Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Voluntary activation and decreased force production of the quadriceps femoris muscle after total knee arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Quadriceps femoris muscle weakness as manifested by a decrease in force-generating capability is a persistent problem after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The authors hypothesized that (1) patients with a TKA would have decreased quadriceps femoris muscle performance (weakness) and impaired volitional activation when compared with a group of older adults without knee pathology, (2) pain and age would account for a large portion of the variability in volitional activation after surgery, and (3) volitional activation in the TKA group would account for a large portion of the variability in force production. SUBJECTS Comparison subjects were 52 volunteers (mean age=72.2 years, SD=5.34, range=64-85). The TKA group comprised 52 patients (mean age=64.9 years, SD=7.72, range=49-78) with a diagnosis of osteoarthritis who had undergone a tricompartmental, cemented TKA. METHODS Knee extension force was measured using a burst superimposition technique, where a supramaximal burst of electrical stimulation was superimposed on a maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC). The amount of failure of volitional activation is determined by the amount of electrical augmentation of force beyond a person's MVIC at the instant of the application of the electrical burst. RESULTS The average normalized knee extension force of the TKA group was 64% lower than that of the comparison group. The average volitional activation deficit in the TKA group (26%) was 4 times as great as the comparison group's deficit (6%). Age did not correlate with quadriceps femoris muscle activation, and knee pain explained only a small portion of the variance in knee extension force (r2=.17). Volitional activation was highly correlated with knee extension force production (r2=.65). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION Considerable quadriceps femoris muscle inhibition after surgery has several implications for recovery. Rehabilitation programs that focus on volitional exercise alone are unlikely to overcome this pronounced failure of activation. Early interventions focused at improving quadriceps femoris muscle voluntary activation may improve efforts to restore muscle force.
Fault-Tolerant Control of Dual Three-Phase Permanent-Magnet Synchronous Machine Drives Under Open-Phase Faults

In this paper, a fault-tolerant control is proposed for dual three-phase permanent-magnet synchronous machine (PMSM) drives under open-phase faults. The object of the proposed fault-tolerant control is to maximize the torque capacity while the overcurrent protection is taken into account. Hence, the proposed fault-tolerant control is named as torque mode in this paper. Another existed fault-tolerant control for dual three-phase PMSM drives under open-phase faults is loss mode, in which the system copper loss is minimized. Torque mode is compared with loss mode, and two important conclusions are given: 1) loss mode can reduce more copper loss; and 2) torque mode can output more torque. The performances of torque mode and loss mode are verified by experimental results.
Dividend policy and share price volatility: evidence from Colombo stock market

The objective of this study is to examine the relationship between share price volatility (SPV) and firm's dividend policy on the Sri Lankan stock market. Data used for analyses are collected among the listed non-financial companies in Colombo stock exchange for the period 2009-2013. The relationship between SPV and dividend policy is analysed using multi-regression models. First it is regressed between SPV and dividend payout ratio (DPR) and dividend yield (DY). Second, the relationship between SPV and dividend policy is analysed by incorporating control variables such as size, growth and leverage. A 82.13% of the variation changes in the share price is explained by the model. The volatility of the share price of the non-financial is 6.75%. Regression results indicate that there is a significant positive relationship between SPV and the DY of a firm in both models. DPR is insignificant but positively related to the movement of stock prices. Further, size is significantly negatively related with price volatility, suggesting that the larger the firm, the less volatile the stock price. Growth is weakly significantly but positively associated with SPV. Long-term debt is insignificantly related with price volatility. Hence, the dividend policy is relevant in determining share price changes in the Colombo stock market. Further, since both management and investors are concerned about the volatility of stock price, this research provides a light on the pathway in discovering what moves stock prices and important factors to be considered by investors before making investment decisions, and management in formulating dividend policies for their firms.
Gastrointestinal nematode infection in sheep – a review of the alternatives to anthelmintics in parasite control

Abstract Efforts to curb production losses caused by nematode parasitism in sheep have led to the development of a number of control methods to complement or replace anthelmintics. The need for alternative control measures stems from the emergence of anthelmintic-resistant parasitic nematodes with reports of multi-class resistance to these drugs now emerging. A number of these control methods such as predacious microfungi, protein supplementation, plant extracts in feed and vaccines have demonstrated potential to control infection but require development and examination under natural conditions. Breeding for natural resistance to nematode infection has already shown success in controlling the disease under natural conditions. Selection for resistance is currently based on fecal egg count measurements but identification of genetic indicators of resistance will provide a more efficient method of selection. Current quantitative trait loci for nematode resistance include the MHC genes, interferon gamma gene, IgE gene and microsatellites on chromosome 1, 5 and 6. This paper reviews the current alternatives to anthelmintics to control infection, with an emphasis on breeding for host resistance and identification of genetic indicators of resistance.
PRINCIPAL PRESERVICE EDUCATION FOR LEADERSHIP IN INCLUSIVE SCHOOLS

