Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
External optical feedback resistant 622-Mb/s modulation of partially corrugated waveguide laser diodes over -40/spl deg/C to +85/spl deg/C

High yields of partially corrugated waveguide laser diodes (PC-LDs) with single longitudinal mode stability as well as high optical reflection resistivity have been theoretically predicted and experimentally demonstrated. The yield of PC-LDs with single longitudinal mode oscillation has been improved to 65% compared with the 40% for conventional distributed-feedback (DFB) LDs. Modulation characteristics were evaluated at 622 Mb/s under external optical feedback in the temperature range of -40/spl deg/C to 85/spl deg/C. Power penalties under optical feedback of -8.5 dB were less than 1.0-dB throughout the temperature range.
The Synthesis ToolKit (STK)

This paper presents a cross-platform C++ programming environment designed for rapid prototyping of music synthesis and audio processing programs. The Synthesis ToolKit offers an array of unit generators for filtering, input/output, etc., as well as examples of new and classic synthesis and effects algorithms for research, teaching, performance, and composition purposes.
Smoking during pregnancy: analysis of influencing factors using the Theory of Planned Behaviour.

AIM To investigate factors affecting women's intention to smoke during pregnancy. DESIGN A descriptive, correlational, cross-sectional study, employing the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB). METHODS A questionnaire that was constructed based on a literature review of research on smoking during pregnancy and on the TPB was administered to 201 Israeli female smokers aged 19-46. Descriptive, correlational and linear regression statistics were calculated. RESULTS Behavioural attitudes (women's total appraisal of smoking during pregnancy), subjective norms (women's perception of the opinion of significant others regarding the specific behaviour) and perceived behavioural control (women's total appraisal of their control of the behaviour and perceived ease or difficulty of quitting smoking during pregnancy) were found to predict women's intention to smoke during pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS Nursing interventions guided by the TPB constructs may help Israeli women quit smoking during pregnancy and reduce the prevalence of smoking during pregnancy.
Arginine vasopressin inhibits fluid secretion in guinea pig pancreatic duct cells

Ko, S. B. H. , S. Naruse, M. Kitagawa, H. Ishiguro, M. Murakami, and T. Hayakawa. Arginine vasopressin inhibits fluid secretion in guinea pig pancreatic duct cells. Am. J. Physiol. 277 (Gastrointest. Liver Physiol. 40): G48–G54, 1999. —The effects of arginine vasopressin (AVP) on pancreatic ductal secretion were studied in guinea pigs. In the isolated vascularly perfused pancreas, AVP reduced secretinstimulated fluid secretion and increased the vascular resistance when the perfusion rate was held constant. In the isolated interlobular duct segments, AVP inhibited secretinstimulated fluid secretion, indicating the direct inhibitory action of AVP on the duct cells. AVP affected neither the basal nor the secretin-induced cAMP productions, suggesting that AVP inhibits the fluid secretion at a point distal to the production of cAMP. AVP increased intracellular Ca21 concentration ([Ca]i) in the absence of extracellular Ca21. When [Ca]i was elevated by the application of thapsigargin, AVP caused a rapid decrease in [Ca]i. AVP seems to activate both Ca21 release from intracellular stores and Ca21 efflux across the plasma membrane, but its relation to the inhibition of fluid secretion remains to be clarified. It is concluded that AVP directly inhibits secretin-stimulated ductal fluid secretion in the guinea pig pancreas.
Aspartate Aminotransferase in Alfalfa Nodules: Localization of mRNA During Effective and Ineffective Nodule Development and Promoter Analysis

Aspartate aminotransferase (AAT) plays a critical role in the assimilation of symbiotically fixed nitrogen into aspartate and asparagine in legume root nodules. The enzyme occurs as a cytosolic form (AAT1) and a plastid form (AAT2) in alfalfa nodules. To elucidate the functional role of each isozyme in root nodule metabolism further, in situ hybridization was used to determine the pattern of transcript accumulation from the two genes. AAT2 transcripts were localized to infected cells throughout the symbiotic zone of effective alfalfa nodules; however, expression was reduced in ineffective nodules. The AAT1 gene was expressed in the uninfected cells of the invasion zone and symbiotic zone, the nodule parenchyma, and nodule vascular bundles of both effective and ineffective nodules. The AAT1 and AAT2 promoters were evaluated in transgenic alfalfa plants containing promoter β-glucuronidase (GUS) gene fusions. Histochemical staining patterns agreed with results from in situ localization. The distribution patt.
An algorithm for determining repetitive patterns in very large IC layouts

