Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
COMPARISON OF THE ACCELERATION PHASE OF SPRINTING BETWEEN COLLEGE SPRINTERS AND COLLEGE BASEBALL PLAYERS

The purpose of this study was to examine and compare the sprinting movement of college sprinters and college baseball players, the latter are assumed to be specialized in the acceleration phase. Twenty subjects, 10 sprinters and 10 baseball players, participated in this study. Lower limbs joint angle (hip, knee and ankle), step length, step frequency, contact time and position of the center of mass at the toe-on and the toe-off were calculated. The results indicated that the center of mass of baseball players was located behind that of sprinters at the 3rd step toe on (p 0.008). In addition, the knee joint was significantly extended at the toe-on in the baseball players at the first and the second steps . These observations indicate that baseball players tend to contact with their foot more forward, and with their knees extended, compared to sprinters.
Ongoing global warming and local warm extremes: a case study of two record mild winter months in Helsinki, Finland

In winter 2006-2007, both December and March were record warm in large parts of northern Europe. In Helsinki, for example, the previous record values for these two months were exceeded by over 1°C. How unusual are such extremely warm months? Traditionally, this question would be answered on the basis of past observations, by fitting a continuous function to the observed distribution of temperatures and extrapolating it beyond the observed range. However, in a changing climate this approach is problematic. Although it is still hard to reliably detect changes in local extremes directly from observations, the ongoing global warming alone makes it physically unlikely that statistics derived from past data are valid for the actual present-day climate. This is particularly true for temperature, for which the signal-to-noise ratio between the expected greenhouse-gas-induced changes and interannual variability is much higher than for (e.g.) precipitation (Raisanen 2001, Harvey 2004). Raisanen and Ruokolainen (2008a) proposed a model-based approach for estimating the actual present-day temperature climate. In this approach, past temperature observations are “extrapolated” forward in time, by combining observed changes in the global mean temperature with model-based regression coefficients that characterize the simulated relationship between the global mean temperature and the local mean temperature and amplitude of interannual variability. An example of the results of this extrapolation is given in Fig. 1. Two time series of December mean temperature in Helsinki are shown – one obtained directly from observations for 1901-2005 and the other from observations extrapolated to the present (2006) climate conditions. The difference between the time series increases towards the beginning of the 20th century, when the global mean temperature was further below its present-day level than it has been in the last few decades. Furthermore, the extrapolation increment is slightly larger for cold (e.g., 1915) than mild (e.g., 1914) December months. This is because most climate models suggest a decrease in the interannual variability of December mean temperatures in Finland in a warmer climate. Note that the extrapolated curve in Fig. 1 is based on results averaged for 22 global climate models – in reality slightly different curves are obtained from each single model.
Improvement of soil hydraulic properes in soybean culvaon through subsoiling

The preparation of the soil for soybean sowing in El Soconusco, Chiapas, is carried out intensively and under wet soil conditions, which causes the soil to compact and the ‘plow floor’ to be formed approximately 35 cm deep. ‘The plow floor’ reduces infiltration and its hydraulic conductivity at saturation. The rupture of the ‘plow floor’ by subsoiling increases infiltration and improves the hydraulic properties of the soil. Therefore, the objective of this work was to evaluate for three consecutive years (2017 to 2019) the infiltration in three soil management systems: subsoiling (SUB), fallowing (FAL) and harrowing (HAR). Soil samples were taken from 0-30 cm depth before applying the treatments to estimate their physical and hydraulic properties. Then, SUB, FAL and HAR were applied on an area of 1.5 ha, respectively. Each year the infiltration was measured three times by the double cylinder method for approximately 10 h. Rates of infiltration, accumulated infiltration and hydraulic conductivity at saturation were determined. The results confirmed higher rates of infiltration with subsoiling followed by harrowing, fallowing, respectively; likewise, the accumulated infiltration as the hydraulic conductivity at saturation showed the same behavior. The rupture of the ‘plow floor’ through subsoiling increased infiltration, hydraulic conductivity at saturation and yield components.
Agricultural Marketing Cooperatives with Direct Selling: A Cooperative Non Cooperative Game

