Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Acute Effects of Different Stretching Durations on Passive Torque, Mobility, and Isometric Muscle Force

Abstract Matsuo, S, Suzuki, S, Iwata, M, Banno, Y, Asai, Y, Tsuchida, W, and Inoue, T. Acute effects of different stretching durations on passive torque, mobility, and isometric muscle force. J Strength Cond Res 27(12): 3367–3376, 2013—Static stretching is widely applied in various disciplines. However, the acute effects of different durations of stretching are unclear. Therefore, this study was designed to investigate the acute effects of different stretching durations on muscle function and flexibility, and provide an insight into the optimal duration of static stretching. This randomized crossover trial included 24 healthy students (17 men and 7 women) who stretched their right hamstrings for durations of 20, 60, 180, and 300 seconds in a random order. The following outcomes were assessed using an isokinetic dynamometer as markers of lower-limb function and flexibility: static passive torque (SPT), dynamic passive torque (DPT), stiffness, straight leg raise (SLR), and isometric muscle force. Static passive torque was significantly decreased after all stretching durations (p < 0.05). Static passive torque was significantly lower after 60, 180, and 300 seconds of stretching compared with that after 20-second stretching, and stiffness decreased significantly after 180- and 300-second stretching (p < 0.05). In addition, DPT and stiffness were significantly lower after 300 seconds than after 20-second stretching (p < 0.05), and SLR increased significantly after all stretching durations (p < 0.05). Straight leg raise was higher after 180- and 300-second stretching than after 20-second stretching and higher after 300-second stretching than after 60-second stretching (p < 0.05). Isometric muscle force significantly decreased after all stretching durations (p < 0.05). Therefore, increased duration of stretching is associated with a decrease in SPT but an increase in SLR. Over 180 seconds of stretching was required to decrease DPT and stiffness, but isometric muscle force decreased regardless of the stretching duration. In conclusion, these results indicate that longer durations of stretching are needed to provide better flexibility.
Cooperative Indoor Navigation Using Environment-Embedded Assistance Devices

The research in environmental robotics, ubiquitous robotics, and network robots aim to create intelligent environments for providing various services by gathering, managing, and supplying information via distributed communication, sensing, and actuation. Various applications of such robotic systems have been proposed and studied, e.g. life support (Sato et al., 1996), environmental monitoring and information management (Parker et al., 2003; Low, 2004; Tang, 2004), task assignment (Batalin & Sukhtame, 2003), and rescue operation (Kurabayashi et al., 2001; Tadokoro et al., 2003; Miyama et al., 2003). These applications employ various navigation methods addressed in numerous publications (Borenstein et al., 1996; Arai et al., 1996b; Li et al., 2003; Parker et al., 2003; Nakamura et al.; 2003). This chapter introduces a cooperative navigation method for multiple mobile robots operating in indoor environments, as an example of our research work in intelligent environmental robotic systems. The method relies on the information management about the environment, namely, static global information and local information. The former is represented by a topological map (Mataric, 1992) that displays the positional relation from any starting point to any goal point and is relevant for planning a route. The latter contains a map of the local environment and the traffic information for dynamic navigation. The proposed navigation method makes use of an Information Assistant (IA) – a communication device embedded into the environment. The IA updates and manages information about the local environment and communicates with the robots. The navigation also relies on an Optical Pointer (OP) to guide robots at intersections by means of projecting a laser light onto the ground. The OP communicates with the robot via the IA, when indicating target positions to the robot. The mobile robot detects a laser beacon on the ground by means of image processing and moves towards the beacon. When the robot reaches the proximity of the beacon, the next sub-goal is indicated, and the laser beacons lead the robot along the route. The IA and OP devices assist the robot to navigate in the environment, which can be unknown to the robot. In contrast with other navigation methods, where the robot attempts to process all the information available about the environment, e.g. simultaneous localization and mapping (Smith et al., 1990; Choset & Nagatani, 2001) or an improved topological map (Tomono &
Large-scale Dictionary Construction via Pivot-based Statistical Machine Translation with Significance Pruning and Neural Network Features

We present our ongoing work on large-scale Japanese-Chinese bilingual dictionary construction via pivot-based statistical machine translation. We utilize statistical significance pruning to control noisy translation pairs that are induced by pivoting. We construct a large dictionary which we manually verify to be of a high quality. We then use this dictionary and a parallel corpus to learn bilingual neural network language models to obtain features for reranking the n-best list, which leads to an absolute improvement of 5% in accuracy when compared to a setting that does not use significance pruning and reranking.
A Pharmacophore Map of Small Molecule Protein Kinase Inhibitors

