Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Quasi-Phase-Matching of Four-Wave-Mixing-Based Wavelength Conversion by Phase-Mismatch Switching

We propose a novel quasi-phase-matching scheme for achieving efficient four-wave-mixing (FWM)-based wavelength conversion in the presence of a large phase-mismatch. The scheme is based on respectively increasing and decreasing the propagation lengths over which there is FWM gain and FWM loss by switching between two different phase-mismatch values. We discuss how such a phase-mismatch switching (PMS) approach can be optimized for wavelength conversion and show that it can be realized in silicon-on-insulator strip waveguides by switching adiabatically between two waveguide widths along the propagation path. By means of numerical simulations we demonstrate that, for a pump wavelength of 1550 nm, PMS wavelength converters can enable efficient conversion (> -23 dB) around a target signal wavelength situated anywhere in the entire near-infrared wavelength domain of 1300-1900 nm.
Inactivation of Viruses in Bubbling Processes Utilized for Personal Bioaerosol Monitoring

ABSTRACT A new personal bioaerosol sampler has recently been developed and evaluated for sampling of viable airborne bacteria and fungi under controlled laboratory conditions and in the field. The operational principle of the device is based on the passage of air through porous medium immersed in liquid. This process leads to the formation of bubbles within the filter as the carrier gas passes through and thus provides effective mechanisms for aerosol removal. As demonstrated in previous studies, the culturability of sampled bacterium and fungi remained high for the entire 8-h sampling period. The present study is the first step of the evaluation of the new sampler for monitoring of viable airborne viruses. It focuses on the investigation of the inactivation rate of viruses in the bubbling process during 4 h of continuous operation. Four microbes were used in this study, influenza, measles, mumps, and vaccinia viruses. It was found that the use of distilled water as the collection fluid was associated with a relatively high decay rate. A significant improvement was achieved by utilizing virus maintenance fluid prepared by using Hank's solution with appropriate additives. The survival rates of the influenza, measles, and mumps viruses were increased by 1.4 log, 0.83 log, and 0.82 log, respectively, after the first hour of operation compared to bubbling through the sterile water. The same trend was observed throughout the entire 4-h experiment. There was no significant difference observed only for the robust vaccinia virus.
Assessing late-onset stress symptomatology among aging male combat veterans

This study's goal was to develop a measure of late-onset stress symptomatology (LOSS). LOSS is a phenomenon observed in aging combat veterans who (a) were exposed to highly stressful combat events in their early adult years, (b) have functioned successfully throughout midlife with no history of chronic stress-related disorders, but (c) begin to register increased combat-related thoughts, feelings, and reminiscences commensurate with the changes and challenges of aging. Several samples of older male combat veterans from World War II, the Korean Conflict, and the Vietnam War served as participants. We developed a LOSS Scale that demonstrated a high degree of internal consistency reliability (coefficient alpha = 0.97). Scores were stable over brief intervals but were sensitive to developmental change over an extended period. Factor analysis suggested a single LOSS factor. Bivariate associations between LOSS score and other variables (e.g., indicators of contemporary life stressors, resilience, quality of life) were consistent with hypotheses, and there was support for the incremental validity of LOSS vis-à-vis posttraumatic stress symptoms and symptoms of general distress. Discussion of the potential uses of the scale, future directions for psychometric research, and suggestions for generalizing the LOSS construct to other trauma populations are provided.
Fabrication of Novel MEMS Microgrippers by Deep Reactive Ion Etching With Metal Hard Mask

