Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The reliability of force-velocity-power profiling during over-ground sprinting in children and adolescents

ABSTRACT Anaerobic performance in youth has received little attention partly due to the lack of a “gold-standard” measurement. However, force-velocity-power (F-v-P) profiling recently showed high reliability and validity in trained adults. Therefore, the aim was to determine the reliability of F-v-P profiling in children and adolescents. Seventy-five children (60 boys, 15 girls; age: 14.1 ± 2.6 years) completed three 30 m sprints. Velocity was measured at 46.875 Hz using a radar device. The F-v-P profile was fitted to a velocity-time curve allowing instantaneous power variables to be calculated. Reliability was assessed using the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC), coefficient of variation (CV), standard error of measurement (SEM) and smallest worthwhile change (SWC). High reliability was evident for absolute peak (Ppeak) and mean power (Pmean), Ppeak and Pmean expressed relative to body mass, peak and mean velocity, 30 m sprint time, peak horizontal force (F0), relative F0, mechanical efficiency index and fatigue rate (ICC: 0.75–0.88; CV: 1.9–9.4%) with time to peak power demonstrating moderate reliability (ICC: 0.50; CV: 9.5%). The F-v-P model demonstrated at least moderate reliability for all variables. This therefore provides a potential alternative for paediatric researchers assessing sprint performance and the underlying kinetics.
Rhinocyllus conicus - insights to improve predictability and minimize risk of biological control of weeds.

A review of information on the release of Rhinocyllus conicus to control of Carduus spp. thistles in North America suggests at least 8 lessons for future biological control efforts. These lessons include the need for: 1) better a priori quantification of the occurrence and ecological effects of the weed; 2) improved incorporation of ecological criteria to supplement the phylogenetic information used to select plants for pre-release testing; 3) increased assessment of plausible direct and indirect ecological interactions when an agent looks promising but feeding tests suggest it is not strictly monophagous, including ecological factors determining host use and limiting population growth; 4) quantitative evaluation of the efficacy of the proposed biological solution, including evidence the agent can reduce persistence and regeneration of the weed; 5) more evidence on alternative control methods; 6) expanded review, both prior to release and periodically afterward; 7) addition of post-release evaluations and redistribution control; and, finally, 8) a rethinking of the situations that qualify for the use of biological control releases.
Associations Between Objective Television Exposure and Cancer Perceptions in a National Sample of Adults

The expanding sources of media coverage of cancer may have a powerful impact on emotions, cancer knowledge, information seeking, and other health behaviors. We explored whether television advertisements were associated with cancer worry, perceived risk, and perceived ability to prevent cancer using cross-sectional data from the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) linked to television advertisement data from Kantar Media. We conducted hierarchical linear modeling assessing 2-level models for each of the 3 outcomes of interest. The most common content included advertisements for cancer clinics (54.4%), public service announcements about cancer (22.0%), and advertisements about cancer organizations (9.1%). Most variance in cancer perceptions was due to individual-level characteristics and not exposure to television advertisements, which aligns with previous literature suggesting a small, but significant, association of television exposure with health beliefs. Higher levels of exposures to cancer-specific television advertisements were associated with higher levels of risk perceptions. Additionally, older adults’ levels of perceived worry and risk were more likely to be associated with television exposure than younger adults. Given the substantial investments being made in cancer advertisements on television, the differences in exposure are important to consider in future efforts to understand predictors of beliefs about cancer and in the development of interventions designed to target risk-reducing behaviors.
Digest: Colonizing rodents overcome ecological incumbency in an island system *

Do primary radiations inhibit the persistence and diversification of secondary colonizers? Rowsey et al. test predictions of this “incumbency effect” by contrasting patterns of morphological variation in two murine rodent clades on the Philippine island of Luzon. They find that in this system, primary colonizers may impose constraints via biotic filtering, and may also restrict size evolution in secondary colonists.
The Active Control of Maglev Stationary Self-Excited Vibration With a Virtual Energy Harvester

