous time-dependent factors, which may be masked or confounded by exogenous circadian factors. Strength performance without time-of-day–specific training seems to elicit the typical diurnal pattern, as does resistance training adaptations. The implications for this are (a) athletes are advised to coincide training times with performance times, and (b) individuals may experience greater hypertrophy and strength gains when resistance training protocols are designed dependent on individual T response. (Author correspondence: Lawrence.hayes@uws.ac.uk)
Preventing Peer Violence Against Children: Methods and Baseline Data of a Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial in Pakistan

Peer violence was remarkably high at baseline. Among urban public school students, 94% of 6th-grade boys and 85% of girls reported being victimized by peers in the last 4 weeks. And 85% of boys and 66% of girls reported perpetrating such violence. Boys scored worse on a number of mental health measures. A cluster RCT is underway to evaluate a well-established school-based intervention using sports and games to reduce peer violence. Peer violence was remarkably high at baseline. Among urban public school students, 94% of 6th-grade boys and 85% of girls reported being victimized by peers in the last 4 weeks. And 85% of boys and 66% of girls reported perpetrating such violence. Boys scored worse on a number of mental health measures. A cluster RCT is underway to evaluate a well-established school-based intervention using sports and games to reduce peer violence. ABSTRACT Background: Violence against and among children is a global public health problem that annually affects 50% of youth worldwide with major impacts on child development, education, and health including increased probability of major causes of morbidity and mortality in adulthood. It is also associated with the experience of and perpetration of later violence against women. The aim of this article is to describe the intervention, study design, methods, and baseline findings of a cluster randomized controlled trial underway in Pakistan to evaluate a school-based play intervention aiming to reduce peer violence and enhance mental health. Methods: A cluster randomized controlled design is being conducted with boys and girls in grade 6 in 40 schools in Hyderabad, Pakistan, over a period of 2 years. The Multidimensional Peer-Victimization and Peer Perpetration Scales and the Children's Depression Inventory 2 (CDI 2) are being used to measure the primary outcomes while investigator-derived scales are being used to assess domestic violence within the family. Specifics of the intervention, field logistics, ethical, and fidelity management issues employed to test the program's impact on school age youth in a volatile and politically unstable country form this report. Baseline Results: A total of 1,752 school-age youth were enrolled and interviewed at baseline. Over the preceding 4 weeks, 94% of the boys and 85% of the girls reported 1 or more occurrences of victimization, and 85% of the boys and 66% of the girls reported 1 or more acts of perpetration. Boys reported more depression compared with girls, as well as higher negative mood and self-esteem scores and more interpersonal and emotional problems. Interpretation: Globally, prevalence of youth violence perpetration and victimization is high and associated with poor physical and emotional health. Applying a randomized controlled design to evaluate a peer violence prevention program built on a firm infrastructure and that is ready for scale-up and sustainability will make an important contribution to identifying evidence-informed interventions that can reduce youth victimization and perpetration.
Comparison of the fixed ratio and the Z-score of FEV1/FVC in the elderly population: a long-term mortality analysis from the Third National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey

Background and objective Despite the ongoing intense debate on the definition of airflow limitation by spirometry in the elderly population, there have only been few studies comparing the fixed ratio and the Z-score of forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1)/forced vital capacity (FVC) in terms of long-term mortalities. In this study, we aimed to identify the proper method for accurately defining the airflow limitation in terms of long-term mortality prediction in the elderly population. Methods Data were collected from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in the US. Non-Hispanic Caucasians aged 65–80 years were included. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves of both methods were plotted and compared for 10-year all-cause, respiratory, and COPD mortalities. Results Of 1,331 subjects, the mean age was 71.7 years and 805 (60.5%) were males. For the 10-year all-cause mortality, the area under the curve (AUC) of the fixed ratio was significantly greater than that of the Z-score of FEV1/FVC, but both showed poor prediction performance (0.633 vs 0.616, p<0.001). For the 10-year respiratory and COPD mortalities, both the fixed ratio and the Z-score of FEV1/FVC showed comparable prediction performance with greater AUCs (0.784 vs 0.778, p=0.160, and 0.896 vs 0.896, p=0.971, respectively). Interestingly, the conventional cutoff of 0.7 in the fixed ratio was consistently higher than the optimal for the 10-year all-cause, respiratory, and COPD mortalities (0.70 vs 0.69, 0.62, and 0.61, respectively), whereas that of −1.64 in the Z-score of FEV1/FVC was consistently lower than the optimal cutoff (−1.64 vs −1.31, −1.47, and −1.41, respectively). Conclusion In the elderly population, both the fixed ratio and the Z-score of FEV1/FVC showed comparable prediction performance for the 10-year respiratory and COPD mortalities. However, the conventional cutoff of neither 0.70 in the fixed ratio nor −1.64 in the Z-score of FEV1/FVC was optimal for predicting the long-term mortalities.
Management of Primary Retroperitoneal Mucinous Tumors: A Retrospective Meta-Analysis

