Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The relation between total and initial heat in single muscle twitches

FOR a muscle giving a series of twitches A. V. Hill [1928b] found a mean value of 2-07 for the ratio (total heat in oxygen): (total heat in nitrogen). The latter includes the delayed anaerobic heat [see CattellandHartree, 1932], and if this were 8 p.c. of the whole the ratio (total heat in oxygen): (initial heat) would be 2*24. It was interesting, therefore, to deter e the latter ratio directly in a series of twitches, and at the suggestion of Prof. A. V. Hill this has been done for the case of a muscle twitching at regular intervals during the maintenance of a steady state of activity. The same method was applied for the case of a muscle in nitrogen, though here, strictly speaking, a "steady" state is not possible. Principle of the method. If to a muscle on a thermopile is applied a regular series of shocks the heat deflection occurs on a rising base line oving to the accumulation of the recovery heat due to previous contractions. After a certain time a steady state is reached and successive deflections become identical, starting from the same point and running over the same course. Some time is required for the attainment of the steady state, which occurs only when recovery from the earliest twitches of the series has been completed. When once the steady state has set in, between each pair of the regular series of twitches is produced a total amount of heat equal to the recovery heat from either of the said twitches, so that between one shock and the next the total heat set free is equal to the total heat of one of the twitches. Although during the steady state the recovery heat for each twitch does not occur in the interval between that twitch and the next, the recovery heat in the interval must be equal to the full recovery heat of one twitch. If, therefore, we can be sure that the steady state is fully attained, there is no need
Modelling the deformation of continuous fibre-reinforced thermoplastics subjected to hygrothermal loading

For the application of continuous fibre-reinforced thermoplastics in car body structures it has to be ensured that they can pass through the automotive paint shop. There are substantial chemical, hygroscopic and thermal impacts throughout this process that can affect the shape of such components. The aim of this study is to model the deformation behaviour of continuous fibre-reinforced thermoplastics under hygrothermal loading. Relaxation tests were performed to assess temperature-dependent and viscoelastic behaviour. Input parameters for temperature and moisture distribution were determined experimentally and computed using finite difference method. A straightforward approach based on classical laminate theory is presented that comprises anisotropic viscoelasticity as well as hygroscopic, thermal and polymer-chemical effects. The introduced phenomenological model was successfully used to describe the deformation of five different laminate layups both dry and fully saturated with moisture.
Theory of the topical coverage of multiple databases

We present a model that describes which fraction of the literature on a certain topic we will find when we use n (n = 1, 2, …) databases. It is a generalization of the theory of discovering usability problems. We prove that, in all practical cases, this fraction is a concave function of n, the number of used databases, thereby explaining some graphs that exist in the literature. We also study limiting features of this fraction for n very high and we characterize the case that we find all literature on a certain topic for n high enough. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Adherent Use of Digital Health Trackers Is Associated with Weight Loss

We study the association between weight fluctuation and activity tracking in an on-line population of thousands of individuals using digital health trackers (1,749 ≤ N ≤ 14,411, depending on the activity tracker considered) with millions of recorded activities (119,292 ≤ N ≤ 2,221,382) over the years 2013–2015. In a first between-subject analysis, we found a positive association between activity tracking frequency and weight loss. Users who log food with moderate frequency lost an additional 0.63% (CI [0.55, 0.72]; p < .001) of their body weight per month relative to low frequency loggers. Frequent workout loggers lost an additional 0.38% (CI [0.20, 0.56]; p < .001) and frequent weight loggers lost an additional 0.40% (CI [0.33, 0.47]; p < .001) as compared to infrequent loggers. In a subsequent within-subject analysis on a subset of the population (799 ≤ N ≤ 6,052) with sufficient longitudinal data, we used fixed effect models to explore the temporal relationship between a change in tracking adherence and weight change. We found that for the same individual, weight loss is significantly higher during periods of high adherence to tracking vs. periods of low adherence: +2.74% of body weight lost per month (CI [2.68, 2.81]; p < .001) during adherent weight tracking, +1.35% per month (CI [1.26, 1.43]; p < .001) during adherent food tracking, and +0.60% per month (CI [0.44, 0.76]; p < .001) during adherent workout tracking. The findings suggest that adherence to activity tracking can be utilized as a convenient real-time predictor of weight fluctuations, enabling large-scale, personalized intervention strategies.
MECHANICAL AND TRIBOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF SKIN STUDIED BY MICROSCALE INDENTATION AND SCRATCHING TECHNIQUES

