Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Age-Related Differences in the Effect of Prolonged Vibration on Maximal and Rapid Force Production and Balance Ability

We tested the hypothesis that older adults would not likely experience deficits in maximal and explosive plantar flexion strength and standing balance performance induced by prolonged Achilles tendon vibration compared with young adults. Fifteen older men (OM, 73 ± 5 years) and 15 young men (YM, 24 ± 4 years) participated in two interventions on different days: lying in a quiet supine position for 30 min with or without prolonged vibration to the Achilles tendon. Before and after the interventions, maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) torque during plantar flexion, rate of torque development (RTD), and center of pressure (COP) speed during single-leg standing were measured. The root mean square of the electromyogram (RMS-EMG) during performance and V-wave and voluntary activation during MVC were assessed. The MVC torque (7 ± 7%) and RTD (16 ± 15%) of YM but not OM significantly decreased after vibration. In addition, the relative changes observed in YM positively correlated with changes in RMS-EMG of the medial gastrocnemius (MG) (MVC torque and RTD) and in MG V-wave and voluntary activation (MVC torque). COP speed significantly increased (16 ± 20%) in YM only after vibration and was accompanied by increased activation of the lateral gastrocnemius. This is the first study to show that the effects of prolonged Achilles tendon vibration on strength and balance performances were apparent in young adults only. The differences between the age groups may be related to the attenuated gastrocnemius neuromuscular function in older adults.
A twisted visual field map in the primate dorsomedial cortex predicted by topographic continuity

Twisted visual maps emerge from a model that balances topographical continuity within and between areas. Adjacent neurons in visual cortex have overlapping receptive fields within and across area boundaries, an arrangement theorized to minimize wiring cost. This constraint is traditionally thought to create retinotopic maps of opposing field signs (mirror and nonmirror visual field representations) in adjacent areas, a concept that has become central in current attempts to subdivide the extrastriate cortex. We simulated the formation of retinotopic maps using a model that balances constraints imposed by smoothness in the representation within an area and by congruence between areas. As in the primate cortex, this model usually leads to alternating mirror and nonmirror maps. However, we found that it can also produce a more complex type of map, consisting of sectors with opposing field sign within a single area. Using fully quantitative electrode array recordings, we then demonstrate that this type of inhomogeneous map exists in the controversial dorsomedial region of the primate extrastriate cortex.
Editorial: Unifying Ecology Across Scales: Progress, Challenges and Opportunities

Department of Zoology and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada, 2 Australian Institute of Marine Science, Crawley, WA, Australia, Oceans Institute, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia, Department of Biology, Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Rutgers University, Camden, NJ, United States, Biology Department, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
Technology-Enabled Care: Integrating Multidisciplinary Care in Parkinson's Disease Through Digital Technology

Parkinson's disease (PD) management requires the involvement of movement disorders experts, other medical specialists, and allied health professionals. Traditionally, multispecialty care has been implemented in the form of a multidisciplinary center, with an inconsistent clinical benefit and health economic impact. With the current capabilities of digital technologies, multispecialty care can be reshaped to reach a broader community of people with PD in their home and community. Digital technologies have the potential to connect patients with the care team beyond the traditional sparse clinical visit, fostering care continuity and accessibility. For example, video conferencing systems can enable the remote delivery of multispecialty care. With big data analyses, wearable and non-wearable technologies using artificial intelligence can enable the remote assessment of patients' conditions in their natural home environment, promoting a more comprehensive clinical evaluation and empowering patients to monitor their disease. These advances have been defined as technology-enabled care (TEC). We present examples of TEC under development and describe the potential challenges to achieve a full integration of technology to address complex care needs in PD.
Slow-Paced Breathing and Autonomic Function in People Post-stroke

Purpose: To determine if acute slow breathing at 6 breaths/min would improve baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) and heart rate variability (HRV), and lower blood pressure (BP) in adults after stroke. Methods: Twelve individuals completed two randomized study visits where they performed a 15-min bout of breathing exercises at 6 breaths/min (slow) and at 12 breaths/min (control). Continuous BP and heart rate (HR) were measured throughout, and BRS, BRS response to elevations in blood pressure (BRSup), BRS response to depressions in blood pressure (BRSdown), and HRV were calculated and analyzed before (pre), during, and after (post) breathing exercises. Results: BRS increased from pre to post slow breathing by 10% (p = 0.012), whereas BRSup increased from pre to during slow breathing by 30% (p = 0.04). BRSdown increased from pre to post breathing for both breathing conditions (p < 0.05). HR (control: Δ − 4 ± 4; slow: Δ − 3 ± 4 beats/min, time, p < 0.01) and systolic BP (control: Δ − 0.5 ± 5; slow: Δ − 6.3 ± 8 mmHg, time, p < 0.01) decreased after both breathing conditions. Total power, low frequency power, and standard deviation of normal inter-beat intervals (SDNN) increased during the 6-breaths/min condition (condition × time, p < 0.001), whereas high frequency increased during both breathing conditions (time effect, p = 0.009). Conclusions: This study demonstrated that in people post-stroke, slow breathing may increase BRS, particularly BRSup, more than a typical breathing space; however, paced breathing at either a slow or typical breathing rate appears to be beneficial for acutely decreasing systolic BP and HR and increasing HRV.
Modeling Lung Derecruitment in VILI Due to Fluid-Occlusion: The Role of Emergent Behavior

Ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI) is driven by the processes of volutrauma and atelectrauma, which can act synergistically to compromise the blood-gas barrier. We have postulated that this synergy arises through a rich-get-richer mechanism whereby atelectrauma causes holes to form in the blood-gas barrier while concomitant volutrauma causes susceptible holes to progressively enlarge as VILI worsens. We previously developed an analytical model based on this idea that accurately predicts the progressive increases in lung elastance seen immediately following a recruitment maneuver as VILI progresses over the course of hours. In the present study we extend this model to account for the rate of change of elastance, due to closure of lung units, in the minutes following a recruitment maneuver. We found that the distribution of unit closing velocities throughout the lung can be described by a power law with an exponent of −2 that matches previously published power laws associated with the dynamics of lung recruitment. Our model thus reveals lung collapse as an example of emergent complex behavior and links the dynamics of altered function in the injured lung to structural damage in a way that explains the mechanisms of injury progression arising from the ongoing stresses and strains applied by mechanical ventilation.
Administration of Zingiber zerumbet extract on performances and haematological parameters of broiler chickens

Due to the prohibition of antibiotics administration as feed additives in animal production, nutritionists need to develop strategies as replacement of antibiotics in animal feed. Phytogenic which is considered as replacement of antibiotic has been used widely in animal feed to promote growth and improve animal health. This experiment aimed to evaluate the use of Zingiber zerumbet extract on performance [BW, FI, and FCR] and hematological parameters of broiler chicken. A number of 100 mixed-sex broiler chickens were randomly allocated according to various treatment groups. Each treatment was administrated different levels of Z. zerumbet extract [P1=control, P2=0.025% of Z. zerumbet extract in the water, P3=0.050 % of Z. zerumbet extract in the water, and P4=0.025% of Z. zerumbet extract in the water]. Chickens were provided commercial feed with a nutrient requirement for started and growers. Water and feed were supplied ad libitum. Parameter observed in this experiment was broiler performance including BW, FI, and FCE each week up to 4 weeks and hematological parameter. One-way analysis of variance [ANOVA] was applied to determine the statistical difference by using SPSS. The significant differences between treatment were stated [P≤0.05]. The results of the experiment indicated that the use of Z. zerumbet in the water was not significantly different [P≥0.05] on chicken performance [BW, FI, and FCE]. Administration of Z. zerumbet extract in the water did not influence [P≥0.05] hematological parameters of broiler [hemoglobin, erythrosine, and thrombosis]. In conclusion, Z. zerumbet can be used as alternatives to feed additives to replace antibiotics in animal production.
The level of stress and coping behaviour techniques of undergraduate medical student in Raigarh district of Chhattisgarh, India

Objective: To investigate and compare the perceived stress level and coping strategies of the undergraduate medical student studying in the first year and second year MBBS. Method: The sample was selected from 100 undergraduate medical students, 50 were in the first year, and 50 were in the second year, at Late Shree Lakhiram Agrawal Memorial Govt. Medical College, Raigarh Chhattisgarh, India. Stress Assessment Scale Indian adaptation and Stress Coping Behaviour Scale was used for assessment. Result: The age of first-year participants was between 18 to 19 years while the second year participants aged between 20 to 21 years, first-year students were showing a higher level of stress (mean: 830.40, sd- 108.75) than the second-year student (mean: 517.80, SD – 78.07, t – value 16.51, significance P >0.001*). Conclusion: Medical students perceived high levels of stress and emotional distress. First-year students of more likely to suffer from stress and uses poor coping strategies than the second-year student. Review of academics, better interaction with the faculty, intervention programs, and counselling sessions can help a lot to reduce stress in medical students.
Clinical Evaluation of the Mechanical Axis Finder (MAF) by Radiologic Scanogram of 100 Consecutive Axis Total Knee Replacements

