Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Title Acute effects of static stretching on the shear elastic moduli of the medial and lateral gastrocnemius muscles in young and elderly women

Purpose: Generally, static stretching (SS) is the recommended intervention for a decline in the range of motion among elderly adults. However, no study has investigated the acute effects of SS on the shear elastic modulus in elderly people. The aims of the present study were to investigate the acute effects of SS on the shear elastic moduli of the medial and lateral gastrocnemius muscles and to examine the differences in these acute effects between young and elderly women. Methods: This study included 15 healthy young women (age: 23.1 ± 3.4 years) and 15 healthy elderly women (age: 75.9 ± 2.8 years) with no history of neuromuscular disease or musculoskeletal injury involving the lower limbs. The shear elastic moduli of the medial and lateral gastrocnemius muscles (MG and LG, respectively) were measured using ultrasound shear wave elastography at 30° plantar flexion, 0°, and 20° dorsiflexion before and immediately after 5 min of SS with the knee extended. Results: The shear elastic moduli of the MG and LG in all ankle position decreased after SS in both the young and elderly women, and there were no significant differences in the percent changes in the shear elastic moduli of the MG and LG at all ankle positions between the young and elderly women. Conclusions: These results suggested that 5 min of SS might be effective for decreasing shear elastic modulus in both young and elderly women and that the effects on shear elastic modulus are similar between young and elderly women.
Running head : Effects of urbanisation on birds 16 17

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Stock-Bond Return Dynamic Correlation and Macroeconomic Announcements : Time-Scale Analysis and the Financial Crisis 4 . 1

While previous research has incorporated several factors in their models to better understand the dynamic correlation between equities, macroeconomic news, especially those published by the U.S. reporting agencies due to their global influence on the equity markets around the world remain the most commonly employed. Research in this context not only considered the raw macroeconomic data, but also the expectations for the future performance, as associated by the investor sentiment. Importantly, the macro surprise component which represents the difference between both the raw macro and its corresponding expectation is considered. However, the main focus of the current research is to investigate how long it takes for the price data to react to those surprises; and whether the reaction is determined by a specific unstable period cycle in the economy.
The Impacts of Knowledge Management Practices on Employees’ Job Satisfaction

Knowledge Management practices in this present knowledge era has found such related to environmental working condition which can enhance the employees’ job satisfaction. This paper was embarked with the purpose to identify the relationship between knowledge management practices and job satisfaction among employees. This study was carried out among employees of one academic Library in prominent higher learning institution in Malaysia. The data are collected through a survey by using questionnaire and online survey which has been distributed among 100 employees. Regression analysis was run by using SPSS in order to examine and test the relationship between the variables. Based on the findings, among four knowledge management practices, knowledge sharing was found to be more influential to job satisfaction of the employees.
Mechatronic Modelling of A Wind Turbine Gear Box Based on Bond Graph

In this paper, a wind turbine gearbox model, which is realized through a Bond Graph Approach, is presented to analyze the dynamic behavior of a wind turbine transmission. In this regard, the wind turbines gearbox consists of three stages. The first one is a planetary gear and the two others are parallel gears. Taking account of meshing and torsional stiffness and dumping, the dynamic model of each stage is established. Consequently, the whole model is integrated following the Bond Graph modeling procedure. Subsequently, vibration analysis of the gearbox is carried out to demonstrate the application of the Bond Graph model in mode analysis. Finally, the dynamic characteristics of a wind turbine gearbox using the proposed model are analyzed and verified based on 20-sim program.
Berry quality of hybrid grapevine (Vitis) cultivars grown in the field and in a polytunnel

The aim of this research was to determine the effect of vineyard location and cultivation system (polytunnel compared to field) on hybrid grapevine berry quality in cold climate conditions. The study was conducted with the hybrid grapevine cultivars ‘Hasanski Sladki’, ‘Zilga’ and ‘Supaga’. Experimental vineyards were located at different sites in a polytunnel and in the field. Soluble solids content ranged from 13.8 to 25.4 °Brix. For all cultivars cultivation in the tunnel had a positive effect on soluble solids content for two experimental years out of three. Acid content was high, ranging from 1.04 to 1.76 g 100 g-1 FW. Growing ‘Zilga’ and ‘Supaga’ in the tunnel reduced titratable acid content every year but for ‘Hasanski Sladki’ in two years. Phenolic content ranged from 53 to 540 g 100 g-1 FW and anthocyanin from 30 to 162 mg 100 g-1 FW. Accumulation of phenols and anthocyanins were affected by location and cultivation methods. For ‘Hasanski Sladki’ in the tunnel, cultivation had a positive effect on phenolic content but for ‘Zilga’ not in every year.
PREDICTIVE VALUE OF SERUM HORMONES AND BIOCHEMICAL PROFILES FOR RETAINED PLACENTA IN BUFFALOES

