Fatigue Evaluation through Machine Learning and a Global Fatigue Descriptor

Research in physiology and sports science has shown that fatigue, a complex psychophysiological phenomenon, has a relevant impact in performance and in the correct functioning of our motricity system, potentially being a cause of damage to the human organism. Fatigue can be seen as a subjective or objective phenomenon. Subjective fatigue corresponds to a mental and cognitive event, while fatigue referred as objective is a physical phenomenon. Despite the fact that subjective fatigue is often undervalued, only a physically and mentally healthy athlete is able to achieve top performance in a discipline. )erefore, we argue that physical training programs should address the preventive assessment of both subjective and objective fatigue mechanisms in order to minimize the risk of injuries. In this context, our paper presents a machine-learning system capable of extracting individual fatigue descriptors (IFDs) from electromyographic (EMG) and heart rate variability (HRV) measurements. Our novel approach, using two types of biosignals so that a global (mental and physical) fatigue assessment is taken into account, reflects the onset of fatigue by implementing a combination of a dimensionless (0-1) global fatigue descriptor (GFD) and a support vector machine (SVM) classifier. )e system, based on 9 main combined features, achieves fatigue regime classification performances of 0.82 ± 0.24, ensuring a successful preventive assessment when dangerous fatigue levels are reached. Training data were acquired in a constant work rate test (executed by 14 subjects using a cycloergometry device), where the variable under study (fatigue) gradually increased until the volunteer reached an objective exhaustion state

Which are the best practices for MSc programmes in Sustainable Agriculture?

Programmes of education for sustainable development are important to reformulate and revise educa tional programmes in Sustainable Agriculture. Higher education institutes emerge as learning places to integrate sustainable development into the educational system, through graduation and MSc pro grammes, to provide a more effective response to the higher environmental and agriculture concerns. The aim of this study was to identify the best practices to be included in a MSc programme of education for sustainable development in agriculture based on a questionnaire prepared and distributed to agrarian sciences experts. The questionnaires were developed in order to define the fundamental competences/ expertise, to identify the best practices and the methods of training/learning that should be taken in consideration in a MSc programme in Sustainable Agriculture. The results showed that the fundamental expertise of MSc programmes should be based on knowledge transfer of agricultural measures to mitigate the impact of climate change on agricultural systems. MSc programmes in Sustainable Agri culture should include interdisciplinary courses related to sustainability and agro-environmental tech nologies, such as Precision Agriculture, and incorporate adaptive and mitigate practices as those used in the Circular Economy strategy. Traditional face-to-face training methods are considered the most important forms of training/learning in a MSc programme in Sustainable Agriculture. However, due to COVID-19 pandemic, online learning methods, traditionally considered not suitable for MSc programme in Sustainable Agriculture, became important by providing online education. Information and commu nication technology and technological tools showed to be important skills to effectively implement online learning and to improve the efficient access and use of up-to-date information of the agricultural sector

Different proportion of root cutting and shoot pruning influence the growth of citronella plants

Environment concern, sustainable products demand, and natural components conscious are currently global movement factors. Related to the global movement factors, citronella grass (Cymbopogon nardus L.) is being widely used in folk medicine, and has insect repellent activity, fungal and bactericidal action. Its essential oil has high content of citronellal, citronellol, geraniol. The essential oil is mostly extracted from leaves which turns this plant with high commercial demand. However, to obtain the best therapeutic quality and productivity of medicinal plants, which culminates in greater quantity and quality of the active compounds, the proper management of the crop is fundamental, as several factors can interfere during its growth and development. Thus, we analyzed the growth of citronella plants submitted to different levels of shoot and root cuts. Five different proportions of root pruning (0, 25, 50, 75, 100%), after 145 days of seedling planting and four cuttings in the shoots: blunt; a cut at 145 DAP (days after planting) along with the root cut; a cut at 228 DAP; and cuts at 145 and 228 DAP (two cuts). Four harvesting for dry matter accumulation and photoassimilate partition data were performed. The treatment with 100% root cut, but without leaf cut, increased the total dry mass accumulation of the plant in relation to the other treatments, for the last analysis period, demonstrating a recovery. Thus, the application of two leaf cuts or no leaf cutting within the 100% root cut treatment for leaf dry mass accumulation is more effective when compared to the blunt root treatment

Structure-antifouling activity relationship and molecular targets of bio-inspired(Thio)xanthones