This paper proposes an isometry invariant pattern matching algorithm tailored for layout-related processing of complex integrated circuit (IC) designs. This algorithm applies signatures identifying contour equivalence classes. The proposed algorithm is useful for data reduction purposes by enabling construction of a database of repeatable IC primitives. We show several results of analysis of the state-of-the-art IC's which suggest that the diversity of patterns does not significantly increase with increasing chip size.
Pittsburgh compound B retention and progression of cognitive status – a meta‐analysis

Our aim was to conduct a meta‐analysis of longitudinal studies assessing the association between Pittsburgh compound B (PiB) retention and the progression of cognitive status in healthy elderly, in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase and the Cochrane Library up to April 2013 were searched for studies reporting PiB retention at baseline and conversion of clinical status at follow‐up, with manual searches of bibliographies of key retrieved articles and relevant reviews. Two independent reviewers extracted data on individual numbers with PiB positive or negative status at baseline and corresponding numbers of patients with cognitive decline at follow‐up (conversion from healthy elderly to MCI or AD, or from MCI to AD, or a Mini‐Mental State Examination decline >3 for AD patients). Relative risks were pooled using fixed‐effects or random‐effects models as appropriate. Associations were tested in subgroups representing three different phases of AD. Publication bias was evaluated with funnel plots. Twelve cohort studies including 1275 participants were included with a follow‐up period ranging from 1 to 3.8 years. The pooled adjusted relative risks were 3.75 (95% confidence interval 2.76–5.09; P for heterogeneity 0.16; fixed‐effects model) for disease progression, 1.73 (0.63–4.75; P for heterogeneity 0.27; fixed‐effects model) for AD patients (four studies), 4.03 (2.68–6.07; P for heterogeneity 0.49; fixed‐effects model) for MCI patients (eight studies) and 3.67 (2.25–5.99; P for heterogeneity 0.26; fixed‐effects model) for disease progression in healthy elderly (six studies). Baseline PiB positive status is associated with a significantly increased risk of cognitive progression in healthy elderly and MCI patients.
Gastric emptying of solids is delayed in celiac disease and normalizes after gluten withdrawal

Several gastrointestinal motor abnormalities have been detected in patients with celiac disease, but it is unclear whether they are able to influence the gastric emptying rate. The aim of this work was to evaluate the gastric emptying rate of solids in children with celiac disease before and after a gluten‐free diet. Nine children with celiac disease and nine healthy controls (age range 4‐16 y) underwent a 13C‐octanoic acid breath test to measure gastric emptying. Half emptying time (t1/2) and lag phase (tlag) were calculated. After 6 mo of a gluten‐free diet, all celiac children underwent a repeat 13C‐octanoic acid breath test. The gastric motility parameters, t1/2 and tlag, were significantly longer in patients than in controls. No significant correlation between abnormal gastric emptying and specific symptom patterns or severity of histological damage was found. On a gluten‐free diet, the gastric emptying rate normalized in all celiac patients. This finding supports the hypothesis that gluten‐driven mucosal inflammation might determine motor abnormalities by affecting smooth muscle contractility or impairing the release of neurotransmitters. Alternatively, nutrient malabsorption might determine significant changes in intraluminal milieu, which, in turn, may affect intestinal motor functions.
Long-term Oncologic Outcome Following Preoperative Combined Modality Therapy and Total Mesorectal Excision of Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer

