Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A New Approach to Evaluate Neuromuscular Fatigue of Extensor Elbow Muscles

Neuromuscular fatigue evaluation is widely performed on different muscles through the conventional protocol using maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) with electrical stimuli in the analyzed muscle. In an attempt to use this protocol on elbow extensor musculature, previous studies and pilot studies showed co-contraction effects from antagonist musculature during muscular stimulations. The aim of this study was to propose a new neuromuscular fatigue protocol evaluation on elbow extensor musculature. Twenty participants preformed exercises to induce central (CenFat) and peripheral fatigue (PerFat). Neuromuscular fatigue was evaluated on knee extensor muscles by a conventional protocol that provides Twitch Superimposed (TSK) and Twitch Potentiated (TPK), central and peripheral parameters respectively. For elbow extensor muscles, the protocol used sustained submaximal contraction at 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50% of MVC. The neuromuscular fatigue in upper limbs was identified by Twitch Potentiated (TPE) and multiple Twitch Superimposed (TSE) parameters. Using the relationship between MVC (%) and evoked force, the proposed protocol used several TSE to provide slope, y-intercept and R2. It is proposed that slope, R2, and y-intercept change may indicate peripheral fatigue and the identified relationship between y-intercept and R2 may indicate central fatigue or both peripheral and central fatigue. The results were compared using the non-parametric analyzes of Friedmann and Wilcoxon and their possible correlations were verified by the Spearmann test (significance level set at p < 0.05). After PerFat a decrease in TPE (57.1%, p < 0.001) was found but not in any TSE, indicating only peripheral fatigue in upper limbs. After CenFat a decrease in TPE (21.4%, p: 0.008) and TPK (20.9%, p < 0.001) were found but not in TSK, indicating peripheral fatigue in upper and lower limbs but not central fatigue. A non-significant increase of 15.3% after CenFat and a statistical reduction (80.1%, p: 0.001) after PerFat were found by slope. Despite R2 showing differences after both exercises (p < 0.05), it showed a recovery behavior after CenFat (p: 0.016). Although PerFat provided only peripheral fatigue, CenFat did not provide central fatigue. Considering the procedural limitations of CenFat, parameters resulting from the proposed protocol are sensitive to neuromuscular alteration, however, further studies are required.
Analysing Covid-19 Epidemic Trajectories: are Countries Flattening the Curve?

Introduction: We evaluated COVID19 epidemic trajectories of different countries in terms of relative trajectory steepness and anticipated epidemic duration, in other words “flatness of the curve”. Methods: We used open-domain data on COVID-19 reported cases and deaths per country per day. A subset of 47 countries was analysed. Data were fitted with an analytical model following Gompertz equation. Uncertainty pertaining to the model forecasts was also quantified. To relate differences in epidemic trajectories of different countries to the mitigation approach taken by governments of those countries, we made use of the COVID-19 Government Response Stringency Index developed and published by Oxford University and Blavatnik School. Results: Acceptable quality fits were obtained for all the countries with R2 mostly in excess of 0.98. Uncertainty on the final Cases and/or Deaths count is typically a factor of two early in the epidemic but this quickly reduces as the epidemic progresses. Uncertainty on Epidemic Duration also reduces but less fast. Statistics on key parameters like Epidemic Duration, Epidemic Peak and Final Mortality Rate were obtained and then cross-correlated with the rigor of government measures as recorded in the Stringency Score. Most significantly, we find a clear trend of decreasing Peak Epidemic height (and to a less extent, shorter Epidemic Duration) with increased Government Stringency at the epidemic onset. We also find that Final Mortality Rate decreases with increased Stringency of Government Testing and Contact-Tracing. Conclusions: Whilst COVID-19 epidemic trajectories for most countries are similar, some countries do have flatter and less severe trajectories than others. Our analysis suggests that mitigation measures taken by a government at the very initial stage of a COVID-19 outbreak might significantly impact severity and to a less extent duration of the epidemic.
Relay strategy in online mobile games: a data-driven approach

