Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Reliability of a Novel Badminton Intermittent Exercise Protocol

ABSTRACT Purpose: Badminton is a sport characterized by high-intensity activity interspersed with short rests requiring specific physiological fitness, skills and game tactics. This study aimed to develop, describe and establish the reliability of a novel badminton intermittent exercise protocol, to simulate singles match-play (Part A) and assess match-fitness (Part B). Method: Twelve well-trained male badminton players performed a two-part protocol, mimicking the demands and activity of match-play, on two occasions with at least 72-h recovery. Part A imitated match-play and consisted of 40 stages alternating between 20 s work – receiving shuttlecocks from a launcher and ghosting (simulated) actions – and 40 s rest. Part B was an open-ended period, challenging match-fitness, designed to exhaust participants within 10 min. Physiological responses (heart rate, blood lactate and ratings of perceived exertion) (Part A and B) and time to exhaustion (Part B) were determined both times. Results: There were no differences in performance and physiological responses between trials (p > .05). The protocol demonstrated excellent reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient > 0.89) for all variables. Time to exhaustion (Part B) was 198 ± 98 s and 194 ± 82 s, respectively. Mean (Part A) and peak (Part B) heart rates were 166 ± 9; 191 ± 8 b∙min−1 and 166 ± 9; 191 ± 7 b∙min−1 and blood lactate concentrations (Part B) 11.8 ± 2.3 and 11.5 ± 2.1 mmol∙l−1 for trials 1 and 2, respectively. Conclusion: The protocol reliably induces match-like responses and can be used to assess match-fitness for training/research purposes.
Using Simulations for Exploring Interventions in Social Networks - Modeling Physical Activity Behaviour in Dutch School Classes

The reduction of childhood obesity through the promotion of a healthy lifestyle is one of the most important public health challenges at the moment. It is known that the unhealthy habits of children can cause unavoidable side effects in their early stage of life, including both physical and mental consequences. This work considers that the physical activity level of children is a behaviour that can be spread throughout the social relations of children in their daily life at school. Therefore, the aim of this work is to define what the best strategy is to find 'targets' (i.e., influential children that can initiate behavioural change) for physical activity (PA) interventions that would affect the average PA of a population of Dutch school classes. We tuned a model based on the influence of the children’s peers in their social network, based on the data set from the MyMovez project - Phase I. Five intervention strategies were implemented, and their efficacy was compared. Once the targets were chosen, an increase of 17% was applied to their initial PA. Then, the diffusion model was run to verify the improvement on the PA of the whole network after one year. We discuss implications of the simulation results on which strategies may be used to make informed choices about the setup of social network interventions and future model improvements. Our results show that targeting more vulnerable children (i.e. in a worse environment) and applying a network optimization algorithm are the best solutions for this data set indicating that future interventions should aim for these two strategies.
Multiparametric MRI and co-registered histology identify tumor habitats in breast cancer mouse models.

It is well-recognized that solid tumors are genomically, anatomically, and physiologically heterogeneous. In general, more heterogeneous tumors have poorer outcomes, likely due to the increased probability of harboring therapy-resistant cells and regions. It is hypothesized that the genomic and physiologic heterogeneity are related, because physiologically distinct regions will exert variable selection pressures leading to the outgrowth of clones with variable genomic/proteomic profiles. To investigate this, methods must be in place to interrogate and define, at the microscopic scale, the cytotypes that exist within physiologically distinct sub-regions ("habitats") that are present at mesoscopic scales. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) provides a non-invasive approach to interrogate physiologically distinct local environments, due to the biophysical principles that govern MRI signal generation. Here, we interrogate different physiological parameters, such as perfusion, cell density, and edema, using multiparametric MRI (mpMRI). Signals from six different acquisition schema were combined voxel-by-voxel into four clusters identified using a Gaussian Mixture Model. These were compared to histological and immunohistochemical characterizations of sections that were co-registered using MRI-guided 3D printed tumor molds. Specifically, we identified a specific set of MRI parameters to classify viable-normoxic, viable-hypoxic, non-viable-hypoxic, and non-viable normoxic tissue types within orthotopic 4T1 and MDA-MB-231 breast tumors. This is the first co-registered study to show that mpMRI can be used to define physiologically distinct tumor habitats within breast tumor models.
On the isometric immersions in Euclidean space of manifolds with nonnegative sectional curvatures. II

