Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Grip Strength, Gait Speed and Plasma Markers of Neurodegeneration in Asymptomatic Middle-aged and Older Adults

Pragmatic biomarkers of preclinical dementia would allow for easy and large-scale screening of risk in populations. Physical function measures like grip strength and gait speed are potential predictive biomarkers but their relationship with plasma markers of Alzheimer’s Disease and neurodegeneration have not been elucidated. To examine association between physical function measures and plasma markers of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and neurodegeneration. Cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses. Community-based cohort in the city of Framingham, Massachusetts. 2336 participants of the Framingham Heart Study Offspring cohort with an average age of 61. Plasma Aβ40 and Aβ42 were measured in 1998–2001 (Exam-7) and plasma total tau measured 5 years later (Exam-8). Grip strength, fast walk speed and chair stand speed were measured at both exams. Quantification of Aβ isoforms in plasma was performed using INNO-BIA assays and plasma total-tau was measured using Quanterix Simoa HD-1 assay. Confounder-adjusted linear regression models examined associations between physical function and plasma markers. Grip strength at Exam-7 was associated with plasma Aβ40 (β −0.006, p-value 0.032) at Exam-7 and plasma total-tau (β −0.010, p-value 0.001) at Exam-8. Grip strength and fast walk speed at Exam-8 were associated with plasma total-tau at Exam-8 (GS: β −0.009, p 0.0005; FWS: β −0.226, p-value <0.0001). Chair stand speed was not associated with plasma markers; Aβ42 was not associated with function. Grip strength and fast walk speed are associated with plasma markers of neurodegeneration in dementia-free middle aged and older individuals. Both these measures could be used as potential screening tools for identifying individuals at a higher risk for AD and related dementias alongside other validated markers.
Messgenauigkeit eines 4-teiligen, standardisierten dynamischen rumpfkrafttests : Erfahrungen mit gesunden männlichen spitzensportlern

Summary Reliability of a standardized, dynamic trunk muscle strength test: experiences with healthy male elite athletes The aim of this investigation was to evaluate the reliability of the test performance of trunk muscle strength and endurance. In a sample of 30 healthy male elite athletes (age: 20.2 ± 0.8 years), 4 tests of the ventral, lateral and dorsal trunk muscle chains and of the abdominal muscles were performed on 2 days within 48 hours. The meantime until exhaustion of the abdominal muscle test increased (30%) highly significantly (p < 0.01) whereas it differed maximally 3.5% for the 3 other tests. Typical error was 14.1% for the test of the ventral chain, 14.6% and 11.7% for the test of the lateral and the dorsal muscle chain respectively. It was concluded that the tests of the ventral, lateral and dorsal muscle chain can be used to assess trunk muscle strength and endurance for healthy male elite athletes. Yet the within-subject variation should be taken into account when interpreting results or changes in results.
UDC 539.3 FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS OF NONLINEAR DEFORMATION, STABILITY AND VIBRATIONS OF ELASTIC THIN-WALLED STRUCTURES

Thin-walled shell-type structures are widely used in various branches of technology and industry. Such structures under operating conditions are usually exposed to various loads, including thermomechanical ones. Real shell structures, as a rule, have a complex shapes. To increase reliability, reduce material consumption, for technological reasons, they are designed as inhomogeneous systems in thickness. This causes a great and constant interest of engineers and designers in the problems of investigating the behavior of elastic thin-walled shell structures. The work is devoted to the method of analysis of geometrically nonlinear deformation, stability, post-buckling behavior and natural vibrations of thin elastic shells of complex shape and structure under the action of static thermomechanical loads. The unified design model has been created on the basis of the developed universal spatial finite element with introduced additional variable parameters. The model takes into account the multilayer material structure and geometric features for structural elements of the thin shell. The shells can be reinforced with ribs and cover plates, weakened by cavities, channels and holes, have sharp bends in the mid-surface. Such a uniform formulation made it possible to create a unified finite element model of the shells with an inhomogeneous structure. It is shown on a number of problems that the method presented in this article is an effective tool for analyzing geometrically nonlinear deformation, stability, post-buckling behavior and natural vibrations of thin elastic shells of an inhomogeneous structure under the action of static thermomechanical loads.
Inflammatory Signaling and DNA Damage Responses after Local Exposure to an Insoluble Radioactive Microparticle

