Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of Rain on Energy Metabolism while Running in a Cold Environment

Abstract Environmental factors tend to influence the performance of individuals who exercise for extended periods. The present study aimed to determine energy metabolism while running in cold, wet conditions using a climatic chamber that can precisely simulate rainy conditions. 7 healthy men (age, 23.3±2.9 (SD) y; height, 168.6±7.5 cm; weight, 65.9±8.1 kg; V. O2max, 52.0±5.7 mL·kg − 1·min − 1) ran on a treadmill at 70% ˙VO2max intensity for 30 min in a climatic chamber at an ambient temperature of 5°C in the presence (RAIN) or absence (CON) of 40 mm/h of precipitation. Expired air, esophageal temperature, heart rate, mean skin temperature, rating of perceived exertion and blood samples were measured. Esophageal temperature and mean skin temperature were significantly lower (P<0.05) in RAIN than in CON all. Minute ventilation, oxygen consumption and levels of plasma lactate and norepinephrine were significantly higher (P<0.05) in RAIN than in CON. In conclusion, the higher oxygen consumption and plasma lactate in RAIN indicated that energy demand increases when running in cold conditions.
Gait Optimization of Biped Robot Based on Mix-encoding Genetic Algorithm

A seven-link biped robot model with 12 rotational DOF was chosen for gait optimization. The vector describing robot's position and pose was established, then the vector's expected locus during a regular step was modeled by the 5th order polynomials. The mathematic descriptions of geometry restriction, stabilization, energy dissipation, and impact to swaying leg from floor were analyzed respectively, and then the optimal gait was worked out with genetic algorithm mixing binary number encoding and floating point number encoding. Experimental results show that the optimal gait maximizes dynamic stabilization while it minimizes both energy dissipation and impact to swaying leg from floor.
Visualization challenge on time series statistical data

It has been very significant to visualize time series big data. In the paper we shall discuss design on time series statistical data. As an example, we present an animation of Gibbs sampling process to clarify the time changes. Gibbs sampling is widely used MCMC algorithm in the deep learning field. We consider that an additional z-axis coordinate or a time line are helpful for the visualization and the functions could be implemented automatically by some kind of chart-wizards. We shall discuss the design rules and tips on visualization of time series data.
Macro and micro effects of subsidy cuts : a short-run CGE analysis for Egypt

Using a Computable General Equilibrium model for Egypt based on data for 1991/92, this paper analyzes the short-run impact of removing price-distorting subsidies for oil products sold domestically and for commodities covered by the consumer subsidy program. The model merges neoclassical and structuralist features. Two sets of simulations are conducted. The first involves raising the price of domestic oil products to international levels; the second simulates the impact of removing consumer subsidies. Each policy gives rise to an increase in government savings. The analysis is focused on imposing alternative macro closures in order to explore trade-offs between alternative uses for these savings: foreign debt repayment (adding to Egypt's net foreign assets), domestic investment, and government transfers to the households. The results indicate that both policies are contractionary, across all macro closures. The strongest fall in real GDP and other indicators resulted from paying back foreign debt. For the other two cases, the savings were used in a manner which simulated the domestic economy, with a trade-off between investing and improving current household conditions. On the micro level, the oil policy simulations showed a decline in domestic oil use by 6-8 percent (with an accompanying reduction in air pollution) and larger exports. For the consumer subsidy cut, the household consumption fall was relatively limited for food due to low income and price elasticities; most of the consumption cut affected other industrial goods and services. Sensitivity analysis suggested that one structuralist feature mark-up pricing and excess capacity in much of the economy had a strong impact on the results; when profit maximization and no excess capacity was assumed for most sectors, the changes in real GDP and other variables were much smaller.
The Purchase of Development Rights: Preserving Agricultural Land and Open Space

