Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Influence of Resistance Load on Neuromuscular Response to Vibration Training

Luo, J, Clarke, M, McNamara, B, and Moran, K. Influence of resistance load on neuromuscular response to vibration training. J Strength Cond Res 23(2): 420-426, 2009-The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of resistance load on the acute and acute residual effects of vibration training, with vibration applied directly to the bicep tendon in a maximal-effort dynamic resistance exercise (3 sets of maximal-effort bicep curls). Eleven participants were exposed to 4 training conditions in random order: exercise with 1 of 2 different loads (40% 1-repetition maximum [RM] or 70% 1RM load) combined with 1 of 2 vibration conditions (vibration [1.2 mm, 65 Hz] or sham vibration). Five minutes before and after the exercise, a set of maximal-effort bicep curls with a load of either 40 or 70% 1RM was performed as the pre- and posttraining test. Concentric elbow joint angular velocity, moment and power, and bicep root mean square electromyography (EMGrms) were measured during training and in the pre- and posttraining tests. The results show that during training (acute effect) and at 5 minutes after training (acute residual effect), vibration did not induce a significant change in EMGrms, mean and peak angular velocities, moment and power, time to peak power, and initial power at 100 milliseconds after the start of the concentric phase for either resistance load. Therefore, in aiming to train neuromuscular output using maximal-effort dynamic contractions (40 and 70% 1RM), there is no benefit in employing direct vibration, at least with a 1.2-mm amplitude and 65-Hz frequency. However, the amplitude of 1.2 mm may be too high to effectively stimulate neuromuscular output in maximal-effort dynamic contractions per se.
Responsiveness of the Neuromuscular Recovery Scale During Outpatient Activity-Dependent Rehabilitation for Spinal Cord Injury

Background. The Neuromuscular Recovery Scale (NRS) was developed by researchers and clinicians to functionally classify people with spinal cord injury (SCI) by measuring functionally relevant motor tasks without compensation. Previous studies established strong interrater and test-retest reliability and validity of the scale. Objective. To determine responsiveness of the NRS, a version including newly added upper-extremity items, in an outpatient rehabilitation setting. Methods. Assessments using the NRS and 6 other instruments were conducted at enrollment and discharge from a locomotor training program for 72 outpatients with SCI classified as American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale grades A to D (International Standards for Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury). Mixed-model t statistics for instruments were calculated and adjusted for confounding factors (eg, sample size, demographic variables) for all patients and subgroups stratified by injury level and/or severity. The resulting adjusted response means (ARMs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to determine responsiveness, and significant differences between instruments were identified with pairwise comparisons. Results. The NRS was significantly responsive for SCI outpatients (ARM = 1.05; CI = 0.75-1.35). Changes in motor function were detected across heterogeneous groups. Regardless of injury level or severity, the responsiveness of the NRS was equal to, and often significantly exceeded, the responsiveness of other instruments. Conclusions. The NRS is a responsive measure that detects change in motor function during outpatient neurorehabilitation for SCI. There is potential utility for its application in randomized controlled trials and as a measure of clinical recovery across diverse SCI populations.
A Rational Constructivist Account of the Characteristic-to-Defining Shift

A widely observed phenomenon in children’s word-extensions and generalizations is the characteristic-to-defining shift, whereby young children initially generalize words based on typical properties and gradually transition into generalizing words using abstract, logical information. In this paper, we propose a statistically principled model of conceptual development grounded in the trade-off between simplicity and fit to the data. We run our model based on informant-provided family trees and the real-life characteristic features of people on those trees. We demonstrate that the characteristic-to-defining shift does not necessarily depend on discrete change in representation or processes. Instead, the shift could fall out naturally from statistical inference over conceptual hypotheses. Our model finds that the shift occurs even when abstract logical relations are present from the outset of learning as long as characteristic features are informative but imperfect in their ability to capture the underlying concept to be learned—a property of our elicited features.
Distinct Pharmacodynamic Activity of Rilpivirine in Ectocervical and Colonic Explant Tissue

