Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Frequency comb injection locking of mode locked lasers

The two-frequency problem of synchronization of the pulse train of a passively mode locked soliton laser to an externally injected pulse train is solved in the weak injection regime. The source and target frequency combs are distinguished by the spacing and offset frequency mismatches. Locking diagrams map the domain in the mismatch parameter space where stable locking of the combs is possible. We analyze the dependence of the locking behavior on the relative frequency and chirp of the source and target pulses, and the conditions where the relative offset frequency has to be actively stabilized. Locked steady states are characterized by a fixed source–target time and phase shifts that map the locking domain.
A photochemical equilibrium model for ionospheric conductivity

A photochemical equilibrium model of the high-latitude ionosphere has been developed. This model provides densities of the ionospheric constituents, N{sup +}{sub 2}, O{sup +}{sub 2}, O{sup +}, and NO{sup +}, from 85 km to approximately 220 km. These densities are then used to calculate Pedersen and Hall conductivities. A comparison of the model results with Arecibo and Chatanika radar observations was made, covering periods of solar minimum and solar maximum. The comparison shwoed the model to predict ionospheric densities to within 50% and conductivities to within 40% in the illuminated portion of the ionosphere. In regions of electron precipitation, the model showed good agreement with measurements. Results of this study indicate the following: (1) Ionospheric conductivity increases by a factor of {approximately}1.6 from solar minimum to solar maximum conditions; (2) the portion of the ionosphere above 170 km can contribute as much as 40% during daylight and 80% during nighttime to the total height-integrated Pedersen conductivity; (3) the ratio of the height-integrated Hall to Pedersen conductivities is approximately 1.1-1.3 for sunlit conditions; this is appreciably lower than the value of 2 found in previous studies; (4) these and other factors indicate that, under certain conditions, the height-integrated Pedersen conductivity maymore » be as much as 2-3 times larger than previously reported. « less
Metallic elements in exhaled breath condensate of patients with interstitial lung diseases

Epidemiological data support the hypothesis that environmental and occupational agents play an important role in the development of interstitial lung diseases such as idiopathic interstitial pneumonia (IIPs) and sarcoidosis. The aim of this study was to assess the elemental composition of exhaled breath condensate (EBC) in patients with interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) of unknown etiology and healthy subjects as an indirect evaluation of tissue burden, which could improve our understanding of the role of metals in the pathogenesis of ILDs. EBC was obtained from 33 healthy subjects, 22 patients with sarcoidosis, 15 patients with non-specific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP) and 19 with IIPs. Trace elements and toxic metals in the samples were measured by means of inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. There are only small overall differences in the EBC levels of a number of metallic elements among patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), NSIP or sarcoidosis, and no pattern is capable of distinguishing them with a high degree of sensitivity and specificity. However, a pattern of pneumotoxic (Si, Ni) and essential elements (Zn, Se and Cu) with the addition of Co distinguished the patients with ILDs from healthy non-smokers with relatively high degrees of sensitivity (96.4%) and specificity (90.9%). Assessing the elemental composition of EBC in patients with different ILDs seems to provide useful information. The non-invasiveness of the EBC method makes it suitable for patients with pulmonary diseases, although further studies are required to confirm the usefulness of this approach and to better understand the underlying pathophysiological processes.
Management of Falls in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: Clinical Guidance Statement From the Academy of Geriatric Physical Therapy of the American Physical Therapy Association

Background Falls in older adults are a major public health concern due to high prevalence, impact on health outcomes and quality of life, and treatment costs. Physical therapists can play a major role in reducing fall risk for older adults; however, existing clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) related to fall prevention and management are not targeted to physical therapists. Objective The purpose of this clinical guidance statement (CGS) is to provide recommendations to physical therapists to help improve outcomes in the identification and management of fall risk in community-dwelling older adults. Design and Methods The Subcommittee on Evidence-Based Documents of the Practice Committee of the Academy of Geriatric Physical Therapy developed this CGS. Existing CPGs were identified by systematic search and critically appraised using the Appraisal of Guidelines, Research, and Evaluation in Europe II (AGREE II) tool. Through this process, 3 CPGs were recommended for inclusion in the CGS and were synthesized and summarized. Results Screening recommendations include asking all older adults in contact with a health care provider whether they have fallen in the previous year or have concerns about balance or walking. Follow-up should include screening for balance and mobility impairments. Older adults who screen positive should have a targeted multifactorial assessment and targeted intervention. The components of this assessment and intervention are reviewed in this CGS, and barriers and issues related to implementation are discussed. Limitations A gap analysis supports the need for the development of a physical therapy–specific CPG to provide more precise recommendations for screening and assessment measures, exercise parameters, and delivery models. Conclusion This CGS provides recommendations to assist physical therapists in the identification and management of fall risk in older community-dwelling adults.
The prognostic value of pre-operative serum tetranectin, CA-125 and a combined index in women with primary ovarian cancer.

