Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Symmetry and within-session reliability of mechanical properties of biceps brachii muscles in healthy young adult males using the MyotonPRO device

Background: Objective measurement of muscle tone and mechanical properties is generally challenging in clinical or sports settings and can be obtained using a novel hand-held device (MyotonPRO). Between-side comparison of muscle function and characteristics can assess abnormalities if normal symmetry is known, which this study investigated for biceps brachii (BB). Objectives : To examine between-side symmetry of mechanical muscle parameters and within-session intra-rater reliability of testing the BB muscle. Design: Methodological, observational, intra-rater reliability study. Participants: Convenience sample (n=21 ) of healthy males, aged 18-35 years. Methods: The participant lay supine with the elbow in slight flexion (10-15 degrees). The MyotonPRO applied brief, low force mechanical impulses over BB muscle belly eliciting damped oscillations, from which non-neural tone (frequency; Hz), dynamic stiffness [N/m] and elasticity (logarithmic decrement) were calculated automatically. Two sets of 10 impulses were applied bilaterally by a novice user. Actual, absolute and percentage differences between sides were calculated to assess symmetry. Within-session reliability was assessed using intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC), standard error of measurement (SEM), and Bland and Altman analysis. Results: Mean and standard deviation (±) absolute and percentage differences were 14±11N/m (6 ± 5%) for stiffness 0.6 ± 0.4Hz (4 ± 3%) for tone, and 0.08 ± 0.08 logarithmic decrement (7.5 ± 7%) for elasticity. Within-session reliability was excellent for all three parameters (ICC3,2>0.95). The SEMs were 2.3N/m (stiffness), 0.1Hz (tone); and 0.03 for decrement (elasticity). Bland and Altman analysis showed minimal systematic bias between sets ( d =-1.9N/m, -0.1Hz; and 0.05 decrement). Conclusions: Between-side symmetry was high for all three mechanical parameters of BB in healthy young males, with differ ences of less than 10%, and could be used for assessing abnormality. Reliability was excellent for all three parameters measured within the same session. Robustness of repeating the testing protocol needs to be established between days, as well as reference values of symmetry produced for different muscles and cohorts .
Performance of Quoted and Non-Quoted Companies in the Europe

Using 4-dimensional panel data (time, industry, country, companies) we examine the differences between European quoted and non-quoted companies at the level financial performance and some financial ratios. We find that quoted companies perform significantly better not only in terms of profit, but also in terms of cash flow generation. We also find some interesting differences in financial structure, liquidity and collection and credit period, not only from the perspective of quotation, but also between European regions (thus different trade habits), e.g. significantly longer credit period and collection period for countries with more relaxed trade habits (Spain, Italy, France). Our findings have some indirect implications for agency theory, for view of different accounting standards conservatism and earnings management, as well as (mainly) for business and stock valuation and financial planning.
Dose-dependent Inhibition of Singlet Oxidation in Olive Oil by African Nutmeg ( Monodora myristica ) Crude Extract

Cleaned, dried and deshelled African Nutmeg Monodora myristica was ground and extracted with methanol. Doses of 0.0g, 0.5g, 1.0g, 1.5g, 2.0g of the Monodora myristica crude extract were added to each of five sets of reaction mixtures, prepared by dissolving 2g of olive oil in 10% methanol/dichloromethane to which 5mg of methylene blue was added as photosensitizer. Each reaction mixture, except its corresponding control, was subjected to singlet oxidation for a total of 10hours, removing 10ml aliquots every 2 hours to determine its Peroxide Value(PV) using the International Diary Federation(IDF) method. Samples of the reaction mixtures were also analyzed using the Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrophotometer. The peroxide value of the reaction mixtures containing 0.0g, 0.5g, 1.0g, 1.5g, and 2.0g amounts of the crude Monodora myristica increased from 9.56Meq/Kg before photoxidation (i.e. control) to 9.77Meq/Kg, 9.56Meq/Kg, 9.71Meq/Kg, 9.67Meq/Kg, and 9.67Meq/Kg respectively after 2hours of photoxidation. Further oxidation did not show any significant increase in PV of the reaction mixtures. The FTIR Spectra showed that the plant extract protected the C=C double bond whose absorption band was at 732cm-1. This protection was optimal in the reaction mixture with 0.5g of the extract. However, the reaction mixture with the 1.5g dose of extract had pronounced peaks of both the C=C double bond group at 732cm-1 and C=O group at 1022.27cm-1.
Adaptive Mixture of Low-Rank Factorizations for Compact Neural Modeling

