Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The effect of sustained low‐intensity contractions on supraspinal fatigue in human elbow flexor muscles

Subjects quickly fatigue when they perform maximal voluntary contractions (MVCs). Much of the loss of force is from processes within muscle (peripheral fatigue) but some occurs because voluntary activation of the muscle declines (central fatigue). The role of central fatigue during submaximal contractions is not clear. This study investigated whether central fatigue developed during prolonged low‐force voluntary contractions. Subjects (n= 9) held isometric elbow flexions of 15% MVC for 43 min. Voluntary activation was measured during brief MVCs every 3 min. During each MVC, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) was followed by stimulation of either brachial plexus or the motor nerve of biceps brachii. After nerve stimulation, a resting twitch was also evoked before subjects resumed the 15% MVC. Perceived effort, elbow flexion torque and surface EMG from biceps, brachioradialis and triceps were recorded. TMS was also given during the sustained 15% MVC. During the sustained contraction, perceived effort rose from ∼2 to ∼8 (out of 10) while ongoing biceps EMG increased from 6.9 ± 2.1% to 20.0 ± 7.8% of initial maximum. Torque in the brief MVCs and the resting twitch fell to 58.6 ± 14.5 and 58.2 ± 13.2% of control values, respectively. EMG in the MVCs also fell to 62.2 ± 15.3% of initial maximum, and twitches evoked by nerve stimulation and TMS grew progressively. Voluntary activation calculated from these twitches fell from ∼98% to 71.9 ± 38.9 and 76.9 ± 18.3%, respectively. The silent period following TMS lengthened both in the brief MVCs (by ∼40 ms) and in the sustained target contraction (by ∼18 ms). After the end of the sustained contraction, the silent period recovered immediately, voluntary activation and voluntary EMG recovered over several minutes while MVC torque only returned to ∼85% baseline. The resting twitch showed no recovery. Thus, as well as fatigue in the muscle, the prolonged low‐force contraction produced progressive central fatigue, and some of this impairment of the subjects' ability to drive the muscle maximally was due to suboptimal output from the motor cortex. Although caused by a low‐force contraction, both the peripheral and central fatigue impaired the production of maximal voluntary force. While central fatigue can only be demonstrated during MVCs, it may have contributed to the disproportionate increase in perceived effort reported during the prolonged low‐force contraction.
How therapist self-disclosure relates to alliance and outcomes: A naturalistic study

This study examined therapists’ self-disclosure within early sessions of a naturalistic database of 52 therapy dyads collected at a university counseling center. Therapist orientations and client issues varied. We identified both types and functions of therapist self-disclosure in order to explore how self-disclosures related to therapy alliance and outcomes. Findings indicated that the number of disclosures was not significantly correlated with outcome or alliance scores. Central findings regarding the function of self-disclosures included that disclosures that acted to humanize the therapist were associated with fewer clinical symptoms post-session than disclosures expressing appreciation or encouragement. Also, disclosures that conveyed similarity between the therapist and client were associated with fewer post-session clinical symptoms and interpersonal problems when compared to disclosures that conveyed neither similarity nor dissimilarity. As well, neutral therapist self-disclosures were associated with better client functioning than disclosures that relayed negative or positive information about the therapist. Suggestions are provided for clinical practice and future research.
Empathic communication during mother-adolescent conflict management

Interpersonal conflict management is a context in which empathy and emotion regulation can be both challenging and of vital necessity. The present study examined the effects of empathic communication on conflict management between mother-adolescent dyads (N = 50). Mother-adolescent dyads engaged in a 10-minute discussion of a topic of frequent conflict in their relationship. Following the discussion, mothers and adolescents independently completed a post-conflict discussion questionnaire to assess their satisfaction with the discussion. Emotional behaviors during the discussion were coded using the Specific Affect Coding System (SPAFF). Empathic communication was coded as (1) validation and (2) interest in the other's perspective and feelings. The present study explored several questions related to (1) adolescent age differences in mother and adolescent empathic communication and conflict management, and (2) relations between empathic communication and conflict management. Notably, older adolescents and their mothers displayed more validation than younger adolescents and their mothers. Furthermore, mother's validation was marginally positively correlated with adolescents' satisfaction with the discussion, and this relation was mediated by the degree to which adolescents perceived that their mother understood their point of view and feelings during the discussion. Findings indicate that empathic communication in response to adolescent negative emotion plays a unique role in effective conflict management between mothers and adolescents. Implications for research on empathy and interventions targeted at facilitating effective conflict management between parents and adolescents are discussed.
A PPRECIATION OF E NTERTAINMENT Appreciation of Entertainment : The Importance of Meaningfulness via Virtue and Wisdom