OBJECTIVE To study the prognostic value of pre-operative serum tetranectin (TN), CA125 levels and a mathematical formula (Index1) in primary ovarian cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS The study group consisted of sixty-six patients with varying FIGO stages I-IV. The end-point was death from ovarian cancer. Evaluation was by univariate life-tables analyses and the multivariate Cox analysis. In the Cox analyses, the variables were tested respectively in actual values and as dichotomy variables with different cut-off levels: 6.7, 7.3 and 8.2 mg/l for TN, 35, 65, 100 and 165 U/ml for CA125. RESULTS In stages I+II only CA125 was found to be significantly prognostic, whereas TN was of no prognostic value by univariate statistics. For stages III+IV patients significantly better survivals were found for patients with TN levels above the respective cut-offs compared to patients with low TN levels, whereas no significant value was found for CA125 by univariate statistics. In the Cox analyses, FIGO stage was the strongest and TN the second most prognostic variable, followed by age. CA125, Index1 and tumor types were of no prognostic value. The strongest prognostic value for TN was found at the cut-off level 8.2 mg/l (relative hazard for FIGO stages = 3.3 and for TN = 2.6). CONCLUSION TN was a strong prognostic variable in patients with advanced ovarian cancer. To the contrary, CA125 was a strong prognostic factor in patients with a localised ovarian cancer and of no prognostic value in patients with advanced cancer. The variables may be useful in the selection of patients with a poor outcome for new treatment strategies.
Predictors for the Healing of Transmetatarsal Amputations: Retrospective Study of 91 Amputations

This retrospective study reviewed 80 consecutive patients (mean age 62 years; range 21–91 years) who underwent 91 transmetatarsal amputations (TMAs) between 1995 and 2003. The mean follow-up was 12 ± 1.36 months. Sixty-two TMAs healed initially (group 1), whereas 29 TMAs did not heal by 3 months (group 2). At the final examination, in groups 1 and 2, 63 of 91 (69%) limbs were healed. Of the 28 limbs that did not heal, 25 of 28 (89%) required further proximal amputation. Initial healing correlated significantly with the ability to ambulate (p < .0001) and overall limb salvage (p < .0001). In group 1, 20 of 27 (74%) limbs that were revascularized healed (p = .0336). Nonhealing amputations were associated with end-stage renal disease (13 of 19; 68%) (p = .0209) and leukocytosis (13 of 19; 68%) (p = .0052).
Evidence-Based Practice, Ethics and EHDI Program Quality

Evidence-based practice (EBP) has evolved over the last decade into what might be considered a mantra of the new millennium. Early on in this evolution, Yale University’s Alvan Feinstein, who was a founding father of modern clinical epidemiology, noted that the evidence-based approach to clinical care ‘ . has acquired the kind of sanctity often accorded to motherhood, home and the flag . ’ (Feinstein and Horwitz 1997). The pervasiveness of the evidencebased approach, and the reverence accorded to it by many, have increased in recent years. Mantras and their related totems often evoke a broad range of response, from uncritical enthusiasm through to uncritical aversion. Evidence-based practice is no exception, with its share of devotees and detractors. As history often teaches us, there may prevail eventually a balanced viewpoint that is less doctrinaire, which recognizes the strengths and limitations of the new approach, and which places them more or less in proper perspective. One purpose of this article is to acquaint the reader with some tools, strengths and limitations of the evidence-based approach, at least from my own perspective. This will be done with special reference to the context of EHDI programs. This article is intended to complement, and in some areas to amplify, that by Judy Gravel in this volume. Unfortunately, this subject requires a discussion of ideas, not data, so I apologize to the reader for the wad of text and lack of nice figures. There have been many attempts to define evidence-based practice or, more specifically,
On the instability of pipe Poiseuille flow

Stability of the flow of incompressible viscous fluid in a circular pipe is studied numerically. A perturbation consisting of finite‐amplitude two‐dimensional and infinitesimal three‐dimensional parts is imposed on the basic flow. The temporal evolution of the perturbation is analyzed by direct numerical calculation of the Navier–Stokes equations. The two‐dimensional disturbances are independent of the streamwise coordinate and initially take the form of streamwise rolls. It is shown that the nonlinear development of two‐dimensional perturbations results in substantial spanwise modulation of the streamwise velocity component manifesting itself as a formation of streaks and the occurrence of inflection points. The modulated mean flow is found to be highly unstable to the three‐dimensional perturbations which are localized spatially near these points. An instability mechanism that includes the modulation of the flow by growing two‐dimensional disturbances and the inflectional instability of the modulated fl.
Force and fatigue in human type I muscle fibres. A surface EMG study in patients with congenital myopathy and type I fibre predominance.

