Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Leg Muscle Activity and Perception of Effort before and after Four Short Sessions of Submaximal Eccentric Cycling

Background: This study tested muscle activity (EMG) and perception of effort in eccentric (ECC) and concentric (CON) cycling before and after four sessions of both. Methods: Twelve volunteers naïve to ECC cycling attended the laboratory six times. On day 1, they performed a CON cycling peak power output (PPO) test. They then carried-out four sessions comprising two sets of 1 to 1.5-min cycling bouts at 5 intensities (30, 45, 60, 75, and 90% PPO) in ECC and CON cycling. On day 2 and day 6 (two weeks apart), EMG root mean square of the vastus lateralis (VL), rectus femoris (RF), biceps femoris (BF), and soleus (SOL) muscles, was averaged from 15 to 30 s within each 1-min bout and perception of effort was asked after 45 s. Results: Before the four cycling sessions, while VL EMG was lower in ECC than CON cycling, most variables were not different. Afterwards, ECC cycling exhibited lower RF EMG at 75 and 90% PPO (all p < 0.02), lower VL and BF EMG at all exercise intensities (all p < 0.02), and inferior SOL EMG (all p < 0.04) except at 45% PPO (p = 0.07). Perception of effort was lower in ECC cycling at all exercise intensities (all p < 0.03) but 60% PPO (p = 0.11). Conclusions: After four short sessions of ECC cycling, the activity of four leg muscles and perception of effort became lower in ECC than in CON cycling at most of five power outputs, while they were similar before.
Bioactive Compounds and Total Sugar Contents of Different Open-Pollinated Beetroot Genotypes Grown Organically

The growing interest of consumers in healthy organic products has increased the attention to the organic production of beetroot. In this regard, six field experiments were conducted in 2017 and 2018 in three different locations under the specific conditions of organic agriculture, and fifteen beetroot genotypes, including one F1 hybrid as a commercial control and one breeding line, were compared regarding the content of the total dry matter, total soluble sugar, nitrate, betalain, and total phenolic compounds in order to investigate the genetic potential of new and existing open-pollinated genotypes of beetroot regarding the content of their bioactive compounds. The results of this study indicated a significant impact of genotype (p < 0.05) on all measured compounds. Furthermore, results revealed a significant influence of the interactions of location × year (p < 0.05) on the beetroot composition, and, thus, the role of environmental conditions for the formation of tested compounds. The total dry matter content (TDMC) of beetroots varied between 14.12% and 17.50%. The genotype ‘Nochowski’, which possessed the highest total soluble sugar content with 14.67 °Bx (Brix), was among the genotypes with the lowest nitrate content. On the contrary, the cylindrical-shaped genotype ‘Carillon RZ’ (Rijk Zwaan), indicated the lowest sugar content and the highest nitrate concentration. The amount of total phenolic compounds ranged between 352.46 ± 28.24 mg GAE 100 g−1 DW (milligrams of gallic acid equivalents per 100 g of dry weight) and 489.06 ± 28.24 mg GAE 100 g−1 DW for the red-colored genotypes which is correlated with the high antioxidant capacity of the investigated genotypes. Due to the specifics of the required content of bioactive compounds for various products, the selection of suitable genotypes should be aligned with the intended final utilization.
Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) Monitoring in the Lazio Region (Central Italy)

Abstract The Asian tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus (Skuse 1894) is assuming an ever-increasing importance as invasive species in Europe and consequently as human health and nuisance concern. In Central Italy, the species has been recently involved in a chikungunya outbreak. A 3 yr Ae. albopictus monitoring was carried out in 21 municipalities of the Lazio region (Central Italy), belonging to three provinces. Samplings were performed on a weekly basis using ovitraps, in order to investigate climatic and spatial variables driving egg abundance and Ae. albopictus period of activity. A temperature of 10.4°C was indicated as lower threshold for the onset of egg-laying activity, together with a photoperiod of 13:11 (L:D) h. The whole oviposition activity lasted 8 mo (May–December), with 95% of eggs laid between early June and mid-November and a peak at the end of August. Egg abundance was positively influenced by accumulated temperature (AT) of the 4 wk preceding sampling and negatively by precipitation during the week before. Egg-laying activity dropped with decreasing AT, increasing rainfall, and with a photoperiod below 10:14 (L:D) h. Our results pinpointed the importance of fine-scaled spatial features on egg abundance. Some of these fine-scaled characteristics have been highlighted, such as the presence of vegetation and human footprint index. Our model estimated an almost doubled maximum number of laid eggs for the maximum value of human footprint. Compelling evidence of the relevance of fine-scaled characteristics was reported, describing cases where human-made breeding sites driven the abundance of Ae. albopictus.
kRadar++: Coarse-to-Fine FMCW Scanning Radar Localisation