Simple Summary A cesium-bearing microparticle (Cs-BMP) is an insoluble radioactive microparticle possessing high specific radioactivity, which was discovered after the incident at the Fukushima nuclear power plant. Due to their insoluble nature, such Cs-BMPs are assumed to adhere in the long term to normal tissue, leading to chronic local exposure. However, radiation risk due to the intake of internal exposure to radioactive cesium is conventionally estimated from the organ dose given by uniform exposure to soluble cesium. As such, it is critical to clarify the normal tissue effects posed by heterogeneous exposure to Cs-BMPs. This in vitro study reports on the relationship between the inflammatory responses and DNA damage induction during local exposure to a Cs-BMP. Abstract Cesium-bearing microparticles (Cs-BMPs) can reach the human respiratory system after inhalation, resulting in chronic local internal exposure. We previously investigated the spatial distribution of DNA damage induced in areas around a Cs-BMP; however, the biological impacts have not been fully clarified due to the limited amount of data. Here, we investigated the inflammatory signaling and DNA damage responses after local exposure to a Cs-BMP in vitro. We used two normal human lung cell lines, i.e., lung fibroblast cells (WI-38) and bronchial epithelial cells (HBEC3-KT). After 24 h exposure to a Cs-BMP, inflammation was evaluated by immunofluorescent staining for nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) p65 and cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2). The number of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) was also detected by means of phospholylated histone H2AX (γ-H2AX) focus formation assay. Cs-BMP exposure significantly increased NF-κB p65 and COX-2 expressions, which were related to the number of γ-H2AX foci in the cell nuclei. Compared to the uniform (external) exposure to 137Cs γ-rays, NF-κB tended to be more activated in the cells proximal to the Cs-BMP, while both NF-κB p65 and COX-2 were significantly activated in the distal cells. Experiments with chemical inhibitors for NF-κB p65 and COX-2 suggested the involvement of such inflammatory responses both in the reduced radiosensitivity of the cells proximal to Cs-BMP and the enhanced radiosensitivity of the cells distal from Cs-BMP. The data show that local exposure to Cs-BMP leads to biological effects modified by the NF-κB pathway, suggesting that the radiation risk for Cs-BMP exposure can differ from that estimated based on conventional uniform exposure to normal tissues.
Spironolactone and eplerenone are cardioprotective during early phase of ischemia in rats submitted to acute coronary occlusion

Introduction: Mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs) are effective in reducing left ventricle remodeling and sudden death after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Objectives: MRAs in vitro display cardioprotective effects, independent of MR; however, it is unknown whether the rapid effects of MRAs are cardioprotective in vivo. This study evaluated the acute effects of spironolactone and eplerenone in the first minutes of AMI. Methods: Wistar Rats, submitted or not to bilateral adrenalectomy, were treated orally with spironolactone (20 mg/kg) or eplerenone (10 mg/kg), and submitted to the left coronary ligation, under anesthesia. Electrocardiogram (ECG) recordings were obtained to evaluate ST-T segment, QT, and QTc intervals. Arterial pressure was also measured before (baseline) and after coronary ligation. Results: Spironolactone or eplerenone given, one hour before coronary ligation, prevented ST-T segment elevation in adrenalectomized and non-adrenalectomized. QT interval analysis showed that MRAs prevented its prolongation after coronary ligation. QT and QTc intervals remained similar to baseline and were smaller than the values displayed by the non-treated group. Animals treated with spironolactone, regardless of adrenalectomy, showed a 3-fold reduced mortality rates compared to the control group. Conclusion: MRAs display acute cardioprotective effects in early phase of AMI, which are independent of aldosterone.
TiO2–Based Nanofibrous Membranes for Environmental Protection