An isometric ischaemic intermittent m.biceps brachii exercise test is performed by 4 patients suffering from congenital myopathies which are characterized by a 100% type I fibre predominance, and by 26 healthy volunteers. Thirty contractions per minute are made at an 80% of maximal voluntary contraction level. It is found that type I muscle fibres have a fourfold lower force-generating capacity than type II muscle fibres. The EMG amplitude shows that more EMG voltage is needed per unit force in the patients with 100% type I fibres compared with controls. Under standardized fatiguing circumstances the power density frequency spectrum shows a weaker shift to lower frequencies in patients with 100% type I muscle fibres compared with controls. The muscle fibre conduction velocity (MFCV) of type I muscle fibres shows no decline during ischaemic exercise indicating an unimpaired muscle membrane excitability.
Altered particle size distribution of apolipoprotein A-I-containing lipoproteins in subjects with coronary artery disease.

Plasma high density lipoproteins (HDL) can be separated into two subpopulations of apolipoprotein A-I-containing particles: those that also contain apoA-II [Lp(AI w AII)] and those that do not [Lp(AI w/o AII)]. These particles were isolated by immunoaffinity chromatography from 17 men (9 normolipidemic (NL), 8 hyperlipidemic (HL) with symptomatic coronary artery disease (CAD), from 17 NL men without any symptoms of CAD (healthy controls), and from 10 NL men with entirely normal coronary arteriograms (CAD-free controls). The distributions of particle size in these two subpopulations were determined by gradient gel electrophoresis and densitometric scanning. Approximately half of the Lp(AI w AII) particles in all subjects were distributed in the 8.2-9.2 nm interval. For patients with CAD, a greater fraction of the particles were small, in the 7.0-8.2 nm interval [33% in CAD vs. 26% in CAD-free controls (P less than 0.01) and 19% in healthy controls (P less than 0.0001)], and a smaller fraction of the particles were in the 9.2-11.2 nm interval (14% in CAD vs. 24% in CAD-free control (P less than 0.002) and healthy control groups (P less than 0.001). The Lp(AI w/o AII) of both control groups were primarily composed of two discrete subpopulations in the 8.2-9.2 nm and the 9.2-11.2 nm intervals. In CAD patients there were fewer particles in the 9.2-11.2 nm size interval (23% in CAD vs. 33% in CAD-free controls (P less than 0.005) and 36% in healthy controls (P less than 0.0001), and more particles in the smallest 7.0-8.2 nm size interval (32% in CAD vs. 23% in CAD-free controls (P less than 0.01) and 18% in healthy controls (P less than 0.001]. Thus, the spectrum of HDL particle sizes in patients with CAD tends to be shifted toward the smaller particle when compared with the two control groups. This was observed in both NL and HL patients with HDL cholesterol (CH) values in the normal range. As a group, CAD patients had lower HDL (42 +/- 7 mg/dl) and HDL2 (6 +/- 4 mg/dl) CH than healthy (HDL: 49 +/- 7, HDL2: 12 +/- 6 mg/dl) and CAD-free (HDL: 51 +/- 9, HDL2: 12 +/- 6 mg/dl) controls. When controls and patients were compared for their frequencies of abnormal HDL CH levels and particle sizes, abnormalities in HDL and HDL2 CH levels were not significantly more frequent (twofold) among CAD patients than among controls. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Interneuron activity leads to initiation of low‐voltage fast‐onset seizures

Seizures in temporal lobe epilepsy can be classified as hypersynchronous and low‐voltage fast according to their onset patterns. Experimental evidence suggests that low‐voltage fast‐onset seizures mainly result from the synchronous activity of γ‐aminobutyric acid–releasing cells. In this study, we tested this hypothesis using the optogenetic control of parvalbumin‐positive interneurons in the entorhinal cortex, in the in vitro 4‐aminopyridine model. We found that both spontaneous and optogenetically induced seizures had similar low‐voltage fast‐onset patterns. In addition, both types of seizures presented with higher ripple than fast ripple rates. Our data demonstrate the involvement of interneuronal networks in the initiation of low‐voltage fast‐onset seizures. Ann Neurol 2015;77:541–546
Rapid look‐up table method for noise‐corrected curve fitting in the r2* mapping of iron loaded liver

Fitting the measured decay signal to the first moment in the presence of noncentral chi noise (M1NCM) can correctly address the effect of noise on the effective transverse relaxation rate (R2*) relaxometry of iron loaded liver. However, this method requires intensive computation, which restricts its application to R2* mapping. This work aims to develop a rapid implementation of the M1NCM method for R2* mapping.
Activation of a Subset of Human NK Cells upon Contact with Plasmodium falciparum-Infected Erythrocytes 1

