Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Low-Intensity Swimming Training Does not Protect the Skeletal Muscle Against Exhaustive Exercise-Induced Injuries in Rats

Mailing address: Antônio José Natali Departamento de Educação Física Universidade Federal de Viçosa UFV Rua P.H. Rolfs, s.n 36570 000 Viçosa MG Brasil E-mail: anatali@ufv.br ABSTRACT While regular aerobic exercise promotes beneficial adaptations to the skeletal muscle, acute exhaustive exercise causes structural damage to the skeletal muscle cells. The aim of this study was to verify whether a low-intensity swimming program protects the skeletal muscles against damage induced by exhaustive exercise. Male Wistar rats (weight: 376.50 ± 4.36g; age: 90 days) were randomly divided into four groups: control sedentary (CS, N=8); sedentary submitted to exhaustive test (ES, N=7); swimming trained (ST, N=7); swimming trained submitted to exhaustive test (STE, N=7). Animals of TN and TNE groups were submitted to a swimming regimen without overload for 90 min/day, 5 days/wk, during 17 weeks. Forty-eight hours after the last training session, animals from SE and TNE groups were submitted to an exhaustive exercise protocol. At sacrifice, fragments of soleus and rectus femoris muscles were collected and submitted to histological analysis and heat shock protein (HSP70) expression measurement. The results showed that the time until exhaustion was greater in the STE than in SE group (125.0 6.00 vs. 90.0 8.48 min, respectively, P<0.05). The levels of blood lactate during exhaustive exercise were lower in animals from TNE than SE (5.31 ± 0.22 vs. 8.76 ± 0.59 mmol/L, respectively, P<0.05)The frequency of damaged fibers in the muscles was greater in SE (soleus: 34.86±0.04; rectus femoris: 37.57 ± 0.07) and STE (soleus: 41.57±0.08; rectus femoris: 39.57 ± 0.05), compared to groups SC (soleus: 13.88±0.81; rectus femoris: 16.75 ± 0.79) and ST (soleus: 24.14±0.06; rectus femoris: 24.0 ± 0.05), respectively, (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the HSP70 levels of the analyzed muscles among the four groups (P>0.05). In conclusion, although a low-intensity swimming training increased the animals’ performance in the exhaustive exercise test, it did not protect their skeletal muscles against damage induced by exhaustive exercise.
Construction of identities in a teacher training course in chemistry *

The purpose of this article is to present the results obtained in the investigation of a chemistry degree course at a public university. Theoretical references on teacher professionalization, identity and curriculum were used, particularly cultural studies and sociological approach. The qualitative methodology is based on the discursive textual analysis of data collected through 71 questionnaires applied to teachertraining undergraduate students and interviews with six of them, plus with six graduated chemistry teachers. The analysis suggests that the course’s current curriculum induces professionalization aimed to research in chemistry (bachelor’s profile). It concludes that the professors have to change their practices in order to break the current model, which devalues the professional training aimed to chemistry teaching for youth, an activity that is considered of less importance to many of them.
Technological capacity and knowledge acquisition as key performance factors in SMEs of the industrial sector of Cali-Colombia

Information technologies (IT) can be largely the solution or the problem of the sustainability and performance of small and medium enterprises (SMEs). IT is an important source of resources that can improve the competitiveness of SMEs. Therefore, the aim of this article is to identify the IT competences of SMEs and to establish their relationship with knowledge acquisition (KA), the way of managing the accounting information system (AIS) and its impact on the performance of the company. The model uses the technique of structural equations based on variance, making an empirical study based on the information of 124 Colombian SMEs in the industrial sector. The results obtained allow us to conclude that IT directly and through KA processes significantly help to increase organizational performance. It is confirmed that IT is decisive for an efficient management of AIS information, although this does not contribute to the performance of the company, given that in the relations between the SIC management variable and performance (DSEMP) a negative coefficient was identified between the constructs and with no statistical significance. This research contributes to the development of resource and capacity theories and dynamic capacity. It also allows the identification of technological capabilities of the SME, its processes in KA and how to measure the efficiency of AIS, management and organizational performance.
A reflection on ritual murders in the biblical text from an African perspective

