Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Low Transparency Current Density and Low Internal Loss of 1060-nm InGaAs Laser With GaAsP–GaAs Superlattices as Strain-Compensated Layer

In this letter, the strained In<sub>0.22</sub>Ga<sub>0.78</sub>As-GaAs single quantum-well lasers grown by metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy were studied. The lasing wavelength of the fabricated InGaAs laser was 1056 nm, whereas the internal loss (alpha<sub>i</sub>) and the transparency current density (J<sub>tr</sub>) were 1.78 cm<sup>-1</sup> and 40.2 A/cm<sup>2</sup>, respectively. By using the GaAsP-GaAs superlattices as strain-compensated layer, the lasing wavelength was 1052 nm, and the alpha<sub>i</sub> and J<sub>tr</sub> could be reduced to 0.63 cm<sup>-1</sup> and 39.1 A/cm<sup>2</sup>, respectively. To the best of our knowledge, the J<sub>tr</sub> was the lowest among the reported InGaAs lasers around 1060 nm.
Circularly Polarized Compact LTSA Array in SIW Technology

Typical linearly tapered slot antenna (LTSA) usually features a wideband and a high gain. However, its geometry size is large, especially very long in the tapering direction, which limits its application in compact antenna and array systems. This communication has minimized the tapered length to less than <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$0.19\lambda _{0}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> when the aperture width is less than <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$0.35\lambda _{0}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> both for horizontally and vertically polarized LTSA arrays. Moreover, the typical polarization of the LTSA is linear, which is perpendicular to the slot. In this communication, an X-band circularly polarized <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$1 \times 8$ </tex-math></inline-formula> LTSA array, made of cross-LTSAs, is proposed with the feeding of a substrate integrated waveguide horn. All the three different polarized LTSA arrays are designed and investigated both in simulation and experiment, and the simulation results agree well with the measured results.
Numerical stability and numerical dispersion of a compact 2-D/FDTD method used for the dispersion analysis of waveguides

The stability condition is derived for the compact two-dimensional finite-difference-time-domain (2-D/FDTD) scheme which was recently proposed for the dispersion analysis of waveguiding structures. It is shown that the upper limit of the Courant number depends on the desirable propagation constant beta and is always smaller than the one for the standard FDTD scheme in two dimensions. The dispersion equation for the numerical scheme is derived also and is used to examine the impact of grid size on the accuracy of the calculated eigenvalues (frequencies) for the dominant and higher-order modes. <<ETX>>
Data Exploration Combining Kinetic and Static Visualization Displays

We describe interactions between kinetic (moving) and static information displays. We have implemented "moxel" kinetic displays in a classic discovery platform with many standard information visualization and analytic tools, and experimented with interactions between them. Moxels, which generalize pixels, are an advanced, moving, form of iconographic display of the kind first developed in static form by Pickett and White (1966). As with the static graphic icons of those early displays, moxels provide a way of mapping together in one image multiple data variables, but with potentially more potency with in-place motion. We show examples of how the two kinds of displays have been integrated, and discuss issues with the integration of dynamic and static visualizations in a single environment. We discuss several interaction paradigms between them including linked brushing, multiple selections, and operations on selected regions
Frozen Beams

In general, the temperature of a charged particle beam travelling in an accelerator is very high. Seen from the rest frame of the beam, individual particles randomly oscillate about the reference orbit at high speed. This internal kinetic energy can, however, be removed by introducing dissipative interactions into the system. As a dissipative process advances, the beam becomes denser in phase space or, equivalently, the emittance is more diminished. Ideally, it is possible to reach a “zero-emittance” state where the beam is Coulomb crystallized. The space-charge repulsion of a crystalline beam just balances the external restoring force provided by artificial electromagnetic elements. This paper briefly reviews the dynamics of coasting and bunched crystalline beams circulating in a storage ring. Results of molecular dynamics simulations are presented to demonstrate the nature of various crystalline states. A practical method to approach such an ultimate state of matter is also discussed.
Title Carbachol-induced Suppression of Contraction Rhythm in Spontaneously Beating Cultured Cardiac Myocytes