With the booming of online mobile games (OMGs), game operators need to provide high-quality game service for users. Using relay has become the de factor approach for game streaming today, because it is easy to use (e.g., game sessions can be redirected via CDN servers) and has good scalability. Today, it has become the norm rather than the exception for game operators to hire CDN servers for their game services in a pay-per-use manner to serve massive users. Given the limited resource, selecting game sessions which are relayed has become a critical decision that can significantly affect users' quality of experience (QoE). Conventional strategies are generally rule-based, e.g., assigning game sessions to relay paths according to their past network performance, but cannot guarantee any particular QoE level because network performance dynamically changes. In this paper, we propose using data-driven approach to study network performance of game sessions in temporal and spatial patterns. Our findings indicate that there is obvious regularity for network performance of game sessions in temporal and spatial patterns. We design a machine learning-based predictive model to capture the quality of a game session given particular network performance metrics. Based on that, we strategically assign game sessions to relay paths to maximize the overall QoE. Trace-driven experiments are used to demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of our design.
Personality‐obesity associations are driven by narrow traits: A meta‐analysis

Obesity has inconsistent associations with broad personality domains, possibly because the links pertain to only some facets of these domains. Collating published and unpublished studies (N = 14 848), we meta‐analysed the associations between body mass index (BMI) and Five‐Factor Model personality domains as well as 30 Five‐Factor Model personality facets. At the domain level, BMI had a positive association with Neuroticism and a negative association with Conscientiousness domains. At the facet level, we found associations between BMI and 15 facets from all five personality domains, with only some Neuroticism and Conscientiousness facets among them. Certain personality‐BMI associations were moderated by sample properties, such as proportions of women or participants with obesity; these moderation effects were replicated in the individual‐level analysis. Finally, facet‐based personality “risk” scores accounted for 2.3% of variance in BMI in a separate sample of individuals (N = 3569), 409% more than domain‐based scores. Taken together, personality‐BMI associations are facet specific, and delineating them may help to explain obesity‐related behaviours and inform intervention designs. Preprint and data are available at https://psyarxiv.com/z35vn/.
Comparing the effects of reference-based, orientation-based, and turn-by-turn navigation guidance on users' independent navigation

Research has shown that turn-by-turn navigation guidance has made users overly reliant on such guidance, impairing their independent wayfinding ability. This paper compares the impacts of two new types of navigation guidance - reference-based and orientation-based - on their users' ability to independently navigate to the same destinations, both as compared to each other, and as compared to two types of traditional turn-by-turn guidance, i.e., map-based and augmented-reality (AR) based. The results of our within-subjects experiment indicate that, while the use of reference-based guidance led to users taking more time to navigate when first receiving it, it boosted their subsequent ability to independently navigate to the same destination in less time, via more efficient routes, and with less assistance-seeking from their phones than either map-based or AR-based turn-by-turn navigation guidance did.
Antioxidant Indices of Watermelon Juice and Lycopene Extract

In the current project, indigenously grown promising watermelon variety (Sugar baby) was characterized for its antioxidant potential. The watermelon juice and lycopene extract were quantified by HPLC that depicted 4.53±0.05 and 6.27±0.06 mg/100mL of lycopene, respectively. Furthermore, the watermelon juice and lycopene extract showed Total Phenolic
Innate immune response to Coxiella burnetii