Ritual murders have recently been widespread among African societies in general. Reports of such murders . have become cause for concern. African countries that are implicated in ritual killing include but are not limited to: Botswana, Nigeria, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe. Cases have been reported of human body parts . allegedly . removed from the corpses. The mortiferous character of ritual killing is not unique to African communities. During ancient biblical times, it was common that a son would be offered on the altar as a sacrifice to the gods. This article is multifaceted in its form. The study problematises phenomena of ritual murders by utilising narrative research in which human sacrifice, as depicted in the Old Testament, is the focus of attention. In addition, a comparative approach is employed to demonstrate that ritual murder is not unique to Africa. The article concludes by offering some recommendations towards oblite-rating ritual killing.
Efficiency of corn producers in Sinaloa : a methodological proposal

Given the importance that the state of Sinaloa has in corn production at a national level, it is necessary to analyze the conditions under which the Sinaloa producer participates in the market and estimate its level of technical efficiency. The relevance of knowing the technical efficiency of the producer lies in the fact that a lack of this implies a waste of resources that affects the yield and the reduction of average costs. This essay analyzes the disadvantageous situation in which the producer participates in the market, since the price of corn increases at a comparatively lower rate than that of input prices. In addition, there are other actors in the value chain that obtain a higher income with a lower financial risk. The stochastic frontier model is proposed to estimate the level of efficiency and a literature review is offered that supports the choice of the econometric model. Likewise, the equation to be estimated is presented considering the cultivation practices in force in the state of Sinaloa. It is concluded that it is of interest to estimate the technical efficiency to know the available improvement space given the current technology in the study region and that the stochastic frontier model is a viable alternative to achieve said objective.
Riesgo para infección de sitio quirúrgico en pacientes sometidos a cirugías ortopédicas

Estudio para identificar factores de riesgo asociados a infecciones de sitio quirurgico en pacientes quirurgicos ortopedicos de un hospital publico de Minas Gerais, Brasil, entre 2005 y 2007. Cohorte historica de 3.543 pacientes sometidos a cirugias ortopedicas. Un analisis descriptivo fue realizado y la tasa de incidencia de infeccion fue estimada. Para verificar la asociacion entre la infeccion y los factores de riesgo se uso el test chi-cuadrado. La fuerza de la asociacion del evento con las variables independientes fue estimada por el Riesgo Relativo, con un intervalo de confianza de 95% y p <0,05. La incidencia de infeccion de sitio quirurgico fue 1,8%. Fueron estadisticamente asociados a la infeccion el potencial de contaminacion de la herida quirurgica, las condiciones clinicas del paciente, el tiempo quirurgico y el tipo de procedimiento ortopedico. La identificacion de asociacion de infeccion de sitio quirurgico con los factores de riesgo mencionados es importante y contribuye para la practica clinica del enfermero.Descriptores: Infeccion de Herida Operatoria; Factores de Riesgo; Enfermeria; Ortopedia.
The Effect of Goiter on Endotracheal Intubation

The incidence of difficulty in tracheal intubation in the presence of goiter was investigated.Data were collected in a series of 4742 consecutive adult patients undergoing general anesthesia. The prevalence of goiter was 6.8%. Fifteen anesthesiologists performed the preoperative airway assessment using standardized guidelines. Seven individual risk factors were correlated with the potential for difficult tracheal intubation. Whenever evidence of goiter or airway pathology was observed, the evaluation was completed by indirect laryngoscopy and radiologic examination to establish the presence of any anatomical deviation. Difficult intubation was defined as inadequate exposure of the glottis by direct laryngoscopy. There was no difference in probability of difficulty in tracheal intubation between patients who presented for thyroidectomy and patients with goiter estimated as a random finding. Statistical analysis revealed an increased risk of difficult intubation amongst goiter patients compared with patients with no evidence of any risk factor (6.8% vs 0.9%, P < 10-8, relative risk = 7.4). We conclude that goiter, when accompanied by airway deformity, constitutes an aggravating factor for difficult intubation. (Anesth Analg 1997;84:611-2)
Shoulder dislocations: Management by doctors in emergency units

