Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Predicting Punching Acceleration From Selected Strength and Power Variables in Elite Karate Athletes: A Multiple Regression Analysis

Abstract Loturco, I, Artioli, GG, Kobal, R, Gil, S, and Franchini, E. Predicting punching acceleration from selected strength and power variables in elite karate athletes: A multiple regression analysis. J Strength Cond Res 28(7): 1826–1832, 2014—This study investigated the relationship between punching acceleration and selected strength and power variables in 19 professional karate athletes from the Brazilian National Team (9 men and 10 women; age, 23 ± 3 years; height, 1.71 ± 0.09 m; and body mass [BM], 67.34 ± 13.44 kg). Punching acceleration was assessed under 4 different conditions in a randomized order: (a) fixed distance aiming to attain maximum speed (FS), (b) fixed distance aiming to attain maximum impact (FI), (c) self-selected distance aiming to attain maximum speed, and (d) self-selected distance aiming to attain maximum impact. The selected strength and power variables were as follows: maximal dynamic strength in bench press and squat-machine, squat and countermovement jump height, mean propulsive power in bench throw and jump squat, and mean propulsive velocity in jump squat with 40% of BM. Upper- and lower-body power and maximal dynamic strength variables were positively correlated to punch acceleration in all conditions. Multiple regression analysis also revealed predictive variables: relative mean propulsive power in squat jump (W·kg−1), and maximal dynamic strength 1 repetition maximum in both bench press and squat-machine exercises. An impact-oriented instruction and a self-selected distance to start the movement seem to be crucial to reach the highest acceleration during punching execution. This investigation, while demonstrating strong correlations between punching acceleration and strength-power variables, also provides important information for coaches, especially for designing better training strategies to improve punching speed.
Weekend sleep intervention for workers with habitually short sleep periods.

OBJECTIVES This study was conducted to determine whether extended sleep time during the weekend improves alertness and performance during the subsequent week for workers who are habitually short on sleep time. METHODS Daytime employees in the manufacturing industry [38.3, standard deviation (SD) 8.1 years old, mean weekday sleep ≤6 hours] participated in a study that lasted 3 successive weeks. Participants were instructed to stay in bed for ≥8 hours between 22:00-09:00 hours on weekends during the first week as a sleep intervention condition and keep their habitual sleep-wake patterns as a habitual weekend sleep condition beginning the weekend of the second week through Thursday of the third week. Half the participants underwent the conditions in one order and the other half in the reverse. Sleep was monitored by an actigraph. A psychomotor vigilance task, subjective fatigue, and blood pressure were measured on Monday and Thursday during the afternoon each week. RESULTS Sleep duration on weekends was approximately 2 hours longer per day during the intervention. However, sleep duration during weekdays following the intervention returned to shorter periods. Significantly shorter reaction times and a smaller number of lapses on the psychomotor vigilance task were found on Mondays after the intervention than after the habitual weekend sleep. The opposite results, however, were observed on Thursdays. CONCLUSIONS Sleep extension on weekends may be effective in improving alertness and performance during the first days in subsequent weeks among workers with short sleep times. These benefits might be maintained if sufficient sleep duration continues.
A Theoretical Interpretation of the Measurements of the Secondary Eclipses of TrES-1 and HD 209458b

We calculate the planet-to-star flux density ratios as a function of wavelength from 0.5 to 25 μm for the transiting extrasolar giant planets TrES-1 and HD 209458b and compare them with the recent Spitzer/IRAC-MIPS secondary eclipse data in the 4.5, 8.0, and 24 μm bands. With only three data points and generic calibration issues, detailed conclusions are difficult, but inferences regarding atmospheric composition, temperature, and global circulation can be made. Our models reproduce the observations reasonably well, but not perfectly, and we speculate on the theoretical consequences of variations around our baseline models. One preliminary conclusion is that we may be seeing in the data indications that the day side of a close-in extrasolar giant planet is brighter in the mid-infrared than its night side, unlike Jupiter and Saturn. This correspondence will be further tested when the data anticipated in other Spitzer bands are acquired, and we make predictions for what those data may show.
Crack growth in lead magnesium niobate: lead titanate ceramics by cyclic electric fields

