Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Multidimensional Investigation Into the Predictors of Physical Activity in Canadian Adolescents

Background: The percentage of overweight and obese Canadian children and youth is dramatically increasing. Approaches to reducing obesity in adolescents should include the promotion of physical activity (PA) because a continued physically active lifestyle into adulthood may lower rates of chronic diseases associated with unhealthy body weight. Purpose: The current study expands on existing assessments of PA to include predictors based in a multidimensional adolescent wellness and ecological model. Method: Canadian adolescents (N = 603) were surveyed and the resulting data analyzed using multiple regression analysis. Findings: Overall, 57.5 and 52.9% of the unique variance in PA for females and males, respectively, were explained by the predictors. Significant predictors for females included age, recreational time, family, leadership, and social comparison (cognitive development) skills. For males, equipment at home was also associated with increased PA. Conclusions: The finding that social comparison and leadership skills are significant predictors of PA in adolescents is new. Nurses should consider a holistic approach to promoting PA whereby these developmental dimensions are included in assessment and prioritized in providing nursing care. Additionally, individualized PA intervention strategies can then be tailored to this unique population.
Genetic variation in metronidazole metabolism and oxidative stress pathways in clinical Giardia lamblia assemblage A and B isolates

Purpose: Treatment-refractory Giardia cases have increased rapidly within the last decade. No markers of resistance nor a standardized susceptibility test have been established yet, but several enzymes and their pathways have been associated with metronidazole (MTZ) resistant Giardia. Very limited data are available regarding genetic variation in these pathways. We aimed to investigate genetic variation in metabolic pathway genes proposed to be involved in MTZ resistance in recently acquired, cultured clinical isolates. Methods: Whole genome sequencing of 12 assemblage A2 and 8 assemblage B isolates was done, to decipher genomic variation in Giardia. Twenty-nine genes were identified in a literature search and investigated for their single nucleotide variants (SNVs) in the coding/non-coding regions of the genes, either as amino acid changing (non-synonymous SNVs) or non-changing SNVs (synonymous). Results: In Giardia assemblage B, several genes involved in MTZ activation or oxidative stress management were found to have higher numbers of non-synonymous SNVs (thioredoxin peroxidase, nitroreductase 1, ferredoxin 2, NADH oxidase, nitroreductase 2, alcohol dehydrogenase, ferredoxin 4 and ferredoxin 1) than the average variation. For Giardia assemblage A2, the highest genetic variability was found in the ferredoxin 2, ferredoxin 6 and in nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidoreductase putative genes. SNVs found in the ferredoxins and nitroreductases were analyzed further by alignment and homology modeling. SNVs close to the iron-sulfur cluster binding sites in nitroreductase-1 and 2 and ferredoxin 2 and 4 could potentially affect protein function. Flavohemoprotein seems to be a variable-copy gene, due to higher, but variable coverage compared to other genes investigated. Conclusion: In clinical Giardia isolates, genetic variability is common in important genes in the MTZ metabolizing pathway and in the management of oxidative and nitrosative stress and includes high numbers of non-synonymous SNVs. Some of the identified amino acid changes could potentially affect the respective proteins important in the MTZ metabolism.
Accuracy and Performance Improvements in Custom CNN Architectures

Zaidy, Aliasger T. M.S.E.C. E. , Purdue University, August 2016. Accuracy and Performance Improvements in custom CNN Architectures. Major Professor: Eugenio Culurciello. Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) are biologically inspired feed forward artificial neural networks. The artificial neurons in CNNs are connected in a manner similar to the neurons in the mammalian visual system. CNNs are currently used for image recognition, semantic segmentation, natural language processing, playing video games and many other applications. A CNN can consist of millions of neurons that require billions of computations to produce a single output. Currently CNN workloads are accelerated by GPUs. While fast, GPUs are power hungry and are not feasible in mobile and embedded applications like car, home automation, etc. Recently interest has surged in developing FPGA/ASIC based novel architectures for processing using CNNs in real time while keeping the power budget low. The current generation of custom architectures utilize either single or half precision floating point or 16bit Q8.8 fixed point processing elements. However, floating point hardware is larger and slower than fixed point hardware, especially in FPGAs, which have dedicated fixed point units but no floating point units. Due to this, choosing a number format becomes a performance vs accuracy tradeo↵. In this work, we aim to test various number representation schemes and their e↵ect on the bandwidth requirements and accuracy of a custom CNN architecture. We also test architectural changes that improve the throughput of the processing elements. Together, we expect to improve both accuracy and performance of a custom CNN accelerator architecture. The system is prototyped on the Xilinx Zynq Series Devices.
Determination of seizure propagation across microdomains using spectral measures of causality

