Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Skirtingų fizinio aktyvumo kategorijų paauglių su sveikata susijusio fizinio pajėgumo pokyčiai per vienus metus

Nors ﬁ zinis pajėgumas genetiškai determinuotas, jį lemia ir aplinkos veiksniai, iš kurių vienas svarbiausių — ﬁ zinis aktyvumas. Priklausomai nuo ﬁ zinio aktyvumo intensyvumo poveikis gali būti skirtingas. Suaugusiųjų ﬁ zinio aktyvumo (FA) teigiamas poveikis ﬁ ziniam pajėgumui ir svarbiausiems sveikatos rodikliams plačiai tyrinėtas, tačiau duomenų apie vaikų ir paauglių ﬁ zinį aktyvumą, ﬁ zinį pajėgumą stokojama. Tyrimo tikslas — nustatyti skirtingų ﬁ zinio aktyvumo kategorijų 15 ir 16 metų berniukų su sveikata susijusio ﬁ zinio pajėgumo pokyčius per vienus metus. Tyrimas buvo vykdomas 2008 m. (I tyrimas) ir 2009 m. (II tyrimas) kovo—ba-landžio mėnesiais atsitiktiniu būdu atrinktose keturiose Kauno miesto bendrojo lavinimo mokyklose. Tiriamąją imtį sudarė 118 devintų klasių berniukų, kurie pagal jų sveikatos būklę yra priskirti pagrindinei ﬁ zinio ugdymo grupei. Mokinių ﬁ zinis aktyvumas nustatytas interviu metodu pagal modiﬁ kuotą tarptautinio FA (IPAQ) klausimyno trumpąją formą (Ainsworth, Levy, 2004). Visi respondentai pagal FA apimtį buvo suskirstyti į 3 FA kategorijas (Guidelines for Data Processing and Analysis of the International Physical Activity Quostionnaire (IPAQ) Short and Long Forms, 2005): didelio FA (DFA) (≥ 3001 MET’os-min / sav.), vidutinio FA (VFA) (> 1387 < 3001 MET’os-min / sav.) ir mažo FA (MFA) (≤ 1387 MET’os-min / sav.). Visi tiriamieji atliko su sveikata susijusio ﬁ zinio pajėgumo (SSFPj) testus, kuriais buvo nustatytas raumenų pajėgumas: kojų raumenų staigioji jėga — atliekant vertikalius šuolius į aukštį iš vietos su rankų mostu (naudotas matuoklis SBM–1, ﬁ ksuojamas geriausias rezultatas iš 3), rankų ir liemens raumenų ištvermė — atliekant modiﬁ kuotus atsispaudimus (Suni et al., 1994), lankstumas išmatuotas „Sėstis ir siekti“ testu (Euroﬁ t, 1993). Identiškas ﬁ zinio pajėgumo tyrimas pakartotas 2009 m. kovo—balandžio mėnesiais, tačiau dėl objek-tyvių priežasčių buvo tiriami tik 56 tiriamieji iš 118 (I tyrimas). Tyrimo duomenims palyginti taikyta vienfaktorinė dispersinė analizė, Stjudento t (Student t) kriterijus taikytas priklausomoms imtims ir atlikta kovariacinė analizė. Gauti rezultatai parodė, kad didėjant ﬁ zinio aktyvumo apimčiai tiesiškai gerėja paauglių raumenų pajėgumas — ran-kų ir liemens raumenų ištvermės bei kojų raumenų staigioji jėga (p < 0,05). Lankstumo rezultatų pokyčiai didėjant ﬁ ziniam aktyvumui statistiškai nereikšmingi (p > 0,05). Raktažodžiai: fizinis pajėgumas, fizinis aktyvumas, sveikata.
Feasibility and reliability of electrical, mechanical and thermal nociceptive testing and assessment of diffuse noxious inhibitory control in dogs