Intracellular bacteria pose a unique set of challenges for the immune system. Many have evolved highly specialized virulence factors to evade intracellular detection and created a replicative niche. Coxiella burnetii is a zoonotic intracellular pathogen capable of causing severe acute and chronic Q fever in humans. C. burnetii grows in the lysosome and persists in cells for more than 10 days. Since C. burnetii can replicate inside cells for a prolonged period, we hypothesized that C. burnetii evolved multiple mechanisms to subvert innate immune detection. To test this hypothesis, we tested the ability of the C. burnetii Nine Mile Phase II clone 4/ RSA439 strain to activate innate immune responses in restrictive C57BL/6 bone marrow-derived macrophages, specifically: detection by surface and cytosolic immune sensors; activation of the inflammasome; and production of Type I interferon. We found C. burnetii does not robustly stimulate cytosolic sensors, activate the inflammasome, nor induce robust levels of Type I interferon. These pathways do not play a significant role in mediating cell-intrinsic control of bacterial replication. We found TLR detection, specifically TLR2 and TLR4, primarily mediates innate immune detection and restriction of C. burnetii in C57BL/6 macrophages. We further implicated both TLR adaptors MYD88 and TRIF in this response. Building upon these findings, we demonstrated soluble TNF induced by TLR signaling plays a major role in the cell-intrinsic restriction of C. burnetii. We further examined TNF-dependent mechanisms of restriction: cell death, reactive nitrogen (RNS) and reactive oxygen (ROS) species, and guanylate binding proteins (GBPs). We found cell death is not induced in macrophages. Although expression of GBPs are induced upon C. burnetii infection, we ruled out five GBPs as mediators of bacterial restriction. Finally, we found RNS is induced by C. burnetii in a TNF-dependent manner, and ROS is also induced and plays a role in the cellintrinsic control of C. burnetii replication. Together, these studies demonstrate that the C. burnetii Nine Mile phase II strain is able to evade many arms of the innate immune system in C57BL/6 macrophages and implicated a specific molecule, TNF, in mediating the cell-intrinsic control of this poorly understood bacterium. Degree Type Dissertation Degree Name Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Graduate Group Cell & Molecular Biology First Advisor Sunn Shin Second Advisor Christopher A. Hunter This dissertation is available at ScholarlyCommons: http://repository.upenn. edu/edissertations/1620
Diagnosing developmental prosopagnosia: repeat assessment using the Cambridge Face Memory Test

Developmental prosopagnosia (DP) is a cognitive condition characterized by a relatively selective impairment in face recognition. Currently, people are screened for DP via a single attempt at objective face-processing tests, usually all presented on the same day. However, several variables probably influence performance on these tests irrespective of actual ability, and the influence of repeat administration is also unknown. Here, we assess, for the first known time, the test–retest reliability of the Cambridge Face Memory Test (CFMT)—the leading task used worldwide to diagnose DP. This value was found to fall just below psychometric standards, and single-case analyses revealed further inconsistencies in performance that were not driven by testing location (online or in-person), nor the time-lapse between attempts. Later administration of an alternative version of the CFMT (the CFMT-Aus) was also found to be valuable in confirming borderline cases. Finally, we found that performance on the first 48 trials of the CFMT was equally as sensitive as the full 72-item score, suggesting that the instrument may be shortened for testing efficiency. We consider the implications of these findings for existing diagnostic protocols, concluding that two independent tasks of unfamiliar face memory should be completed on separate days.
Innovation, competition, and incomplete adoption of a superior technology

ABSTRACT This article shows that competition exerts a feedback effect on market structure via the process of innovation. First, downstream competition increases the willingness to pay for a more efficient technology (the direct effect). Second, a sufficiently large innovation may offer the licensees a robust strategic advantage that forces non-adopters out of business. In turn, this raises the licensee's willingness to pay to survive in the market (the indirect effect). More specifically, if competition is intense, even a tiny innovation may result in drastic effects in the market. This work also demonstrates that royalties do not always imply the complete adoption of a superior technology because of competition's indirect effect on innovation. If granted the possibility of denying access to innovation to some downstream manufacturers, an inventor or rights holder may prefer to license a substantial patent to a subset of manufacturers at a discounted price, regardless of the contract scheme enforced. Finally, this article suggests that a ban on obsolete technology is not welfare-improving from a policy perspective.
Relationship of the Promoter of NAD(P)H Oxidase p~(22phox) Gene Polymorphism to Hypertension