Simple Summary This paper presents a hierarchical approach to place recognition and pose refinement for Frequency-Modulated Continuous-Wave (FMCW) scanning radar localisation. Abstract This paper presents a novel two-stage system which integrates topological localisation candidates from a radar-only place recognition system with precise pose estimation using spectral landmark-based techniques. We prove that the—recently available—seminal radar place recognition (RPR) and scan matching sub-systems are complementary in a style reminiscent of the mapping and localisation systems underpinning visual teach-and-repeat (VTR) systems which have been exhibited robustly in the last decade. Offline experiments are conducted on the most extensive radar-focused urban autonomy dataset available to the community with performance comparing favourably with and even rivalling alternative state-of-the-art radar localisation systems. Specifically, we show the long-term durability of the approach and of the sensing technology itself to autonomous navigation. We suggest a range of sensible methods of tuning the system, all of which are suitable for online operation. For both tuning regimes, we achieve, over the course of a month of localisation trials against a single static map, high recalls at high precision, and much reduced variance in erroneous metric pose estimation. As such, this work is a necessary first step towards a radar teach-and-repeat (RTR) system and the enablement of autonomy across extreme changes in appearance or inclement conditions.
The Protective Effects of Social Support on Hypertension Among African American Adolescents Exposed to Violence

African Americans develop hypertension earlier in life than Whites and the racial/ethnic disparities in blood pressure level can appear as early as adolescence. Violence victimization, a prevalent environmental stressor among inner-city youth, may play a role in such disparities. In a sample of inner-city youth in the United States, the current study examines the relationship between violence victimization and hypertension while investigating the role of social support in moderating that relationship. We analyzed eight waves of data from a longitudinal study of African American youth (n = 353, 56.7% female) from mid-adolescence (9th grade, mean age = 14.9 years old) to emerging adulthood (mean age = 23.1 years old) using probit regression. Higher levels of self-reported violence victimization during ages 14–18 was associated with more reports of hypertension during ages 20–23, after adjusting for sex, socioeconomic status, substance use, and mental distress. The relationship of violence victimization with hypertension was moderated by friends’ support, but not parental support. The association between victimization and hypertension was weaker and non-significant among individuals with more peer support compared to those with less support. Researchers have reported many instances of associations of early violence exposure to later risk for hypertension; however, most have focused on childhood maltreatment or intimate partner violence. We extend these findings to violence victimization in an African American sample of youth from adolescence to early adulthood, while examining social support modifiers. The disparity in African American hypertension rates relative to Whites may partly be explained by differential exposure to violence. Our findings also suggest that having supportive friends when faced with violence can be beneficial for young adulthood health outcomes.
A prospective randomized open-label trial on the comparative effects of 6% hydroxyethyl starch 130/0.4 versus polyionic isotonic crystalloids on coagulation parameters in dogs with spontaneous hemoperitoneum.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effects of 6% hydroxyethyl starch 130/0.4 (HES) and a polyionic isotonic crystalloid (CRYS) on standard coagulation tests and rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM) in dogs with spontaneous hemoperitoneum (SHP). DESIGN Prospective randomized open-label clinical study. SETTING University teaching hospital. ANIMALS Forty-two client-owned dogs presented with SHP. INTERVENTIONS Dogs diagnosed with SHP and hypovolemic shock were randomly allocated to receive HES (10 mL/kg, n = 22) or CRYS (30 mL/kg, n = 20) intravenously over 20 minutes for hemodynamic stabilization. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Parameters measured before (T0 ) and after (T1 ) treatment were HCT, platelet counts, prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, fibrinogen concentrations, and extrinsic activated (EXTEM), intrinsic activated (INTEM), and extrinsic activated with platelet inhibition ROTEM assays. Data were analyzed as absolute values and as the percentage change from T0 to T1 . No significant differences between groups were detected in any variable at T0 , and for HCT, platelet counts, prothrombin time, activated thromboplastin time, and fibrinogen concentrations at T1 . Clot formation time in EXTEM was significantly prolonged (P = 0.037), and maximum clot firmness was significantly decreased (P = 0.038) in the HES group compared to the CRYS group at T1 . The percentage change in EXTEM clotting time (P = 0.012) and INTEM clot formation time (P = 0.031) was greater after HES than CRYS. Lysis indices remained at 100% for all ROTEM assays in both groups. CONCLUSION Compared to a 3-fold volume of CRYS, administration of HES was associated with impairment in ROTEM parameters in dogs with SHP, but no evidence of hyperfibrinolysis was detected.
Comparison of clinical characteristics of COVID-19 between elderly patients and young patients: a study based on a 28-day follow-up

