Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Foam rolling as a recovery tool following an intense bout of physical activity

Purpose: Understand the effectiveness of foam rolling as a recovery tool following exercise induced muscle damage (EIMD), analyzing: muscle soreness, dynamic and passive range of motion (ROM), along with evoked and voluntary neuromuscular properties. -- Methods: 20 male subjects with 3+ years of strength training experience were randomly divided into either the control (CON) (n=10) or foam rolling (FR) (n=10) group. All subjects followed the same testing protocol. The only between group difference was that the FR group performed a 20-minute foam rolling exercise protocol at the end of the testing session at post-test 0, 24, and 48 hours (POST-0, POST-24, POST-48). Subjects participated in 5 testing sessions: [1] orientation and 1 repetition maximum (1 RM) back squat, [2] pre-test measurements (PRE), 10 x 10 squat protocol (weight: 60% 1 RM, tempo: 4,1,1,1) with 2 minutes rest between sets, and post-test measurements (POST-0), along with measurements at: [3] POST-24, [4] POST-48, and [5] POST-72. Test measurements included: thigh girth, muscle soreness, range of motion (ROM), evoked and voluntary contractile properties, vertical jump, along with perceived pain (FR-pain) and reaction forces (FR-force) while foam rolling. -- Results: Thigh girth showed no substantial between group differences at all time points. FR substantially reduced muscle soreness at all time points while substantially improving ROM. FR negatively affected evoked contractile properties (twitch force, rate of force development, and potentiated twitch force) with the exception of half-relaxation time (½RT) and electromechanical delay (EMD). ½RT showed no substantial between group differences at all time points, while FR substantially improved EMD. Voluntary contractile properties showed no substantial between group differences for all measurements besides voluntary muscle activation, with FR substantially improving muscle activation at all time points. FR improved functional movement, with substantial between group differences in vertical jump height. When performing the five FR exercises at the three time points (POST-0, POST-24, POST-48), subjects FR-force ranged between 26-46kg (32-55% of subjects' body weight) with FR-pain measurements (based on NRS) ranging between 2.5-7.5 pts. -- Conclusion: The most important findings of the present study were that FR was beneficial in attenuating muscle soreness while improving vertical jump height, muscle activation, and passive and dynamic ROM in comparison to CON. FR negatively impacted a number of evoked contractile properties of the muscle, except for ½RT and EMD, indicating that FR benefits are primarily accrued through neural responses and connective tissue.
PHYSICOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF CAROB SYRUP REVEAL D-PINITOL AS AN INDEX OF SUCROSE SUPPLEMENTATION

: The carob syrup has been attracted the interest of consumers as an alternative sweetener due to its superiority against refined ones. Bioactive phytochemicals and polyols, vitamins and minerals are present in carob syrup; whereas sucrose, fructose and glucose are the main sugars. Although the consumers prefer carob syrup for its special composition, the sucrose supplementation in carob syrup is a common adulteration abating its health benefits. The detection of adulteration in natural sweeteners and honey is usually required time-consuming and advanced analytical techniques. In the present study, the physicochemical properties of carob syrup were studied to pinpoint physicochemical parameters for detection of sucrose supplementation. More specific, moisture, fats, pH, color parameters and total soluble solids were determined. Furthermore, sugar composition of carob syrups was studied using chromatographic separation. Finally, the phenolic fraction and antioxidant activity of carob syrups were estimated. Results showed significant differences in total soluble solids and moisture contents, but these parameters are linked with its preparation procedure. Furthermore, an unexpected fluctuation was observed for D-pinitol and total phenolics contents. Thus, both parameters were determined in genuine and sucrose-supplemented carob syrups. Based on our findings the sucrose supplementation can be detected by D-pinitol content and sucrose to D-pinitol ratio. Therefore, the present work demonstrated the potential of a simple chromatographic separation to detect the adulteration in a traditional Mediterranean product.
Breeding an underutilized fruit crop: a long-term program for Hylocereus

