Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Critical load: a novel approach to determining a sustainable intensity during resistance exercise.

BACKGROUND A hyperbolic function as well as a linear relationship between power output and time to exhaustion (Tlim) has been consistently observed during dynamic non-resistive exercises. However, little is known about its concept to resistance exercises (RE), which could be defined as critical load (CL). This study aimed to verify the existence of CL during dynamic RE and to verify the number of workbouts necessary to determine the optimal modeling to achieve it. METHODS Fifteen healthy men (23±2.5 yrs) completed 1 repetition maximum test (1RM) on a leg press and 3 (60%, 75% and 90% of 1RM) or 4 (+ 30% of 1RM) workbouts protocols to obtain the CL by hyperbolic and linear regression models between Tlim and load performed. Blood lactate and leg fatigue were also measured. RESULTS CL was obtained during RE and 3 workbouts protocol estimate it at 53% while 4 tests at 38% of 1 RM. However, based on coefficients of determination, 3 protocols provided a better fit than the 4-parameter model, respectively (R2>0.95 vs. >0.77). Moreover, all intensities increased blood lactate and leg fatigue, however, when corrected by Tlim, were significantly lower at CL. CONCLUSIONS It was possible to determinate CL during dynamic lower limbs RE and that 3 exhaustive workbouts can be used to better estimate the CL, constituting a new concept of determining this threshold during dynamic RE and reducing the physically demanding nature of the protocol. These findings may have important applications for functional performance evaluation and prescription of RE programs.
Dual output sub-period interleaved step-up Fibonacci switched capacitor converters

The paper proposes a new class of dual output step-up Fibonacci switched capacitor converters (SCC) and formal approach for its synthesis. The resolution of target voltages in the new SCC has been significantly increased in comparison with the previously developed single-output SCC, where the target voltages are spaced as 1/x. In the case of three flying capacitors the proposed SCC provides six different pairs of target voltages. The output current in the proposed SCC is discontinuous due to the switching between three states over a period. This operation mode is called sub-period interleaving and may help lower the output voltage ripple. The proposed SCC can be used in low-voltage energy harvesting devices and/or in VLSI systems to provide different voltages to different parts of chip. The presented results were verified experimentally.
Evaluation of morbidity and mortality after resection for hilar cholangiocarcinoma--a single center experience.

BACKGROUND Hilar resection, especially in combination with liver resection, results in substantial morbidity and mortality, which clearly influences the overall outcome. In the present study, patients who underwent resection of a proximal bile duct tumor were analyzed with the aim of identifying risk factors for morbidity and mortality. METHODS Between 1983 and 1998, 112 consecutive patients underwent a local resection, which in 32 patients was combined with a hemihepatectomy (11 extended resections). Eighty-four percent of the patients underwent preoperative (endoscopic) drainage. For evaluation of different treatment strategies during the study, the period was divided in three 5-year intervals. RESULTS Postoperative complications occurred in 65% of the patients. The overall hospital mortality was 15% for local resections and 25% for hemi-hepatectomies. There was a significantly lower morbidity and no mortality after hilar resection during the last 5 years. A higher Bismuth classification showed significant correlation with postoperative morbidity. Extended liver resections and vascular resections and a preoperative albumin level below 35 g/L were found to be significant predictors of increased mortality in univariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS The overall morbidity and mortality rate in this series is higher than most recently published series. More (extended) liver resections resulted in an increased rate of microscopic tumor-free resections, at the cost of higher hospital morbidity and mortality. Improved preoperative work-ups will result in a selection of patients who might benefit from these extensive resections.
Polycystic ovary syndrome and diabetes mellitus type 1 in adult and adolescent females.

INTRODUCTION The growing prevalence of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS; the most frequent cause of anovulatory infertility) results in their growing comorbidity. OBJECTIVE To review the available data on comorbidity of type 1 diabetes mellitus and the polycystic ovary syndrome and their relations, especially in the adolescent group. MATERIALS AND METHODS The available medical databases have been searched to identify relevant bibliography; then analysis and synthesis of the available data have been conducted. RESULTS At present, the prevalence of comorbid T1DM and PCOS in girls has not been established. CONCLUSION The available data on T1DM and PCOS comorbidity in adult women suggest the need for early diagnostic investigations to detect their comorbidity and for early therapeutic interventions. Further research to investigate their coprevalence is necessary. In female adolescents, either with or without T1DM, PCOS should be diagnosed not earlier that two years after menarche or when at age of 16 menarche is still absent, with all of the three Rotterdam criteria met. In time between menarche and the end of second year of menstruation high/medium risk of PCOS can be identified. After the fourth year of menstruating, the patient should be treated as an adult. Such approach will eliminate differences in diagnosis resulting from different law definition of adulthood in various countries. In girls with T1DM treatment should be started for any individual component of PCOS to reduce the risk of progression of the syndrome.
Analysis of Interdeparture Processes for Bursty Traffic in ATM Networks

