Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Shoulder muscle recruitment of small amplitude motor units during the delay period encodes a reach movement plan which is sensitive to task context

Understanding how motor plans are transformed into appropriate patterns of muscle activity is a central question in motor control. While muscle activity during the delay period has not been reported using conventional EMG approaches, we isolated motor unit activity using a high-density surface EMG signal from the anterior deltoid muscle to test whether heterogeneity in motor units could reveal early preparatory activity. Consistent with our previous work (Rungta et al., 2021), we observed early selective recruitment of small-amplitude size motor units during the delay period for hand movements like early recruitment of small-amplitude motor units in neck muscles of non-human primates performing delayed saccade tasks. This early activity was spatially specific and increased with time and resembled an accumulation to threshold model that correlated with movement onset time. Such early recruitment of ramping motor units was also observed at the single trial level as well. In contrast, no such recruitment of large amplitude size motor units, called non-rampers, was observed during the delay period. Instead, non-rampers became spatially specific and predicted movement onset time after the delay period. Interestingly, spatially specific delay period activity was only observed for hand movements but was absent for isometric force-driven cursor movements. Nonetheless, muscle activity was correlated with the time it took to initiate movements in both task conditions for non-rampers. Overall, our results reveal a novel heterogeneity in the EMG activity which allows the expression of early motor preparation via small amplitude size motor units which are differentially activated during initiation of movements. Significance statement We studied the spatial and temporal aspects of response preparation in the anterior deltoid muscle using high-density surface EMG. Our results show that early spatially specific ramping activity that predicted reaction times could be accessed from muscle activity but was absent during isometric force-driven cursor movements. Such ramping activity could be quantified using an accumulator framework across trials, as well as within single trials but was not observed in isometric reach tasks involving cursor movements.
A New PM Sampler with a Built-In Black Carbon Continuous Monitor

We introduce a new instrument for sampling the airborne particulate matter (PM) while monitoring the black carbon (BC) atmospheric concentration. The concentration of PM and BC are usually measured by separate instruments with possible systematics differences even in the collecting inlets. The new equipment is based on a low-volume sequential PM sampler, fully compliant with the EU-CEN and US-EPA regulatory standards, with a built-in optical BC monitor. The BC concentration is continuously measured during the sampling in the PM accumulated on the filter while the PM concentration can be obtained off-line by a standard gravimetric analysis. The optical set-up, upstream the collecting filter, is composed by a single wavelength light source (λ = 635 nm) and a photodiode, placed in way to receive the light backscattered by the filter surface at a fixed angle. The mechanical arrangement does not introduce any perturbation to the PM sampling. Thanks to an original calibration curve, the sample absorbance is deduced from the output signal of the photodiode. Finally, the BC concentration is obtained through the Mass Absorption Coefficient (MAC). After the sampling and the PM gravimetric determination, the same filter can be sent to other compositional analyses. Thermo-optical quantification of the Elemental and Organic Carbon (EC and OC) in the filter sample can thus be exploited to tune the MAC value to the PM composition of a particular site. The main features of the new instrument and the set of validation tests against other PM samplers and BC monitors of widespread use (i.e.,: Multi Angle Absorption Photometer and aethalometer) are detailed and discussed.
Heuristics on Call: The Impact of Mobile Phone Based Business Management Advice

There is growing evidence that business training for micro-entrepreneurs can be effective. In-person training can be expensive and imposes costs on the target beneficiaries. This paper presents the results of a two-site randomized control trial evaluating the effectiveness of a light-touch, mobile phone-based business training for micro-entrepreneurs in India and the Philippines. We find that the training had a statistically significant impact on the adoption of improved business practices, with an increase of 0.07 to 0.13 standard deviation points. We find no evidence of impacts on sales or profits, though the confidence intervals are wide enough to include meaningful effect sizes (positive or negative). These results suggest that mobile phone-based training can be a cost-effective and scalable way to impart business skills to micro-entrepreneurs. ∗Cole: Harvard Business School, scole@hbs.com; Joshi: idea42, mjoshi@ideas42.org; Schoar: Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sloan School of Management, aschoar@mit.edu.
Interregional Migration: Who Decides to Move?