Abstract This review describes three decades of introduction, agro-technology development, breeding and selection of Hylocereus species, known as pitaya or dragon fruit, as an example of a holistic program aimed to develop the horticultural potential of a perennial underutilized fruit crop. Interspecific homoploid and interploid crosses and embryo rescue procedures produced improved hybrids, some of which have been released to farmers. Molecular tools and morphological and phenological comparisons between the parental species and the resulting hybrids provided valuable information on dominant/recessive traits and on genetic relationships that could be exploited for further hybridizations. In addition, Hylocereus were crossed with species of the closely related genus Selenicereus, producing valuable intergeneric hybrids. In situ chromosome doubling resulted in the production of autopolyploid lines, from which an understanding of the effect of increased ploidy on fruit traits and metabolomic profiles was obtained. Gamete-derived lines were produced, adding to our biobank homozygote lines that were subsequently used for further hybridization. Spontaneous chromosome doubling occurred in haploid gamete-derived Hylocereus monacanthus lines and in interspecific interploid Hylocereus megalanthus × H. undatus hybrids obtained from an embryo rescue procedure, resulting in plants with double the expected ploidy. Challenging technical problems were addressed by the development of protocols for DNA isolation, flow cytometry, in situ chromosome doubling, androgenesis, gynogenesis and embryo rescue following interspecific and interploidy crosses. Current research leading to the development of genomics and molecular tools, including a draft genome of H. undatus, is also presented. Perspectives for further development of Hylocereus species and hybrids are discussed.
Multimodal analysis of hotel homepages : a comparison of hotel websites across different star categories

Taiwanese college students regard writing as the most difficult part of their study of English. Teaching writing then becomes a daunting task for Taiwanese college teachers. Narrative writing has been used as a method to enhance student interest and to improve ESL students‘ English writing. Few studies talk about Taiwanese college teachers‘ beliefs about and experience with teaching narrative writing. This study aims at explicating Taiwanese college teachers‘ views of narrative. A teacher narrative study group was set up to explore the gap between narrative theory and its application in the local Taiwanese context. This qualitative research includes individual interviews, focus group interviews and classroom observations. Four Taiwanese college teachers were recruited to participate in the group discussions. The research findings show that it is not the English proficiency of the students which plays a crucial role in applying narrative writing to 35 a Taiwanese context, but rather the anti-narrative views of the teachers. This Taiwanese college teachers‘ group reveals the variety of seeing and teaching narrative writing. Though this research has limited progress introducing narrative writing to Taiwanese composition, it brings us a step forward in establishing the significance of narrative writing in Taiwanese academics.
Body mass estimation in Triassic cynodonts from Argentina based on limb variables

in from based on Body mass estimations for extinct taxa are fundamental in palaeobiological reconstructions, but little work has been done on this topic for non-mammaliaform cynodonts (NMC), the diverse and abundant Permo-Cretaceous forerunners of mammals. Here, we estimated the body mass of five species of NMC cynognathians by linear measurements and circumferences of postcranial elements (humeri and femora) from 14 specimens from Triassic units of the Ischigualasto-Villa Union Basin located between San Juan and La Rioja provinces, and the Cuyo and San Rafael basins, both in Mendoza province, Argentina. For this purpose, we used predictive formulas available in the literature based on variables on appendicular skeleton of different extant groups of mammals and reptiles. Geometric similarity using skull length was applied to provide an estimation of adult masses for species with only samples of juvenile and subadult limb bones. A broad body mass range was recorded. Small traversodontids such as Andescynodon mendozensis and Pascualgnathus polanskii were between 1 to 3.5 kg. Medium-sized traversodontids include adult Massetognathus pascuali with masses from 20 to 40 kg, and the adult forms of large-sized cynognathians like Cynognathus crateronotus and Exaeretodon argentinus reached or surpassed 100 kg. The morphological variations in the skull and the different body sizes observed between traversodontids are interpreted as reflecting different types of diets where small-sized traversodontids had a generalist diet, and the medium/large-sized traversodontids were herbivorous. Finally, palaeoecological working hypotheses regarding cranial and dental morphology, body mass, and their possible relation with diet in non-mammaliaform cynodonts of South America are offered. which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Detailed Overview on POLYMATH Software for Chemical Engineering Analysis