The use of microelectrode arrays to measure electrical activity from the surface of the brain is increasingly being investigated as a means to improve seizure focus localization. In this work, we determine seizure propagation across microdomains sampled by such microelectrode arrays and compare the results using two widely used frequency domain measures of causality, namely the partial directed coherence and the directed direct transfer function. We show that these two measures produce very similar propagation patterns for simulated microelectrode activity over a relatively smaller number of channels. However as the number of channels increases, partial directed coherence produces better estimates of the actual propagation pattern. Additionally, we apply these two measures to determine seizure propagation over microelectrode arrays measured from a patient undergoing intracranial monitoring for seizure focus localization and find very similar patterns which also agree with a threshold based reconstruction during seizure onset.
Chapter 2 Overview of Sequencing Technology Platforms

N. Rodríguez-Ezpeleta et al. (eds.), Bioinformatics for High Throughput Sequencing, DOI 10.1007/978-1-4614-0782-9_2, © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2012 Abstract The high-throughput DNA sequencing technologies are based on immobilization of the DNA samples onto a solid support, cyclic sequencing reactions using automated fl uidics devices, and detection of molecular events by imaging. Featured sequencing technologies include: GS FLX by 454 Life Technologies/ Roche, Genome Analyzer by Solexa/Illumina, SOLiD by Applied Biosystems, CGA Platform by Complete Genomics, and PacBio RS by Pacifi c Biosciences. In addition, emerging technologies are discussed.
Effect of Post-shooting Spray of Sulphate of Potash ( SOP ) on Yield and Quality of Banana cv . Robusta ( AAA-Cavendish )

An experiment was conducted at the Department of Fruit Crops, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore to evaluate the effect of post shooting spray of Sulphate of Potash (SOP) on bunch yield and quality of Robusta banana and to integrate SOP on the nutrient management practices of banana. The experiment was conducted with cultivar Robusta (AAACavendish) in a Randomized Block Design 1 , (RBD) with four treatments and five replications. The treatments were: Control (Water spray) (T ) 2 3 4 Spraying of 0.5% SOP (T ), Spraying of 1.0% SOP (T ) and Spraying of 1.5% SOP (T ). Spraying was done twice, first immediately after opening of the last hand and second, 30 days after the first spray. The results of the study indicated the benefit of post shoot application of SOP. Foliar spray of SOP at 1.5 per cent concentration twice resulted in increased bunch weight with better bunch and quality traits, realizing a higher benefit: cost ratio.
Matching Firms and Young Jobseekers through a Job Fair: A Field Experiment in Africa*