The use of Mechanical Axis Finder (MAF) is reliable in achieving the correct mechanical axis in (93.3%) out of 100 consecutive Axis Knee System Surgeries. Correct mechanical Axis is defined as 0 degrees( neutral) + - 3 degrees. The rest (6.7%) fell 4-7 degrees of varus or 8-9 degrees valgus. Post-operative scanograms (hip-knee-ankle) were obtained in all 100 knees, 2-3 months after surgery. Patello-femoral tracking based on patella lateral displacements on Laurin patellar x-ray view, eighty nine percent exhib-ited normal or minimal lateral displacement. There was no patellar dislocation. All bone preparations of both femur and tibia were performed using extramedullary method. The preoperative knee society pain score improved from 49.59 to 88.95 at 2-3 months follow up. The patient satisfaction rate, average score was 87.8%. Complications consisted of 2 infection, 2 aseptic femoral loosening requiring revision and two knee stiffness. With the use of the Axis Knee System, the cost of TKA in the
Of niches and distributions: range size increases with niche breadth both globally and regionally but regional estimates poorly relate to global estimates

The relationship between species’ niche breadth (i.e. the range of environmental conditions under which a species can persist) and range size (i.e. the extent of its spatial distribution) has mostly been tested within geographically restricted areas but rarely at the global extent. Here, we not only tested the relationship between range size (derived from species’ distribution data) and niche breadth (derived from species’ distribution and co‐occurrence data) of 1255 plant species at the regional extent of the European Alps, but also at the global extent and across both spatial scales for a subset of 180 species. Using correlation analyses, linear models and variation partitioning, we found that species’ realized niche breadth estimated at the regional level is a weak predictor of species’ global niche breadth and range size. Against our expectations, distribution‐derived niche breadth was a better predictor for species’ range size than the co‐occurrence‐based estimate, which should, theoretically, account for more than the climatically determined niche dimensions. Our findings highlight that studies focusing on the niche breadth vs range size relationship must explicitly consider spatial mismatches that might have confounded and diminished previously reported relationships.
“Abandoning This Sinking Ship America”: The Classical Bildungsroman, Minor Characters, and the Negative Dialectic of Race in Paul Beatty’s White Boy Shuffle

This article explores the way The White Boy Shuffle delinks American citizenship’s hold on Black political subjectivity. Through a narrative analysis of Shuffle’s protagonist and minor characters, the author argues that the novel forwards what cultural historian Nikhil Pal Singh calls the “negative dialectic of race. ” At the level of the protagonist, Shuffle’s deliberate adherence to the conventions of the classical bildungsroman but failed achievement of its aesthetic-spiritual ideal of bildung leads to a breakdown of the dialectic that would reconcile Black history and social experience with American identity and citizenship. Yet, at the level of minor characters, Shuffle is less negating racial ideologies and more forwarding a global conceptualization of race. Specifically articulated through a series of non- Black or white minor characters, Shuffle offers alternative racial subjectivities to post–civil rights US racial common sense by highlighting racialized social and historical experiences beyond and below the horizon of the US nation-state as a reminder of the alternative global geographies of race. Ultimately, the novel both negates American citizenship as sufficient to the aspirations and desires of Black political life and reorients Black political subjectivity back to what Singh calls “Black worldliness. ”
Health-Related Quality of Life and Its Correlation With Depression Among Chinese Centenarians

Background: As evidence on depression and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among the oldest-old is currently limited, this study aimed to re-examine the association between depression and HRQoL among centenarians. Methods: We analyzed cross-sectional data from the China Hainan Centenarian Cohort Study (CHCCS). The 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15) and three-level EuroQol five-dimensions (EQ-5D-3L) were used to evaluate depression and HRQoL, respectively. Poor health states were defined as EQ-5D index <0.665. Based on their GDS-15 score, individuals were categorized into three stages of depression: major depressive disorder (MDD; score ≥10), minor depressive disorder (MnDD; score between 6 and 9), and normal (score ≤ 5). Based on sex and comorbidity stratification, multivariable logistic regression was used to calculate the risk of poor health state in different levels of depression. We also used restricted cubic splines with a knot at 5 points (GDS-15) to flexibly model the association of GDS-15 scores with poor health states. Results: Totally, 1,002 participants were included in this study for analysis. Participants' median age was 102 years, and 82.04% were female. The median EQ-5D index was 0.68 (range: −0.149–1), and the mean VAS and GDS-15 scores were 61.60 (range: 0–100), and 5.23 (range: 0–15), respectively. Centenarians with MnDD and MDD accounted for 38.12 and 9.98%, respectively. While those with poor health states accounted for 45.11%. For every 1-point increase in GDS-15, the risk of poor health state increased by 20% (P < 0.001) after an adjustment for age, gender, ethnicity, marital status, education, residence type, smoking, drinking, weekly exercise, body mass index category, serum albumin, 25-hydroxyvitamin D, C-reactive protein, and comorbidities. MnDD and MDD were independent risk factors for poor health state (MnDD, OR = 2.76, P < 0.001; MDD, OR = 3.14, P < 0.001). The association was more prominent in centenarians without comorbidity. Conclusions: This study demonstrated a negative association between depression and HRQoL in Chinese centenarians, especially in centenarians without comorbidity. Large-scale prospective studies are needed to corroborate our findings and provide more information about the causal inference and internal mechanisms of this association.
Associating Type 2 Diabetes Risk Factor Genes and FDG-PET Brain Metabolism in Normal Aging and Alzheimer’s Disease

