Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Can golfers choose low-risk routes in steep putting based on visual feedback of ball trajectory?

This study aims to clarify why the aiming method in golf putting in risky situations differs based on skill level. This study set up a difficult challenge (steep slopes and fast ball rolling greens), which required even professional golfers to change their aim. A total of 12 tour professionals and 12 intermediate amateurs were asked to perform a steep-slope task with no visual feedback of outcomes (no FB) followed by a task with visual feedback (with FB). The aim of the task was for the ball to enter the hole in one shot. Additionally, the participants were told that if the ball did not enter the hole, it was to at least stop as close to it as possible. The participant's aim (as an angle) and the kinematics of the putter head and ball were measured. The results indicated that professionals' highest ball trajectory points were significantly higher than that of amateurs, especially with FB. Additionally, professionals had higher ball-launch angles (the direction of the ball when the line connecting the ball and the center of the hole is 0 degrees) and lower peak putter head velocities than amateurs. Furthermore, the aim angle, indicating the golfer's decision-making, was higher for professionals under both conditions. However, even with FB, the amateurs' aim angles were lower and the difference between trials was smaller than that of professionals. Therefore, this study confirmed that the professionals made more drastic changes to their aim to find low-risk routes than the amateurs and that the amateurs’ ability to adjust their aim was lower than that of professionals. The results suggest that the reason for the amateurs' inability to find low-risk routes lies in their decision-making. The professionals found better routes; however, there were individual differences in their routes.
Thermospheric Neutral Wind Measurement Using the LWA1 and the AFRL Digisonde

Abstract : We use the first station of the Long Wavelength Array (LWA1) to observe low power echoes from meteors due to illumination of meteor trails from TV or VHF radar. We built and deployed 5 Data Recorder Storage Units (DRSUs) at LWA1 and use these to collect data from the LWA1. We have collected both LWA1 beam observations and Transient Buffer Narrowband (TBN) data which is an all-dipole mode. Both of these modes have extremely high data rates up to 360 GB/hour in the case of TBN mode. This original objective was to characterize three-dimensional neutral wind patterns in 90-120 km altitude.
Physiological Response to Low Temperature of Four Genotypes of Cyclocarya paliurus and Their Preliminary Evaluation to Cold Resistance

Cyclocarya paliurus is a versatile tree species with immense potential for development, as it combines edible, medicinal, and ornamental functions. Low temperature is one of the important abiotic factors that affect plant survival and flourishing but their response mechanism to low temperature is not yet clear. In this study, we utilized annual shoots of four genotypes of C. paliurus, namely T2, W10, M31 and S12, as materials. The physiological responses of annual shoots of C. paliurus to low temperature stress were elaborated by determining and comparing indicators related to cold resistance, such as relative electric conductivity, semi-lethal low temperature, malondialdehyde, soluble sugar, soluble protein, proline, superoxide dismutase and peroxidase. The contents of malondialdehyde, proline, soluble protein and peroxidase activities were not only correlated with the treatment temperature but also related to the genotypes. Osmotic substance (soluble sugar, soluble protein and proline) contents and antioxidant enzyme activities (peroxidase and superoxide dismutase) of the four genotypes showed a trend of increasing and then decreasing with the five decreasing temperatures. Furthermore, a comprehensive evaluation of cold resistance was performed by using a combination of principal component analysis and membership function, with the cold resistance ranked as W10 > M31 > S12 > T2. Results from this study would provide some references for extending the plantation areas.
Topology-Aware Graph Convolution Network for Few-Shot Incremental 3-D Object Learning

