Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Corrugated SIW L-folded antipodal parabolic tapered slot antenna

In this paper, corrugated SIW L-folded antipodal parabolic Tapered Slot Antenna (TSA) is proposed and demonstrated for the very first time. Compared to other reported SIW TSA, this design achieves foot-print reduction by a factor of nearly two and excellent radiation pattern symmetry. This structure can easily be designed to obtain either 45° or -45° polarization. Moreover, this single element shows advantages over other reported end-fire TSA for arrays, namely, it can achieve a lower spacing between elements to obtain reduced side-lobe level (SLL) and 45° or -45° polarizations as well as reduced coupling between adjacent elements. To feed this antenna, an L-Folded SIW (LFSIW) line is introduced. An L-junction from SIW to LFSIW is also proposed and studied. The gain of single L-folded element is 13 dBi compared to 15.1 dBi for the unfolded antenna. However, the folded antenna provides an 8.5 dB improvement in the coupling level between adjacent elements.
In Situ Detection of Novel Bacterial Endosymbionts of Acanthamoeba spp. Phylogenetically Related to Members of the Order Rickettsiales

ABSTRACT Acanthamoebae are ubiquitous soil and water bactivores which may serve as amplification vehicles for a variety of pathogenic facultative bacteria and as hosts to other, presently uncultured bacterial endosymbionts. The spectrum of uncultured endosymbionts includes gram-negative rods and gram-variable cocci, the latter recently shown to be members of the Chlamydiales. We report here the isolation from corneal scrapings of two Acanthamoebastrains that harbor gram-negative rod endosymbionts that could not be cultured by standard techniques. These bacteria were phylogenetically characterized following amplification and sequencing of the near-full-length 16S rRNA gene. We used two fluorescently labelled oligonucleotide probes targeting signature regions within the retrieved sequences to detect these organisms in situ. Phylogenetic analyses demonstrated that they displayed 99.6% sequence similarity and formed an independent and well-separated lineage within theRickettsiales branch of the alpha subdivision of theProteobacteria. Nearest relatives included members of the genus Rickettsia, with sequence similarities of approximately 85 to 86%, suggesting that these symbionts are representatives of a new genus and, perhaps, family. Distance matrix, parsimony, and maximum-likelihood tree-generating methods all consistently supported deep branching of the 16S rDNA sequences within the Rickettsiales. The oligonucleotide probes displayed at least three mismatches to all other available 16S rDNA sequences, and they both readily permitted the unambiguous detection of rod-shaped bacteria within intact acanthamoebae by confocal laser-scanning microscopy. Considering the long-standing relationship of mostRickettsiales with arthropods, the finding of a related lineage of endosymbionts in protozoan hosts was unexpected and may have implications for the preadaptation and/or recruitment of rickettsia-like bacteria to metazoan hosts.
Rapid microwave-assisted synthesis of hierarchical ZnO hollow spheres and their application in Cr(VI) removal

A rapid one-pot synthesis of hierarchical ZnO hollow spheres consisting of nanoparticles was realized by a facile microwave-assisted solvothermal method using ethanol as the solvent. According to the time-dependent observation of the formation process, a tentative mechanism based on ethyl acetate bubble-templating self-assembly of ZnO nanoparticles was proposed for the formation of the ZnO hollow spheres. Compared with the conventional heating, the microwave irradiation resulted in a significantly shortened reaction time (within 30 min) and considerably improved quality of the ZnO hollow spheres, such as narrower size distribution and more regular morphology, owing to the high heating rate and thus the accelerated reaction rate. It was shown that the microwave-assisted synthesis of ZnO nanostructures with tunable morphologies can be realized by judicious selection of appropriate solvents. The obtained ZnO hollow spheres exhibited an excellent adsorption capacity towards Cr(VI) ions in water because of their high surface area for adsorption and a good ability to preserve the accessible surface.
Sperm competition games played by dimorphic male beetles: fertilization gains with equal mating access