Purpose Quantitative sensory testing has been used to assess the somatosensory system. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and reliability of electrical (ENT), mechanical (MNT) and thermal (TNT) nociceptive testing and the effect of a conditioning stimulus on MNT. Patients and methods Sixteen healthy client-owned dogs were included in this study. Stimulation was applied bilaterally to the dorsal and plantar aspect of the metacarpus and metatarsus respectively, using transcutaneous electrical stimulator, algometry and a cold nociceptive device in a randomized order until a behavior response was observed or a cut-off reached. Tests were performed twice (60 seconds apart) by two observers. Retesting was performed 5 hours later. The diffuse noxious inhibitory control was tested by comparing MNT pre- and post-conditioning stimuli. Sham-testing was performed for ENT and TNT. Statistical analysis included linear model and intra-class correlation coefficient (P<0.05). Results Feasibility was 99% (ENT), 93.5% (MNT) and 93.6% (TNT). Data for TNT were not analyzed due to inconsistent results. Mean ± SD were 48±22.6 mA (ENT) and 11.9±3.5 N (MNT). MNT was higher for thoracic than for pelvic limbs (P=0.002). Conditioning stimulus increased MNT (P=0.049). Inter-observer reliability was 91.4% (ENT) and 60.9% (MNT). False-positive responses were 15% (ENT) and 35.7% (TNT). Conclusion ENT was feasible, repeatable and superior to MNT and TNT. The assessment of the diffuse noxious inhibitory control with a conditioning stimulus showed promising results in dogs. These tools could be used in naturally-occurring disease to provide insight on their underlying mechanisms and therapeutics.
Protective Effects of Epifriedelinol in a Rat Model of Traumatic Brain Injury Assessed with Histological and Hematological Markers

Abstract Background This study evaluated the protective effects of epifriedelinol (EFD) in a rat model of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Methodology TBI was induced by dropping a weight from a specific height. The animals were separated into control, TBI, and EFD 100 and 200 mg/kg groups. The latter received 100 and 200 mg/kg EFD, respectively, for 2 days beginning 30 min after inducing TBI. The neurological examination score, permeability of the blood–brain barrier (BBB), water content of the brain, cytokine levels, and oxidative stress parameters were measured in the rats. The effects of EFD on glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)-positive cells were evaluated using immunohistochemistry. Result The EFD treatment significantly decreased the neurological score, permeability of the BBB, and water content of brain compared with the TBI group. The levels of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and oxidative stress were significantly decreased in the EFD-treated groups. The number of GFAP-positive cells was also significantly reduced in the EFD-treated groups. Conclusion EFD attenuates the secondary injury in TBI rats by reducing the serum cytokine levels and oxidative stress.
Five-Level Cascaded H-Bridge MLC-Based Shunt Active Power Filter for Active Harmonics Mitigation in Distributed Network

This paper presents an investigation on mitigation of current harmonics, using Cascaded H-bridge Multilevel Converter (CHB-MLC)-based Shunt Active Power Filter (SAPF). Development and analysis of SAPF for harmonic compensation in distribution network for power quality improvement has been discussed. In the proposed work, transformer-less CHB MLC is used which reduces weight and cost of the system. Moreover, a novel controller based on average power method is adopted for generation of compensation active filter current. In order to generate switching signals, multi-carrier Alternate Phase Opposition Disposition (APOD) — Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) schemes are used. The proposed CHB-MLC SAPF reduces the source current THD below 5%. The results are simulated in MATLAB/Simulink and demonstrate the effective mitigation of current harmonics with APOD-PWM schemes. Opal-RT OP4500 real-time digital simulator is used to validate the proposed scheme under different steady state and transient conditions.
Increased Corneal Toricity after Long-Term Orthokeratology Lens Wear