ABSTRACT A long-acting injectable form of rilpivirine (RPV) is being evaluated in clinical trials for the prevention of HIV infection. Preclinical testing was undertaken to define RPV pharmacokinetic (PK) and pharmacodynamic (PD) activities in ectocervical and colonic tissue treated in vitro. Tenfold dilutions of RPV were added to the basolateral medium of polarized ectocervical and colonic explant tissues. To half the explants, HIV-1BaL was applied to the apical tissue surface. After culture overnight, all the explants were washed and the RPV in the explants not exposed to HIV was quantified using a validated liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry assay. For efficacy, explants exposed to HIV remained in culture, and supernatants were collected to assess viral replication using a p24 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The data were log10 transformed, and PK/PD correlations were determined using GraphPad Prism and SigmaPlot software. The application of RPV to the basolateral medium at 10 μM and 1 μM was effective in protecting ectocervical and colonic tissues, respectively, from HIV infection. When the RPV in paired ectocervical and colonic explant tissues was quantified, significant inverse linear correlations (P < 0.001) between p24 and RPV concentrations were obtained; more viral replication was noted at lower drug levels. Using a maximum effect model, RPV concentrations of 271 nM in ectocervical tissue and 45 nM in colonic tissue were needed to achieve a 90% effective concentration (EC90). These data demonstrate that RPV can suppress HIV infection in mucosal tissue but that higher levels of RPV are needed in female genital tract tissue than in gastrointestinal tract tissue for protection.
Characterization of the cDNA and genomic sequence of a G protein gamma subunit (gamma 5)

A cDNA from human placenta and liver tissues that contained both sequence for the lysosomal glycosidase di-N-acetylchitobiase and sequence homologous to the gamma subunit of GTP-binding proteins was previously isolated. Here we have shown that the gamma-subunit-homologous portion of this unusual cDNA is derived from a member of the gamma-subunit multigene family. The partial human gamma-subunit sequence was used to isolate the corresponding full-length cDNA clones from bovine and rat livers. The two cDNAs encode identical 68-amino-acid proteins (7.3 kDa) homologous to previously cloned G protein gamma subunits. The bovine gene sequence encoding this new gamma-subunit isoform (gamma 5) was determined and found to have an intron-exon structure consistent with the original human chitobiase-gamma 5-subunit hybrid mRNA being a product of alternative splicing. Genomic cloning also resulted in the isolation of a human gamma 5 pseudogene.
Integrating the Principles of Socioecology and Critical Pedagogy for Health Promotion Health Literacy Interventions

While health literacy research has experienced tremendous growth in the last two decades, the field still struggles to devise interventions that lead to lasting change. Most health literacy interventions are at the individual level and focus on resolving clinician–patient communication difficulties. As a result, the interventions use a deficit model that treats health literacy as a patient problem that needs to be fixed or circumvented. We propose that public health health literacy interventions integrate the principles of socioecology and critical pedagogy to develop interventions that build capacity and empower individuals and communities. Socioecology operates on the premise that health outcome is hinged on the interplay between individuals and their environment. Critical pedagogy assumes education is inherently political, and the ultimate goal of education is social change. Integrating these two approaches will provide a useful frame in which to develop interventions that move beyond the individual level.
Proper ascospore maturation requires the chs1+ chitin synthase gene in Schizosaccharomyces pombe

We have cloned chs1+, a Schizosaccharomyces pombe gene with similarity to class II chitin synthases, and have shown that it is responsible for chitin synthase activity present in cell extracts from this organism. Analysis of this activity reveals that it behaves like chitin synthases from other fungi, although with specific biochemical characteristics. Deletion or overexpression of this gene does not lead to any apparent defect during vegetative growth. In contrast, chs1+ expression increases significantly during sporulation, and this is accompanied by an increase in chitin synthase activity. In addition, spore formation is severely affected when both parental strains carry a chs1 deletion, as a result of a defect in the synthesis of the ascospore cell wall. Finally, we show that wild‐type, but not chs1−/chs1 −, ascospore cell walls bind wheatgerm agglutinin. Our results clearly suggest the existence of a relationship between chs1+, chitin synthesis and ascospore maturation in S. pombe.
Teaching Outside the Discipline: A STEM-related Course in a Non-STEM Curricular Area

Most of us who teach within the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) curricular areas expect to have teaching assignments that directly align with these disciplines. A teaching assignment in a curricular area outside of STEM is much less common. One focus of this paper is to describe a course that is taught by our physics faculty entitled Changing Views of the Universe. Changing Views is a course that is part of our general education core of courses in a curricular area entitled Traditions that Shape the Western World. Courses taught within this curricular area are typically taught by such departments as anthropology, art history, communication, government, history, and philosophy. Students who enroll in this course are non-science majors who are looking to fulfill their general education requirements towards graduation in this particular content area. Because the course is filled with non-science majors, the often technical course content must be presented in a non-mathematical way. Since the course content includes just about everything from the Big Bang to our present-day understanding of the cosmos, teaching these topics without much mathematics presents many unique challenges. A brief overview of the curriculum developed for the Changing Views course will be provided. Particular attention will be placed on some of the unique ways a writing-based approach has been implemented with the ultimate goal of enhancing of student learning. Emphasis here will be placed on a short paper activity designed to elicit student understanding of key topics addressed in class. In addition, strategies such as rubric development and time-saving grading techniques related to the use of these writing-based approaches will be shared.
The Impact of SNAP on Material Hardships: Evidence from Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility Expansions