Protein kinases have emerged as one of the major drug target classes that are amenable to the development of small molecule inhibitors. They share a conserved structural similarity in the region of the ATP binding site, where most inhibitors interact. Using a pharmacophore approach, we have explored the features of protein-ligand interactions for a set of 220 kinase crystal structures from the Protein Data Bank (PDB). The resulting "pharmacophore map" shows the interactions made by all ligands with their receptors simultaneously. This gives insight that has been applied in the design of kinase screening sets and combinatorial libraries. An algorithm is described that scores small molecule structures for goodness of fit to the resulting binding site description obtained from the analysis. The algorithm identifies a pose that is close to the crystal structure pose for the majority of ligands, with only the 2D chemical structure as input and no knowledge of the crystal structure from which it was derived. Application of the algorithm to a test screening set gave a useful enrichment of active compounds.
Motion correction in periodically‐rotated overlapping parallel lines with enhanced reconstruction (PROPELLER) and turboprop MRI

Periodically‐rotated overlapping parallel lines with enhanced reconstruction (PROPELLER) and Turboprop MRI are characterized by greatly reduced sensitivity to motion, compared to their predecessors, fast spin‐echo (FSE) and gradient and spin‐echo (GRASE), respectively. This is due to the inherent self‐navigation and motion correction of PROPELLER‐based techniques. However, it is unknown how various acquisition parameters that determine k‐space sampling affect the accuracy of motion correction in PROPELLER and Turboprop MRI. The goal of this work was to evaluate the accuracy of motion correction in both techniques, to identify an optimal rotation correction approach, and determine acquisition strategies for optimal motion correction. It was demonstrated that blades with multiple lines allow more accurate estimation of motion than blades with fewer lines. Also, it was shown that Turboprop MRI is less sensitive to motion than PROPELLER. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that the number of blades does not significantly affect motion correction. Finally, clinically appropriate acquisition strategies that optimize motion correction are discussed for PROPELLER and Turboprop MRI. Magn Reson Med, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Design of ball-beam balance control system using neural-fuzzy algorithm

This paper proposes a success control application using a Neural-Fuzzy System (NFS) algorithm to control the Ball-Beam balance system, through learning, simulation, and implementation. First, the control system requires control measurement input, enabling it to generate fuzzy control rules automatically, and then the neural-fuzzy system undergoes a series of learning processes to achieve the best simulation results. Finally, the prototype of a control system is realized with good performance.
Cognitive mapping: knowledge of real-world distance and location information.

A series of experiments investigated how information about geographic environments is processed. In the first experiment, response time to decide which of two pairs of states or buildings were physically closer in the real world increased as the ratio of the interpair distances approached one. The second experiment examined spatial memory for the interrelationships among states and buildings. Subjects' reaction time to determine the accuracy of relative spatial positions of triads of states was a linear function of the degree of triad rotation from the 0 degrees Cartesian plane of a standard U.S. map. No linear rotation function was reported for triad rotations of buildings. In Experiment 3 a group of subjects unfamiliar with the campus tested in Experiments 1 and 2 learned the location of the buildings from a map only. This group's data reflected a linear trend of reaction time with degree of building triad rotation, similar to results with states in Experiment 2. Perhaps when an environment is primarily learned by a map, knowledge of the interpositions of items in the environment is formed in the single perspective of the map. When the environment is primarily learned through direct experience, knowledge of interpositions of items is more flexible and is processed from many perspectives.
Cysteamine Attenuates the Decreases in TrkB Protein Levels and the Anxiety/Depression-Like Behaviors in Mice Induced by Corticosterone Treatment

Objective Stress and glucocorticoid hormones, which are released into the circulation following stressful experiences, have been shown to contribute significantly to the manifestation of anxiety-like behaviors observed in many neuropsychiatric disorders. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) signaling through its receptor TrkB plays an important role in stress-mediated changes in structural as well as functional neuroplasticity. Studies designed to elucidate the mechanisms whereby TrkB signaling is regulated in chronic stress might provide valuable information for the development of new therapeutic strategies for several stress-related psychiatric disorders. Materials and Methods We examined the potential of cysteamine, a neuroprotective compound to attenuate anxiety and depression like behaviors in a mouse model of anxiety/depression induced by chronic corticosterone exposure. Results Cysteamine administration (150 mg/kg/day, through drinking water) for 21 days significantly ameliorated chronic corticosterone-induced decreases in TrkB protein levels in frontal cortex and hippocampus. Furthermore, cysteamine treatment reversed the anxiety and depression like behavioral abnormalities induced by chronic corticosterone treatment. Finally, mice deficient in TrkB, showed a reduced response to cysteamine in behavioral tests, suggesting that TrkB signaling plays an important role in the antidepressant effects of cysteamine. Conclusions The animal studies described here highlight the potential use of cysteamine as a novel therapeutic strategy for glucocorticoid-related symptoms of psychiatric disorders.
Charge sharing between pixels in the spectral Medipix2 x-ray detector