The number of corona virus disease 2019 cases is increasing rapidly. However, the comparison of clinical characteristics between patients ≥ 70 and those < 70 has not been implemented yet. To achieve that, we collected clinical data of consecutive 222 patients in Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University diagnosed between January 13, 2020 and February 4, 2020. We divided them into an under-70 group and an over-70 group according to their ages, comparing their clinical characteristics. Meanwhile, univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed to identify the prognostic factors. Among the patients enrolled, 37 (16.67%) were 70 or older and 185 (83.33%) were younger than 70. Higher proportions of dyspnoea, expectoration, chronic cardiovascular disease, diabetes, organ complications, severe-to-critical cases, a higher death rate, a longer hospital stay and decreased immune status were observed in the over-70 group patients compared with their younger counterparts. The risk factors for death included dyspnoea, muscle ache, elevated myocardial enzymes, elevated C3 in over-70 patients and dyspnoea, pharyngalgia, chronic cardiac disease, increased C-reactive protein, IgA, decreased platelets in under-70 patients. Overall, our research compared the clinical characteristics of the two populations with different immune status and illustrated differentiated risk factors for death in them.
INVESTIGATIONS OF POLYAMINE FUNCTION USING TRANSGENIC MOUSE MODELS WITH SPERMIDINE SYNTHASE AND S-ADENOSYLMETHIONINE DECARBOXYLASE OVEREXPRESSION

Polyamines, including putrescine, spermidine, and spermine, are ubiquitous polycationic compounds that are essential for cell growth and differentiation. To better understand cellular function of polyamines, two transgenic mouse models with either widespread constitutive overexpression of spermidine synthase (SpdS) or regulated expression of Sadenosylmethionine decarboxylase (AdoMetDC) in the skin were created and characterized. SpdS is a polyamine biosynthetic enzyme, and it transfers an aminopropyl group from decarboxylated S-adenosylmethionine (dcAdoMet) to putrescine to produce spermidine. We generated a transgenic mouse line that overexpresses human spermidine synthase from a composite cytomegalovirusimmediate early gene enhancer/chicken βactin promoter (CAG) in order to determine the impact of elevated SpdS activity on murine development and physiology, and to enable simultaneous overexpression of SpdS and other polyamine biosynthetic enzymes by combining transgenic models. CAG-SpdS mice were viable and fertile and exhibited a reduced tissue spermine:spermidine ratio that correlated with the level of SpdS activity. We also demonstrated that the combined overexpression of both SpdS and spermine synthase (SpmS) in CAG-SpdS/CAG-SpmS bitransgenic mice did not impair murine viability or lead to overt developmental abnormalities but instead normalizes the elevated tissue spermine:spermidine ratios of CAG-SpmS mice. Finally, upon breeding of CAG-SpdS mice to MHC (α-myosin heavy chain)-AdoMetDC mice with a >100-fold increase in cardiac AdoMetDC activity, CAGSpdS/MHC-AdoMetDC bitransgenic animals were produced at the expected frequency and exhibited cardiac polyamine levels comparable to MHC-AdoMetDC littermates.
Airborne transmission of SARS‐CoV‐2 via aerosols