Admission control in asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) networks is considered. An ATM switch is modeled as a discrete-time single-server queue at which the following three different kinds of arrival processes are allowed to join together: arrivals of cells with a general interarrival time distribution; Bernoulli arrivals of cells in batches; and interrupted Poisson processes. An exact analysis is given to derive the waiting-time distributions and interdeparture-time distributions for arriving cells subject to admission control in ATM networks. The model is extended to approximately obtain the end-to-end delay distributions for the designated traffic stream. Such an analysis is important for voice or coded video because they require a playout mechanism at the destination. Since the analysis is approximate, the simulation results needed to assess its accuracy are provided. Numerical examples show how the traffic characteristics of the designated traffic stream are affected by the total traffic load at the switching node, the number of other bursty traffic sources, and the degree of burstiness of the traffic source itself. >
Vasodilatation in response to repeated anodal current application in the human skin relies on aspirin‐sensitive mechanisms

The vasodilatation resulting from prolonged square‐wave monopolar current application as used in iontophoresis is assumed to rely on an axon reflex. Involvement of prostaglandins in the anodal current‐induced vasodilatation remains unclear. We tested the hypothesis that prostaglandins participate in a sensitisation mechanism to current application rather than as direct vasodilators. In healthy volunteers, laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) was recorded in the forearm during and following isolated or repeated 0.1 mA transcutaneous anodal current applications, using deionised water as a vehicle. Segmented current applications of 6 or 12 mC resulted in an LDF increase twice that observed following current applications of comparable total charge delivered all at once (P < 0.05). Following a 1 min anodal application, a slow and prolonged LDF drift occurred (slope: 0.3 ± 0.5 arbitrary units min−1). When the same current application was repeated after intervals of 5 and 20 min, an abrupt vasodilatation occurred, with maximal LDF amplitude of 53.5 ± 34.0 and 48.2 ± 19.1 arbitrary units, respectively. Pretreatment with 1 g oral aspirin abolished the abrupt vasodilatation to repeated current application but not the initial slow drift. We suggest that vasodilatation occurs through two parallel pathways: (1) a slow progressive drift of LDF of limited amplitude insensitive to aspirin pretreatment, and (2) an abrupt vasodilatation probably resulting from afferent fibre activation, appearing if a preliminary sensitisation by current application is performed. Sensitisation lasts for at least 20 min, and is blocked by aspirin, suggesting participation of prostanoids.
The early growth response gene EGR-1 behaves as a suppressor gene that is down-regulated independent of ARF/Mdm2 but not p53 alterations in fresh human gliomas.

PURPOSE EGR-1 is an immediate early gene with diverse functions that include the suppression of growth. EGR-1 is down-regulated many cancer cell types, suggesting a tumor suppressor role, and may critically involve the p53 pathway. The aim of this work was to measure the expression of EGR-1 and the p16/INK4a/ARF-Mdm2-p53 pathway status in fresh human gliomas. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN Thirty-one human gliomas with different grades of malignancy were investigated for Egr-1 mRNA and the protein expression, frequency, and spectrum of p53 gene mutations, mdm2 gene amplification, and p16/INK4a/ARF allele loss. RESULTS The amplification of Mdm2 and the deletion of the p16/INK4a gene was found in 3 and 5 cases, respectively, whereas mutations of p53, including two novel mutations, were observed in 10 other cases. The three types of changes occurred strictly mutually exclusively, emphasizing that these genes operate in a common pathway critical to glioma progression. EGR-1 mRNA was significantly down-regulated in astrocytomas (14.7 +/- 5.1%) and in glioblastomas (33.6 +/- 10.0%) versus normal brain. Overall, EGR-1 mRNA was strongly suppressed (average, 15.2 +/- 13.9%) in 27 of 31 cases (87%), independent of changes in p16/INK4a/ARF and Mdm2; whereas 4 of 31 cases with residual EGR-1 expression as well as the highest EGR-1 variance segregated with p53 mutations. Immunohistochemical analyses confirmed the suppression of EGR-1 protein. CONCLUSIONS These results indicate that EGR-1 is commonly suppressed in gliomas independent of p16/INK4a/ARF and Mdm2 and that suppression is less crucial in tumors bearing p53 mutations, and these results implicate an EGR-1 growth regulatory mechanism as a target of inactivation during tumor progression.
Investigation of metamaterial leaky wave antenna based on complementary split ring resonators