Principal leadership has been identified as the key to successful implementation of inclusive education for students with disabilities. Prospective principals require knowledge, skills, and dispositions to equip them to work with key stakeholders to initiate and sustain inclusive practices within their schools. The purpose of this action research study was to (a) examine principals’ perspectives on their preservice education needs to prepare them for a leadership role in an inclusive school; (b) to develop and implement an experimental graduate-level course in Educational Administration focusing on leadership in inclusive education; and (c) collect data on student and instructor experiences and perspectives throughout the course. This paper reports on the course development and implementation within two settings in subsequent semesters. Findings indicate agreement on the need for preservice education to prepare principals for leadership within inclusive schools and recommendations for course content and delivery are discussed.
Association between substandard classroom ventilation rates and students' academic achievement.

UNLABELLED This study focuses on the relationship between classroom ventilation rates and academic achievement. One hundred elementary schools of two school districts in the southwest United States were included in the study. Ventilation rates were estimated from fifth-grade classrooms (one per school) using CO(2) concentrations measured during occupied school days. In addition, standardized test scores and background data related to students in the classrooms studied were obtained from the districts. Of 100 classrooms, 87 had ventilation rates below recommended guidelines based on ASHRAE Standard 62 as of 2004. There is a linear association between classroom ventilation rates and students' academic achievement within the range of 0.9-7.1 l/s per person. For every unit (1 l/s per person) increase in the ventilation rate within that range, the proportion of students passing standardized test (i.e., scoring satisfactory or above) is expected to increase by 2.9% (95%CI 0.9-4.8%) for math and 2.7% (0.5-4.9%) for reading. The linear relationship observed may level off or change direction with higher ventilation rates, but given the limited number of observations, we were unable to test this hypothesis. A larger sample size is needed for estimating the effect of classroom ventilation rates higher than 7.1 l/s per person on academic achievement. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS The results of this study suggest that increasing the ventilation rates toward recommended guideline ventilation rates in classrooms should translate into improved academic achievement of students. More studies are needed to fully understand the relationships between ventilation rate, other indoor environmental quality parameters, and their effects on students' health and achievement. Achieving the recommended guidelines and pursuing better understanding of the underlying relationships would ultimately support both sustainable and productive school environments for students and personnel.
A core curriculum for international health: evaluating ten years' experience at the University of Arizona

215 graduates (118 women and 97 men) of the University of Arizona's International Health Core Curriculum received a questionnaire after completion of their clinical practice in order to evaluate the experience of 10 years from 1982–91. The curriculum consisted of a 3- week orientation course given to 4th year medical students with core contents of population, nutrition, and infectious diseases followed up by student evaluation upon completion. 192 students were eligible for the survey of whom 154 completed it yielding an 80% response rate: 139 future physicians and 15 nurses, health educators, and nutritionists. 113 of 154 respondents completed an international health field experience after the course in 43 developing countries: 22% in Africa, 39% in Asia-Pacific, and 39% in Latin American-Caribbean. 79% were in rural and 34% in urban areas. A public health-community medicine program was incorporated in the clinical work at most sites. 95% of them participated in clinical care, 73% in community teaching, and 51% in research and evaluation. The duration of this field experience lasted 6–12 months for 69% of them. The median responses regarding the possibility of postcourse international field work and rating the worth of the course for clinical care, teaching others, and research were well or very well. They also rated the preparation of the course for subsequent work at 43 specific sites as good and dealing with limited resources and cross-culture communication as very good. All were willing to recommend the course to their peers.
A pilot study of the effect of aerobic exercise on people with moderate disability multiple sclerosis

Objective: A pilot study to investigate the effect of aerobic exercise on the mobility and function of people with moderate disability multiple sclerosis (MS). Design: A small group, comparative, pre-and post-intervention study. Setting: A gymnasium within a general hospital. Subjects: Eight subjects, all female, average age 45 years (range 33-61) with moderate disability MS (Kurtzke scale 4-6), were recruited; six completed the study. Intervention: Intervention consisted of bi-weekly sessions of 30 min cycling on a static bike at their maximal level of exertion for 12 weeks. Main measures: The stability of each individual's condition was established pre-intervention using three baseline assessments over two weeks. A battery of tests (the 10-metre and 6-min walk tests, the Functional Reach, the Gulick and the Guys Neurological Disability Scale) were completed pre and post intervention. Potential negative effects were recorded on the Fatigue Severity Scale and the Modified Ashworth Scale. An independent rater completed assessments post intervention. Inter-rater reliability was found to be acceptable. Results: Comparisons pre and post intervention (Wilcoxon signed ranked test) showed significant improvement on the Guys Neurological Disability Scale (p = 0.026), with the mean score reducing from 13 to 9, and the 6-min walk test (p = 0.046), with the mean distance increasing from 200 m to 261 m. Other measures failed to reach significance. Conclusions: Findings from this pilot study suggest overall disability and mobility improved with the aerobic training. A positive treatment effect in this small study suggests the need for a larger trial. Knowledge of how to establish predictive heart rate and how to monitor the effects of cycling with people with MS will be used to inform future clinical trials.
Bacterial typing methods suitable for epidemiological analysis. Applications in investigations of salmonellosis among livestock.