Objective To investigate the association between p 22phox gene promoter -930A/G polymorphism and primary hypertension, a case-control study was performed. Methods The -930A/G gene polymorphism of the p 22phox was detected by PCR-RFLP in 123 patients and 105 control subjects. Results Frequencies of the GG, GA and AA genotypes were 0.11, 0.49, 0.40 for control subjects and 0.37, 0.46 and 0.17 for the hypertension group, and G allele frequencies in hypertension group and control were 0.60 and 0.40, respectively. The prevalence of the GG genotype was significantly higher in hypertension patients ( χ 2 =25.17, P 0.01). Conclusion There is a relationship between the p 22phox -930A/G gene polymorphism and essential hypertension, and the G allele is likely a risk factor of hypertension.
Tank-mix application of p-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD) inhibiting herbicide (mesotrione, tembotrione or topramezone) with atrazine improves weed control in maize (Zea mays L.)

Field experiments were conducted to identify the effective tank-mix combinations of HPPD (p-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase) herbicides (Mesotrione, tembotrione and topramezone) with atrazine for post-emergence grass and broadleaf weeds control in maize crop during the three kharif seasons of 2013 to 2015. The dominant weeds infested the experimental plots were crow footgrass{Dactyloctenium aegyptium (L.) Willd. }; large crabgrass, Digitaria sanguinalis (L.) Scop; barnyard grass, Echinochloa crus-galli (L.) Beauv. ; Digera arvensis Forsk. and Horse purslane(Trianthema portulacastrum L.). All the three HPPD herbicides showed good crop safety and among them, for grass weed control, mesotrione 120 g ha-1 applied alone was inferior to topramezone 50 g ha-1 and tembotrione 120 g ha-1 applications. However, reduced doses of the HPPD herbicide (mesotrione 90 g or topramezone 37.5 g or tembotrione 90 g ha-1) with atrazine 900 g ha-1 as post-emergent tank-mixture gave better weed control and maize yield than their solo applications. The uncontrolled weed competition reduced the maize yields by 31.5 to 68.5%. Overall, topramezone + atrazine provided comparable or superior control of annual grass and broad-leaf weeds than mesotrione + atrazine or tembotrione + atrazine. Post applied (15-18 days after sowing) atrazine 1000 g ha-1 was better to pre-emergence atrazine in weed control and producing maize yield. In another field study, replacement of maize with puddle rice completely reduced the Johnsongrass {Sorghum halepense (L.) Pers. } density and therefore, in areas having its infestation, rice can be an alternative to contain its problem. The synergistic interactions between HPPD-inhibiting herbicides, and atrazine, were also observed against three grass weeds in pot experimentation as higher weed control achieved than what was expected from Colby’s equation. The results show that tank-mixture of topramezone or tembotrione with atrazine can be effectively used for diverse weed flora control in maize.
Physicochemical and rheological properties of modified rice amylose by dynamic high-pressure microfluidization

ABSTRACT The effect of dynamic high-pressure microfluidization on physicochemical and rheological properties of rice amylose pastes were examined. The amylose dispersions were pressurized at 60, 100, 140, and 180 MPa. The microfluidization treated rice amylose showed elevated solubility, swelling power, and moisture absorbability. The retrogradability was significantly decreased with the pressure increase. Iodine blue value showed a significant increase at 60~140 MPa, while a slight decrease at 180 MPa. The rheological results indicated that native amylose was a non-Newtonian fluid and displayed pseudoplastic fluids characteristics. The amylose moved toward a Newtonian fluid behavior and its rheopexy decreased with the pressure increased.
Statistical analysis of small structures in rotated crustal blocks near the Húsavík-Flatey fault, northern Iceland

