Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Femtosecond Laser Inscription of Low Insertion Loss Waveguides in  $Z$-Cut Lithium Niobate

A low insertion loss waveguide is fabricated in z-cut lithium niobate using femtosecond laser waveguide inscription. To fabricate a waveguide exhibiting both low propagation and coupling losses, we used the multiscan fabrication technique to control the size of the waveguide cross section. A minimum insertion loss of only 3.5 dB at 1550 nm was measured for the 18-mm-long waveguide when directly coupled to Corning SMF-28 fibers. Of this 3.5dB, we attribute 2.1 dB to coupling losses, 1.1 dB to propagation losses, and 0.3 dB to Fresnel reflections
Development of HIV/AIDS Vaccine Using Chimeric gag-env Virus-Like Particles

Abstract We attempted to develop a candidate HIV/AIDS vaccine, by using unprocessed HIV-2 gag pr45 precursor protein. We found that a 45 kDa unprocessed HIV-2 gag precursor protein (pr45), with a deletion of a portion of the viral protease, assembles as virus-like particles (VLP). We mapped the functional domain of HIV-2 gag VLP formation in order to find the minimum length of gag protein to form VLP. A series of deletion mutants was constructed by sequentially removing the C-terminal region of HIV-2 gag precursor protein and expressed truncated genes in Spodoptera frugiperda (SF) cells by infecting recombinant baculoviruses. We found that deletion of up to 143 amino acids at the C-terminus of HIV-2 gag, leaving 376 amino acids at the N-terminus of the protein, did not affect VLP formation. There is a proline-rich region at the amino acid positions 373 to 377 of HIV-2 gag, and replacement of these proline residues by site-directed mutagenesis completely abolished VLP assembly. Our data demonstrate that the C-terminal p12 region of HIV-2 gag precursor protein, and zinc finger domains, are dispensable for gag VLP assembly, but the presence of at least one of the three prolines at amino acid positions 373, 375 or 377 of HIV-2NIH-Z is required for VLP formation. Animals immunized with these gag particles produced high titer antibodies and Western blot analyses showed that anti-gag pr45 rabbit sera react with p17, p24 and p55 gag proteins of HIV-1. We then constructed chimeric gag genes, which carry the hypervariable V3 region of HIV-1 gp120, because the V3 loop is known to interact with chemokine receptor as a coreceptor, and known to induce the major neutralizing antibodies and stimulate the cytoxic T lymphocyte responses in humans and mice. We expressed chimeric fusion protein of HIV-2 gag with 3 tandem copies of consensus V3 domain that were derived from 245 different isolates of HIV-1. In addition, we also constructed and expressed chimeric fusion protein that contains HIV-2 gag with V3 domains of HIV-1IIIB, HIV-1MN, HIV-1SF2 and HIV-1RF. The chimeric gag-env particles had a spherical morphology, and the size was slightly larger than that of a gag particle. Immunoprecipitation and Western blot analyses show that these chimeric proteins were recognized by HIV-1 positive human sera and antisera raised against V3 peptides, as well as by rabbit anti-gp120 serum. We obtained virus neutralizing antibodies in rabbits by immunizing these gagenv VLPs. In addition, we found that gag-env chimeric VLPs induce a strong CTL activity against V3 peptide-treated target cells. Our results indicate that V3 peptides from all major clades of HIV-1 carried by HIV-2 gag can be used as a potential HIV/AIDS vaccine.
Timing of puberty and fetal growth.

Children born small for gestational age (SGA: birth weight or birth length more than 2 standard deviations below the mean score) are at a higher risk of perinatal morbidity and mortality and of a number of chronic diseases in later life such as hypertension, decreased insulin sensitivity, diabetes mellitus type 2 and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. The programming of the endocrine axes occurs during critical phases of fetal development and might thus be affected by intrauterine growth retardation. Studies in Northern Spanish adolescent girls have indicated associations between reduced fetal growth and the occurrence of precocious adrenarche, pubarche, hyperandrogenism, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and hyperinsulinism. These findings have attracted much attention because it might have serious consequences in later life. However, hyperandrogenism and precocious pubarche were not confirmed in a large Dutch study in short children born SGA. Two studies reported a lower number of follicles in the ovaries in girls born SGA, which might have an impact on fertility. Clearly, further studies are required before definite conclusions can be drawn. There are still only limited data concerning the timing of puberty in children born SGA. Most studies indicate that these children start their puberty at a normal age but relatively early within the normal range. Age at menarche seems comparable with controls. Data on duration of puberty, influence of puberty on attainment of adult height, peak height velocity during puberty and fertility are not yet known.
Decoding the stem cell quiescence cycle – lessons from yeast for regenerative biology

