Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Resistance Training to Failure vs. Not to Failure: Acute and Delayed Markers of Mechanical, Neuromuscular, and Biochemical Fatigue.

González-Hernández, JM, García-Ramos, A, Colomer-Poveda, D, Tvarijonaviciute, A, Cerón, J, Jiménez-Reyes, P, and Márquez, G. Resistance training to failure vs. not to failure: acute and delayed markers of mechanical, neuromuscular, and biochemical fatigue. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2020-This study aimed to compare acute and delayed markers of mechanical, neuromuscular, and biochemical fatigue between resistance training sessions leading to or not to failure. Twelve resistance-trained men completed 2 sessions that consisted of 6 sets of the full-squat exercise performed against the 10 repetitions maximum load. In a randomized order, in one session the sets were performed to failure and in the other session the sets were not performed to failure (5 repetitions per set). Mechanical fatigue was quantified through the recording of the mean velocity during all repetitions. The neuromuscular function of the knee extensors was assessed through a maximal voluntary contraction and the twitch interpolation technique before training, immediately after each set, and 1, 24, and 48 hours post-training. Serum creatine kinase (CK) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were measured before training and 1, 24, and 48 hours post-training to infer muscle damage. Alpha was set at a level of 0.05. A higher velocity loss between sets was observed during the failure protocol (-21.7%) compared with the nonfailure protocol (-3.5%). The markers of peripheral fatigue were generally higher and long lasting for the failure protocol. However, the central fatigue assessed by the voluntary activation was comparable for both protocols and remained depressed up to 48 hours post-training. The concentrations of CK and AST were higher after the failure protocol revealing higher muscle damage compared with the nonfailure protocol. These results support the nonfailure protocol to reduce peripheral fatigue and muscle damage, whereas the central fatigue does not seem to be affected by the set configuration.
Nanostructured diamond for biomedical applications

Nanostructured forms of diamond have been recently considered for use in a variety of medical devices due to their unusual biocompatibility, corrosion resistance, hardness, wear resistance, and electrical properties. This review considers several routes for the synthesis of nanostructured diamond, including chemical vapor deposition, hot filament chemical vapor deposition, microwave plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition, radio frequency plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition, and detonation synthesis. The properties of nanostructured diamond relevant to medical applications are described, including biocompatibility, surface modification, and cell attachment properties. The use of nanostructured diamond for bone cell interactions, stem cell interactions, imaging applications, gene therapy applications, and drug delivery applications is described. The results from recent studies indicate that medical devices containing nanostructured diamond can provide improved functionality over existing materials for the diagnosis and treatment of various medical conditions.
A Novel Point-in-Polygon-Based sEMG Classifier for Hand Exoskeleton Systems

In the early 2000s, data from the latest World Health Organization estimates paint a picture where one-seventh of the world population needs at least one assistive device. Fortunately, these years are also characterized by a marked technological drive which takes the name of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. In this terrain, robotics is making its way through more and more aspects of everyday life, and robotics-based assistance/rehabilitation is considered one of the most encouraging applications. Providing high-intensity rehabilitation sessions or home assistance through low-cost robotic devices can be indeed an effective solution to democratize services otherwise not accessible to everyone. However, the identification of an intuitive and reliable real-time control system does arise as one of the critical issues to unravel for this technology in order to land in homes or clinics. Intention recognition techniques from surface ElectroMyoGraphic (sEMG) signals are referred to as one of the main ways-to-go in literature. Nevertheless, even if widely studied, the implementation of such procedures to real-case scenarios is still rarely addressed. In a previous work, the development and implementation of a novel sEMG-based classification strategy to control a fully-wearable Hand Exoskeleton System (HES) have been qualitatively assessed by the authors. This paper aims to furtherly demonstrate the validity of such a classification strategy by giving quantitative evidence about the favourable comparison to some of the standard machine-learning-based methods. Real-time action, computational lightness, and suitability to embedded electronics will emerge as the major characteristics of all the investigated techniques.
Preclinical approaches in vulvovaginal candidiasis treatment with mucoadhesive thermoresponsive systems containing propolis

Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) is a common vaginitis that affects women, especially in childbearing age, caused by Candida albicans in almost 80% of cases. Considering the limited drug arsenal available and the increasing fungal resistance profile, the search for new therapeutic sources with low toxicity and easy administration should be supported. Propolis has been used as a traditional medicine for multiple diseases, considering its particular composition and pharmaceutical properties that permits its wide applicability; it has also emerged as a potential antifungal agent. Thus, this study performed an in vitro and in vivo investigation into the efficacy of a new mucoadhesive thermoresponsive platform for propolis delivery (MTS-PRPe) in a preclinical murine model of VVC treatment caused by C. albicans. The methodologies involved chemical analysis, an assessment of the rheological and mucoadhesive properties of propolis formulations, in vitro and in vivo antifungal evaluations, histological evaluations and electron microscopy of the vaginal mucosa. The results demonstrated the antifungal activity of propolis extract and MTS-PRP against the standard strain and a fluconazole-resistant clinical isolate of C. albicans, in both in vitro and in vivo assays. These results were similar and even better, depending on the propolis concentration, when compared to nystatin. Thus, the formulation containing propolis exhibited good performance against C. albicans in a vulvovaginal candidiasis experimental model, representing a promising opportunity for the treatment of this infection.
Amino Acid Synthesis in Meteoritic Parent Bodies of Carbonaceous Chondrites

The class of meteorites called carbonaceous chondrites are examples of material from the solar system which have been relatively unchanged from the time of their initial formation. We investigate the carbonaceous chondrite subclasses CI, CM, CR, CV, and CO, which contain high levels of water and organic material, including amino acids. These subclasses span petrologic types 1 through 3, indicating the degree of internal chemistry undergone by the meteoritic parent body. The goal of this thesis is two-fold: to obtain a comprehensive view of amino acid abundances and relative frequencies in carbonaceous chondrites, and to recreate these patterns via thermodynamic computational models. We collate available amino acid abundance data for a variety of meteorites to identify patterns in total abundance and relative frequencies. We consider only a set of 20 proteinogenic α-amino acids created via a specific chemical pathway called Strecker synthesis. We plot abundances of individual amino acids for each subclass, as well as total abundances across all subclasses. We see a predominance in abundance and variety of amino acids in the CM and CR subclasses, which contain concentrations of amino acids greater by several orders of magnitude than other carbonaceous subclasses. These subclasses correspond to an aqueous alteration temperature range of 200◦C to 400◦C. Within the CM2 and CR2 meteorites, we identify trends in the relative frequencies of amino acids in preparation for computational modeling. Now having a baseline observed amino acid abundance plot, we recreate both the total amino acid abundance pattern as well as the relative frequency of amino acids within the CM2 chondrite subclass using computational models. We use thermodynamic theory of Gibbs free energies to calculate the output of amino acids in a meteoritic parent body assuming chemical equilibrium and some set of initial coniii centrations of organic material. Our model recreates abundance patterns in the temperature range 200◦C to 400◦C, ∼ 10 parts-per billion (ppb), and the temperature range 400◦C to 500◦C, ∼ 10 ppb. Our model does not fit well between temperatures of 150◦C to 200◦C. Our current model assumes a uniform composition of initial chemical reactants; likely an inhomogeneous composition would be a more accurate physical representation of a parent body. In addition, we match relative frequencies to observed frequencies for each amino acid in the CM2 subclass to well within an order of magnitude.
Arterial hypertension and cerebral hemodynamics: impact of head-down tilt on cerebral blood flow (arterial spin-labeling-MRI) in healthy and hypertensive patients