Pre-existing cracks introduced by a Vickers diamond hardness indenter in PMN-0.3PT, which displays piezoelectric properties, increase in length under the action of low frequency cyclic electric fields applied normal to the crack. A minimum applied field of 1.1 x Ec is required to cause crack growth. In applied fields of 1.85-5.70 x Ec cracks grow to a common limiting length which is approximately 0.8 times the separation between the electrodes. New cracks are not generated at the corners of a Vickers diamond indent by applied fields up to 5.70 x Ec.
Modeling differently oriented loblolly pine strands incorporating variation of intraring properties using a stochastic finite element method.

Wood strands are a biological material with variations in material properties because of the presence of earlywood and latewood, juvenile wood and mature wood as well as the sectional cut used to generate strands. This variation should be accounted for to produce reliable modeling results. This study used both a deterministic finite element method (FEM) and a stochastic finite element method (SFEM) to model the stiffness of wood strands from three different orientations (radial, tangential, and angled) incorporating intraring property variation from two growth ring positions. In addition, a homogeneous model was used as a control to compare the results from both deterministic FEM and SFEM. The homogeneous model predicted the stiffness well for radial and tangential orientation strands but provided unrealistic physical strain distributions. Assumptions of strand homogeneity oversimplified the strain distribution present in the strand, eliminating local maximum and minimum values. Cumulative probability curves comparing previous experimental results and SFEM results showed general agreement. Average differences in the effective tensile modulus of elasticity ranged 0.96-22.31%. Based on the modeling results, the earlywood tensile modulus of elasticity was the input parameter that had the greatest influence on the strand stiffness. The order of correlation of the earlywood and latewood Poisson ratios changed based on strand orientation. SFEM techniques provided accurate results and material property distributions as compared with the experimental results.
Online model adaptation for voice conversion using model-based speech synthesis techniques

In this paper, we present a novel voice conversion method using model-based speech synthesis that can be used for some applications where prior knowledge or training data is not available from the source speaker. In the proposed method, training data from a target speaker is used to build a GMM-based speech model and voice conversion is then performed for each utterance from the source speaker according to the pre-trained target speaker model. To reduce the mismatch between source and target speakers, online model adaptation is proposed to improve model selection accuracy, based on maximum likelihood linear regression (MLLR). Objective and subjective evaluations suggest that the proposed methods are quite effective in generating acceptable voice quality for voice conversion even without training data from source speakers.
Community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus emerging as an important cause of necrotizing fasciitis.

BACKGROUND Necrotizing fasciitis (NF) is an uncommon fulminant soft tissue infection characterized by extensive fascial necrosis. Community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) isolates producing the Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) cytotoxin have been associated with serious necrotizing infections, but NF caused by CA-MRSA has been described only recently. We reviewed our NF experience at Denver Health Medical Center, where CA-MRSA accounts for more than 50% of community S. aureus clinical isolates. METHODS Patients treated for NF from January 2004 to February 2006 were identified by review of pathology records and diagnostic codes, and their medical records were reviewed. Isolates of MRSA from monomicrobial NF underwent testing for the PVL gene and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis to determine relatedness to CA-MRSA strains. RESULTS Five of 30 NF cases during the study period, all involving the extremities, were caused by MRSA. Monomicrobial MRSA NF accounted for three cases, with all of the patients reporting a distinct "spider bite" lesion 2-3 days prior to admission. The median age was 32 years (range 28-55 years). Resistance to erythromycin and levofloxacin was present in four isolates. None of the isolates displayed inducible clindamycin resistance. Within 12 hours of admission, all patients received empiric antibiotics to which their isolate was susceptible. Patients required a median of six surgical procedures (range 2-7 operations). All patients survived. The MRSA isolates tested positive for PVL and had the USA 300 CA-MRSA deoxyribonucleic acid banding pattern. CONCLUSIONS Community-acquired MRSA is an important cause of NF in our region, accounting for > 15% of NF cases. This infection was associated with significant morbidity necessitating multiple surgical interventions. Given the propensity of PVL-positive CA-MRSA to cause severe necrotizing infections, it is reasonable to administer empiric MRSA coverage for NF in endemic locations.
Cognitive profile in CADASIL patients