ABSTRACT In the past decade, major advances have occurred in the understanding of mammalian stem cell biology, but roadblocks (including gaps in our fundamental understanding) remain in translating this knowledge to regenerative medicine. Interestingly, a close analysis of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae literature leads to an appreciation of how much yeast biology has contributed to the conceptual framework underpinning our understanding of stem cell behavior, to the point where such insights have been internalized into the realm of the known. This Opinion article focuses on one such example, the quiescent adult mammalian stem cell, and examines concepts underlying our understanding of quiescence that can be attributed to studies in yeast. We discuss the metabolic, signaling and gene regulatory events that control entry and exit into quiescence in yeast. These processes and events retain remarkable conservation and conceptual parallels in mammalian systems, and collectively suggest a regulated program beyond the cessation of cell division. We argue that studies in yeast will continue to not only reveal fundamental concepts in quiescence, but also leaven progress in regenerative medicine. Summary: This Opinion article examines key concepts underlying our understanding of stem cell quiescence that can be attributed to studies in yeast.
Design of planar microwave filters using a simple FDTD model and particle swarm optimization

Evolutionary algorithms (EA), such as the genetic algorithm (GA), have found wide popularity because of their capability of global optimum search. As an answer to the quest for faster converging evolutionary algorithms, particle swarm optimization (PSO) was introduced to the electromagnetics domain (Robinson, J. and Rahmat-Samii, Y., IEEE Trans. Antennas Propag., vol.AP-52, no.2, p.397-407, 2004). PSO is a relatively new stochastic evolutionary computation technique, based on the movement and intelligence of swarms. PSO is found to hold a superior position with respect to other evolutionary methods, such as GA. Since PSO is a very recent method, many of its capabilities are still unexplored. It benefits from the inherent simplicity of GA while it converges much faster than conventional evolutionary algorithms. The paper presents a simple and universal design procedure for planar microwave filters. To accelerate the computation phase, an equivalent circuit topology is derived from FDTD formulation. The method is fast and robust and is well suited to the fast paced engineering design environment. As a case study, a microwave band-pass filter is designed.
Detection of Different Iranian Isolates of Bovine Herpes Virus Type-1 (BHV-1) Using Polymerase Chain Reaction

Summary Based on primers from gI glycoprotein, a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was optimized for detection of bovine herpes virus type 1 (BHV-1). A 468bp DNA fragment of nine isolates was amplified. The PCR products were detected by ethidium bromide staining after gel electrophoresis and confirmed by sequencing. The nucleotide sequence alignments revealed a highly conserved region in gI gene within the isolates. Results suggest that PCR can be used as a reliable diagnostic tool for rapid detection of BHV-1 infections.
Fatigue, Sleep-wake Disturbances, and Quality of Life in Adolescents Receiving Chemotherapy

Background Adolescents with cancer experience distressing physical and psychosocial symptoms, especially during treatment. Fatigue and sleep disturbances commonly affect adolescents' quality of life, but little is known about how adolescents experience these symptoms during an early month of chemotherapy. This study measured fatigue, sleep disturbances, and quality of life in 20 adolescents over 1 month while they were receiving chemotherapy. Methods Multidimensional fatigue and quality of life were measured weekly with modules from the PedsQL Measurement Model, and sleep disturbances were measured with the General Sleep Disturbance Scale. Results Adolescents experienced increased severity of fatigue and sleep disturbances during the week after treatment. Common sleep-wake problems included daytime sleepiness, decreased alertness, and poor sleep quality. Fatigue and sleep-wake disturbances were related symptoms, and both symptoms were associated with various domains of quality of life. Conclusions Fatigue and sleep-wake disturbances are significant problems for adolescents receiving chemotherapy and negatively affect the quality of life. Clinicians should routinely screen adolescent patients for fatigue and sleep disturbances and intervene to minimize their impact using pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic strategies.
Broadcasting in LTE-Advanced networks using multihop D2D communications