Abstract The functionality of a region depends on its people. Yet for some regions within Australia, attracting and retaining varied skilled people continues to be a challenge. What influences people to want to stay, move away from or move into a region? Before we can answer this question, we firstly need to understand ‘who’ is making this decision. Much of past research assumes the decision is made at the individual head of household level or must assume the decision is made at the individual as opposed to the household level as a result of data availability. This paper highlights the limitations of making such an assumption and offers an alternative method transforming secondary microdata to reflect the collective household unit as the decision making unit. We find that our migration models are statistically robust with results consistent with conventional studies that show smaller, younger households are more mobile. Most importantly, however, we find evidence that our proxies which represent characteristics of the collective unit, termed “Decision Making Unit”, are also statistically significant. Thus, justifying the need for migration models to reflect the collective unit and not just the individual, should we seek to better understand motives. JEL classification numbers: J61, R23, R58 Keywords: interregional migration, migration, decision-making, households, regions
Health Education On The Danger Signs Of Pregnancy In Primigravidan And Multigravida

Background: Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) is one attempt to assess the degree of public health. One of the problems associated with maternal mortality is the problem of pregnancy that should be avoidable. Such pregnancy problems can be detected early from the presence of danger signs in pregnancy. One factor affecting mothers' knows the pregnancy hazard signs is maternal knowledge. Methods: Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) is one attempt to assess the degree of public health. One of the problems associated with maternal mortality is the problem of pregnancy that should be avoidable. Such pregnancy problems can be detected early from the presence of danger signs in pregnancy. One factor affecting mothers' knows the pregnancy hazard signs is maternal knowledge. Results: The success of the implementation of this activity is obtained by analyzing pretest and posttest values. The average pretest and posttest results are 58,1018.55 respectively with the minimum, maximum (20, 60), and 79,329.26 values with minimum and maximum (90,100). The average difference in pretest and posttest values is 21.22 or reaches 36.5%. This increase in knowledge is statistically significant. Conclusion: The activity aims to educate pregnant women about the linking of pregnancy hazard signs. At the end of the activity, the purpose of the implementation of this activity was well achieved and targeted.
In vitro maturation using αMEM with reduced NaCl enhances maturation and developmental competence of pig oocytes after somatic cell nuclear transfer

Background Compared to medium containing 108 mM sodium chloride (NaCl), in vitro maturation (IVM) using a simple medium with reduced (61.6 mM) NaCl increases the cytoplasmic maturation and embryonic development of pig oocytes. Objectives This study determines the effect of a complex medium containing reduced NaCl on the IVM and embryonic development of pig oocytes. Methods Pig oocytes were matured in Minimum Essential Medium Eagle-alpha modification (αMEM) supplemented with 61.6 (61αMEM) or 108 (108αMEM) mM NaCl, and containing polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) (αMEMP) or pig follicular fluid (PFF) (αMEMF). Medium-199 (M199) served as the control for conventional IVM. Cumulus cell expansion, nuclear maturation, intra-oocyte glutathione (GSH) contents, size of perivitelline space (PVS), and embryonic development after parthenogenesis (PA) and somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) were evaluated after IVM. Results Regardless of PVA or PFF supplementation, oocytes matured in 61αMEM showed increased intra-oocyte GSH contents and width of PVS (p < 0.05), as well as increased blastocyst formation (p < 0.05) after PA and SCNT, as compared to oocytes matured in 108αMEMP and M199. Under conditions of PFF-enriched αMEM, SCNT oocytes matured in 61αMEMF showed higher blastocyst formation (p < 0.05), compared to maturation in 108αMEMF and M199, whereas PA cultured oocytes showed no significant difference. Conclusions IVM in αMEM supplemented with reduced NaCl (61.6 mM) enhances the embryonic developmental competence subsequent to PA and SCNT, which attributes toward improved oocyte maturation.
The ICT Antecedents and Sole Proprietary Practicing Audit Firms: A Quantitative Study