Received at: 26/2/2013 Accepted: 21/3/2013 Retained fetal membrane (RFM) is one of the most important calving related disorders affecting economics of the farmer and the herd health. The aim of the study was to compare some hormonal and biochemical parameters level in blood serum of buffalo-cows with retained fetal membranes (RFM) and normal non retained animals (C). Blood samples were collected from buffalo-cows (n=55) for three times (after four months, seven months of gestation and 24 hour after parturition), after parturition only nine buffalo-cows affected with RFM (16.36%). The obtained results, showed significance decrease (P < 0.05) in Calcium, Zinc and Selenium between RFM and C groups after four months of gestation, while, in RFM group after seven months of gestation results revealed significance decrease (P < 0.05) in 17-β Estradiol, calcium and selenium and significance increase (P < 0.05) in progesterone, cholesterol and linolinic free fatty acids. But after 24 hour postpartum there was significance decrease (P < 0.05) in cholesterol, linolinic free fatty acids and calcium, with significant increase (P < 0.05) in progesterone and Cortisol. The obtained results concluded that Progesterone and Cortisol were significantly increased remarkably just after 7th month of pregnancy, in addition to significantly decreased of estradiol 17-β and biochemical profiles extending till 24 hrs after calving.
Forecasting the Risk of Rail Service Failures Between Successive Rail Inspections using Hazard Based Models

Service failure is defined as an incident when a defect of the size over the threshold value is noticed and the track is taken out of service. Service failures are of a major concern for the railroad due to its impact on economical and safety aspects of the rail company. Despite of the effective inspection strategies developed by the railroad, service failure may still occur in their network because of the growth of an undetected defect or the defect that is initiated after an inspection. Various factors influence the growth rate of the defect, causing an service failure. Identifying and understanding these factors on the occurrence of failure will assist in accurately predicting the risk of a service failure. This thesis develops an Accelerated Failure Time (AFT) model using the data collected from one of the Class-I railways during the period from 2011 to 2016. Different distributions of the hazard function are evaluated and the log-normal distribution is found to be the best fit. This study identifies the following factors: Past rail defects, past geo-defects, number of days from the last grinding, product of rail age and degrees of curvature and infrastructure related data such as number of turnouts, grade of the rail and the rail segment length to influence the failure time of the rail. Temporal transferability is performed using the data collected in year 2016 and it is found that the estimated parameters are stable over time. The results of this study are useful for railroads to develop efficient strategies in rail inspections and preventive maintenance.
Efficacy of some Aqueous Plant Extracts on Egg Hatching and Juveniles Mortality of the Root Knot Nematode , Meloidogyne incognita under Laboratory Conditions

Aqueous extracts of Zingiber officinale (Leaves), Salvadora persica (Leaves and stem), Moringa oleifera (Leaves), and Origanum vulgare (Leaves), at three concentrations (S, S/2, S/4) were assessed on egg hatching and juvenile mortality of the root knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita in vitro. Data were recorded after 12, 24, 48 and 72 hours of application. Results showed that, some of the tested extracts significantly (p =0.05) inhibited egg hatching and increased juvenile mortality as compared to check treatment. The result noted that, the highest reduction in egg hatched and hatching inhibition percentage recorded with Salvadora persica leaves and in juveniles mortality and reduction mortality percentages were (17 and 58.53 %) (136 and 90.67%), respectively.
Automatic Detection of Spatiotemporal Urban Expansion Patterns by Fusing OSM and Landsat Data in Kathmandu

During the last few decades, a large number of people have migrated to Kathmandu city from all parts of Nepal, resulting in rapid expansion of the city. The unplanned and accelerated growth is causing many environmental and population management issues. To manage urban growth efficiently, the city authorities need a means to be able to monitor urban expansion regularly. In this study, we introduced a novel approach to automatically detect urban expansion by leveraging state-of-the-art cloud computing technologies using the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform. We proposed a new index named Normalized Difference and Distance Built-up Index (NDDBI) for identifying built-up areas by combining the LandSat-derived vegetation index with distances from the nearest roads and buildings analysed from OpenStreetMap (OSM). We also focused on logical consistencies of land-cover change to remove unreasonable transitions supported by the repeat photography. Our analysis of the historical urban growth patterns between 2000 and 2018 shows that the settlement areas were increased from 63.68 sq km in 2000 to 148.53 sq km in 2018. The overall accuracy of mapping the newly-built areas of urban expansion was 94.33%. We have demonstrated that the methodology and data generated in the study can be replicated to easily map built-up areas and support quicker and more efficient land management and land-use planning in rapidly growing cities worldwide.
Parasitic affections of edible offales of slaughtered animals at El-Shohada abattoir, Monofia governorate, Egypt