THEOREM 1.1. Assume that (i) Md is a d-dimensional (d_ 2), complete Riemann manifold of class Ck, k> 2, with nonnegative sectional curvatures; (ii)f: Md -> Ed +e is a Ck isometric immersion of Md into a Euclidean space Ed + e, e >0; and (iii) the relative nullity v(p) of the immersion f at the point p C Md satisfies v(p) > Ofor all p. Let m=min v(p) for p C Md. Then f(Md) is Ckl nm-cylindrical; that is, there exists a complete Riemann manifold Md-m of class Ck-l such that Md, Ed+e, f have factorizations Md=Emx Md-m Ed+ e=EmxEd+ em, f=ixg, where i: Em ->Em is the identity map and g: Md-m Ed+ ermis a Ck-1 isometric immersion. Also, f(Md) is not (m + 1)-cylindrical.
Metabolic influence on macrophage polarization and pathogenesis

Macrophages play an essential role not only in mediating the first line of defense but also in maintaining tissue homeostasis. In response to extrinsic factors derived from a given tissue, macrophages activate different functional programs to produce polarized macrophage populations responsible for inducing inflammation against microbes, removing cellular debris, and tissue repair. However, accumulating evidence has revealed that macrophage polarization is pivotal in the pathophysiology of metabolic syndromes and cancer, as well as in infectious and autoimmune diseases. Recent advances in transcriptomic and metabolomic studies have highlighted the link between metabolic rewiring of macrophages and their functional plasticity. These findings imply that metabolic adaption to their surrounding microenvironment instructs activation of macrophages with functionally distinct phenotypes, which in turn probably leads to the pathogenesis of a wide spectrum of diseases. In this review, we have introduced emerging concepts in immunometabolism with focus on the impact on functional activation of macrophages. Furthermore, we have discussed the implication of macrophage plasticity on the pathogenesis of metabolic syndromes and cancer, and how the disease microenvironment manipulates macrophage metabolism with regard to the pathophysiology.
Mechanically Robust Gastroretentive Drug-Delivery Systems Capable of Controlling Dissolution Behaviors of Coground β-Lapachone

In this study, we aimed to design a highly swellable and mechanically robust matrix tablet (SMT) as a gastroretentive drug-delivery system (GRDDS) capable of improving the dissolution behavior of β-lapachone with low aqueous solubility. For the preparation of SMTs, the cogrinding technique and freeze–thaw method were used to disperse β-lapachone in SMTs in an amorphous state and to enhance the swelling and mechanical properties of SMTs, respectively. As a result, the crystallinity of coground β-lapachone incorporated in the SMTs was found to be considerably decreased; thereby, the dissolution rates of the drug in a simulated gastric fluid could be substantially increased. The SMTs of β-lapachone also demonstrated significantly enhanced swelling and mechanical properties compared to those of a marketed product. The reason for this might be because the physically crosslinked polymeric networks with a porous structure that were formed in SMTs through the freeze–thaw method. In addition, β-lapachone was gradually released from the SMTs in 6 h. Therefore, SMTs of β-lapachone developed in this study could be used as GRDDS with appropriate swelling and mechanical properties for improving the dissolution behavior of hydrophobic drugs such as β-lapachone.
Encapsulating the Impact of Transfer Learning, Domain Knowledge and Training Strategies in Deep-Learning Based Architecture: A Biometric Based Case Study

In this paper, efforts have been made to analyze the impact of training strategies, transfer learning and domain knowledge on two biometric-based problems namely: three class oculus classification and fingerprint sensor classification. For analyzing these problems we have considered deep-learning based architecture and evaluated our results on benchmark contact-lens datasets like IIIT-D, ND, IIT-K (our model is publicly available) and on fingerprint datasets like FVC-2002, FVC-2004, FVC-2006, IIITD-MOLF, IITK. In-depth feature analysis of various proposed deep-learning models has been done in order to infer that indeed training in different ways along with transfer learning and domain knowledge plays a vital role in deciding the learning ability of any network.
Predicting Brain Activation with WordNet Embeddings