risk of recurrent instability after shoulder dislocation reduces with increasing age at time of first disloca- tion with recurrence in young patients of up to 100%. While traditional immobilisation has been shown to be ineffective, recent research suggests immobilisation in external rotation for three weeks reduces recurrence rates. We developed a questionnaire to determine how doctors working in emergency departments manage acute shoulder dislocations, to assess their knowledge and determine the source of their knowledge. Doctors staffing the emergency departments of private and provincial hospitals, and registrars in emergency medicine, were surveyed regarding: • details of the doctor's rank, experience and training • number and details of dislocations managed and type and length of immobilisation • knowledge of prognosis for future dislocation • current and preferred sources of information. Responses were subjected to multivariate analysis, allowing evaluation of the prevalence of misconceptions and identification of subsets of doctors who were better informed or who held similar beliefs. Seventy questionnaires were completed (66.6%), with an average of 7.5 years post-graduate experience. All immobilised their patients for a period of between 1 and 6 weeks; however none did so in external rotation. Only 27% would refer patients for assessment by an orthopaedic surgeon. The redislocation rate for young patients was correctly chosen by 32.8%. Two-thirds of doctors incorrectly believed that redislocation is more common with increasing age. No group of doctors had statistically better knowledge than another. Books and colleagues were the most common, but were not the most preferred, sources of information. We concluded that doctors working in emergency departments appear to have a poor understanding of exist- ing and newer treatment options for shoulder instability and are not referring patients appropriately for orthopaedic specialist assessment. A variety of sources of knowledge are utilised, suggesting that multiple sources are required to better inform doctors of current and new treatment options.
Youth and Adolescent Physical Activity Lapsers

The present study examined whether self-efficacy mediates the relationship between family social influence and physical activity among youth who have experienced a recent lapse in their physical activity participation. Using a prospective, longitudinal design, participants completed measures of social influence, self-regulatory efficacy and physical activity. Only those participants whose physical activity declined were retained for further analysis. Self-regulatory efficacy partially mediated the relationship between family social influence and physical activity, with self-efficacy mediating 36 percent of the total effect. The results provide support for self-regulatory efficacy as a mediator and provide preliminary insight into the potential mechanisms for preventing lapses in activity from developing into prolonged periods of inactivity within this population.
RalGDS Functions in Ras- and cAMP-mediated Growth Stimulation*

Thyroid-stimulating hormone stimulates proliferation through both the cAMP-dependent protein kinase and Ras but not through Raf-1 and mitogen-activated and extracellular signal-related kinase kinase. We now report that thyroid-stimulating hormone represses mitogen-activated protein kinase activity and that microinjection of an effector domain mutant Ha-Ras protein, Ras(12V,37G), defective in Raf-1 binding and mitogen-activated protein kinase activation, stimulates DNA synthesis in quiescent and thyroid-stimulating hormone-treated thyrocytes. A yeast two-hybrid screen identified RalGDS as a Ras(12V,37G) binding protein and therefore a potential effector of Ras in these cells. Associations between Ras and RalGDS were observed in extracts prepared from thyroid cells. Microinjection of a mutant RalA(28N) protein thought to sequester RalGDS family members reduced DNA synthesis stimulated by Ras as well as cAMP-mediated DNA synthesis in two cell lines which respond to cAMP with mitogenesis. These results support the idea that RalGDS may be an effector of Ras in cAMP-mediated growth stimulation.
Effectiveness of Website Personalization: Does the Presence of Personalized Recommendations Cannibalize Sampling of Other Items?