Three-dimensional (3-D) object recognition has achieved satisfied achievement in both academia and industry. However, most traditional 3-D object classification methods implicitly assume that there are abundant training data from a static distribution. To relax the assumption, we target on a more challenging and realistic setting: few-shot incremental 3-D object learning (FSI3DL), which intends to incrementally classify the new coming 3-D objects with few training data. In order to achieve this, two key challenges need to be concerned: 1) the catastrophic forgetting issue caused by incremental 3-D data with irregular and redundant topological structures and 2) the overfitting issue caused by few-shot training data. To address the first challenge, we use Laplacian spectral analysis based on 3-D meshes to design an embedding network that consists of super-vertex graph convolution (SVGC) module and topology-aware graph attention (TAGA) module. The SVGC is designed to construct the discriminative local topological characteristics for representing the irregular 3-D meshes better. The TAGA is designed to identify redundant topological characteristics. To address the second challenge, a fine-tuning strategy with model alignment regularization is investigated. Furthermore, an embedding space selection and fusion (ESSF) strategy is proposed in the inference phase to mitigate catastrophic forgetting and overfitting further. Combining SVGC, TAGA, and alignment regularization with ESSF strategy, a novel topology-aware graph convolution network (TopGCN) is proposed to address the FSI3DL. Experiments on representative 3-D classification datasets validate the superiority of TopGCN.
Insole Systems for Disease Diagnosis and Rehabilitation: A Review

Some chronic diseases, including Parkinson’s disease (PD), diabetic foot, flat foot, stroke, elderly falling, and knee osteoarthritis (KOA), are related to orthopedic organs, nerves, and muscles. The interaction of these three parts will generate a comprehensive result: gait. Furthermore, the lesions in these regions can produce abnormal gait features. Therefore, monitoring the gait features can assist medical professionals in the diagnosis and analysis of these diseases. Nowadays, various insole systems based on different sensing techniques have been developed to monitor gait and aid in medical research. Hence, a detailed review of insole systems and their applications in disease management can greatly benefit researchers working in the field of medical engineering. This essay is composed of the following sections: the essay firstly provides an overview of the sensing mechanisms and parameters of typical insole systems based on different sensing techniques. Then this essay respectively discusses the three stages of gait parameters pre-processing, respectively: pressure reconstruction, feature extraction, and data normalization. Then, the relationship between gait features and pathogenic mechanisms is discussed, along with the introduction of insole systems that aid in medical research; Finally, the current challenges and future trends in the development of insole systems are discussed.
Choice of energy-saving electric drives in quasi-stationary transport systems

This article presents the structure of a quasi-stationary scheme of conveyor belt transport systems. The ratios of transport losses and characteristics of electrical systems driven by a network and a converter are obtained. The values that affect the losses in the transport system, such as the speed and resistance forces of the conveyor belt and carrier rollers, are determined. Transport losses and characteristics of electrical systems are obtained when powered from the mains and through a converter, inverter operation for active and passive transport systems, network operation with active transport systems, network operation for passive transport systems. Factors are given when choosing energy-saving conveyor drives, a diagram for choosing the most efficient types of drive, taking into account the types of load and intended for various conveyor systems.
Visceral obesity and anastomotic leakage rates in colorectal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background Numberous studies have heatedly discussed whether obesity is a risk factor for anastomotic leakage (AL) because of the increasing number of colorectal cancer (CRC) cases and high incidence of CRC in patients with obesity. Objective We aimed to explore the relationship between visceral obesity(VO) and AL after CRC surgery. The databases of Pubmed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library were searched for relevant data and articles published until November 1, 2022. We identified the difference in the incidence of AL after CRC surgery between patients with and without VO. The quality of included studies was evaluated using the Newcastle- Ottawa Scale, and odds ratio (OR) and 95% CI were used to assess the association between VO and AL. Results This meta-analysis included 7 studies with 2,136 patients. The OR of patients with VO versus those without VO was 2.15 (95%CIs = 1.46–3.15, test for heterogeneity: P = 0.29, I2 = 18%) based on the fixed-effect model in seven studies. Notably, the difference between the two groups was statistically significant (Z = 3.91 P < 0.0001). Patients with VO in the colon cancer group exhibited a higher incidence of AL (OR = 2.88, 95% CIs = 1.38–5.99, test for heterogeneity: P = 0.27, I2 = 20%) than those in the rectal cancer group (OR = 2.74, 95% CIs = 1.13–6.65, test for heterogeneity: P = 0.20, I2 = 38%). In the studies in the relevant literature, heterogeneity was low. Regarding patients with VO, four Asian studies reported increased morbidity due to AL (OR = 2.79, 95% CIs = 1.35–5.78, test for heterogeneity: P = 0.35, I2 = 9%) compared with three non-Asian studies. Conclusions Our findings confirmed the significant relationship between VO and AL. Thus, VO could be considered a reliable risk factor of surgery for colon cancer.
FCS-MPC Based Dual-module ANN Controller for Three-level Converter