This paper addresses the active control of stationary self-excited vibration, which degrades the stability of the levitation control, decreases the ride comfort, and restricts the construction cost of the maglev system. First, a minimum interaction model containing a flexible bridge and a single levitation unit is presented. Based on the minimum interaction model, the principle underlying the self-excited vibration is explored. It shows that the active property of the levitation system is the root of self-excited vibration. Consider that the energy of vibration may be absorbed by the electromagnetic energy harvester (EEH), so that a technique applying it to the bridge is proposed, and the stability of the combined system is analyzed. However, its hardware structure is complicated, and the cost of construction is prohibitive. Then the novel conception of the virtual EEH is brought forward, which uses the electromagnetic force to emulate the force of a real energy harvester acting on the bridge. With the estimation of the vertical velocity of the bridge and the frequency of vibration, the self-oscillatory is avoided as well by adding an extra control instruction to the electromagnet. After building the overall dynamic model with details, numerical simulations and field experiments are carried out, and the results illustrating the improvement of stability are provided and analyzed.
A Study into the Effect of Different Nozzles Shapes and Fibre-Reinforcement in 3D Printed Mortar

Recently, 3D printing has become one of the most popular additive manufacturing technologies. This technology has been utilised to prototype trial and produced components for various applications, such as fashion, food, automotive, medical, and construction. In recent years, automation also has become increasingly prevalent in the construction field. Extrusion printing is the most successful method to print cementitious materials, but it still faces significant challenges, such as pumpability of materials, buildability, consistency in the materials, flowability, and workability. This paper investigates the properties of 3D printed fibre-reinforced cementitious mortar prisms and members in conjunction with automation to achieve the optimum mechanical strength of printed mortar and to obtain suitable flowability and consistent workability for the mixed cementitious mortar during the printing process. This study also considered the necessary trial tests, which are required to check the mechanical properties and behaviour of the proportions of the cementitious mix. Mechanical strength was measured and shown to increase when the samples were printed using fibre-reinforced mortar by means of a caulking gun, compared with the samples that were printed using the same mix delivered by a progressive cavity pump to a 6 degree-of-freedom robot. The flexural strength of the four-printed layer fibre-reinforced mortar was found to be 3.44 ± 0.11 MPa and 5.78 ± 0.02 MPa for the one-layer. Moreover, the mortar with different types of nozzles by means of caulking is printed and compared. Several experimental tests for the fresh state of the mortar were conducted and are discussed.
The biosynthetic pathway for aurofusarin in Fusarium graminearum reveals a close link between the naphthoquinones and naphthopyrones

Fungal polyketide biosynthesis typically involves multiple enzymatic steps and the encoding genes are often found in gene clusters. A gene cluster containing PKS12, the polyketide synthase gene responsible for the synthesis of the pigment aurofusarin, was analysed by gene replacement using Agrobacterium tumefaciens‐mediated transformation to determine the biosynthesis pathway of aurofusarin. Replacement of aurR1 with hygB shows that it encodes a positively acting transcription factor that is required for the full expression of PKS12, aurJ, aurF, gip1 and FG02329.1, which belong to the gene cluster. AurR1 and PKS12 deletion mutants are unable to produce aurofusarin and rubrofusarin. Bio‐ and chemoinformatics combined with chemical analysis of replacement mutants (ΔaurJ, ΔaurF, Δgip1, ΔaurO and ΔPKS12) indicate a five‐step enzyme catalysed pathway for the biosynthesis of aurofusarin, with rubrofusarin as an intermediate. This links the biosynthesis of naphthopyrones and naphthoquinones together. Replacement of the putative transcription factor aurR2 results in an increased level of rubrofusarin relative to aurofusarin. Gip1, a putative laccase, is proposed to be responsible for the dimerization of two oxidized rubrofusarin molecules resulting in the formation of aurofusarin.
Will tuberculosis become resistant to all antibiotics?