Modern deep neural networks have a large amount of weights, which make them difficult to deploy on computation constrained devices such as mobile phones. One common approach to reduce the model size and computational cost is to use lowrank factorization to approximate a weight matrix. However, performing standard low-rank factorization with a small rank can hurt the model expressiveness and significantly decrease the performance. In this work, we propose to use a mixture of multiple low-rank factorizations to model a large weight matrix, and the mixture coefficients are computed dynamically depending on its input. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach on both language modeling and image classification tasks. Experiments show that our method not only improves the computation efficiency but also maintains (sometimes outperforms) its accuracy compared with the full-rank counterparts.
Inverter Development as A Boost Converter for DC Microgrid

DC boost converter is an essensial equipment in the system of DC microgrid which has a function as step up voltage. In making a boost converter equipment of power generation, it often encounters a problem within especially in designing of switching transformer, so that it is need a long development time and high development cost. In order to solve this problem, in this research it has been made a inverter development as boost converter which has been done by simulation and experiment. The simulation results show that for an input voltage 10-14 Vdc yields voltage 254 Vdc, while by testing for an input voltage 10-14 Vdc yields voltage 253 Vdc. Either simulation or test result show that voltage can be applied in the system of dc micro grid for the need of load based switch mode power supply /SMPS.
Effect of Acetylation of Wood Flour and MAPP Content during Compounding on Physical Properties, Decay Resistance, Contact Angle, and Morphology of Polypropylene/Wood Flour Composites

The effects of acetylation of wood flour with vinylacetate and the content of Maleic Anhydride Polypropylene (MAPP) coupling agent before compounding were evaluated relative to water absorption and thickness swelling. Hot water was used to extract materials of sawdust fir flour before acetylation. Fir flour was successfully acetylated using vinylacetate (VA) in the presence of potassium carbonate. The modification was confirmed by the weight percent gain (18.8%) and Fourier transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The acetylated or control wood flour was mixed with MAPP coupling agent (0, 3, & 6 wt%) at 60 rpm and 160 °C, followed by extrusion. The wood plastic composite (WPC) was made by hot pressing at 200 °C and 25 MPa for 5 min. Specimens were exposed to white-rot decay for 16 weeks. In addition to the weight loss due to fungal treatment, water absorption, thickness swelling, and contact angle of the acetylated and decayed samples was investigated. Increasing the percentage of MAPP was found to decrease the percentage of weight loss, water absorption, and thickness swelling in all of the samples. In contrast, increasing the MAPP percentage increased the contact angle in all samples. The SEM micrographs revealed that the bonding between fibers and polymeric material was improved and strengthened by MAPP addition.
Does Lower Cognitive Ability Predict Greater Prejudice?

Historically, leading scholars proposed a theoretical negative association between cognitive abilities and prejudice. Until recently, however, the field has been relatively silent on this topic, citing concerns with potential confounds (e.g., education levels). Instead, researchers focused on other individual-difference predictors of prejudice, including cognitive style, personality, negativity bias, and threat. Yet there exists a solid empirical paper trail demonstrating that lower cognitive abilities (e.g., abstract-reasoning skills and verbal, nonverbal, and general intelligence) predict greater prejudice. We discuss how the effects of lower cognitive ability on prejudice are explained (i.e., mediated) by greater endorsement of right-wing socially conservative attitudes. We conclude that the field will benefit from a recognition of, and open discussion about, differences in cognitive abilities between those lower versus higher in prejudice. To advance the scientific discussion, we propose the Cognitive Ability and Style to Evaluation model, which outlines the cognitive psychological underpinnings of ideological belief systems and prejudice.
Can we predict the direction of marine primary production change under global warming?