We build a theoretical model to study a market structure of a marketing cooperative with direct selling, in which many farmers are members of an agricultural marketing cooperative. They can sell their production either to the cooperative or on an oligopolistic local market. We show that the decision to sell to the cooperative induces an anti-competitive effect on the direct selling market. The cooperative facilitates collusion on the local market by making farmers softer competitors on that market. Conversely, direct selling may create a "healthy emulation" among farmers, leading to more production benefiting the cooperative.
Citric acid-derived nanoporous molybdenum carbide electrocatalyst for HER: Effect of porosity on HER performance

The development of noble metal-free electrocatalyst for HER is crucial for sustainable green electrolytic hydrogen production. Molybdenum carbides have shown enormous potential as an economic electrocatalyst for HER. In this study, we have synthesized three Mo2C/C electrocatalysts by varying the ratios of carbon (citric acid) and molybdenum (ammonium heptamolybdate) precursors as 2:1, 1:1, and 1:2 (samples abbreviated as CAMO21, CAMO11, and CAMO12) using the carburization method. The synthesized samples are characterized by powder XRD, Raman spectroscopy, SAXS, SEM, and TEM which revealed the crystal phase, porosity, and morphological properties of the samples. The polarization curves reveal that their electrochemical activity for HER varied as CAMO12 > CAMO11 > CAMO21. EIS studies indicated that the resistance due to porosity of the samples is maximum for CAMO11, indicating that a bimodal porosity with a substantial fraction of pores near the micropore region is not beneficial for electrochemical HER.
Financial Inclusion in India : Do Microfinance Institutions Address Access Barriers ?

Financial inclusion, implying expanding access to financial services to those currently not accessing them, is an important objective in many developing countries. This article analyses if microfinance institutions (MFIs) adequately break down barriers to financial service access in India. Two lines of enquiry were followed: the spread of microfinance penetration in the country was analyzed and field interviews of 103 MFI field officers were conducted. It is found that while MFIs do break down many barriers to financial inclusion, there are limitations in the extent of their outreach to those excluded. First, MFI penetration in the country is skewed and excludes some areas neglected by the banking sector, suggesting a need for policy incentives to encourage expansion to those areas. Second, even in areas in which MFIs operate they are unable to provide services to some financially excluded individuals on account of their methods of operation. To provide greater and more long lasting access to more individuals there is a need for MFIs to consider adopting more flexible operating models and to offer portability of accounts. There is also a case for skill based training to enable greater access to MFI membership.
Esaim: Mathematical Modelling and Numerical Analysis towards Effective Dynamics in Complex Systems by Markov Kernel Approximation *

Many complex systems occurring in various application share the property that the underlying Markov process remains in certain regions of the state space for long times, and that transitions between such metastable sets occur only rarely. Often the dynamics within each metastable set is of minor importance, but the transitions between these sets are crucial for the behavior and the understanding of the system. Since simulations of the original process are usually prohibitively expensive, the effective dynamics of the system, i.e. the switching between metastable sets, has to be approximated in a reliable way. This is usually done by computing the dominant eigenvectors and eigenvalues of the transfer operator associated to the Markov process. In many real applications, however, the matrix representing the spatially discretized transfer operator can be extremely large, such that approximating eigenvectors and eigenvalues is a computationally critical problem. In this article we present a novel method to determine the effective dynamics via the transfer operator without computing its dominant spectral elements. The main idea is that a time series of the process allows to approximate the sampling kernel of the process, which is an integral kernel closely related to the transition function of the transfer operator. Metastability is taken into account by representing the approximative sampling kernel by a linear combination of kernels each of which represents the process on one of the metastable sets. The effect of the approximation error on the dynamics of the system is discussed, and the potential of the new approach is illustrated by numerical examples.
The effectiveness and safety of parathyroid hormone in fracture healing: A meta-analysis