The discovery of high prevalences of antibiotic resistance in some pathogens, in some parts of the world, has provoked fears of a widespread loss of drug efficacy. Here, we use a mathematical model to investigate the evolution of resistance to four major anti-tuberculosis drugs (isoniazid, rifampicin, ethambutol and streptomycin) in 47 sites around the world. The model provides a new method of estimating the relative risk of treatment failure for patients carrying drug–resistant strains and the proportion of patients who develop resistance after failing treatment. Using estimates of these two quantities together with other published data, we reconstructed the epidemic spread of isoniazid resistance over the past 50 years. The predicted median prevalence of resistance among new cases today was 7.0% (range 0.9–64.3%), close to the 6.3% (range 0–28.1%) observed. Predicted and observed prevalences of resistance to isoniazid plus rifampicin (multidrug–resistant or MDR–TB) after 30 years of combined drug use were also similar, 0.9% (0.1–5.9%) and 1.0% (range 0–14.1%), respectively.With current data, and under prevailing treatment practices, it appears that MDR–TB will remain a localized problem, rather than becoming a global obstacle to tuberculosis control. To substantiate this result, further measurements are needed of the relative fitness of drug–resistant strains.
A 0.18 μm mixer merged with LNA exploiting noise cancellation

This paper presents a 0.18 μm mixer merged with LNA exploiting noise cancellation technique. It operates between 100MHz and 1GHz. The Gilbert mixer is known for its perfect port isolation and bad noise performance. The transconductor stage of the mixer can be implemented by an LNA exploiting noise cancellation to have a better NF. The chip is implemented in SMIC 0.18μm CMOS technology. Measurement shows that the proposed mixer merged with LNA has a 13.7∼19.5dB voltage gain from 100MHz to 1GHz, noise figure has an average of 5dB and has a minimum value of 3.8dB. The core area is 0.6×0.45mm2.
More than just Borrelia? A study of co-infection and etiology in erythema migrans patients from southernmost Sweden

A recent study reported in this journal raised the question of co-infection in patients seeking care after the bite of Ixodes ricinus ticks infected with Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (Bbsl) [1]. We addressed the question in a study of 51 patients diagnosed with erythema migrans (EM) at five clinics in southernmost Sweden in the years 1994–1997. Several studies have demonstrated co-transmission of more than one tick-borne organism in humans [2–4] and erythematous rashes, similar to those seen in EM, have been associated with [5,6] or attributed to [7] possible Candidatus Neoehrlichia mikurensis (CNM) infection in Norway, Sweden, and the Netherlands. As the microbial etiology of some EM lesions cannot be determined using PCR, the possibility of other etiological agents needs to be further examined. This is especially pertinent as beta-lactam antibiotics, the first-line treatment against EM, are ineffective against most tickborne organisms. We examined archival blood samples from patients diagnosed with EM at five clinics in southernmost Sweden for evidence of exposure to a number of tickborne organisms. More specifically, we examined the samples for (1) molecular (DNA) evidence of CNM and Anaplasma phagocytophilum (A. phagocytophilum), and (2) serological evidence of recent exposure to spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsiae, A. phagocytophilum as well as the tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) virus as evidenced by a significant rise in antibody titer. The study was based on data and archival blood samples collected from patients with EM in a prospective, multicenter study performed at five clinics in southernmost Sweden (Figure 1) in the years 1994 to 1997 [8]. Patients were selected based on the availability of consecutive blood samples of sufficient remaining volumes to allow further analysis resulting in the inclusion of a total of 51 patients. All participants were >18 years old with a median age of 50 (range 19–86) and a slight overweight of female (57%) participants. The diagnosis of EM was made on the basis of clinical examination by general practitioners, infectious disease specialists and dermatologists and all included patients underwent punch skin biopsies which were subsequently cultured. Of the 51 included patients, 22 (43%) had the diagnosis confirmed with spirochetal growth on culture and subsequent species identification using PCR, with two isolates identified as B. garinii and the rest as B. afzelii. Two whole blood (EDTA) and two serum samples were drawn at the initial visit and again at a follow-up visit two
Application of Analytical Network Process and Conditional Probability Co-occurrences Matrix for Business Modelling of Small-Medium Enterprises

