Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Elite female tae kwon do athletes have faster reaction time and longer movement time than males during a striking kick

Background & Study Aim: An important aspect of ap bal ap dolio tchagui kick in tae kwon do is that it is usually performed in reaction to a signal or event. That is, given a specific stimulus (i.e. the movement of the opponent), the tae kwon do athlete must react as quickly and accurately as possible to the stimulus. Reacting to a stimulus requires preparation and it is essential to determine this preparation of an elite athlete to perform a task. Therefore, to investigate this movement a reaction time paradigm is appropriate wherein the athlete accomplishes the kick in response to a stimulus. The study investigates the processing, reaction and motor response of male and female athletes in an ecological task. The purpose of this study was to verify the authenticity of the two hypotheses: (1) that the pre-motor time, response time and motor time would be the same for males and females; (2) that the magnitudes of the muscle activation would be different between males and females. Materials & Method: The main method is an analysis and comparative study of empirical data. We collected data on 13 Brazilian national calibre tae kwon do athletes (6 male and 7 female) when performing a simple reaction time kicking manoeuvre. The experimental equipment included EMG electrodes placed on six muscles and an electrogoniometer placed on the knee of the kicking limb. Results: We found that pre-motor and response times were faster for females than males for several muscles but the faster movement time for males was sufficient to equate the total time between males and females. These results suggest that quantification of biomechanical parameters from skilled athletes allows coaches to understand the movement which will ultimately improve the technique to establish training goals. Conclusions: It is suggested that the knee extensors muscles are mainly responsible for a kicking movement. Our data showed that trunk stabilizers were activated prior to the main knee extensors muscles. In tae kwon do, athletes have to be very precise and fast in order to surprise their opponent, avoiding defence and counterattack. Monitoring pre-motor muscle activation during training sessions, potentially gives support for specific training and/or aiming movement optimization.
Zootaxa, Mantidactylus (Anura: Mantellidae: Mantellinae)

We revise two stream frogs, Mantidactylus microtis and M. microtympanum, providing data on its known distribution and life history traits, based upon observations in nature. For M. microtis we show for the first time photographs of the live individuals, while for M. microtympanum we also describe its putative tadpoles. The transfer of microtis from Boophis to Mantidactylus is formally justified by morphological and ecological traits, e.g., the lack of nuptial pads , the torrenticolous life style and the low number of eggs. Mantidactylus microtis shares some characters with M. microtympanum: distribution (both live in south-eastern Madagascar), natural history (both are stream frogs), morphology (wide digital expansions, lack of femoral glands, presence of a mostly unforked omosternum, cryptic dorsal colouration, small tympanum, and presence of a derived cloacal structure). Mantidactylus microtympanum differs from the species of the subgenus Mantidactylus (M. grandidieri and M. guttulatus), to which it was so far ascribed, for the lack (vs. presence) of femoral glands, and presence of expanded (vs. moderately expanded) fingertips. Whether M. microtis and M. microtympanum are phylogenetically related, or their overall similarity is due to convergence, is discussed.
Artificial Neural Network and Its Application in Image Processing

Networks are the best way to provide solution to highly complex problems. Artificial Neural Network (ANN) is the filed of artificial intelligence which while using the concept of network provide almost humanly attainable efficient solution to such problems in minimal amount of time. The types and applicability of Artificial Neural Networks are spread over a large domain to name some of the types; we have feed forward ANNs, self – organizing map and Hopfield ANNs. Similarly the applicability of ANNs covers engineering purposes, such as image processing, pattern recognition, forecasting, optical character recognition and data compression. Image processing is the field of research concerned with the development of computer algorithms working on digitized images. The range of problems studied in image processing is large, encompassing everything from low-level signal enhancement to high-level image understanding. In general, image processing problems are solved by a chain of tasks. Although nonlinearity is still considered a major problem in image processing but training the ANNs using prior knowledge the same can be eliminated to a greater extent. Through this paper we have tried to analyze the same.
Defining a call activity

The objective of this paper is to explain CALL (Computer-Assisted Language Learning) through Activity Theory (AT). First, a summary of AT is presented, based on the ideas of Leontiev and Engstrom. It is shown how the subject appropriates the object through the mediation of a tool and the relationship with the other members of the community in which he or she is inserted. The basic principles which guide AT are also described, emphasizing its hierarchical levels. Secondly, an attempt is made to demonstrate how AT can be applied to a CALL activity. The conclusion is that AT, considering that it includes both synchronic and diachronic aspects of the problem under investigation, has the capability of integrating the different perspectives and explain many of the conflicts of an essentially interdisciplinary and theoretically fragmented area, as is the case of CALL.
The Market for Motion Pictures in Thailand: Rank, Revenue, and Survival at the Box Office

