Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
On the synthesis of fiber Bragg gratings by layer peeling

Two methods for grating synthesis which have appeared in the literature recently are compared directly. In particular, we point out the similarity between the two; both algorithms are based on propagation of the fields through the structure with simultaneous evaluation of the coupling coefficient according to simple causality arguments (layer-peeling algorithms). The first published method (the discrete layer-peeling algorithm) is reformulated in a simpler, more efficient way, and it is shown that its implementation can be made exact. For mathematical comparison, a derivation of the second method (the continuous layer-peeling algorithm) is presented. The methods are compared both mathematically and numerically. We find that the discrete layer-peeling algorithm is significantly faster and can be more stable than its continuous counterpart, whereas the continuous algorithm offers some advantages in flexibility.
Structural characteristics and diversity of the rhizosphere bacterial communities of wild Fritillaria przewalskii Maxim. in the northeastern Tibetan Plateau

Introduction Fritillaria przewalskii Maxim. is a Chinese endemic species with high medicinal value distributed in the northeastern part of the Tibetan Plateau. F. przewalskii root-associated rhizosphere bacterial communities shaped by soil properties may maintain the stability of soil structure and regulate F. przewalskii growth, but the rhizosphere bacterial community structure of wild F. przewalskii from natural populations is not clear. Methods In the current study, soil samples from 12 sites within the natural range of wild F. przewalskii were collected to investigate the compositions of bacterial communities via high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA genes and multivariate statistical analysis combined with soil properties and plant phenotypic characteristics. Results Bacterial communities varied between rhizosphere and bulk soil, and also between sites. Co-occurrence networks were more complex in rhizosphere soil (1,169 edges) than in bulk soil (676 edges). There were differences in bacterial communities between regions, including diversity and composition. Proteobacteria (26.47–37.61%), Bacteroidetes (10.53–25.22%), and Acidobacteria (10.45–23.54%) were the dominant bacteria, and all are associated with nutrient cycling. In multivariate statistical analysis, both soil properties and plant phenotypic characteristics were significantly associated with the bacterial community (p < 0.05). Soil physicochemical properties accounted for most community differences, and pH was a key factor (p < 0.01). Interestingly, when the rhizosphere soil environment remained alkaline, the C and N contents were lowest, as was the biomass of the medicinal part bulb. This might relate to the specific distribution of genera, such as Pseudonocardia, Ohtaekwangia, Flavobacterium (relative abundance >0.01), which all have significantly correlated with the biomass of F. przewalskii (p < 0.05). Discussion F. przewalskii is evidently averse to alkaline soil with high potassium contents, but this requires future verification. The results of the present study may provide theoretical guidance and new insights for the cultivation and domestication of F. przewalskii.
Absorption-limited and phase-matched high harmonic generation in the tight focusing regime

High harmonic generation (HHG) at a high repetition rate requires tight focusing of the moderate peak power driving pulses. So far the conversion efficiencies that have been achieved in this regime are orders of magnitude behind the values that have been demonstrated with loose focusing of high energy (high peak power) lasers. In this contribution, we discuss the scaling laws for the main physical quantities of HHG and in particular analyze the limiting effects: dephasing, absorption and plasma defocusing. It turns out that phase-matched and absorption-limited HHG can be achieved even for very small focal spot sizes using a target gas provided with an adequately high density. Experimentally, we investigate HHG in a gas jet of argon, krypton and xenon. By analyzing the pressure dependence we are able to disentangle the dephasing and absorption effects and prove that the generated high order harmonics are phase-matched and absorption-limited. The obtained conversion efficiency is as high as 8 × 10−6 for the 17th harmonic generated in xenon and 1.4 × 10−6 for the 27th harmonic generated in argon. Our findings pave the way for highly efficient harmonic generation at megahertz repetition rates.
The Solution of Length Five Equations Over Groups

