Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Symmetry and reproducibility of kinematic parameters during various running techniques.

PURPOSE This study examined the validity of the assumption of lower-extremity kinematic parameter reproducibility and symmetry during running with different velocities and stride frequencies. METHODS Each of 12 female long-distance runners ran on a treadmill in combinations of three different velocities (2.5, 3.0, and 3.5 m.s-1) and three different stride frequencies (preferred and +/- 10% from preferred). The left and right sides of the athletes were filmed using video cameras placed orthogonally to the sagittal plane. A total number of three step cycles for each running condition were recorded (250 Hz). For each side of the body, 19 sagittal kinematic parameters from the lower extremity were evaluated. RESULTS Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) for both legs were high (generally > 0.80). Only the angular velocity parameters demonstrated correlation values below 0.70. The symmetry index for the linear and angular displacement parameters and the contact times during all running techniques were less than 8%, whereas those for the angular velocity parameters and flight times were higher than 15%. CONCLUSION The present results suggested that the degree of reproducibility and symmetry of kinematic data do not vary with a deliberate change in running technique but rather depend on the parameter itself. With respect to the economy of data analysis, the present findings indicate that recording a single monolateral trial would provide reproducible and symmetric values for most kinematic parameters.
Morbidity and Determinants of Health on Youth Expeditions

Objective To document the prevalence of illness and injury on youth expeditions and analyze specific determinants of health. Methods Two thousand nine hundred fifteen people, aged 15 to 18 years, traveled with a commercial company, World Challenge Expeditions Ltd, between June and September 2001. Adult team leaders were required to keep medical cards for each person. This study is a retrospective analysis of these medical cards. Results Completed medical cards were available for 2402 people (82%). There were no medical problems in 36% of people. Illness or injury was reported by 64% (mean, 2.0 medical problems per person). Of the medical problems, 6% were defined as serious, and 1% were admitted to the hospital. One fatality occurred. The five most prevalent medical problems were diarrhea (22%), nausea and vomiting (20%), cold or sore throat (11%), headache (11%), and trauma (10%). Girls reported 19% more medical problems than the boys reported. Gastrointestinal illness was significantly increased at high altitude. Illness and injury were most prevalent in South America and least prevalent in Australasia. Conclusions Our results demonstrate that in young people traveling to remote parts of the world, illness and injury are common. Serious incidents are rare; however, the death of one person does highlight the dangers present. This study may help risk assessment for young people considering taking part in an expedition.
Increased risk for demyelinating diseases in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

BACKGROUND & AIMS Reports of multiple sclerosis (MS), demyelination, and optic neuritis (ON) associated with anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha therapy resulted in warnings on prescribing instructions for infliximab, etanercept, and adalimumab. However, the underlying relationship between IBD and these neurologic conditions has not been established. METHODS We performed a retrospective cohort study and a retrospective cross-sectional study using 1988 to 1997 data from the General Practice Research Database. A total of 7988 Crohn's disease and 12,185 ulcerative colitis patients were matched for age, sex, and primary care practice to 80,666 randomly selected controls. In the cohort study, incident cases of MS, demyelination, and/or ON (MS/D/ON) had to occur at least 1 year after registration with the physician and after the diagnosis of IBD. In the cross-sectional study, the diagnosis of MS/D/ON could either precede or follow the IBD diagnosis. RESULTS In the cohort study, the incidence of MS/D/ON was higher in patients with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis compared with their matched controls, reaching statistical significance for ulcerative colitis (ulcerative colitis incidence rate ratio [IRR], 2.63; 95% confidence interval, 1.29-5.15; Crohn's disease IRR, 2.12; 95% confidence interval, .94-4.50). In the cross-sectional study, MS/D/ON was more prevalent in patients with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis compared with their matched controls (Crohn's disease odds ratio, 1.54; 95% confidence interval, 1.03-2.32; ulcerative colitis odds ratio, 1.75; 95% confidence interval, 1.28-2.39). CONCLUSIONS Demyelinating diseases occur more commonly among patients with IBD than among non-IBD patients. Future studies should clarify whether treatment with tumor necrosis factor alpha blockers results in further increased incidence of MS/D/ON among IBD patients.
Adaptive routing protocols for vehicular ad hoc networks

Vehicular ad hoc networks based on IEEE 802.11(WLAN) technology are emerging technologies for future Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS). We investigate the behavior of routing protocols in vehicular networks by using microscopic mobility information based on the real road maps. The simulation results show the remarkable effect of the real mobility models on the performance of routing protocols. We observe a significant reduction in packet delivery ratio in traditional and even position based routing protocols. To address these performance limitations in vehicular networks, we propose several improvements and take into account special characteristics of vehicular networks. The major improvement is the use of link expiration time (LET) as a node mobility and density indicator to provide transmission range adaptation. We proposed two adaptive routing protocols for vehicular ad hoc networks and evaluated through simulation.
Women Entrepreneurship in Serbia – Potentials and Constraints