Author(s): Jee, Taekwon | Advisor(s): Komvopoulos, Kyriakos | Abstract: Knowledge of the mechanical response and deformation behavior of individual skin layers during microprobe penetration is of high clinical and societal importance. In this thesis, the elastic behavior of stratum corneum, viable epidermis, dermis, and whole multilayer skin were investigated by combining micro/nanoindentation and microscratching techniques. Statistical analysis shows insignificant differences in reduced elastic modulus of skin samples obtained from three different porcine breeds. The reduced elastic modulus of stratum corneum is shown to be about three orders of magnitude higher than that of dermis. For relatively shallow and deep indentation depths, skin elasticity is controlled by that of stratum corneum and dermis, respectively. Skin indentation mechanics are interpreted in the context of a layered structure model consisting of a stiff and hard layer supported by a compliant and soft substrate, derived on the basis of microscopy observations and indentation measurements. Time-dependent deformation of porcine skin was also studied in vitro. The deformation behavior of stratum corneum, dermis, and whole skin tissue are examined in the context of measurements of creep strain, elastic stiffness, and viscoelastic constants obtained for different values of hold time, loading/unloading rate, and maximum indentation depth (load). It is shown that dermis viscoelasticity significantly affects the time-dependent deformation of skin up to a critical indentation depth (load) beyond which, the viscoelastic behavior of skin is controlled by the outermost hard epidermis, particularly stratum corneum. A conceptual deformation model that explains skin viscoelastic behavior under constant load (creep) and zero load (stress relaxation) conditions is developed on the basis of the phenomenological observations and experimental trends of this study. Representative friction and wear results of skin subjected to unidirectional and reciprocal (cyclic) scratching are interpreted in terms of sliding speed, normal load, and scratch cycles to illustrate the effects of stratum corneum, cellular epidermis, and dermis on the skin friction and wear characteristics. Depending on the applied normal load and scratch time (cycles) various friction mechanisms (adhesion, plowing, and squeeze film lubrication) and wear processes (surface plasticity/plowing, bulk shearing, cohesive failure, tearing, and delamination) control shear-induced skin damage. The obtained results provide insight into microscale friction and wear processes influencing the mechanical response of skin to normal and shear surface tractions.
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) twenty years on

Cognitive decline has commonly been considered an inevitable result of brain aging and has been of clinical interest principally because of related difficulties with everyday functioning. Since the 1990s the “normality” of age-related cognitive decline has been called into question, being commonly attributed to a number of underlying disorders. Numerous concepts have been proposed which link subclinical cognitive change to pathological states (mild cognitive disorder, mild neurocognitive disorder, mild cognitive impairment). Of these, mild cognitive impairment (MCI) has become the most popular, driven on the one hand by industrial interests seeking to extend new dementia treatments for a more prevalent subclinical syndrome, and on the other by researchers attempting to identify at-risk populations. MCI has been both criticized for “medicalizing” behavior still within normal limits (Stephan et al., 2008; Moreira et al., 2008) and welcomed in that it suggests cognitive decline with aging may not be inevitable, but rather due to abnormalities which could ultimately be treated. Recently, in both Europe (DuBois et al., 2007) and the USA (Albert et al., 2011), panels of experts have scrutinized the concept of MCI and more broadly the pre-dementia stages of neurodegenerative diseases and offered new research diagnostic criteria. These proposed criteria have highlighted the (potential) value of biomarkers in assisting diagnosis, although some have considered the elevation of biomarkers to this level of importance in diagnosing disease before dementia develops to be premature given both the extent and quality of diagnostic biomarker data currently available (McShane et al., 2011a; 2011b).
The AGN fraction – velocity dispersion relation in clusters of galaxies