A grand total of 5853 animals slaughtered at El-Shohada abattoir, Menoufia governorate, Egypt represented by 670 camel, 340 cattle, 366 buffalo, 3188 young cattle, 502 young buffalo, 544 sheep and 243 goats were examined for detailed post mortem inspection of parasitic infections (Hydatidosis, Fascioliasis, Cysticercosis and Sarcocystosis) from 21 Dec 2017 to 20 Dec 2018. Meanwhere, a total of 77638 animals represented by camel (3067), cattle (6293), buffalo (12483), young cattle (33807), young buffalo (13036), sheep (7332) and goat (1620) were inspected during the routine inspection at the same period according to the collecting data from local authorities at Menofia governorate at the same period for the same parasitic infections. The obtained results revealed that the incidence of hydatidosis was 2.2% for detailed inspection and 0.31% for routine inspection, Fascioliasis was 0.26% for detailed inspection and 0.41% for routine inspection, cysticercosis was 0% for detailed inspection and 0.17% for routine inspection and macroscopic sarcocystosis was 3.9% for detailed inspection and 1.8% for routine inspection. The highest incidence during detailed inspection for hydatidosis was (13%) in winter, Fascioliasis was 0.6% in winter and sarcocystosis was (42%) in autumn. For microscopic sarcocystosis detection, Polymerase Chain Reaction assay was used. PCR reading showed that one of 3 samples confirmed positive for apparently healthy buffaloes, one of three samples confirmed positive for cattle, 2 of 3 samples confirmed positive for sheep, one of 3 samples confirmed positive for goat and three samples were confirmed negative for camel.
Linear and nonlinear monetary approaches to the exchange rate of the Philippines peso-Japanese

This study provides evidence of nonlinear long-run relationship between peso-yen exchange rate and its monetary determinants implied by the reduced-form flexible-price monetary model for the Philippines, using Breitung’s (2001) nonlinear cointegration testing procedures. The existence of such relationship is probably resulted from the strong and consistent bilateral trade relationship between the Philippines and Japan. Results from various monetary restrictions tests suggest that other forms of the related monetary model are not suitable in the determination of the peso-yen exchange rate.
Rapid visual detection of anisakid nematodes using recombinase polymerase amplification and SYBR Green I

Anisakidosis is a food-borne parasitic disease (FBPD) caused by the third-stage larvae of the family Anisakidae. Therefore, it is important to develop a simple, rapid and equipment-free detection method for anisakids in fish samples or seafood since current methods are time-consuming and require complex instruments. In this study, a recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA)-based method was established for the first time to detect anisakids by targeting the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions. The detection results were visualized by including SYBR Green I (SG) in the method. The sensitivity of RPA-SG assay was 102 copies per reaction of recombinant plasmid (within 20 min at 37°C), similar to quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). The assay had high specificity for detecting anisakids against other related parasites and host fish. In addition, the assay was further used to detect fresh marine fish contaminated with anisakids and it showed high precision. These results indicate that the novel RPA-SG assay suitable for visual detection of anisakids in the field and food safety control.
Functional comorbidities and brain tissue changes before and after lung transplant in adults

Background Adults undergoing lung transplant, as a lifesaving treatment for end stage lung disease, exhibit high levels of peri-operative neurocognitive dysfunction in multiple domains, including delirium, cognition, and autonomic deficits. These complications impact healthcare costs, quality of life, and patient outcomes. Post-operative symptoms likely result from loss of brain tissue integrity in sites mediating such regulatory functions. Our aim in this study was to examine peri-operative neurocognitive dysfunction and brain tissue changes after lung transplant in adults. Methods We retrospectively examined the UCLA lung transplant database to identify 114 lung transplant patients with pre-operative clinical and neurocognitive data. Of 114 patients, 9 lung transplant patients had pre- and post-transplant brain magnetic resonance imaging. Clinical and neurocognitive data were summarized for all subjects, and brain tissue volume changes, using T1-weighted images, before and after transplant were examined. T1-weighted images were partitioned into gray matter (GM)-tissue type, normalized to a common space, smoothed, and the smoothed GM-volume maps were compared between pre- and post-transplant (paired t-tests; covariate, age; SPM12, p < 0.005). Results Increased comorbidities, including the diabetes mellitus (DM), hypertension, kidney disease, and sleep disordered breathing, as well as higher rates of neurocognitive dysfunction were observed in the lung transplant patients, with 41% experiencing post-operative delirium, 49% diagnosed with a mood disorder, and 25% of patients diagnosed with cognitive deficits, despite incomplete documentation. Similarly, high levels of delirium, cognitive dysfunction, and mood disorder were noted in a subset of patients used for brain MRI evaluation. Significantly decreased GM volumes emerged in multiple brain regions, including the frontal and prefrontal, parietal, temporal, bilateral anterior cingulate and insula, putamen, and cerebellar cortices. Conclusion Adults undergoing lung transplant often show significant pre-operative comorbidities, including diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and chronic kidney disease, as well as neurocognitive dysfunction. In addition, patients with lung transplant show significant brain tissue changes in regions that mediate cognition, autonomic, and mood functions. The findings indicate a brain structural basis for many enhanced post-operative symptoms and suggest a need for brain tissue protection in adults undergoing lung transplant to improve health outcomes.
Designing High Quality Research in Special Education : Group Experimental Designs