Let G be a group, t an unknown, and r(t) an element of the free product G* ⟨ t⟩. The equation r(t) = 1 has a solution over G if it has a solution in a group H containing G. The Kervaire–Laudenbach (KL) conjecture asserts that if the exponent sum of t in r(t) is nonzero the equation has a solution. Equations of length 5 have been studied and it was proved that a solution exists under certain restrictions imposed on the coefficients of the equation. This article removes these restrictions and therefore settles the KL conjecture for equations of length five.
Prognostic Value of the Systemic Immune Inflammation Index after Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair in Patients with Type B Aortic Dissection

The study aimed at investigating the association between postoperative inflammatory scores and aorta-related adverse events (AAEs) after thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) for patients with type B aortic dissection (TBAD). This single-centre, retrospective cohort included all patients who underwent TEVAR for TBAD between November 2016 and November 2020 at a university hospital. The risk factors for AAEs were analyzed by Cox proportional hazards model regression. Prediction accuracy was assessed using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curves. This study included 186 patients with a mean age of 58.5 years and a median follow-up period of 26 months. A total of 68 patients developed AAEs. Age and postoperative systemic immune inflammation index (SII) (>2893) were associated with post-TEVAR AAEs (hazard ratio (HR) 1.03, p = 0.003; HR 1.88, p = 0.043, respectively). Increased postoperative SII and age are independent risk factors for AAE post-TEVAR in patients with TBAD.
The Impact of Sport-discipline and Sex on Physical Fitness and Bone Markers in Athletes

Abstract This study was performed to determine the impact of sex and sport-discipline on physical fitness and bone markers in young sub-elite track and field athletes. One hundred and forty-four track and ﬁeld sub-elite athletes (78 males aged 17.8±1.6 years; 66 females aged 17.2±1.9 years) volunteered to participate in this study and were categorized according to their disciplines in endurance (EG: n=67) or power athletes (PG: n=77). A significant main effect of sex was observed for C-telopeptide type I collagen (CTx) (F=11.37; p<0.001; η 2 =0.10, moderate), for osteocalcin (OC) (F=8.58; p<0.004; η 2 =0.09, moderate) and for N-terminal propeptide of procollagen type I (PINP) (F=7.96; p<0.05; η 2 =0.07, moderate). The average CTx, OC and P1NP levels were significantly higher in males compared with females (0.05< p <0.001; η2= 0.07 to 0.10, moderate). In addition, a significant main effect of sport-discipline was observed only for P1NP values (F=10.16; p<0.002; η 2 =0.09, moderate) with EG showing higher levels than PG. For jumping and sprinting tests, the PG performed better than the EG. For the endurance test, EG had better performance than PG. Endurance and power exercise practices can increase bone formation markers (P1NP, OC), but only anaerobic training (PG group) appears to positively impact on male track and field athletes.
Humoral immune response to SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines is associated with choice of vaccine and systemic adverse reactions

Purpose Although the fast development of safe and effective messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 has been a success, waning humoral immunity has led to the recommendation of booster immunization. However, knowledge of the humoral immune response to different booster strategies and the association with adverse reactions is limited. Materials and Methods We investigated adverse reactions and anti-spike protein immunoglobulin G (IgG) concentrations among health care workers who received primary immunization with mRNA-1273 and booster immunization with mRNA-1273 or BNT162b2. Results Adverse reactions were reported by 85.1% after the first dose, 94.7% after the second dose, 87.5% after a third dose of BNT162b2, and 86.0% after a third dose of mRNA-1273. They lasted for a median of 1.8, 2.0, 2.5, and 1.8 days, respectively; 6.4%, 43.6%, and 21.0% of the participants were unable to work after the first, second, and third vaccination, respectively, which should be considered when scheduling vaccinations among essential workers. Booster immunization induced a 13.75-fold (interquartile range, 9.30–24.47) increase of anti-spike protein IgG concentrations with significantly higher concentrations after homologous compared to heterologous vaccination. We found an association between fever, chills, and arthralgia after the second vaccination and anti-spike protein IgG concentrations indicating a linkage between adverse reactions, inflammation, and humoral immune response. Conclusion Further investigations should focus on the possible advantages of homologous and heterologous booster vaccinations and their capability of stimulating memory B-cells. Additionally, understanding inflammatory processes induced by mRNA vaccines might help to improve reactogenicity while maintaining immunogenicity and efficacy.
Menstrual cycle and hormonal contraceptive phases’ effect on elite rowers’ training, performance and wellness