The very large economic and social burdens of fracture-related complications make rapid fracture healing a major public health goal. The role of parathyroid hormone (PTH) in treating osteoporosis is generally accepted, but the effect of PTH on fracture healing is controversial. This meta-analysis was designed to investigate the efficacy and safety of PTH in fracture healing. The EMBASE, PubMed, and Cochrane Library databases were systematically searched from the inception dates to April 26, 2018. The primary randomized clinical trials comparing PTH treatment for fracture healing with placebo or no treatment were identified. We did not gain additional information by contacting the authors of the primary studies. Two reviewers independently extracted the data and evaluated study quality. This meta-analysis was executed to determine the odds ratio, mean difference, standardized mean difference, and 95% confidence intervals with random-effects models. In total, 8 randomized trials including 524 patients met the inclusion criteria. There were significant differences in fracture healing time, pain relief and function improvement. There were no significant differences in the fracture healing rate or adverse events, including light-headedness, hypercalcemia, nausea, sweating and headache, except for slight bruising at the injection site. We determined that the effectiveness and safety of PTH in fracture healing is reasonably well established and credible.
The growing impact of satellite observations sensitive to humidity, cloud and precipitation

Ten years ago, humidity observations were thought to give little benefit to global weather forecasts. Nowadays, at the European Centre for Medium‐range Weather Forecasts, satellite microwave radiances sensitive to humidity, cloud and precipitation provide 20% of short‐range forecast impact, as measured by adjoint‐based forecast sensitivity diagnostics. This makes them one of the most important sources of data and equivalent in impact to microwave temperature sounding observations. Forecasts of dynamical quantities, and precipitation, are improved out to at least day 6. This article reviews the impact of and the science behind these data. It is not straightforward to assimilate cloud and precipitation‐affected observations when the intrinsic predictability of cloud and precipitation features is limited. Assimilation systems must be able to operate in the presence of all‐pervasive cloud and precipitation ‘mislocation’ errors. However, by assimilating these observations using the ‘all‐sky’ approach, and supported by advances in data assimilation and forecast modelling, modern data assimilation systems can infer the dynamical state of the atmosphere, not just from traditional temperature‐related observations, but from observations of humidity, cloud and precipitation.
Multiple-orbital effects in laser-induced electron diffraction of aligned molecules

Photoelectron Angular Distributions (PADs) resulting from 800 nm and 1300 nm strong field ionization of impulsively aligned CF$_3$I molecules were analyzed using time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT). The normalized difference between the PADs for aligned and anti-aligned molecules displays large modulations in the high-energy re-collision plateau that are assigned to the diffraction of back-scattered photoelectrons. The TDDFT calculations reveal that, in spite of their 2.6 eV energy difference, ionization from the HOMO-1 orbital contributes to the diffraction pattern on the same footing as ionization from the doubly degenerate HOMO orbital.
Differential protein expression profiling in BSE disease

Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease affecting cattle. Current tests for the detection of BSE are based solely on the only definitive marker of the disease, an abnormal conformer (PrPd), of the host encoded prion protein (PrPc). Recent evidence that other transmissible spongiform encephalopathy diseases can be present in the absence of PrPd, coupled with the need to establish pre-mortem diagnostic assays have led to a search for alternative diagnostic approaches. In this study we apply differential protein expression profiling for the prediction of BSE disease in post-mortem bovine brain tissue. The protein profiles of groups of 27 BSE diseased cattle were compared with 28 control animals. Analysis using statistical learning (and linear discriminant analysis) techniques established protein markers of disease with good predictive power (sensitivity 85% and specificity 71%). Further work will be required to test the predictive markers in a wider range of diseases, particularly other neurological conditions.
Robust attitude fault-tolerant control for unmanned autonomous helicopter with flapping dynamics and actuator faults