The fabrication of a novel class of microgrippers is demonstrated by means of bulk microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology using silicon on insulator wafer substrates and deep reactive ion etching. Hard masking is implemented to maximize the selectivity of the bulk etching using sputtered aluminum and aluminum–titanium thin films. The micro-roughness problem related to the use of metal mask is addressed by testing different mask combinations and etching parameters. The O2 flow, SF6 pressure, wafer temperature, and bias power are examined, and the effect of each parameter on micro-masking is assessed. Sidewall damage associated with the use of a metal mask is eliminated by interposing a dielectric layer between silicon substrate and metal mask. Dedicated comb-drive anchors are implemented to etch safely both silicon sides down to the buried oxide, and to preserve the wafer integrity until the final wet release of the completed structures. A first set of complete devices is realized and tested under electrical actuation. [2017-0039]
Design and performance analysis of the mechanical structure of a piezoelectric generator by Von Karman vortexes for underwater energy harvesting

With the decrease in energy consumption of electronic sensors, the concept of harvesting renewable energy in human surrounding becomes a must. In this context, piezoelectric generators seems promising since they can harvests mechanical vibrations and in general energy available in nature. The aim of this paper is to design a piezoelectric generators, optimized for different kind of sensors and electronic equipments, able to work under the sea or into rivers, which can work with natural water vibrations generated by solid-fluid objects interactions (Von-Karman Vortex) and then to test the effectiveness of the device developing an electronic board to analyze the behavior of the generator.
Effect of Linoleic Acid Concentration on Conjugated Linoleic Acid Production by Butyrivibrio fibrisolvensA38

ABSTRACT Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens A38 inocula were inhibited by as little as 15 μM linoleic acid (LA), but growing cultures tolerated 10-fold more LA before growth was inhibited. Growing cultures did not produce significant amounts of cis-9, trans-11 conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) until the LA concentration was high enough to inhibit biohydrogenation, growth was inhibited, and lysis was enhanced. Washed-cell suspensions that were incubated anaerobically with 350 μM LA converted most of the LA to hydrogenated products, and little CLA was detected. When the washed-cell suspensions were incubated aerobically, biohydrogenation was inhibited, CLA production was at least twofold greater, and CLA persisted. The LA isomerase reaction was very rapid, but the LA isomerase did not recycle like a normal enzyme to catalyze more substrate. Cells that were preincubated with CLA lost their ability to produce more CLA from LA, and the CLA accumulation was directly proportional (r2= 0.98) to the initial cell density. Growing cells were as sensitive to CLA as LA, the LA isomerase and reductases of biohydrogenation were linked, and free CLA was not released. Because growing cultures ofB. fibrisolvens A38 did not produce significant amounts of CLA until the LA concentration was high, biohydrogenation was arrested, and the cell density had declined, the flow of CLA from the rumen may be due to LA-dependent bacterial inactivation, death, or lysis.
The General Public's Concerns about Clinical Risk in Live Kidney Donation

Difficulty in attracting live kidney donors may be related to fears regarding both the surgical procedure for kidney harvesting and future failure of the remaining kidney. We conducted a cross‐sectional study of households in Maryland to identify public disincentives to living related kidney donation. In multivariate analyses, we assessed the independent effects of several factors on willingness to donate a kidney to a sibling. We also assessed thresholds for factors above which persons would not donate a kidney. Of 385 participants, 66% were extremely willing to donate to a sibling. After adjustment, those who considered the length of a hospital stay, out‐of‐pocket expenses, size and appearance of a scar, the time it takes to get to the transplant center, and the donor risk of developing kidney failure very important had 50–60% less odds of being extremely willing to donate. Median acceptable levels for risk of complications, hospital stay, compensated and uncompensated time from work, time requiring pain medications, and out‐of‐pocket expenses were greater than levels from clinical evidence regarding both laparoscopic and open nephrectomy. Unrealistic concerns among the general public regarding live donation may serve as potential disincentives to donation. Efforts to educate the public regarding live donation might help assuage fears and attract those who may not otherwise donate.
Evaluación de la calidad de las imágenes de rostros utilizadas para la identificación de las personas