Abstract The use of public money to purchase development rights to privately held land has become increasingly popular in recent years as a way to preserve agricultural land and open space. Several states and counties have devoted substantial dollars toward the purchase of development rights (PDR). The majority of PDR programs are found in the Northeast, and are particularly popular in urban fringe areas where farmland and open space are under intense pressure for conversion to urban or suburban uses. It is unlikely, however, that PDR programs alone can preserve a critical mass of farmland. Indeed, a number of states have chosen not to use PDRs among their growth management techniques. Although PDR programs are likely to remain controversial because of the sizable costs involved, they do offer more permanent farmland protection than zoning or property tax breaks and provide private landowners with compensation in return for restrictions on development.
Comprehensive Analysis of Protein Modifications by Top-Down Mass Spectrometry

Mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomics is playing an increasingly important role in cardiovascular research. Proteomics includes identification and quantification of proteins and the characterization of protein modifications, such as posttranslational modifications and sequence variants. The conventional bottom-up approach, involving proteolytic digestion of proteins into small peptides before MS analysis, is routinely used for protein identification and quantification with high throughput and automation. Nevertheless, it has limitations in the analysis of protein modifications, mainly because of the partial sequence coverage and loss of connections among modifications on disparate portions of a protein. An alternative approach, top-down MS, has emerged as a powerful tool for the analysis of protein modifications. The top-down approach analyzes whole proteins directly, providing a "bird's-eye" view of all existing modifications. Subsequently, each modified protein form can be isolated and fragmented in the mass spectrometer to locate the modification site. The incorporation of the nonergodic dissociation methods, such as electron-capture dissociation (ECD), greatly enhances the top-down capabilities. ECD is especially useful for mapping labile posttranslational modifications that are well preserved during the ECD fragmentation process. Top-down MS with ECD has been successfully applied to cardiovascular research, with the unique advantages in unraveling the molecular complexity, quantifying modified protein forms, complete mapping of modifications with full-sequence coverage, discovering unexpected modifications, identifying and quantifying positional isomers, and determining the order of multiple modifications. Nevertheless, top-down MS still needs to overcome some technical challenges to realize its full potential. Herein, we reviewed the advantages and challenges of the top-down method, with a focus on its application in cardiovascular research.
A chameleon function? HRM in the ‘90s

This article examines the changing role of the HR function in large corporations in the 1990s. It draws on data collected from a multi-sector case study research project – the Leading Edge Forum Consortium. Activities are analysed along three dimensions: access to strategic decision making, shift of responsibilities to the line, and the function's perceived contribution to business performance. It concludes that devolution to the line remains problematic, and that access to strategic decision making is still contingent on the personal influencing skills of senior HR managers or directors. Nevertheless the recognition of the strategic importance of HRM as a contributor to business performance has risen.
Green supply chain management approaches: drivers and performance implications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyse the complex interrelationships among environmental drivers, Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM) approaches and performance. Design/methodology/approach – A survey was sent to a sample of managers in the field of Purchasing and Supply Management in Spanish firms. Data were analysed using SmartPLS 2.0 to test a model that relates GSCM drivers, GSCM approaches and performance. Findings – Results show that coercive and non-coercive drivers have different implications in terms of GSCM approaches. Moreover, monitoring itself is not sufficient to improve performance; firms need to adopt collaborative practices with their suppliers. Results show that whereas collaboration has a direct effect on performance, monitoring has only an indirect relationship through collaboration. Research limitations/implications – One of the main limitations of this study is the use of data from a single country (Spain). The main contribution of the paper is to show that coercive and .
Actions of two new antagonists showing selectivity for different sub‐types of metabotropic glutamate receptor in the neonatal rat spinal cord