In this paper, an adaptive robust fault-tolerant control scheme is developed for attitude tracking control of a medium-scale unmanned autonomous helicopter with rotor flapping dynamics, external unknown disturbances and actuator faults. For the convenience of control design, the actuator dynamics with respect to the tail rotor are introduced. The adaptive fault observer and robust item are employed to observe the actuator faults and eliminate the effect of external disturbances, respectively. A backstepping-based robust fault-tolerant control scheme is designed with the aim of obtaining satisfactory tracking performance and closed-loop system stability is proved via Lyapunov analysis, which guarantees the convergence of all closed-loop system signals. Simulation results are given to show the effectiveness of the proposed control method.
The results of Polish oceanographic investigations focused on interannual variability of the Greenland Sea energoactive zones

In the years the years 1987 - 1989 the Institute of Oceanology of Polish Academy of Sciences in Sopot accomplished oceanographical investigations in the energoactive zones of the Northern Atlantic within the ,,Greeland Sea Project''. The aim of the Polish part of the project was to examine the intermonthly and interannual variability of hydrophysical fields and the dynamics of the near - surface atmospheric layer in the selected regions of the ocean, in order to determine the role of these factors in the formation of climatic anomalies of the ocean - atmosphere interaction during summer months: July and August. The main research region were the confluence zone of the Norwegian Sea and Barents Sea. The 3 - year program of meteorological, hydrological and biological empirical investigations accomplished onboard the research vessel 'Oceania'. This paper is a presentation of aero- and hydrophysical characteristics obtained from the technical processing of empirical data, whose analysis made it possible to reveal a number of features characterizing the intermonthly and interannual variability of aero- and hydrophysical fields in the regions examined, as well as the causal nexus of hydrological and hydrobiological anomalies. This paper is not a final synthesis. The empirical data and analytical results presented herein can be used for futher investigations.
Risk factors for the onset of prostatic cancer: age, location, and behavioral correlates

: At present, only three risk factors for prostate cancer have been firmly established; these are all nonmodifiable: age, race, and a positive family history of prostate cancer. However, numerous modifiable factors have also been implicated in the development of prostate cancer. In the current review, we summarize the epidemiologic data for age, location, and selected behavioral factors in relation to the onset of prostate cancer. Although the available data are not entirely consistent, possible preventative behavioral factors include increased physical activity, intakes of tomatoes, cruciferous vegetables, and soy. Factors that may enhance prostate cancer risk include frequent consumption of dairy products and, possibly, meat. By comparison, alcohol probably exerts no important influence on prostate cancer development. Similarly, dietary supplements are unlikely to protect against the onset of prostate cancer in healthy men. Several factors, such as smoking and obesity, show a weak association with prostate cancer incidence but a positive relation with prostate cancer mortality. Other factors, such as fish intake, also appear to be unassociated with incident prostate cancer but show an inverse relation with fatal prostate cancer. Such heterogeneity in the relationship between behavioral factors and nonadvanced, advanced, or fatal prostate cancers helps shed light on the carcinogenetic process because it discerns the impact of exposure on early and late stages of prostate cancer development. Inconsistent associations between behavioral factors and prostate cancer risk seen in previous studies may in part be due to uncontrolled detection bias because of current widespread use of prostate-specific antigen testing for prostate cancer, and the possibility that certain behavioral factors are systematically related to the likelihood of undergoing screening examinations. In addition, several genes may modify the study results, but data concerning specific gene–environment interactions are currently sparse. Despite large improvements in our understanding of prostate cancer risk factors in the past two decades, present knowledge does not allow definitive recommendations for specific preventative behavioral interventions.
APLICABILIDAD DEL RADAR DE SUBSUELO PARA EL ESTUDIO DE LA ZONA NO SATURADA DEL SUELO: EJEMPLOS EN AMBIENTES ARENOSOS COSTEROS

