Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Wavelength-Spacing Adjustable Dual-Wavelength Dissipative Soliton Resonance Thulium-Doped Fiber Laser

A dual-wavelength dissipative soliton resonance thulium-doped fiber laser based on nonlinear optical loop mirror (NOLM) has been demonstrated. In this laser, mode-locking is achieved based on equivalent saturation absorption of the NOLM, while the dual-wavelength operation is attributed to the online birefringent fiber filter composed of a polarizer and a section of polarization-maintaining fiber (PMF). The wavelength spacing of dual-wavelength spectrum can be adjusted through changing the PMF length, and the central wavelengths can be tuned through rotating the polarization controllers. It is also found that at the two central wavelengths of the dual-wavelength pulse, switchable single wavelength mode-locked pulse can be generated. In addition, noise-like pulses with broadband spectra can be generated, when two kinds of mode-locking mechanisms conflict. The dual-wavelength dissipative soliton resonance thulium-doped fiber laser has important potential applications in the laser detection, sensing and other fields. Its rich dynamics also provides a system platform for basic research on laser physics.
Wideband Radiation Reconfigurable Microstrip Patch Antenna Loaded With Two Inverted U-Slots

A wideband rectangular microstrip patch antenna with reconfigurable radiation patterns is proposed in this paper, which contains two symmetrically inverted U-slots, and incorporates two coaxial probes along the resonant length of the patch. By controlling the phase shift of applied currents through these probes, the antenna can be set to excite either the SUM or the Difference mode, in accord with the TM<sub>01</sub> and TM<sub>02</sub> modes, respectively. Unlike previous endeavors on U-slot microstrip antennas, a wide impedance bandwidth of 68% is realized, along with stable polarization and symmetrical radiation patterns. It is worth mentioning that the thickness of the substrate is very small, which is in the order of <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$0.02 \lambda _{d}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>, where <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\lambda _{d}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> is the wavelength in the dielectric medium at the center frequency of 3 GHz. The slot and patch parameters are numerically analyzed to achieve wide bandwidth along with symmetric radiation patterns. The realized null depth in the Difference mode is well below −30 dB, which makes the proposed antenna well suited for monopulse radar applications. The antenna covers a frequency range of 1.98–4 GHz. A prototype is fabricated and tested. Good agreement between the measured and simulated results is observed.
The high affinity iron permease is a key virulence factor required for Rhizopus oryzae pathogenesis

Rhizopus oryzae is the most common cause of mucormycosis, an angioinvasive fungal infection that causes more then 50% mortality rate despite first‐line therapy. Clinical and animal model data clearly demonstrate that the presence of elevated available serum iron predisposes the host to mucormycosis. The high affinity iron permease gene (FTR1) is required for R. oryzae iron transport in iron‐depleted environments. Here we demonstrate that FTR1 is required for full virulence of R. oryzae in mice. We show that FTR1 is expressed during infection in diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) mice. In addition, we disrupted FTR1 by double cross‐over homologous recombination, but multinucleated R. oryzae could not be forced to segregate to a homokaryotic null allele. Nevertheless, a reduction of the relative copy number of FTR1 and inhibition of FTR1 expression by RNAi compromised the ability of R. oryzae to acquire iron in vitro and reduced its virulence in DKA mice. Importantly, passive immunization with anti‐Ftr1p immune sera protected DKA mice from infection with R. oryzae. Thus, FTR1 is a virulence factor for R. oryzae, and anti‐Ftr1p passive immunotherapy deserves further evaluation as a strategy to improve outcomes of deadly mucormycosis.
1.3 Integration of Photonics and Electronics