Nitric oxide (NO) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) are known to play various functional and pathophysiological roles as an intracellular messenger in the heart. In this study, we investigated whether the increased production of NO and/or ROS was involved in the cholinergic regulation of rhythmic contraction in spontaneously beating cultured cardiac myocytes from neonatal rats. Exposure of cultures to carbachol, an agonist of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAchR), produced a dose-dependent decrease in the beat rate of cultured cardiac myocytes, and such a effect was significantly attenuated by pre-treatment with an NOS inhibitor, as well as an NO scavenger. In addition, exposure to an NO donor (SNAP) also decreased the beat rate dose-dependently. Carbachol or SNAP-induced suppression of the contraction rhythm was significantly attenuated by co-treatment with 5-hydroxydecanoate (5-HD). In contrast, treatment with diazoxide decreased the beat rate dose-dependently. Carbachol treatment increased the intensity of 2',7'-dichlorodihydrofluorescein fluorescence, suggesting that the production of ROS was enhanced by the treatment. In addition, the carbacholor diazoxide-induced suppression of contraction rhythm was attenuated by co-treatment with 2-mercaptopropionyl glycine, a scavenger of ROS. The present study has suggested that the mAchR-NO-mitoKATP-ROS pathway is a factor responsible for
L 3 Internship report : Quantum analog of Differential Privacy in term of Rényi divergence .

Here is the report of the six weeks internship I did in 2016 in the MC2 team of the LIP, under the direction of Omar Fawzi. I worked on Differential Privacy, a cryptography concept whose aims is to provide algorithms that try to maximize the accuracy of queries on a statistical database while minimizing the chances of identifying it’s records [Wik16]. The goal was to find a similar definition usable with quantum algorithms. To do so, I first tried to understand the link between several definitions of Differential Privacy, expressed in term of statistical distribution (it’s the point of view of the initial definition), or in term of divergence (it’s more natural to use this notion of distance in quantum algorithms). I introduced my own definition, which appears to be equivalent to pure Differential Privacy. Moreover I found a better bound for the advanced k-fold composition theorem. Finally I introduced a definition of Differential Privacy that applies on Quantum Algorithms.
RATE ALLOCATION FOR MULTI-CAMERA SURVEILLANCE OVER

We propose a dynamic rate allocation scheme among multiple video sources over an ad hoc wireless network. With a total rate constraint capturing the media access characteristic of an 802.11 network and the selected route for each sender, our rate allocation algorithm minimizes the weighted sum of video distortion for all sources. The optimization is performed at the common receiver of the video streams and the decision is based on a simple rate-distortion model of video and a fast algorithm to classify the activity level of the raw video content. Experimental results for a video surveillance scenario demonstrate that the proposed scheme outperforms a simple fixed quality scheme and the conventional TCP-friendly rate control. For most cameras, the average PSNR of received video quality in the active periods from the proposed scheme exceeds those from the two competing schemes by a margin of 1.2 7.1 dB.
ionic conditions endonuclease and self-splices under moderate temperature and A group II intron encodes a functional LAGLIDADG homing

A group II intron encoding a protein belonging to the LAGLIDADG family of homing endonucleases was identified in the mitochondrial rns gene of the filamentous fungus Leptographium truncatum, and the catalytic activities of both the intron and its encoded protein were characterized. A model of the RNA secondary structure indicates that the intron is a member of the IIB1 subclass and the open reading frame is inserted in ribozyme domain III. In vitro assays carried out with two versions of the intron, one in which the open reading frame was removed and the other in which it was present, demonstrate that both versions of the intron readily self-splice at 37°C and at a concentration of MgCl2 as low as 6 mM. The open reading frame encodes a functional LAGLIDADG homing endonuclease that cleaves 2 (top strand) and 6 (bottom strand) nucleotides (nt) upstream of the intron insertion site, generating 4 nt 39 OH overhangs. In vitro splicing assays carried out in the absence and presence of the intron-encoded protein indicate that the protein does not enhance intron splicing, and RNA-binding assays show that the protein does not appear to bind to the intron RNA precursor transcript. These findings raise intriguing questions concerning the functional and evolutionary relationships of the two components of this unique composite element.
Interannual variations in precipitation: the effect of the North Atlantic and Southern oscillations as seen in a satellite precipitation data set and in models