Age is an important predictor of clinical deterioration in CADASIL patients Cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL) often starts with silent lacunar infarcts or white matter changes in the third decade of life and cognitive or other neurological signs become apparent within the next 10 years. In the following 20 years, dementia and psychiatric disturbances become more and more apparent and death frequently occurs in the sixth decade of life.1–3 Age is an important predictor of clinical deterioration, with an odds ratio of 1.104 per year starting at the age of 24. Cognitive impairment affects about 60% of CADASIL …
Human Migration through Bottlenecks from Southeast Asia into East Asia during Last Glacial Maximum Revealed by Y Chromosomes

Molecular anthropological studies of the populations in and around East Asia have resulted in the discovery that most of the Y-chromosome lineages of East Asians came from Southeast Asia. However, very few Southeast Asian populations had been investigated, and therefore, little was known about the purported migrations from Southeast Asia into East Asia and their roles in shaping the genetic structure of East Asian populations. Here, we present the Y-chromosome data from 1,652 individuals belonging to 47 Mon-Khmer (MK) and Hmong-Mien (HM) speaking populations that are distributed primarily across Southeast Asia and extend into East Asia. Haplogroup O3a3b-M7, which appears mainly in MK and HM, indicates a strong tie between the two groups. The short tandem repeat network of O3a3b-M7 displayed a hierarchical expansion structure (annual ring shape), with MK haplotypes being located at the original point, and the HM and the Tibeto-Burman haplotypes distributed further away from core of the network. Moreover, the East Asian dominant haplogroup O3a3c1-M117 shows a network structure similar to that of O3a3b-M7. These patterns indicate an early unidirectional diffusion from Southeast Asia into East Asia, which might have resulted from the genetic drift of East Asian ancestors carrying these two haplogroups through many small bottle-necks formed by the complicated landscape between Southeast Asia and East Asia. The ages of O3a3b-M7 and O3a3c1-M117 were estimated to be approximately 19 thousand years, followed by the emergence of the ancestors of HM lineages out of MK and the unidirectional northward migrations into East Asia.
Resource Efficient Dairying trial : measurement criteria for farm systems over a range of resource use

The aim of the Resource Efficient Dairying (RED) trial is to measure the productivity, economic and environmental effects of different feed inputs and management processes on a dairy farm. This is a longterm systems trial located at Scott Farm (Dexcel Research Farm) established on 1st June 2001 and expected to continue until 2006. Trial design was based on six systems that have an allowance of up to 200 kg nitrogen (N)/ha (excluding the low input treatment). They are: low input (no N fertiliser, heifers grazed-on and 2.3 cows/ha); control (3 cows/ha); standoff (3 cows/ha); low supplement input (5 t dry matter (DM) maize silage/ha, 3.8 cows/ha); moderate supplement input (10 t DM maize silage/ha; 5.2 cows/ha); and high supplement input (15 t DM maize silage + 5 t soymeal/ha; 6.9 cows/ha). The last two systems have irrigation available to boost pasture production. All systems were designed to operate a t a common comparative stocking rate (CSR) of 85 kg liveweight (LW)/t DM. Two seasons’ data have shown that increasing the stocking rate (SR) by 1.5 cows/ha from 3.8 to 5.3 cows/ha, plus extra feed, increased output by 90 and 184 kg milksolids (MS)/total ha in the two years, when the extra area required to supply the extra feed is included in the calculation of kg MS/ha. However the further increase to 6.9 cows/ha plus extra feed produced less MS/total ha than the system stocked at 3.8 cows/ha. Calculations of economic farm surplus (EFS) and return on assets (ROA) reveal that when the payout is $3.50/kg MS the low input system is competitive irrespective of land price ($18000 or $37000/ha) or supplement cost (18 c or 24 c/kg DM). Conversely at a higher payout of $4.50/kg MS the treatment supplemented with 10 t maize silage DM/ha is competitive over the range of land prices and supplement costs tested.
Cytonuclear interactions affect adaptive traits of the annual plant Arabidopsis thaliana in the field