The task of taking a semantic representation of a noun and predicting the brain activity triggered by it in terms of fMRI spatial patterns was pioneered by Mitchell et al. 2008. That seminal work used word co-occurrence features to represent the meaning of the nouns. Even though the task does not impose any specific type of semantic representation, the vast majority of subsequent approaches resort to feature-based models or to semantic spaces (aka word embeddings). We address this task, with competitive results, by using instead a semantic network to encode lexical semantics, thus providing further evidence for the cognitive plausibility of this approach to model lexical meaning.
Studies on Woloszynskioid Dinoflagellates X: Ultrastructure, Phylogeny and Colour Variation in Tovellia rubescens n. sp. (Dinophyceae)

The external morphology and internal cell fine structure of a new species of Tovelliaceae, Tovellia rubescens n. sp. , is described. Phylogenetic analyses based on partial LSU rDNA sequences place the new species in a clade containing Tovellia species that accumulate red pigments and identify T. aveirensis as its closest known relative. Cells of T. rubescens n. sp. were mostly round and had the cingulum located near the middle, with its ends displaced about one cingular width. Small numbers of distinctly flat cells appeared in culture batches; their significance could not be determined. Cells of the new species in culture batches progressively changed from a yellowish‐green, mainly due to chloroplast colour, to a reddish‐brown colour that appeared associated with lipid bodies. The switch to a reddish colour happened earlier in batches grown in medium lacking sources of N or P. Pigment analyses by HPLC‐MS/MS revealed the presence of astaxanthin and astaxanthin‐related metabolites in the new species, but also in T. aveirensis, in which a reddish colour was never observed. The chloroplast arrangement of T. rubescens n. sp. resembled that of T. aveirensis, with lobes radiating from a central pyrenoid complex. The flagellar apparatus and pusular system fell within the general features described from other Tovelliaceae. A row of microtubules interpretable as a microtubular strand of the peduncle was present. Spiny resting cysts with red contents and an ITS sequence identical to that of cultured material of the new species were found in the original locality.
Exploration of Genetic Variations through Single‐cell Whole‐genome Sequencing in the Model Ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila

Ciliates are unicellular eukaryotes with separate germline and somatic genomes and diverse life cycles, which make them a unique model to improve our understanding of population genetics through the detection of genetic variations. However, traditional sequencing methods cannot be directly applied to ciliates because the majority are uncultivated. Single‐cell whole‐genome sequencing (WGS) is a powerful tool for studying genetic variation in microbes, but no studies have been performed in ciliates. We compared the use of single‐cell WGS and bulk DNA WGS to detect genetic variation, specifically single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), in the model ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila. Our analyses showed that (i) single‐cell WGS has excellent performance regarding mapping rate and genome coverage but lower sequencing uniformity compared with bulk DNA WGS due to amplification bias (which was reproducible); (ii) false‐positive SNP sites detected by single‐cell WGS tend to occur in genomic regions with particularly high sequencing depth and high rate of C:G to T:A base changes; (iii) SNPs detected in three or more cells should be reliable (an detection efficiency of 83.4–97.4% was obtained for combined data from three cells). This analytical method could be adapted to measure genetic variation in other ciliates and broaden research into ciliate population genetics.
Softplus Regressions and Convex Polytopes

To construct flexible nonlinear predictive distributions, the paper introduces a family of softplus function based regression models that convolve, stack, or combine both operations by convolving countably infinite stacked gamma distributions, whose scales depend on the covariates. Generalizing logistic regression that uses a single hyperplane to partition the covariate space into two halves, softplus regressions employ multiple hyperplanes to construct a confined space, related to a single convex polytope defined by the intersection of multiple half-spaces or a union of multiple convex polytopes, to separate one class from the other. The gamma process is introduced to support the convolution of countably infinite (stacked) covariate-dependent gamma distributions. For Bayesian inference, Gibbs sampling derived via novel data augmentation and marginalization techniques is used to deconvolve and/or demix the highly complex nonlinear predictive distribution. Example results demonstrate that softplus regressions provide flexible nonlinear decision boundaries, achieving classification accuracies comparable to that of kernel support vector machine while requiring significant less computation for out-of-sample prediction.
Reoxygenation and Repopulation of Tumor Cells after Ablative Hypofractionated Radiotherapy (SBRT and SRS) in Murine Tumors