The ability to subtype bacteria by typing methods provides the bacteriologist with a powerful means to identify relationships between bacteria. This knowledge is used to identify routes of disease transmission among livestock and from livestock to humans. In the present paper, the principles of bacterial typing and the most commonly applied typing methods for use in veterinary public health are discussed in the context of their application in the investigation of salmonella epidemiology. Typing methods are now routinely used in most investigations on this subject and have provided insight into routes of transmission, reservoirs of infection and mechanisms of persistent infection. Under the EC order on zoonotic diseases, extended surveillance on the presence of zoonotic bacteria in livestock must be expected. To receive the maximum benefits of this surveillance, selected typing methods must be applied to all isolates of e.g. salmonella. At present, serotyping, and phage typing where applicable, are the most obvious choices for continuous surveillance of this organism. Random amplification of polymorphic DNA (PCR based typing) may have the potential for allocating strains into relevant groups quicker and without the requirement for additional manpower, and this method may be preferred in future.
Methylmercury chloride damage to the adult rat hippocampus cannot be detected by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy

Previous studies have found that methylmercury can damage hippocampal neurons and accordingly cause cognitive dysfunction. However, a non-invasive, safe and accurate detection method for detecting hippocampal injury has yet to be developed. This study aimed to detect methylmercury-induced damage on hippocampal tissue using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Rats were given a subcutaneous injection of 4 and 2 mg/kg methylmercury into the neck for 50 consecutive days. Water maze and pathology tests confirmed that cognitive function had been impaired and that the ultrastructure of hippocampal tissue was altered after injection. The results of proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy revealed that the nitrogen-acetyl aspartate/creatine, choline complex/creatine and myoinositol/creatine ratio in rat hippocampal tissue were unchanged. Therefore, proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy can not be used to determine structural damage in the adult rat hippocampus caused by methylmercury chloride.
Analysis of cogging torque in surface-mounted permanent magnet machines with segmented stators

Electrical machines with high power density and small packaging size are desirable for many industrial and commercial applications. It is often preferable to employ a segmented stator, since the topology facilitates a high filling factor of the windings. In the common individual segmented stators, there exist too many additional air gaps which lead to the decrease of the back electromotive force (EMF) and may cause the difficulty of manufacture. This paper proposes several feasible stator segmentations with uniform stator segments or nonuniform stator segments. Influence of the additional gaps on both the magnetic field symmetry and the cogging torque is investigated. It is found that the presence of these gaps increase the cogging torque magnitude and period due to the magnetic field asymmetry, while different amount and location of the gaps can cause various increase in the amplitude of cogging torque waveform.
Design of Few-Mode Fibers With Arbitrary and Flattened Differential Mode Delay

This letter proposes the use of a refractive index profile with a graded core and a cladding trench for the design of few-mode fibers, aiming an arbitrary differential mode delay (DMD) flattened over the C+L band. By optimizing the core grading exponent and the dimensioning of the trench, a deviation lower than 0.01 ps/km from a target DMD is observed over the investigated wavelength range. Additionally, it is found that the dimensioning of the trench is almost independent of the target DMD, thereby enabling the use of a simple design rule that guarantees a maximum DMD deviation of 1.8 ps/km for a DMD target between -200 and 200 ps/km.
Child and adolescent bipolar disorder: a review of the past 10 years.

OBJECTIVE To provide a review of the epidemiology, phenomenology, natural course, comorbidity, neurobiology, and treatment of child and adolescent bipolar disorder (BP) for the past 10 years. This review is provided to prepare applicants for recertification by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. METHOD Literature from Medline and other searches for the past 10 years, earlier relevant articles, and the authors' experience and ongoing National Institute of Mental Health-funded project "Phenomenology and Course of Pediatric Bipolarity" were used. RESULTS Age-specific, developmental (child, adolescent, and adult) DSM-IV criteria manifestations; comorbidity and differential diagnoses; and episode and course features are provided. Included are age-specific examples of childhood grandiosity, hypersexuality, and delusions. Differential diagnoses (e.g., specific language disorders, sexual abuse, conduct disorder [CD], schizophrenia, substance abuse), suicidality, and BP-II are discussed. CONCLUSION Available data strongly suggest that prepubertal-onset BP is a nonepisodic, chronic, rapid-cycling, mixed manic state that may be comorbid with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and CD or have features of ADHD and/or CD as initial manifestations. Systematic research on pediatric BP is in its infancy and will require ongoing and future studies to provide developmentally relevant diagnostic methods and treatment.
Usefulness of Accounting Estimates