The market for photonic integrated circuits (PICs) is rapidly growing. Photonic integration which is now the dominant technology in high-bandwidth and long-distance telecommunications is increasingly applied to shorter distances within data centers. Now, it is set to become also dominant in many other fields: PICs offer compelling performance advances in terms of precision, bandwidth, and energy efficiency. To enable uptake in new sectors, the availability of highly standardized (generic) photonic-integration-platform technologies is of key importance, as this separates design from technology, reducing barriers for new entrants. Another major challenge is low-cost energy-efficient integration of photonics with the electronic circuitry that is used for driving and controlling the photonic IC and processing its information. Today, the major platform technologies are indium phosphide (InP)-based monolithic integration and silicon (Si)-based photonics. InP technology offers integration of the full suite of photonic components, including lasers, optical amplifiers, and high-performance modulators. While Si photonics offers better compatibility with CMOS process facilities, it lacks the most important photonic building blocks: lasers and optical amplifiers. In this paper, we describe the current status and directions for future developments of InP-based generic integration, and we compare the potential of InP photonics and Si photonics for integration with controlling electronics. In what follows, we will focus in Section 1 on similarities and differences between InP and Si photonics. In Section 2, we will give a concise overview of the present status of this technology and how it compares with Silicon photonics. In sections 3 and 4 we will discuss membrane-based technologies which support efficient integration with electronics.
Mycobacterium tuberculosis CYP125A1, a steroid C27 monooxygenase that detoxifies intracellularly generated cholest‐4‐en‐3‐one

The infectivity and persistence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis requires the utilization of host cell cholesterol. We have examined the specific role of cytochrome P450 CYP125A1 in the cholesterol degradation pathway using genetic, biochemical and high‐resolution mass spectrometric approaches. The analysis of lipid profiles from cells grown on cholesterol revealed that CYP125A1 is required to incorporate the cholesterol side‐chain carbon atoms into cellular lipids, as evidenced by an increase in the mass of the methyl‐branched phthiocerol dimycocerosates. We observed that cholesterol‐exposed cells lacking CYP125A1 accumulate cholest‐4‐en‐3‐one, suggesting that this is a physiological substrate for this enzyme. Reconstitution of enzymatic activity with spinach ferredoxin and ferredoxin reductase revealed that recombinant CYP125A1 indeed binds both cholest‐4‐en‐3‐one and cholesterol, efficiently hydroxylates both of them at C‐27, and then further oxidizes 27‐hydroxycholest‐4‐en‐3‐one to cholest‐4‐en‐3‐one‐27‐oic acid. We determined the X‐ray structure of cholest‐4‐en‐3‐one‐bound CYP125A1 at a resolution of 1.58 Å. CYP125A1 is essential for growth of CDC1551 in media containing cholesterol or cholest‐4‐en‐3‐one. In its absence, the latter compound is toxic for both CDC1551 and H37Rv when added with glycerol as a second carbon source. CYP125A1 is a key enzyme in cholesterol metabolism and plays a crucial role in circumventing the deleterious effect of cholest‐4‐en‐3‐one.
Wideband Dual-Frequency Antenna With Large Frequency Ratio

This communication investigates a new type of compact dual-frequency antenna, which is realized by using a single rectangular dielectric block with a groove along its center. It integrates a microwave dielectric resonator antenna (DRA) with a millimeter-wave Fabry–Perot resonator antenna (FPRA). The DRA is fabricated out of a dielectric block, excited by a vertical conducting strip on its side wall. The FPRA is realized by sticking the adhesive copper tape on the surfaces of the groove, forming a pair of parallel plates and the ground plane. The FPRA is excited by a sleeve-integrated L-probe, which suppresses the cross-polar fields and widens the bandwidth of the FPRA. To validate the idea, a dual-frequency antenna, covering both the 2.4 and 24 GHz ISM bands, was designed and measured. The DRA operates in its TEx111 mode, whereas the FPRA operates in its fundamental mode. Next, a wideband dual-frequency antenna was designed to further cover the 4G and future 5G frequency bands. Both of the TEx111 and TEx113 modes of the DRA are excited, broadening the bandwidth in the microwave band. Also, the FPRA mode and two L-probe modes are simultaneously excited to increase the bandwidth in the millimeter-waveband. The S-parameters, radiation patterns, antenna gains, and antenna efficiencies of the dual-frequency antennas are studied in detail. Reasonable agreement between the measured and simulated results is observed.
Improving the Accuracy of an Absolute Magnetic Encoder by Using Harmonic Rejection and a Dual-Phase-Locked Loop