The purpose of this essay is to examine the experience of appreciation to media entertainment as a unique audience response that can be differentiated from enjoyment. To those ends, the first section provides a conceptualization of appreciation in which we outline how we are using the term and how it is distinct from questions of emotional valence. The second section discusses the types of entertainment portrayals and depictions that we believe are most likely to elicit feelings of appreciation. Here, we suggest that appreciation is most evident for meaningful portrayals that focus on human virtue and that inspire audiences to contemplate questions concerning life’s purpose. In the final section we consider the affective and cognitive components of appreciation, arguing that mixed-affective responses (rather than bi-polar conceptualizations of affective valence) better capture the experience of appreciation and its accompanying feelings states such as inspiration, awe, and tenderness.
JOHAN VAN BENTHEM AND KEES DOETS HIGHER-ORDER LOGIC

What is nowadays the central part of any introduction to logic, and indeed to some the logical theory par excellence, used to be a modest fragment of the more ambitious language employed in the logicist program of Frege and Russell. ‘Elementary’ or ‘first-order’, or ‘predicate logic’ only became a recognized stable base for logical theory by 1930, when its interesting and fruitful meta-properties had become clear, such as completeness, compactness and Löwenheim-Skolem. Richer higher-order and type theories receded into the background, to such an extent that the (re-) discovery of useful and interesting extensions and variations upon firstorder logic came as a surprise to many logicians in the sixties. In this chapter, we shall first take a general look at first-order logic, its properties, limitations, and possible extensions, in the perspective of so-called ‘abstract model theory’. Some characterizations of this basic system are found in the process, due to Lindström, Keisler-Shelah and Fraı̈ssé. Then, we go on to consider the original mother theory, of which first-order logic was the elementary part, starting from second-order logic and arriving at Russell’s theory of finite types. As will be observed repeatedly, a border has been crossed here with the domain of set theory; and we proceed, as Quine has warned us again and again, at our own peril. Nevertheless, first-order logic has a vengeance. In the end, it turns out that higher-order logic can be viewed from an elementary perspective again, and we shall derive various insights from the resulting semantics. Before pushing off, however, we have a final remark about possible pretensions of what is to follow. Unlike first-order logic and some of its less baroque extensions, second and higher-order logic have no coherent well-established theory; the existent material consisting merely of scattered remarks quite diverse with respect to character and origin. As the time available for the present enterprise was rather limited (to say the least) the authors do not therefore make any claims as to complete coverage of the relevant literature.
Effective single scattering albedo of corn at C and X-Band

To retrieve soil moisture at vegetated surface by microwave radiometry data, vegetation effect is important to remove. Usually the zero-order model, omega - tau model, is often used where vegetation is treated as an uniform layer. Values of both scattering and attenuation characteristics of vegetation are assigned from experience which there're slight change at different frequencies or polarizations. As frequencies go higher than L-band, multiple-scattering effect inside vegetation layer and that between vegetation and soil surface is necessary to account for. In this paper, to accurately evaluate vegetation effect at C and X bands, a Matrix-Doubling algorithm is used to retrieve omega and tau of corn. The surface emission model is AIEM that could work well at large roughness and wider frequency range. The preliminary simulation results are presented in this paper.
Hepatitis C Virus Envelope Protein E2 Does Not Inhibit PKR by Simple Competition with Autophosphorylation Sites in the RNA-Binding Domain

ABSTRACT Double-stranded-RNA (dsRNA)-dependent protein kinase PKR is induced by interferon and activated upon autophosphorylation. We previously identified four autophosphorylated amino acids and elucidated their participation in PKR activation. Three of these sites are in the central region of the protein, and one is in the kinase domain. Here we describe the identification of four additional autophosphorylated amino acids in the spacer region that separates the two dsRNA-binding motifs in the RNA-binding domain. Eight amino acids, including these autophosphorylation sites, are duplicated in hepatitis C virus (HCV) envelope protein E2. This region of E2 is required for its inhibition of PKR although the mechanism of inhibition is not known. Replacement of all four of these residues in PKR with alanines did not dramatically affect kinase activity in vitro or in yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. However, when coupled with mutations of serine 242 and threonines 255 and 258 in the central region, these mutations increased PKR protein expression in mammalian cells, consistent with diminished kinase activity. A synthetic peptide corresponding to this region of PKR was phosphorylated in vitro by PKR, but phosphorylation was strongly inhibited after PKR was preincubated with HCV E2. Another synthetic peptide, corresponding to the central region of PKR and containing serine 242, was also phosphorylated by active PKR, but E2 did not inhibit this peptide as efficiently. Neither of the PKR peptides was able to disrupt the HCV E2-PKR interaction. Taken together, these results show that PKR is autophosphorylated on serine 83 and threonines 88, 89, and 90, that this autophosphorylation may enhance kinase activation, and that the inhibition of PKR by HCV E2 is not solely due to duplication of and competition with these autophosphorylation sites.
Multi-modality Mobile Image Recognition Based on Thermal and Visual Cameras