Objective:Our aims were to (1) determine the long-term oncologic outcome for patients with rectal cancer treated with preoperative combined modality therapy (CMT) followed by total mesorectal excision (TME), (2) identify factors predictive of oncologic outcome, and (3) determine the oncologic significance of the extent of pathologic tumor response. Summary Background Data:Locally advanced (T3–4 and/or N1) rectal adenocarcinoma is commonly treated with preoperative CMT and TME. However, the long-term oncologic results of this approach and factors predictive of a durable outcome remain largely unknown. Methods:Two hundred ninety-seven consecutive patients with locally advanced rectal adenocarcinoma at a median distance of 6cm from the anal verge (range 0–15 cm) were treated with preoperative CMT (radiation: 5040 centi-Gray (cGy) and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)-based chemotherapy) followed by TME from 1988 to 2002. A prospectively collected database was queried for long-term oncologic outcome and predictive clinicopathologic factors. Results:With a median follow-up of 44 months, the estimated 10-year overall survival (OS) was 58% and 10 year recurrence-free survival (RFS) was 62%. On multivariate analysis, pathologic response >95%, lymphovascular invasion and/or perineural invasion (PNI), and positive lymph nodes were significantly associated with OS and RFS. Patients with a >95% pathologic response had a significantly improved OS (P = 0.003) and RFS (P = 0.002). Conclusions:Treatment of locally advanced rectal cancer with preoperative CMT followed by TME can provide for a durable 10-year OS of 58% and RFS of 62%. Patients who achieve a >95% response to preoperative CMT have an improved long-term oncologic outcome, a novel finding that deserves further study.
MPC based supervisory control design for a Free Electron Laser

This paper develops a Model Predictive Control based approach for controlling multiple Radio Frequency (RF) stations in a Free Electron Laser (FEL). Each RF station includes a klystron which delivers high RF power, of the order of 50 megawatts, to feed the cavities in which the electron beam is accelerated. A local PID controller at each RF station controls the RF voltage measured at the local cavities. The proposed MPC scheme acts as a supervisory control to keep the beam energy constant by adjusting the set points of the local PID loops. The concept has been successfully tested at the SwissFEL injector test facility with three full-scale RF stations.
MOSIS — Multi-outcrop sharing & interpretation system

The use of LiDAR and multiples digital images jointly with 3-D reconstruction techniques for creating 3-D models of natural outcrops and surfaces studies have increased dramatically in the last few years. These techniques have provided an enormous amount of data for interpretation by geoscientists. However, these researchers have no available software capable of offering a user experience comparable to the fieldwork. The majority of solutions have considered desktop systems, which presents inherent limitations due to the 2-D characteristics of displays and loss of immersion into the 3-D model, or up until expensive and complex stereoscopic based approaches to improve the 3-D user experience do not offer well suitable solutions. To address these limitations, this paper presents a low-cost completely disruptive solution for processing, visualizing, sharing and directly handling Digital Outcrop Models with the support of a full interpretation toolset, the MOSIS System. The proposed system provides a fully immersive computational environment, capable of teleporting virtually geoscientists to the fieldwork, giving an awareness of being there physically with an extensible toolset for the DOM's interpretation. Besides, desktop, web and mobile versions of MOSIS have been under development and fulfill the lack of tools for digital outcrop modeling.
A Personalized Global Filter To Predict Retweets

Information shared on Twitter is ever increasing and users-recipients are overwhelmed by the number of tweets they receive, many of which of no interest. Filters that estimate the interest of each incoming post can alleviate this problem, for example by allowing users to sort incoming posts by predicted interest (e.g., "top stories" vs. "most recent" in Facebook). Global and personal filters have been used to detect interesting posts in social networks. Global filters are trained on large collections of posts and reactions to posts (e.g., retweets), aiming to predict how interesting a post is for a broad audience. In contrast, personal filters are trained on posts received by a particular user and the reactions of the particular user. Personal filters can provide recommendations tailored to a particular user's interests, which may not coincide with the interests of the majority of users that global filters are trained to predict. On the other hand, global filters are typically trained on much larger datasets compared to personal filters. Hence, global filters may work better in practice, especially with new users, for which personal filters may have very few training instances ("cold start" problem). Following Uysal and Croft, we devised a hybrid approach that combines the strengths of both global and personal filters. As in global filters, we train a single system on a large, multi-user collection of tweets. Each tweet, however, is represented as a feature vector with a number of user-specific features.
Voltage dependence of macroscopic and unitary currents of gap junction channels formed by mouse connexin50 expressed in rat neuroblastoma cells

