Validity and reliability of three methods of stiffness assessment

Background：Stiffness is commonly assessed in relation to injury and athletic performance.The purpose of this research was to compare the validity and reliability of 3 in vivo methods of stiffness assessment using 1 cohort of participants.Methods：To determine inter-day reliability,15 female netballers were assessed for stiffness twice within 1 week using unilateral hopping（vertical stiffness）,free oscillations of the calf,and myometry of various muscles of the triceps surae.To establish convergent construct validity,stiffness was compared to static and dynamic strength measurements.Results：Test–retest stiffness results revealed that vertical stiffness produced moderate to high reliability results and myometry presented moderate to very high reliability.In contrast,the free oscillation technique displayed low to moderate reliability.Vertical stiffness demonstrated a significa t correlation with rate of force development during a squat jump,whilst myometer stiffness measurements from 3 sites in the lower limb revealed significan correlations with isometric rate of force development.Further,significan negative correlations were evident between the eccentric utilisation ratio and various myometer stiffness results.No relationships were established between the free oscillation technique and any of the performance measurements.Conclusion：These results suggest that vertical stiffness and myometry are valid and reliable methods for assessing stiffness.

Diagnosing coeliac disease:Out with the old and in with the new?

Coeliac disease(CD)is a complex condition resulting from an interplay between genetic and environmental factors.When diagnosing the condition,serological testing and genotyping are useful in excluding CD,although the gold standard of testing is currently histopathological examination of the small intestine.There are drawbacks associated with this form of testing however and because of this,novel forms of testing are currently under investigation.Before we develop completely novel tests though,it is important to ask whether or not we can simply use the data we gather from coeliac patients more effectively and build a more accurate snapshot of CD through statistical analysis of combined metrics.It is clear that not one single test can accurately diagnose CD and it is also clear that CD patients can no longer be defined by discrete classifications,the continuum of patient presentation needs to be recognised and correctly captured to improve diagnostic accuracy.This review will discuss the current diagnostics for CD and then outline novel diagnostics under investigation for the condition.Finally,improvements to current protocols will be discussed with the need for a holistic“snapshot”of CD using a number of metrics simultaneously.

Visualization of protein structure relationships using constrained twin kernel embedding

In this paper, a recently proposed dimensional-ity reduction method called Twin Kernel Em-bedding (TKE) [10] is applied in 2-dimensional visualization of protein structure relationships. By matching the similarity measures of the input and the embedding spaces expressed by their respective kernels, TKE ensures that both local and global proximity information are preserved simultaneously. Experiments conducted on a subset of the Structural Classification Of Pro-tein (SCOP) database confirmed the effective-ness of TKE in preserving the original relation-ships among protein structures in the lower di-mensional embedding according to their simi-larities. This result is expected to benefit sub-sequent analyses of protein structures and their functions.

Analysis of travelling wave solutions of double dispersive sharma-Tasso-Olver equation

Travelling wave solutions have been played a vital role in demonstrating the wave character of nonlinear problems arising in the field of ocean engineering and sciences.To describe the propagation of the nonlinear wave phenomenon in the ocean(for example,wind waves,tsunami waves),a variety of evolution equations have been suggested and investigated in the existing literature.This paper studies the dynamic of travelling periodic and solitary wave behavior of a double-dispersive non-linear evolution equation,named the Sharma-Tasso-Olver(STO)equation.Nonlinear evolution equations with double dispersion enable us to describe nonlinear wave propagation in the ocean,hyperplastic rods and other mediums in the field of science and engineering.We analyze the wave solutions of this model using a combination of numerical simulations and Ansatz techniques.Our analysis shows that the travelling wave solutions involve a range of parameters that displays important and very interesting properties of the wave phenomena.The relevance of the parameters in the travelling wave solutions is also discussed.By simulating numerically,we demonstrate how parameters in the solutions influence the phase speed as well as the travelling and solitary waves.Furthermore,we discuss instantaneous streamline patterns among the obtained solutions to explore the local direction of the components of the obtained solitary wave solutions at each point in the coordinate(x,t).

