Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Assessing the impact of a targeted plyometric training on changes in selected kinematic parameters of the swimming start.

PURPOSE The aim of this study was to analyse changes taking place within selected kinematic parameters of the swimming start, after completing a six-week plyometric training, assuming that the take-off power training improves its effectiveness. METHODS The experiment included nine male swimmers. In the pre-test the swimmers performed three starts focusing on the best performance. Next, a plyometric training programme, adapted from sprint running, was introduced in order to increase a power of the lower extremities. The programme entailed 75 minute sessions conducted twice a week. Afterwards, a post-test was performed, analogous to the pre-test. Spatio-temporal structure data of the swimming start were gathered from video recordings of the swimmer above and under water. RESULTS Impulses triggered by the plyometric training contributed to a shorter start time (the main measure of start effectiveness) and glide time as well as increasing average take-off, flight and glide velocities including take-off, entry and glide instantaneous velocities. The glide angle decreased. CONCLUSIONS The changes in selected parameters of the swimming start and its confirmed diagnostic values, showed the areas to be susceptible to plyometric training and suggested that applied plyometric training programme aimed at increasing take-off power enhances the effectiveness of the swimming start.
Insulin resistance associated with lower rates of weight gain in Pima

Insulin resistance is commonly associated with obesity and noninsulin-dependent diabetes. Whereas it predicts the development of diabetes, its effect on body weight change is unknown. We measured glucose disposal rates at submaximallyand maximally-stimulating insulin concentrations in 192 nondiabetic Pima Indians and followed their weight change over 3.5±1.8 y (mean±SD). Results: (a) Insulin-resistant subjects gained less weight than insulin-sensitive subjects (3.1 vs. 7.6 kg, P < 0.0001). (b) The percent weight change per year correlated with glucose disposal at submaximally(r = 0.19, P < 0.01) and maximallystimulating (r = 0.34, P < 0.0001) insulin concentrations independent of sex, age, initial weight, and 24-h energy expenditure; the correlations were stronger for glucose oxidation than for glucose storage. (c) Weight gain was associated with an increase in insulin resistance more than four times that predicted from the cross-sectional data. We conclude that insulin resistance is associated with a reduced risk of weight gain in nondiabetic Pima
Norepinephrine versus Ephedrine to Maintain Arterial Blood Pressure during Spinal Anesthesia for Cesarean Delivery: A Prospective Double-blinded Trial

Background: Ephedrine was conventionally regarded as the first-choice drug to maintain maternal blood pressure during spinal anesthesia for cesarean delivery, due to its stimulant activity on α- and β-adrenergic receptors. Norepinephrine is a weak β-adrenergic and potent α-adrenergic receptor agonist. Therefore, it may be suitable for maintaining blood pressure with less chronotropic effects compared to ephedrine. Patients and Methods: One hundred and forty healthy patients having cesarean delivery under spinal anesthesia were randomized to Group N (n = 61) who received a prophylactic bolus of norepinephrine 5 μg intravenous (i.v.) at the time of intrathecal block or Group E (n = 61) who received a prophylactic bolus of i.v. ephedrine 10 mg. Rescue i.v. bolus interventions of norepinephrine 5 μg or ephedrine 10 mg were given as required to maintain systolic blood pressure. Maternal and fetal hemodynamic variables, Apgar score, and number of boluses of vasopressors used were recorded. Results: The numbers of maternal hypotension and hypertension episodes and the frequency of bradycardia and tachycardia were significantly lower in Group N compared with Group E (P = 0.02, 0.003, 0.0002, and 0.008, respectively). The number of boluses of vasopressors used was also lower in Group N (P = 0.005). Uterine artery pulsatility index was lower in Group N compared to Group E (P = 0.01) when measured 5 min after spinal anesthesia. Moreover, it was higher at 5 min in Group E when compared with the baseline readings in the same group (P = 0.001). Conclusions: Norepinephrine is a suitable and potent drug to counterbalance the hemodynamic effects of spinal anesthesia during cesarean delivery.
A Dynamic Model of Vaccine Compliance: How Fake News Undermined the Danish HPV Vaccine Program