Objectives: To investigate the effect of menstrual cycle (MC) and hormonal contraception (HC) phases in elite rowers training, performance and wellness monitoring. Methods: Twelve French elite rowers were follow-up for 4,2 cycles on average in their final preparation for the Olympics and Paralympics Games in Tokyo 2021 through an on-site longitudinal study based on repeated measures. Daily self-reported evaluation using Likert rating scales of wellness (sleep quality, fitness, mood, injuries’ pain), menstrual symptoms and training parameters (perceived exertion and self-assessment of performance) were collected (n = 1,281) in parallel to a coach evaluation of rowers’ performance (n = 136), blinded to theirs MC and HC phases. Salivary samples of estradiol and progesterone were collected in each cycle to help to classify the MC into 6 phases and HC into 2–3 phases depending on the pills’ hormone concentration. A chi-square test normalized by each rower was used to compare the upper quintile scores of each studied variable across phases. A Bayesian ordinal logistic regression was applied to model the rowers’ self-reported performance. Results: Rowers with a natural cycle, n = 6 ( + 1 amenorrhea) evaluate their performance and wellness with significant higher score indices at the middle of their cycle. Top assessments are rarer at the premenstrual and menses phases, when they more frequently experience menstrual symptoms which are negatively correlated with their performance. The HC rowers, n = 5, also better evaluate their performance when taking the pills and more frequently experience menstrual symptoms during the pill withdrawal. The athletes self-reported performance is correlated with their coach’s evaluation. Conclusion: It seems important to integrate MC and HC data in the wellness and training monitoring of female athletes since these parameters vary across hormonal phases affecting training perception of both athlete and coach.
Efficient singular element for finite element analysis of quasi-TEM transmission lines and waveguides with sharp metal edges

The FEM presents a slow rate of convergence when it is used in the analysis of quasi-TEM transmission lines or homogeneous waveguides with field singularities. In order to improve this drawback, mesh techniques or vector elements that cope with the singularities can be used. A different solution is to employ scalar singular elements although, most of those that have been used are only compatible with first-order ordinary elements or can only be used with field singularities of order O(r/sup /spl minus/1/2/) and O(r/sup /spl minus/1/3/). In this paper, we present an improvement on the rate of convergence of FEM by employing a scalar singular element, which can be utilized for any order of singularity, is compatible with quadratic or higher order standard elements and is also easy to implement in standard finite element codes. Several transmission lines and waveguides with sharp metal edges have been analysed with a reduced number of degrees of freedom that compares well with other FEM approaches. We also show that electromagnetic fields computed using the proposed singular element have very good agreement with the ones theoretically expected from the singular edge condition. >
Metabolic profiling identifies the significance of caffeine metabolism in CKD

Background: With the development of chronic kidney disease (CKD), there are various changes in metabolites. However, the effect of these metabolites on the etiology, progression and prognosis of CKD remains unclear. Objective: We aimed to identify significant metabolic pathways in CKD progression by screening metabolites through metabolic profiling, thus identifying potential targets for CKD treatment. Methods: Clinical data were collected from 145 CKD participants. GFR (mGFR) was measured by the iohexol method and participants were divided into four groups according to their mGFR. Untargeted metabolomics analysis was performed via UPLC-MS/MSUPLC–MSMS/MS assays. Metabolomic data were analyzed by MetaboAnalyst 5.0, one-way ANOVA, principal component analysis (PCA), and partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) to identify differential metabolites for further analysis. The open database sources of MBRole2.0, including KEGG and HMDB, were used to identify significant metabolic pathways in CKD progression. Results: Four metabolic pathways were classified as important in CKD progression, among which the most significant was caffeine metabolism. A total of 12 differential metabolites were enriched in caffeine metabolism, four of which decreased with the deterioration of the CKD stage, and two of which increased with the deterioration of the CKD stage. Of the four decreased metabolites, the most important was caffeine. Conclusion: Caffeine metabolism appears to be the most important pathway in the progression of CKD as identified by metabolic profiling. Caffeine is the most important metabolite that decreases with the deterioration of the CKD stage.
Impact of Outpatient Antihypertensive Medication Use on Epinephrine Resistance in Anaphylaxis