: It is pertinent to highlight areas POLYMATH software is useful for chemical engineering analysis. Its applications had been demonstrated in this paper using 10 Problem Set, in areas that includes transport phenomena, heat transfer, reaction, and bioreaction kinetics to solve differential equations, nonlinear equations, simultaneous linear equations, graphical representation and regression problems arising in these fields using Licensed POLYMATH Software Version 6.10. 261. POLYMATH is mostly used by students, teachers and researchers for educational purposes, but however limited in application by engineers in process industries, as more sophisticated softwares are preferred. Incorporating many solution approaches there in the literature for solving mathematical method problems, especially the newly proposed novel Extended Runge-Kutta Method of Order 6 into POLYMATH and the enabling of log-log plots is hereby recommended.
Spiritual Needs as Expressed by People Living with HIV: A Systematic Review

It has been previously demonstrated that religiosity and spirituality can help support people living with HIV. Despite this, little work has been undertaken on this theme. Using the PRISMA methodology, we reviewed academic literature from 2008 to 2020 to summarize how people living with HIV define spiritual needs. We found fifty-nine distinct types of approach that were related to this theme and were grouped into four main categories: religious needs, social needs, existential needs, and emotional needs. Religious needs were more frequently cited, including individual prayers, the ingestion of miraculous medicines, and so on. The study calls attention to the concept’s multidimensionality and the cultural differences in the included papers. It reveals the need of each culture to research, to find an adequate meaning of spirituality, and to cater to the spiritual needs for people living with HIV as part of their healthcare, before setting health policies.
Example-Based Multispectral Photometric Stereo for Multi-Colored Surfaces

A photometric stereo needs three images taken under three different light directions lit one by one, while a color photometric stereo needs only one image taken under three different lights lit at the same time with different light directions and different colors. As a result, a color photometric stereo can obtain the surface normal of a dynamically moving object from a single image. However, the conventional color photometric stereo cannot estimate a multicolored object due to the colored illumination. This paper uses an example-based photometric stereo to solve the problem of the color photometric stereo. The example-based photometric stereo searches the surface normal from the database of the images of known shapes. Color photometric stereos suffer from mathematical difficulty, and they add many assumptions and constraints; however, the example-based photometric stereo is free from such mathematical problems. The process of our method is pixelwise; thus, the estimated surface normal is not oversmoothed, unlike existing methods that use smoothness constraints. To demonstrate the effectiveness of this study, a measurement device that can realize the multispectral photometric stereo method with sixteen colors is employed instead of the classic color photometric stereo method with three colors.
Information Support Tool for Aircraft Maintenance Task Planning

2 Abstract: Aircraft maintenance can be described as a set of tasks that are carried out on an aircraft in order to keep it in an airworthy condition. Aircraft operators aim to achieve profitability and this happens only when the aircraft is flying. Operators can improve their fleet availability by reducing the maintenance time which in turn reduces the overall downtime of the aircraft. This is directly influenced by a number of factors such as availability of tools and spares, availability of labour, time required for maintenance etc. This paper presents a potential method to reduce the overall maintenance time by eliminating duplication of tasks thereby improving the maintenance efficiency. An information support tool will be used to determine whether the maintenance tasks can be grouped together or not. Hence, components maybe maintained simultaneously thereby reducing the number of times an access panel would undergo an opening/closing sequence. Potential gains include reduced work load on the maintenance crew, reduced wear and tear on access panels and reduced maintenance times amongst others.
Uplift Mechanism of Coastal Extremely Persistent Heavy Rainfall (EPHR): The Key Role of Low‐Level Jets and Ageostrophic Winds in the Boundary Layer

