Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Elite Junior Australian Football Players Experience Significantly Different Loads Across Levels of Competition and Training Modes

Abstract Lathlean, TJH, Gastin, PB, Newstead, S, and Finch, CF. Elite junior Australian football players experience significantly different loads across levels of competition and training modes. J Strength Cond Res 32(7): 2031–2038, 2018—Well-developed physical qualities such as high jumping ability, running endurance, acceleration, and speed can help aspiring junior elite Australian football (AF) players transition to the Australian Football League competition. To do so, players need to experience sufficient load to enhance their physical resilience without increasing their risk of negative outcomes in terms of impaired wellness or injury. The aim of this study was to investigate the differences in load for different levels of competition and training modes across one competitive season. Elite junior AF players (n = 562, aged 17.7 ± 0.3, range: 16–18 years) were recruited from 9 teams across the under-18 state league competition in Victoria. All players recorded their training and match intensities according to the session rating of perceived exertion method. Training sessions were categorized according to skills, strength, conditioning, and other activities, whereas matches were identified according to level of competition. The loads in U18 state league matches (656.7 ± 210.9 au) were significantly higher (p = 0.027) than those in school matches (643.3 ± 260.9 au) and those in U18 representative matches (617.2 ± 175.4). Players, who undertook more than one match per week, experienced significantly less load in subsequent matches (p < 0.001). Furthermore, U18 state league training sessions carried the most load when compared with other training modes. This article highlights that different combinations of training and match involvement affect overall player load, which may predispose players to negative outcomes such as impaired wellness or increased injury risk.
Effects of Laparoscopic Hernia Repair by PIRS (Percutaneous Internal Ring Suturing) Technique on Testicular Artery Blood Supply

Inguinal hernia repair is one of the most commonly performed surgical procedures in childhood. For many years, the golden standard of treatment of inguinal hernia was high ligation and division of the sac by an open inguinal approach.1 In 1990s, when laparoscopic surgery became more popular among pediatric surgeons, many successful laparoscopic inguinal hernia repairs were reported.2 Many laparoscopic techniques have been described but none become golden standard for inguinal hernia repair in children. In 2004, percutaneous internal ring suturing (PIRS) was first time introduced by Patkowski.3 It involves the percutaneous closure of the internal inguinal ring under the control of a laparoscope placed through the umbilical port. First reports of PIRS technique had been associated with higher rates of ipsilateral recurrence and residual hydroceles3,4 This had been attributed to several factors such as the inexperience of the surgeons, the use of absorbable suture, the use of a single suture or larger defects. More recent publications report lower recurrence and complications rate.4,5 Recently, published meta-analysis had shown the rate of recurrence of 0.7% which is very similar to open surgery.1,4 An incidence of complications in hands of experienced laparoscopic pediatric surgeon is very low. The most common reported complications are injury of blood vessels, recurrence, hydrocele formation, knot reaction, severe pain, and scrotal swelling.4 An advantage of the PIRS technique is better visualization of the peritoneal cavity, and thus the ability to detect other abnormalities or repair a contralateral open inguinal ring that would be a potential hidden hernia.
Biodegradability of nonwoven flax fiber reinforced polylactic acid biocomposites

Biocomposites of flax reinforced polylactic acid (PLA) were made using a new technique incorporating an air-laying nonwoven process. PLA and flax fibers were mixed and converted to the webs in the air-laying process. Prepregs were then made from the fiber webs by thermal consolidation. The prepregs were finally converted to composites by compression molding. This study was investigated the biodegradability and water absorption properties of the composites. The composites were incubated in compost under controlled conditions. The percentage weight loss and the reduction in mechanical properties of PLA and biocomposites were determined at different time intervals. It was found that with increasing flax content, the mechanical properties of the biocomposites decreased more during the burial trial. The increasing of flax content led to the acceleration of weight loss due to preferential degradation of flax. This was further confirmed by the surface morphology of the biodegraded composites from scanning electron microscope image analysis. Morphological observations indicated severe disruption of biocomposites structure between 60 and 120 days of incubation.
Mechanisms of explosive volcanism on Mercury: Implications from its global distribution and morphology