In this work, we investigated the change in tumor microenvironment caused by semi-ablative high-dose irradiation and its implication on tumor cell survival, reoxygenation of hypoxic cells and repopulation in FSaII tumors grown subcutaneously in the hind legs of C3H mice. Tumors were exposed to 10–30 Gy of X-ray radiation in a single exposure, and the vascularity and blood perfusion were assessed based on the levels of CD31 expression and Hoechst 33342 perfusion, respectively. The tumor hypoxia was assessed by staining for pimonidazole adduct formation and the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) and carbonic anhydrase 9 (CA9). Tumor cell survival was determined using in vivo-in vitro excision assay method. The proportion of hypoxic cells in the tumor was determined from the surviving cell fraction in tumors exposed to a test dose under aerobic and hypoxic conditions. Radiation expsoure markedly reduced the functional vascularity and blood perfusion, and profoundly increased the expression of HIF-1α and CA9 pointing to an increase in tumor hypoxia. The overall clonogenic cell survival progressively decreased during 2–5 days postirradiation, most likely due to the radiation-induced vascular dysfunction. In turn, the proportion of surviving hypoxic cells decreased over several days postirradiation, presumably due to reoxygenation of hypoxic cells. The oxygen supplied through small fractions of blood vessels that survived the high-dose exposure, together with a reduction of oxygen consumption due to massive cell death, appeared to be the cause of the reoxygenation of hypoxic cells. The surviving tumor cells then subsequently repopulated. The findings from this study using a murine tumor model suggest that the efficacy of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) and stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) may be significantly improved by allowing an inter-fraction time for reoxygenation while avoiding repopulation.
Antcin-A Modulates Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition and Inhibits Migratory and Invasive Potentials of Human Breast Cancer Cells via p53-Mediated miR-200c Activation

Abstract Antcin-A (ATA) is a steroid-like phytochemical isolated from the fruiting bodies of a precious edible mushroom Antrodia cinnamomea. We previously showed that ATA has strong anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor effects; however, other possible bioactivities of this unique compound remain unexplored. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the modulation of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), anti-migration, and anti-invasive potential of ATA against human breast cancer cells in vitro. Human breast cancer cell lines, MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231, were incubated with ATA for 24 h. Wound healing, trans-well invasion, western blot, q-PCR, F-actin staining, and immunofluorescence assays were performed. We found that treatment with ATA significantly blocked EMT processes, as evidenced by upregulation of epithelial markers (E-cadherin and occludin) and downregulation of mesenchymal markers (N-cadherin and vimentin) via suppression of their transcriptional repressor ZEB1. Next, we found that ATA could induce miR-200c, which is a known player of ZEB1 repression. Further investigations revealed that ATA-mediated induction of miR-200c is associated with transcriptional activation of p53, as confirmed by the fact that ATA failed to induce miR-200c or suppress ZEB1 activity in p53 inhibited cells. Further in vitro wound healing and trans-well invasion assays support that ATA could inhibit migratory and invasive potentials of breast cancer cells, and the effect was likely associated with induced phenotypic modulation. Taken together, the present study suggests that antcin-A could be a lead phyto-agent for the development of anti-metastatic drug for breast cancer treatment.
Production of Pyrethrins in Tissue Cultures of Pyrethrum ( Chrysanthemum cinerariaefolium (