In an LTE-Advanced network, network-controlled Device-to-Device (D2D) communications can be combined in a multihop fashion to distribute broadcasts over user-defined (and possibly large) areas, with small latencies and occupying few resources. Such a service may be exploited for several purposes, (e.g. Internet of Things, Vehicular communications). Engineering a multihop D2D-based broadcast service requires working at both the application level on the User Equipment (UE) and at the resource-allocation level within the eNodeBs. This paper describes the necessary modifications at both the UE and the eNodeB, what the main issues are, and how to solve them efficiently. We evaluate the performance of the above service using system-level simulations, and demonstrate its advantages over standard broadcasting techniques.
Gender Differences in Game Responses During Badminton Match Play

Abstract Fernandez-Fernandez, J, de la Aleja Tellez, JG, Moya-Ramon, M, Cabello-Manrique, D, and Mendez-Villanueva, A. Gender differences in game responses during badminton match play. J Strength Cond Res 27(9): 2396–2404, 2013—The aim of this study was to evaluate possible gender differences in match play activity pattern [rally duration, rest time between rallies, effective playing time, and strokes performed during a rally] and exercise intensity (heart rate [HR], blood lactate [La], and subjective ratings of perceived exertion [RPE]) during 9 simulated badminton matches in male (n = 8) and female (n = 8) elite junior (16.0 ± 1.4 years) players. Results showed significant differences (all p < 0.05; effect size (ES) = 0.80–1.56) between male and female players in the activity pattern of match play, with male players engaged in longer rallies (6.8 ± 4.8 vs. 5.7 ± 3.1 seconds), executing more strokes per rally (6.4 ± 4.8 vs. 4.7 ± 2.8) and resting more between rallies (10.5 ± 8.8 vs. 8.8 ± 7.2 seconds) than female players. No clear differences (all p > 0.05; ES = −0.33 to 0.08) were observed between female or male players in average HR (174 ± 7 vs. 170 ± 9 b·min−1), %HRmax (89.2 ± 4.0% vs. 85.9 ± 4.3%), La (2.5 ± 1.3 vs. 3.2 ± 1.8 mmol·L−1), and RPE values (14.2 ± 1.9 vs. 14.6 ± 1.8) during match play, although male players spent more time (moderate effect sizes) at intensities between 81 and 90% HRmax (35.3 ± 17.9 vs. 25.3 ± 13.6; p < 0.05; ES = 0.64) in the second game. There seemed to be a trend toward an increased playing intensity (i.e., higher HR, La, and RPE) from the first to the second game, highlighting the higher exercise intensity experienced during the last part of the match. The clear between-gender differences in activity patterns induced only slightly different physiological responses.
Phase space manipulation with laser-generated terahertz pulses

Ultrafast lasers are able to generate THz pulses with >1MV/m field strengths, and with controllable electric field temporal profiles. We report progress on an experimentto demonstrate the use of laser generated THz pulses to manipulate the ? -z correlation of a ? 20MeV electron bunch on a sub picosecond time scale. The manipulation is achieved in free space, without external magnetic fieldsor undulators, by the interaction of the bunch with the longitudinal electric field of a co-propagating THz pulse in a TEM? 10-like mode. We discuss the potential for arbitrary phase space control, including the possibility of correcting temporal jitter and driving electron beams into synchronisation with the laser.
Midlife risk factors for subtypes of dementia: a nested case-control study in Taiwan.