Precipitation is a parameter that varies on many different spatial and temporal scales. Here we look at interannual variations associated with the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and the Southern Oscillation (SO), comparing the spatial and temporal changes as shown by three data sets. The Global Precipitation Climatology Project (GPCP) product is based upon satellite data, whereas both the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) and European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) climatologies are produced through reanalysis of atmospheric circulation models. All three products show a consistent response to the NAO in the North Atlantic region, with negative states of the NAO corresponding to increases in precipitation over Greenland and southern Europe, but to a decrease over northern Europe. None of the climatologies display any net change in total rainfall as a result of the NAO, but rather a redistribution of precipitation patterns. However, this redistribution of rain is important because of its potential effect on oceanic overturning circulation. Similarly, all three data sets concur that the SO has a major effect on precipitation in certain tropical regions; however, there is some disagreement amongst the data sets as to the regional sensitivity, with NCEP showing a much weaker response than GPCP and ECMWF over Indonesia. The GPCP and NCEP climatologies show that the various phases of El Nino and La Nina act to redistribute, rather than enhance, the freshwater cycle. Given that the models incorporate no actual observations of rain, and are known to be imperfect, it is surprising how well they represent these interannual phenomena.
Fungal medicine, Fuscoporia obliqua, as a traditional herbal medicine: its bioactivities, in vivo testing and medicinal effects

Fuscoporia obliqua is a kind of mushroom growing on silver birch. In northern terrains of Asia, Fuscoporia has been used as a traditional herbal medicine for a long period. However, its therapeutic actions were little studied until recently. Scientific research has now begun on the biological function and mechanism of action of Fuscoporia extracts. This study reveals Fuscoporia active compounds, in vivo testing and medicinal effects, referring to recent studies on other mushroom species.
Complex polytypism : Relationships between serpentine structural characteristics and deformation

Serpentinite from Woods Chrome Mine, l,ancaster County, Pennsylvania, consists of planar serpentine, randomly interstratified serpentine-chlorite, a series ofphases based on regular interstratification ofserpentine and chlorite, minor chlorite, polygonal serpentine, and antigorite. The serpentine mineralogy is complex, including structures with long-range order in (l) the octahedral cation sequence and (2) the sequence ofdisplacements between adjacent 1:l layers. In addition to previously described (but generally less common) 2I, 2Ht,2H2,6R,, and 6Rrlizardite polytypes, the assemblage contains planar serpentines with long-range order in octahedral cation sequences but with random b/3 (and possibly a/3) displacements between adjacent layers. By comparison with calculated electron diffraction intensities, we identified three(I,I,[), four(I,I,[,II and I,I,I,II), five(I,II,I,II,II), six(II,I,I,I,II,II), seven(I,II,I,II,II,II,II and I,II,I,II,I,II,II), and nine-layer octahedral sequences. In addition, the assemblage includes rare threeand four-layer serpentines with regular stacking; in some cases the stacking is nonstandard, insofar as zero and +b/3 displacements occur together. By comparison between electron diffraction intensities and calculated patterns, we identified a threeJayer regular stacking sequence that involves 0,0,-b/3 displacements between adjacent layers (a : 98, 0 : 90",.y : 90'), a fourJayer monoclinic sequence with 0,-bl3,0,+b/3 (a : 90o, A :90", ? : 90"; I,I,II,II), and three four-layer triclinic sequences with 0,-bl3,-b/3,-b/3 (a : 90o, 0 :9C', ^y : 90"), 0,0,0,-bl3 ( a : 9 6 " , 0 : 9 0 , ? : 9 0 ' ) , a n d b l 3 , b / 3 , b / 3 , + b / 3 ( " : 9 6 " , B : 9 0 ' , 7 : 9 g ' ; displacements between adjacent layers. Planar layer silicates exhibit macroscopic preferred orientation. The strong lineation in the foliation defined by the silicate sheets parallels either a or b, suggesting serpentine crystals were rotated, recrystallized, or both during shear deformation. We suggest hat for crystals with b parallel to the lineation, deformation induced regular layer displacements. For crystals with a parallel to the lineation, periodic displacements of OH planes may have promoted development of regular octahedral cation sequences. Two-layer (I,II) and three-layer (I,I,II) serpentines and randomly interstratified serpentine-chlorite contain frequent but nonperiodic planar defects perpendicular to a* and the pseudo-a* axes that are interpreted to displace polytypic sequences. These defects predate chloritization and, in some cases, appear to serve as sites for chlorite nucleation. Layer silicates are crosscut by late-stage polygonized two-layer serpentine with disordered or regular stacking. In some cases with regular stacking, enantiomorphic 6R, segments with a common c-axis direction parallel to their boundary are separated by sectors with 2H, stacking. Polygonized serpentines are nucleated on steps at the surfaces oflayer silicates and may have developed at a late stage by recrystallization of curved serpentine.
The Efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Therapies for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Meta-analytic Review