This paper proposes a method to improve the accuracy of an absolute magnetic encoder by using harmonic rejection (HR) and a dual-phase-locked loop (DPLL). The encoder consists of two permanent magnets: an edge-located multipolar magnet (MPM) and a center-located bipolar magnet, in which the signal-processing accuracy of the MPM is crucial for achieving high accuracy of the entire encoder. However, the MPM signals are disturbed by nonidealities such as dc offsets, amplitude mismatch, low- and high-order harmonics, and random noises. In this paper, the HR approach investigates the characteristics of nonidealities of the phase detector and rejects them by using gradient descent. In addition, the DPLL remains robust by maintaining a zero steady-state error during a phase jump, a constant frequency, and a ramp frequency. The proposed method is simulated with MATLAB software and implemented in ARM STM32F407ZG. The obtained results demonstrate efficient performance. This method can be applied to any use of quadrature sinusoidal signals, such as in power grids and in permanent-magnet synchronous motor phase detection.
An Experience Report on the Use of Experience Maps and Sketches in a Database Course Project

This paper describes our experience introducing two user-centered design techniques in the context of an undergraduate database course project: experience maps and sketches. Experience maps are used to represent user requirements, while sketches are used to design the application’s flow and interfaces. The goal of incorporating these techniques in the course was primarily to improve the quality of student projects. In previous semesters, the teacher noted problems related to requirements elicitation and interface design, mainly due to the students’ lack of software engineering background. Experience maps and sketches were used for three semesters, and were evaluated through a student survey and a teacher’s assessment of benefits and limitations. Results show that at least 85% of the students valued the creation of experience maps positively, and 100% valued the creation of sketches positively. Students commented that experience maps helped them the most to understand user’s needs, each interface’s purpose in the context of the entire solution, as well as the user’s interaction with the system. The main limitation found by the teacher was the difficulty students had grasping and applying experience maps concepts. The main benefit was that in the end, project prototypes had more consistent, clear and usable interfaces.
Health Assessment and Prediction of Overhead Line Based on Health Index

Overhead lines are important parts of distribution networks at present. Assessment and prediction of their health status is of great significance to ensure the reliable operation of distribution network. This paper presents a method for assessing and predicting the health status of overhead lines based on health index (HI). First, the key features set of overhead lines including ontological and nonontological factors is determined. Then, a calculation method for evaluating HI based on analytic hierarchy process and technique for order preference by similarity to an ideal solution is proposed. Subsequently, the health assessment results of the actual 110 and 10 kV overhead lines located in China show that the proposed method could reflect the actual situation of overhead lines well. Finally, based on the proposed method, this paper takes two areas of China, Beijing and Nanjing, which have different climatic conditions, as research objects, and studies the influence of natural factors on the health status of overhead lines, respectively. Based on the analysis results, the health statuses of the overhead lines in the two regions are predicted. The research results of this paper can provide guidance for the operation and maintenance of overhead lines.
Functional amyloid in Pseudomonas

Amyloids are highly abundant in many microbial biofilms and may play an important role in their architecture. Nevertheless, little is known of the amyloid proteins. We report the discovery of a novel functional amyloid expressed by a Pseudomonas strain of the P. fluorescens group. The amyloid protein was purified and the amyloid‐like structure verified. Partial sequencing by MS/MS combined with full genomic sequencing of the Pseudomonas strain identified the gene coding for the major subunit of the amyloid fibril, termed fapC. FapC contains a thrice repeated motif that differs from those previously found in curli fimbrins and prion proteins. The lack of aromatic residues in the repeat shows that aromatic side chains are not needed for efficient amyloid formation. In contrast, glutamine and asparagine residues seem to play a major role in amyloid formation as these are highly conserved in curli, prion proteins and FapC. fapC is conserved in many Pseudomonas strains including the opportunistic pathogen P. aeruginosa and is situated in a conserved operon containing six genes, of which one encodes a fapC homologue. Heterologous expression of the fapA–F operon in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) resulted in a highly aggregative phenotype, showing that the operon is involved in biofilm formation.
Feature selection embedded subspace clustering with low-rank and locality constraints