This paper gives an overview of the Medipix2 x-ray detector and its use in medical imaging, with the MARS-CT scanner (MARS, Medipix All Resolution System) as an example. The Medipix2 chip is a photon counting pixel detector with the ability of energy discrimination. It was developed at CERN and is composed of a sensor layer bump bonded to electronics layer. It has 256×256 pixels, each one covering an area of 55×55μm². Furthermore, every pixel can be read out separately. The MARS-CT scanner uses these properties to scan biological objects obtaining multi-energy (spectral) x-ray images with high contrast between materials and high spatial resolution. Charge sharing is the phenomenon by which the electron-hole charge cloud, induced in the sensor layer by an absorbed photon, is detected by a cluster of neighbouring pixels. Each pixel in the cluster generates a signal corresponding to its fraction of the cloud, so the detector will record several photons each of lower energies. This effect has to be considered with the use of Medipix2, because of its small pixels and the hybrid architecture. The effect was measured and a simulation modelled with the aim to reconstruct the spectrum removing the distortion of the detection process.
Psychological and somatic health problems in Bosnian refugees: a three year follow-up.

BACKGROUND Aim of this study was to explore association between psychiatric disorders (PTSD and depression) and chronic medical illnesses in a group of Bosnian refugees followed up for three years (1996-1999). SUBJECTS AND METHODS Study was conducted in refugee camps in Varaždin, Nbaseline=534, Nendpoint=376 (70.4%). The interviews were conducted in Bosnian, data on depression and PTSD were collected using the Hopkins Symptom Checklist-25 and Harvard Trauma Questionnaire, respectively. Medical conditions were self-reported. RESULTS Most important findings: 1) Half of the sample at both study points reported no psychiatric problems (N=294, 55% vs. N=225, 59%), others suffered from depression (N=99, 18.5% at both times), PTSD (N=30, 5.6% vs. N=15, 4%), and depression + PTSD (N=129, 24.2% vs. N=114, 30.3%); 2) A total of 15 medical conditions were identified, and most frequently present were high blood pressure (N=201, 37.6%) and heart disease (N=167, 31.3%); 3) Occurrence of medical conditions was related to the clinical group - they were more frequent in subjects diagnosed with depression and depression + PTSD, than in those who were asymptomatic or suffering from PTSD only. CONCLUSIONS Our data indicate the persistence of both psychological and somatic health problems in Bosnian refugees involved in this study over time. Holistic approach and avoiding of mind-body dualism might be beneficial for the care and long-term prognosis of these people.
Comparison of the Turkish and USA Primary and Secondary School Social Sciences Curriculums in the Context of Economic Literacy

Economic literacy comprises of having information about economy themes as scarcity, supply and demand, markets, opportunity costs, resources, productivity, economic growth, and systems, etc., giving correct decisions about economy issues and demonstrating correct economy behaviors. Rising interest to improve the levels of economy awareness of individuals has increased the importance of economic literacy. Economic literacy is an issue which concerns all sections of society, thus also primary and secondary school students closely. In this study, primary and secondary school social science curriculums of United States of America (New York) were compared to Turkish primary and secondary school social sciences curriculum in terms of economic literacy content of the programme. The data were collected through document examination and investigated by means of content analysis. In consequence of primary and secondary school social sciences curriculums examinations; different and similar implementations were detected between programs of two countries in terms of economic literacy context.
Draft Genome Sequence of Acetobacter aceti Strain 1023, a Vinegar Factory Isolate

ABSTRACT The genome sequence of Acetobacter aceti 1023, an acetic acid bacterium adapted to traditional vinegar fermentation, comprises 3.0 Mb (chromosome plus plasmids). A. aceti 1023 is closely related to the cocoa fermenter Acetobacter pasteurianus 386B but possesses many additional insertion sequence elements.
Modeling Truncated AR Expression in a Natural Androgen Responsive Environment and Identification of RHOB as a Direct Transcriptional Target