This is an exploratory study to examine the quality or usefulness of accounting estimates of companies in China and India over time. Specifically, we examine how well the accounting estimates are able to predict future earnings and cash flows during the period 2003-2013. The results for India indicate that the out-of-sample earnings and cash flow predictions derived are more accurate and more efficient in the more recent period (2010-2013) than the earlier period (2003-2006). In contrast, the out-of-sample earnings and cash flow predictions for China are generally more biased, less accurate, and less efficient. The results indicate abnormal returns earned on hedge portfolios formed on earnings (cash flow) predictions for India in the recent period. In contrast, none of the portfolios for China earn positive returns. The results suggest that the accounting estimates in India in recent years have become better predictors of future earnings and cash flow than accounting estimates in the earlier period. However, the accounting estimates in China are not relevant for predicting earnings and cash flows over the years in the sample period.
Teacher perceptions regarding the implementation of Professional Learning Communities at the elementary school level

LAUREN L.FINLEY. Teacher perceptions regarding the implementation of the professional learning communities at the elementary school level. (Under the direction of DR. ROBERT RICKELMAN) The purpose of this study was to describe elementary school teachers’ perceptions of Professional Learning Communities and how they believed participation in a PLC impacts their professional development and classroom instruction. This study utilized organizational theory as a framework in order to better understand how changes in an organizational structure – the implementation of Professional Learning Communities – might influence elementary teachers’ perspectives on collaboration, instruction, and professional development. This learning theory provided a lens through which to view and understand how schools change as teachers add to their pedagogical knowledge during a school improvement process (Scribner et al., 1999). The case study participants were six teachers from different elementary schools in Richview County. Four were primary grade teachers, and two were upper elementary school teachers who had a range of teaching experience. The findings in this study afforded a detailed picture of the six teachers’ perceptions regarding the role of the Professional Learning Community in their daily teaching, instructional planning, and professional development. Patterns in the teachers’ beliefs about the Professional Learning Community model were also exposed. The in-depth details and patterns revealed in this study provided a deeper understanding of how teachers’ beliefs and actions related to collaboration and teaming impact instruction in their classrooms and the school climate.
Musical hallucinations: prevalence in psychotic and nonpsychotic outpatients.

BACKGROUND Musical hallucinations have been considered a rare manifestation of psychotic states or brain and hearing abnormalities. However, an obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) assessment tool refers to musical hallucinations and our preliminary study showed that about one third of OCD patients experienced musical hallucinations. AIMS To elucidate the lifetime prevalence of musical hallucinations among psychotic and nonpsychotic psychiatric outpatients. METHODS Lifetime experience of musical hallucinations was examined with a specially designed structured interview in 190 consecutive outpatients with diagnoses of anxiety, affective, and schizophrenia disorders. RESULTS Musical hallucinations occurred in more than one fifth of all diagnoses. The prevalence of musical hallucinations was highest in OCD patients (41%). Musical hallucinations were significantly more frequent with more comorbid disorders, and logistic regression revealed that this finding was mainly due to OCD combined with either social phobia or schizophrenia. CONCLUSION Musical hallucinations are more common among psychiatric patients than previously reported and are more suggestive of OCD than of other mental disorders.
Human fetal radial glia cells generate oligodendrocytes in vitro

Limited knowledge about human oligodendrogenesis prompted us to explore the lineage relationship between cortical radial glia (RG) cells and oligodendrocytes (OLs) in the human fetal forebrain. RG cells were isolated from cortical ventricular/subventricular zone and their progeny was followed in vitro. One portion of RG cells differentiated into cells of OL lineage identified by cell‐type specific antibodies, including platelet‐derived growth factor receptor‐alpha (PDGFRα), NG2, O4, myelin basic protein, and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein. Moreover, using Cre Lox fate mapping (brain lipid binding protein‐Cre/Floxed‐yellow fluorescent protein) we established a direct link between RG cells and OL progenitors. In vitro generation of RG‐derived O4+ OL progenitors was enhanced by addition of sonic hedgehog (SHH) and reduced by the SHH inhibitor, cyclopamine, suggesting the role of SHH signaling in this process. In summary, our in vitro experiments revealed that a portion of cortical RG cells isolated from human forebrain at the second trimester of gestation generates OL progenitors and this suggests a role of SHH in this process. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.