A Novel Approach for Sugarcane Yield Prediction Using Landsat Time Series Imagery: A Case Study on Bundaberg Region

Quantifying sugarcane production is critical for a wide range of applications, including crop management and decision making processes such as harvesting, storage, and forward selling. This study explored a novel model for predicting sugarcane yield in Bundaberg region from time series Landsat data. From the freely available Landsat archive, 98 cloud free (<40%) Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) and Enhanced Thematic Mapper (ETM+) images, acquired between November 15th to July 31st (2001-2015) were sourced for this study. The images were masked using the field boundary layer vector files of each year and the GNDVI was calculated. An analysis of average green normalized difference vegetation index (GNDVI) values from all sugarcane crops grown within the Bundaberg region over the 15 year period identified the beginning of April as the peak growth stage and, therefore, the optimum time for satellite image based yield forecasting. As the GNDVI is an indicator of crop vigor, the model derived maximum GNDVI was regressed against historical sugarcane yield data, which showed a significant correlation with R2 = 0.69 and RMSE = 4.2 t/ha. Results showed that the model derived maximum GNDVI from Landsat imagery would be a feasible and a modest technique to predict sugarcane yield in Bundaberg region.

From 2-dimensional to 3-dimensional: Overcoming dilemmas in intestinal mucosal interpretation

The purpose of this review is to provide a definitive account of small intestinal mucosal structure and interpretation. The coeliac lesion has been well known, but not well described to date and this review aims to identify the interpretative difficulties which have arisen over time with the histological assessment of coeliac disease. In early coeliac interpretation, there were significant inaccuracies, particularly surrounding intraepithelial lymphocyte counts and the degree of villous flattening which occurred in the tissue. Many of these interpretive pitfalls are still encountered today, increasing the potential for diagnostic errors. These difficulties are mostly due to the fact that stained 2-dimensional sections can never truly represent the 3-dimensional framework of the intestinal tissue under investigation. Therefore, this review offers a critical account occasioned by these 2-dimensional interpretative errors and which, in our opinion, should in general be jettisoned. As a result, we leave a framework regarding the true 3-dimensional knowledge of mucosal structure accrued over the 70-year period of study, and one which is available for future reference.

A co-evolving memetic wrapper for prediction of patient outcomes in TCM informatics

Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） relies on the combined effects of herbs within prescribed formulae. However, given the combinatorial explosion due to the vast number of herbs available for treatment, the study of these combined effects can become computationally intractable. Thus feature selection has become increasingly crucial as a pre-processing step prior to the study of combined effects in TCM informatics. In accord with this goal, a new feature se- lection algorithm known as a co-evolving memetic wrapper （COW） is proposed in this paper. COW takes advantage of recent research in genetic algorithms （GAs） and memetic al- gorithms （MAs） by evolving appropriate feature subsets for a given domain. Our empirical experiments have demonstrated that COW is capable of selecting subsets of herbs from a TCM insomnia dataset that shows signs of combined effects on the prediction of patient outcomes measured in terms of classification accuracy. We compare the proposed algorithm with results from statistical analysis including main effects and up to three way interaction terms and show that COW is capable of correctly identifying the herbs and herb by herb effects that are significantly associated to patient outcome prediction.

Performance Evaluation of Calcium Alkali-treated Oil Palm/Pineapple Fibre/Bio-phenolic Composites

The utilisation of oil palm fibre(OPF)and pineapple leaf fibres(PALF)as reinforcement materials for bio-phenolic composites is growing especially in automotive lightweight applications.The major aim of this current study is to investigate the influence of alkali(Ca(OH)_(2)) treatment on pure and hybrid composites.The effects of enhancements in chemical interactions were evaluated by the Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectrometer(FTIR).Dynamic Mechanical Analysis(DMA)and Thermogravimetric Analysis(TGA)performance of untreated reinforcements(OPF and PALF)and treated(OPF/OPF)composites at varying temperature and noted sufficient interfacial bonding contributing towards the improvements in thermal stability.From DMA results,the storage modulus improved with treated composites while the damping factor was reduced.Furthermore,the treated hybrid composites exhibited significant improvements in thermal stability compared to untreated fibre composites.The results indicated that alkali calcium hydroxide(Ca(OH2(:T)incorporation in hybrid composites(OPF/PALF)results in increased tensile strength and modulus among all composites.Similarly,the alkali-treated(Ca(OH)_(2))-treated pure composite(T/50%PALF),and hybrid composites(T/1OPF.1PALF)exhibited better flexural strength as compared with other composites.In contrast,the T/50%PALF showed higher flexural stress of 78.2 MPa,while the flexural modulus was recorded at 6503 MPa.It can be proposed from the findings of this study that the alkali treatment(5%Ca(OH)_(2))can be utilised to improve the strength and efficiency of agriculture biomass to be used as reinforcements in composites.Additionally,the hybridisation of bio-fibre composites has the potential as a novel variety of biodegradable and sustainable composites appropriate for several industrial and engineering applications.