Alternative mating tactics can generate asymmetry in the sperm competition risk between males within species. Theory predicts that adaptations to sperm competition should arise in males facing the greater risk. This prediction is met in the dung beetle Onthophagus binodis where minor males which sneak copulations have a greater expenditure on the ejaculate. In its congener Onthophagus taurus there is a reduced asymmetry in sperm competition risk such that both tactics have equal ejaculate expenditure. We used the irradiated male technique to test whether adaptations to sperm competition in minor males result in higher paternity. We found that for both species, on average, each of two males gained equal numbers of fertilizations, confirming the assumption that sperm compete in a raffle. There were no differences in the sperm competition success of major and minor males in O. taurus as predicted from their equal expenditure on their ejaculate. Contrary to expectations, there were also no differences in fertilization success between the male tactics in O. binodis. Thus, in O. binodis minor males must expend more on their ejaculate in order to obtain the same fertilization gains as major males.
Further stabilization of a microlens-array-based fiducial marker

Fiducial markers (AR/visual markers) are still useful tools in many AR/MR applications. But conventional markers have two fundamental problems in orientation estimation. One is degradation of orientation accuracy in frontal observation. The other is “pose ambiguity” where the estimated orientation repeats switching between two values. We previously developed a novel marker “ArrayMark” which uses a microlens array and solved the former problem. This time we propose a practical solution to the latter problem by improving the ArrayMark. We attach an additional reference point to detect the occurrence of invalid estimation, and modify the orientation of the marker by inverting the zenith-angle of the visual-line. This marker enables stable pose estimation from a one-shot image without using any filtering techniques. The method is applicable to conventional markers, too. We demonstrated the availability of this improvement to the pose-ambiguity problem.
Fatigue Mechanisms Determining Exercise Performance The cross-bridge cycle and skeletal muscle fatigue

Fitts RH. The cross-bridge cycle and skeletal muscle fatigue. J Appl Physiol 104: 551–558, 2008. First published December 27, 2007; doi:10.1152/ japplphysiol.01200. 2007. —The functional correlates of fatigue observed in both animals and humans during exercise include a decline in peak force (P0), maximal velocity, and peak power. Establishing the extent to which these deleterious functional changes result from direct effects on the myofilaments is facilitated through understanding the molecular mechanisms of the cross-bridge cycle. With actin-myosin binding, the cross-bridge transitions from a weakly bound low-force state to a strongly bound high-force state. Low pH reduces the number of high-force cross bridges in fast fibers, and the force per cross bridge in both fast and slow fibers. The former is thought to involve a direct inhibition of the forward rate constant for transition to the strong cross-bridge state. In contrast, inorganic phosphate (Pi) is thought to reduce P0 by accelerating the reversal of this step. Both H and Pi decrease myofibrillar Ca sensitivity. This effect is particularly important as the amplitude of the Ca transient falls with fatigue. The inhibitory effects of low pH and high Pi on P0 are reduced as temperature increases from 10 to 30°C. However, the H -induced depression of peak power in the slow fiber type, and Pi inhibition of myofibrillar Ca sensitivity in slow and fast fibers, are greater at high compared with low temperature. Thus the depressive effects of H and Pi at in vivo temperatures cannot easily be predicted from data collected below 25° C. In vitro, reactive oxygen species reduce myofibrillar Ca sensitivity; however, the importance of this mechanism during in vivo exercise is unknown.
Optimal Triangular Lagrange Point Insertion Using Lunar Gravity Assist

In this paper, we design optimal trajectories that transfer satellites from Earth orbit to the Sun-Earth triangular Lagrange points (L4 and L5) using a lunar gravity assist during the year 2010. An optimal trajectory is defined as one that minimizes total mission velocity change (∆v), which is directly proportional to fuel consumption and operational cost. These optimal trajectories are determined using two heuristic algorithms: Differential Evolution and Covariance Matrix Adaptation. The three parameters being varied are the mission commencement time, Hohmann transfer target radius above the center of the moon, and the midcourse correction maneuver time of flight. Optimal trajectory parameters predicted by Differential Evolution and Covariance Matrix Adaptation agree closely. The results show that an optimal trajectory to L4 using this problem formulation requires a total mission ∆v of 6.15 km/s. The mission commencement time was 23.1 days, the Hohmann transfer target radius for this trajectory is 59993 km, and the midcourse correction maneuver time of flight is 294.9 days. An optimal trajectory to L5 requires a total mission ∆v of 5.056 km/s. The mission commencement time is 363.7 days, the Hohmann transfer target radius for this trajectory is 59993 km, and the midcourse correction maneuver time of flight is 410.9 days.
Formaldehyde-induced paxillin–tyrosine phosphorylation and paxillin and P53 downexpression in Hela cells