This paper aims at designing an RF tag planar antenna around 2.4 GHz enabling a frequency beam steering in the plane of the substrate. The structure is based on a leaky-wave antenna topology using a transmission line with series (capacitive) gaps and CSRRs periodically loading a host microstrip line. Its behaviour is first assessed by the array factor approach using simulated S-parameters that are validated by measurements. Full-wave simulations of radiation pattern with IE3D software show that radiation occurs mainly in the plane of the substrate and is tunable with frequency.
Stress resistance and signal fidelity independent of nuclear MAPK function

Elevated external solute stimulates a conserved MAPK cascade that elicits responses that maintain osmotic balance. The yeast high-osmolarity glycerol (HOG) pathway activates Hog1 MAPK (mammalian ortholog p38α/SAPKα), which enters the nucleus and induces expression of >50 genes, implying that transcriptional up-regulation is necessary to cope with hyperosmotic stress. Contrary to this expectation, we show here that cells lacking the karyopherin required for Hog1 nuclear import or in which Hog1 is anchored at the plasma membrane (or both) can withstand long-term hyperosmotic challenge by ionic and nonionic solutes without exhibiting the normal change in transcriptional program (comparable with hog1Δ cells), as judged by mRNA hybridization and microarray analysis. For such cells to survive hyperosmotic stress, systematic genetic analysis ruled out the need for any Hog1-dependent transcription factor, the Hog1-activated MAPKAP kinases, or ion, glycerol, and water channels. By contrast, enzymes needed for glycerol production were essential for viability. Thus, control of intracellular glycerol formation by Hog1 is critical for maintenance of osmotic balance but not transcriptional induction of any gene.
Whole Animal Perfusion Fixation for Rodents

The goal of fixation is to rapidly and uniformly preserve tissue in a life-like state. While placing tissue directly in fixative works well for small pieces of tissue, larger specimens like the intact brain pose a problem for immersion fixation because the fixative does not reach all regions of the tissue at the same rate 5,7. Often, changes in response to hypoxia begin before the tissue can be preserved 12. The advantage of directly perfusing fixative through the circulatory system is that the chemical can quickly reach every corner of the organism using the natural vascular network. In order to utilize the circulatory system most effectively, care must be taken to match physiological pressures 3. It is important to note that physiological pressures are dependent on the species used. Techniques for perfusion fixation vary depending on the tissue to be fixed and how the tissue will be processed following fixation. In this video, we describe a low-cost, rapid, controlled and uniform fixation procedure using 4% paraformaldehyde perfused via the vascular system: through the heart of the rat to obtain the best possible preservation of the brain for immunohistochemistry. The main advantage of this technique (vs. gravity-fed systems) is that the circulatory system is utilized most effectively.
Evaluation of a Gender-Based Violence Prevention Program for Student Athletes in Mumbai, India

Gender-based violence, which includes sexual and intimate partner violence against women, is prevalent worldwide, prompting calls for primary prevention programs which engage men and boys in changing social norms that condone violence against women. Bystander intervention efforts which encourage males to say something to stop peers from enacting disrespectful and abusive behaviors toward females are a promising strategy for promoting non-violent, gender-equitable attitudes and behaviors. An evaluation of “Parivartan”—a U.S. program called “Coaching Boys Into Men” adapted for urban India cricket teams—was conducted in Mumbai, India. Baseline and 12 month follow-up surveys were administered to 309 male cricket athletes aged 10 to 16 years in 46 urban middle schools in Mumbai, India (27 intervention, 19 control). Athletes whose coaches were trained in the program demonstrated greater improvements in gender-equitable attitudes compared to athletes whose coaches provided standard coaching only. Marginally significant improvements were seen in reduction of negative bystander behavior. Violence prevention programs which utilize coaches as positive messengers for respect and non-violence may be a useful addition to global prevention efforts to reduce violence against women.
Regional assessment of in vivo myocardial stiffness using 3D magnetic resonance elastography in a porcine model of myocardial infarction

The stiffness of a myocardial infarct affects the left ventricular pump function and remodeling. Magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) is a noninvasive imaging technique for measuring soft‐tissue stiffness in vivo. The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility of assessing in vivo regional myocardial stiffness with high‐frequency 3D cardiac MRE in a porcine model of myocardial infarction, and compare the results with ex vivo uniaxial tensile testing.
Contamination of River Water byCryptosporidium parvum Oocysts in Western Japan