The identification of widespread pyroclastic vents and deposits on Mercury has important implications for the planet's bulk volatile content and thermal evolution. However, the significance of pyroclastic volcanism for Mercury depends on the mechanisms by which the eruptions occurred. Using images acquired by the MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging spacecraft, we have identified 150 sites where endogenic pits are surrounded by a relatively bright and red diffuse‐edged spectral anomaly, a configuration previously used to identify sites of explosive volcanism. We find that these sites cluster at the margins of impact basins and along regional tectonic structural trends. Locally, pits and deposits are usually associated with zones of weakness within impact craters and/or with the surface expressions of individual thrust faults. Additionally, we use images and stereo‐derived topographic data to show that pyroclastic deposits are dispersed up to 130 km from their source vent and commonly have either no relief or low circumpit relief within a wider, thinner deposit. These eruptions were therefore likely driven by a relatively high concentration of volatiles, consistent with volatile concentration in a shallow magma chamber prior to eruption. The colocation of sites of explosive volcanism with near‐surface faults and crater‐related fractures is likely a result of such structures acting as conduits for volatile and/or magma release from shallow reservoirs, with volatile overpressure in these reservoirs a key trigger for eruption in at least some cases. Our findings suggest that widespread, long‐lived explosive volcanism on Mercury has been facilitated by the interplay between impact cratering, tectonic structures, and magmatic fractionation.
Neuronal Genes for Subcutaneous Fat Thickness in Human and Pig Are Identified by Local Genomic Sequencing and Combined SNP Association Study

Obesity represents a major global public health problem that increases the risk for cardiovascular or metabolic disease. The pigs represent an exceptional biomedical model related to energy metabolism and obesity in humans. To pinpoint causal genetic factors for a common form of obesity, we conducted local genomic de novo sequencing, 18.2 Mb, of a porcine QTL region affecting fatness traits, and carried out SNP association studies for backfat thickness and intramuscular fat content in pigs. In order to relate the association studies in pigs to human obesity, we performed a targeted genome wide association study for subcutaneous fat thickness in a cohort population of 8,842 Korean individuals. These combined association studies in human and pig revealed a significant SNP located in a gene family with sequence similarity 73, member A (FAM73A) associated with subscapular skin-fold thickness in humans (rs4121165, GC-corrected p-value = 0.0000175) and with backfat thickness in pigs (ASGA0029495, p-value = 0.000031). Our combined association studies also suggest that eight neuronal genes are responsible for subcutaneous fat thickness: NEGR1, SLC44A5, PDE4B, LPHN2, ELTD1, ST6GALNAC3, ST6GALNAC5, and TTLL7. These results provide strong support for a major involvement of the CNS in the genetic predisposition to a common form of obesity.
A Thirty-Year Survey Reveals That Ecosystem Function of Fungi Predicts Phenology of Mushroom Fruiting

Mushroom fruiting, the reproduction of fungi, has broad implications for forest health, terrestrial biomass turnover, and global carbon cycle. However, little is known about the difference in phenology and environmental drivers of mushroom fruiting between functional guilds, e.g., ectomycorrhizal (ECM) mutualists and saprotrophs (SAP). There is a remarkable difference between ECM and SAP fungi in their available carbon sources and lifecycles, and thus these fungal groups are likely to differ in fruiting phenology. We analyzed intra- and inter-annual phenological patterns of mushroom fruiting throughout the year using a long-term census dataset of mushroom-forming fungi in a Japanese oak forest in which a total of 11,923 mushroom counts (668 species) were recorded during monthly intervals from 1982 to 2011. ECM fungi showed a unimodal seasonal fruiting peak from mid-summer to early autumn; litter-decomposing fungi showed moderate fruiting peaks from early summer or early autumn, and the phenology of wood-decomposing fungi varied considerably among the genera. Each functional group was controlled by a different set of external factors; temperature and rainfall increased ECM fungal fruiting, but key factors substantially differed among the genera of litter- and wood-decomposing fungi in taxon-specific ways. Our results suggest that fungal fruiting phenology may be affected by the seasonality of carbohydrate availability. The highly scheduled reproduction of ECM fungi may reflect temperature-dependent increases and drought-induced decreases of photosynthetic activity in host plants rather than improved growth conditions for fungi during the summer. We argue that the way a fungus obtains carbohydrates may explain a substantial fraction of the fruiting phenology, which may make a differential contribution to the community structure of fungus-associated organisms and terrestrial biomass turnover based on fungal functional groups.
A Comprehensive Survey of miRNA Repertoire and 3′ Addition Events in the Placentas of Patients with Pre-Eclampsia from High-Throughput Sequencing