Automatic evaluation of face image quality is an important topic in the development of face recognition systems. This paper describes a framework for assessing the conformity of face images with the parameter set in the standard ISO/IEC 19794-5 that determines if given images possess an identification value and can be used in personal identification documents. New algorithms for image analysis and image classification with respect to parameters evaluated in the proposed framework are presented. The proposal is implemented as a dynamic link library (DLL), offering many advantages for the use in different applications. Good and bad quality images are evaluated, and the feasibility of the use of this framework is shown experimentally.
Circulating plasma cells predict the outcome of relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma

Abstract Pretreatment detection of peripheral blood malignant circulating plasma cells (CPCs) has been shown to be of negative prognostic value in multiple myeloma (MM). We hypothesized that the assessment of CPC kinetics in response to one therapy cycle using six-color flow cytometry could be helpful in the early detection of MM refractoriness to treatment. Forty-two patients with refractory or relapsed (RR) MM were enrolled. Median time to tumor progression (TTP) of 51 days and median overall survival (OS) of 308 days was shortest in patients whose CPCs with aberrant phentoype (aCPCs) did not decrease after one therapy cycle compared to patients with decreasing (median TTP 258 days and OS 856 days) or undetectable (median TTP 581 days and OS 1006 days) aCPCs (p < 0.001 and p = 0.007 for TTP and OS, respectively). Non-reduction of aCPCs in patients with RR MM after the first cycle of therapy may be useful in early identification of patients resistant to a given therapy.
Diversity enhances agricultural productivity via rhizosphere phosphorus facilitation on phosphorus-deficient soils

Intercropping, which grows at least two crop species on the same pieces of land at the same time, can increase grain yields greatly. Legume–grass intercrops are known to overyield because of legume nitrogen fixation. However, many agricultural soils are deficient in phosphorus. Here we show that a new mechanism of overyielding, in which phosphorus mobilized by one crop species increases the growth of a second crop species grown in alternate rows, led to large yield increases on phosphorus-deficient soils. In 4 years of field experiments, maize (Zea mays L.) overyielded by 43% and faba bean (Vicia faba L.) overyielded by 26% when intercropped on a low-phosphorus but high-nitrogen soil. We found that overyielding of maize was attributable to below-ground interactions between faba bean and maize in another field experiment. Intercropping with faba bean improved maize grain yield significantly and above-ground biomass marginally significantly, compared with maize grown with wheat, at lower rates of P fertilizer application (<75 kg of P2O5 per hectare), and not significantly at high rate of P application (>112.5 kg of P2O5 per hectare). By using permeable and impermeable root barriers, we found that maize overyielding resulted from its uptake of phosphorus mobilized by the acidification of the rhizosphere via faba bean root release of organic acids and protons. Faba bean overyielded because its growth season and rooting depth differed from maize. The large increase in yields from intercropping on low-phosphorus soils is likely to be especially important on heavily weathered soils.
HIV prevention in the era of HAART: implications for providers.

This article reviews the medical literature regarding the association between reduced HIV viremia caused by use of HAART and the risk of HIV transmission, finding that there is a correlation but that it is not absolute. It then examines the behavioral literature, which indicates that there is evidence, though far from conclusive, that, for some, increased sexual risk taking may be related to attitudes and beliefs about combination therapy. The article also considers the message about HIV prevention being presented by public health programs and ways in which health care providers can outline changing circumstances and enable the patient to make informed choices in "gray areas. "
Boundary-Preserving Depth Upsampling Without Texture Copying Artifacts and Holes

In this paper, we propose boundary-preserving depth upsampling without texture copying artifacts and holes. Since high-resolution (HR) color images contain many edges and textures, they inevitably cause artifacts such as texture copying when they are used in depth upsampling. Thus, we perform rolling guidance filtering on HR color images before depth upsampling to preserve object boundaries in depth maps while successfully removing texture copying artifacts. Moreover, upsampled depth maps are often corrupted by noise and contain holes along object boundaries. Thus, we utilize fast weighted median filtering after depth upsampling to remove noise and fill holes. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method achieves boundary-preserving depth upsampling results without texture copying artifacts and holes through visual and quantitative evaluations.
AxBench: A Multiplatform Benchmark Suite for Approximate Computing