This article examines whether expanding Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) eligibility reduces material hardships of low-income households. During the Great Recession, many states expanded the income threshold of eligibility for SNAP. I show that expansions ineligibility increased the SNAP participation rate by 3–5 percentage points. I also find that the expansion leads to a modest decrease in nonfood hardships, such as rent and utility delinquencies. However, the increase in SNAP enrollment does not lead to greater food spending or a reduction in food insecurity except for households with children.
Heat dissipation performance of graphene enhanced electrically conductive adhesive for electronic packaging

Electrically conductive adhesive is a new type of environmentally interconnect material which can be used in electronic packaging to replace the traditional solders due to its advantages of simple applying process and low curing temperature. Silver coated graphene is employed in this work to enhance the thermal conductivity of the current commercial electrically conductive adhesive with very low thermal conductivity. Thermal conductivity of the electrically conductive adhesive was measured by laser flash thermal analyzer. The infrared thermal imager was utilized to obtain the temperature distribution of chip surface. The results indicated that the developed graphene enhanced electrically conductive adhesive has perfect heat performances. It can be believed that this new kind of electrically conductive adhesive possesses promising application in electronic packaging in the future.
A National Survey of Chief Probation/Parole Officers’ Perceived Interest in and Impact of Partnerships with Police

ABSTRACT Formal police–probation/parole partnerships grew in popularity in the 1990s, supported heavily by federal funding until the early 2000s. Using the membership list of the American Probation and Parole Association (APPA), this study represents the first attempt to survey a national sample of community supervision leaders concerning their interest, concerns, and perceived impact of partnerships with law enforcement. Few respondents indicated their agency was not already engaged in partnerships with police. However, the majority were informal, lacking clear interorganizational agreements, documentation, or evaluation outcomes. Results find the support of agency executives and supervisors is the most important variable in creating and maintaining viable and productive partnerships.
PSpice simulations of nonlinear transmission lines based on ferroelectric dielectrics

The search for efficient, compact, high-power conversion of electrical impulses into high power microwave energy is driving a modern rebirth of nonlinear transmission line studies. A nonlinear transmission line utilizes the nonlinear permittivities and permeabilities, εr and µr for dielectrics and magnetics, respectively, to transform a fast-rising pulse front into microwave energy. The amplitude dependent phase velocity of nonlinear materials enables an input pulse of relatively slow rise time to be converted into a pulse exhibiting an extremely fast rise-time through the formation of an electromagnetic shockwave. A majority of research today is conducted on nonlinear magnetic materials, namely ferrites, with an impressive degree of success. By contrast, the University of Missouri - Columbia (UMC) has focused upon nonlinear transmission lines comprised of nonlinear dielectric materials in order to take advantage of some unique materials and techniques recently developed at UMC. Pulsed power generated from the nonlinear transmission lines indicate power levels on the order of 100 MW and response frequencies into the GHz range with simultaneous compression of pulses. A simulation study of nonlinear transmission line behavior under different parametric constraints is reported. The simulations were conducted in PSpice and utilize a custom-developed nonlinear dielectric model based upon laboratory data provided by commercial manufacturers of ferroelectric material. The model implemented in the study is discussed in detail and the compromises made to balance model accuracy with numerical convergence are discussed. A one-dimensional model of a coaxial transmission line filled with a ferroelectric material was implemented and the results are discussed.
Platelet counts in women with normal pregnancies: A systematic review

The occurrence of thrombocytopenia in 5% of pregnant women at delivery, described as gestational thrombocytopenia, is well documented. A commonly believed concept is that gestational thrombocytopenia is the result of gradually decreasing platelet counts in all women during pregnancy. The goal of our study was to evaluate the data supporting this concept. To learn what is known about platelet counts throughout normal pregnancies, we systematically reviewed all publications describing platelet counts during pregnancy. We identified 3,039 studies; 46 reporting ≥30 women with normal pregnancies were included in our analyses. The combined mean platelet counts from all studies supported the concept that platelet counts decrease during pregnancy and increase postpartum: first trimester, 251,000/µL (95% CI, 238,000‐264,000/µL); second trimester, 238,000/µL (95% CI, 222,000‐253,000/µL); third trimester, 224,000/µL (95% CI, 213,000‐235,000/µL); delivery, 237,000/µL (95% CI, 209,000‐264,000/µL); 4‐8 weeks postpartum, 247,000/µL (95% CI, 207,000‐287,000/µL). However, individual studies were inconsistent. Eleven longitudinal studies compared platelet counts on the same women at different times during gestation: seven reported a decrease; four reported no change. Ten cross‐sectional studies compared platelet counts of different women at different times during gestation: five reported a decrease; five reported no change. Five studies compared platelet counts of pregnant to nonpregnant women: three reported that platelet counts were lower in pregnant women; one reported no difference; one reported that platelet counts were higher in pregnant women. These inconsistent data emphasize the need to accurately describe platelet counts throughout normal pregnancies. Accurate data are essential for evaluating the clinical importance of thrombocytopenia during pregnancy.
Lactoferrin binds to porins OmpF and OmpC in Escherichia coli