Mindfulness-based therapies (MBT) have been shown to be efficacious in treating internally-focused psychological disorders (e.g., depression), however it is still unclear whether MBT provide improved functioning and symptom relief for individuals with externalizing disorders, including ADHD. In order to clarify the literature on the efficacy of MBT in treating ADHD and to guide future research, an effect size analysis was conducted. A systematic review of studies published in PsycINFO, PubMed, and Google Scholar was completed from the earliest available date until December 2014. A total of eight studies were included in the analysis of inattention and the overall effect size was d= -. 72. A total of seven studies were included in the analysis of hyperactivityimpulsivity and the overall effect was calculated at d= -. 60. Findings related to changes in executive functioning preand post-intervention were equivocal. Results of this study highlight the possible benefits of MBT in reducing symptoms of ADHD.
Factors shaping vividness of memory episodes: Visitors’ long-term memories of the 1970 Japan World Exposition

This study investigated how visitors’ psychological and behavioural factors, identified in the literature, shaped their vivid long-term memories of their experiences of the Japan World Exposition, Osaka, 1970 (Expo ‘70) as a context. In this study, 112 memory episodes were identified from the long-term memories of 48 participants; they were rated in terms of their memory vividness and on a set of factors including affect, agenda fulfilment, intentionality, and rehearsal. The influence of these factors on the vividness of episodic and/or autobiographic memories of experiences that occurred 34 years ago was examined in two stages. First, the relationship between memory vividness and individual factors was investigated separately. Second, the relationship between memory vividness and all factors was examined through a multiple regression analysis, and the relative importance of these factors on memory vividness identified. Stage one analysis showed that all factors except intentionality were related to memory vividness in individual analyses, and curvilinear relationships between memory vividness and the factors found. Stage two analysis, in which all factors were included in a multiple regression analysis, found that rehearsal was positively related to memory vividness and all other factors not significant in the presence of rehearsal.
Extraction of population density distribution from network-based mobile phone data

In this study we address the problem of leveraging mobile phone network-based data for the task of estimating population density distribution at pan-European level. The primary goal is to develop a methodological framework for the collection and processing of network-based data that can be plausibly applied across multiple Mobile Network Operators (MNOs). The proposed method exploits more extensive network topology information than is considered in most state-of-the-art literature, i.e., (approximate) knowledge of cell coverage areas is assumed instead of merely cell tower locations. A distinguishing feature of the proposed methodology is the capability of taking as input a combination of cell-level and Location Area-level data, thus enabling the integration of data from Call Detail Records (CDR) with other network-based data sources, e.g., Visitor Location Register (VLR). Different scenarios are considered in terms of input data availability at individual MNOs (CDR only, VLR only, combinations of CDR and VLR) and for multi-MNO data fusion, and the relevant tradeoff dimensions are discussed. At the core of the proposed method lies a novel formulation of the population distribution estimation as a Maximum Likelihood estimation problem. The proposed estimation method is validated for consistency with artificiallygenerated data in a simplified simulation scenario. Final considerations are provided as input for a future pilot study validating the proposed methodology on real-world data. Extraction of population density distribution from network-based mobile phone data Fabio Ricciato1, Pete Widhalm2, Massimo Craglia3 and Francesco Pantisano3.
V4641 Sgr: a candidate precessing microblazar