Abstract Formaldehyde (FA) is an environmental pollutant and an endogenous product believed to be involved in tumorigenesis. However, the underlying mechanism of observed FA effects has not been clearly defined. Paxillin is a focal adhesion protein that may play an important role in several signaling pathways. Many paxillin-interacting proteins are involved in the regulation of actin cytoskeleton organization, which is necessary for cell motility events associated with diverse biological responses, such as embryonic development, wound repair and tumor metastasis. P53 is important in multicellular organisms, where it regulates the cell cycle and thus functions as a tumor suppressor that is involved in preventing cancer. In this study, we investigated the effects of FA on paxillin–tyrosine phosphorylation and P53 expression in Hela cells by Western blot and immunofluorescence. Western blot analysis revealed that nonlethal concentrations of FA (0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 mM, with the exposure time for 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 h, respectively) had downregulated paxillin and wild-type p53 genes expression while upregulated paxillin–tyrosine phosphorylation significantly. At the same time, phosphotyrosine at the focal adhesion sites detected by immunofluorescence assay obviously increased in Hela cells incubated with 2.0 mM FA for 2 h. The results suggested that paxillin and p53 genes expression may be involved in FA-related adverse effects and the mechanism may be involved in paxillin–tyrosine phosphorylation.
Performance of transmitted reference pulse cluster UWB communication systems using LDPC codes

Transmitted reference pulse cluster (TRPC) structure was proposed as an improved transmitted reference (TR) signaling for low date-rate ultra-wideband (UWB) communications. In the uncoded case, TRPC outperforms the conventional TR and non-coherent pulse position modulation (NC-PPM) signaling schemes. Moreover, it overcomes the implementation problem of the long delay line inherent in the conventional TR. Therefore, TRPC is a promising candidate for noncoherent UWB communication systems. Accordingly, coded TRPC has also been developed employing several forward error correction (FEC) codes, such as Reed-Solomon and convolutional codes. Based on these previous works, in this paper low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes are introduced to the TRPC system and two methods are presented to construct the parity-check matrix for LDPC codes. We evaluate the bit error rate (BER) performance of the two corresponding LDPC codes in the IEEE 802.15. 4a channels. Results show that both the two investigated LDPC codes obtain significant performance gains in terms of the BER over the existing FEC codes used in the TRPC system.
Fuel-based fine particulate and black carbon emission factors from a railyard area in Atlanta