OBJECTIVE To identify the midlife risk factors for subtypes of dementia newly developed later in life. METHODS A nested case-control study was conducted on 157 demented cases and 628 comparison cases selected from 40,636 men and women who were enrolled from 1982 to 1992. Four comparison cases were frequency-matched on age, time at enrollment (within 6 months), gender, and residential township. Midlife risk factors included vascular risk factors (body mass index [BMI], total cholesterol, total triglycerides, blood glucose, cerebrovascular accident [CVA] history, diabetes mellitus history, and hypertension history), cigarette smoking, and alcohol consumption. Dementia assessments were ascertained through the computerized data linkage from National Health Insurance Database from 2000 to 2002 and clinically confirmed by neurologists or psychiatrists. Conditional logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the matched odds ratio (OR) and its 95% confidence intervals (CI) for each risk factor. RESULTS A J-shaped relationship was observed between BMI (kg/m(2)) and dementia. The multivariate-adjusted ORs (95% CI) of developing dementia were 1.84 (1.02-3.33), 1.87 (1.08-3.23) and 2.44 (1.39-4.28), respectively, for BMIs of <20.5, 23.0-25.4, >or=25.5 compared with a BMI of 20.5-22.9 as the referent group (OR = 1.0). Similar findings were observed for Alzheimer disease (AD) and vascular dementia (VaD). The association between obesity (BMI >or=25.5) and both AD and VaD was statistically significant among cigarette smokers but not among nonsmokers. Additionally, history of CVA was a significant risk factor for VaD, but not for AD. CONCLUSION Being underweight, being overweight, and a cerebrovascular accident in midlife may increase the risk of dementia in late life.
Cooperative Device Cloud: provisioning embedded devices in ubiquitous environments

Cloud Computing and the Internet of Things (IoT) are well known principles addressing core challenges of the distributed systems the Internet is founded on. Cloud Computing is already widely adopted in productive environments and has evolved from a “buzzword” to a commonly used technology. In contrast, IoT currently suffers from the lack of foundational design principles that allow overcoming the segmentation into solutions dedicated to particular IoT application domains, such as Automation, E-Health, Smart Homes, or Smart Cities. IoT applications are often tightly coupled to challenges like sensor integration, sensor management, semantics or, the heterogeneity of data and technologies in general. Besides the heterogeneity, the proliferation of IoT related solutions will lead to a continuously increasing amount of the sensors and devices, which are foundational to IoT applications. This leads to the challenge of efficiently managing and provisioning the resources provided by the devices. Looking at the Cloud Computing domain, popular related concepts like on demand provisioning, elasticity or, resource pooling are already available and well investigated. This work presents the Device Cloud concept, which aims at applying these Cloud Computing concepts to the IoT domain. Sensors and devices will be organized in resource pools and dynamically provisioned to users that can benefit from the resources offered. The Device Cloud will eliminate static bindings between sensors and users and allow accessing any kind of physical IoT devices on demand, similar to the Pay As You Go paradigm popular within the scope of Cloud Computing. The core question addressed by this thesis is how a dynamic, on-demand provisioning of the devices can be realized independently from the application domain or the technologies a device is based on. A generic, application independent architecture model will be introduced and discussed with respect to the participating actors, their interactions and, security and privacy. Based on an E-Health use case, the generic model will be applied to a specific application domain.
Comparison of acoustic emission parameters for fiber breakage and de-lamination failure mechanisms in carbon epoxy composites

Acoustic emissions (AE) generated by a structure under stressed condition provide a passive method to understand the flaw growth phenomenon. In complex structures, such as composites, characterisation of AE signals generated by various failure mechanisms enhances such understanding. Sample level tests have been carried out on carbon epoxy unidirectional laminate in longitudinal direction of fiber to study the AE characteristics of different failure mechanisms, namely, fiber breakage and inter layer de-lamination. The AE parameters such as amplitude, energy, duration, rise time and signal strength have been acquired and analysed using various correlation plots. The fiber breakage is represented by high energy and longer duration hits with an amplitude of above 90 dB. The de-lamination mechanism is producing AE hits of medium energy of about 1000 units and long duration up to 106 µs. The duration per unit energy and the rise time per unit energy graphs portray a vivid picture of the occurrence of fibre breakage and delamination. Key words: Carbon-epoxy composites, failure modes, acoustic emission (AE).
Distribution, characterization, and nutrition of marine microorganisms from the algae Polysiphonia lanosa and Ascophyllum nodosum.