Purpose To investigate the change in corneal toricity and associated refractive astigmatism after discontinuation of long-term orthokeratology (ortho-k) lens wear. Methods This study investigated 136 subjects aged between 6 and 14 (9.1 ± 1.5) years old at the commencement of ortho-k treatment, who had been undergoing overnight ortho-k treatment for 24 to 72 (37.4 ± 11.9) months. Corneal refractive power and manifest refraction were measured and compared before ortho-k and 1 month after discontinuation of ortho-k lens wear. Changes in corneal curvature were analyzed. Corneal curvature data from a historical longitudinal study were used as control. Results Compared to pre-ortho-k values, the corneal curvature became significantly flatter in the flatter meridian (−0.22 ± 0.27 D, P < 0.001) and steeper in the steeper meridian (0.06 ± 0.34 D, P=0.032) after cessation of ortho-k lens wear, resulting in a significant increase in corneal toricity (0.28 ± 0.43 D, P < 0.001), which is associated with an increase in refractive astigmatism (0.57 ± 0.57 D, r=0.465, P < 0.001). The amount of residual corneal flattening in the flatter meridian is significantly affected by the length of ortho-k treatment (t=−2.965, P=0.004) and the baseline age of subject (t=−2.841, P=0.005), but not by the baseline spherical or cylindrical refractive error (both P > 0.05). In the historical control group, there is no significant change in the corneal curvature over two years in children wearing spectacle lenses (both meridians, P > 0.05). Change of corneal toricity was more significant in the ortho-k group than in the spectacle control group (P=0.001). Conclusions Long-term ortho-k lens wear increases corneal toricity after discontinuation of the treatment, which is associated with an increase in refractive astigmatism. A more pronounced change in corneal toricity was found in subjects who were younger to start ortho-k and have been in a longer period of treatment. This trial is registered with http://www.chictr. org.cn (ChiCTR-TNRC-11001210).
Statistical Verification of Process Model Conformance to Execution Log Considering Model Abstraction

In Big data and IoT environments, process execution generates huge-sized data some of which is subsequently obtained by sensors. The main issue in such areas has been the necessity of analyzing data in order to suggest enhancements to processes. In this regard, evaluation of process model conformance to the execution log is of great importance. For this purpose, previous reports on process mining approaches have advocated conformance checking by fitness measure, which is a process that uses token replay and node-arc relations based on Petri net. However, fitness measure so far has not considered statistical significance, but just offers a numeric ratio. We herein propose a statistical verification method based on the Kolmogorov–Smirnov (K–S) test to judge whether two different log datasets follow the same process model. Our method can be easily extended to determinations that process execution actually follows a process model, by playing out the model and generating event log data from it. Additionally, in order to solve the problem of the trade-off between model abstraction and process conformance, we also propose the new concepts of Confidence Interval of Abstraction Value (CIAV) and Maximum Confidence Abstraction Value (MCAV). We showed that our method can be applied to any process mining algorithm (e.g. heuristic mining, fuzzy mining) that has parameters related to model abstraction. We expect that our method will come to be widely utilized in many applications dealing with business process enhancement involving process-model and execution-log analyses.
Gait Evaluation Using Procrustes and Euclidean Distance Matrix Analysis

Objective assessment of gait is important in the treatment and rehabilitation of patients with different diseases. In this paper, we propose a gait evaluation system using the Procrustes and Euclidean distance matrix analysis. We design and develop an android app to collect real time synchronous accelerometer and gyroscope data from two inertial measurement unit sensors through Bluetooth connectivity. The data is collected from 12 young (ten for modeling and two for validation) and 20 older subjects. We analyze the data collected from real world for stride, step, stance, and swing gait features. We validate our method with the measurements of gait features. The generalized Procrustes analysis is used to estimate a standard normal mean gait shape (NMGS) for ten young subjects. Each gait feature of both young and older subjects is then converted to find the best match with the NMGS using the ordinary Procrustes analysis. The shape distance between the NMGS and each gait shape is estimated using Riemannian shape distance, Riemannian size-and-shape distance, Procrustes size-and-shape distance, and root-mean-square deviation. A t-test is performed to provide statistical evidence of gait shape differences between young and older gaits. A mean form, which is considered as a standard normal mean gait form (NMGF), and inter-feature distances are estimated from the set of ten young subjects. The form difference is estimated between the NMGF and individual gaits of young and older. The degree of abnormality is then estimated for individual features and the result is plotted to visualize the feature in a gait. Experimental results demonstrate the performance of the proposed method.
Molecular and Biochemical Properties of a Cysteine Protease of Acanthamoeba castellanii