We examine the theatrical market for motion pictures in Thailand using a sample of films exhibited in 2004iV2008. Using data on weekly and cumulative film revenues, we find strong evidence of increasing returns to information as indicated by substantial concave departures from the Pareto size distribution. The distribution of cumulative revenues across films is consistent with the winner-take-all nature of an elimination tournament. In contrast to other markets dominated by Hollywood imports, several of the top-earning films in Thailand are domestically produced.
Mapping Philanthropic Foundations’ Characteristics: Towards an International Integrative Framework of Foundation Types

As philanthropic foundations take on increasingly prominent sociopolitical roles, the need for stronger conceptualizations of foundations as an organizational form is articulated widely across academic, policy, and practice contexts. Building on institutional research’s tradition of categorizing, classifying and typologizing organizational forms, our article critically explores the different ways in which foundations have been cast and differentiated in international academic and practice literatures. Examining and integrating these, we propose an integrative framework of foundation types. Incorporating 13 categories—three contextual, five organizational, and five strategic ones—the framework allows for clarifying distinctions and identifying commonalities between different foundation forms, offering a basis for developing more reflective and differentiated research and practice knowledge.
Ignoring the Non-ignorables? Missingness and Missing Positions

Missing or incomplete data on actors’ positions can cause significant problems in political analysis. Research on missing values suggests the use of multiple imputation methods rather than case deletion, but few studies have yet considered the non-ignorable problem – positions that are hidden for strategic purposes. We examine this problem and discuss the advantages and drawbacks of (i) multiple imputation as implemented in AMELIA; (ii) a computationally easy but, in the context of spatial modelling, straightforward measure of indifference and (iii) a conditional averaging algorithm, LDM, which seeks to reasonably fix actors’ positions in the policy space preand post-imputation. The analysis suggests that actors biased by the status quo strategically hide their more supportive positions. Although none of the existing methods – which produce quite different results – is perfectly suited for imputing hidden positions, LDM has the highest hit rate for the conjectured more supportive position. 2 6 9 European Union Politics DOI: 10.1177/1465116505054833 Volume 6 (3): 269–290
Topology optimisation using level set methods and the discontinuous Galerkin method.

This paper presents a topology optimisation approach that combines an adjoint-based sensitivity analysis [1] with level set methods (LSM) [2] for front propagation, and the discontinuous Galerkin (DG) symmetric interior penalty (SIP) method [3]. The problems considered in this paper will be limited to the minimum compliance design of two-dimensional linear elastic structures.
Comparison between GcIUH-Clark, GIUH-Nash, Clark-IUH, and Nash-IUH models

The estimation of flood hydrographs has a high level of importance in ungauged watersheds. Methods currently being widely used for the estimation of flood hydrographs utilize historical rainfallrunoff data. For ungauged watersheds, the unit hydrograph may be derived using the geomorphologic instantaneous unit hydrograph (GIUH) and geomorphoclimatic instantaneous unit hydrograph (GcIUH) approaches. This research is aimed at comparing the accuracy of GcIUH-based Clark (GcIUH-Clark) and GIUH-based Nash (GIUH-Nash) models. For this purpose, the Clark-IUH model option of the HEC-HMS package and the Nash-IUH model were employed with and without the use of historical rainfall-runoff data, respectively, to determine shape, peak discharge, and time to peak of direct surface run-off (DSRO) hydrographs. The case study in this study was the Kasilian watershed, located in Mazandaran Province of Iran, with an area of 67.5 km. The results obtained from these models were compared with observed DSRO hydrographs based on 3 performance criteria, namely EFF, PEP, and PETP. The results clearly revealed the accuracy and applicability of these 2 models (the GcIUH-Clark model and the GIUH-Nash model) for derivation of DSRO hydrographs.
The attenuation of concentrations model: a new method for assessing mercury mobility in sediments

In this work we propose a new approach for the determination of the mobility of mercury in sediments based on spatial distribution of concentrations. We chose the Tainheiros Cove, located in the Todos os Santos Bay, Brazil, as the study area, for it has a history of mercury contamination due to a chloro-alkali plant that was active during 12 years. Twenty-six surface sediment samples were collected from the area and mercury concentrations were measured by cold vapour atomic absorption spectrophotometry. A contour map was constructed from the results, indicating that mercury accumulated in a "hot spot" where concentrations reach more than 1 µg g-1. The model is able to estimate mobility of mercury in the sediments based on the distances between iso-concentration contours that determines an attenuation of concentrations factor. Values of attenuation ranged between 0.0729 (East of the hot spot, indicating higher mobility) to 0.7727 (North of the hot spot, indicating lower mobility).
Demographic Data Visualization on Continuous Area Cartograms