Finite-control-set model predictive control (FCS-MPC) shows great control performance and adaptability for different converter topologies and operating modes. However. The computation burden increases significantly for long prediction step and multi-level topology. Artificial neuron network (ANN) is developed to imitate FCS-MPC controller for similar control effect with lower computation burden. However, the imitation accuracy is not good enough for single ANN. To achieve acceptable control effect using a simple ANN, we propose an FCS-MPC-based dual-module ANN controller. We first off-line train the ANN to imitating the FCS-MPC. Then we designed a dual-module structure which combines ANN and FCS-MPC to increase the imitation accuracy. The simulation result shows that the accuracy of our design increases to 99.87% while the computation burden is reduced by 58.8% compared with FCS-MPC. It can achieve similarly control performance and significantly reduce computation burden.
Attribution of Extreme Events to Climate Change

Within the past decade, the attribution of extreme weather events and their impacts has enabled scientists, the public, and policymakers alike to connect real-world experiences of extreme weather events with scientific understanding of anthropogenic climate change. Attribution studies of recent extreme weather events have formed a new and important line of evidence in the most recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) assessment report understanding present-day impacts of climate change. IPCC studies using different methods of event attribution have been assessed together, highlighting that these differences are smaller than the academic discourse on the methods suggests. This development raised two important research questions the science needs to answer: First, how do we formally combine attribution statements using highly conditional methods with probabilistic assessments of how climate change alters the likelihood and intensity of extreme weather events? Second, under what circumstances are individual attribution studies still necessary and to what extent do existing attribution studies provide enough information to answer societal questions? Furthermore, the scientific development still leaves important gaps, particularly in countries of the Global South, leading to ethical questions around the need and requirement of attribution of extreme events in policy contexts, informing adaptation and loss and damage and the role of vulnerability. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Environment and Resources, Volume 48 is October 2023. Please see http://www.annualreviews. org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
Amniotic Membrane and Its Derivatives: Novel Therapeutic Modalities in Liver Disorders

The liver is a vital organ responsible for metabolic and digestive functions, protein synthesis, detoxification, and numerous other necessary functions. Various acute, chronic, and neoplastic disorders affect the liver and hamper its biological functions. Most of the untreated liver diseases lead to inflammation and fibrosis which develop into cirrhosis. The human amniotic membrane (hAM), the innermost layer of the fetal placenta, is composed of multiple layers that include growth-factor rich basement membrane, epithelial and mesenchymal stromal cell layers. hAM possesses distinct beneficial anti-fibrotic, anti-inflammatory and pro-regenerative properties via the secretion of multiple potent trophic factors and/or direct differentiation into hepatic cells which place hAM-based therapies as potential therapeutic strategies for the treatment of chronic liver diseases. Decellularized hAM is also an ideal scaffold for liver tissue engineering as this biocompatible niche provides an excellent milieu for cell proliferation and hepatocytic differentiation. Therefore, the current review discusses the therapeutic potential of hAM and its derivatives in providing therapeutic solutions for liver pathologies including acute liver failure, metabolic disorders, liver fibrosis as well as its application in liver tissue engineering.
“I Never Would Have Talked to This Person”: The Power of an Assignment to Encourage Engagement