In today’s modern society, entrepreneurship is considered to be the driver of economic and social development and the important source of competitive advantage. With that regard and taking into account the empirically proven positive relationship between the gender equality and the level of sustainable economic and social development, the subject of this paper is the assessment of the position of women entrepreneurs in Serbia. The main objective is to identify business and environmental barriers with which female entrepreneurs are confronted. The results of conducted research suggest that there exists a huge potential for the development of women entrepreneurship in Serbia. The women entrepreneurs in Serbia are confronted to significant barriers in their everyday business activities especially taking into account the difficulties in accessing the necessary information about potential markets and technology and even the potential sources for their financing. At the same time they are facing with family care activities and other social norms within the community in which they live. The results are useable for creating supportive and encouraging environment for entrepreneurship in Serbia, especially for women-owned enterprises during business development.
Effects of hip flexion angle on surface electromyographic activity of the biceps femoris and semitendinosus during isokinetic knee flexion.

Background Identifying combinations of the hip and knee joint angles which can selectively recruit specific hamstring muscles may be beneficial for injury prevention or rehabilitation. The purpose of this study was to examine the joint torque and electromyographic (EMG) activity of the semitendinosus (ST) and biceps femoris long head (BFlh). Methods Twenty subjects performed maximum isokinetic concentric and eccentric knee flexor efforts at 60°·s-1, 120°·s-1 and 150°·s-1 from three different hip joint angles while surface EMG of ST and BFlh was recorded. Results Analysis of variance showed that there are no inter-muscular differences in EMG amplitude across testing conditions (p > .05). Peak EMG occurred near full knee extension for the BFLh and at a higher flexion angle for the ST while exercise from a prone position shifted the peak EMG towards higher knee flexion angle (p < 0.05). Conclusion Maximal dynamic knee flexion exercises do not induce a higher EMG amplitude of BFlh or ST. Exercising from a higher hip flexion angle near full knee extension may selectively activate the BFlh. Level of evidence IIb.
Innovation source, advancement stage and company stock returns

ABSTRACT The purpose of this paper was to measure the short- and long-term impact of innovation announcements on the stock returns of service companies. In order to study the predictors of the abnormal stock returns, the study takes the adoption and diffusion theory as its conceptual background. The research was based on an event study and buy-and-hold methods. It encompassed 398 announcements released for 121 companies in EU member states between February 2011 and December 2016. The study deepens the dialogue on the role of the source of innovation and its advancement stage. It indicates a positive market reaction to high innovation advancement stage announcements in comparison to low advancement stage ones. Furthermore, it suggests a positive market reaction to in-house development in comparison to collaborative development and copying. Finally, the research signals that the innovation advancement stage complements its source by clarifying its relationship with abnormal market value changes.
Police officers’ attitudes toward citizen advisory councils

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the antecedents of sheriff deputies’ perceived legitimacy of their agency’s citizen advisory council (CAC). Design/methodology/approach The authors obtained survey data from 567 sheriff deputies in a southeastern state. The authors first asked whether respondents knew their agency had a CAC, and then asked those who responded affirmatively a series of questions about the legitimacy of the council. The authors then ran an ordinary least squares regression that included organizational justice, self-legitimacy and public scrutiny as independent variables predicting perceived legitimacy of the CAC. Findings Deputies who perceived greater organizational justice from command staff were significantly more likely to perceive the CAC as legitimate. Originality/value In response to strained police/community relations, reform advocates have urged the police to embrace a more democratic style of policing, including allowing for more citizen oversight of agencies. The study sheds light on how line-level officers perceive such oversight.
Acyl-acyl carrier protein is a donor of fatty acids in the NodA-dependent step in biosynthesis of lipochitin oligosaccharides by rhizobia

NodA controls transfer of a fatty acid in the biosynthesis of lipochitin oligosaccharides by rhizobia. In an in vitro assay, we used de-N-acetylated chitin oligosaccharides substituted with an O-acetyl moiety as acyl acceptor substrates. We show that acyl-acyl carrier protein is used as a donor in NodA-directed fatty acid transfer.
Combined radiology and cytology in the diagnosis of bone lesionsA retrospective study of 370 cases