Cartogram is a map depicting attributes of spatial data by distorting two dimensional original maps while preserving their topology. In this paper, a novel cartogram thematic map is adopted to express population growth. The best fitting model is proposed to predict the population of randomly selected modern cities in a provincial area of P R China. The result is visualized with cartograms to produce useful findings for scheming a population planning. It is expected that this method will be an essence for the study of population prediction models.
A combined radiative transfer model for sea ice, open ocean, and atmosphere

A radiative transfer model to compute brightness temperatures in the microwave frequency range for polar regions including sea ice, open ocean, and atmosphere has been developed and applied to sensitivity studies and retrieval algorithm development. The radiative transfer within sea ice is incorporated according to the “many layer strong fluctuation theory” of Stogryn [1986, 1987] and T. Grenfell [Winebrenner et al., 1992]. The reflectivity of the open water is computed with the three‐scale model of Schrader [1995]. Both surface models supply the bistatic scattering coefficients, which define the lower boundary for the atmospheric model. The atmospheric model computes the gaseous absorption by the Liebe et al. [1993] model. Scattering by hydrometeors is determined by Mie or Rayleigh theory. Simulated brightness temperatures have been compared with special sensor microwave imager (SSM/I) observations. The comparison exhibits shortcomings of the ice model for 37 GHz. Applying a simple ad hoc correction at this frequency gives consistent comparison results within the range of observational accuracy. The simulated brightness temperatures show the strong influence of clouds and variations of wind speed over the open ocean, which will affect the sea ice retrieval even for an ice‐covered ocean. Simulated brightness temperatures have been used to train a neural network algorithm for the total sea ice concentration, which accounts for these effects. Sea ice concentrations sensed from the SSM/I data using the network and the NASA sea ice algorithm show systematic differences in dependence on cloudiness.
Perception range prediction for IR pilot sight

The increasing use of IR pilot sight in helicopters calls for a reliable prediction of perception ranges for a variety of objects, especially those needed for orientation and those posing as a potential hazard, like power poles, masts, isolated trees etc. Since the visibility of objects in the IR depends mainly on the temperature differences between those objects and a given background and only marginally on illumination, range prediction techniques used for the visual range or light-amplified vision are only of very limited use. While range predictions based on the Johnson criterion do offer some insight into expected ranges, the inherently nominal nature of distance estimates thus obtained hampers their use for an actual field-deployable pre-flight consulting procedure. In order to overcome those limitations, long-term simultaneous measurements of relevant objects and background temperatures and weather data were carried out and used for temperature prediction from prevalent weather conditions. Together with a perception model derived from extensive observer experiments based on synthetic images of the UH Tiger Pilot Sight Unit we developed a perception range prediction package which is currently evaluated by the weather service of the Bundeswehr. We will present results from the observer experiments together with the derived perception models. These are then compared to actual perception ranges as obtained from flight experiments.
Physical, chemical and sensory factors of Mexican and New Zealand sheep meat commercialized in Central of Mexico

The object of this study was to determine the physicochemical and sensory quality of national and imported from New Zealand mutton sold in the highest mutton-selling region in Mexico (Capulhuac, Estado de Mexico). Samples were obtained from 6 wholesale points. In each outlet a piece of longissimus dorsi muscle was bought. The factors evaluated were moisture, protein, fat, objective color (L*, a* y b*) subjective color and shear force. There were differences (P < 0.05) in variables L*, a*, b*, moisture and protein between national and imported meat. There were also differences in the percentage of protein (national 21.27%; imported 20.27%) of fat (national 2.07%; imported 3.37%), and in shear force (national 3.73 kg; imported 2.09 kg). The sensory evaluation was done by 49 consumer judges. Results showed that consumers prefer imported meat over national meat. Key words: Quality, ovine, lamb, mutton, meat quality, meat imported, sensory evaluation.
Education and social capital: empirical evidence from microeconomic analyses

Social capital is considered an important asset for individuals, groups, communities and society because it is related to individual health and socio-economic status, and it affects the crime rate, social cohesion, and social welfare. The purpose of this dissertation is to provide a detail description of the formation of individual social capital and the role of education, with an emphasis on education endogeneity and gender differences. Meta-analysis is performed to evaluate the possible sources of the variations in the effect of education on social capital in the relevant literature. The one-factor model and the single treatment model are applied to the data of the National Child Development study in order to quantify the exact impact of education. The empirical findings in this dissertation reveal that schooling variance is a key source of variation in individual social capital outcomes, directly or indirectly. Education posts much higher returns for men than for women on both dimensions of individual social capital: social trust and social participation. The education effect is even negative for women in the study of membership of voluntary groups, whilst there is a strongly positive estimate for men in the studies of social trust and voluntary participation. The study shows that increased pressure from the workplace decreases satisfaction with the job, lowers perception of personal happiness, and diverts available time or energy away from voluntary participation.
ACTS OF AGENCY IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING EXPERIENCE