Black soldier fly larvae in broiler diets improve broiler performance and modulate the immune system

Non-conventional feed ingredients are receiving more interest in their ability to increase farming effi-ciency,sustainability and animal performance.The objective of this study was to determine the optimal rate of inclusion level of the full-fat black soldier fly larvae(BSFL)in broiler diets and to evaluate their impact on performance,nutrient digestibility,and the immune system(blood cells and intraepithelial lymphocytes).A total of 400 male day-old Ross 308 broilers were randomly assigned to 5 treatment groups with 8 replicates each.Five inclusion levels of full-fat BSFL were investigated across starter(0,2.5%,5%,7.5%and 10%),grower and finisher diets(0,5%,10%,15%and 20%).All diets were formulated based on digestible amino acid values according to the Aviagen(2016)recommendations.A polynomial regression at different degrees was performed to analyse broiler performance parameters(body weight,body weight gain,feed intake,and feed conversion ratio),nutrient digestibility,and blood cell count.Intraepithelial lymphocyte population data was analysed performing univariate linear regression.During the entire experimental period(from 2 to 42 d),BSFL inclusion levels decreased the feed conversion ratio by 10%in broilers that received 20%BSFL in their diets(P<0.05).Lymphocytes and white blood cell count decreased linearly by 47.7%and 35.9%,respectively,with up to 20%BSFL inclusion(P<0.001).A 4-fold decrease in CD3+T lymphocytes and a 9.7-fold decrease of CD3+CD8+intestinal cytotoxic T lymphocytes occurred in broilers fed 20%BSFL compared to the control group.These findings suggest that the inclusion of BSFL can improve broiler performance and potentially reduce immune response energy expenditure in birds fed 20%BSFL for 42 d.

Match and training injury incidence in rugby league:A systematic review,pooled analysis,and update on published studies

In studies reporting rugby league injuries,match injuries varied depending upon participation level.To review and update pooled data estimates for rugby league injury epidemiology and add information for participation levels in match and training environments.A systematic review and pooled analysis for published studies reporting rugby league match and training injuries.Searches were performed in the PubMed,CINHAL,ScienceDirect,Scopus,SPORTDiscus,SpringerLink,and Wiley Online databases.Studies were considered if they reported on rugby league match or training injuries between Jan 1990 to June 2021.Two authors(DK,TC)extracted the study characteristics,numerical data and assessed the article quality,by adhering to the protocol for systematic review of observational studies(MOOSE)and the STrengthening and Reporting of OBservational studies in Epidemiology(STROBE)statement.The 46 studies included a combined exposure of 419,037 h and 18,783 injuries incorporating 158,003 match-hr and 15,706 match injuries(99.4[95%CI:97.9–101.0]per 1000 match-hr)and 264,033 training-hr and 3077 training injuries(11.8[95%CI:11.4–12.2]per 1000 training-hr).Of included studies,47.9%utilised a medical attention/treatment injury definition.There was a five-fold difference in injuries for the semi-professional participation level(431.6 per 1000 match-hr)compared with professional(RR:4.92;p<0.001)and elite(RR:3.77;p<0.001)participation levels.The hooker recorded the highest pooled injury incidence(93.1 per 1000 match-hr).Compared to the 2014 analysis there was a 10-fold increase for headneck region(RR:10.7;p<0.001)injury incidence,and more injuries for the ball carrier(RR:1.1;p?0.008)and tackler(RR:1.2;p?0.001).There was a three-fold decrease in injury incidence in the first half(RR:2.9;p<0.001)and a two-fold decrease in the second half(RR:2.3;p<0.001)of matches.While rugby league match and training injury incidence had decreased since 2014,the increase in head injuries,and greater injury rate at the semi-professional level,mean further injury prevention interventions are needed.