1 The presynaptic depressant action of l‐2‐amino‐4‐phosphonobutyrate (l‐AP4) on the monosynaptic excitation of neonatal rat motoneurones has been differentiated from the similar effects produced by (1S,3R)‐1‐aminocyclopentane‐1,3‐dicarboxylate ((1S,3R)‐ACPD), (1S,3S)‐ACPD and (2S,3S,4S)‐α‐(carboxycyclopropyl)glycine (l‐CCG‐I), and from the postsynaptic motoneuronal depolarization produced by (1S,3R)‐ACPD, by the actions of two new antagonists, α‐methyl‐l‐AP4 (MAP4) and α‐methyl‐l‐CCG‐I (MCCG). Such selectivity was not seen with a previously reported antagonist, (+)‐α‐methyl‐4‐carboxyphenylglycine (MCPG). 2 MAP4 selectively and competitively antagonized the depression of monosynaptic excitation produced by l‐AP4 (KD 22 μm). At ten fold higher concentrations, MAP4 also antagonized synaptic depression produced by l‐CCG‐I but in an apparently non‐competitive manner. MAP4 was virtually without effect on depression produced by (1S,3R)‐ or (1S,3S)‐ACPD. 3 MCCG differentially antagonized the presynaptic depression produced by the range of agonists used. This antagonist had minimal effect on l‐AP4‐induced depression. The antagonism of the synaptic depression effected by (1S,3S)‐ACPD and l‐CCG‐I was apparently competitive in each case but of varying effectiveness, with apparent KD values for the interaction between MCCG and the receptors activated by the two depressants calculated as 103 and 259 μm, respectively. MCCG also antagonized the presynaptic depression produced by (1S,3R)‐ACPD. 4 Neither MAP4 nor MCCG (200–500 μm) significantly affected motoneuronal depolarizations produced by (1S,3R)‐ACPD. At the same concentrations the two antagonists produced only very weak and variable effects (slight antagonism or potentiation) on depolarizations produced by (S)‐α‐amino‐3‐hydroxy‐5‐methylisoxazole‐4‐propionic acid (AMPA) and N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate (NMDA). 5 It is concluded that MAP4 is a potent and selective antagonist for those excitatory amino acid (EAA) receptors on neonatal rat primary afferent terminals that are preferentially activated by l‐AP4, and that MCCG is a relatively selective antagonist for different presynaptic EAA receptors that are preferentially activated by (1S,3S)‐ACPD and (perhaps less selectively) by l‐CCG‐I. These receptors probably comprise two sub‐types of metabotropic glutamate receptors negatively linked to adenylyl cyclase activity.
An Investigation of the Self-Perceived Principal Leadership Styles in an Era of Accountability

The purpose of this descriptive, quantitative, non-experimental, cross-sectional study was to determine the self-perceived leadership style of principals in an era of accountability. The research instrument was the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire with added demographic questions. In addition to the determination of the self-perceived principal leadership style, the intention of this study was to determine the possible relationship of demographic variables such as principal gender, experience, ethnicity, school type, school grade, and school socioeconomic status determined by Title I on leadership styles. The participants of the study were principals from three large school districts in the state of Florida. The dependent variable was the principal leadership style categorized on the MLQ as transactional, transformational, or laissez-faire. The MLQ also determined the use of behaviors categorized as laissez-faire, authoritative, or participative. The independent variables were the demographic variables, principal gender, ethnicity, years of experience as a school principal, school type, school grade, and school socioeconomic status defined by Title I.
Laryngeal resistance to respiratory airflow in humans

Although vocal cord adduction has been observed during expiration, measurements of absolute values of resistance changes in man have not been reported in the literature. The authors measured resistance to translaryngeal respiratory airflow in inspiratory and expiratory phases of the respiratory cycle of four healthy, awake men during nasal breathing. It was found that, during quiet breathing through a decongested nose, translaryngeal resistance was 1.245 cm H2O/L per second in expiration and 0.354 cm H2O/L per second in inspiration (.005 < P < or = .01), for a percentage of approximately 25% and 50% of extrathoracic expiratory and inspiratory resistances, respectively. Voluntary hyperventilation decreased expiratory resistance, and a partial nasal obstruction abolished the statistical difference between translaryngeal inspiratory and expiratory resistance. These results are in agreement with previous observations of vocal cord movement and are consistent with an expiratory braking effect on airflow.
The demand for pork in Sweden

Sweden is a large importer of Danish pork. Roughly one third of the total import of pork to Sweden is Danish pork. During 2014 media uncovered that 9 out of 10 Danish pigs carries the MRSA-bacteria. This thesis researches how the outbreaks of the MRSA-bacteria in Danish pig stables affected the demand for pork in Sweden. It will treat economic and econometric theory such as the log-log model and the Armington model. The topic will be researched with the help of data from different databases such as Eurostat and Statistics Sweden. Methods will be applied based on the theory in the purpose of finding structural change in the data set. The results from the methods showed a significant indicator for structural change due to the MRSA-outbreak and that the demand for pork in Sweden has changed because of it.
Workers and their alter egos as consumers