A key consideration in the Covid‐19 pandemic is the dominant modes of transmission of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) virus. The objective of this review was to synthesise the evidence for the potential airborne transmission of SARS‐CoV‐2 via aerosols. Systematic literature searches were conducted in PubMed, Embase, Europe PMC and National Health Service UK evidence up to 27 July 2020. A protocol was published and Cochrane guidance for rapid review methodology was adhered to throughout. Twenty‐eight studies were identified. Seven out of eight epidemiological studies suggest aerosol transmission may occur, with enclosed environments and poor ventilation noted as possible contextual factors. Ten of the 16 air sampling studies detected SARS‐CoV‐2 ribonucleic acid; however, only three of these studies attempted to culture the virus with one being successful in a limited number of samples. Two of four virological studies using artificially generated aerosols indicated that SARS‐CoV‐2 is viable in aerosols. The results of this review indicate there is inconclusive evidence regarding the viability and infectivity of SARS‐CoV‐2 in aerosols. Epidemiological studies suggest possible transmission, with contextual factors noted. Viral particles have been detected in air sampling studies with some evidence of clinical infectivity, and virological studies indicate these particles may represent live virus, adding further plausibility. However, there is uncertainty as to the nature and impact of aerosol transmission of SARS‐CoV‐2, and its relative contribution to the Covid‐19 pandemic compared with other modes of transmission.
Familiarity with teammate’s attitudes improves team performance in virtual reality

Virtual reality (VR) is a potentially challenging social environment for effective communication and collaboration. Thus, we conducted a VR study to determine whether increased familiarity with a teammate would improve performance on a joint decision making task. Specifically, because attitude familiarity, or knowledge of another person’s attitudes, has been correlated with better relationship functioning in the past, we anticipated that team performance would improve when teammates were first asked to discuss their task-relevant attitudes with one another. We also hypothesized that increased familiarity would be particularly useful in immersive VR, where typical social and other nonverbal cues were lacking. Twenty pairs recruited from a workplace environment were randomly assigned to either the Familiar or Control condition before completing a joint decision making task both in VR and on desktop monitors. The manipulation of attitude familiarity was successful: pairs in the Familiar condition were significantly more aware of their partners’ unique task-relevant attitudes. Results found that in VR, Familiar pairs were more accurate at determining patterns to events. Additionally, for teams less experienced in VR, Familiar pairs were also more accurate at predicting future events. However, there was no meaningful statistical difference in pairs’ ability to identify information. Familiar teams also took more time to answer questions, and we found no difference in self-reported communication quality. Overall, this was the first successful manipulation of attitude familiarity and results indicate that such an intervention may prove useful in a collaborative work environment, as Familiar teams demonstrated greater accuracy, especially in VR.
Smart and Climate-Smart Agricultural Trends as Core Aspects of Smart Village Functions

Attention has shifted to the development of villages in Europe and other parts of the world with the goal of combating rural–urban migration, and moving toward self-sufficiency in rural areas. This situation has birthed the smart village idea. Smart village initiatives such as those of the European Union is motivating global efforts aimed at improving the live and livelihood of rural dwellers. These initiatives are focused on improving agricultural productivity, among other things, since most of the food we eat are grown in rural areas around the world. Nevertheless, a major challenge faced by proponents of the smart village concept is how to provide a framework for the development of the term, so that this development is tailored towards sustainability. The current work examines the level of progress of climate smart agriculture, and tries to borrow from its ideals, to develop a framework for smart village development. Given the advances in technology, agricultural development that encompasses reduction of farming losses, optimization of agricultural processes for increased yield, as well as prevention, monitoring, and early detection of plant and animal diseases, has now embraced varieties of smart sensor technologies. The implication is that the studies and results generated around the concept of climate smart agriculture can be adopted in planning of villages, and transforming them into smart villages. Hence, we argue that for effective development of the smart village framework, smart agricultural techniques must be prioritized, viz-a-viz other developmental practicalities.
Cardiovascular comorbidities as predictors for severe COVID-19 infection or death