Acanthamoeba spp. are free-living protozoa that are opportunistic pathogens for humans. Cysteine proteases of Acanthamoeba have been partially characterized, but their biochemical and functional properties are not clearly understood yet. In this study, we isolated a gene encoding cysteine protease of A. castellanii (AcCP) and its biochemical and functional properties were analyzed. Sequence analysis of AcCP suggests that this enzyme is a typical cathepsin L family cysteine protease, which shares similar structural characteristics with other cathepsin L-like enzymes. The recombinant AcCP showed enzymatic activity in acidic conditions with an optimum at pH 4.0. The recombinant enzyme effectively hydrolyzed human proteins including hemoglobin, albumin, immunoglobuins A and G, and fibronectin at acidic pH. AcCP mainly localized in lysosomal compartment and its expression was observed in both trophozoites and cysts. AcCP was also identified in cultured medium of A. castellanii. Considering to lysosomal localization, secretion or release by trophozoites and continuous expression in trophozoites and cysts, the enzyme could be a multifunctional enzyme that plays important biological functions for nutrition, development and pathogenicity of A. castellanii. These results also imply that AcCP can be a promising target for development of chemotherapeutic drug for Acanthamoeba infections.
SIRT3 Protects Against Acute Kidney Injury via AMPK/mTOR-Regulated Autophagy

Acute kidney injury (AKI), which involves the loss of kidney function caused by damage to renal tubular cells, is an important public health concern. We previously showed that sirtuin (SIRT)3 protects the kidneys against mitochondrial damage by inhibiting the nucleotide-binding domain (NOD)-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome, attenuating oxidative stress, and downregulating proinflammatory cytokines. In this article, we investigated the role of autophagy, mediated by a mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), in the protective effect of SIRT3, against sepsis-induced AKI, in a mouse model of cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). The AKI in CLP mice was associated with the upregulation of autophagy markers; this effect was abolished in SIRT3− mice in parallel with the downregulation of phospho (p)-AMPK and the upregulation of p-mTOR. Pretreatment with the autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine (3-MA) or AMPK inhibitor compound isotonic saline (C), exacerbated AKI. SIRT3 overexpression promoted autophagy, upregulated p-AMPK and downregulated p-mTOR in CLP mice, attenuating sepsis-induced AKI, tubular cell apoptosis, and inflammatory cytokine accumulation in the kidneys. The blockage of autophagy induction largely abolished the protective effect of SIRT3 in sepsis-induced AKI. These findings indicate that SIRT3 protects against CLP-induced AKI by inducing autophagy through regulation of the AMPK/mTOR pathway.
The Novel Computational Model of Unbalanced Linguistic Variables Based on Archimedean Copula

We develop a novel computation model of unbalanced linguistic variables on the basis of Archimedean copulas and corresponding co-copulas, which provides a new tool to aggregate unbalanced linguistic information. The properties of the proposed computational model are also studied. We present the concepts of weighted unbalanced Archimedean copula arithmetic aggregation operators and weighted unbalanced Archimedean copula geometric aggregation operators. The properties of these aggregation operators are further investigated. Finally, a group decision making of sensory evaluation is introduced to illustrate the feasibility and validity of our proposed computational model.
Blood Level of Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein (GFAP) Does not Correlate With Disease Progression in a Rat Model of Familial ALS (SOD1G93A Transgenic)

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by specific loss of motor neurons in the spinal cord and brain stem. Currently, there are limited options for treating ALS and further investigation of the disease etiology and ALS disease progression need to be completed. There is an urgent need to identify biomarkers to detect and study disease progression in ALS. Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) is an intermediate filament protein that is expressed by a number of cells related to the central nervous system including glial cells and ependymal cells. Recent studies indicated that significant levels of GFAP protein were detected in peripheral tissues, such as skeletal muscle. In this study, we hypothesized that levels of GFAP in blood represent a biomarker of disease progression in ALS. To test this specific hypothesis, we used a rat model of familial ALS (SOD1G93A transgenic), which has been extensively used to understand the complexity of this devastating disease. Disease progression in a cohort of male and female SOD1G93A transgenic rats was monitored by motor function, and blood samples were collected when these animals reached disease end-stage. We measured GFAP protein levels by ELISA and found no correlation between GFAP concentration and disease progression in either serum and plasma samples of SOD1G93A transgenic. Further investigation would be required in order to implicate blood GFAP as a potential biomarker for ALS.
Endoplasmic reticulum stress alters ryanodine receptor function in the murine pancreatic β cell