1 The macroscopic and single channel gating characteristics of connexin (Cx) 50 gap junction channels between pairs of N2A neuroblastoma cells transfected with mouse Cx50 DNA were investigated using the dual whole‐cell voltage clamp technique. 2 The macroscopic junctional current (Ij) of Cx50‐transfected cells decayed exponentially with time in response to transjunctional voltage (Vj) steps (time constant (τ) of ≈4 s at a Vj of 30–40 mV and 100–200 ms at a Vj of 80–100 mV). The steady‐state junctional conductance (gj) was well described by a two‐state Boltzmann equation. The half‐inactivation voltage (V0), the ratio of minimal to maximal gj (gmin/gmax) and the equivalent gating charge were ± 37 mV, 0.21 and 4, respectively. 3 The conductance of single Cx50 channels measured using patch pipettes containing 130 mM CsCl was 220 ± 13.1 pS (12 cell pairs). A prominent residual or subconductance state corresponding to 43 ± 4.2 pS (10 cell pairs) was also observed at large Vj s. 4 The relationship between channel open probability (Po) and Vj was well described by a Boltzmann relationship with parameters similar to those obtained for macroscopic gj (V0= 34 mV, gating charge = 4.25, maximum P= 0.98). The ensemble average of single channel currents at Vj= 50 mV declined in a monoexponential manner (τ= 905 ms), a value similar to the decline of the macroscopic Ij of Cx50 channels at the same voltage. 5 Ion substitution experiments indicated that Cx50 channels have a lower permeability to anions than to cations (transjunctional conductance of KCl vs. potassium glutamate (γj,KCl/γj,KGlut), 1.2; 6 cell pairs). 6 The results have important implications for understanding the role of connexins in tissues where Cx50 is a major gap junction component, including the lens.
High efficiency cross-coupled doubler with no reversion loss

Reversion loss is analyzed in details. A 2times cross-coupled charge pump in a 0.35mu CMOS process is designed using a gate control strategy that eliminates reversion loss. It switches at 1MHz, delivers a current of 30mA, and reaches an efficiency of 95% for an input voltage of 1V to 1.6V
The Relationship between the Variations of Sphenoid Sinus and Nasal Septum

The aim of this article is to discuss the sphenoid sinus variations that could be important for transsphenoidal pituitary surgery planning. 314 computed tomography angiography performed with 64-detector multi-slice scanner of the head and neck region in consecutive patients were studied. Thin slices axial, coronal and sagittal, maximum intensity projection and multiplanar reformatted images were obtained for detailed evaluation. 57 cases had presellar (18.2%), 40 patients had sellar (12.7%), 214 patients (68.2%) had postsellar and 3 patients (1%) had conchal pneumatization. We identified sellar bulging in 249 of 314 cases (79.3%), (43% mild, 36.3% prominent). We detected more than one septum in 107 cases (34.1%). In 4 cases (1.3%) we could not define any septum. Nasal septum was deviated to the right in 129 cases (41.1%), deviated to the left in 140 cases (44.6%) and non-deviated in 45 patients (14.3%). There was statistically significant difference in the mean distances between the deviated main sphenoid septum and the internal carotid arteries on the deviation and opposite sides. Knowing the nasal septal deviation direction does not facilitate to predict the direction of the deviation of the main sphenoid septum. Reporting important anatomical variations routinely in computed tomography and/or magnetic resonance imaging reports in transsphenoidal pituitary surgery candidates may reduce transsphenoidal pituitary surgery complications during surgery.
The Less BOLD, the Wiser: Support for the latent resource hypothesis after traumatic brain injury