Significance As the centers of photosynthesis and respiration, chloroplasts and mitochondria play a crucial role in energy metabolism. Nuclear and cytoplasmic genomes are known to be coadapted at the species level, because organelle metabolism relies on the proper interaction of organelle-encoded and nuclear-encoded proteins. We explored the extent of cytonuclear coadaptation at the intraspecific level in the classic model plant Arabidopsis thaliana: we measured in a field experiment 28 adaptive whole-organism traits on cytolines developed by substituting cytoplasmic genomes among natural strains. Our results indicate that interactions between nuclear and cytoplasmic genomes shape natural variation for most of the traits we studied, suggesting that these interactions can affect the evolutionary dynamics of natural populations of A. thaliana. Although the contribution of cytonuclear interactions to plant fitness variation is relatively well documented at the interspecific level, the prevalence of cytonuclear interactions at the intraspecific level remains poorly investigated. In this study, we set up a field experiment to explore the range of effects that cytonuclear interactions have on fitness-related traits in Arabidopsis thaliana. To do so, we created a unique series of 56 cytolines resulting from cytoplasmic substitutions among eight natural accessions reflecting within-species genetic diversity. An assessment of these cytolines and their parental lines scored for 28 adaptive whole-organism phenotypes showed that a large proportion of phenotypic traits (23 of 28) were affected by cytonuclear interactions. The effects of these interactions varied from slight but frequent across cytolines to strong in some specific parental pairs. Two parental pairs accounted for half of the significant pairwise interactions. In one parental pair, Ct-1/Sha, we observed symmetrical phenotypic responses between the two nuclear backgrounds when combined with specific cytoplasms, suggesting nuclear differentiation at loci involved in cytonuclear epistasis. In contrast, asymmetrical phenotypic responses were observed in another parental pair, Cvi-0/Sha. In the Cvi-0 nuclear background, fecundity and phenology-related traits were strongly affected by the Sha cytoplasm, leading to a modified reproductive strategy without penalizing total seed production. These results indicate that natural variation in cytoplasmic and nuclear genomes interact to shape integrative traits that contribute to adaptation, thereby suggesting that cytonuclear interactions can play a major role in the evolutionary dynamics of A. thaliana.
High-resolution cDNA microarray CGH mapping of genomic imbalances in osteosarcoma using formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue

Formalin-fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) tumor tissue provides an opportunity to perform retrospective genomic studies of tumors in which chromosomal imbalances are strongly associated with oncogenesis. The application of comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) has led to the rapid accumulation of cytogenetic information on osteosarcoma (OS); however, the limited resolving power of metaphase CGH does not permit precise mapping of imbalances. Array CGH allows quantitative detection and more precise delineation of copy number aberrations in tumors. Unfortunately the high cost and lower density of BACs on available commercial arrays has limited the ability to comprehensively profile copy number changes in tumors such as OS that are recurrently subject to genomic imbalance. In this study a cDNA/EST microarray including 18,980 human cDNAs (which represent all 22 pairs of autosomal chromosomes and chromosome X) was used for CGH analysis of eight OS FFPE. Chromosomes 1, 12, 17, and X harbored the most imbalances. Gain/amplification of X was observed in 4/8 OS, and in keeping with other recent genomic analyses of OS, gain/amplification of 17p11.2 was often accompanied by a distal deletion in the region of the p53 gene. Gain/amplification of the X chromosome was verified using interphase FISH carried out on a subset of OS FFPE sections and OS tissue arrays.
Mean platelet volume measurement, EDTA or citrate?