Objective Primary retroperitoneal mucinous tumors (PRMTs) are rare epithelial neoplasms arising in the retroperitoneal space whose pathogenesis is poorly understood. To date, only single-case reports and small case series on diagnosis and management of these tumors exist. The aim of this first-time meta-analysis was to provide more reliable data to inform the management of PRMTs. Methods Database searches were conducted to identify case reports and case series between the years of 1975 and 2015. Two cases of patients treated at our institution were also included. Diagnostic, radiographic, surgical, and follow-up data were gathered. Regression modeling was used to identify factors aiding preoperative diagnosis and affecting treatment. Survival analysis including Cox regression modeling was performed to provide insights into treatment effects on the prognosis of female patients with PRMTs. Results One hundred forty-four cases of PRMTs were included in this analysis. Eighty-nine percent occurred in women. Most of the PRMTs were found to be malignant (53%). No preoperative factors predicting tumor dignity were identified by multiple regression analysis. Five-year disease specific survival of patients with benign and borderline tumors was excellent, reaching 100%, whereas it was only 68% for patients with malignant disease. Adjuvant surgical treatments including hysterectomy, salpingoophorectomy, and lymph node dissection were not associated with a statistically significant survival advantage. However, there was a nonsignificant association of hysterectomy with improved survival (hazard ratio, 0.42; 95% confidence interval, 0.09–2.07; P = 0.285). Adjuvant chemotherapy was associated with reduced survival (hazard ratio 3.791; 95% confidence interval, 1.509–9.526; P = 0.0046). Conclusions A reliable diagnosis of a PRMT can only be made by pathological examination of the tumor. Surgical excision is thus necessary to facilitate diagnosis while it also remains the mainstay of treatment. There is no conclusive evidence supporting the role of adjuvant surgical procedures or chemotherapy.
Urban-Rural County and State Differences in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease — United States, 2015

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) accounts for the majority of deaths from chronic lower respiratory diseases, the third leading cause of death in the United States in 2015 and the fourth leading cause in 2016. * Major risk factors include tobacco exposure, occupational and environmental exposures, respiratory infections, and genetics. † State variations in COPD outcomes (1) suggest that it might be more common in states with large rural areas. To assess urban-rural variations in COPD prevalence, hospitalizations, and mortality; obtain county-level estimates; and update state-level variations in COPD measures, CDC analyzed 2015 data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), Medicare hospital records, and death certificate data from the National Vital Statistics System (NVSS). Overall, 15.5 million adults aged ≥18 years (5.9% age-adjusted prevalence) reported ever receiving a diagnosis of COPD; there were approximately 335,000 Medicare hospitalizations (11.5 per 1,000 Medicare enrollees aged ≥65 years) and 150,350 deaths in which COPD was listed as the underlying cause for persons of all ages (40.3 per 100,000 population). COPD prevalence, Medicare hospitalizations, and deaths were significantly higher among persons living in rural areas than among those living in micropolitan or metropolitan areas. Among seven states in the highest quartile for all three measures, Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, and West Virginia were also in the upper quartile (≥18%) for rural residents. Overcoming barriers to prevention, early diagnosis, treatment, and management of COPD with primary care provider education, Internet access, physical activity and self-management programs, and improved access to pulmonary rehabilitation and oxygen therapy are needed to improve quality of life and reduce COPD mortality.
Performance Management Information Systems as IT Artefacts: Characterization and Theorization from the User's Perspective