ABSTRACT With advances in personalization technologies, websites are increasingly able to customize Web content and provide users with a unique experience. Prior research has focused more on the appeal of the personalized recommendations themselves and examined user behavior toward the personalized recommendations. However, prior research has not compared the total volume of users’ sampling activity on websites that offer personalization, compared to those that do not. This motivates our interest in an extended study of the totality of users’ sampling behavior on the website when personalized recommendations are present. Where prior work has focused on the amount of sampling of the personalized items themselves, we define two additional indicators that characterize a consumer’s sampling behavior on a website that has both stock and personalized items: (1) the total volume of sampling to include both stock and personalized items, and (2) the pattern of sampling between personalized and stock items. Based on consumer search theory (CST) and a simulation analysis, we propose hypotheses about consumers’ behavior on these expanded outcomes, and test them in a longitudinal field study. We find that subjects sample personalized items before stock items, and sample fewer items in total when personalized recommendations are available. In addition, subjects engage in less sampling as time goes on, across sessions. Theoretically, this research brings the CST perspective to the literature on website personalization. Practically, this research sheds light on the precise nature of the benefit and possible drawbacks of personalization from the merchant’s perspective.
EFFECT OF TOOL GEOMETRICAL PARAMETERS ON FRICTION STIR WELDING JOINT PROPERTIES OF ALUMINIUM ALLOY AA 6061

Friction stir welding (FSW) process is a solid state joining process in which a non-consumable tool is used to generate frictional heat in the abutting surfaces. The welding parameter such as welding speed, tool rotational speed, and tool profile plays a major role in deciding the weld joint strength. In this investigation, effect of welding parameters and tool pin profile on Mechanical properties in AA6061 aluminium alloy was studied. Friction stir welding of aluminium alloy plates with a thickness of 6 mm are used to perform Friction Stir Weld joints. Tapered cylindrical, and square pin profiles have been used to fabricate the joints at three different rotational speeds i.e. 1500, 2000 and 2500 rpm with two traverse speeds of 20 and 40 mm/min. The mechanical properties (tensile strength, hardness) of the joints have been evaluated and analysed. It has been observed that the design of tool pin profile has considerable effect on tensile properties. Square pin profile tool produces the best tensile properties compared to tapered cylindrical tool pin profiles.
Institutional Ownership , Cost of Capital , and Corporate Investment

Neoclassical models postulate that firms’ investment is determined by expected profitability and the cost of capital. Capital market imperfections, caused by information asymmetries and agency costs, lead to a modified investment scenario, where the external cost of capital is higher than the cost of internal funds. This, in turn, leads to the well-known result of underinvestment by firms. We hypothesize in this study that institutional investors alleviate some of the capital market frictions by their relatively efficient information processing and managerial monitoring activities, thereby mitigating the underinvestment problem. In support of this hypothesis, we provide evidence indicating that: (1) The size of institutional ownership in public companies is positively related to the rate of investment in fixed assets, corporate acquisitions, and R&D; (2) institutions that trade frequently attempting to exploit short-term mispricings are more effective in reducing information asymmetries and enhancing corporate investment than other institutions; and (3) institutional investors eliminate the documented mispricing of securities associated with business investments. Taken together, these findings suggest that institutional investors alleviate market imperfections, thereby mitigating the underinvestment problem.
Effects of Sodium Azide and Potassium Chromate on the Morphological Characters of Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott. and Xanthosoma maffafa (L.) Schott. Accessions in Nigeria