Objective: Hypertension affects cerebrovascular autoregulation and increases the risk of cerebrovascular events and dementia. Notably, it is associated with cerebrovascular remodeling and lower resting cerebral blood flow (CBF). We wanted to determine, using arterial spin-labeling-MRI, the impact of a head-down tilt (HDT) dynamic maneuver on CBF in hypertensive patients. Methods: The current prospective study measured 36 patients’ CBFs (18 normotensive individuals; 18 hypertensive patients) on 1.5T arterial spin-labeling-MRI in the supine position and after 4 min at −15° HDT. We reconstructed CBF maps of left and right subcortical nuclear gray matter, cortical gray matter and white matter (16 structures) to explore cerebrovascular autoregulation modification under dynamic conditions. Results: Normotensive and hypertensive participants had no significant CBF differences in the supine position. After HDT, CBF mean variations (CBF-mVs) across all structures declined (mean −5.8%) for the whole population (n = 36), with −6.6 and −7.6% decreases, respectively, in white matter and gray matter (P < 0.001). Left and right accumbens nuclei had the largest changes (−9.6 and −9.2%, respectively; P < 0.001). No CBF-mV difference (0/16) was found in hypertensive patients after HDT, whereas normotensive participants’ CBF-mVs changed significantly in four structures (left and right accumbens, putamen and left caudate nucleus) and gray matter. Hypertensive patients exhibited fewer CBF-mVs in left caudate nuclei (P = 0.039) and cortical gray matter (P = 0.013). Among hypertensive patients, people with diabetes had smaller CBF-mVs than people without diabetes. Conclusion: Our results highlight the significantly different CBF reactions to HDT of normotensive and hypertensive participants. They support the hypothesis that hypertension is responsible for deficient cerebrovascular autoregulation.
Does Media Coverage Impact IPO Pricing? International Evidence

This paper investigates the effect of media coverage on the pricing of IPOs in markets around the world. We use media strikes as a negative exogenous shock to media coverage and instrumental variable approach to establish causal effect. Using a comprehensive sample of 10,257 IPOs across 38 countries spanning the period 2000-2014, we provide compelling evidence that IPOs with greater media coverage in the pre-IPO period, on average, exhibit lower initial returns. Then, we demonstrate that the documented effect of media coverage is mitigated in countries with more stringent disclosure standards and greater shareholder rights protection and for IPOs backed by venture capital firms or associated with reputable underwriters and auditors. We also find that the magnitude of the documented media effect is stronger for news articles that discuss an IPO firm’s earnings and news articles with analytical contents, and that IPO initial returns help predict post-IPO operating performance when media coverage is high. Taken together, our findings support the notion, that media coverage reduces information asymmetry and enhances the efficiency of security pricing in the IPO setting. JEL Classification: G10, G14, G15, G30
COEXISTENCE OF POLYMORPHISM IN FECUNDITY GENES BMPR 1B AND GDF 9 OF INDIAN KENDRAPADA SHEEP

Department of Veterinary Biochemistry, College of Veterinay Science and Animal Husbandry, Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar, Odisha 751003, India. Department of Veterinary Biochemistry, WBUAFS, Kolkata 700037, India. College of Veterinay Science and Animal Husbandry, Central Agricultural University, Jalukie, Peren, Nagaland 797110, India. Animal Genomics Lab. , National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, Hariyana, India. Corresponding author. e mail: toapu77@gmail.com ABSTRACT: Present study was carried out to find out the status of mutations in three fecundity genes i.e. growth differentiation factor 9 (GDF9/FecG), bone morphogenetic protein 15 ( BMP15/FecX) and bone morphogenetic protein receptor (BMPR1B/FecB) in Kendrapada sheep, the second most prolific sheep breed of India after Garole. Kendrapada ewes (n=85) were genotyped by Tetra-primer amplification refractory mutation system-PCR and a total of eleven SNP points over these three candidate fecundity genes (one point on FecB and five points each on BMP15 and GDF9) were assessed. Out of eleven, two SNP points, v z. FecB and G4 of GDF9 were found to be polymorphic in this breed. In this sheep breed average litter size of the ewes with non-carriers, heterozygous carrier and homozygous carrier of FecB locus mutation were 1.61, 1.80 and 2.06 respectively. G4 point of the GDF9 gene was also polymorphic with average litter size of noncarriers, heterozygous carrier and homozygous carrier ewes were 1.63, 2.00 and 1.91 respectively. This study establishes Kendrapada sheep as the sixth sheep breed after Belclare/Cambridge, Lacaune, Small-tailed Han, Garole and Bayanbulak sheep, where coexisting polymorphism has been found in two different fecundity genes (BMPRIB and GDF9 genes).
Effects of inorganic nano‐particles on plasticizers migration of flexible PVC