Electrospinning is a unique technique that can be used to synthesize polymer and metal oxide nanofibers. In materials science, a very active field is represented by research on electrospun nanofibers. Fibrous membranes present fascinating features, such as a large surface area to volume ratio, excellent mechanical behavior, and a large surface area, which have many applications. Numerous techniques are available for the nanofiber’s synthesis, but electrospinning is presented as a simple process that allows one to obtain porous membranes containing smooth non-woven nanofibers. Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is the most widely used catalyst in photocatalytic degradation processes, it has advantages such as good photocatalytic activity, excellent chemical stability, low cost and non-toxicity. Thus, titanium dioxide (TiO2) is used in the synthesis of nanofibrous membranes that benefit experimental research by easy recyclability, excellent photocatalytic activity, high specific surface areas, and exhibiting stable hierarchical nanostructures. This article presents the synthesis of fiber membranes through the processes of electrospinning, coaxial electrospinning, electrospinning and electrospraying or electrospinning and precipitation. In addition to the synthesis of membranes, the recent progress of researchers emphasizing the efficiency of nanofiber photocatalytic membranes in removing pollutants from wastewater is also presented.
Accelerate SAT-based ATPG via Preprocessing and New Conflict Management Heuristics

Due to the continuous advancement of semicon-ductor technologies, there are more defects than ever widely distributed in manufactured chips. In order to meet the high product quality and low defective-parts-per-million (DPPM) goals, Boolean Satisfiability (SAT) technique has been shown to be a robust alternative to conventional APTG techniques, especially for hard-to-detect faults. However, the SAT-based ATPG still confronts two challenges. The first one is to reduce extra computational overhead of SAT modeling, i.e. to transform a circuit testing problem to a Conjunctive Normal Form (CNF) which is the foundation of modern SAT solvers. The second one lies in the SAT solver's efficiency which is brought by the loss of structural information during CNF transformation. In this work, we propose a new SAT-based ATPG approach to address the two challenges mentioned above: (1) To reduce CNF transformation overhead, we utilize a simulation-driven pre-processing for narrowing down the fault propagation and activation logic cones, leading to an improvement in CNF transformation and reduction in runtime. (2) To further improve the solving efficiency, We propose new ranking-based heuristics to build more effective conflict database, enabling the direct solving for small scale instance and a looking-head method for large scale ones. Extensive experimental results on industrial circuits demonstrate that on average the proposed approach could cover 89.67% of the faults failed by a commercial ATPG tool with a comparable runtime.
Contribution of Self-Efficacy and Self-Esteem to Subjective Well-Being

In learning process, students are expected to have high subjective well-being. Unfortunately, the fact shows that many students suffer from low self-efficacy and self-esteem, which affects their subjective well-being. The present study aimed to analyze the the effect of self-efficacy and self-esteem on studentsâ€™ subjective well-being. This study involved 350 students (50.7 % Male students and 44.3% female students) who were recruited using cluster random sampling technique. The data were collected using General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE), The Short Form of Coopersmith SelfEsteem Inventory (SF-CSEI) dan Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS). Using SPSS, multiple linear regression analysis technique was applied. Self-efficacy and self-esteem were found to predict studentsâ€™ subjective well-being. They simultaneously accounted for the variance of subjective well-being by 24.2% ( =0.242). Following the result, school counselors are recommended to develop studentsâ€™ self-efficacy and self-esteem in order to enhance their subjective well-being
Percutaneous endoscopic versus minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion for lumbar degenerative diseases: a meta-analysis