Quantitative studies were carried out on the bacterial populations of two associated littoral marine algae, Polysiphonia lanosa and Ascophyllum nodosum, and of the environmental seawater. Samplings conducted twice monthly from May to September, 1964, showed that numbers of bacteria on P. lanosa and in the seawater remained relatively constant while those on A. nodosum decreased in mid-summer, after an apparent spring maximum, and then gradually increased.Pure cultures of 25 isolates of frequent occurrence were studied and identified to the genus level. There was a preponderance of members of the genera Vibrio and Flavobacter (eight of each genus). Three members of the Escherichia group, two of Pseudomonas, and one belonging to each of the genera Sarcina, Staphylococcus, and Achromobacter (or Alkaligenes), as well as a pink yeast (Rhodotorula), made up the rest of the isolates.The optimum temperature for growth of most of the isolates was around 21 °C. Five of the isolates failed to grow at 30 °C. Twenty d.
Restorative Outcomes of a Minimally Invasive Restorative Approach Based on Atraumatic Restorative Treatment to Manage Early Childhood Caries: A Randomised Controlled Trial

A pragmatic randomised controlled trial comparing a minimally invasive approach based on atraumatic restorative treatment (ART) procedures (test) was tested against the standard-care approach (control) to treat early childhood caries (ECC) in a primary-care setting in Perth, W.A. , Australia. Parent/child dyads with ECC were allocated to the test or control group using stratified block randomisation. Children were examined at baseline and follow-up by two calibrated examiners blinded to group allocation status. Dental therapists trained in ART provided treatment to the test group and dentists treated the control group. Restoration quality was evaluated at follow-up using the ART criteria. Data were analysed on an intention-to-treat basis; test of proportions, Wilcoxon rank test and logistic regression, controlling for clustering of teeth, were used. Two hundred and fifty-four children were randomised (test = 127 and control = 127). There was no statistically significant difference in age, sex and baseline caries experience between the test and control groups. At follow-up (mean interval 11.4 months, SD 3.1), 220 children were examined (test = 115 and control = 105) and 597 teeth (test = 417 and control = 180) were evaluated for restoration quality, of which 16.8% (test) and 6.7% (control) were judged to have failed (required replacement; p < 0.01). Intention-to-treat, multiple logistic regression found multisurface restorations (OR = 10.4) had significantly higher odds of failure, while referral for specialist paediatric care had significantly lower odds of restoration failure (OR = 0.2). The ART-based approach enabled more children and teeth to be treated, and multisurface restoration and treatment in a primary-care setting had higher odds of restoration failure.
Geochemical Influence on Microbial Communities at CO2-Leakage Analog Sites

Microorganisms influence the chemical and physical properties of subsurface environments and thus represent an important control on the fate and environmental impact of CO2 that leaks into aquifers from deep storage reservoirs. How leakage will influence microbial populations over long time scales is largely unknown. This study uses natural analog sites to investigate the long-term impact of CO2 leakage from underground storage sites on subsurface biogeochemistry. We considered two sites with elevated CO2 levels (sample groups I and II) and one control site with low CO2 content (group III). Samples from sites with elevated CO2 had pH ranging from 6.2 to 4.5 and samples from the low-CO2 control group had pH ranging from 7.3 to 6.2. Solute concentrations were relatively low for samples from the control group and group I but high for samples from group II, reflecting varying degrees of water-rock interaction. Microbial communities were analyzed through clone library and MiSeq sequencing. Each 16S rRNA analysis identified various bacteria, methane-producing archaea, and ammonia-oxidizing archaea. Both bacterial and archaeal diversities were low in groundwater with high CO2 content and community compositions between the groups were also clearly different. In group II samples, sequences classified in groups capable of methanogenesis, metal reduction, and nitrate reduction had higher relative abundance in samples with relative high methane, iron, and manganese concentrations and low nitrate levels. Sequences close to Comamonadaceae were abundant in group I, while the taxa related to methanogens, Nitrospirae, and Anaerolineaceae were predominant in group II. Our findings provide insight into subsurface biogeochemical reactions that influence the carbon budget of the system including carbon fixation, carbon trapping, and CO2 conversion to methane. The results also suggest that monitoring groundwater microbial community can be a potential tool for tracking CO2 leakage from geologic storage sites.