The influences of nano-particles (nano-sized CaCO 3 and nano-sized SiO 2 ) on plasticizers volatility, solvent extraction stability, and exudation stability of flexible PVC were studied. The results showed that nano-particles could reduce migration of plasticizers, thus improved the ability of anti-migration of flexible PVC. Further more, nano-sized SiO 2 shows excellent property than nano-sized CaCO 3 in resistance migration of plasticizers.
Etude du ralentissement des ions dans une cible diatomique

Abstract Nous presentons une methode de calcul qui permet de determiner le nombre de defauts ponctuels crees dans une cascade de deplacements initiee par un ion lourd se ralentissant dans une cible diatomique. La methode est utilisee pour determiner le nombre d'atomes uranium et oxygene places par une fission dans UO2. A computational code is described which determines the number of point defects in a displacement cascade initiated by a heavy ion in a diatomic target. The present method is based on the defect number expression for monoatomic materials given by N(E) = ∫τ tn(T)v(T)dT, where n(T) describes the primary knock-ons distribution produced by an incident particle of energy E and v(T) accounts for the defects generated by each primary knock-on having energy T. That formula is generalized by considering the displacements produced on the two sublattices formed by different atoms. The resulting equations of Volterra type can be resolved by multistep numerical method. This formalism is applied to UO2, t.
Molecular Basis of Chiral Acid Recognition by Candida rugosa Lipase: X‐Ray Structure of Transition State Analog and Modeling of the Hydrolysis of Methyl 2‐Methoxy‐2‐phenylacetate

Lipase from Candida rugosa shows high enantioselectivity toward α-substituted chiral acids such as 2-arylpropionic acids. To understand how Candida rugosa lipase (CRL) distinguishes between enantiomers of chiral acids, we determined the X-ray crystal structure of a transition-state analog covalently linked to CRL. CRL shows moderate enantioselectivity (E=23) toward methyl 2-methoxy-2-phenylacetate, 1-methyl ester, favoring the (S)-enantiomer. We synthesized phosphonate (RC,RPSP)-3, which, upon reaction with CRL, mimics the transition state for hydrolysis of (S)-1-methyl ester, the fast-reacting enantiomer. An X-ray crystal structure of this complex shows a catalytically productive orientation with the phenyl ring in the hydrophobic tunnel of the lipase. Phe345 crowds the region near the substrate stereocenter. Computer modeling of the slow-reacting enantiomer examined four possible conformations for the corresponding slow-reacting enantiomer: three conformations where two substituents at the stereocenter have been exchanged relative to the fast-reacting enantiomer and one conformation with an umbrella-like inversion orientation. Each of these orientations disrupts the orientation of the catalytic histidine, but the molecular basis for disruption differs in each case showing that multiple mechanisms are required for high enantioselectivity.
Materials‐Scale Implications of Solvent and Temperature on [6,6]‐Phenyl‐C61‐butyric Acid Methyl Ester (PCBM): A Theoretical Perspective

The ability to detail how molecules pack in the bulk and at the various materials interfaces in the active layer of an organic solar cell is important to further understanding overall device performance. Here, [6,6]‐phenyl‐C61‐butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM), a preferred electron‐acceptor material in organic solar cells, is studied through molecular dynamics (MD) simulations; the goal is to examine the effects of temperature and trace solvents on the packing and morphological features of bulk PCBM. Solubility (miscibility) parameters, melting and order‐disorder transitions, surface energies, and orientational distributions as a function of different starting configurations are discussed. On the basis of the derived morphologies, electronic structure calculations and a kinetic Monte Carlo approach are combined to evaluate the parameters impacting electron mobility in crystalline and amorphous PCBM structures.
Effect of Liming on the Distribution of Manganese, Copper, Iron, and Zinc Among Soil Fractions1