Calls have been made to characterize and theorize performance management information systems (PMIS). In this study, we propose to characterize the PMIS artefact with an approach that returns the user perspective to the forefront. The PMIS of sixteen SMEs are characterized from their users' perspective in terms of their specific attributes as systems dedicated to managing performance. The variety of contexts and configurations of these systems is of particular interest while looking for the principles that underlie their empirical manifestations. Results provide a conceptual framework for the characterization, design and evaluation of PMIS artefacts.
Randomized controlled trials in children’s heart surgery in the 21st century: a systematic review

Abstract OBJECTIVES Randomized controlled trials are the gold standard for evaluating health care interventions, yet are uncommon in children’s heart surgery. We conducted a systematic review of clinical trials in paediatric cardiac surgery to evaluate the scope and quality of the current international literature. METHODS We searched MEDLINE, CENTRAL and LILACS, and manually screened retrieved references and systematic reviews to identify all randomized controlled trials reporting the effect of any intervention on the conduct or outcomes of heart surgery in children published in any language since January 2000; secondary publications and those reporting inseparable adult data were excluded. Two reviewers independently screened studies for eligibility and extracted data; the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool was used to assess for potential biases. RESULTS We identified 333 trials from 34 countries randomizing 23 902 children. Most were early phase (313, 94.0%), recruiting few patients (median 45, interquartile range 28–82), and only 11 (3.3%) directly evaluated a surgical intervention. One hundred and nine (32.7%) trials calculated a sample size, 52 (15.6%) reported a CONSORT diagram, 51 (15.3%) were publicly registered and 25 (7.5%) had a Data Monitoring Committee. The overall risk of bias was low in 22 (6.6%), high in 69 (20.7%) and unclear in 242 (72.7%). CONCLUSIONS The recent literature in children’s heart surgery contains few late-phase clinical trials. Most trials did not conform to the accepted standards of reporting, and the overall risk of bias was low in few studies. There is a need for high-quality, multicentre clinical trials to provide a robust evidence base for contemporary paediatric cardiac surgical practice.
The effect of magneto-rheological fluid on vibration suppression capability of adaptive sandwich plates: Experimental and finite element analysis

This article presents an experimental and theoretical study of vibration analysis of a magneto-rheological fluid-based sandwich plate. Two sandwich plates consisting of polyethylene terephthalate face layers were fabricated with two different magneto-rheological fluids (MRF-132DG and MRF-122EG) as the core layer and silicon rubber spacer as the sealant. The dynamic responses of the cantilever sandwich plate were experimentally characterized. A finite element model based on the Classical Plate Theory was formulated to obtain governing equations of motion of the multi-layer magneto-rheological plate. The complex shear modulus of each magneto-rheological fluid in the pre-yield region was described by a phenomenological model as a function of the magnetic flux density and excitation frequency. The results clearly showed enhanced vibration suppression properties of the magneto-rheological sandwich plate over a broad frequency range through variations in both the stiffness and damping.
Meta Distribution of Downlink Non-Orthogonal Multiple Access (NOMA) in Poisson Networks

We study the meta distribution (MD) of the coverage probability (CP) in downlink non-orthogonal-multiple-access (NOMA) networks. Two schemes are assessed based on the location of the NOMA users: 1) anywhere in the network and 2) cell-center users only. The moments of the MD for both schemes are derived and the MD is approximated via the beta distribution. Closed-form moments are derived for the first scheme; for the second scheme exact and approximate moments, to simplify the integral calculation, are derived. We show that restricting NOMA to cell-center users provides significantly higher mean, lower variance and better percentile performance for the CP.
How can we explain the emergence of a language that benefits the hearer but not the speaker?

In this paper, we explore various adaptive factors that can influence the emergence of a communication system that benefits the receiver of signals (the hearer) but not the emitter (the speaker). Using computer simulations of a population of interacting agents whose behaviour is determined by a neural network, we show that a stable communication system does not emerge in groups of unrelated individuals because of its altruistic character. None the less, another set of simulations shows that the emergence of a language that confers an advantage only to hearers, not to speakers, is possible under at least three conditions: (1) if the hearer and the speaker tend to share the same genes, as predicted by kin selection theory; (2) if the population is ‘docile’ and the communication system is culturally transmitted together with other adaptive behaviours, as predicted by Simon’s docility theory; and (3) if the linguistic system is used not only for social communication, but also for talking to oneself, in particular as an aid to memory.
Bi-Directional CLLC Converter With Synchronous Rectification for Plug-In Electric Vehicles