In Indonesia, the scope of agroindustry are related to the food and non-food industry managedby Small-Medium Enterprises (SME). The classical problem of Indonesian Agroindustry wererelated to logistic, infrastructure, technology, high-cost economy, regulation, and financingconstraint. Therefore, an innovative business model is required for competitive and sustainableSME. Importance rate of the model can be defined by determining some criteria in a businessmodel. Analytical Network Process (ANP) is required to determine importance rate of businessmodel. However, ANP could not minimize the subjectivity factor of the respondent indetermining the criteria. Application of Conditional Probability Co-occurrences Matrix (CPCM)is required to minimize the subjectivity factor by comparing priority weight of each criterias. Theresearch objectives are: 1) To apply ANP method for representing business model criteria andattribute of SME; 2) To apply CPCM method for criteria pattern extraction. The case study ofresearch is SME Bakpia Tela Ungu and Telopia. CPCM Pattern extraction of Contrast, Energyand Local Homogeneity indicated the significant different of business model criteria betweenfood, non-food agroindustry and local governmental board. The research results indicated thatthere were different subjectivity to determine criteria priority weight.
The Role of Finance in Corporate Strategy

Finance allows organizations to quantitatively understand how a corporate strategic initiative affects corporate value. But some empirical studies available suggest that Chief Executive Officers do not find these linkages easily. The main objective of this study is to demystify finance and show how to use economic reasoning to enhance the quality of strategic decision making. The study is organized to focus on a variety of strategic financing decisions designed to maximize shareholder value creation and to revolve around literature review providing answers to the questions that managers frequently ask. This paper makes a deeper understanding of the financial frameworks for the CEO’s to monitor the implementation of their strategic decisions and ensure that they create value. Finance is an integral part of decisions. Moreover, since most realistic decisions are complex, any financial analysis is likely to have some limitations. Similarly, the monitoring of past decisions is critical to ensure that future opportunities for shareholder value creation are not missed and adequate resources are directed to promising investments while unpromising ones are reduced in scale or scope
Generation of discontinuous gaits for quadruped walking vehicles

Discontinuous gaits for walking machines have not yet been properly studied. Research has focused on the investigation, comprehension, and mathematical formulation of natural gaits. These gaits feature the fact that the body is in constant motion. The results have been significant, but they seem more adequate for animals than machines. On the other hand, discontinuous gaits, executed by animals under extreme conditions, exhibit excellent attributes for implementation in walking machines. This article presents a comparative study of continuous and discontinuous gaits with regard to their maximum achievable velocity and stability. Other aspects such as implementation in real machines, power requirements, and control under terrain difficulties are mentioned briefly. An elemental discontinuous gait is stated, and some variations on deriving crab and turning gaits are performed. Different methods for enlarging the achievable crab angle and improving stability are discussed for discontinuous crab gaits. A similar study is also done for turning gaits. (c) 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Alcohol control policies and socioeconomic inequalities in hazardous alcohol consumption: a 22-year cross-sectional study in a Swiss urban population