Abstract First-Year Seminars (FYS) are a high-impact practice (Keup & Young, 2018; Skipper, 2017). However, outcomes of pedagogical approaches linked to those seminars have not been as well researched. An expectation of Christian higher education is to consider what kind of spiritual and personal formation is happening through classroom assignments and practices (Smith, 2021a). This qualitative study explored the impact of an assignment in which first-year students interacted in structured conversations outside of class for 10 weeks of the fall semester. Students reflected on their experiences by responding to prompts at the midpoint and end of the semester, and the researcher conducted a qualitative analysis of the responses with a focus on the question: “Have our teaching practices nudged students toward genuine engagement with the people around them? ” The most common themes revealed that structured conversations functioned as a formative relational practice, which moved students to engage in meaningful ways with people with whom they previously thought they would have nothing in common.
Novel Derivatives of Nitrobenzofurazan with Chromogenic and Fluorogenic Properties

Five new derivatives were obtained utilizing 4-chloro-7-nitrobenzofurazan (NBD-chloride) in combination with furfurylamine, adamantylamine, aminohippuric acid, phenylalanine, and dehydroabietylamine. These derivatives were then subjected to a comparative analysis of their physical, chemical, and certain biological properties alongside two analogous and known compounds derived from the glycine and 4-amino-TEMPO free radical.
Taxonomic and functional diversity of the soil microbiome recruited from alternative crops in a rotation system

Intensive cropping is considered to contribute to negative effects both on soil physiochemical properties and on long‐term grain yield, which can be alleviated by appropriate crop rotations. The soil microbial community can vary with different crop rotations, which in turn affect soil quality and grain yield. Therefore, it is of great significance to elucidate the response of the soil microbial community to crop rotation. In this study, the structural and functional changes of microbial community in different crop rotations were analyzed using high‐throughput sequencing and metagenomics analysis in a field experiment. The continuous winter wheat‐summer maize cropping system was the control, and three crop rotations were established in October 2016 as follows: (1) spring peanut→winter wheat‐summer maize, (2) winter wheat‐summer peanut→winter wheat‐summer maize and (3) spring sweet potato→winter wheat‐summer maize. Soil samples were collected in September 2021 for soil microbial assessment. The results showed that the relative abundance of Actinobacteriota in the soil of spring sweet potato→winter wheat‐summer maize was significantly higher (15.2%) than that in the control. The relative abundance of Ascomycota was significantly higher (19.8%–23.2%) in the soil following crop rotation compared with the control. Compared with the control, spring peanut→winter wheat‐summer maize enriched energy metabolism genes, and spring sweet potato→winter wheat‐summer maize reduced the genes related to plant–pathogen interaction. Compared with the control, crop rotation significantly decreased the relative abundance of the inorganic phosphorus solubilization gene (gcd) and the phosphorus transport gene (upgE) and increased the abundance of organic phosphorus mineralization genes (phoA and phyA). Based on these results, we concluded that the composition of the soil microbial community and functional genes can be altered by crop rotation, and spring peanut→winter wheat‐summer maize and spring sweet potato→winter wheat‐summer maize had more significant effects. This study provided a reference for the selection of crop rotations in the North China Plain based on the soil microbial community and its function.
Theoretical study on ordering of polarity and oscillation in cell populations

Polarity and phase ordering are greatly important in biology. The former is essential, e.g., for alignment of hair follicles and oriented cell division. The latter is known as synchronization, which is required, e.g., for normal operation of the heart and circadian rhythms. In this thesis, the ordering dynamics of cellular polarity and oscillation phase is elucidated. In Chapter 1, polarity and phase ordering and some mathematical models of ordering are introduced. The first and second parts of this thesis deal with the polarity alignment process (Chapters 2 – 4) and the phase ordering process (Chapters 5 – 7), respectively. In Chapter 2, first, the planar cell polarity (PCP) is explained. PCP refers to the coordinated alignment of cell polarity across a planar tissue, and many biological experiments have been performed on PCP in the wing epithelium of Drosophila. The present study is based on those experimental results. The previous mathematical models of PCP and general models describing ordering of spins and oscillators are introduced. In Chapter 3, a reaction–diffusion model of cellular polarity alignment is constructed. Nonetheless, this model is costly for numerical analysis when many cells are considered. Therefore, in the second half of Chapter 3, a reduced model using the phase reduction theory for systems with a spatially translational mode is derived. The derived phase model is drastically simpler and easier to analyze than the reaction–diffusion model, yet it is a reasonable approximation. It contains the terms representing geometric information, such as cell shape and relative position of adjacent cells in addition to the terms similar to ferromagnetic spin models. In contrast to previously proposed phenomenological models, these terms are derived directly from the reaction–diffusion model. In Chapter 4, the newly derived phase model is analyzed. As a result, it becomes clear that shapes of cells and anisotropy of a coupling strength distribution affect the global orientation of polarity. In fact, when the distribution of coupling strengths is uniform, the polarity is oriented perpendicular to the direction of
An EMG-to-Force Processing Approach to Estimating Knee Muscle Forces during Adult, Self-Selected Speed Gait