Background To gain insight into potential roles of isomiR spectrum and isomiRs with 3′ additions in pre-eclampsia, we performed a comprehensive survey of miRNA repertoire and 3′ addition events from placental samples with different degrees of pre-eclampsia by applying SOLiD sequencing platform. Principal Findings Over 30% isomiRs were detected with 3′ non-template additional nucleotides, especially for additional nucleotide of adenosine. However, these modified isomiRs showed a lower percentage of total miRNA expression (<15%). Generally, 1-3 abundant isomiRs from a given miRNA locus were identified, but none of them was detected with 3′ additions. Different miRNAs indicated various isomiR spectrums and expression patterns. The most abundant isomiR spectrum, isomiR profile and expression pattern always were stability, but herein we found several exceptions across samples, especially between normal and diseased samples. At isomiR level, we detected a distinct subset of differentially expressed modified isomiRs between normal and diseased samples or between mild and severe samples. Gene Ontology analysis of their experimentally validated target genes revealed enrichment for specific biological process categories. Conclusions The phenomenon of multiple isomiRs, especially for isomiRs with 3′ additions, is not a random event during pre-miRNA processing. Varieties of isomiRs and expression patterns reveal potential functional implication and should be taken into account. The study enriches association of miRNAs and human disease, including potential roles of various miRNA variants and 3′ addition events.
Nested graphs: A model to efficiently distribute multi‐agent systems on HPC clusters

Computational simulation is becoming increasingly important in numerous research fields. Depending on the modeled system, several methods such as differential equations or Monte‐Carlo simulations may be used to represent the system behavior. The amount of computation and memory needed to run a simulation depends on its size and precision, and large simulations usually lead to long runs, thus requiring to adapt the model to a parallel system. Complex systems are often simulated using multi‐agent systems (MASs). While linear system based models benefit from a large set of tools to take advantage of parallel resources, multi‐agent systems suffer from a lack of platforms that ease the use of such resources. In this paper, we propose the use of Nested Graphs for a new modeling approach that allows the design of large, complex, and multi‐scale multi‐agent models, which can efficiently be distributed on parallel resources. Nested Graphs are formally defined and are illustrated on the well‐known predator‐prey model. We also introduce PDMAS (parallel and distributed multi‐agent system): a platform that implements the Nested Graph modeling approach to ease the distribution of multi‐agent models on High Performance Computing clusters. Performance results are presented to validate the efficiency of the resulting models.
Optimal Rates of Sketched-regularized Algorithms for Least-Squares Regression over Hilbert Spaces

We investigate regularized algorithms combining with projection for least-squares regression problem over a Hilbert space, covering nonparametric regression over a reproducing kernel Hilbert space. We prove convergence results with respect to variants of norms, under a capacity assumption on the hypothesis space and a regularity condition on the target function. As a result, we obtain optimal rates for regularized algorithms with randomized sketches, provided that the sketch dimension is proportional to the effective dimension up to a logarithmic factor. As a byproduct, we obtain similar results for Nystr\"{o}m regularized algorithms. Our results are the first ones with optimal, distribution-dependent rates that do not have any saturation effect for sketched/Nystr\"{o}m regularized algorithms, considering both the attainable and non-attainable cases.
Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae grows as aggregates in the lung of pigs: is it time to refine our in vitro biofilm assays?

Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae causes porcine pleuropneumonia and forms biofilms in vitro on abiotic surfaces; however, presence of biofilms during infections has not been documented. The aim of this study was to use a species‐specific fluorescent oligonucleotide probe and confocal microscopy to localize A. pleuropneumoniae in the lungs of two naturally infected pigs. Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae was detected by fluorescence in situ hybridization and observed to grow as aggregates (~30–45 μm) during a natural infection. As the A. pleuropneumoniae aggregates observed in porcine lungs differed from the biofilms grown on a solid surface obtained in vitro, we designed a new biofilm assay using agarose, a porous substrate, favouring the formation of aggregates. In this study, we described for the first time the mode of growth of A. pleuropneumoniae during a natural infection in pigs. We also propose an in vitro biofilm assay for A. pleuropneumoniae using a porous substrate which allows the formation of aggregates. This assay might be more representative of the in vivo situation, at least in terms of the size of the bacterial aggregates and the presence of a porous matrix, and could potentially be used to test the susceptibility of A. pleuropneumoniae aggregates to antibiotics and disinfectants.
Insights on Assistive Orientation and Mobility of People with Visual Impairment Based on Large-Scale Longitudinal Data

Assistive applications for orientation and mobility promote independence for people with visual impairment (PVI). While typical design and evaluation of such applications involves small-sample iterative studies, we analyze large-scale longitudinal data from a geographically diverse population. Our publicly released dataset from iMove, a mobile app supporting orientation of PVI, contains millions of interactions by thousands of users over a year. Our analysis (i) examines common functionalities, settings, assistive features, and movement modalities in iMove dataset and (ii) discovers user communities based on interaction patterns. We find that the most popular interaction mode is passive, where users receive more notifications, often verbose, while in motion and perform fewer actions. The use of built-in assistive features such as enlarged text indicate a high presence of users with residual sight. Users fall into three distinct groups: (C1) users interested in surrounding points of interest, (C2) users interacting in short bursts to inquire about current location, and (C3) users with long active sessions while in motion. iMove was designed with C3 in mind, and one strength of our contribution is providing meaningful semantics for unanticipated groups, C1 and C2. Our analysis reveals insights that can be generalized to other assistive orientation and mobility applications.
Cognitive performance and aphasia recovery

Abstract Objectives This study assessed cognitive performance of subjects with aphasia during the acute stage of stroke and evaluated how such performance relates to recovery at 3 months. Materials & methods Patients with aphasia following a left hemisphere stroke were evaluated during the first (baseline) and the fourth-month post onset. Assessment comprised non-verbal tests of attention/processing speed (Symbol Search, Cancelation Task), executive functioning (Matrix Reasoning, Tower of Hanoi, Clock Drawing, Motor Initiative), semantic (Camel and Cactus Test), episodic and immediate memory (Memory for Faces Test, 5 Objects Memory Test, and Spatial Span. Recovery was measured by the Token Test score at 3 months. The impact of baseline performance on recovery was evaluated by logistic regression adjusting for age, education, severity of aphasia and the Alberta Stroke Program Early CT (ASPECT) score. Results Thirty-nine subjects (with a mean of 66.5 ± 10.6 years of age, 17 men) were included. Average baseline cognitive performance was within normal range in all tests except in memory tests (semantic, episodic and immediate memory) for which scores were ≤−1.5sd. Subjects with poor aphasia recovery (N = 27) were older and had fewer years of formal education but had identical ASPECT score compared to those with favorable recovery. Considering each test individually, the score obtained on the Matrix Reasoning test was the only one to predict aphasia recovery (Exp(B)=24.085 p = 0.038). Conclusions The Matrix Reasoning Test may contribute to predict aphasia recovery. Cognitive performance is a measure of network disruption but may also indicate the availability of recovery strategies.
Human Metapneumovirus: Insights from a Ten-Year Molecular and Epidemiological Analysis in Germany