Introduction Transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) is commonly used in patients with lumbar degenerative disease (LDD). The most commonly used techniques include minimally invasive TLIF (MIS-TLIF) and percutaneous endoscopic TLIF (PE-TLIF). Aim To compare the safety and clinical effectiveness of PE-TLIF and MIS-TLIF in treating LDD. Material and methods We screened for related articles in multiple scientific databases, namely, PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Wanfang, VIP, and CINK, and analyzed the relative outcomes. Results Based on our inclusion criteria, we selected 8 studies for meta-analysis. There are a total of 229 patients who underwent PE-TLIF and 258 patients who underwent MIS-TLIF. MIS-TLIF and PE-TLIF have similar effectiveness in relieving leg pain and improving the Oswestry Disability Index. However, PE-TLIF is superior in relieving back pain. The pooled data of fusion rates, postoperative analgesic, and complication rates are comparable between the 2 groups. The pooled operation and intra-operative fluoroscopic time are both significantly higher in the PE-TLIF group than the MIS-TLIF group. The pooled intra-operative blood loss, incision length, duration from surgery to ambulation, and hospital stay are significantly lower in the PE-TLIF group than the MIS-TLIF group. Most of the endpoints reveal significant heterogeneity. The endpoints of operation time and intra-operative blood loss reveal significant publication bias. Conclusions Both PE-TLIF and MIS-TLIF are safe and effective interventions for patients with LDD. When compared, although MIS-TLIF results in reduced operative time, less intra-operative blood loss and enhanced post-operative recovery can be achieved by PE-TLIF.
The Effect of Carbohydrate Intake on Strength and Resistance Training Performance: A Systematic Review

High carbohydrate intakes are commonly recommended for athletes of various sports, including strength trainees, to optimize performance. However, the effect of carbohydrate intake on strength training performance has not been systematically analyzed. A systematic literature search was conducted for trials that manipulated carbohydrate intake, including supplements, and measured strength, resistance training or power either acutely or after a diet and strength training program. Studies were categorized as either (1) acute supplementation, (2) exercise-induced glycogen depletion with subsequent carbohydrate manipulation, (3) short-term (2–7 days) carbohydrate manipulation or (4) changes in performance after longer-term diet manipulation and strength training. Forty-nine studies were included: 19 acute, six glycogen depletion, seven short-term and 17 long-term studies. Participants were strength trainees or athletes (39 studies), recreationally active (six studies) or untrained (four studies). Acutely, higher carbohydrate intake did not improve performance in 13 studies and enhanced performance in six studies, primarily in those with fasted control groups and workouts with over 10 sets per muscle group. One study found that a carbohydrate meal improved performance compared to water but not in comparison to a sensory-matched placebo breakfast. There was no evidence of a dose-response effect. After glycogen depletion, carbohydrate supplementation improved performance in three studies compared to placebo, in particular during bi-daily workouts, but not in research with isocaloric controls. None of the seven short-term studies found beneficial effects of carbohydrate manipulation. Longer-term changes in performance were not influenced by carbohydrate intake in 15 studies; one study favored the higher- and one the lower-carbohydrate condition. Carbohydrate intake per se is unlikely to strength training performance in a fed state in workouts consisting of up to 10 sets per muscle group. Performance during higher volumes may benefit from carbohydrates, but more studies with isocaloric control groups, sensory-matched placebos and locally measured glycogen depletion are needed.
Re-visiting sustainable development: sustainability and well-being from the perspectives of indigenous people in rural Ghana

ABSTRACT Although the Brundtland Commission’s definition of Sustainable Development (SD) is widely accepted and central to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), it presents some limitations for application in the traditional African context. Drawing on a qualitative research design, this study interrogated indigenous knowledge systems of land governance among the Grune people in northern Ghana and the implications for SD. The emergent perspectives on land and land ownership are compelling and underpin the need for re-conceptualisation SD. To adapt SD to Grune worldview, it is imperative to redefine the frontiers of SD, by embracing a three-generational framework for addressing needs and achieving total wellbeing. In the context of decentralisation in Africa, an Endogenous Development (ED) approach to development planning is imperative for engineering social innovations and learnings that ensure socially and culturally acceptable development and the well-being of indigenous people and communities.
Optimization Of The Tapered End-Coupled Micro Strip Filter Using Particle Swarm Method