Abstract Increased vaccine hesitancy presents challenges to public health and undermines efforts to eradicate diseases such as measles, rubella, and polio. The decline is partly attributed to misconceptions that are shared on social media, such as the debunked association between vaccines and autism. Perhaps, more damaging to vaccine uptake are cases where trusted mainstream media run stories that exaggerate the risks associated with vaccines. It is important to understand the underlying causes of vaccine refusal, because these may be prevented, or countered, in a timely manner by educational campaigns. In this article, we develop a dynamic model of vaccine compliance that can help pinpoint events that disrupted vaccine compliance. We apply the framework to Danish HPV vaccine data, which experienced a sharp decline in compliance following the broadcast of a controversial TV documentary, and we show that media coverage significantly predicts vaccine uptake.
OMI-measured increasing SO 2 emissions due to energy industry expansion and relocation in northwestern China

Abstract. The rapid growth of economy makes China the largest energy consumer and sulfur dioxide (SO2) emitter in the world. In this study, we estimated the trends and step changes in the planetary boundary layer (PBL) vertical column density (VCD) of SO2 from 2005 to 2015 over China measured by the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI). We show that these trends and step change years coincide with the effective date and period of the national strategy for energy development and relocation in northwestern China and the regulations in the reduction of SO2 emissions. Under the national regulations for the reduction of SO2 emissions in eastern and southern China, SO2 VCD in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) of southern China exhibited the largest decline during 2005–2015 at a rate of −7 % yr−1, followed by the North China Plain (NCP) (−6.7 % yr−1), Sichuan Basin (−6.3 % yr−1), and Yangtze River Delta (YRD) (−6 % yr−1). The Mann–Kendall (MK) test reveals the step change points of declining SO2 VCD in 2009 for the PRD and 2012–2013 for eastern China responding to the implementation of SO2 control regulation in these regions. In contrast, the MK test and regression analysis also revealed increasing trends of SO2 VCD in northwestern China, particularly for several hot spots featured by growing SO2 VCD in those large-scale energy industry bases in northwestern China. The enhanced SO2 VCD is potentially attributable to increasing SO2 emissions due to the development of large-scale energy industry bases in energy-abundant northwestern China under the national strategy for the energy safety of China in the 21st century. We show that these large-scale energy industry bases could overwhelm the trends and changes in provincial total SO2 emissions in northwestern China and contribute increasingly to the national total SO2 emissions in China. Given that northwestern China is more ecologically fragile and uniquely susceptible to atmospheric pollution than the rest of China, increasing SO2 emissions in this part of China should not be overlooked and merit scientific research.
Factors affecting adoption of mobile banking in Pakistan: Empirical Evidence

In this research paper we investigated the determinants likely to influence the adoption of mobile banking services, with a special focus on under banked/unbanked low-income population of Pakistan. The adoption of mobile banking services has been a strategic goal, both for banks and telcos. For this purpose, Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) was used, with additional determinants of perceived risk and social influence. Data was collected by surveying 372 respondents from the two largest cities (Karachi and Hyderabad) of the province Sindh, in Pakistan using judgement sampling method. This study empirically concluded that consumers’ intention to adopt mobile banking services was significantly influenced by social influence, perceived risk, perceived usefulness, and perceived ease of use. The most significant positive impact was of social influence on consumers’ intention to adopt mobile banking services. The paper concluded with discussion on results, and several business implications for the banking industry of Pakistan.
Synaptic plasticity after chemical deafening and electrical stimulation of the auditory nerve in cats