Human metapneumovirus (HMPV) is a cause of respiratory tract illness at all ages. In this study the epidemiological and molecular diversity among patients of different ages was investigated. Between 2000–2001 and 2009–2010, HMPV was detected in 3% (138/4,549) of samples from outpatients with influenza-like illness with a new, sensitive real-time RT-PCR assay. Several hundred (797) clinical specimens from hospitalized children below the age of 4 years with acute respiratory illness were investigated and HMPV was detected in 11.9% of them. Investigation of outpatients revealed that HMPV infections occurred in individuals of all ages but were most prevalent in children (0–4 years) and the elderly (>60 years). The most present clinical features of HMPV infections were cough, bronchitis, fever/shivers and pneumonia. About two thirds of HMPV-positive samples were detected in February and March throughout the study period. Molecular characterization of HMPV revealed a complex cyclic pattern of group dominance where HMPV subgroup A and B viruses predominated in general for three consecutive seasons. German HMPV represented all genetic lineages including A1, A2, B1, B2, sub-clusters A2a and A2b. For Germany, not only time-dependent circulation of lineages and sub-clusters was observed but also co-circulation of two or three predominant lineages. Two newly emerging amino acid substitutions (positions 223 and 280) of lineage B2 were detected in seven German HMPV sequences. Our study gives new insights into the molecular epidemiology of HMPV in in- and outpatients over a time period of 10 years for the first time. It is one of only few long-term surveillance studies in Europe, and allows comparative molecular analyses of HMPV circulating worldwide.
Fake news propagate differently from real news even at early stages of spreading

Social media can be a double-edged sword for modern communications, either a convenient channel exchanging ideas or an unexpected conduit circulating fake news through a large population. Existing studies of fake news focus on efforts on theoretical modelling of propagation or identification methods based on black-box machine learning, neglecting the possibility of identifying fake news using only structural features of propagation of fake news compared to those of real news and in particular the ability to identify fake news at early stages of propagation. Here we track large databases of fake news and real news in both, Twitter in Japan and its counterpart Weibo in China, and accumulate their complete traces of re-posting. It is consistently revealed in both media that fake news spreads distinctively, even at early stages of spreading, in a structure that resembles multiple broadcasters, while real news circulates with a dominant source. A novel predictability feature emerges from this difference in their propagation networks, offering new paths of early detection of fake news in social media. Instead of commonly used features like texts or users for fake news identification, our finding demonstrates collective structural signals that could be useful for filtering out fake news at early stages of their propagation evolution.
Bandwidth-Efficient Multipath Transport Protocol for Quality-Guaranteed Real-Time Video Over Heterogeneous Wireless Networks

Recent technological advancements in wireless infrastructures and handheld devices enable mobile users to concurrently receive multimedia contents with different radio interfaces (e.g., cellular and Wi-Fi). However, multipath video transport over the resource-limited and error-prone wireless networks is challenged with key technical issues: 1) conventional multipath protocols are throughput-oriented, and video data are scheduled in a content-agnostic fashion and 2) high-quality real-time video is bandwidth-intensive and delay-sensitive. To address these critical problems, this paper proposes a bandwidth-efficient multipath streaming (BEMA) protocol featured by the priority-aware data scheduling and forward error correction-based reliable transmission. First, we present a mathematical framework to formulate the delay-constrained distortion minimization problem for concurrent video transmission over multiple wireless access networks. Second, we develop a joint Raptor coding and data distribution framework to achieve target video quality with minimum bandwidth consumption. The proposed BEMA is able to effectively mitigate packet reordering and path asymmetry to improve network utilization. We conduct performance evaluation through extensive emulations in Exata involving real-time H.264 video streaming. Compared with the existing multipath protocols, BEMA achieves appreciable improvements in terms of video peak signal-to-noise ratio, end-to-end delay, bandwidth utilization, and goodput. Therefore, BEMA is recommended for streaming high-quality real-time video to multihomed terminals in heterogeneous wireless networks.