In this paper, Tapered end-coupled micro strip filter is optimized using particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm. The optimization is used to increase the bandwidth of the filter to make it applicable to wireless communication. New design for End coupled micro-strip bandpass filter is presented and the return loss and insertion loss of the filter using equivalence lumped element model are obtained.
Feeding Habits and the Occurrence of Anthropogenic Debris in the Stomach Content of Marine Fish from Pattani Bay, Gulf of Thailand

Simple Summary In this work, the feeding behaviour of fish from a natural bay environment and the ingested anthropogenic fragments in a fish community in relation to their feeding habits and habitats were investigated. The identification of 34 fish species and analysis of their stomach content by visual inspection were carried out. The ingestion of anthropogenic debris by fish differed between season and their feeding features. The planktivorous fish having higher ingestion of anthropogenic debris than other species were found. The study results enhance the understanding of the spatiotemporal variation of feeding habits of fish communities and support future alerts relating to the risk of anthropogenic pollution in marine food webs. Abstract This study assessed the feeding habits and ingestion of anthropogenic debris in 34 marine fish species from the southern Gulf of Thailand. A total of 5478 fish samples of 12 families were categorised into seven groups: planktivore, Lucifer feeder, fish feeder, Acetes feeder, shrimp feeder, piscivore, and zoobenthivore fish. A total of 2477 anthropogenic debris items were extracted from 12 fish species by visual inspection. Their ingestion of anthropogenic debris was influenced by season (p < 0.0001), with the highest ingestion during the northeast monsoon season. Furthermore, planktivorous fish displayed more ingested anthropogenic debris than the other investigated species (p = 0.022). Blue-coloured anthropogenic debris was commonly detected in the stomachs of fish and significantly differed between species (p > 0.001). Water depth and season significantly influenced the availability of food types (AF) for fish (p < 0.001). These findings provide evidence of the ingestion of anthropogenic debris by fish inhabiting a natural bay and signal the future anthropogenic pollution of marine fish.
Study on stability of electric field in multimode microwave heating cavity

Microwave heating has been widely used and the heating uniformity is related to the characteristics of electric field. In this paper, we investigate the stability of electric field in a multimode microwave cavity by analyzing the spectrum and the condition number of integral equation. Results show that the stability of the electric field is mainly dependent on microwave frequency, the permittivity of heating object and cavity geometrical parameters. Particularly, when the heating object has a low loss factor, the electric field is generally unstable. Namely, a tiny shift of the parameters mentioned above will result in dramatic changes of electric field distribution. Besides, the instability of the electric field increases with the lower loss, the higher microwave frequency or the larger permittivity of the heating object.
The Budget Deficit Financing Impact on the Real Exchange Rate in Egypt (1975-2020)

The Purpose of this paper is to examines empirically The causal impact of budget deficit financing methods on real exchange rate in Egypt during the period from 1975 to 2020.The main question of the paper whether there is a causal relationship between the large fluctuations in the real exchange rate and budget deficit/GDP proportion, governed by specific predictable factors, in particular the method of financing the budget deficit. Using structure vector autoregressive (SVAR) framework with variable lag structure, our empirical results provide evidence of the contribution of the money supply ratio to the GDP in the fluctuations of the real exchange rate in the short and medium terms, while the contribution of non-bank financing expressed in the real interest rate contributed to a lesser degree in these fluctuations, which gives an indication of the expansion in the use of local bank financing to finance the budget deficit during the study period. Moreover, the results showed that the government’s dependence on local sources in financing the budget deficit was large, especially the local bank financing. It was also found that the non-banking domestic sources of funding have less influence on the fluctuations of the real exchange rate and therefore the value of the Egyptian pound relative to the US dollar. furthermore, also found out that the periods in which the real exchange rate index decreased and the value of the pound improved, are the periods in which the reliance on non-banking domestic financing was greater than on domestic banking financing, namely the periods from 1993-1997, and from 2005-2010. This paper aims to contribute to filling the gap in the applied literature that examined the relationship between the budget deficit and external imbalance by focusing on the role of the means of financing the budget deficit.