The advances of mobile computing and sensor technology have turned the mobile devices into powerful instruments. The integration of thermal and visual cameras extends the capability of computer vision, due to the fact that both images reveal different characteristics in images, however, image alignment is a challenge. This paper proposes an effective approach to align image pairs for event detection on mobile through image recognition. We leverage thermal and visual cameras as multi-modality sources for image recognition. By analyzing the heat pattern, the proposed APP can identify the heating sources and help users inspect their house heating system, on the other hand, with applying image recognition, the proposed APP furthermore can help field workers identify the asset condition and provide the guidance to solve their issues.
Gamma Interferon and Granulocyte/Monocyte Colony-stimulating Factor Prevent Endotoxin Tolerance in Human Monocytes by Promoting Interleukin-1 Receptor-associated Kinase Expression and Its Association to MyD88 and Not by Modulating TLR4 Expression*

Endotoxin tolerance is characterized by a decreased production of proinflammatory cytokines by cultured leukocytes in response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) following a first exposure to the same stimulus. Gamma interferon (IFNγ) and granulocyte/monocyte colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) are immunostimulatory cytokines that prime monocytes and prevent endotoxin tolerance. In this study, we show that the deactivating effects of LPS, as well as the priming effects of IFNγ and GM-CSF or their capacity to restore tumor necrosis factor (TNF) production by LPS-tolerized human monocytes are independent of the modulation of TLR2, TLR4, or MD-2. In monocytes pretreated with IFNγ or GM-CSF, interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase (IRAK) expression is up-regulated. After LPS stimulation, an increased IRAK kinase activity, a higher MyD88/IRAK association, and a stronger NF-κB activation are observed. In contrast, in LPS-tolerized monocytes, IRAK expression and kinase activity, IRAK/MyD88 association, and NF-κB activation are inhibited. Furthermore, the prevention of tolerance by IFNγ and GM-CSF was independent of IRAK kinase activity. Our results suggest that these cytokines prevent endotoxin tolerance induced by low but not by high doses of LPS by inhibiting IRAK degradation and by promoting its association with MyD88 after a second LPS stimulation, which in turn leads to NF-κB activation and TNF production.
Chemical Kinetic Model for Ignition of Three-Component Fuel Comprising iso-Octane/n-Heptane/Ethanol

A reduced chemical kinetic mechanism for the oxidation of three-component fuel comprising iso-octane/n-heptane/ethanol has been developed. The mechanism consists of 50 species and 193 elementary reactions and emphasizes the ignition process. Using path and sensitivity analyses, the path of primary reference fuel (PRF) oxidation and major elementary reactions at high and low temperatures are given. The validated results show that the present mechanism gives good agreement with experimental data for ignition delay time predictions. Because of the few species and reactions presenting in the chemical kinetic model, the mechanism is applicable to multidimensional computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulation of the co-combustion of gasoline with ethanol.
A Differential Approach to Causality in Staged Trees

In this paper, we apply a recently developed differential approach to inference in staged tree models to causal inference. Staged trees generalise modelling techniques established for Bayesian networks (BN). They have the advantage that they can depict highly nuanced structure impossible to express in a BN and also enable us to perform causal manipulations associated with very general types of interventions on the system. Conveniently, what we call the interpolating polynomial of a staged tree has been found to be an analogue to the essential graph of a BN. By analysing this polynomial in a differential framework, we find that interventions on the model can be expressed as a very simple operation. We can therefore clearly state causal hypotheses which are invariant for all staged trees representing the same causal model. The technology we develop here, illustrated through a simple example, enables us to search for a variety of complex manipulations in large systems accurately and efficiently.
Obesity Resistance and Enhanced Insulin Sensitivity in Ahnak -/- Mice Fed a High Fat Diet Are Related to Impaired Adipogenesis and Increased Energy Expenditure