The morphological assessment of five accessions of Colocasia esculenta (NCe 001, NCe 002, NCe 003, NCe 004 and NCe 005) and three accessions of Xanthosoma maffafa (NXs 001, NXs 002 and NXs 003) exposed to different concentrations of sodium azide and potassium chromate was carried out using 2.5, 5, 7.5, 10 mg/kg and the unpolluted accessions were used as the control. Results showed that accessions treated with sodium azide had higher mean plant height, mean leaf area and mean yield when compared to the accessions treated with potassium chromate. However, the differences in height, leaf area and girth between treatments were not significant at 5 % but these differences between the accessions were significant at 5 %. Albeit, the difference in yield between treatments was significant at P=0.05 but the difference in yield between accessions was not significant at P=0.05. Malformed leaves, chlorosis, change in stem colour including plant deaths were some of the variations observed in the accessions treated with these chemicals. Further studies were encouraged for a clearer understanding of the potentials of these chemicals in crop mutation breeding programs.
A Functional Hierarchy within the Parietofrontal Network in Stimulus Selection and Attention Control

Although we are confronted with an ever-changing environment, we do not have the capacity to analyze all incoming sensory information. Perception is selective and is guided both by salient events occurring in our visual field and by cognitive premises about what needs our attention. Although the lateral intraparietal area (LIP) and frontal eye field (FEF) are known to represent the position of visual attention, their respective contributions to its control are still unclear. Here, we report LIP and FEF neuronal activities recorded while monkeys performed a voluntary attention-orientation target-detection task. We show that both encode behaviorally significant events, but that the FEF plays a specific role in mapping abstract cue instructions onto a spatial priority map to voluntarily guide attention. On the basis of a latency analysis, we show that the coding of stimulus identity and position precedes the emergence of an explicit attentional signal within the FEF. We also describe dynamic temporal hierarchies between LIP and FEF: stimuli carrying the highest intrinsic saliency are signaled by LIP before FEF, whereas stimuli carrying the highest extrinsic saliency are signaled in FEF before LIP. This suggests that whereas the parietofrontal attentional network most probably processes visual information in a recurrent way, exogenous processing predominates in the parietal cortex and the endogenous control of attention takes place in the FEF.
Block Term Decomposition Analysis in Long Segments of Atrial Fibrillation ECGs

Responsible for 25% of strokes, atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia in clinical practice. A precise analysis of the atrial activity (AA) signal in electrocardiogram (ECG) recordings is necessary to better understand this challenging cardiac condition. Recently, the block term decomposition (BTD) has been proposed as a novel tool to extract AA in AF ECG signals noninvasively. However, this tensor factorization technique was performed only in short segments. In this paper, the BTD is assessed in long segments of an AF ECG, varying the observation window size. Experimental results show the performance of BTD in long segments of an AF ECG recording and the analysis of the observation window size. This promising tensor technique is compared to two matrix-based methods.
The level of the serum opsonin, mannan‐binding protein in HIV‐1 antibody‐positive patients

The concentrations of mannan‐binding protein (MBP) in consecutive samples from 10 HIV+ persons were estimated using an ELISA based on polyclonal rabbit anti‐MBP. The changes in MBP with time were similar in HIV+ and HIV− persons, and did not appear to be of clinical significance. MBP was determined in a further 70 persons found HIV‐1+ during a period af 2·5 years (1984–1986). Out of the total of 80 patients, 32 have by now died from AIDS. According to the serum level of MBP the HIV‐infected persons were grouped into high (> 650 ng MBP/ml). intermediate (101–650 ng/ml), and low MBP (< 101 ng/ml). At the termination of the study the frequency of deaths/total in each of the groups were: high MBP, 14/39 (36%); intermediate MBP, 12/26 (46%); and low MBP, 6/14 (43%). There was no association between the MBP level of the individual and the progressive loss of CD4+ T cells, and the level of MBP was not predictive for the length of time between the detection of HIV antibodies and development of AIDS, nor for the duration of AIDS before death occurred. The number of HIV+ persons without detectable MBP (10%) was significantly higher than previously reported for healthy persons (2·4%, P= 0·027). The course of HIV infection does not seem to be influenced by the level of MBP, nor does the antimicrobial activity of MBP appear to affect the progression of AIDS. Further studies are required to substantiate the significance of absence of MBP in the susceptibility to HIV.