Matching frictions are believed to hurt the employment prospects of young jobseekers, particularly in rapidly growing labor markets. To remedy this shortcoming, we organize job fairs that match large firms with young jobseekers with at least a high-school diploma. Invitations to the fair are randomized among workers as well as employers. For a random subset of the treated, a Gale-Shapley algorithm is used to recommend prospective applicants to employers. We look for direct effects on interviews, offers, and jobs in the aftermath of the fairs, and for indirect effects on expectations and search strategy by firms and jobseekers. We find that the fairs and algorithmic recommendations succeed in generating interviews yet lead to few hires. But the fairs affect expectations and search strategy. Firms were over-optimistic about the availability of skilled jobseekers with work experience, and they increase their search effort after the fair. High-school leavers start with reservation wages well above what firms offer We thank audiences at the CSAE Annual Conference 2017, the Third IZA/DFID GLM-LIC Conference 2017, RES Annual Conference 2017, SEEDEC Conference 2017, SERC Work in Progress Seminar, and NEUDC 2016; in particular, Prithwiraj Choudhury and Pieter Serneels who provided helpful comments and feedback. We thank Jali Bekele, Biruk Tekle, Marc Witte, Alemayehu Woldu and Ibrahim Worku for outstanding research assistance. Data collection and experimental implementation were funded by The World Bank Research Support Budget (RSB), GLM—LIC, and by the International Growth Centre. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this paper are entirely those of the authors. They do not necessarily represent the views of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/World Bank and its affiliated organizations, or those of the Executive Directors of the World Bank or the governments they represent. The project would not have been possible without the constant support of Rose Page and the Centre for the Study of African Economies (University of Oxford), nor without the support of the Ethiopian Development Research Institute in Addis Ababa. This RCT was registered in the American Economic Association Registry for randomized control trials under Trial number AEARCTR-0000911. Ethiopian Development Research Institute: girumabe@gmail.com Oxford Department of International Development, University of Oxford: stefano.caria@qeh.ox. ac.uk Freeman Spogli Institute, Stanford University: fafchamp@stanford.edu OECD: paolo.falco@oecd.org Centre for Economic Performance, London School of Economics: s.franklin1@lse.ox. ac.uk Department of Economics, University of Oxford: simon.quinn@economics.ox. ac.uk World Bank: fshilpi@worldbank.org
Pharmacokinetic-Pharmacodynamic Modeling of the Antinociceptive Effect of Buprenorphine and Fentanyl in Rats: Role of Receptor Equilibration Kinetics

The objective of this investigation was to characterize the pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic correlation of buprenorphine and fentanyl for the antinociceptive effect in rats. Data on the time course of the antinociceptive effect following intravenous administration of buprenorphine or fentanyl was analyzed in conjunction with plasma concentrations by nonlinear mixed-effects analysis. For fentanyl, the pharmacokinetics was described on the basis of a two-compartment pharmacokinetic model. For buprenorphine, a three-compartment pharmacokinetic model best described the concentration time course. To explain time dependencies in pharmacodynamics of buprenorphine and fentanyl, a combined effect compartment/receptor binding model was applied. A log logistic probability distribution model is proposed to account for censored tail-flick latencies. The model converged, yielding precise estimates of the parameters characterizing hysteresis. The results show that onset and offset of the antinociceptive effect of both buprenorphine and fentanyl is mainly determined by biophase distribution. The keo was 0.024 min–1 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.018–0.030 min–1] and 0.123 min–1 (95% CI: 0.095–0.151 min–1) for buprenorphine and fentanyl, respectively. On the other hand, part of the hysteresis in the buprenorphine pharmacodynamics could be explained by slow receptor association/dissociation kinetics. The koff was 0.073 min–1 (95% CI: 0.042–0.104 min–1) and kon was 0.023 ml/ng/min (95% CI: 0.013–0.033 ml/ng/min). Fentanyl binds instantaneously to the OP3 receptor because no reasonable values for kon and koff were obtained with the dynamical receptor model. In contrast to earlier reports in the literature, the findings of this study show that the rate-limiting step in the onset and offset of buprenorphine's antinociceptive effect is distribution to the brain.
Draft 1 Microbial communities associated with barley growing in oil sands 2 reclamation area in Alberta , Canada . 3

Journal: Canadian Journal of Microbiology Manuscript ID cjm-2018-0324.R1 Manuscript Type: Article Date Submitted by the Author: 08-Aug-2018 Complete List of Authors: Kovalski Mitter, Eduardo; University of Saskatchewan College of Agriculture and Bioresources, Food and Bioproduct Sciences de Freitas, Renato; Dept. of Soil Science Germida, James J.; University of Saskatchewan, Department of Soil Science Keyword: oil sands reclamation, endophytic root bacteria, microbial community structure, rhizosphere bacteria Is the invited manuscript for consideration in a Special Issue? : Not applicable (regular submission)
The Effects of Smooth Muscle Calponin on the Strong and Weak Myosin Binding Sites of F-actin*