Context. Some previous investigations have found that the fraction (fAGN ) of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) is lower in clusters than in the field. This can result from the suppression of galaxy-galaxy mergers in high-velocity dispersion (σv) clusters, if the formation and/or fueling of AGNs is directly related to the merging process. Aims. We investigate the existence of a relation between fAGN and σv in galaxy clusters in order to shed light on the formation and evolution processes of AGNs and cluster galaxies. Methods. Using data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey we determine fAGN and σv for the clusters in two samples, extracted from the catalogs of Popesso et al. (2006a) and Miller et al. (2005), and excluding clusters with significant evidence for substructures. Results. We find a significant fAGN − σv anti-correlation. Clusters with σv lower and, respectively, higher than 500 km s have AGN fractions of 0.21±0.01 and 0.15±0.01, on average. The fAGN −σv relation can be described by a model that assumes fAGN is proportional to the galaxies merging rate, plus a constant. Conclusions. Since fAGN increases with decreasing σv, AGNs are likely to have played a significant rôle in heating the intra-cluster medium and driving galaxy evolution in cluster precursors and groups.
mTOR as a Key Regulator in Maintaining Skeletal Muscle Mass

Maintenance of skeletal muscle mass is regulated by the balance between anabolic and catabolic processes. Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is an evolutionarily conserved serine/threonine kinase, and is known to play vital roles in protein synthesis. Recent findings have continued to refine our understanding of the function of mTOR in maintaining skeletal muscle mass. mTOR controls the anabolic and catabolic signaling of skeletal muscle mass, resulting in the modulation of muscle hypertrophy and muscle wastage. This review will highlight the fundamental role of mTOR in skeletal muscle growth by summarizing the phenotype of skeletal-specific mTOR deficiency. In addition, the evidence that mTOR is a dual regulator of anabolism and catabolism in skeletal muscle mass will be discussed. A full understanding of mTOR signaling in the maintenance of skeletal muscle mass could help to develop mTOR-targeted therapeutics to prevent muscle wasting.
Numerical simulations of expanding supershells in dwarf irregular galaxies. I. Application to Holmberg I

Numerical hydrodynamical modelling of supernova-driven shell formation is performed with a purpose to reproduce a giant HI ring (diameter 1.7 kpc) in the dwarf irregular galaxy Holmberg I (Ho I). We find that the contrast in HI surface density between the central HI depression and the ring is sensitive to the shape of the gravitational potential. This circumstance can be used to constrain the total mass (including the dark matter halo) of nearly face-on dwarf irregulars. We consider two models of Ho I, which dier by an assumed mass of the dark matter halo Mh. The contrast in HI surface density between the central HI depression and the ring, as well as the lack of gas expansion in the central hole, are better reproduced by the model with a massive halo of Mh= 6:0 10 9 M than by that with a small halo of Mh= 4:0 10 8 M, implying that Ho I is halo-dominated. Assuming the halo mass of 6:0 10 9 M, we determine the mechanical energy required to form the observed ring equal to (3:0 0:5) 10 53 ergs, equivalent 300 50 Type II supernovae. The inclination of Ho I is constrained to 15 20 by comparing the modelled HI spectrum and channel maps with those observed.
Kernel indexing for relevance feedback image retrieval

Relevance feedback is an attractive approach to developing flexible metrics for content-based retrieval in image and video databases. Large image databases require an index structure in order to reduce nearest neighbor computation. However, flexible metrics can alter an input space in a highly nonlinear fashion, thereby rendering the index structure useless. Few systems have been developed that address the apparent flexible metric/indexing dilemma. This paper proposes kernel indexing to try to address this dilemma. The key observation is that kernel metrics may be nonlinear and highly dynamic in the input space but remain Euclidean in induced feature space. It is this linear invariance in feature space that enables us to learn arbitrary relevance functions without changing the index in feature space. As a result, kernel indexing supports efficient relevance feedback retrieval in large image databases. Experimental results using a large set of image data are very promising.
New developments in the treatment of partial-onset epilepsy