Railyards have the potential to influence local fine particulate matter (aerodynamic diameter ≤2.5 μm; PM2.5) concentrations through emissions from diesel locomotives and supporting activities. This is of concern in urban regions where railyards are in proximity to residential areas. Northwest of Atlanta, Georgia, Inman and Tilford railyards are located beside residential neighborhoods, industries, and schools. The PM2.5 concentrations near the railyards is the highest measured amongst the state-run monitoring sites (Georgia Environmental Protection Division, 2012; http://www.georgiaair.org/amp/report.php). The authors estimated fuel-based black carbon (BC) and PM2.5 emission factors for these railyards in order to help determine the impact of railyard activities on PM2.5 concentrations, and for assessing the potential benefits of replacing current locomotive engines with cleaner technologies. High-time-resolution measurements of BC, PM2.5, CO2, and wind speed and direction were made at two locations, north and south of the railyards. Emissions factors (i.e., the mass of BC or PM2.5 per gallon of fuel burned) were estimated by using the downwind/upwind difference in concentrations, wavelet analysis, and an event-based approach. By the authors’ estimates, diesel-electric engines used in the railyards have average emission factors of 2.8 ± 0.2 g of BC and 6.0 ± 0.5 g of PM2.5 per gallon of diesel fuel burned. A broader mix of railyard supporting activities appear to lead to average emission factors of 0.7 ± 0.03 g of BC and 1.5 ± 0.1 g of PM2.5 per gallon of diesel fuel burned. Railyard emissions appear to lead to average enhancements of approximately 1.7 ± 0.1 µg/m3 of PM2.5 and approximately 0.8 ± 0.01 µg/m3 of BC in neighboring areas on an annual average basis. Uncertainty not quantified in these results could arise mainly from variability in downwind/upwind differences, differences in emissions of the diverse zones within the railyards, and the influence of on-road mobile source emissions. Implications: In-use fuel-based black carbon and fine particulate emission factors for railyard activities were quantified by novel approaches using near-source high-time-resolution monitoring of ambient concentrations at two sites. Results can reduce the uncertainty in railyard emission inventories and the approach can be replicated and extended to assess trends and evaluate emission reduction alternatives. Supplemental Materials: Supplemental materials are available for this paper. Go to the publisher's online edition of the Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association for information on dates of photographic surveillance of Inman yard, the algorithm for wavelet analysis, histograms and time series plots of Downwind/Upwind data, and boxplots of BC emission factors.
A new nucleoside analog, 9-[[2-hydroxy-1-(hydroxymethyl)ethoxyl]methyl]guanine, highly active in vitro against herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2

A novel nucleoside analog, 9-[[2-hydroxy-1-(hydroxymethyl)ethoxy]methyl]-guanine (BIOLF-62), was found to have potent antiviral activity against herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2 at concentrations well below cytotoxic levels. For example, the Patton strain of herpes simplex virus type 1 was susceptible at concentrations 140- to 2,900-fold below that which inhibited cell division by 50%, depending upon the cell line used for assay. Different herpesvirus strains varied considerably in their susceptibility to the drug, as did results obtained with the same virus strain in different cell lines. BIOLF-62 compared favorably with 5-iodo-2'-deoxyuridine and acyclovir with respect to ratios of viral to cell inhibitory drug concentrations. Patterns of drug resistance to herpesvirus mutants suggested that the primary mode of action of BIOLF-62 is different from that of known antiviral compounds. Human adenovirus type 2, varicella-zoster virus, and Epstein-Barr virus were inhibited by this drug but at concentrations within the cell inhibitory range. Vaccinia virus and human cytomegalovirus were not inhibited at high drug concentrations.
Use of Alcohol Screening and Brief Interventions in Primary Care Settings

Although evidence indicates that brief alcohol screening and interventions are effective across primary care settings, implementation of these techniques has been problematic. The primary objective of this study was to determine current practices and barriers for screening and interventions with primary care patients across randomly selected clinics in a large health care system, the Veterans Health Administration. Focus groups and mailed structured surveys were used. Results from providers indicated that 85% of patients treated in primary care received some screening for alcohol use disorders. The CAGE was the predominant screening tool. The primary clinical focus was on treatment referrals for patients who met abuse/dependence criteria. Lack of time was the most important perceived barrier to implementing screening and brief alcohol interventions for at-risk and problem drinkers. Implications for implementation of screening and intervention programs for a range of drinkers (at-risk use, problem use, abuse, dependence) are discussed.
Photopolarimetry from Voyager 2; Preliminary Results on Saturn, Titan, and the Rings

The Voyager 2 photopolarimeter was reprogrammed prior to the August 1981 Saturn encounter to perform orthogonal-polarization, two-color measurements on Saturn, Titan, and the rings. Saturn's atmosphere has ultraviolet limb brightening in the mid-latitudes and pronounced polar darkening north of 65�N. Titan's opaque atmosphere shows strong positive polarization at all phase angles (2.7� to 154�), and no single-size spherical particle model appears to fit the data. A single radial stellar occultation of the darkened, shadowed rings indicated a ring thickness of less than 200 meters at several locations and clear evidence for density waves caused by satellite resonances. Multiple, very narrow strands of material were found in the Encke division and within the brightest single strand of the F ring.
Prenatal growth in humans and postnatal brain maturation into late adolescence