We have investigated the mechanism of inhibition of the actomyosin MgATPase by the smooth muscle protein calponin. We have shown previously the specific interaction of calponin with Glu334 of actin (EL-Mezgueldi, M., Fattoum, A., Derancourt, J., and Kassab, R. (1992) J. Biol. Chem. 267, 15943-15951). This residue is within the sequence 332-334, which has been proposed to be an important part of the strong myosin binding site (Rayment, I., Holden, H. M., Whittaker, M., Yohn, C. B., Lorenz, M., Holmes, K. C., and Milligan, R. A. (1993) Science 261, 58-65). Therefore, we suggested that calponin will affect the strong binding actin-myosin interaction. To test this hypothesis we have investigated the effect of calponin on the strong binding of S-1·MgAMP-PNP (5′-adenylyl imidodiphosphate) and on the weak binding of S-1·MgADP·Pi to actin. We found that an inhibitory concentration of calponin decreased the binding of S-1·MgAMP-PNP to actin but had no effect on the binding of S-1·MgADP·Pi. Similar results were obtained with skeletal muscle and smooth muscle S-1. In competition experiments calponin was found to displace S-1·MgAMP-PNP and S-1·MgADP but not S-1·MgADP·Pi from the actin filament. S-1 displaced calponin from actin in the rigor state, in the presence of MgADP, and in the presence of MgAMP-PNP. We conclude that calponin inhibits the actin activated S-1 ATPase by blocking a strong S-1 binding site on actin and does not block the weak binding site.
Assesing the toxicity of sandy sediments six months after the Prestige oil spill by means of the Sea-Urchin Embryo-Larval Bioassay

The toxicity of sand from 10 exposed beaches along the Galician coast was tested six months after the Prestige oil spill by using the sea-urchin embryogenesis bioassay. Moderate toxicity was found in two of these sites, Corrubedo and Carnota, with a 15% reduction in larval length. These effects could not be explained on the basis of organic enrichment or granulometric characteristics of these sediments. Those sites correspond to locations where the fuel landed in large amounts from the beginning of the "black tide". The overall picture indicates a high capacity for recovery in these particular environments characterised by high hydrodynamics, and coarse sandy sediments.
Counterfactual logic over teams

Causal team semantics, developed in collaboration with G. Sandu as a common extension of Hodges’ team semantics ([4], [8]) and of structural equation modeling ([5], [7]), provides a semantical framework for interventionist counterfactuals ([2], [3], [1]) and other logical operators. In this talk we consider some of the properties of logical languages endowed with causal team semantics; we restrict attention to causal teams that are parametric (i.e. every counterfactual receives a truth value) and recursive (i.e. the causal links between variables form an acyclic graph). Our variant of the interventionist counterfactual acts on sets of assignments instead of single assignments; as a consequence, some properties of logical systems based on our semantics diverge from those they attain in the setting that is traditionally considered in the literature on causation, the most evident point being the failure of some forms of the law of the excluded middle and their conditional variants. We also use the the causal team setting in order to analyze some properties that have been considered in the tradition on counterfactuals (see [6]); for example, we isolate sufficient conditions that make importation, exportation and permutation laws hold. We provide an “overwriting” rule that takes care of the situations in which the sufficient condition does not hold. We then consider some inference rules that correlate the counterfactuals with other forms of implication and dependence. In particular, we point out that the counterfactuals do not commute with a form of implication which represents the act of accounting for observations. Finally, we show how some of the deduction systems introduced by Galles&Pearl ([2]) and Halpern ([3]) can be translated into our logical systems and their completeness proofs extended to more general languages.
SOURCE CHARACTERIZATION OF MEXICAN SUBDUCTION EARTHQUAKES FOR THE PREDICTION OF STRONG GOUND MOTIONS