Approximate computing is claimed to be a powerful knob for alleviating the peak power and energy-efficiency issues. However, providing a consistent benchmark suit with diverse applications amenable to approximate computing is crucial to ensure fair and reproducible comparisons. This article makes an important attempt toward it in the form of the AxBench suite, which contains applications for CPUs, GPUs, and hardware design with necessary annotations to mark the approximable regions and output quality metrics. —Muhammad Shafique, Vienna University of Technology
Effects of fluoride-modified titanium surfaces on osteoblast proliferation and gene expression.

PURPOSE The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that fluoride-modified titanium surfaces would enhance osteoblast differentiation. Osteoblast growth on a moderately rough etched fluoride-modified titanium surface (alteration in cellular differentiation) was compared to osteoblast growth on the same surface grit-blasted with titanium dioxide. The potential role of nanometer-level alterations on cell shape and subsequent differentiation was then compared. MATERIALS AND METHODS Human embryonic palatal mesenchymal (HEPM) cultures were incubated on the respective surfaces for 1, 3, and 7 days, followed by analysis for cell proliferation, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) -specific activity, and mRNA steady-state expression for bone-related genes (ALP, type I collagen, osteocalcin, bone sialoprotein [BSP] II, Cbfa1, and osterix) by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). RESULTS The different surfaces did not alter the mRNA expression for ALP, type I collagen, osterix, osteocalcin, or BSP II. However, Cbfa1 expression on the fluoride-modified titanium surface was significantly higher (P < .001) at 1 week. The number of cells on this surface was 20% lower than the number of cells on the surface TiO2-blasted with 25-microm particles but not significantly different from the number of cells on the surface TiO2-blasted with 125-microm particles. Cells grown on all the titanium surfaces expressed similar levels of ALP activity. CONCLUSIONS The results indicated that a fluoride-modified surface topography, in synergy with surface roughness, may have a greater influence on the level of expression of Cbfa1 (a key regulator for osteogenesis) than the unmodified titanium surfaces studied.
Functional Diversity of Csk, Chk, and Src SH2 Domains due to a Single Residue Variation*

The C-terminal Src kinase (Csk) family of protein tyrosine kinases contains two members: Csk and Csk homologous kinase (Chk). Both phosphorylate and inactivate Src family kinases. Recent reports suggest that the Src homology (SH) 2 domains of Csk and Chk may bind to different phosphoproteins, which provides a basis for different cellular functions for Csk and Chk. To verify and characterize such a functional divergence, we compared the binding properties of the Csk, Chk, and Src SH2 domains and investigated the structural basis for the functional divergence. First, the study demonstrated striking functional differences between the Csk and Chk SH2 domains and revealed functional similarities between the Chk and Src SH2 domains. Second, structural analysis and mutagenic studies revealed that the functional differences among the three SH2 domains were largely controlled by one residue, Glu127 in Csk, Ile167 in Chk, and Lys200 in Src. Mutating these residues in the Csk or Chk SH2 domain to the Src counterpart resulted in dramatic gain of function similar to Src SH2 domain, whereas mutating Lys200 in Src SH2 domain to Glu (the Csk counterpart) resulted in loss of Src SH2 function. Third, a single point mutation of E127K rendered Csk responsive to activation by a Src SH2 domain ligand. Finally, the optimal phosphopeptide sequence for the Chk SH2 domain was determined. These results provide a compelling explanation for the functional differences between two homologous protein tyrosine kinases and reveal a new structure-function relationship for the SH2 domains.
Design of a novel AMC with little sensitivity to the angle of incidence and very compact size