Background Some of the risks with open biopsy can be avoided by fine-needle aspiration biopsy. The diagnostic contribution of radiologic findings has not been systematically studied. Patients and methods We retrospectively analyzed the validity of combined radiology and fine-needle aspiration cytology for the diagnosis of bone lesions in a consecutive series of 370 patients. The treatment diagnosis was based solely on radiology and cytology in 234 cases, whereas in 136 cases histopathology was also applied. Results Comparison of radiology and cytology showed diagnostic compliance in 256 cases (69%) and non-compliance in 101 (28%). 13 (3%) cases failed to yield diagnostic material for cytology. Among the 256 compliant cases, the diagnostic error rate was 1% (2 were falsely benign), whereas the corresponding rate was 17% among the 101 non-compliant cases. In the latter group, 36 cases yielded only normal cells at aspiration, out of which 20 proved to have a neoplastic lesion (8 metastases, 12 benign). The overall sensitivity of cytology alone in recognizing malignancy was 90%. The specificity was 95%. Given a malignant or benign diagnosis, the positive predictive value was 97% and the negative predictive value was 84%. Interpretation Our study suggests that a simple approach based on conventional radiography and fine-needle aspiration cytology offers a valid means of diagnosing bone lesions. Provided there is compliance between radiology and cytology, the risk of false diagnosis is around 1%.
Toward understanding the topical structure of hospitality literature

Purpose This paper aims to identify the intellectual structure of four leading hospitality journals over 40 years by applying mixed-method approach, using both machine learning and traditional statistical analyses. Design/methodology/approach Abstracts from all 4,139 articles published in four top hospitality journals were analyzed using the structured topic modeling and inferential statistics. Topic correlation and community detection were applied to identify strengths of correlations and sub-groups of topics. Trend visualization and regression analysis were used to quantify the effects of the metadata (i.e. year of publication and journal) on topic proportions. Findings The authors found 50 topics and eight subgroups in the hospitality journals. Different evolutionary patterns in topic popularity were demonstrated, thereby providing the insights for popular research topics over time. The significant differences in topical proportions were found across the four leading hospitality journals, suggesting different foci in research topics in each journal. Research limitations/implications Combining machine learning techniques with traditional statistics demonstrated potential for discovering valuable insights from big text data in hospitality and tourism research contexts. The findings of this study may serve as a guide to understand the trends in the research field as well as the progress of specific areas or subfields. Originality/value It is the first attempt to apply topic modeling to academic publications and explore the effects of article metadata with the hospitality literature.
Crack and Cocaine Use Among Adolescents in Psychiatric Treatment: Associations with HIV Risk

Crack and cocaine use among adults has been associated with co-occurring psychiatric disorders as well as other drug use and unprotected sex. However, this issue is relatively unstudied in adolescents. This study collected data from 282 adolescents (mean age = 14.9 years) treated in intensive psychiatric treatment settings to understand the relationship between crack/cocaine use and HIV risk. Thirteen percent of youths reported ever using crack or cocaine. Use was not associated with age, gender, race/ethnicity, or SES. After controlling for known factors that influence unprotected sex, the odds that those with a history of crack/cocaine use engaged in inconsistent condom use was six times greater than that for those youths who did not ever use. Thus, crack/cocaine use is prevalent even among younger adolescents with psychiatric disorders who are not in drug treatment. Its use is associated with high rates of sexual and other risk behaviors. A history of use should alert clinicians to a wide variety of possible behavioral risks. These results can also inform future adolescent HIV prevention intervention development.
Fluctuations in political risk indicators and their impact on FDI inflow in Pakistan

ABSTRACT The objective of this paper is to investigate the effects of fluctuations in selected political risk indicators on foreign direct investment in Pakistan. The results of time series data from 1984 to 2013 showed that there is a significant variation in all selected political risk indicators. The fluctuations recorded in political risk indicators during the last three decades demonstrate a strong relationship with the variation in the foreign direct investment inflow in Pakistan. The ARDL results show that there exist a co-integrated relationship between political risk indicators and foreign direct investment. Our results show that the government stability and low external conflicts encourage the inflow of foreign direct investment in the long run while investment profile in the short run. The internal conflicts and poor law and order situation discourage the inflow of foreign direct investment in the long run. Our study suggests that the government and its institutions must focus on minimizing the political risk indicators to make visible improvements to attract more inflow of foreign direct investment in Pakistan especially from China and other developed countries.
Tripartite Efficacy Beliefs and Homeowner Participation in Multi-Owned Housing Governance