The empirical Green’s function method allows to simulate records of big earthquakes using records of small ones. The great advantage of this method is that the information of the path and site effects are included in the small records which allows to simplify the calculations in the absence of nonlinear effects at the sites. However to carry out simulations of future earthquakes it is necessary to construct source model consisting on the outer parameters (i.e. focal mechanism, total area of rupture) and the inner ones (size, number and position of the roughness). This study uses data of Mexican subduction earthquakes with the objective of proving the different relationships presented previously, with the objective of validating them or in its case to propose some other of regional validity. Using records of the Guerrero Accelerograph Array from earthquakes occurring during the last 15 years we found that the relationships proposed by Dan et al. (2001) works appropiately for the Mexican subduction earthquakes. We also found that the fault areas obtained with data of this regional array, gave a good estimation of the size of the biggest asperity. These sizes are well predicted by the relationship for subduction earthquakes given by Somerville et al. (2002).
Identification of Growth Hormone Releasing Hormone Gene in Local Buffalo Buffalo ( Bubalus bubalis ) Using PCR-RFLP

GHRH is a hypothalamic hormone which stimulates growth hormone secretion in the pituitary gland. The objective of this study was to identify polymorphisms Growth Hormone Releasing Hormone (GHRH) gene of Indonesian buffalo’s. A total of 320 blood samples from Indonesian buffaloes were used to determined polymorphism using PCR-RFLP method. The polymorphism of GHRH gene that spanned within exon 2 and exon 3 was amplified, and their mutation was detected using endonuclease HaeIII. In this study, there were three GHRH/HaeIII genotype (AA genotype 0%, AB genotype 36% and BB genotype 64%) determined by two alleles, A (18%) and B (82%). The frequency of A allele was found 15% for Semarang population, 19% for Mataram population, 2% for Medan population and 40% for Banten population. The frequency of B allele was found 85% for Semarang population, 81% for Mataram population, 98% for Medan population and 60% for Banten population. The observed heterozygosis value were different among populations. The highest heterozygosis (ĥ) 0,485 for Banten population and the lowest was 0.037 for Medan population and the average heterozygosis for all populations (Ĥ) detected was 0.270. Index fixation value of GHRH gene showed there was not fixed into one gene type (Fski ≠ 0). The smallest genetic distance value of GHRH gene was found between Semarang and Mataram population (0.001) and the highest between Medan and Banten population (0.202).
Feeding in golden hamsters, Mesocricetus auratus

Simultaneous cine and electromyographic records of freely feeding, unanesthetized golden hamsters show that their motion and muscular activity during mastication differ from those of albino rats (Weijs, '75). Rats show only propalinal motion while hamsters show lateral translation as well. The masticatory muscles of hamsters and rats are generally similar, but their molar dentitions differ. The interlocking molar cusps of hamsters restrict propalinal protrusion and retrusion when the molars are in occlusion; however, hamsters readily unlock occlusion by a twisting movement in the horizontal plane. Rats may perform propalinal movements even with the teeth in occlusion.
Study on Noise Reduction of High-Powered Suction Truck (Consideration of phase difference between two pressure fluctuations of SHAC silencers)

A main noise source of the high powered suction truck is a pressure fluctuation of a blower and the noise is radiated from the final component named ldquo4th catcherrdquo. Two holes are provided at the upper and the lower parts of the blower as a means to get cool the blower and two SHACs (Self Help Air Conditioner) are connected to the blower by two hoses. The present study aims to clarify the achievement of the noise reduction to use the phase difference which can be made by two different lengths of hoses. As a result, the use of fluctuating pressure data before connection of two ports doesnrsquot go well in the prediction of the noise reduction but go well by use of the data after the connection and the phase difference is the most important factor in the prediction of the noise reduction in using the idea of the interference type silencer.
P o S ( I C R C 2 0 1 5 ) 4 1 1 A Cosmic-ray Electron Spectrum with VERITAS

Cosmic-ray electrons and positrons (CREs) at GeV-TeV energies are a unique probe of our local Galactic neighbourhood. CREs lose energy rapidly via inverse Compton scattering and synchrotron processes while propagating in the Galaxy, effectively placing a maximal propagation distance for TeV electrons of order ∼1 kpc. Within this window, detected CREs can come from only a handful of known, nearby astrophysical sources capable of exciting CREs to that energy or from more exotic production mechanisms, like particle dark matter. HESS, and later MAGIC, have shown that ground-based imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes have the capability to measure CREs into the TeV band. In this talk we’ll discuss the status of a VERITAS measurement of the electron plus positron cosmic ray spectrum.