Previous studies of the BOLD response in the injured brain have revealed neural recruitment relative to controls during working memory tasks in several brain regions, most consistently the right prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate cortices. We previously proposed that the recruitment observed in this literature represents auxiliary support resources, and that recruitment of PFC is not abnormal or injury specific and should reduce as novelty and challenge decrease. The current study directly tests this hypothesis in the context of practice of a working memory task. It was hypothesized that individuals with brain injury would demonstrate recruitment of previously indicated regions, behavioral improvement following task practice, and a reduction in the BOLD signal in recruited regions after practice. Individuals with traumatic brain injury and healthy controls performed the n‐back during fMRI acquisition, practiced each task out of the scanner, and returned to the scanner for additional fMRI n‐back acquisition. Statistical parametric maps demonstrated a number of regions of recruitment in the 1‐back in individuals with brain injury and a number of corresponding regions of reduced activation in individuals with brain injury following practice in both the 1‐back and 2‐back. Regions of interest demonstrated reduced activation following practice, including the anterior cingulate and right prefrontal cortices. Individuals with brain injury demonstrated modest behavioral improvements following practice. These findings suggest that neural recruitment in brain injury does not represent reorganization but a natural extension of latent mechanisms that engage transiently and are contingent upon cerebral challenge. Hum Brain Mapp, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Nucleoside modifications modulate activation of the protein kinase PKR in an RNA structure‐specific manner

Protein kinase PKR is a key component of innate immunity. It is activated by long stretches of dsRNA and functions to inhibit translation initiation. Many cellular and viral transcripts contain nucleoside modifications which could affect PKR activation. For example, a 5′‐triphosphate confers the ability of relatively unstructured transcripts to activate PKR. Herein, PKR activation by ssRNA and dsRNA containing internal nucleobase, sugar, and phosphodiester modifications is analyzed. We find that for 5′‐triphosphate‐containing ssRNA, most base and sugar modifications abrogate activation, although 2′‐fluoro‐modified ssRNA does not, indicative of a critical role for hydrogen bonding at the ribose sugar. In the case of dsRNA, a more limited set of nucleoside modifications affect PKR activation. Surprisingly, GU wobble pairs also largely abrogate dsRNA‐mediated activation when present at modest levels. Overall, the findings indicate that nucleoside modifications and wobble pairing may serve to discriminate self‐RNA and pathogenic RNA in innate immunity.
Two New Clock Proteins, LWD1 and LWD2, Regulate Arabidopsis Photoperiodic Flowering1[W][OA]

The “light” signal from the environment sets the circadian clock to regulate multiple physiological processes for optimal rhythmic growth and development. One such process is the control of flowering time by photoperiod perception in plants. In Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), the flowering time is determined by the correct interconnection of light input and signal output by the circadian clock. The identification of additional clock proteins will help to better dissect the complex nature of the circadian clock in Arabidopsis. Here, we show LIGHT-REGULATED WD1 (LWD1)/LWD2 as new clock proteins involved in photoperiod control. The lwd1lwd2 double mutant has an early-flowering phenotype, contributed by the significant phase shift of CONSTANS (CO), and, therefore, an increased expression of FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) before dusk. Under entrainment conditions, the expression phase of oscillator (CIRCADIAN CLOCK ASSOCIATED1 [CCA1], LATE ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL [LHY], TIMING OF CAB EXPRESSION1 [TOC1], and EARLY FLOWERING4 [ELF4]) and output (GIGANTEA, FLAVIN-BINDING, KELCH REPEAT, F-BOX1, CYCLING DOF FACTOR1, CO, and FT) genes in the photoperiod pathway shifts approximately 3 h forward in the lwd1lwd2 double mutant. Both the oscillator (CCA1, LHY, TOC1, and ELF4) and output (COLD, CIRCADIAN RHYTHM, AND RNA BINDING2 and CHLOROPHYLL A/B-BINDING PROTEIN2) genes have a short period length in the lwd1lwd2 double mutant. Our data imply that LWD1/LWD2 proteins function in close proximity to or within the circadian clock for photoperiodic flowering control.
Predictive control of a five-level NPC inverter using a three-phase coupled inductor

The predictive control is presented for a five-level neutral point clamped inverter using a three-phase coupled inductor. This topology produces the five-level output voltage with only 12 switches that in comparison with other five-level counterparts, it uses half. The predictive method uses the discrete model of the inverter and load to predict the future load current and capacitor voltages for all possible switching states. Then chooses the best switching state in each sampling period by minimizing a cost function. In fact, the switching state that generates the best reference current tracking and also the best DC link voltage balance, and produces the minimum value of the common mode voltage, will be selected. The controller obtains good reference tracking with less current harmonic distortion. Also, ensures fast dynamic response. The control method has been simulated in The MATLAB/SIMULINK. The feasibility of the predictive control is verified by showing a good performance.