Abstract Most laboratories use EDTA for anticoagulation of whole blood prior to automated cell counting but due to platelet swelling, mean platelet volume (MPV) values may increase with its use. MPV changes may be less with acid citrate based anticoagulation. As MPV is a marker of platelet function and its precise measurement is important in a number of clinical situations, this study was performed to assess if EDTA and citrate based anticoagulated blood samples can be used interchangeably for MPV measurement. In this cross sectional descriptive study, EDTA and citrate based anticoagulated blood samples of the same patients were assessed by auto-analyzer within 1 h of sampling. In the 61 evaluated patients, there was a close correlation between MPV as measured by EDTA and citrate, but mean MPV measured from EDTA samples was 0.66 fL (9%) more than citrate. There was also a significant negative correlation between platelets count and MPV by both methods. The results of our study reveal that MPV can be measured accurately by both methods of anticoagulation; EDTA and citrate if analysis be performed within 1 h of sampling.
Units of representation in visual word recognition.

As you read these words, a complex sequence of processes are at work in your brain, identifying visual patterns (letters) that are mapped onto familiar units (words), the meanings of which are combined to allow comprehension. In this description, a mental dictionary or lexicon linking word forms (orthography) to word meanings (semantics) plays a central and critical role in the reading process. However, some fundamental questions concerning the functional and neural organization of the mental lexicon remain unanswered. How are words composed of more than one unit (such as darkness ) stored in the lexicon? Are they stored as whole forms, or are complex words broken down into their constituent parts or morphemes ( dark and ness )? In this issue of PNAS, Devlin et al. (1) describe a functional MRI (fMRI) study that makes significant progress in understanding the functional and neural architecture of the systems involved in accessing the meaning of written words, and provide evidence in support of a controversial approach to the processing of complex words. Traditional linguistic accounts of how complex words are stored propose that the mental lexicon is organized morphemically. Morphemic organization ensures that there is no redundancy in the representation of related words created by using either derivational (e.g., trusty, distrust, untrustworthy ) or inflectional ( jumps, jumped, jumping ) morphemes. These theoretical arguments have been supported by the results of psycholinguistic experiments. For instance, responses to a simple word ( hunt ) are speeded or primed by a prior presentation of a related word ( hunter ), suggesting that these words have shared entries in the mental lexicon (2). However, priming could also arise from shared meaning or shared orthographic form, and research has also demonstrated that priming effects for morphologically related word pairs ( hunter – hunt ) are distinct from priming effects for items that have an equivalent amount of overlap …
Amplitude modulation dynamic force microscopy imaging in liquids with atomic resolution: comparison of phase contrasts in single and dual mode operation

We present a systematic analysis of the atomic-scale imaging capabilities for mineral surfaces in a liquid environment in single and dual mode amplitude modulation dynamic force microscopy. To study the difference in sensitivity between the first and second eigenmode phase signals we investigate the observed atomic-scale contrasts of the mica–water interface under varying imaging conditions. For this purpose, we systematically change the main imaging parameters including the setpoint amplitude of the imaging feedback, the free oscillation amplitudes of the first and second flexural eigenmodes, and their ratio. This allows for an in-depth analysis of the sensitivities of the first and second eigenmode phase signals to draw conclusions regarding the underlying physical mechanisms and the interpretation of the contrast in the multi-frequency technique.
Performance of different foot designs for a water running robot

The water runner robot is designed to run on the surface of water in a manner similar to the basilisk lizard. To do so, it must generate a lift force greater than its weight by slapping and stroking its foot through the water, creating an air cavity in the process. In addition, it must remove its foot before this cavity collapses. Basilisk lizards deal with this problem by folding their feet during retraction from the air cavity to avoid prematurely collapsing the cavity and generating excess drag. Several different passive foot designs for the water runner were analyzed to determine which had the largest lift and created the least amount of drag. Feet with folding sections which collapse during retraction and spring back into place once the foot has exited the water were found to work best. Those feet which allowed air to pass through during retraction provided the least net lift. Elliptic feet with their major axis in line with the direction of running performed better than simple circular feet. Consequences of these results are discussed.