Background: Several studies have linked type 2 diabetes (T2D) to an increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease (AD). This has led to an interest in using antidiabetic treatments for the prevention of AD. However, the underlying mechanisms explaining the relationship between T2D and AD have not been completely elucidated. Objective: Our objective was to examine cerebral 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake during normal aging and in AD patients in regions associated with diabetes genetic risk factor expression to highlight which genes may serve as potential targets for pharmaceutical intervention. Methods: We calculated regional glucose metabolism differences in units of standardized uptake values (SUVR) for 386 cognitively healthy adults and 335 clinically probable AD patients. We then proceeded to extract gene-expression data from the publicly available Allen Human Brain Atlas (HBA) database. We used the nearest genes to 46 AD- and T2D-associated SNPs previously identified in the literature, and mapped their expression to the same 34 cortical regions in which we calculated SUVRs. SNPs with a donor consistency of 0.40 or greater were selected for further analysis. We evaluated the associations between SUVR and gene-expression across the brain. Results: Of the 46 risk-factor genes, 15 were found to be significantly correlated with FDG-PET brain metabolism in healthy adults and probable AD patients after correction for multiple comparisons. Using multiple regression, we found that five genes explained a total of 72.5% of the SUVR variance across the healthy adult group regions, while four genes explained a total of 79.3% of the SUVR variance across the probable AD group regions. There were significant differences in whole-brain SUVR as a function of allele frequencies for two genes. Conclusions: These results highlight the association between risk factor genes for T2D and regional glucose metabolism during both normal aging and in probable AD. Highlighted genes were associated with mitochondrial stability, vascular maintenance, and glucose intolerance. Pharmacological intervention of these pathways has the potential to improve glucose metabolism during normal again as well as in AD patients.
A Mini-Review on Overcoming a Calorie-Centric World of Monolithic Annual Crops

There is widespread recognition that a narrow crop base has inherent vulnerabilities. Crop diversification is one strategy that can help enhance human health, environmental sustainability and resilience of farming communities—yet lock-in mechanisms have mediated against such diversification. This mini-review considers inadvertent negative impacts on crop diversity of policies that favor a few, highly annual crops. Priorities of agricultural research and government institutions such as Public Distribution Systems promote production of a few determinant cereal species, and do not consider the ecosystem service functions associated with diverse growth types (e.g., long duration, indeterminant, and perennial crops). Genetic improvement of fields crops has prioritized short maturity cycles, calorie production, and inadvertently, this may lead to high consumption of water and nutrients. Such crops are highly productive; however, they “lock-in” dependence on fossil fuels and chemical pest regulation. Further, early duration crops have modest root systems, and are short-statured. This limits generation of co-products, such as fodder, fuel wood, leafy vegetables, and soil amelioration. Research gaps and next steps are proposed to address this challenge, including: (1) investigation of adoption barriers and opportunities in order to foster diverse crop growth types and “bright spots” of agroecosystem diversity, (2) changing metrics for assessing system performance, to consider nutrient-enrichment, multipurpose properties and ecosystem services in agricultural policy, and (3) investment in developing perennial and multipurpose grain crops, and plant-facilitated nutrient accessing mechanisms. Enhanced resilience in agriculture requires greater attention to promotion of crop diversity, including functional diversity and socio-economic innovations.
A two-fluid model of turbulence and its modifications

The two-fluid model of turbulence proposed in 1982 describes various states of fluids at the same position of space. The present paper gives a brief introduction to the basic principle of this model and lays emphasis on the new idea about the interaction betweeu the two fluids and corresponding mathematic models, including the transformation of the turbulent fluid into the non-turbuhnt fluid by decay and dissipation of turbulence in a turbulent free jet, the existence of heat transfer between combustion products and unburnt combustible mixture in a zone of premixed combustion, and the intensification of chemical reaction by the rising temperature of combustible mixture. Predictions of the intermittency of turbulence in a turbulent free jet and of a turbulent premixed combustion are likely to be improved with this model.