While socialists hardly need reminding that employers often mistreat their workers, we tend to overlook situations in which workers mistreat other workers. This tendency is exacerbated by discourses that urge us to act as consumers, and to treat cheap commodities as ‘bargains' rather than, for example, as the result of someone else's poor working conditions. This paper uses arguments from political and moral economy to illustrate some of the ways in which workers, in their alter egos as consumers, are causally implicated in the poor pay and conditions of other workers, and uses Marx's notion of commodity fetishism to explain why we tend to overlook this.
Platelet Glycoprotein Ibα Binds to Thrombin Anion-binding Exosite II Inducing Allosteric Changes in the Activity of Thrombin*

The glycoprotein (GP) Ib-IX complex is a platelet surface receptor that binds thrombin as one of its ligands, although the biological significance of thrombin interaction remains unclear. In this study we have used several approaches to investigate the GPIbα-thrombin interaction in more detail and to study its effect on the thrombin-induced elaboration of fibrin. We found that both glycocalicin and the amino-terminal fragment of GPIbα reduced the release of fibrinopeptide A from fibrinogen by about 50% by a noncompetitive allosteric mechanism. Similarly, GPIbα caused in thrombin an allosteric reduction in the rate of turnover of the small peptide substrate d-Phe-Pro-Arg-pNA. TheK d for the glycocalicin-thrombin interaction was 1 μm at physiological ionic strength but was highly salt-dependent, decreasing to 0.19 μm at 100 mm NaCl (Γsalt = −4.2). The salt dependence was characteristic of other thrombin ligands that bind to exosite II of this enzyme, and we confirmed this as the GPIbα-binding site on thrombin by using thrombin mutants and by competition binding studies. R68E or R70E mutations in exosite I of thrombin had little effect on its interaction with GPIbα. Both the allosteric inhibition of fibrinogen turnover caused by GPIbα binding to these mutants, and theK d values for their interactions with GPIbα were similar to those of wild-type thrombin. In contrast, R89E and K248E mutations in exosite II of thrombin markedly increased theK d values for the interactions of these thrombin mutants with GPIbα by 10- and 25-fold, respectively. Finally, we demonstrated that low molecular weight heparin (which binds to thrombin exosite II) but not hirugen (residues 54–65 of hirudin, which binds to exosite I of thrombin) inhibited thrombin binding to GPIbα. These data demonstrate that GPIbα binds to thrombin exosite II and in so doing causes a conformational change in the active site of thrombin by an allosteric mechanism that alters the accessibility of both its natural substrate, fibrinogen, and the small peptidyl substrated-Phe-Pro-Arg-pNA.
Normal forms of linear multivariable square systems and their application

Normal forms called by Byrnes-Isidori are useful to study properties of zeros of systems in continuous-time and sampled-data domain for the design of feedback controllers. This paper investigates how transfer function matrices and state-space equations of linear square systems with controllability, observability and invertibility are transformed to normal forms. In addition, as an application of a normal form, an approximate expression of zeros of a sampled-data model corresponding to a continuous-time square system nondecouplable by static state feedback is derived for a small sampling period.
Patterns of Comorbidity, Functioning, and Service Use for US Children With ADHD, 2007