Abstract The main objective of this study is to investigate the mediating effect of Information Communication Technology (ICT) training on the linkage between ICT confidence, ICT challenges as antecedents of Sole Proprietary Practicing Audit Firms (SPPAFs) were the firms having lower than 100 clients. The study adopts a quantitative approach where a set of questionnaires were designed using a Likert scale to collect 165 usable data from auditors of SPPAFs in India. The data were analyzed using Smart PLS and SPSS statistical tools. The findings confirmed that ICT training mediates the linkages between ICT antecedents (ICT confidence and ICT challenges) and SPPAF. The conceptual model of the study can be useful to understand ICT antecedents of SPPAFs to increase the effectiveness of auditing. Hence, practicing auditors could realize ICT confidence and ICT challenges to improve firm effectiveness.
Loss of Detection of sgN Precedes Viral Abridged Replication in COVID-19-Affected Patients—A Target for SARS-CoV-2 Propagation

The development of prophylactic agents against the SARS-CoV-2 virus is a public health priority in the search for new surrogate markers of active virus replication. Early detection markers are needed to follow disease progression and foresee patient negativization. Subgenomic RNA transcripts (with a focus on sgN) were evaluated in oro/nasopharyngeal swabs from COVID-19-affected patients with an analysis of 315 positive samples using qPCR technology. Cut-off Cq values for sgN (Cq < 33.15) and sgE (Cq < 34.06) showed correlations to high viral loads. The specific loss of sgN in home-isolated and hospitalized COVID-19-positive patients indicated negativization of patient condition, 3–7 days from the first swab, respectively. A new detection kit for sgN, gene E, gene ORF1ab, and gene RNAse P was developed recently. In addition, in vitro studies have shown that 2’-O-methyl antisense RNA (related to the sgN sequence) can impair SARS-CoV-2 N protein synthesis, viral replication, and syncytia formation in human cells (i.e., HEK-293T cells overexpressing ACE2) upon infection with VOC Alpha (B.1.1.7)-SARS-CoV-2 variant, defining the use that this procedure might have for future therapeutic actions against SARS-CoV-2.
Selective effects of a short transient environmental fluctuation on a natural population

Natural populations experience continuous and often transient changes of environmental conditions. These in turn may result in fluctuating selection pressures leading to variable demographic and evolutionary population responses. Rapid adaptation as short-term response to a sudden environmental change has in several cases been attributed to polygenic traits, but the underlying genomic dynamics and architecture are poorly understood. In this study, took advantage of a natural experiment in an insect population by monitoring genome-wide allele frequencies before and after a cold snap event. Whole genome pooled sequencing of time series samples revealed ten selected haplotypes carrying ancient polymorphisms, partially with signatures of balancing selection. By constantly cold exposing genetically variable individuals in the laboratory, we could demonstrate with whole genome resequencing i) among the survivors, the same alleles rose in frequency as in the wild and ii) that the identified variants additively predicted fitness (survival time) of its bearers. Finally, by simultaneously sequencing the genome and the transcriptome of cold exposed individuals we could tentatively link some of the selected SNPs to the cis- and trans-regulation of genes and pathways known to be involved in cold response of insects, like Cytochrome P450 and fatty acid metabolism. Altogether, our results shed light on the strength and speed of selection in natural populations and the genomic architecture of its underlying polygenic trait. Population genomic time series data thus appear as promising tool for measuring the selective tracking of fluctuating selection in natural populations.
Effectiveness of benralizumab in severe eosinophilic asthma under routine clinical practice.