This paper, a result of a series of meetings of researchers, discusses critical issues related to the conduct of high-quality intervention research in special education using experimental and quasi-experimental designs that compare outcomes for different groups of students. It stresses the need to balance design components that satisfy laboratory standards and those that reflect the complexities of real-life classroom teaching. Several controversial issues in group design are addressed, including the importance of clearly defining the nature of the independent variable, the value of conducting replication studies, measuring implementation, the use of quasi-experimental designs, and selecting measures to evaluate intervention efforts. The first section focuses on defining and making the instructional approach operational. The second section considers designs for in-depth understanding of teaching and learning, thereby probing the nature of the independent variable. The third section is on the selection of dependent measures. Also stressed are the importance of researchers reporting effect sizes as well as probability values from statistical tests and the need for researchers to use a set of common measures when researching a given topic. (Contains 79 references.) (DB) ******************************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. ******************************************************************************** Designing High Quality Research in Special Education: Group Experimental Designs Russell Gersten University of Oregon/ Eugene Research institute John Wills Lloyd University of Virginia Scott Baker A University of Oregon /Eugene Research institute With Lynn Fuchs, Joanna Williams, Sharon Vaughn, Lee Swanson Susan Osborne, Martha Thurlow, Deborah Simmons and Doug Carnine Edited By Tom Keating, and Sylvia Smith Preparation of this document was sponsored by a contract from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs to the Council for Exceptional Children. However, the views expressed here are not necessarily endorsed by either sponsoring agency. 1 PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) 2 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement ED ONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it. O Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. e Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy.
Research on Multi-Objective Optimization and Control Algorithms for Automatic Train Operation

The automatic train operation (ATO) system of urban rail trains includes a two-layer control structure: upper-layer control and lower-layer control. The upper-layer control is to optimize the target speed curve of ATO, and the lower-layer control is the tracking by the urban rail train of the optimal target speed curve generated by the upper-layer control according to the tracking control strategy of ATO. For upper-layer control, the multi-objective model of urban rail train operation is firstly built with energy consumption, comfort, stopping accuracy, and punctuality as optimization indexes, and the entropy weight method is adopted to solve the weight coefficient of each index. Then, genetic algorithm (GA) is used to optimize the model to obtain an optimal target speed curve. In addition, an improved genetic algorithm (IGA) based on directional mutation and gene modification is proposed to improve the convergence speed and optimization effect of the algorithm. The stopping and speed constraints are added into the fitness function in the form of penalty function. For the lower-layer control, the predictive speed controller is designed according to the predictive control principle to track the target speed curve accurately. Since the inflection point area of the target speed curve is difficult to track, the softness factor in the predictive model needs to be adjusted online to improve the control accuracy of the speed. For this paper, we mainly improve the optimization and control algorithms in the upper and lower level controls of ATO. The results show that the speed controller based on predictive control algorithm has better control effect than that based on the PID control algorithm, which can meet the requirements of various performance indexes. Thus, the feasibility of predictive control algorithm in an ATO system is also verified.
A Rule for Combination of Spatial Clustering Methods

In the area of spatial analysis, spatial clustering methods use georeferencing information in order to identify significant and non-significant spatial clusters of the phenomenon in study in a specific geographical region. Several methods are available in the literature, such as scan statistic, Getis-Ord statistics, and the Besag and Newell method. In practical applications, all those methods are not able to produce results which can capture the real event with good accuracy. In this paper, we propose using the a combining classifier technique in order to provide better results for spatial clustering methods, using the majority voting rule for that combination. A study case was presented using epidemiological data of dengue fever from state of Paraba, Brazil, in the year of 2011 and the final results allowed to identify the priority and non-priority areas in the region of interest. Keywords–Majority vote rule; Spatial clustering methods; Statistical significance.