Subspace clustering analysis has good performance for the clustering problem of high dimensional data. In recent years, subspace clustering analysis algorithms based on representation has also been widely concerned. But when the feature dimension is too high, it not only increases the time complexity of the operation, but also reduces the performance of the algorithm, so it is an important research topic how to use the less feature dimension to carry on the subspace clustering analysis. In this paper, the feature selection method is added to the algorithm framework of low rank representation, and the two are fused into a new single model, and a new subspace clustering algorithm is proposed by using local constraint conditions. The algorithm selects a small number of related feature dimensions to represent low rank data. This not only reduces the complexity of the algorithm, but also helps to accurately reveal the relationship between the data, because the relationship between the data is not influenced by the unrelated feature dimension through the selection of the features. In addition, locality constraints are used in the learning process. Therefore, the learning process of feature and subspace clustering promotes each other and leads to powerful data representation. A large number of experiments on the real datasets have also proved the effectiveness of this method
Novel Filtering Method Based on Metasurface Antenna and Its Application for Wideband High-Gain Filtering Antenna With Low Profile

A novel filtering method based on the metasurface antenna (MSA) with radiation nulls is proposed without loading extra circuits. Due to the specific multiunit structure of MSA, the filtering method is first realized on each radiating metasurface (MS) unit by introducing a multifolded U-shaped slot and a defected ground structure to generate lower edge radiation nulls. Meanwhile, coplanar parasitic patches are loaded around the MS units to provide upper edge nulls and simultaneously introduce extra in-band resonances for wide passband. Thus, a low-profile, wideband, and high-gain filtering antenna is readily constructed. To verify the concept, a prototype with a low profile of only $0.04\lambda _{{0}}$ is designed and fabricated. The simulated and measured results agree well, demonstrating a good performance with large impedance bandwidth of about 20%, high average gain of 8 dBi, and high aperture efficiency of about 90%, together with high out-of-band suppression levels of about 20 dB. In addition, the radiation patterns are symmetric in both the E- and H-planes with cross-polarization suppressions of over 20 dB. Compared with the reported filtering antennas, the proposed filtering MSA can achieve the wideband filtering response in a low profile, as well as high gain with high aperture efficiency.
Congestion Potential – A New Way to Analyze Public Transportation based on Complex Networks

Based on complex network theory, metrics are proposed in this paper to identify local characteristics of public transportation networks, in special, congestion potential. As case of studies, two major Brazilian cities were chosen. Using L-space representation and geographic distances between connected bus stops as link weights at the resulting PTN model as complex network, we identified regions with high probability of vehicle and passenger congestion in both cities. We find out a type of complex network for PTNs, characterized by high degree, high number of modular communities and low clustering coefficient, differing from usual ones, characterized by bus/train terminals as network hubs. The achieved results of the complex network analysis can be applied to city planning.
Sensitivity to Laser Fault Injection: CMOS FD-SOI vs. CMOS Bulk

Integrated circuits (ICs) laser illumination was originally used for emulation of radioactive ionizing particles effects on devices. Today, it is also a means for injecting faults into the computations of secure ICs for the purpose of retrieving secret data. The CMOS FD-SOI technology is expected to be less sensitive to laser fault injection than the more usual CMOS bulk technology. We report in this paper an experimental assessment of the interest of using FD-SOI rather than CMOS bulk to decrease laser sensitivity. Our experiments were conducted on test chips at the 28 nm node for both technologies with laser pulse durations in the picosecond and nanosecond ranges. We also discuss the interest of using bulk current sensors along with FD-SOI technology to achieve optimal detection of laser fault injection attempts.
Micro Quartz Tuning Fork-Based PM2.5 Sensor for Personal Exposure Monitoring