This study was carried out in an attempt to increase the production of pyrethrins in tissue cultures of pyrethrum (Chrysanthemum cinerariaefolium) on Murashige and Skoog's (MS) medium supplemented with different concentrations of plant growth regulators. Benzyl adenine (BA) and 2,4dichlorophenoxy acetic acid (2,4-D) were tested for their potential in callus induction. Callus was induced on leaf explants using MS medium supplemented with 1 mg/l BA and 5 mg/l 2,4-D and on petal explants using 1 mg/l BA and 10 mg/l 2,4-D. those combinations were used for callus initiation and maintenance. Extracts of plant leaves, petals and callus tissues were prepared and investigated for pyrethrin content. Extracts contained flavonoids, terpenes, tannins, resins, essential oils and steroids. HPLC analysis was performed for detection of pyrethrins in the extracts. Results showed that pyrethrin concentration in callus culture extracts was higher than that of intact plant extracts. The concentration of pyrethrin significantly increased on a medium supplemented with 5 mg/l BA and 10 mg/l 2,4-D for leaf explants and 5 mg/l BA and 5 mg/l 2,4-D for petal explants. ةصلاخلا يدووادلا تابن يف نيرثريابلا تابكرم جاتنا ةدايزل ةلواحمك ويلاحلا وسا ردلا تذفن (Chrysanthemum cinerariaefolium) طسولا لامعتسإب ويجيسنلا ةعا رزلا ةينقت قيرط نع يئاذغلا (MS) Murashige and Skoog خم زيكا رتب زهجملاو ،ةيتابنلا ومنلا تامظنم نم ةفمت تخا مت ثيح ومنلا يمظنم ةيناكمإ راب Benzyl adenine (BA) و 2,4dichlorophenoxy acetic acid (2,4-D) , يدووادلا تابن تلاتبو قا روأ نم سلاكلا ثدحتسأ . سلاكلا ثادحتسإ ىمع يئاذغلا طسولا ىمع سلاكلا ةمادإ تمت كلذكو MS ـب زهجملا 1 مغمم \ مظنم نم رتل BA و 5 مغمم \ مظنم نم رتل 2,4-D و , قا رولأل ةبسنلاب 1 مغمم \ مظنم نم رتل BA و 10 مغمم \ مظنم نم رتل 2,4-D . سلاكلا ةماد او ءوشنلزيكا رتلا لضفا نم تناك يتلاو , تلاتبمل ةبسنلاب تاصمختسملا ترضِحُ . نيرثريابلا ىمع اهئاوتحإ نم ققحتلا متو يدووادلا تابنل سلاكلا عرا زم و تلاتب و قا روأ نم ةيتابنلا كلذك و تانيناتلاو تانيبرتلا و تاديونوفلافلا ىمع تلاتبلاو قا رولأا تاصمختسم توتحإ تاجنتا رلا و . تاديوريتسلاو ةيساسلاا تويزلا نع فشكمل ةءافكلا يلاع لئاسلا ايفا رغوتامورك تاصوحف تمدختسأ تاصمختسملا يف نيرثريابلا ، كرت نم ىمعا ناك سلاكلا عرا زم يف نيرثريابلا زيكرت نأ ظحولو يف هزي Production of Pyrethrins in Tissue Cultures of Pyrethrum (Chrysanthemum cinerariaefolium( Salam, Muayad and Kadhim 308 زهجملا يئاذغلا طسولا يف نيرثريابلا زيكرتل ةيونعملا ةدايزلا تظحولو . يمصلاا تابنمل ةيتابنلا ءا زجلاا ـب 5 مغمم \ رتل BA و 10 مغمم \ رتيل 2,4-D و ، قا رولأل ةبسنلاب 5 مغمم \ رتل BA و 5 مغمم \ رتل 2,4-
A Vector-Based Method to Analyze the Topography of Glial Networks

Anisotropy of tracer-coupled networks is a hallmark in many brain regions. In the past, the topography of these networks was analyzed using various approaches, which focused on different aspects, e.g., position, tracer signal, or direction of coupled cells. Here, we developed a vector-based method to analyze the extent and preferential direction of tracer spreading. As a model region, we chose the lateral superior olive—a nucleus that exhibits specialized network topography. In acute slices, sulforhodamine 101-positive astrocytes were patch-clamped and dialyzed with the GJ-permeable tracer neurobiotin, which was subsequently labeled with avidin alexa fluor 488. A predetermined threshold was used to differentiate between tracer-coupled and tracer-uncoupled cells. Tracer extent was calculated from the vector means of tracer-coupled cells in four 90° sectors. We then computed the preferential direction using a rotating coordinate system and post hoc fitting of these results with a sinusoidal function. The new method allows for an objective analysis of tracer spreading that provides information about shape and orientation of GJ networks. We expect this approach to become a vital tool for the analysis of coupling anisotropy in many brain regions.