Ground-penetrating radar, GPR, is a remote sensing and geophysical method based on the emission of a very short electromagnetic pulse (1-20 ns) in the frequency band of 10 MHz - 2,5 GHz to obtain cross-section images of underground features using in-situ sensors. GPR principles of operation are based in the ability of low frequency radar waves to penetrate into non-conductive medium, usually subsoil but also walls, bridges, etc. In this work some applications of GPR in the study of coastal sand environments are presented, where it was possible to recognize the stratigraphyc sequence developed, mainly constituted by horizontal layers else with progradation sequences, together with the water table and bedrock depth. It also includes some examples of the research carried out for the detection of contamination levels buried in the sand of some beaches in Galicia, in relation with the Prestige fuel-oil spill. 1. Introduccion El geo-radar es una tecnica no destructiva orientada al estudio del subsuelo superficial y que se fundamenta en la capacidad de las ondas de radar de baja frecuencia (10 MHz - 2,5 GHz) para propagarse a traves de medios poco conductivos. El metodo emplea una antena emisora para dirigir pulsos electromagneticos de 1-20 ns de duracion hacia el interior del terreno. Este frente de ondas es parcialmente reflejado al encontrar una discontinuidad o un cambio de material en el subsuelo, pudiendo ser detectado en la superficie mediante una antena receptora dispuesta a tal efecto. Al ir desplazando el sistema sobre la superficie del terreno sera posible registrar la historia de reflexiones detectadas en el subsuelo bajo la linea de desplazamiento del equipo. De esta forma se obtienen los llamados radargramas, similares a los registros clasicos de sismica de reflexion, pero con la gran diferencia de que, en el caso del radar, la propagacion de las ondas esta condicionada por las caracteristicas electromagneticas del medio de propagacion.
LiToTac: An Interactive-Interface Software for Finite Element Analysis of Multiple Contact Dynamics

: In order to investigate the mechanical behavior of systems with complex architecture and a large number of contacting bodies, a ﬁnite element software, named LiToTac, has been developed by using the object-oriented programming technique. This software, with an interactive graphical user interface, is able to handle highly non-linear problems including multiple contacts and large deformation. More importantly, the contact detection based on a hybrid three-stages methodology can be performed automatically, which is more efﬁcient than the common strategies of pre-deﬁning contact zones in commercial FEM software like ANSYS, ABAQUS, etc. In addition, the contact solver in LiToTac is portable between dynamic and quasi-static codes and can accurately solve contact coupled with friction in a reduced system. Several numerical examples are carried out to illustrate the functionality and capacity of the software package.
Advances in Alzheimer’s disease therapeutics: biochemistry, exploring bioactive compounds and novel approaches

ABSTRACT The most rampant and complex form of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease (AD) which is characterized by various cognitive deficits and personality abnormalities. AD is a neurodegenerative condition marked by the buildup of beta-amyloid peptide fragments and Tau protein in the form of tangles in brain neurons. The presence of β-amyloid peptide, Tau protein, oxidative stress, and an aggravated neuro-inflammatory response are all part of its pathophysiological pathway. Quite a number of invertebrates have been genetically modified such that they express human proteins that play a role or two in the pathogenesis of AD. Also, in order to create an animal model of AD, quite a number of substances have been investigated for their potential to cause cognitive dysfunctions. The following keywords were used to search and retrieve articles from reputable databases, including Scopus, Science Direct, Google Scholar and PubMed: “Alzheimer’s Disease,” “Tau protein,” “beta-secretase,” “Cognitive Impairments,” “Amyloid beta,” “phytochemicals and AD,” “neurofibrillary tangles” and “Neurotoxins that induce AD,” The aim of this review is to advance a better understanding of the functions and roles of Tau and amyloid precursor proteins in the pathogenesis of AD; and to offer updated and recent information on the use of plant chemicals in the treatment of AD. It is expedient to state that not all biochemical, cognitive, behavioral and histological disorders are recapitulable. Nevertheless, research into the etiology of this severely debilitating disease is being aided by experimental models of AD created by chemicals and bioengineered model organisms.