A portable, wireless, and cost-effective PM<sub>2.5</sub> sensor based on micro quartz tuning fork (MQTF) has been developed. Coated with repositionable polymer glue for effective absorption of PM<sub>2.5</sub> and with the help of innovative nozzle inlet, the MQTF-based sensor is highly sensitive to PM<sub>2.5</sub> in the detection range of <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$2\sim 2000~\mu \text{g}/\text{m}^{3}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> with high stability. The sensor response, change rate of the MQTF frequency, shows linear relationship with PM<sub>2.5</sub> concentration from 6 to <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$100~\mu \text{g}/\text{m}^{3}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> at the flowrate of 1.7 L/min, which is a typical range of PM<sub>2.5</sub> concentration in ambient air. By integrating the repositionable adhesive coated MQTF, driving and detection circuit, PM<sub>2.5</sub> filter, sampling system, and a smartphone with Bluetooth and home-developed app, the MQTF-based sensor is assembled for personal PM<sub>2.5</sub> exposure monitoring. Furthermore, field tests show that the PM<sub>2.5</sub> concentration readings from MQTF-based sensor and commercial PM monitor correlate very well with each other, which indicates the high accuracy and reliability of the MQTF-based sensor.
Ground Surface Filtering of 3D Point Clouds Based on Hybrid Regression Technique

Lidar has received a lot of attention due to its precise ranging accuracy. Ground points filtering is an important task in point clouds processing. It’s a challenge to model the ground surface and filter the point clouds accurately in the case of complex ground undulations, occlusions, and sparse point clouds. A novel ground surface modeling method based on a hybrid regression technique is proposed in this paper. The method integrates Gaussian process regression (GPR) and robust locally weighted regression (RLWR) by dividing the point clouds that are projected on the polar grid map into radial and circumferential filtering processes to form a hybrid regression model, which has the ability to eliminate the influence of outliers and model the ground surface robustly. First, the RLWR combined with gradient filter is applied to fit the sampled points in the radial direction, which will exclude outliers and get the fitting ground line. All radial fitting lines constitute the seed skeleton of the whole plane. Then, based on the seeds in the same circumferential of the skeleton, the GPR is applied to construct the ground surface model. The comparative experiments are implemented quantitatively and qualitatively on the simulated point clouds and measured data. The results show that the proposed method performs well in most real scenarios, even in the cases of ground undulation, occlusion, and sparse point clouds.
Application of GI polymer optical waveguide to coupling devices between multimode fiber and VCSEL

In this paper, required specifications to a polymer waveguide based compact restricted mode launch (RML) device for multimode fibers are investigated. We confirm that a smaller spot size on the MMF launch end is necessary to enhance the effective modal bandwidth (EMBc), whereas a lower numerical aperture does not always allow the high EMBc. In addition, we determine the design guideline of polymer waveguide based RML exciters using the beam propagation method simulation.
Quality of Experience- Aware Resource Allocation for Video Content Distribution to Telco-Cloud Users

The exponential growth of mobile devices, user applications and inclusion of diverse technologies stimulated Telecommunication providers (Telco) to establish Content Delivery Network (CDN) infrastructure facilities in order to provide video content delivery service to its users. Network function virtualization is the principle technology to virtualize the CDN resources and to lease those on demand to the users of different regions where the operator has presence. The provision of Content-Delivery-Network-as-a-Service (CDNaaS) functionality for video distribution and how to decide on the allocation of appropriate amount of computing resources to a CDNaaS instance to increase Quality of Experience (QoE) is a challenging research problem. In this paper, we develop a resource allocation algorithm that can select suitable sizes of video chunks according to the number of parallel streams provisioned in a single virtual CPU (vCPU). We also explore load-balancing among the vCPUs. We study performances on CloudSim simulator and the results state that it increases Quality of Experience (QoE) of the end users.