A global Earth System model is employed to investigate the role of direct temperature effects in the response of marine ecosystems to climate change. While model configurations with and without consideration of explicit temperature effects can reproduce observed current biogeochemical tracer distributions and estimated carbon export about equally well, carbon flow through the model ecosystem reveals strong temperature sensitivities. Depending on whether biological processes are assumed temperature sensitive or not, simulated marine net primary production (NPP) increases or decreases under projected climate change driven by a business‐as‐usual CO2 emission scenario for the 21st century. This suggests that indirect temperature effects such as changes in the supply of nutrients and light are not the only relevant factors to be considered when modeling the response of marine ecosystems to climate change. A better understanding of direct temperature effects on marine ecosystems is required before even the direction of change in NPP can be reliably predicted.
Role of regulatory T cells and FOXP 3 in human diseases

Immune regulation and tolerance are specific functions of the immune system, meaning at prevention or limitation of effector immune responses against inner and external insults. Regulatory T (Treg) cells are crucial players in this immune balance network. Research over the last 10 years has significantly contributed to characterizing Treg cell features, their mechanisms of function, and their role in human pathologies. The discovery of FOXP3 as an essential transcription factor not only for differentiation and function of naturally occurring Treg cells but also for regulation of intracellular molecules related to effector T-cell responses has provided new insights into the pathogenesis of immune-mediated diseases. Interestingly, there is increasing evidence that the individual signature of genes relevant for immune regulation definitely influences the final outcome of an immune response. (J Allergy Clin Immunol 2007;120:227-35.)
Problem of Distribution of Goods by Logistics Centers

Effective logistics management is recognized as a key factor in improving the performance of companies and their competitiveness. The econometric methods used in practice do not provide the means for promptly solving a multitude of emerging problems, in particular for effective operational management of a network marketing organization. In the paper, algorithms for analyzing and solving the problem of distribution of goods by logistics centers, including decision support system in case of incorrectness of the arising problem are proposed: (1) the method of regularization of the decomposable distribution problem; (2) an effective algorithm for approximating an indecomposable problem by a decomposable problem. The software implementation of the proposed algorithms is easily encapsulated in the MS Office system.
Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation in Traumatic Injury: An Overview of Utility and Indications

Severe respiratory failure may develop in the trauma patient as a consequence of direct lung injury, in response to trauma‐associated systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), as a result of infection, or at times as an unintended consequence of the life‐saving management of the acute traumatic injury. Approximately 0.5% of all adult trauma patients develop some form of pulmonary dysfunction along the acute lung injury (ALI) – acute respiratory distress (ARDS) spectrum, with the incidence of severe respiratory failure reaching 10–20% in multisystem trauma victims. Of concern, mortality in patients with acute respiratory failure who go on to develop severe pulmonary dysfunction can be as high as 37–50% with the use of conventional therapeutic modalities. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has been proposed as a rescue strategy when less invasive primary or adjunctive attempts fail. Numerous case reports and single‐center studies demonstrate potential benefits of early implementation of veno‐venous (VV)‐ECMO for the treatment of severe respiratory failure associated with trauma or sequelae of trauma. In this clinical context, VV‐ ECMO can be employed to correct for both ventilatory and oxygenation failure while allowing the treating physician to provide much needed rest to the patient's lungs and permit healing to take place. The use of ECMO (mainly veno‐venous, with limited use of veno‐arterial circuits for cardiac indications) has been described in patients with severe chest injuries, traumatic pneumonectomy, bronchopleural fistulas, and various forms of respiratory failure refractory to conventional therapies.
Glycerol as Eco‐Efficient Solvent for Organic Transformations