Background: There has been an increase in allergy-related emergency department (ED) visits over the past several years. Underlying cardiovascular disease or respiratory disease and concurrent beta blocker or angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor use have been identified as potential risk factors for severe or refractory anaphylactic reactions. Conflicting evidence exists regarding the association between antihypertensive (AH) use and the incidence of refractory anaphylaxis. Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of refractory anaphylaxis in patients presenting to the ED while prescribed select AH medications outpatient. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of all adult and pediatric patients presenting to the ED between February 16, 2021, and August 31, 2021, with a diagnosis of anaphylaxis. The primary objective was to compare the proportion of patients experiencing refractory anaphylaxis that were prescribed versus not prescribed AH medications in the outpatient setting. Results: A total of 101 patients were treated for anaphylaxis in the ED during the study timeframe with 13 patients in the AH group and 88 patients in the no AH group. There was no difference in the incidence of refractory anaphylaxis between groups (0% vs 9%; p=0.48). Significantly fewer patients in the AH group required any epinephrine doses compared to the no AH group (38% vs 88%; p<0.001). Conclusions: Outpatient use of select AH medications was not associated with an increased incidence of refractory anaphylaxis in patients presenting to the ED.
Microscopic model of dielectric α-relaxation in disordered media

The micro/mesoscopic theory of dielectric relaxation has been developed. Based on the fractional kinetics it gives a possibility to obtain the desired expression for the complex dielectric permittivity (CDP) and describe the asymmetric peaks that are created presumably by the so-called ”excess wing” located in high-frequency region. The well-known empirical Cole-Davidson expression and its generalization for the CDP were obtained from this theory. This theory is based on self-similar phenomenon and multi-channel organization of relaxation process in disordered dielectrics. The relaxation parameters are connected with the structural parameters of the medium considered.
Effect of Zbed6 Single-Allele Knockout on the Growth and Development of Skeletal Muscle in Mice

Simple Summary The growth and development of skeletal muscle influences the efficiency of animal production. ZBED6 knockout accelerated the growth and development of pig and mice by regulating its target gene Igf2. However, the effect of, as well as detailed information about, the molecular mechanism of Zbed6 single-allele knockout on regulating muscle growth and development is still limited. In this study, a model of Zbed6 single-allele knockout mice prepared by gene-editing technology was used to study the effect and molecular mechanism of Zbed6 single-allele knockout on mice. Phenotypes and the RNA-seq results of muscle from Zbed6 single-allele knockout and wild-type mice showed that Zbed6 single-allele knockout promoted skeletal muscle weight and muscle fiber area via another target gene, instead of Igf2. This study may help to further explore the function of ZBED6 and its other target genes that have not been studied. Abstract ZBED6, a key transcription factor, plays an important role in skeletal muscle and organ growth. ZBED6 knockout (ZBED6−/−) leads to the upregulation of IGF2 in pig and mice muscle, thereby increasing muscle mass. However, the effects and mechanism of Zbed6 single-allele knockout (Zbed6+/−) on mice muscle remain unknown. Here, we reported that Zbed6+/− promotes muscle growth by a new potential target gene rather than Igf2 in mice muscle. Zbed6+/− mice showed markedly higher muscle mass (25%) and a markedly higher muscle weight ratio (18%) than wild-type (WT) mice, coinciding with a larger muscle fiber area (28%). Despite a significant increase in muscle growth, Zbed6+/− mice showed similar Igf2 expression with WT mice, indicating that a ZBED6–Igf2-independent regulatory pathway exists in Zbed6+/− mice muscle. RNA-seq of muscle between the Zbed6+/− and WT mice revealed two terms related to muscle growth. Overlapping the DEGs and C2C12 Chip-seq data of ZBED6 screened out a potential ZBED6 target gene Barx2, which may regulate muscle growth in Zbed6+/− mice. These results may open new research directions leading to a better understanding of the integral functions of ZBED6 and provide evidence of Zbed6+/− promoting muscle growth by regulating Barx2 in mice.
PSYCHOPHYSICS OF STOCHASTIC RESONANCE