Background: The purpose of this study was to determine the force production during self-selected speed normal gait by muscle–tendon units that cross the knee. The force of a single knee muscle is not directly measurable without invasive methods, yet invasive techniques are not appropriate for clinical use. Thus, an EMG-to-force processing (EFP) model was developed which scaled muscle–tendon unit (MTU) force output to gait EMG. Methods: An EMG-to-force processing (EFP) model was developed which scaled muscle–tendon unit (MTU) force output to gait EMG. Active muscle force power was defined as the product of MTU forces (derived from EFP) and that muscle’s contraction velocity. Net knee EFP moment was determined by summing individual active knee muscle moments. Net knee moments were also calculated for these study participants via inverse dynamics (kinetics plus kinematics, KIN). The inverse dynamics technique used are well accepted and the KIN net moment was used to validate or reject this model. Closeness of fit of the moment power curves for the two methods (during active muscle forces) was used to validate the model. Results: The correlation between the EFP and KIN methods was sufficiently close, suggesting validation of the model’s ability to provide reasonable estimates of knee muscle forces. Conclusions: The EMG-to-force processing approach provides reasonable estimates of active individual knee muscle forces in self-selected speed walking in neurologically intact adults.
Differential Cardiovascular Outcomes of Each Antihypertensive Drug Class in Patients With Hypertension and Breast Cancer Undergoing Doxorubicin-Containing Chemotherapy

Purpose The preemptive use of renin-angiotensin system (RAS) inhibitors may reduce doxorubicin (DOX)-related cardiotoxicity. Using the national insurance claims data of Korea, this study compared cardiovascular (CV) outcomes following the use of four major antihypertensive drug classes in patients with hypertension and breast cancer who underwent DOX-containing chemotherapy. Methods A total of 4,722 patients with hypertension and breast cancer who underwent DOX-containing chemotherapy were included. The outcomes were compared between patients who used RAS inhibitors, calcium channel blockers (CCBs), beta-blockers (BBs), and thiazide and thiazide-like diuretics (TDs). The primary outcome was a composite of incident heart failure and serious ventricular arrhythmias, including ventricular tachycardia and fibrillation, ischemic heart disease, and stroke. Results In the propensity score-matched population, there were no significant differences in the primary outcome between RAS inhibitor and CCB users; however, patients with diabetes who used CCBs had a worse primary outcome than those who used RAS inhibitors (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 1.93; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.06–3.51). BB and TD users had a worse primary outcome compared with RAS inhibitor (aHR, 1.88; 95% CI, 1.30–2.71 in BB users and aHR, 2.55; 95% CI, 1.37–4.75 in TD users) or CCB (aHR, 1.54; 95% CI, 1.09–2.16 in BB users and aHR, 2.08; 95% CI, 1.13–3.82 in TD users) users. Conclusion RAS inhibitors are preferred for the treating hypertension and improving CV outcomes in patients with hypertension and breast cancer undergoing DOX-containing chemotherapy, particularly in patients with comorbid diabetes. However, CCBs are equivalent to RAS inhibitors and are more favorable than BBs and TDs in terms of improving CV outcomes.