OBJECTIVE: To determine patterns of comorbidity, functioning, and service use for US children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). METHODS: Bivariate and multivariable cross-sectional analyses were conducted on data from the 2007 National Survey of Children's Health on 61 779 children ages 6 to 17 years, including 5028 with ADHD. RESULTS: Parent-reported diagnosed prevalence of ADHD was 8.2%. Children with ADHD were more likely to have other mental health and neurodevelopmental conditions. Parents reported that 46% of children with ADHD had a learning disability versus 5% without ADHD, 27% vs 2% had a conduct disorder, 18% vs 2% anxiety, 14% vs 1% depression, and 12% vs 3% speech problems (all P < .05). Most children with ADHD had at least 1 comorbid disorder: 33% had 1, 16% had 2, and 18% had 3 or more. The risk for having 3 or more comorbidities was 3.8 times higher for poor versus affluent children (30% vs 8%). Children with ADHD had higher odds of activity restriction (odds ratio: 4.14 [95% confidence interval: 3.34–5.15]), school problems (odds ratio: 5.18 [95% confidence interval: 4.47–6.01]), grade repetition, and poor parent-child communication, whereas social competence scores were lower and parent aggravation higher. Functioning declined in a stepwise fashion with increasing numbers of comorbidities, and use of health and educational services and need for care coordination increased. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical management of ADHD must address multiple comorbid conditions and manage a range of adverse functional outcomes. Therapeutic approaches should be responsive to each child's neurodevelopmental profile, tailored to their unique social and family circumstances, and integrated with educational, mental health and social support services.
Assessment of the Incremental Diagnostic Value of Florbetapir F 18 Imaging in Patients With Cognitive Impairment: The Incremental Diagnostic Value of Amyloid PET With [18F]-Florbetapir (INDIA-FBP) Study.

Importance Cerebral amyloidosis is a key abnormality in Alzheimer disease (AD) and can be detected in vivo with positron emission tomography (PET) ligands. Although amyloid PET has clearly demonstrated analytical validity, its clinical utility is debated. Objective To evaluate the incremental diagnostic value of amyloid PET with florbetapir F 18 in addition to the routine clinical diagnostic assessment of patients evaluated for cognitive impairment. Design, Setting, and Participants The Incremental Diagnostic Value of Amyloid PET With [18F]-Florbetapir (INDIA-FBP) Study is a multicenter study involving 18 AD evaluation units from eastern Lombardy, Northern Italy, 228 consecutive adults with cognitive impairment were evaluated for AD and other causes of cognitive decline, with a prescan diagnostic confidence of AD between 15% and 85%. Participants underwent routine clinical and instrumental diagnostic assessment. A prescan diagnosis was made, diagnostic confidence was estimated, and drug treatment was provided. At the time of this workup, an amyloid PET/computed tomographic scan was performed, and the result was communicated to physicians after workup completion. Physicians were asked to review the diagnosis, diagnostic confidence, and treatment after the scan. The study was conducted from August 5, 2013, to December 31, 2014. Main Outcomes and Measures Primary outcomes were prescan to postscan changes of diagnosis, diagnostic confidence, and treatment. Results Of the 228 participants, 107 (46%) were male; mean (SD) age was 70.5 (7) years. Diagnostic change occurred in 46 patients (79%) having both a previous diagnosis of AD and an amyloid-negative scan (P < .001) and in 16 (53%) of those with non-AD diagnoses and an amyloid-positive scan (P < .001). Diagnostic confidence in AD diagnosis increased by 15.2% in amyloid-positive (P < .001; effect size Cohen d = 1.04) and decreased by 29.9% in amyloid-negative (P < .001; d = -1.19) scans. Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors and memantine hydrochloride were introduced in 61 (65.6%) patients with positive scan results who had not previously received those drugs, and the use of the drugs was discontinued in 6 (33.3%) patients with negative scan results who were receiving those drugs (P < .001). Conclusions and Relevance Amyloid PET in addition to routine assessment in patients with cognitive impairment has a significant effect on diagnosis, diagnostic confidence, and drug treatment. The effect on health outcomes, such as morbidity and mortality, remains to be assessed.
Genetically seizure‐prone or seizure‐resistant phenotypes and their associated behavioral comorbidities

Summary It was questioned whether amygdala kindling, a model of temporal lobe epilepsy, is under genetic control, and is associated with comorbid behavioral features. Initially, rats were selectively bred for speed of amygdala kindling, and, in subsequent generations, were assessed in behavioral paradigms to measure activity, emotionality, impulsivity, and learning. Clearly kindling was under genetic control, as two strains were developed to be either Fast or Slow to kindle, and each was associated with different neurological, electrophysiological and behavioral features. Behaviorally, the Fast rats appear much like humans with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), showing easy distraction, hyperactivity and impulsivity, compared to Slow rats.