Extremely persistent heavy rainfall (EPHR) events frequently occur in southern China. The mechanisms underlying their generation and development are not well understood, and this leads to difficulties in accurately forecasting these events. In this paper, hourly precipitation grid data and ERA‐5 reanalysis data are used to examine the relationships between precipitation, ageostrophic winds, and low‐level jets (LLJ). The results suggest that ageostrophic winds in the boundary layer mainly exhibit confrontational and asymptotic convergence, with the former being accompanied by double LLJ, which transport more vapor and provide favorable uplift conditions, thus producing stronger precipitation and wider rainbands. The different cooperated relationships between LLJ and ageostrophic winds play an important role in the development of EPHR events, and greater account needs to be taken of these relationships when forecasting.
Transcriptomic Analysis of Fumarate Compounds Identifies Unique Effects of Isosorbide Di-(Methyl Fumarate) on NRF2, NF-kappaB and IRF1 Pathway Genes

Dimethyl fumarate (DMF) has emerged as a first-line therapy for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). This treatment, however, has been limited by adverse effects, which has prompted development of novel derivatives with improved tolerability. We compared the effects of fumarates on gene expression in astrocytes. Our analysis included diroximel fumarate (DRF) and its metabolite monomethyl fumarate (MMF), along with a novel compound isosorbide di-(methyl fumarate) (IDMF). Treatment with IDMF resulted in the largest number of differentially expressed genes. The effects of DRF and MMF were consistent with NRF2 activation and NF-κB inhibition, respectively. IDMF responses, however, were concordant with both NRF2 activation and NF-κB inhibition, and we confirmed IDMF-mediated NF-κB inhibition using a reporter assay. IDMF also down-regulated IRF1 expression and IDMF-decreased gene promoters were enriched with IRF1 recognition sequences. Genes altered by each fumarate overlapped significantly with those near loci from MS genetic association studies, but IDMF had the strongest overall effect on MS-associated genes. These results show that next-generation fumarates, such as DRF and IDMF, have effects differing from those of the MMF metabolite. Our findings support a model in which IDMF attenuates oxidative stress via NRF2 activation, with suppression of NF-κB and IRF1 contributing to mitigation of inflammation and pyroptosis.
Nonlinear behavior analysis of split-winding dry-type transformer using a new star model and a coupled field-circuit approach

Regarding the importance of short circuit and inrush current simulations in the split-winding transformer, a novel nonlinear equivalent circuit is introduced in this paper for nonlinear simulation of this transformer. The equivalent circuit is extended using the nonlinear inductances. Employing a numerical method, leakage and magnetizing inductances in the split-winding transformer are extracted and the nonlinear model inductances are estimated using these inductances. The introduced model is validated and using this nonlinear model, inrush and short-circuit currents are calculated. It has been seen that the introduced model is valid and suitable for simulations of the split-winding transformer due to various loading conditions. Finally, the effects of nonlinearity of the model inductances are discussed in the following.
Optimal scheduling of independently operated, locally controlled energy storage systems as dispatchable assets in a competitive electricity market

Independently operated energy storage can exploit arbitrage opportunities available due to inter-temporal variation of electricity prices. Storage can be utilised as a dispatchable or non-dispatchable asset. In this study, a new optimal scheduling algorithm is proposed to enable independently operated, locally controlled storage to accept dispatch instructions issued by independent system operators (ISOs). Storage in this case is referred to as dispatchable storage. In addition, a new index is proposed to measure the storage dispatchability. While the operation of locally controlled storage is optimally scheduled at the owner's end, using the proposed algorithm, storage is fully dispatchable at the ISO's end. Dispatchable storage units have great potential to enhance the flexibility of electric grids and are key elements envisioned to enable smart grid realisation. The proposed algorithm outperforms previous algorithms in which storage is either locally controlled at the owner's end and cannot optimally accept ISO's instructions; or storage is centrally controlled by the grid operator to achieve some technical objectives. The efficacy and feasibility of the proposed algorithm are validated using real-world data. It is demonstrated that the proposed algorithm can enable the storage to accept all ISO's instructions. Revenue values of dispatchable and non-dispatchable storage are computed and compared.
Attenuation Caused by Obstructing Vehicles in V ANETs