ABSTRACT In Japan, only a few rivers have been inspected forCryptosporidium parvum contamination, and the methods used had low sensitivity. In 1998 and 1999, we used a method with higher sensitivity to examine all large rivers used as sources of water supply in one prefecture (which we divided into four areas) in western Japan for Cryptosporidium oocysts. One sample was collected at each of 156 sites along 18 rivers, and samples were tested for Cryptosporidium oocysts by immunomagnetic separation. Samples were classified as being obtained on an island with livestock and fishing industries, a densely populated urban area, a western region including farming villages, or a still more rural northern area with agriculture and fishing. Restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis was used for identification of the C. parvum found as the bovine or human type. C. parvum was detected in at least one sample from 13 of the 18 rivers and in 47% (74 of 156) of the samples. One-third to all of the samples from each area contained C. parvum oocysts. The number of C. parvum oocysts per 20 liters of river water varied in the same pattern as the number of cattle kept in the four kinds of areas (as determined by the Mantel extension test). Oocysts isolated were of the bovine type; the C. parvum detected in rivers probably came from cattle kept in that valley. As we had expected, when tested with a more sensitive method, river water in western Japan was found to be greatly contaminated with C. parvum oocysts, as reported in other countries.
Hypomorphic Notch 3 alleles link Notch signaling to ischemic cerebral small-vessel disease

The most common monogenic cause of small-vessel disease leading to ischemic stroke and vascular dementia is the neurodegenerative syndrome cerebral autosomal-dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL), which is associated with mutations in the Notch 3 receptor. CADASIL pathology is characterized by vascular smooth muscle cell degeneration and accumulation of diagnostic granular osmiophilic material (GOM) in vessels. The functional nature of the Notch 3 mutations causing CADASIL and their mechanistic connection to small-vessel disease and GOM accumulation remain enigmatic. To gain insight into how Notch 3 function is linked to CADASIL pathophysiology, we studied two phenotypically distinct mutations, C455R and R1031C, respectively associated with early and late onset of stroke, by using hemodynamic analyses in transgenic mouse models, receptor activity assays in cell culture, and proteomic examination of postmortem human tissue. We demonstrate that the C455R and R1031C mutations define different hypomorphic activity states of Notch 3, a property linked to ischemic stroke susceptibility in mouse models we generated. Importantly, these mice develop osmiophilic deposits and other age-dependent phenotypes that parallel remarkably the human condition. Proteomic analysis of human brain vessels, carrying the same CADASIL mutations, identified clusterin and collagen 18 α1/endostatin as GOM components. Our findings link loss of Notch signaling with ischemic cerebral small-vessel disease, a prevalent human condition. We determine that CADASIL pathophysiology is associated with hypomorphic Notch 3 function in vascular smooth muscle cells and implicate the accumulation of clusterin and collagen 18 α1/endostatin in brain vessel pathology.
Vision based smart driver assisting system for locomotives

Railway transportation is a predominant transportation medium in the world. The railway transportation is one of the conventional systems that subjects to many accidents annually in most of the countries. Comparatively to other transportation systems, accident preventive methods for locomotives are not in the best use. This paper presents about a novel vision based driver assisting system for locomotives. The proposed system is capable of detecting an obstacle in the railway track. If the obstacle is within the danger zone, the driver will be notified to apply sufficient amount of brake to avoid the collision with the obstacle. The danger zone is estimated based on the current velocity of the train. Furthermore, the proposed system can be fixed into any existing locomotive without undertaking any modifications for the existing systems of the locomotive and the system is cost effective compared to the other existing methods. In order to validate the overall functionality of the system, a prototype of the system has been developed and field trails have been carried out with actual locomotives. According to the obtained experimental results, the functionality of the system has been found to be satisfactory.
Social network data analytics for market segmentation in Indonesian telecommunications industry

Understanding market segmentation is a crucial aspect for business organizations to survive in high competitive environment. Traditional approach relies on sampling methodologies to gather demographic and other specific properties of market segment is considered expensive. The need of real-time decision making force us to adopt the new approach, which is taking advantage of social media data. In this paper, we investigate the conversation about specific product of telecommunication industry in social media Twitter. We use social network analysis methodology to identify group formation based on those conversations. By using social network to perform data analytics activities, we call our approach as Social Network Data Analytics based on community detection methods. Our result will show how many group formed, how many actors involved on each group, and with qualitative analysis we also have knowledge about the topics on each group formed and the attitude toward product.
Genetic Manipulation of Porphyromonas gingivalis

Porphyromonas gingivalis, an oral anaerobic bacterium, is an important etiological agent of periodontal disease and may contribute to cardiovascular disease, preterm birth, and diabetes as well. Therefore, genetic studies are of crucial importance in investigating molecular mechanisms of P. gingivalis virulence. Although molecular genetic tools have been available for many bacterial species for some time, genetic manipulations of Porphyromonas species were not developed until more recently and remain limited. In this unit, current molecular genetic approaches for mutant construction in P. gingivalis using the suicide vector pPR‐UF1 and the transposon Tn4351 are described, as are protocols for performing electroporation and conjugation. Furthermore, a technique to restore the wild‐type phenotype of the mutant by complementation using vector pT‐COW is provided. Finally, a description of a noninvasive reporter system allowing the study of gene expression and regulation in P. gingivalis completes this unit.