Prenatal life encompasses a critical phase of human brain development, but neurodevelopmental consequences of normative differences in prenatal growth among full-term pregnancies remain largely uncharted. Here, we combine the power of a within-monozygotic twin study design with longitudinal neuroimaging methods that parse dissociable components of structural brain development between ages 3 and 30 y, to show that subtle variations of the in utero environment, as indexed by mild birth weight (BW) variation within monozygotic pairs, are accompanied by statistically significant (i) differences in postnatal intelligence quotient (IQ) and (ii) alterations of brain anatomy that persist at least into late adolescence. Greater BW within the normal range confers a sustained and generalized increase in brain volume, which in the cortical sheet, is specifically driven by altered surface area rather than cortical thickness. Surface area is maximally sensitive to BW variation within cortical regions implicated in the biology of several mental disorders, the risk for which is modified by normative BW variation. We complement this near-experimental test of prenatal environmental influences on human brain development by replicating anatomical findings in dizygotic twins and unrelated singletons. Thus, using over 1,000 brain scans, across three independent samples, we link subtle differences in prenatal growth, within ranges seen among the majority of human pregnancies, to protracted surface area alterations, that preferentially impact later-maturing associative cortices important for higher cognition. By mapping the sensitivity of postnatal human brain development to prenatal influences, our findings underline the potency of in utero life in shaping postnatal outcomes of neuroscientific and public health importance.
Alcohol-induced downregulation of superoxide anion release by hepatic phagocytes in endotoxemic rats.

Bacterial endotoxins [lipopolysaccharide (LPS)] are potent immunomodulators, and ethanol is known to depress certain immune defense mechanisms. Thus the combined impact of these two agents on the generation of superoxide anion (O2(-). ) by isolated hepatic phagocytic cells was investigated. Ethanol was infused intravenously into rats for 7 h, and Escherichia coli LPS was injected intravenously at 4 h after ethanol administration. Control groups received an equal volume of saline or ethanol alone. Nonparenchymal cells that were composed of endothelial and Kupffer cells and few polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN; less than 1%) were obtained after collagenase-pronase digestion. In the LPS-treated rats, the total number of PMN per liver increased significantly. Histological sections of the liver showed PMN infiltration and areas of necrosis after LPS treatment with or without ethanol. In the presence of either phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate or opsonized zymosan in vitro, Kupffer cells and hepatic PMN from LPS-treated rats generated large amounts of O2(-). Ethanol intoxication in vitro by these cells to 50%. Ethanol alone (without LPS) had no effect on the production of O2(-). These studies demonstrate that ethanol intoxication was associated with the downregulation of the LPS-enhanced in vivo priming of hepatic phagocytes to generate O2(-). in vitro and may thus contribute to the enhanced susceptibility of alcoholic subjects to develop an infection.
Neighborhood Disadvantage and Anger among Older Adults: Social Comparisons as Effect Modifiers∗

Using data from a sample of 1,136 adults ages 65 and older in the District of Columbia and two adjoining counties in Maryland, we examine the association between neighborhood structural disadvantage and levels of anger. In addition, we test whether subjective financial comparisons with neighbors modify those effects differently for elders at different levels of income. We find that the association between neighborhood disadvantage and anger is positive among lower-income elders who feel financially advantaged relative to their neighbors. In contrast, the association between neighborhood disadvantage and anger is positive among higher-income elders who feel financially disadvantaged relative to their neighbors. Irrespective of income, neighborhood disadvantage is unrelated to anger among people who feel financially similar to their neighbors. We discuss the implications of our findings for the study of neighborhood context and health, underscoring interrelationships among inequality, social comparisons, and the stress process.
Who Cares about Purity of Factor Indexes? A Comment on “Evaluating the Efficiency of ‘Smart Beta’ Indexes”

A recent article by Hunstad and Dekhayser (JII, Summer 2015) introduced a novel measure of factor “purity”—the factor efficiency ratio—and concluded that the indexes analyzed “were generally unable to provide desired factor exposures without taking on substantial unintended exposures” and that indexes are not “pure” in their delivery of intended factor exposures. This note points out several questions regarding the relevance of factor efficiency ratios and similar assessments of purity of factor indexes.