The connectivity among vehicles is affected by obstructions either static (e.g., buildings, vegetation, hills) or mobile (other vehicles on the road). The low height of antennas onboard the vehicles implies that the optical line of sight (LOS) can be obstructed by the obstructions, in particular by the mobile obstructions causing disconnection among vehicles even within the single hop transmission range. In this work, the channel modeling for vehicular communication scenario is investigated in detail. Multiple knife-edge diffraction is proposed to account for attenuation caused by vehicle along the propagation path. The vehicular communication scenario is simulated in the ns-3 network simulator with four categories of vehicles and the attenuation loss is calculated. The simulation results confirm that vehicles as obstructions can be a major source of signal attenuation and a single vehicle can cause attenuation up to 20 dB in the road scenario.
Afforestation affects rain-on-snow climatology over Norway

Rain-on-snow (ROS) events are most commonly found in sub-polar and alpine climates where they pose a considerable threat to society and nature. While the relationship between ROS frequency and large-scale climate features have been identified, little is known about the role of localised factors, such as land cover, in ROS frequency. Importantly, the impact of future land cover changes, such as afforestation, on ROS frequency is also unknown. In this study, we use gridded observational products and kilometer-scale regional climate simulations to investigate the comparative roles of forests and open spaces in ROS frequency, and to identify the impact of afforestation on ROS frequency. The seNorge gridded observational products generally show that evergreen forests have a higher ROS frequency than open spaces despite the large discrepancies in land cover between different datasets. The observed behaviour was well simulated by a regional climate model, albeit with a more pronounced difference between ROS frequency in forests and open spaces. Model-based results show that future changes in ROS frequency are larger in evergreen forests than in open spaces, and afforestation will increase the frequency of ROS events. Our results demonstrate the relationship between land cover and ROS frequency, and highlight the need to include unique features of the local climate system, such as ROS events, in studies on climate and land use land cover change. Importantly, our study shows that afforestation policies in sub-polar and alpine regions should carefully consider the impacts of such policies on ROS frequency and the downstream consequences for society and nature.
PRETENSION OF EXTERNALLY BONDED FRP FABRICS FOR FLEXURAL REINFORCEMENT OF RC BEAMS: METHODS AND DESIGN EQUATIONS

Use of prestressed FRP reinforcement represents a significant contribution to the advancement of the FRP strengthening technique, and several methods have been developed to prestress the FRP composites under real life conditions. This technique has also some disadvantages, being more expensive than normal strip bonding due to the greater number of operations and equipment that is required. The operation also takes somewhat longer, as the equipment that holds the strip to the beam soffit must remain in place until the adhesive has sufficiently hardened. However, use of prestressed FRP reinforcement for flexural strengthening of RC beams in shape of fabrics has not increased as widely as that of laminated strips. This is mostly due to the difficulty of seizing the fabric when prestressing it, without ripping the fibres. So far research has produced devices that are effective in seizing and prestressing laminated strips, because of their higher transverse stiffness, and field applications have been already carried out. On the other hand, significant problems have been encountered in developing as effective devices for FRP fabrics: the only way to seize a fabric without the risk of ripping it, due to local concentration of stresses, is to wrap it around a round object with an appropriate rounding radius. A new device is proposed to effectively seize and prestress FRP fabrics. The main advantage of the seizingtensioning device is that it may also allow differential prestressing of the fabric along the beam axis, thus inhibiting the risk of debonding at the free ends of the fabric, in case the fabric is not mechanically endrestrained.