Organic solvents are used in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries [1]. The global demand for these solvents has reached 20 million metric tons annually [2]. Solvents are unreactive supplementary fluids that can dissolve starting materials and facilitate product separation through recrystallization or chromatographic techniques. In a reaction mixture, the solvent is involved in intermolecular interactions and performs the following: (i) stabilization of solutes, (ii) promoting the preferred equilibrium position, (iii) changing the kinetic profile of the reaction, and (iv) influencing the product selectivity [3]. Selection of appropriate solvents for organic transformations is important to develop green synthesis pathways using renewable feedstock. In the past two decades, green methodologies and solvents have gained increasing attention because of their excellent physical and chemical properties [4–6]. Green solvents should be non-flammable, biodegradable and widely available from renewable sources [7].
Creating an Index to Calculate the Level of Convergence of a Medium

markdownabstractSince the end of 1990's, media are undergoing great changes brought by digital technology, with the objective to optimize resources and enrich contents. The concept of convergence has a relevant significance in this process. We see the convergence as an integrating process of traditional separated media outlets and modes of communication that affect business, technology, professionals, and audiences at all stages of production, delivery, and consumption of contents of any kind (information, entertainment, and advertising). This paper provides a methodological tool for calculating an index over which reflects the level of convergence of a medium. This proposal, fruit of the work of a collective research project -which is currently carried out by a numerous group of Spanish scholars with public funding (see for details our website _www.infotendencias.com/objetivos_)-, is based on the following variables: relationships among newsrooms, media polyvalence, type of collaboration on contents development, and type of contents delivery.
Epithelioid glioblastoma, a newly described rare variant of common tumor describing immunohistochemical expression pattern

Dear Sir, Epithelioid glioblastoma (Ep-GBM) has recently been recognized as a distinct variant of glioblastoma (GBM), which is included in the 2016 revised World Health Organization (WHO) classification of central nervous system (CNS) tumors. [1] Together with giant cell glioblastoma and gliosarcoma, it is kept under the broad category of IDH-wildtype glioblastoma. Ep-GBM is characterized by large cells with eccentric nuclei, vesicular chromatin, prominent nucleoli and abundant amount of eosinophilic cytoplasm. In addition, they may also show glandular, ductular and squamoid pattern expressing both GFAP and epithelial markers (cytokeratins) thus closely mimicking with the metastatic carcinomas. [2] Hence, they should be carefully distinguished from metastatic carcinomas of unknown primaries. In contrast to typical GBM, they possess a higher predilection for children and younger adults, and usually present as superficial cerebral mass. Epithelioid GBMs frequently shows BRAF-V600E mutation. [3] Rhabdoid glioblastoma is a close histological mimicker of Ep-GBM, however it is differentiated by the loss of expression of INI-1. [4]
New Hybrid Copper Composite Materials Based on Carbon Nanostructures

A few-layered graphene was synthesized on the surface of micron-sized copper powder by chemical vapor deposition technique using ethylene as a carbon source in the temperature range from 700 to 940 °C. As a result, we synthesized graphene with 8-12 layers on the surface of copper particles and examined the effect of this material on the mechanical properties of the compacted materials. The copper/graphene composite showed 39% increase in the hardness compared to pure copper. The improvements of 10% and 70% were obtained for the copper composites materials based on graphite and cartbon nanofibers, respectively.
Data Driven Optimization with Unknown Time-Varying Objective Functions

Many real-life machine learning challenges can be modeled as a time-varying optimization problem that depends both on personal preferences as well as external factors. Given that these optimization scenarios can heavily depend on the past, and that many widely-used collections of objective functions can be parametrized by a subset of finite dimensional Euclidean space, we propose the novel methodology of simultaneously modeling both objective functions and external data to formulate optimization problems. In particular, we show via theoretical results that modeling objective functions by time series of their parameters is feasible for a wide class of parametrizations and objective functions. We also detail an algorithm that can be used to simultaneously learn appropriate pairs of models on both objective functions and data, and show the wide applicability of our algorithm in both synthetic and real data experiments.
On conditions for long-wave equivalent medium to be isotropic and on analysis of parameters indicating anisotropy of equivalent TI medium.