The effects of deafness on brain structure and function have been studied using animal models of congenital deafness that include surgical ablation of the organ of Corti, acoustic trauma, ototoxic drugs, and hereditary deafness. This report describes the morphologic plasticity of auditory nerve synapses in response to ototoxic deafening and chronic electrical stimulation of the auditory nerve. Normal kittens were deafened by neonatal administration of neomycin that eliminated auditory receptor cells. Some of these cats were raised deaf, whereas others were chronically implanted with cochlear electrodes at 2 months of age and electrically stimulated for up to 12 months. The large endings of the auditory nerve, endbulbs of Held, were studied because they hold a key position in the timing pathway for sound localization, are readily identifiable, and exhibit deafness‐associated abnormalities. Compared with those of normal hearing cats, synapses of ototoxically deafened cats displayed expanded postsynaptic densities, a 35.4% decrease in synaptic vesicle (SV) density, and a reduction in the somatic size of spherical bushy cells (SBCs). In comparison with normal hearing cats, ototoxically deafened cats that received cochlear stimulation had endbulbs that expressed postsynaptic densities (PSDs) that were statistically identical in size, showed a 48.1% reduction in SV density, and whose target SBCs had a 25.5% reduction in soma area. These results demonstrate that electrical stimulation via a cochlear implant in chemically deafened cats preserves PSD size but not other aspects of synapse morphology. This determination further suggests that the effects of ototoxic deafness are not identical to those of hereditary deafness. J. Comp. Neurol. 518:1046–1063, 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Replication and p Intervals: p Values Predict the Future Only Vaguely, but Confidence Intervals Do Much Better

Replication is fundamental to science, so statistical analysis should give information about replication. Because p values dominate statistical analysis in psychology, it is important to ask what p says about replication. The answer to this question is “Surprisingly little. ” In one simulation of 25 repetitions of a typical experiment, p varied from <. 001 to . 76, thus illustrating that p is a very unreliable measure. This article shows that, if an initial experiment results in two-tailed p = . 05, there is an 80% chance the one-tailed p value from a replication will fall in the interval (.00008, .44), a 10% chance that p <. 00008, and fully a 10% chance that p >. 44. Remarkably, the interval—termed a p interval—is this wide however large the sample size. p is so unreliable and gives such dramatically vague information that it is a poor basis for inference. Confidence intervals, however, give much better information about replication. Researchers should minimize the role of p by using confidence intervals and model-fitting techniques and by adopting meta-analytic thinking.
Bottleneck Analysis for Routing and Call Scheduling in Multi-Hop Wireless Networks

In this paper, we address the routing and call scheduling problem in which one has to find a minimum-length schedule of selected links in a TDMA (time division multiple access) based wireless network. As we deal with multi-hop networks, these selected links represent a routing solution (paths) providing enough capacity to achieve the routers requirements of bandwidth. We present a cross-layer formulation of the problem that computes joint routing and scheduling. We use a branch-and-price algorithm to solve optimally the problem. A column generation algorithm is used to cope with the exponential set of rounds. The branch-and-bound algorithm provides mono-routing. We run experiments on networks from the literature, with different number of gateways. Experimental results as well as theoretical insights let us conjecture that the bottleneck region analysis is enough to find the optimal solution. The Integer Round-Up Property (IRUP) seems to hold for our problem.
Use of the Duplex TaqMan PCR System for Detection of Shiga-Like Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli O157

ABSTRACT Real-time PCR assays have been applied for the detection and quantification of pathogens in recent years. In this study two combinations of primers and fluorescent probes were designed according to the sequences of the rfbEscherichia coli O157 and stx2 genes. Analysis of 217 bacterial strains demonstrated that the duplex real-time PCR assay successfully distinguished the Escherichia coli O157 serotype from non-E. coli O157 serotypes and that it provided an accurate means of profiling the genes encoding O antigen and Shiga-like toxin 2. On the other hand, bacterial strains that lacked these genes were not detected by this assay. The quantitative ranges of the real-time PCR assay for these two genes were linear for DNA concentrations ranging from 103 to 109 CFU/ml of E. coli O157:H7 in pure culture and milk samples. The real-time PCR allowed the construction of standard curves that facilitated the quantification of E. coli O157:H7 in feces and apple juice samples. The detection sensitivity of the real-time PCR assay ranged from 104 to 109 CFU/g (or 104 to 109 CFU/ml) for feces and apple juice and 105 to 109 CFU/g for the beef sample without enrichment. After enrichment of the food samples in a modified tryptic soy broth, the detection range was from 100 to 103 CFU/ml. The real-time PCR assays for rfbE. coliO157 and stx2 proved to be rapid tests for the detection of E. coli O157 in food matrices and could also be used for the quantification of E. coli O157 in foods or fecal samples.
Performance of Baited Underwater Video: Does It Underestimate Abundance at High Population Densities?