Alterations in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) calcium (Ca2+) levels diminish insulin secretion and reduce β-cell survival in both major forms of diabetes. The mechanisms responsible for ER Ca2+ loss in β cells remain incompletely understood. Moreover, a specific role for either ryanodine receptor (RyR) or inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate receptor (IP3R) dysfunction in the pathophysiology of diabetes remains largely untested. To this end, here we applied intracellular and ER Ca2+ imaging techniques in INS-1 β cells and isolated islets to determine whether diabetogenic stressors alter RyR or IP3R function. Our results revealed that the RyR is sensitive mainly to ER stress–induced dysfunction, whereas cytokine stress specifically alters IP3R activity. Consistent with this observation, pharmacological inhibition of the RyR with ryanodine and inhibition of the IP3R with xestospongin C prevented ER Ca2+ loss under ER and cytokine stress conditions, respectively. However, RyR blockade distinctly prevented β-cell death, propagation of the unfolded protein response (UPR), and dysfunctional glucose-induced Ca2+ oscillations in tunicamycin-treated INS-1 β cells and mouse islets and Akita islets. Monitoring at the single-cell level revealed that ER stress acutely increases the frequency of intracellular Ca2+ transients that depend on both ER Ca2+ leakage from the RyR and plasma membrane depolarization. Collectively, these findings indicate that RyR dysfunction shapes ER Ca2+ dynamics in β cells and regulates both UPR activation and cell death, suggesting that RyR-mediated loss of ER Ca2+ may be an early pathogenic event in diabetes.
A Chaotic System with Infinite Number of Equilibria Located on an Exponential Curve and Its Chaos-Based Engineering Application

This paper proposes a novel chaotic system with infinite number of equilibria located on an exponential curve. It signifies an exciting category of dynamical systems which display many features of regular and chaotic motions. The proposed chaotic system belongs to the general category of chaotic systems with hidden attractors. Moreover, some theoretical analyses of the chaotic system’s dynamical characteristics are presented. Using the developed chaotic system, the new random number generator and encryption algorithm have been designed. Encryption application and security analysis are presented verifying its feasibility.
Two Problems Afflicting the Search for a Standard Model of the Mind

We describe two serious problems afflicting the search for a standard model of the mind (SMM), as carried out and prescribed by Laird, Lebiere, and Rosenbloom (LLR). The first problem concerns a glaring omission from SMM, while the second calls into question the evidentiary standards for convergence that motivates the entire SMM agenda. It may well be that neither problem is insuperable, even in the short term. On the other hand, both problems currently stand in the way of making any present pronouncements to the effect that a standard model (or substantive portion thereof) exists and can be used as a benchmark against which other researchers might compare their approaches. The pair of problems is offered in a spirit of collaboration, and in the hope that grappling with them will help move the search a bit closer to the sort of undisputed rigor and predictive power afforded by such models in physics. Our order of business in the sequel is straightforward: we present and briefly discuss each of the two problems in turn, and wrap up with some remarks regarding whether or not these problems can be surmounted, and if so, how. In what follows, we argue that even on the most liberal identification of the term “mind” with a project in defining a consensus view of cognitive architecture, consciousness remains a deeply conspicuous omission that flirts with rendering the project incoherent. We open with a rough-and-ready discussion of how consciousness is often characterized in information-processing terms, and its most plausible correlate in LLR’s proposed SMM.We show that the introductionof consciousness as a phenomena to be accounted for reveals fault-lines between architectures that are claimed by LLR to be similar enough to warrant the postulation of the SMM. We then consider and rebut a range of objections to both the general requirement of accounting for consciousness within the SMM and to the specifics of our argument. The analysis we offer with respect to consciousness is diagnostic of what we see as a far more insidious and difficult problemto remedy, which will be explored in the second part of this paper.