Human NK cells are the earliest source of the protective cytokine IFN-γ when PBMC from nonimmune donors are exposed to Plasmodium falciparum-infected RBC (iRBC) in vitro. In this study, we show that human NK cells form stable conjugates with iRBC but not with uninfected RBC and that induction of IFN-γ synthesis is dependent on direct contact between the NK cell and the iRBC. NK cells respond to iRBC only in the presence of a source of IL-12/IL-18 and the subset of NK cells that preferentially respond to iRBC express high levels of the lectin-like receptor CD94/NKG2A. There is heterogeneity between donors in their ability to respond to iRBC. DNA analysis has revealed considerable heterogeneity of killer Ig-like receptor (KIR) genotype among the donor population and has identified 21 new KIR allelic variants in the donors of African and Asian descent. Importantly, we find evidence for significant associations between KIR genotype and NK responsiveness to iRBC. This emphasizes the need for large-scale population-based studies to address associations between KIR genotype and susceptibility to malaria.
Reversibility of the Necker Cube: I. An Examination of the Concept of “Satiation of Orientation”

A central fatigue factor (satiation of orientation) is proposed to account for reversals of the Necker cube. During viewing, the figure process mediating one orientation becomes satiated, a threshold level is reached and a reversal is reported. The conception places no special importance on retinal locus of the figure since it is not any one part of the central process that satiates but rather the process mediating one particular orientation. To support this analysis, the cube was presented tachistoscopically so that growth of satiation would be interrupted before threshold was reached. When presented repetitively, the satiation summated with residual satiation generated by preceding exposures until the threshold was reached and a reversal was reported. When, however, the interval between successive exposures of the cube was lengthened to permit the satiative processes to decay to a minimal value after each exposure, then no summation took place, the threshold was never reached and reversals were never reported.
Color-Word Stroop test performance across the adult life span.

In the Color-Word Stroop test (CWST), the basic task is to name the ink color of rows of XXXs, and performance in this condition is compared with performance in naming the ink-color of color words under conditions where word meanings and ink colors mismatch or are incongruent (e.g., the word red printed in green ink). The present study investigated whether Stroop test interference, defined as the cost associated with ink-color naming in the incongruous stimulus condition versus in the basic color-naming condition, provides positive evidence for a kind of processing qualitatively different than that which is required for color naming or for word reading. Does the pattern of age-related differences in Stroop interference force the conclusion that the incongruous condition taps a qualitatively different kind of processing than that required for color naming or for word reading? We gave the CWST to 310 healthy adults. Their performance in each condition of the test replicates and extends previous findings. Structural equation modeling of the data showed a significant, direct link between age and performance in the latent factor associated with the incongruent condition. However, this direct link with age produced a relatively small increase in the model's fit; it amounted to only a . 024 increase in the proportion of variance explained in the incongruent condition. In light of this small direct influence due to age, the most parsimonious explanation of our findings is that age effects in Stroop interference are due to age-related slowing (which is also indexed by color naming and by word reading) primarily; the findings do not provide evidence for a qualitatively different kind of processing that declines with age.
Supporting the Development of Science Communication Skills in STEM University Students: Understanding their learning experiences as they work in middle and high school classrooms

This paper examines the roles that 52 university Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) students play in an Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Partnership that connects several middle schools, high schools, institutions of higher learning, businesses, and community institutions. It also examines the support these students feel are necessary to be successful in their roles, as well as what they feel the experience has taught them about science communication. Results from both qualitative and quantitative data, including surveys, interviews, observations, and artifact collection indicate that the most common experiences that the students had in the schools were assisting teachers in conducting labs, leading small group activities/discussions with students in class, demonstrating scientific content, procedures, tools, and techniques, and assisting teachers in teaching lessons. Most students felt these activities benefited their ability to work as a team, lead a team, facilitate group discussions, teach STEM concepts and methods, and generate others' interest in STEM research and activities. However, it was found that some tasks that the students were involved in provided more of a chance to practice their science communication skills than others. In order to be successful in these roles, nearly all of the students felt that support from the classroom teacher they were working with was necessary.
Hierarchical key frame extraction for wireless capsule endoscopy video based on the saliency map

Wireless capsule endoscopy (WCE) is a non-invasive imaging technique to examine the entire small intestine. This paper presents a novel hierarchical key frame extraction algorithm based on the saliency map to automatically select a small number of key informative frames in the WCE video to assist the diagnostic process. We start from calculating the saliency map and extracting the inside colour, texture and shape features. We then compute the image information entropies with adapted weights on three features; calculate the differences of entropies in the successive frames and extract the first level key frames to divide the video into multi-segments. Finally, the mean shift clustering method is applied on each segment to obtain the final key frames. The proposed technique achieves the fidelity of 95.07% and the compression ratio of 87.9% on average, validating that the proposed scheme is highly promising for the key frame extraction in the WCE video.