In this paper, we consider a long-wave equivalent medium to a finely parallel-layered inhomogeneous medium, obtained using the Backus average. Following the work of Postma and Backus, we show explicitly the derivations of the conditions to obtain the equivalent isotropic medium. We demonstrate that there cannot exist a transversely isotropic (TI) equivalent medium with the coefficients $c^{\overline{\rm TI}}_{1212} \neq c^{\overline{\rm TI}}_{2323}$, $c^{\overline{\rm TI}}_{1111} = c^{\overline{\rm TI}}_{3333}$ and $c^{\overline{\rm TI}}_{1122} = c^{\overline{\rm TI}}_{1133}$. Moreover, we consider a new parameter, $\varphi$, indicating the anisotropy of the equivalent medium, and we show its range and properties. Subsequently, we compare $\varphi$ to the Thomsen parameters, emphasizing its usefulness as a supportive parameter showing the anisotropy of the equivalent medium or as an alternative parameter to $\delta$. We argue with certain Berryman et al. considerations regarding the properties of the anisotropy parameters $\epsilon$ and $\delta$. Additionally, we show an alternative way---to the one mentioned by Berryman et al.---of indicating changing fluid content in layered Earth.
Ecology and Society: Resilience, Adaptability, and Transformability in the Goulburn-Broken Catchment, Australia

We present a resilience-based approach for assessing sustainability in a sub-catchment of the Murray-Darling Basin in southeast Australia. We define the regional system and identify the main issues, drivers, and potential shocks, then assess both specified and general resilience. The current state of the system is a consequence of changes in resource use. We identify ten known or possible biophysical, economic, and social thresholds operating at different scales, with possible knock-on effects between them. Crossing those thresholds may result in irreversible changes in goods and services generated by the region. Changes in resilience, in general, reflect a pattern of past losses with some signs of recent improvements. Interventions in the system for managing resilience are constrained by current governance, and attention needs to be paid to the roles and capacities of the various institutions. An overview of the current state of the system and likely future trends suggests that transformational change in the region be seriously considered.
Dynamics of advection‐driven upwelling over a shelf break submarine canyon

[1] The response over a submarine canyon to a several day upwelling event can be separated into three phases: an initial transient response; a later, much longer, “steady” advection-driven response; and a final relaxation phase. For the advection-driven phase over realistically steep, deep, and narrow canyons with near-uniform flow and stratification at rim depth, we have derived scale estimates for four key quantities. Observations from 5 real-world canyon studies and 3 laboratory studies are used to validate the scaling and estimate the scalar constant for each scale. Based on 4 geometric parameters of the canyon, the background stratification, the Coriolis parameter, and the incoming current, we can estimate (1) the depth of upwelling in the canyon to within 15 m, (2) the deep vorticity to within 15%, and (3) the presence/absence of a rim depth eddy can be determined. Based on laboratory data, (4) the total upwelling flux can also be estimated. The scaling analysis shows the importance of a Rossby number based on the radius of curvature of isobaths at the upstream mouth of the canyon. This Rossby number determines the ability of the flow to cross the canyon isobaths and generate the pressure gradient that drives upwelling in the canyon. Other important scales are a Rossby number based on the length of the canyon which measures the ability of the flow to lift isopycnals and a Burger number based on the width of the canyon that determines the likelihood of an eddy at rim depth. Generally, long canyons with sharply turning upstream isobaths, strong incoming flow, small Coriolis parameter, and weak stratification have the strongest upwelling response.