In this work, a basic cell shape (FSS shape) is first extracted from a 2D AMC structure designed by genetic algorithm (GA). The extracted FSS is a series-resonant grid (SRG) described analytically in C.R. Simovski et al., (2005). By applying the available analytical idea of C.R. Simovski et al. (2005), doing some parametric studies and using some innovation, a novel AMC with stable properties is obtained for wide range of incidence angles and with very compact size. During the process, one must be careful that the AMC bandwidth (BW) should not stray very much from acceptable limits. The FSS of the finalized AMC structure is a novel SRG that can be considered as a modified version of the well-known Jerusalem Cross (JC-FSS). For analysis of the structures, the Ansoff's Designer (AD) software, which is an electromagnetic solver based on the method of moments (MoM), is used
Finite Volume-Based Approach for the Hybrid Ion-Flow Field of UHVAC and UHVDC Transmission Lines in Parallel

Sharing the same corridor of the HVAC and HVDC transmission lines can efficiently increase the power transfer capacity of the limited corridor and will be erected in East China. An accurate and efficient numerical analysis method for analyzing the ion-flow field of the ac-dc hybrid lines is helpful for engineering design. In this paper, an upwind finite volume-based algorithm for the solution of the ac-dc hybrid ion-flow field is proposed, which can take the influence of the space charges generated by corona into account. The electric field is solved by the charge simulation method and the finite-element method, while the advection and recombination effects of the space charges are solved by a time-dependent finite volume method. The reduced-scale ac-dc hybrid models are analyzed and the calculating results by the proposed approach in this paper have good agreements with the experimental ones in the literature and in this paper. Finally, the ground-level electric field and ion current density of the hybrid UHVAC and UHVDC transmission lines in parallel are analyzed, providing a reference for the engineering design.
The PedsQL: measurement model for the pediatric quality of life inventory.

BACKGROUND Pediatric patients' self-report of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) has emerged as an important patient-based health outcome. A practical, validated generic measure of HRQOL facilitates assessing risk, tracking health status, and measuring treatment outcomes in pediatric populations. METHODS The PedsQL is a brief, standardized, generic assessment instrument that systematically assesses patients' and parents' perceptions of HRQOL in pediatric patients with chronic health conditions using pediatric cancer as an exemplary model. The PedsQL is based on a modular approach to measuring HRQOL and consists of a 15-item core measure of global HRQOL and eight supplemental modules assessing specific symptom or treatment domains. The PedsQL was empirically derived from data collected from 291 pediatric cancer patients and their parents at various stages of treatment. RESULTS Both reliability and validity were determined. Cronbach's alpha coefficients for the core measure (alpha = .83 for patient and alpha = .86 for parent) were acceptable for group comparisons. Alphas for the patient self-report modules generally ranged from . 70 to . 89. Discriminant or clinical validity, using the known-groups approach, was demonstrated for patients on- versus off-treatments. The 11 scales showed small-to-medium positive intercorrelations, supporting the multidimensional measurement model. Further construct validity was demonstrated via a multimethod-multitrait matrix using standardized psychosocial questionnaires. CONCLUSION The results support the PedsQL as a reliable and valid measure of HRQOL. The PedsQL core and modular design makes it flexible enough to be used in a variety of research and clinical applications for pediatric chronic health conditions.
Associations of light, moderate, and vigorous intensity physical activity with longevity. The Harvard Alumni Health Study.

Physical activity is associated with better health; however, the optimal intensity of activity remains unclear. A total of 13,485 men (mean age, 57.5 years) from the Harvard Alumni Health Study reported their walking, stair climbing, and sports/recreation in 1977. Between 1977 and 1992, 2,539 died. After adjusting for the different activity components, distance walked and storeys climbed independently predicted longevity (p, trend = 0.004 and <0.001, respectively). Light activities (<4 multiples of resting metabolic rate (METs)) were not associated with reduced mortality rates, moderate activities (4-<6 METs) appeared somewhat beneficial, and vigorous activities (> or =6 METs) clearly predicted lower mortality rates (p, trend = 0.72, 0.07, and <0.001, respectively). These data provide some support for current recommendations that emphasize moderate intensity activity; they also clearly indicate a benefit of vigorous activity.