Successful language learners exercise their agency as they experience learning or acquiring the target language. Their agency acts as the push from within themselves; influenced by the need of an end to be fulfilled and the action taken is within the permitted perimeter of the environment. This is evident in the current study on nine international students whose insights were captured through document analysis of their online postings and interviews. Findings revealed that these international students exercised their agency by making relentless efforts in employing language learning strategies despite the challenges they faced to become better learners of the English language. Further findings illustrating agency were investment and imagined community. Although both investment and imagined community concur with existing literature, the findings from this study further highlight ‘experience’ as an impetus for investment in English language learning.
An Important Question That Needs to Be Proved: Is There Any Relationship between the Epicardial Fat Thickness and the Coronary Artery Complexity in Patients with Acute Non-ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction?

Objective: In this study, we aimed to investigate the association of epicardial fat thickness (EFT) and coronary artery lesion complexity with patients having acute non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). Materials and Methods: The patients (n=328) were divided into low syntax score (SS) group (SS≤17; Low-SSG), intermediate SS group (SS=18-28; In-SSG), and high SS group (SS≥29; High-SSG) based on the SS value. EFT, SS, distributions of the critical coronary artery lesions, and the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) were determined for all the groups. EFT was measured by transthoracic echocardiography and was recorded on a digital storage device. Results: High-SSG had a significantly higher mean of EFT (6.65±0.82 mm) when compared to Low-SSG (5.12±1.13 mm) and In-SSG (5.79±0.83 mm) (p<0.001). EFT showed a significant positive correlation with SS (r=0.607, p<0.001). Further, a significant positive correlation was revealed with the distributions of critical coronary artery lesions of the left anterior descending (LAD), circumflex artery (Cx), and right coronary artery (RCA) (r=0.260, p<0.001; r=0.213, p=0.001; and r=0.275, p<0.001, respectively). However, no correlation was demonstrated between EFT and NLR (r=0.081, p=0.145) in patients with NSTEMI. Conclusion: These results showed that EFT is significantly associated with coronary artery lesion complexity in patients with NSTEMI and can work as a risk marker in these patients.
Synchronization of Chaotic Neural Networks with Leakage Delay and Mixed Time-Varying Delays via Sampled-Data Control

This paper investigates the synchronization problem for neural networks with leakage delay and both discrete and distributed time-varying delays under sampled-data control. By employing the Lyapunov functional method and using the matrix inequality techniques, a delay-dependent LMIs criterion is given to ensure that the master systems and the slave systems are synchronous. An example with simulations is given to show the effectiveness of the proposed criterion.
Strategies for rendering multilingualism in subtitling for the deaf and hard of hearing

In this paper we present a set of strategies for rendering the presence of multiple languages in multilingual films in subtitling for the deaf and hard of hearing (SDH): vehicular matching, explicit attribution, colour-coding and linguistic homogenisation. We also report on an online study among deaf and hard of hearing Polish participants regarding their preferences for specific SDH strategies. The findings show that, even when they do not know the foreign language involved, most participants prefer more informative strategies where indications of multilingualism are made explicit.
Fine‐resolution (25 m) topoclimatic grids of near‐surface (5 cm) extreme temperatures and humidities across various habitats in a large (200 × 300 km) and diverse region

The development of fine‐resolution climate grids is an important priority in explaining species' distributions at the regional scale and predicting how species may respond to variable and changing climates. Recent studies have demonstrated advantages of producing these grids using large networks of inexpensive climate loggers, as the resulting grids can capture local climatic variations over a range of environments. In this study we extend these methods to develop innovative fine‐resolution (25 m) climate grids for a large region (∼200 × 300 km) of New South Wales, Australia. The key aspects of these grids is that they: (1) are based on near‐surface (5 cm) observations to better reflect where many species live; (2) cover a wide variety of habitats including forests, woodlands and grasslands so that they are broadly applicable; (3) include both temperature and humidity, the latter of which has often been neglected in similar studies; (4) are developed using a variety of climate‐forcing factors rather than relying only on elevation and geographic location; and (5) they focus on the extreme temperatures and humidities regardless of when these occur. Analyses showed that elevation was the dominant factor explaining mild temperatures (low maximums, high minimums), but cold air drainage, distance from coast, canopy cover and topographic exposure had more effect on the extreme maximum and minimum temperatures. Humidities were predominately determined by distance to coast, elevation, canopy cover and topography; however, the relationships were nonlinear and varied in both shape and effect size between dry and moist extremes. Extreme climates occur under specific weather conditions, and our results highlight how averaging climates over seasons or periods of consecutive days will include different weather patterns and obscure important trends. Regional‐scale climate grids can potentially be further improved through a better understanding of how the effects of different climate‐forcing factors vary under different weather conditions. Copyright © 2011 Royal Meteorological Society