This paper presents an innovative technique for synchronous rectification in a bidirectional CLLC converter with an integrated transformer for plug-in electric vehicle applications. To improve efficiency and power density, the integrated transformer is introduced and simulated using finite element analysis. In addition, synchronous rectification is implemented by controlling the turn-on and turn-off timings based on the phase difference between primary gate pulse and secondary resonant current. Furthermore, a simplified closed-loop design is discussed and implemented on a digital signal processor (TMS320F28335). The effectiveness of the control loop is verified through a 3.3 kW proof-of-concept prototype with peak efficiency of 97.5%.
Using a Vocoder-Based Frequency-Lowering Method and Spectral Enhancement to Improve Place-of-Articulation Perception for Hearing-Impaired Listeners

Objectives: This study describes a vocoder-based frequency-lowering system that enhances spectral cues for nonsonorant consonants differing in place of articulation. The goal of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of this system for speech recognition by hearing-impaired listeners. Design: Experiment 1 evaluated fricative consonant recognition in quiet. Eight fricatives in /VCV/ context were used. Experiment 2 evaluated consonant recognition in quiet with 22 consonants. Six listeners with steeply sloping high-frequency sensorineural hearing loss participated in experiment 1. The same six listeners and three additional listeners with flat/mid-frequency sensorineural hearing loss participated in experiment 2. Two processing conditions—frequency lowering and conventional amplification—were tested in each experiment. Insertion gains based on the NAL-RP formula were provided up to 8000 Hz for each processing condition. In addition, speech stimuli were low-pass (LP) filtered at 1000, 1500, and 2000 Hz to evaluate the effect of lack of high-frequency speech information on consonant perception with and without frequency lowering. For these LP speech conditions, amplification was provided up to the cutoff frequencies. Overall percent correct and percent information transmission were calculated for each processing and speech condition. Results: The frequency-lowering system provided significant benefit for the perception of fricative consonants and perception of the place-of-articulation feature for hearing-impaired listeners without affecting their perception of sonorant consonants and other consonant features (i.e., voicing and nasality). The improvement of fricative consonant perception was observed for both wideband and LP speech conditions for the steeply sloping hearing-loss listeners. Conclusions: The results indicate that individuals with unaidable hearing loss above 1000 to 2000 Hz would receive significant benefit with the system compared with conventional amplification for the perception of fricative consonants, and more importantly, significant benefit for the perception of place of articulation.
A fast and effective Extreme learning machine algorithm without tuning

Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) is a major machine learning technique inspired by biological neural networks. However, the process of its parameter tuning is usually tedious and time consuming, and thus it becomes a major bottleneck for it being efficiently applied and used by nonexperts. In this paper, a novel ANN algorithm, termed as Automatic Regularized Extreme Learning Machine (AR-ELM), based on a Regularized Extreme Learning Machine (RELM) using ridge regression is proposed. It is a true automatic ANN learning algorithm in the sense that it can automatically identify the appropriate essential system parameter according to the input data without the need of user intervention. Since this method is based on a relatively straightforward formula, it can achieve very fast learning speed. The simulation results shows that the proposed AR-ELM algorithm can achieve comparable results to tedious cross-validation tuned RELM. Furthermore, we also systematically investigate one of the biggest concerns of ELM, its randomness nature, caused by randomly generated parameters.
THE CAUSES OF EPISTASIS IN GENETIC NETWORKS

Epistasis refers to the nonadditive interactions between genes in determining phenotypes. Considerable efforts have shown that, even for a given organism, epistasis may vary both in intensity and sign. Recent comparative studies supported that the overall sign of epistasis switches from positive to negative as the complexity of an organism increases, and it has been hypothesized that this change shall be a consequence of the underlying gene network properties. Why should this be the case? What characteristics of genetic networks determine the sign of epistasis? Here we show, by evolving genetic networks that differ in their complexity and robustness against perturbations but that perform the same tasks, that robustness increased with complexity and that epistasis was positive for small nonrobust networks but negative for large robust ones. Our results indicate that robustness and negative epistasis emerge as a consequence of the existence of redundant elements in regulatory structures of genetic networks and that the correlation between complexity and epistasis is a byproduct of such redundancy, allowing for the decoupling of epistasis from the underlying network complexity.