Although most people presenting with partial-onset seizures will achieve control with antiepileptic medication, a considerable minority will have difficult-to-treat epilepsy that is resistant to existing medication. Over the last few years, a large number of new antiepileptic drugs have been developed. Some of these have a novel mode of action. Many of the older antiepileptic drugs act through sodium channels or by enhancement of gamma amino butyric acid (GABA). Lamotrigine has sodium-channel blocking properties but also has other important modes of action, indicated by efficacy in treating not only partial-onset but also generalized seizures. Vigabatrin and tiagabine both increase GABA activity, by inhibiting GABA transaminase and limiting GABA reuptake, respectively. The main mode of action of gabapentin and pregabalin is not via GABA but through a selective inhibitory effect on voltage-gated calcium channels containing the α2δ-1 subunit. Levetiracetam inhibits the recycling of SV2A (synaptic vesicle protein 2A) neurotransmitter vesicles but also has other effects, including inhibition of voltage-dependent calcium channels. Some drugs, eg, felbamate, zonisamide, and topiramate, have multiple modes of action. In many cases, although the main mode of action may have been identified, other modes of action also play a role. Two recently developed antiepileptic drugs appear to have completely novel primary modes of action; retigabine (ezogabine) and perampanel act on the potassium channel and on AMPA (α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid) receptors, respectively. The hope is that antiepileptic drugs with a novel mode of action will be effective where previous drugs have failed and will not have unacceptable adverse effects. However, experience with these medications is too limited to allow any conclusions to be drawn at present.
Deficiency in DNA methylation increases meiotic crossover rates in euchromatic but not in heterochromatic regions in Arabidopsis

Meiotic recombination is tightly regulated by cis- and trans-acting factors. Although DNA methylation and chromatin remodeling affect chromosome structure, their impact on meiotic recombination is not well understood. To study the effect of DNA methylation on the landscape of chromosomal recombination, we analyzed meiotic recombination in the decreased DNA methylation 1 (ddm1) mutant. DDM1 is a SWI2/SNF2-like chromatin-remodeling protein necessary for DNA methylation and heterochromatin maintenance in Arabidopsis thaliana. The rate of meiotic recombination between markers located in euchromatic regions was significantly higher in both heterozygous (DDM1/ddm1) and homozygous (ddm1/ddm1) backgrounds than in WT plants. The effect on recombination was similar for both male and female meiocytes. Contrary to expectations, ddm1 had no effect on the number of crossovers between markers in heterochromatic pericentric regions that underwent demethylation. These results are surprising, because the pericentromeric regions are hypermethylated and were expected to be the regions most affected by demethylation. Thus, DDM1 loss of function may trigger changes that enhance meiotic recombination in euchromatin regions but are not sufficient to induce the same events in heterochromatic segments. This work uncovers the repressive role of methylation on meiotic recombination in euchromatic regions and suggests that additional factors may have a role in controlling the suppression of recombination in heterochromatin.
ASYMPTOTICALLY EFFICIENT PARAMETER ESTIMATION IN HIDDEN MARKOV SPATIO-TEMPORAL RANDOM FIELDS

Estimation of the parameters of Markov random field models for spatial and temporal data arises in many applications. There are computational and sta- tistical challenges in developing efficient estimators because of the complexity of the joint distribution of the spatio-temporal models, especially when they involve hidden states that also need to be estimated from the observations. We develop composite likelihood estimators that are analytically and computationally tractable, and show that they are asymptotically efficient under some mild correlation decay assumptions.
Runtime Verification of k-Mutual Exclusion for SoCs