Abstract Aims Pre-existing cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) have been proposed to identify patients at higher risk of adverse coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outcomes, but existing evidence is conflicting. Thus, it is unclear whether pre-existing CVDs are independently important predictors for severe COVID-19. Methods and results In a nationwide Danish cohort of hospital-screened COVID-19 patients aged ≥40, we investigated if pre-existing CVDs predict the 30-day risk of (i) composite outcome of severe COVID-19 and (ii) all-cause mortality. We estimated 30-day risks using a Cox regression model including age, sex, each CVD comorbidity, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease-asthma, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease. To illustrate CVD comorbidities’ importance, we evaluated the predicted risks of death and severe infection, for each sex, along ages 40–85. In total, 4090 COVID-19 hospital-screened patients were observed as of 26 August 2020; 22.1% had ≥1 CVD, 23.7% had severe infection within 30 days and 12.6% died. Predicted risks of both outcomes at age 75 among men with single CVD comorbidities did not differ in clinically meaningful amounts compared with men with no comorbidities risks for the composite outcome of severe infection; women with heart failure (28.2%; 95% CI 21.1–37.0%) or atrial fibrillation (30.0%; 95% CI: 24.2–36.9%) showed modest increases compared with women with no comorbidities (24.0%; 95% CI: 21.4–26.9%). Conclusions The results showing only modest effects of CVDs on increased risks of poor COVID-19 outcomes are important in allowing public health authorities and clinicians to provide more tailored guidance to cardiovascular patients, who have heretofore been grouped together as high risk due to their disease status.
The role of perceived organisational justice in the experience of pain among male and female employees

This study examined the association of organisational justice with pain among employees of a large organisation. Employees (n = 1829) completed measures of pain, fair pay, organisational justice, job satisfaction and stress. Logistic regression analyses found that organisational justice was unrelated to pain among women, but men with higher perceptions of fair pay were more likely to report chronic pain as were men with lower perceptions of distributive justice. This is the first study indicating that fair pay and distributive justice are both unique predictors of chronic pain in men. The findings have implications for supporting employees with chronic pain.
M2 macrophage‐derived exosomal miR‐25‐3p improves high glucose‐induced podocytes injury through activation autophagy via inhibiting DUSP1 expression

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is the primary reason of chronic kidney disease. The aim of our study is to explore the role and action mechanism of M2 macrophage‐derived exosomes in high glucose (HG)‐induced podocytes injury. Here, 30 mmol/L of HG was used to induce podocytes injury. Annexin V‐FITC/PI double staining was performed to measure podocytes apoptosis, and western blot was carried out to ensure proteins expression. The shape of exosomes was identified using TEM. Besides, the expression of miR‐25‐3p was determined by qRT‐PCR, FAM‐labeled miR‐25‐5p combined with DiI‐labeled exosomes were utilized to explore the uptake of podocytes to exosomes. Relationship between miR‐25‐3p and DUSP family members was ensued by luciferase activity assay. In the beginning, we found that M2 macrophage ameliorated HG‐induced podocytes apoptosis and epithelial‐mesenchymal transition through secreting exosomes. Subsequently, highly expressed miR‐25‐3p was found in M2 macrophage‐derived exosomes that effectively improved HG‐induced podocytes injury. Furthermore, inhibition of miR‐25‐3p in M2 macrophage inefficiently repressed HG‐induced podocytes injury, thus we proposed that M2 macrophage attenuated podocytes injury through secreting exosomal miR‐25‐3p. Then, we used an autophagy inhibitor to stimulate podocytes, and demonstrated that M2 macrophage‐derived exosomal miR‐25‐3p improved HG‐induced podocytes injury through activating autophagy. Finally, DUSP1 was proved to be a downstream target and mediated the inhibition of exosomal miR‐25‐3p to HG‐induced podocytes injury. Our results indicated that M2 macrophage could improve HG‐induced podocytes injury via secreting exosomal miR‐25‐3p to activate autophagy of the cells through suppressing DUSP1 expression. We proved a newly potential therapy strategy for DN treatment.