Miralles López JC, Andújar-Espinosa R, Bravo-Gutiérrez FJ, Castilla-Martínez M, Flores-Martín I, Alemany-Francés ML, Pajarón-Fernández MJ, Mora González A, Valverde-Molina J , Pérez-Fernández V, RE-ASGRAMUR GROUP Allergy Department. University General Hospital Reina Sofia. Murcia, Spain Pulmonology Department. University Clinic Hospital Virgen de la Arrixaca. Murcia, Spain Pulmonology Department. University General Hospital Santa Lucia. Cartagena, Murcia, Spain Pulmonology Department. University General Hospital Los Arcos. San Javier, Murcia, Spain Allergy Department. University General Hospital Santa Lucia. Cartagena, Murcia, Spain Pulmonology Department. University General Hospital Morales Meseguer. Murcia, Spain Allergy Department. Hospital de la Vega. Cieza, Murcia, Spain Allergy Department. University General Hospital Morales Meseguer. Murcia, Spain Paediatrics Department. University General Hospital Santa Lucia. Cartagena, Murcia, Spain Department of Public Health Sciences. University of Murcia School of Medicine. Murcia, Spain * Members of the RE-ASGRAMUR (Register of Severe Asthma of the Region of Murcia) Group are listed in Supplementary Appendix 1.
LUMPY SKIN DISEASE VIRUS: APPROACHES TO ATTENUATION FOR VACCINE DEVELOPMENT

Lumpy skin disease (LSD) is a disease caused by the lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV) of the genus capripoxvirus. The disease is responsible for serious losses to the cattle industry globally. Vaccination is the most effective way of controlling LSDV. The currently available live attenuated vaccines are used in many countries and provide stable immunity. However, use of these vaccines can sometimes cause postvaccinal complications in animals. Attenuation of viruses by the classical method is associated with random mutations in the genome, and some vaccines can contain a mixture of viruses of different genotypes and virulence. Hence, there is a need to develop a safe immunogenic vaccine that will provide improved protection against LSDV. The most promising approach is gene modification to develop an attenuated capripoxvirus strain with high immunogenicity and protectivity. Sequencing and analysis of capripoxvirus DNA genomes has resulted in the identification of a number of genes whose protein products effectively stimulate antibody production in the host organism. These proteins are able to function both inside and outside the cell, neutralizing the complement factors, inhibiting apoptosis and synthesis of interferons, and reducing counter-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. Here, we review the literature for instances of genetic manipulation of genes encoding the above proteins, resulting in capripoxvirus attenuation.
Evaluation of Financial Viability of Woodlots and Crops in Coast Region of Kenya

Majority of farmers in the Coast Region of Kenya practice the agri-silviculture farming system as a source of their livelihood and well-being. However, most of them grow trees and agriculture crops on smallholdings that are characterized by a limited resource base calling for the adoption of enterprises with the potential of optimizing production and economic returns. Thus, financial assessments were carried out for both the trees and agriculture crops to establish profitable ones. The study was carried out as a cross-sectional survey using a questionnaire to collect data from smallholder farmers with woodlots and field crops selected using stratified random sampling procedures. The results reveal that woodlots were more profitable at their biological rotation than commonly grown field crops. Woodlots had average annual net earnings of US$364.46 per acre spread uniformly over their biological rotation. On the other hand, annual earnings from highly ranked field crops averaged US$177.39 per acre. It was, therefore recommended that farmers be encouraged to engage in woodlots but inter-crop them with field crops at the initial stages of establishment to help diversify, and optimize their incomes and food self-sufficiency at the farm level. Farmers are also advised to mechanize and use other technologies that minimize labour usage that was observed to be the highest cost component in woodlot establishment.
Muscle Sonography in Inclusion Body Myositis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of 944 Measurements