The right lateral Húsavík-Flatey fault, in and just off the coast of northern Iceland, provides a unique opportunity to observe an oceanic transform fault on land. Structural and paleomagnetic measurements from lavas and dikes on Flateyjarskagi peninsula indicate that rocks adjacent to the fault have rotated clockwise more than 100°. I examine the effect of this rotation on the orientations of small faults and vein zones near the transform. I also use patterns in small-scale data to build on models of the style of deformation surrounding the fault. Previous studies provide constraints on the extent of rotation across Flateyjarskagi, which I use to estimate the expected orientations of rotated structures. The orientations of some small faults are consistent with expected rotations, but many structures appear to post-date rotation. Rotation of an older subset of the small faults on Flateyjarskagi accounts for patterns that have previously been attributed to variations in the stress field near the transform.
Immune Stimulatory and Hepatoprotective Effects of Poly Herbs (Withania somnifera, Liquorice, Allium sativum and Berberis lycium) Mixture Extract in Broilers

Original Research Article This study was aimed to investigate the immunostimulatory and hepatoprotective effects of different levels of herbs extracts like Withania somnifera, Liquorice,Alium sativum and Berberis lycium used to investigate the improvement in immunity and liver function at Agricultural University Peshawar, Pakistan. For this experiment two hundred and forty (240) chicks were randomly assigned in to four major groups A, B, C and D. Each group was further divided in to two sub-groups. Each subgroup was replicated three times carrying 10 chicks per replicate. One of the subgroups was vaccinated against ND (New castle disease), IB (Infectious bronchitis) and IBD (Infectious Bursal disease) according to schedule.Group A was kept as control, while B, C and D were treated with Withania somnifera , Licorice, Alium sativum and Berberis lycium extract at the rate of (5gms + 2.5gms + 2gms + 8gms), (10gms + 5gms + 3gms + 9gms), (15gms + 7.5gms + 4gms + 10gms) gm/lit of water respectively. AST (Aspartate amino transfarase) and ALT (Alanine amino transfarase)was significantly (P<0.05) reduced in group B than rest of the groups, while serum protein and alkaline Phosphatase was significantly (P<0.05) affected in group B as compared with other groups. Chicks were reared in cages in an open sided house. The data was recorded for immunostimulant and hepatoprotective effect. ND, IBD and IB was significant (P<0.05) higher in group B.It is concluded that Withania somnifera, Licorice, Alium sativum and Berberis lycium) extract @ of (10gms + 5gms + 3gms + 9gms) gm/L of water could be effectively utilized to improve immunity and liver function.
Pathogen Penetration into the Host Plant Tissues Challenges and Obstacles – An Overview

Varieties of mechanisms have been developed by plants to adapt, cope with, defend and ward off different arrays of invasion; this includes aggressive invasions from pathogenic organisms that cause diseases. The plant upon sensing danger activates certain signaling pathways within them, this leads to the induced gene expressions with different defensive roles. Their system that activates immunity within and the ability to detect microbial pathogens will be presented. For an infection to occur there must be a close ecological relationship that will be established between the host plants and the pathogens. Attention is also drawn to how pathogens produce plant penetrating mechanisms to invade and bring down the plants defensive structures and the various types of plant pathogens that invade host plants. This paper also reviews the current knowledge of defense mechanisms in host plants among which includes cell wall fortification, defense genes and its activation, secondary metabolites synthesis and defense hormones generation. Resistance and defense can be manipulated to develop varieties of crops which easily fight and inhibit infectious pathogenic stress, as it can also be used as a part of integrated disease management for productive crop production. The knowledge derived from this work together with other research studies in this area will help to draw highlight on the major components in plant defense responses and to design strategies to enhance resistance to pathogen invasion in plants.
Lax representations for integrable maps

For a partial difference equation on the lattice, we present a twoparameter family of discrete travelling wave reductions, from which ordinary difference equations, or mappings, corresponding to solutions of such problem, are obtained. Based on the staircase method, for which we give an algebraic description as a set of reduced variables, we derive a Lax representation to obtain integrals of such mappings, whenever a Lax pair for the partial difference equation exists. Finally, from a reduction of the lattice sine-Gordon equation, we present a four-dimensional mapping that is integrable, since it is symplectic and possesses two functionally independent integrals in involution. PACS numbers: 02.30. Ik Submitted to: J. Phys. A: Math. Gen. Lax pairs for O∆Es 2