The development of alternative ecological and effective antifouling technologies is still challenging. Synthesis of nature-inspired compounds has been exploited, given the potential to assure commercial supplies of potential ecofriendly antifouling agents. In this direction, the antifouling activity of a series of nineteen synthetic small molecules, with chemical similarities with natural products, were exploited in this work. Six (4, 5, 7, 10, 15 and 17) of the tested xanthones showed in vivo activity toward the settlement of Mytilus galloprovincialis larvae (EC50: 3.53–28.60 µM) and low toxicity to this macrofouling species (LC50 > 500 µM and LC50/EC50: 17.42–141.64), and two of them (7 and 10) showed no general marine ecotoxicity (<10% of Artemia salina mortality) after 48 h of exposure. Regarding the mechanism of action in mussel larvae, the best performance compounds 4 and 5 might be acting by the inhibition of acetylcholinesterase activity (in vitro and in silico studies), while 7 and 10 showed specific targets (proteomic studies) directly related with the mussel adhesive structure (byssal threads), given by the alterations in the expression of Mytilus collagen proteins (PreCols) and proximal thread proteins (TMPs). A quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) model was built with predictive capacity to enable speeding the design of new potential active compounds.This research was supported by national funds through FCT - Foundation for Science and Technology within the scope of UIDB/04423/2020 and UIDP/04423/2020 and under the project PTDC/AAG-TEC/0739/2014 (reference POCI-01-0145-FEDER-016793) supported through national funds provided by FCT and ERDF - European Regional Development Fund through the COMPETE - Programa Operacional Factores de Competitividade (POFC) programme and RIDTI - Reforçar a Investigação, o Desenvolvimento Tecnológico e a Inovação (project 9471) and the project NASCEM PTDC/BTA-BTA/31422/2017 (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-031422) also financed by FCT, COMPETE2020 and PORTUGAL2020

One step forward towards the development of eco-friendly antifouling coatings: Immobilization of a sulfated marine-inspired compound

Marine biofouling represents a global economic and ecological challenge and few eco-friendly antifouling agents are available. The aim of this work was to establish the proof of concept that a recently synthesized nature-inspired compound (gallic acid persulfate, GAP) can act as an eco-friendly and effective antifoulant when immobilized in coatings through a non-release strategy, promoting a long-lasting antifouling effect. The synthesis of GAP was optimized to provide quantitative yields. GAP water solubility was assessed, showing values higher than 1000 mg/mL. GAP was found to be stable in sterilized natural seawater with a half-life (DT50) of 7 months. GAP was immobilized into several commercial coatings, exhibiting high compatibility with different polymeric matrices. Leaching assays of polydimethylsiloxane and polyurethane-based marine coatings containing GAP confirmed that the chemical immobilization of GAP was successful, since releases up to fivefold lower than the conventional releasing systems of polyurethane-based marine coatings were observed. Furthermore, coatings containing immobilized GAP exhibited the most auspicious anti-settlement effect against Mytilus galloprovincialis larvae for the maximum exposure period (40 h) in laboratory trials. Overall, GAP promises to be an agent capable of improving the antifouling activity of several commercial marine coatings with desirable environmental properties.This research was funded by national funds through the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) within the scope of research unit grants to CIIMAR (UIDB/04423/2020 and UIDP/04423/2020), to BioISI (UIDB/04046/2020 and UIDP/04046/2020) and under the project PTDC/AAG-TEC/0739/2014 (reference POCI-01-0145-FEDER-016793) supported through national funds provided by FCT and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) via the Programa Operacional Factores de Competitividade (POFC/COMPETE) programme and the Reforçar a Investigação, o Desenvolvimento Tecnológico e a Inovação (RIDTI; project 9471)

Search for direct production of charginos and neutralinos in events with three leptons and missing transverse momentum in √s = 7 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

A search for the direct production of charginos and neutralinos in final states with three electrons or muons and missing transverse momentum is presented. The analysis is based on 4.7 fb−1 of proton–proton collision data delivered by the Large Hadron Collider and recorded with the ATLAS detector. Observations are consistent with Standard Model expectations in three signal regions that are either depleted or enriched in Z-boson decays. Upper limits at 95% confidence level are set in R-parity conserving phenomenological minimal supersymmetric models and in simplified models, significantly extending previous results

Jet size dependence of single jet suppression in lead-lead collisions at sqrt(s(NN)) = 2.76 TeV with the ATLAS detector at the LHC

Measurements of inclusive jet suppression in heavy ion collisions at the LHC provide direct sensitivity to the physics of jet quenching. In a sample of lead-lead collisions at sqrt(s) = 2.76 TeV corresponding to an integrated luminosity of approximately 7 inverse microbarns, ATLAS has measured jets with a calorimeter over the pseudorapidity interval |eta| < 2.1 and over the transverse momentum range 38 < pT < 210 GeV. Jets were reconstructed using the anti-kt algorithm with values for the distance parameter that determines the nominal jet radius of R = 0.2, 0.3, 0.4 and 0.5. The centrality dependence of the jet yield is characterized by the jet "central-to-peripheral ratio," Rcp. Jet production is found to be suppressed by approximately a factor of two in the 10% most central collisions relative to peripheral collisions. Rcp varies smoothly with centrality as characterized by the number of participating nucleons. The observed suppression is only weakly dependent on jet radius and transverse momentum. These results provide the first direct measurement of inclusive jet suppression in heavy ion collisions and complement previous measurements of dijet transverse energy imbalance at the LHC.Comment: 15 pages plus author list (30 pages total), 8 figures, 2 tables, submitted to Physics Letters B. All figures including auxiliary figures are available at http://atlas.web.cern.ch/Atlas/GROUPS/PHYSICS/PAPERS/HION-2011-02