Video survey techniques are now commonly used to estimate animal abundance under the assumption that estimates relate to true abundance, a key property needed to make video a valid survey tool. Using the spiny lobster Palinurus elephas as our model organism, we evaluate the effectiveness of baited underwater video (BUV) for estimating abundance in areas with widely different population density. We test three BUV abundance metrics and compare the results with an independently obtained abundance index from trammel-net surveys (Trammel). Video metrics used to estimate relative abundance include a value for total number of individuals per recording (TotN), the traditional maximum number of fish observed in a single video frame (MaxN), and the recently suggested alternative, the average of the mean MaxN from 5-minute periods throughout the duration of the recording (MeanN). This is the first video study of a wild population to include an estimate for TotN. Comparison of TotN with the other two BUV relative abundance metrics demonstrates that both of the latter lack resolution at high population densities. In spite of this, the three BUV metrics tested, as well as the independent estimate Trammel, distinguished high density areas from low density areas. Thus they could all be used to identify areas of differing population density, but MaxN and MeanN would not be appropriate metrics for studies aimed at documenting increases in abundance, such as those conducted to assess marine protected area effectiveness, as they are prone to sampling saturation. We also demonstrate that time of first arrival (T1) is highly correlated with all of the abundance indices; suggesting T1 may be a potentially useful index of abundance. However, these relationships require further investigation as our data suggests T1 may not adequately represent lobster abundance in areas of high density.
Predicting and Understanding Initial Play

We use machine learning to uncover regularities in the initial play of matrix games. We first train a prediction algorithm on data from past experiments. Examining the games where our algorithm predicts correctly, but existing economic models don’t, leads us to add a parameter to the best performing model that improves predictive accuracy. We then observe play in a collection of new “ algorithmically generated” games, and learn that we can obtain even better predictions with a hybrid model that uses a decision tree to decide game-by-game which of two economic models to use for prediction. (JEL C70, C91)
Investigation of Measuring Wall Friction on a Large Scale Wall Friction Tester and the Jenike Direct Shear Tester

The interaction of a granular material with boundary materials is one of the most important factors to consider when designing mass flow hoppers, chutes, feeders and other equipment where flow is expected to occur. Numerous properties of a bulk material and wall surface influence the measurement of wall friction angles (e.g. particle size and distribution, particle shape, particle and boundary asperities and moisture content) which can be difficult to thoroughly investigate on a standard Jenike direct shear tester. Often the Jenike direct shear tester is limited to small particle sizes, wall sample materials, shear rates and displacements. This paper presents the design and commissioning of a new large scale wall friction tester (LSWFT) to measure the wall friction angles of dry and wet bulk materials with a wide particle size distribution using a large shear cell. Factors which are examined on the LSWFT include particle size, moisture content, wall sample material conditions (i.e. effects of joints and edges between tiled materials) and shear cell size to improve the understanding of granular material interaction with boundaries to enhance infrastructure performance. The wall yield loci and kinematic angles of wall friction measured from the LSWFT are compared to the Jenike direct shear tester to examine the difference between the two measuring techniques and evaluate the performance of the LSWFT. The results presented in this paper are preliminary and are not intended to show any particle or shear cell scaling effects but to rather demonstrate the potential usefulness of the LSWFT and limitations of the Jenike tester.
A Role for the Poly(A)-binding Protein Pab1p in PUF Protein-mediated Repression*