Although stochastic resonance has been demonstrated for many physical and biological systems, in both dynamic and threshold forms, its study in whole human beings presents special problems. Psychophysics provides theoretical and methodological tools for measuring information processing by humans, but modern psychophysics seems to be incompatible with some of the concepts of current theories of stochastic resonance. In this paper I review some of these problems, providing suggestions for solutions where none have as yet appeared. In particular, I discuss incompatibilities between signal detection theory and threshold stochastic resonance, and the problem of the effect of noise on information transfer across a "soft" threshold.
Glioblastoma Multiforme: Probing Solutions to Systemic Toxicity towards High-Dose Chemotherapy and Inflammatory Influence in Resistance against Temozolomide

Temozolomide (TMZ), the first-line chemotherapeutic drug against glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), often fails to provide the desired clinical outcomes due to inflammation-induced resistance amid inefficient drug delivery across the blood-brain barrier (BBB). The current study utilized solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNPs) for targeted delivery of TMZ against GBM. After successful formulation and characterization of SLNPs and conjugation with TMZ (SLNP-TMZ), their in-vitro anti-cancer efficacy and effect on the migratory potential of cancer cells were evaluated using temozolomide-sensitive (U87-S) as well as TMZ-resistant (U87-R) glioma cell lines. Elevated cytotoxicity and reduction in cell migration in both cell lines were observed with SLNP-TMZ as compared to the free drug (p < 0.05). Similar results were obtained in-vivo using an orthotopic xenograft mouse model (XM-S and XM-R), where a reduction in tumor size was observed with SLNP-TMZ treatment compared to TMZ. Concomitantly, higher concentrations of the drug were found in brain tissue resections of mice treated with SLNP-TMZ as compared to other vital organs than mice treated with free TMZ. Expression of inflammatory markers (Interleukin-1β, Interleukin-6 and Tumor Necrosis factor-α) in a resistant cell line (U87-R) and its respective mouse model (XM-R) were also found to be significantly elevated as compared to the sensitive U87-S cell line and its respective mouse model (XM-S). Thus, the in-vitro and in-vivo results of the study strongly support the potential application of SLNP-TMZ for TMZ-sensitive and resistant GBM therapy, indicatively through inflammatory mechanisms, and thus merit further detailed insights
Causality‐Based Deep Learning Forecast of the Kuroshio Volume Transport in the East China Sea

The Kuroshio volume transport (KVT) in the East China Sea has enormous impacts on navigation, circulation structure, ecological environment, and local climate. In this study, we aim to forecast the daily variability of the KVT at three different sections using the deep learning method. We train the deep learning model using data from 1982 to 2008 and validate the model with data of 2009–2010 and subsequently test it with data of 2011–2015. Four deep learning models, including Artificial Neural Network, Temporal Convolutional Network, Gated Recurrent Unit, and Long Short‐Term Memory (LSTM) models, are first tested to choose the best prediction model. As a result, the LSTM has the best performance for the KVT prediction at each section. We then employ a multivariate causal analysis method to identify the factors affecting the KVT at the current section, such as upstream and downstream KVT, regional mean wind stress, sea surface height and temperature and combine this method with the LSTM model to construct an information flow causality‐based LSTM (IFC‐LSTM) model for predicting daily KVT variability. The results indicate that IFC‐LSTM has the highest forecast skill compared to the standard LSTM (only input KVT at the current section into the LSTM), ALL‐LSTM (input all nine variables into the LSTM), multiple linear regression, and persistence model, which can forecast the KVT variability from 23 to 27 days in advance at the three sections with relative improvement rates of 12.5%–50%.