We present an efficient runtime verification environment for detecting mutual exclusion predicates. Such predicates are important for keeping the safe operation of concurrent systems. Our environment models execution traces as partial order traces to increase scalability in runtime verification. We compare two techniques implemented in POTA tool, namely k-exclusion and computation slicing. The k-exclusion problem is a generalization of the mutual exclusion problem in which up to k processes may be in their critical sections at the same time. Our k-exclusion algorithm exploits the fact that if there is a k-exclusion violation then it is impossible to partition events from critical sections into k queues. We earlier presented efficient computation slicing algorithms to detect predicates from a subset of temporal logic CTL. We performed experiments using POTA tool on scalable protocols. Our comparison shows that k-exclusion is substantially better than slicing both in terms of time and space. In all fairness, slicing handles general class of predicates from temporal logic CTL, whereas k-exclusion algorithm handles only a very specific, nonetheless useful, class of mutual exclusion predicates.
Problems of Consolidating Usability Problems

The process of consolidating usability problems (UPs) is an integral part of usability evaluation involving multiple users/analysts. However, little is known about the mechanism of this process and its effects on evaluation outcomes, which presumably influence how developers redesign the system of interest. We conducted an exploratory research study with ten novice evaluators to examine how they performed when merging UPs in the individual and collaborative setting and how they drew consensus. Our findings indicate that collaborative merging causes the absolute number of UPs to deflate, and concomitantly the frequency of certain UP types as well as their severity ratings to inflate excessively. It can be attributed to the susceptibility of novice evaluators to persuasion in a negotiation setting, and thus they tended to aggregate UPs leniently. Such distorted UP attributes may mislead the prioritization of UPs for fixing and thus result in ineffective system redesign.
Rapid Spreadsheet Reshaping with Excelsior: multiple drastic changes to content and layout are easy when you represent enough structure

Spreadsheets often need changing in ways made tedious and risky by Excel. For example: simultaneously altering many tables' size, orientation, and position; inserting cross-tabulations; moving data between sheets; splitting and merging sheets. A safer, faster restructuring tool is, we claim, Excelsior. The result of a research project into reducing spreadsheet risk, Excelsior is the first ever tool for modularising spreadsheets; i.e. for building them from components which can be independently created, tested, debugged, and updated. It represents spreadsheets in a way that makes these components explicit, separates them from layout, and allows both components and layout to be changed without breaking dependent formulae. Here, we report experiments to test that this does indeed make such changes easier. In one, we automatically generated a cross-tabulation and added it to a spreadsheet. In the other, we generated new versions of a 10,000-cell housing-finance spreadsheet containing many interconnected 20*40 tables. We varied table sizes from 5*10 to 200*2,000; moved tables between sheets; and flipped table orientations. Each change generated a spreadsheet with different structure but identical outputs; each change took just a few minutes.
A critical review of methods for detecting human noroviruses and predicting their infectivity

Human noroviruses (hNoVs) are the single most common cause of acute non-bacterial gastroenteritis in the industrialized world but cannot be grown in simple culture systems. Different approaches for detecting hNoVs and predicting their infectivity are reviewed. Although reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) is the most widely used method to detect human noroviruses (hNoVs) it is unable to discriminate between infectious and non-infectious particles. There is therefore a dilemma in assessing the risk to human health from samples detected as positive in RT-qPCR assays. In the absence of an efficient cell, culture based detection system for hNoVs RT-qPCR methods need to differentiate RT-qPCR signals from intact infective particles, intact defective particles, degraded particles (consisting of capsid protein and virus RNA, herein referred to as ribonucleoprotein complexes (RNPs), and “naked” RNA. This review provides a critical analysis of methods for detecting hNoVs, and differentiating such signals with reference to relevant studies of virus infectivity, structure, inactivation, and the disassembly of virus particles during infection. The application of these methods as an adjunct to the proposed RT-qPCR European Committee for Standards (CEN) methods for the detection of hNoVs in foods and the environment is discussed.