PUF proteins regulate translation and mRNA stability throughout eukaryotes. Using a cell-free translation assay, we examined the mechanisms of translational repression of PUF proteins in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We demonstrate that the poly(A)-binding protein Pab1p is required for PUF-mediated translational repression for two distantly related PUF proteins: S. cerevisiae Puf5p and Caenorhabditis elegans FBF-2. Pab1p interacts with oligo(A) tracts in the HO 3′-UTR, a target of Puf5p, to dramatically enhance the efficiency of Puf5p repression. Both the Pab1p ability to activate translation and interact with eukaryotic initiation factor 4G (eIF4G) were required to observe maximal repression by Puf5p. Repression was also more efficient when Pab1p was bound in close proximity to Puf5p. Puf5p may disrupt translation initiation by interfering with the interaction between Pab1p and eIF4G. Finally, we demonstrate two separable mechanisms of translational repression employed by Puf5p: a Pab1p-dependent mechanism and a Pab1p-independent mechanism.
Understanding of emotions based on counterfactual reasoning in children with autism spectrum disorders

The understanding of emotions based on counterfactual reasoning was studied in children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders (n = 71) and in typically developing children (n = 71), aged 6–12 years. Children were presented with eight stories about two protagonists who experienced the same positive or negative outcome, either due to their own action or by default. Relative to the comparison group, children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder were poor at explaining emotions based on downward counterfactual reasoning (i.e. contentment and relief). There were no group differences in upward counterfactual reasoning (i.e. disappointment and regret). In the comparison group, second-order false-belief reasoning was related to children’s understanding of second-order counterfactual emotions (i.e. regret and relief), while children in the high-functioning autism spectrum disorder group relied more on their general intellectual skills. Results are discussed in terms of the different functions of counterfactual reasoning about emotion and the cognitive style of children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder.
Single Mothers and Poverty in Japan: The Role of Intergenerational Coresidence

Single mothers’ relatively high levels of poverty are well documented, but the role that intergenerational coresidence may play in mitigating this disadvantage is not well understood. In this paper, we use multiple rounds of a large national survey between 1986 and 2007 (n = 67,252) to evaluate the extent to which income sharing via intergenerational coresidence limits poverty among single mothers in Japan. Results indicate that conventional poverty rates based on single-mother households overstate the prevalence of poverty among single mothers by 12–20 percent as a result of excluding those who are coresiding with parents. We find no evidence that the prevalence of intergenerational coresidence has changed in a way that would offset the poverty-increasing effect of growth in single parenthood. Finally, we show not only that shared income is the most important factor in limiting poverty among single mothers living with parents, but also that many single mothers are coresiding with parents who are themselves economically disadvantaged. We discuss the implications of our findings for understanding relationships between rapid family change and poverty in countries like Japan, where public income support for single mothers is limited and where family support via intergenerational coresidence is both common and normative.
Effects of Accelerator Type and Curing Temperature on Crosslink Distributions and Tensile Properties of Natural-Acrylic Rubber Blends

Abstract Effects of curing temperature and accelerator type on tensile properties of natural-acrylic rubber blends (NR:ACM) were investigated. Three different types of accelerators namely, MBT, ZDEC and DPG, were separately compounded with the rubber blends (50/50, % w/w) along with stearic acid, ZnO, sodium stearate, and sulfur (S) on a two-roll mill. The compounded blends were vulcanized to their optimum cure time in a hydraulic press at 150 and 170 °C. Morphology and tensile properties of the rubber blends were determined by using a scanning electron microscope and a universal testing machine, respectively. Crosslinking characteristics of both NR and ACM phases in the rubber blends were investigated by using a swollen state 1H-NMR and a differential swelling technique. From the tensile test, it was found that strength and strain of the blend vulcanized with the S/ZDEC curing system were remarkably lower than those of the blends vulcanized with the S/MBT and S/DPG systems. The superior tensile propertie.