The availability of micronutrients is affected by soil properties such as pH, organic matter content, and clay mineralogy. Some of these properties can be altered by tillage. Therefore, a study was conducted to determine the influence of tillage on the distribution of Mn, Cu, Fe, and Zn among soil fractions. Soil samples were taken at the 0 to 2 cm depth from a long-term (8 yr) tillage experiment. The treatments were no-tillage, minimum tillage (fall tillage only), and conventional tillage (spring and fall tillage). Soil samples were fractionated sequentially to determine Mn, Cu, Fe, and Zn in the following fractions: exchangeable, organic, Mn oxide, amorphous Fe oxide, crystalline Fe oxide, and residual. Double acid-extractable P and Zn, organic matter content, and cation exchange capacity were higher in no-tillage treatments than in the other tillage treatments. Tillage had more effect on the distribution of Mn and Fe among fractions than on the distribution of Zn and Cu. No-tillage lowered the Mn in the exchangeable and amorphous Fe oxide fractions and raised Mn in the organic fraction compared to minimum tillage or conventional tillage. Iron in the exchangeable and organic fractions was higher for no-tillage, while amorphous oxide Fe and residual Fe were lower for no-tillage compared to conventional tillage. Both Mn and Fe appeared to be shifted by no-tillage from the oxide and residual forms into the more plant-available exchangeable or organic forms. Additional Index Words: conservation tillage, double acid, micronutrient distribution. View complete article To view this complete article, insert Disc 4 then click button8
Compositional analysis of liquid egg products using infrared transmission spectroscopy

Summary Calibration equations have been developed for the measurement of protein, total lipid and total solids content of liquid egg products using infrared transmission spetroscopy and the technique enables all these analyses to be carried out in under 20 min. Multiple correlation coefficients of 0.982, 0.988 and 0.997 and residual standard deviations of 0.37, 0.66 and 1.06% respectively were obtained for the infrared method compared with standard procedures. The results for total solids was not significantly different from that obtained by regression of total solids on combined protein and total lipid, all three determined by standard methods.
Electron diffraction structure analysis: structural research with low-quality diffraction data

Electron Diffraction Structure Analysis (EDSA) with data from standard selected-area electron diffraction (SAED) is still the method of choice for structure determination of nano-sized single crystals. The recently determined heavy atom structure α-Ti2Se (Albe & Weirich, 2003) is used as an example to illustrate the developed procedure for structure determination from two-dimensionally SAED data via direct methods and kinematical least-squares refinement. Despite the investigated crystallite had a relatively large effective thickness of about 230 A as determined from dynamical calculations, the obtained structural model from SAED data was found in good agreement with the result from an earlier single crystal X-ray study (Weirich, Pottgen & Simon, 1996). Arguments, which support the validity of the used quasi-kinematical approach, are given in the text. The influences of dynamical and secondary scattering on the quality of the data and the structure solution are discussed. Moreover, the usefulness of first-principles calculations for verifying the results from EDSA is demonstrated by two examples, whereas one of the structures was unattainable by conventional X-ray diffraction.
Formation of a Titanium Dioxide Nanotube Array

Starting from the naturally occurring structure of porous aluminum oxide, a polymer mold suitable for the formation of titanium dioxide nanotubes was obtained. The tubular structure was formed by electrochemical deposition in the mold. After dissolution of the polymer, titanium dioxide nanotubes were obtained and characterized. The “as deposited” TiO2 tubes were amorphous, but polycrystalline anatase samples of the same structure were obtained after heat treatment. The inner diameter of the tubes decreased from about 100 to 70 nm during the crystallization. A mechanism for the electrochemical deposition is proposed. Furthermore, the preparation procedure could also be applied to other semiconducting materials.