Recent studies identifying putative truncated androgen receptor isoforms with ligand-independent activity have shed new light on the acquisition of androgen depletion independent (ADI) growth of prostate cancer. In this study, we present a model system in which a C-terminally truncated variant of androgen receptor (TC-AR) is inducibly expressed in LNCaP, an androgen-dependent cell line, which expresses little truncated receptor. We observed that when TC-AR is overexpressed, the endogenous full length receptor (FL-AR) is transcriptionally downmodulated. This in essence allows us to “replace” FL-AR with TC-AR and compare their individual properties in exactly the same genetic and cellular background, which has not been performed before. We show that the TC-AR translocates to the nucleus, activates transcription of AR target genes in the absence of DHT and is sufficient to confer ADI growth to the normally androgen dependent LNCaP line. We also show that while there is significant overlap in the genes regulated by FL- and TC-AR there are also differences in the respective suites of target genes with each AR form regulating genes that the other does not. Among the genes uniquely activated by TC-AR is RHOB which is shown to be involved in the increased migration and morphological changes observed in LN/TC-AR, suggesting a role of RHOB in the regulation of androgen-independent behavior of prostate cancer cells.
Database of Handwritten Arabic Mathematical Formula Images

Although publicly available, ground-truthed database have proven useful for training, evaluating, and comparing recognition systems in many domains, the availability of such database for handwritten Arabic mathematical formula recognition in particular, is currently quite poor. In this paper, we present a new public database that contains off-line handwritten mathematical expressions. We describe in this paper the different steps to acquire this database, from the collection of the mathematical expression corpora to the transcription of the collected data. Actually, the database contains 4 238 off-line handwritten mathematical expressions written by 66 writers and 20 300 handwritten isolated symbol images. The ground truth is also presented for the handwritten expressions as XML files with the number of symbols, and the MATHML structure.
The Effect of Tween 20, 60, and 80 on Dissolution Behavior of Sprionolactone in Solid Dispersions Prepared by PEG 6000.

PURPOSE Solid dispersions have been efficient in improving the dissolution rate and bioavailability of hydrophobic drugs. The aim of the present study was enhancement of the dissolution profile of Spironolactone using solid dispersion. METHODS Spironolactone solid dispersions (1:1, 1:2 and 2:1 drug: carrier weight ratio) were prepared by polyethylene glycol (PEG) 6000 as a carrier by hot melt method. The influence of several amounts of Tween 20, 60, and 80 were also studied. The dissolution profile was evaluated by USP Apparatus II. RESULTS The results showed that solid dispersions were efficacious to enhance the dissolution rate of Spironolactone in water; and the procedure indicated that there was an increase in dissolution rate for solid dispersions containing the surfactant Tweens. The solid dispersions were evaluated using Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) studies; and the results showed no complex formation or change in crystal shape of drug. CONCLUSION It is concluded that solid dispersion technique can be successfully used for improvement of dissolution of Spironolactone.
Open-domain quantity queries on web tables: annotation, response, and consensus models

Over 40% of columns in hundreds of millions of Web tables contain numeric quantities. Tables are a richer source of structured knowledge than free text. We harness Web tables to answer queries whose target is a quantity with natural variation, such as net worth of zuckerburg, battery life of ipad, half life of plutonium, and calories in pizza. Our goal is to respond to such queries with a ranked list of quantity distributions, suitably represented. Apart from the challenges of informal schema and noisy extractions, which have been known since tables were used for non-quantity information extraction, we face additional problems of noisy number formats, as well as unit specifications that are often contextual and ambiguous. Early "hardening" of extraction decisions at a table level leads to poor accuracy. Instead, we use a probabilistic context free grammar (PCFG) based unit extractor on the tables, and retain several top-scoring extractions of quantity and numerals. Then we inject these into a new collective inference framework that makes global decisions about the relevance of candidate table snippets, the interpretation of the query's target quantity type, the value distributions to be ranked and presented, and the degree of consensus that can be built to support the proposed quantity distributions. Experiments with over 25 million Web tables and 350 diverse queries show robust, large benefits from our quantity catalog, unit extractor, and collective inference.
Financial Incentives in Health: New Evidence from India's Janani Suraksha Yojana

This paper studies the health effects of one of the world’s largest demand-side financial incentive programes - India’s Janani Suraksha Yojana. Our difference-in-difference estimates exploit heterogeneity in the timing of the introduction of the financial incentive programs across districts. We find that cash incentives to women increased access to maternity services but failed to improve neonatal or early neonatal mortality, even in districts with relatively high quality of care. The positive effects on utilization are larger for less educated, poorer, and ethnically marginalized women. We also find evidence of unintended consequences. The financial incentive program was associated with a substitution away from private health providers, an increase in fertility and a positive improvement in breastfeeding behaviour. These findings demonstrate the potential for financial incentives to have unanticipated health effects, which may, in the case of fertility, directly undermine the program’s own objective of reducing mortality.