Inclusion body myositis (IBM) is a slowly progressive muscle weakness of distal and proximal muscles, which is diagnosed by clinical and histopathological criteria. Imaging biomarkers are inconsistently used and do not follow international standardized criteria. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the diagnostic value of muscle ultrasound (US) in IBM compared to healthy controls. A systematic search of PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus and Web of Science was performed. Articles reporting the use of muscle ultrasound in IBM, and published in peer-reviewed journals until 11 September 2021, were included in our study. Seven studies were included, with a total of 108 IBM and 171 healthy controls. Echogenicity between IBM and healthy controls, which was assessed by three studies, demonstrated a significant mean difference in the flexor digitorum profundus (FDP) muscle, which had a grey scale value (GSV) of 36.55 (95% CI, 28.65–44.45, p < 0.001), and in the gastrocnemius (GC), which had a GSV of 27.90 (95% CI 16.32–39.48, p < 0.001). Muscle thickness in the FDP showed no significant difference between the groups. The pooled sensitivity and specificity of US in the differentiation between IBM and the controls were 82% and 98%, respectively, and the area under the curve was 0.612. IBM is a rare disease, which is reflected in the low numbers of patients included in each of the studies and thus there was high heterogeneity in the results. Nevertheless, the selected studies conclusively demonstrated significant differences in echogenicity of the FDP and GC in IBM, compared to controls. Further high-quality studies, using standardized operating procedures, are needed to implement muscle ultrasound in the diagnostic criteria.
OUT-OF-POCKET HEALTHCARE PAYMENTS AND IMPOVERISHMENT AMONG MIGRANT ADOLESCENT FEMALE HEAD PORTERS IN GHANA: A CROSS SECTIONAL STUDY

Direct out-of-pocket (OOP) payments for healthcare can have devastating effects on vulnerable populations leading to impoverishments. Ghana’s National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) aims to remove financial hardships associated with seeking healthcare. However, there are concerns that vulnerable sections of the population still face healthcare-related financial hardships. This paper examines the impoverishing effects of OOP healthcare payments and the determinants of impoverishment due to OOP healthcare payments among migrant adolescent female head porters aged 10-19 years in Ghana. A quantitative cross-sectional survey was administered to a sample of 336 respondents who reported ill and sought healthcare within the last 12 months, January-December 2015, prior to the survey in 2016. Impoverishment due to OOP payment was assessed by computing the net income after payment for health care using the World Bank’s poverty line of income of $1.90 a day converted to 2015 purchasing power parity (PPP) equivalence for Ghana. The results illustrate that poverty incidence increased from 23 percent before OOP payment to 76 percent post OOP payment for healthcare. In a multivariate analysis, primary education [AOR=0.32, 95%CI=0.15-0.68]; Mamprusi (AOR=0.41, 95%CI=0.19-0.87) and other ethnic groups [AOR=0.33, 95%CI=0.14-0.75] compared to Dagomba; >1year in head portage (AOR=0.46; 0.23 - 0.95); drug store (AOR=0.43, 95%CI=0.19 - 0.96) and home treatment [AOR=0.20, 95%CI=0.05-0.85] were significantly associated with lower odds, whilst never registering for (AOR=4.05; 95%=1.82 - 9.03) or no valid NHIS card (2.29; 95%CI=1.08 - 4.83), Kumasi city [AOR=5.14; 95% CI:2.45-10.77] and severity of illness[AOR=2.86, CI 1.49-5.45] were associated with higher odds, of impoverishment due to OOP payment. We recommend that the Ministries of Gender, Children and Social Protection and Health should collaborate to enrol adolescent female head porters onto the NHIS in order to increase their financial risk protection. Government should also put in place policy interventions including skills training and livelihood programmes to increase income levels, and improve the poverty situation of adolescent girl head porters. Key Words: Impoverishment, out-of-pocket healthcare payments, adolescent girls, migrants, Ghana
The Impact of Individual Interest and Proficiency on Self-Efficacy Beliefs in Foreign Language Listening

Interest and self-efficacy beliefs are important components of motivational constructs that share some common characteristics and influence learning. Studies examining how these two relate to each other, however, appear to be few, especially in the area of language learning. To fill this gap, this study aims to investigate how interest in learning English and proficiency influence self-efficacy in listening, using a pre/post-design. This study focused on exploring the role of interest on the development of self-efficacy in 107 EFL Korean university students, with a low-intermediate English proficiency. Despite the participants' proficiency, they were found to possess and maintain relatively high interest over the English course they were enrolled in. Regression analyses revealed that, unlike at the beginning of the course, individual interest was found to be a significant factor in the development of advanced skill self-efficacy around the end of the semester, even predicting it more than proficiency did.