Lactoferrin (Lf) is an iron-binding antimicrobial protein present in milk and on mucosal surfaces, with a suggested role in preimmune host defense. Certain strains of Escherichia coli (bacterial whole cells) demonstrate specific interaction with 125I-labeled Lf. A band with a mass of approximately 37 kDa, which was reactive with horseradish peroxidase-labeled Lf, was identified in the boiled cell envelope and outer membrane preparations of an Lf-binding E. coli strain, E34663, and a non-Lf-binding strain, HH45, by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and Western blotting (immunoblotting). Such a band was not detected in the unboiled native cell envelope and outer membrane preparations. The molecular mass and the property of heat modifiability suggested that the Lf-binding proteins were porins. The native trimeric form of porin OmpF isolated from strain B6 and its dissociated monomeric form both reacted with horseradish peroxidase-labeled Lf and with monoclonal antibodies specific for OmpF. Furthermore, by using E. coli constructs with defined porin phenotypes, OmpF and OmpC were identified as the Lf-binding proteins by urea-SDS-PAGE and Western blotting and by 125I-Lf binding studies with intact bacteria. These data establish that Lf binds to porins, a class of well-conserved molecules common in E. coli and many other gram-negative bacteria. However, in certain strains of E. coli these pore-forming proteins are shielded from Lf interaction.
Empirical Dynamic Material Flow Model for Tungsten in the USA

Multivariate polynomial regression (MPR) analysis was implemented to develop a nonlinear dynamic material flow model (DMFM) of tungsten in the United States for the years 1975–2000 without assumptions for lifetime distributions within reservoirs. Two external economic factors, the Consumer Price Index and the Industrial Production Index, were included as possible exogenous variables. Six types of vector time‐series models were developed using multilinear, simple interaction, and MPR models, each with and without the exogenous economic variables. The DMFMs developed in this work make one‐step‐ahead predictions. That is, the material flows in a given year were predicted using flows and exogenous variables from previous years. In contrast to approaches that utilize assumed lifetime distributions for material within reservoirs, such as the Weibull distribution, the approach used here is completely data driven. MPR models produced statistically better results than linear models for all 13 flows that were modeled. Four of these models used simple interaction terms (which we call linear interaction terms), and two of these incorporated exogenous variables. The other nine models utilized higher‐degree terms with interactions (called multivariate polynomial terms), and two of these incorporated exogenous variables. We conclude that nonlinear vector time series are capable of identifying complex relationships among material flows and exogenous variables. An understanding of these relationships has potential for managing, conserving, and/or forecasting the use of a resource.
Lineage and Host Source Are Both Correlated with Levels of Shiga Toxin 2 Production by Escherichia coli O157:H7 Strains

ABSTRACT Escherichia coli O157:H7 strains fall into three major genetic lineages that differ in their distribution among humans and cattle. Several recent studies have reported differences in the expression of virulence factors between E. coli O157:H7 strains from these two host species. In this study, we wished to determine if important virulence-associated “mobile genetic elements” such as Shiga toxin 2 (Stx2)-encoding prophage are lineage restricted or are host source related and acquired independently of the pathogen genotype. DNA sequencing of the stx2 flanking region from a lineage II (LII) strain, EC970520, revealed that the transcriptional activator gene Q in LI strain EDL933 (upstream of stx2) is replaced by a pphA (serine/threonine phosphatase) homologue and an altered Q gene in this and all other LII strains tested. In addition, nearly all LI strains carried stx2, whereas all LII strains carried variant stx2c and 4 of 14 LI/II strains had copies of both stx2 and variant stx2c. Real-time PCR (RT-PCR) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) demonstrated that LI and LI/II strains produce significantly more stx2 mRNA and Stx2 than LII strains. However, among LI strains significantly more Stx2 is also produced by strains from humans than from cattle. Therefore, lineage-associated differences among E. coli O157:H7 strains such as prophage content, toxin type, and toxin expression may contribute to host isolation bias. However, the level of Stx2 production alone may also play an important role in the within-lineage association of E. coli O157:H7 strains with human clinical disease.