Objective Harmful use of alcohol represents a large socioeconomic and disease burden and displays a socioeconomic status (SES) gradient. Several alcohol control laws were devised and implemented, but their equity impact remains undetermined. We ascertained if an SES gradient in hazardous alcohol consumption exists in Geneva (Switzerland) and assessed the equity impact of the alcohol control laws implemented during the last two decades. Design Repeated cross-sectional survey study. Setting We used data from non-abstinent participants, aged 35–74 years, from the population-based cross-sectional Bus Santé study (n=16 725), between 1993 and 2014. Methods SES indicators included educational attainment (primary, secondary and tertiary) and occupational level (high, medium and low). We defined four survey periods according to the implemented alcohol control laws and hazardous alcohol consumption (outcome variable) as >30 g/day for men and >20 g/day for women. The Slope Index of Inequality (SII) and Relative Index of Inequality (RII) were used to quantify absolute and relative inequalities, respectively, and were compared between legislative periods. Results Lower educated men had a higher frequency of hazardous alcohol consumption (RII=1.87 (1.57; 2.22) and SII=0.14 (0.11; 0.17)). Lower educated women had less hazardous consumption ((RII=0.76 (0.60; 0.97)and SII=−0.04 (−0.07;−0.01]). Over time, hazardous alcohol consumption decreased, except in lower educated men. Education-related inequalities were observed in men in all legislative periods and did not vary between them. Similar results were observed using the occupational level as SES indicator. In women, significant inverse SES gradients were observed using educational attainment but not for occupational level. Conclusions Population-wide alcohol control laws did not have a positive equity impact on hazardous alcohol consumption. Targeted interventions to disadvantaged groups may be needed to address the hazardous alcohol consumption inequality gap.
Antifungal Prophylaxis: Identification of Preterm Neonates at Highest Risk for Invasive Fungal Infection

reported an increased risk of attention-deficit disorder (ADD) (adjusted relative risk: 1.9 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.1–3.3]). To investigate a possible association between TSB levels in infancy and subsequent risk of ADD, we linked laboratory, demographic, and outpatient visit databases of infants from 1995 to 2004 in the Northern California Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program as previously described.2–4 We included infants born at 34 weeks and 2000 g who had at least 1 outpatient visit at 3 years of age (N 161 141). TSB levels were measured at the discretion of the clinicians. We investigated the association between maximum reported TSB levels in the first 30 days after birth and ever having an outpatient visit that included a diagnosis of ADD (International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision codes 314–314.9). We found no association between TSB levels and ADD diagnoses (Table 1). Dichotomizing at 19 mg/dL, the relative risk was 1.08 (95% CI: 0.91–1.28). A Cox proportional hazards model of time to first ADD diagnosis, controlling for race, gender, birth weight, gestational age, facility of birth, and maternal age, yielded similar results (adjusted hazard ratio for TSB 19 mg/dL: 1.07 [95% CI: 0.90–1.27]). The association between ADD and hyperbilirubinemia seems not to have been hypothesized a priori. This finding could easily be a result of chance, as commonly occurs when investigators look for associations not initially hypothesized (ie, with low previous probability). 5 We conclude that hyperbilirubinemia is unlikely to be clinically significantly associated with ADD.
Regional Employment Performance of Irish Industry, 1972-96: A Job Flow Analysis

Regional goals have always played an important part in Irish industrial policy. This paper examines the employment performance of two sub-regions (designated and non-designated areas) as defined by industrial policy. By employing the job flow methodology as pioneered by Davis and Haltiwanger (1990) we find that the convergence in employment levels between designated and non-designated areas observed in the aggregate since 1972 has been largely driven by a higher rate of creation of jobs, that are, on average, more persistent, in the designated areas. This difference in job creation rate, however, cannot be attributed to any marked differences in the employment performance by plant size or nationality of ownership type.
A comparative study of Flemish and Chinese children ’ s mastery of basic arithmetic operations

The present paper aims to investigate differences between Flemish and Chinese children from grade 3 till 6 mastering the four basic arithmetic operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication and division). Firstly, the result showed that Chinese students outperformed Flemish students in each of the grades due to the high demanding curriculum in China. Difference in addition, subtraction and division skills between Chinese and Flemish students decreased with increasing grade. Secondly, the four arithmetic skills had different mastery levels for Chinese and Flemish students. Multiplication was relatively easier for Chinese students compared to their Flemish peers. Thirdly, the low achievers experienced comparable learning difficulties in both countries, while higher achievers reached highest mastery level at early schooling.