Objective Recent evidence has suggested that AHNAK expression is altered in obesity, although its role in adipose tissue development remains unclear. The objective of this study was to determine the molecular mechanism by which Ahnak influences adipogenesis and glucose homeostasis. Design We investigated the in vitro role of AHNAK in adipogenesis using adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs) and C3H10T1/2 cells. AHNAK-KO male mice were fed a high-fat diet (HFD; 60% calories from fat) and examined for glucose and insulin tolerances, for body fat compositions, and by hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamping. Energy expenditures were assessed using metabolic cages and by measuring the expression levels of genes involved in thermogenesis in white or brown adipose tissues. Results Adipogenesis in ADSCs was impaired in AHNAK-KO mice. The loss of AHNAK led to decreased BMP4/SMAD1 signaling, resulting in the downregulation of key regulators of adipocyte differentiation (P<0.05). AHNAK directly interacted with SMAD1 on the Pparγ2 promoter. Concomitantly, HFD-fed AHNAK-KO mice displayed reduced hepatosteatosis and improved metabolic profiles, including improved glucose tolerance (P<0.001), enhanced insulin sensitivity (P<0.001), and increased energy expenditure (P<0.05), without undergoing alterations in food intake and physical activity. Conclusion AHNAK plays a crucial role in body fat accumulation by regulating adipose tissue development via interaction with the SMAD1 protein and can be involved in metabolic homeostasis.
Evidence for the Involvement of Phosphatidylinositol 3‐Kinase in fMLP‐Stimulated Neutrophil Adhesion to ICAM‐1‐Transfected Cells

&NA; Phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase (PI‐3K) controls important intracellular steps involved in inflammation, immunity, and cell growth. PI‐3K also modulates leukocyte integrin adhesiveness. In this study we evaluated the role of PI‐3K on neutrophil adhesion to intercellular adhesion molecule‐1 (ICAM‐1)‐transfected cells. N‐formyl‐methionyl‐leucyl‐phenylalanine (fMLP)‐stimulated neutrophil adhesion was inhibited by wortmannin and LY294002, two unrelated PI‐3K inhibitors, whereas phorbol myristate acetate (PMA)‐induced neutrophil adhesion was not inhibited by them. After fMLP stimulation, a rapid activation of AKT and ERK was observed. However, only activation of AKT was reversed by the PI‐3K inhibitors. Neutrophil expression of the &bgr;2‐integrins Mac‐1, lymphocyte function‐associated antigen‐1(LFA‐1), and gp150.95 was not affected by wortmannin, nor was expression of the activation epitope recognized by MAB24. We conclude that (a) PI‐3K is involved in fMLP‐activated neutrophil adhesion to ICAM‐1‐transfected cells, (b) the mechanism involved is not mediated by the modulation of &bgr;2‐integrin expression or activation, and (c) another mechanism seems to involve the adhesion to ICAM‐1 when a cellular system of adhesion is used.
Determining the Antecedent of Noun Phrase Containing the Determiner KONO or SONO in Japanese

This paper offers a method for determining referent (antecedent) of the noun phrase containing determiner "kono (this)" or "sono (that, its)" in Japanese. It uses in the determination of the antecedent a statistical measure of conceptual similarities, taken from a corpus, between each candidate for the antecedent and the modeficand of kono or sono. We describe our method and an algorithm. We then show an experiment that has given us an overall success rate of 85.2%. Our method is applicable to solve other semantic problems than that for finding the antecedent of noun phrase containing the determiner kono or sono.
Nitrogen Cycling from Increased Soil Organic Carbon Contributes Both Positively and Negatively to Ecosystem Services in Wheat Agro-Ecosystems

Soil organic carbon (SOC) is an important and manageable property of soils that impacts on multiple ecosystem services through its effect on soil processes such as nitrogen (N) cycling and soil physical properties. There is considerable interest in increasing SOC concentration in agro-ecosystems worldwide. In some agro-ecosystems, increased SOC has been found to enhance the provision of ecosystem services such as the provision of food. However, increased SOC may increase the environmental footprint of some agro-ecosystems, for example by increasing nitrous oxide emissions. Given this uncertainty, progress is needed in quantifying the impact of increased SOC concentration on agro-ecosystems. Increased SOC concentration affects both N cycling and soil physical properties (i.e., water holding capacity). Thus, the aim of this study was to quantify the contribution, both positive and negative, of increased SOC concentration on ecosystem services provided by wheat agro-ecosystems. We used the Agricultural Production Systems sIMulator (APSIM) to represent the effect of increased SOC concentration on N cycling and soil physical properties, and used model outputs as proxies for multiple ecosystem services from wheat production agro-ecosystems at seven locations around the world. Under increased SOC, we found that N cycling had a larger effect on a range of ecosystem services (food provision, filtering of N, and nitrous oxide regulation) than soil physical properties. We predicted that food provision in these agro-ecosystems could be significantly increased by increased SOC concentration when N supply is limiting. Conversely, we predicted no significant benefit to food production from increasing SOC when soil N supply (from fertiliser and soil N stocks) is not limiting. The effect of increasing SOC on N cycling also led to significantly higher nitrous oxide emissions, although the relative increase was small. We also found that N losses via deep drainage were minimally affected by increased SOC in the dryland agro-ecosystems studied, but increased in the irrigated agro-ecosystem. Therefore, we show that under increased SOC concentration, N cycling contributes both positively and negatively to ecosystem services depending on supply, while the effects on soil physical properties are negligible.