The X-ray spectrum of the Galactic X-ray binary V4641 Sgr in outburst has been found to exhibit a remarkably broad emission feature above 4 keV, with inferred equivalent widths up to 2 keV. Such a feature was first detected during the X-ray flaring activity associated with the giant outburst that the source experienced in 1999 September. The extraordinarily large equivalent width line was then ascribed to reflection/reprocessing of fluorescent Fe emission within an extended optically thick outflow enshrouding the binary system as a result of a short-lived, super-Eddington accretion episode. Making use of new and archival X-ray observations, we show here that a similar feature persists over four orders of magnitude in luminosity, down to Eddington ratios as low as log(L_Edd) = -4.5, where the existence of an optically thick envelope appears at odds with any viable accretion flow model. Possible interpretations for this highly unusual X-ray spectrum include a blend of Doppler shifted/boosted Fe lines from unresolved X-ray jets (a la SS433), or, the first Galactic analog of a blazar spectrum, where the >4 keV emission would correspond to the onset of the Inverse Compton hump. Either requires a low inclination angle of the jet with respect to the line of sight, in agreement with the estimates for the 1999 superluminal jet (i_jet<10 deg). The fast variability of the feature, combined with the high orbital axis inclination (60 deg< i_orb<71 deg), argue for a rapidly precessing accretion flow around V4641 Sgr, possibly leading to a transient microblazar behavior.
Musculoskeletal biomechanics in sit-to-stand and stand-to-sit activities with stroke subjects: a systematic review

INTRODUCTION: Sit-to-stand and stand-to-sit are two of the most mechanically demanding activities undertaken in daily life and which are usually impaired in stroke subjects. OBJECTIVES: To determine the distinguishing characteristics in musculoskeletal biomechanical outcomes of the sit-to-stand and stand-to-sit activities with stroke subjects, with an emphasis on the clinical management of stroke disabilities, in a systematic review. MATERIAL AND METHODS: An extensive literature search was performed with the MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, PEDro, LILACS, and SciELO databases, followed by a manual search, to select studies on musculoskeletal biomechanical outcomes in both activities with stroke subjects, without language restrictions, and published until December/2007. RESULTS: Out of the 432 studies, only 11 reported biomechanical outcomes of both activities and none reached the total score on the selected quality parameters. The majority of the experimental studies which compared groups did not achieve acceptable scores on their methodological quality (PEDRo). The investigated conditions and interventions were also restricted. Only one study compared biomechanical outcomes between the activities, but only evaluated the time spent to perform them. Few musculoskeletal biomechanical outcomes have been investigated, being weight bearing on the lower limbs and duration of the activities the most investigated. CONCLUSION: There is little information regarding musculoskeletal biomechanical outcomes during these activities with stroke subjects and no definite conclusions can be drawn regarding the particularities of these outcomes on their performance with stroke survivors.
Activist Pensioners, a Contradiction in Terms? Argentina’s Jubilados

Why does it seem unlikely that retirees should be political activists? What does that reaction say about our understandings of retirement and of activism? This article examines the experience of a group of older activists who, among other things, rally weekly in front of the National Congress in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and have done so for more than two decades. Regardless of advanced age and infirmity, these men and women, some in their eighties and nineties, refuse to be defined as passive by their roles as retirees and grandparents. After examining some of the tensions embodied in the idea of activist pensioners, this article proceeds to look at the pensioners’ own understandings of where their activism comes from and what sustains it. Situating the pensioners’ struggle in broader historical processes in Argentina illuminates their motives and strategies. The article thus also demonstrates that a historical approach provides a productive strategy for analysing elder social movements.