Homeowners’ collective actions are essential for effective governance of multi-owned housing (MOH) and a city’s sustainable development. Yet, not all homeowners keenly participate in MOH governance. Unpacking why homeowners decide to participate is thus insightful. So far, little work has been done on how perceived efficacies of property management agents (PMAs) shape collective actions in MOH governance. Founding upon the social cognitive theory and collective interest model, a theoretical model is built to empirically examine how proxy efficacy belief influences participation behaviors of homeowners. Drawing on the findings of a survey of 2035 homeowners in Hong Kong and Macau, this study reveals that participation level correlates positively with self and group efficacy beliefs but negatively with perceived proxy efficacy. Poor performance or incapacity of the PMAs triggers a higher degree of homeowner participation. The research findings have significant policy implications for promoting a better MOH upkeep culture.
NFATc3 promotes Ca2+‐dependent MMP3 expression in astroglial cells

Increase in intracellular calcium ([Ca2+]i) is a key mediator of astrocyte signaling, important for activation of the calcineurin (CN)/nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) pathway, a central mediator of inflammatory events. We analyzed the expression of matrix metalloproteinase 3 (Mmp3) in response to increases in [Ca2+]i and the role of the CN/NFAT pathway in this regulation. Astrocyte Mmp3 expression was induced by overexpression of a constitutively active form of NFATc3, whereas other MMPs and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMP) were unaffected. Mmp3 mRNA and protein expression was also induced by calcium ionophore (Io) and 2′(3′)‐O‐(4‐benzoylbenzoyl) adenosine 5′‐triphosphate (Bz‐ATP) and Mmp3 upregulation was prevented by the CN inhibitor cyclosporin A (CsA). Ca2+‐dependent astrocyte Mmp3 expression was also inhibited by actinomycin D, and a Mmp3 promoter luciferase reporter was efficiently activated by increased [Ca2+]i, indicating regulation at the transcriptional level. Furthermore, Ca2+/CN/NFAT dependent Mmp3 expression was confirmed in pure astrocyte cultures derived from neural stem cells (Ast‐NSC), demonstrating that the induced Mmp3 expression occurs in astrocytes, and not microglial cells. In an in vivo stab‐wound model of brain injury, MMP3 expression was detected in NFATc3‐positive scar‐forming astrocytes. Because [Ca2+]i increase is an early event in most brain injuries, these data support an important role for Ca2+/CN/NFAT‐induced astrocyte MMP3 expression in the early neuroinflammatory response. Understanding the molecular pathways involved in this regulation could provide novel therapeutic targets and approaches to promoting recovery of the injured brain.
Linkage analysis assuming a single‐locus mode of inheritance for traits determined by two loci: Inferring mode of inheritance and estimating penetrance

What happens to the results of linkage analysis when one assumes that a disease results from a single genetic locus with reduced penetrance when the actual cause is two epistatically interacting loci? We wanted to (1) determine whether assuming the correct mode of inheritance at the linked locus leads to a higher lod score than assuming the incorrect mode of inheritance irrespective of penetrance assumptions and (2) determine whether it is possible to estimate the apparent penetrance due to the second, unlinked locus from the linkage data. Linkage data were simulated under three different two‐locus models. Different “penetrances” were simulated by using different disease allele frequencies at the unlinked locus. Data were then analyzed assuming a single locus with reduced penetrance. The maximum lod score was maximized with respect to penetrance (LVP curves).
Activation of TRPV1-dependent calcium oscillation exacerbates seawater inhalation-induced acute lung injury

Calcium is an important second messenger and it is widely recognized that acute lung injury (ALI) is often caused by oscillations of cytosolic free Ca2+. Previous studies have indicated that the activation of transient receptor potential-vanilloid (TRPV) channels and subsequent Ca2+ entry initiates an acute calcium-dependent permeability increase during ALI. However, whether seawater exposure induces such an effect through the activation of TRPV channels remains unknown. In the current study, the effect of calcium, a component of seawater, on the inflammatory reactions that occur during seawater drowning-induced ALI, was examined. The results demonstrated that a high concentration of calcium ions in seawater increased lung tissue myeloperoxidase activity and the secretion of inflammatory mediators, such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-6. Further study demonstrated that the seawater challenge elevated cytosolic Ca2+ concentration, indicated by [Ca2+]c, by inducing calcium influx from the extracellular medium via TRPV1 channels. The elevated [Ca2+c] may have resulted in the increased release of TNF-α and IL-1β via increased phosphorylation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB). It was concluded that a high concentration of calcium in seawater exacerbated lung injury, and TRPV1 channels were notable mediators of the calcium increase initiated by the seawater challenge. Calcium influx through TRPV1 may have led to greater phosphorylation of NF-κB and increased release of TNF-α and IL-1β.