Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Design of a 2×1 Beam Combiner in Two-Dimension Photonic Crystal

A novel 2×1 beam combiner in two-dimension photonic crystal (PC) is presented. The rate-matching condition is analyzed based on coupled-mode theory. The transmittance performance of T-shaped branch in square lattice is simulated by the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method. By altering the radius of dielectric rods at vertex, we match the amplitude decay rates of three waveguides. Numerical simulation results show the PC combiner has a perfect transmittance when the rate-matching condition is satisfied.
Is sarcopenia driven by motor neuron/unit loss? An unresolved question

We read with great interest the recent article by Gilmore and colleagues. Age-related loss of motor neurons has been well established in humans on the basis of morphological motor neuron counts. Yet, the earlier studies did not address whether losses of motor neurons (and motor units) are more severe in sarcopenic versus non-sarcopenic individuals. In their work, the authors used decomposition electromyographic (EMG) motor unit number estimation (MUNE) to assess motor unit numbers in 3 cohorts of individuals grouped by sarcopenia stage (pre-sarcopenic, sarcopenic, and severely sarcopenic), as defined by the screening algorithm established by the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People. The results show progressively fewer motor units across a spectrum of sarcopenic patients (severely sarcopenic individuals< sarcopenic individuals<presarcopenic individuals), but the findings were not statistically significant. Gilmore et al. interpreted these findings to suggest that motor unit numbers are not related to the degree of sarcopenia. This interpretation implies that motor unit loss is not a driving force underlying sarcopenia. The authors acknowledge that the variability of MUNE could have led to an increased risk of type II error. We share this concern, particularly due to the small number of individuals included in each group, and we also suggest consideration of an additional possibility. One of the most interesting findings of the study is the direct association between impaired neuromuscular junction transmission fidelity and severity stage of sarcopenia. Importantly, it remains to be determined whether impaired transmission at the neuromuscular junction is a primary or secondary phenomenon, as it has been well described in various forms of motor neuron disorders. Furthermore, we wonder whether the increased variability of motor unit potentials between discharges (as indicated by increased near fiber jiggle and jitter in the sarcopenia and severe sarcopenia groups) could falsely reduce the sizes of the surface recorded motor unit potentials. This was previously proposed as a potential source of error and could falsely reduce average single motor unit potential size. This reduced average motor unit potential size would inflate the calculated MUNE (MUNE 5 CMAP / average SMUP) in individuals with impaired neuromuscular junction transmission. A similar problem was reported with the statistical MUNE technique in a cohort of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. We would be very interested in the authors’ thoughts regarding these possibilities. W. David Arnold, MD Brian C. Clark, PhD Department of Neurology The Ohio State University Columbus, Ohio, USA Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation The Ohio State University Columbus, Ohio, USA Department of Neuroscience The Ohio State University Columbus, Ohio, USA Ohio Musculoskeletal and Neurological Institute Ohio University Athens, Ohio, USA Department of Biomedical Science Ohio University Athens, Ohio, USA Department of Geriatric Medicine Ohio University Athens, Ohio, USA
An optimal speech enhancement under speech uncertainty probability and masking property of auditory system

Recently, I.Cohen has presented causal and noncausal algorithms to modify the classic decision-directed approach for prior SNR. It is well-known that prior SNR is critical to trade off the musical noise level and the audible clearness level in spectral subtraction speech enhancement. However, all these algorithms conflict with statistical signal model more or less. To adjust smoothing parameters which play an important role on the recursive procedure of prior SNR and noise spectrum estimate more reasonably, we present novel speech uncertainty state model which capitalizes on the masking property of auditory system, and propose a new modified approach which employs speech uncertainty probability to make automatic adaptation of smoothing parameters. Novel algorithm is capable of eliminating musical noise meanwhile lowering speech distortion by remaining original speech in the case of inaudible noise under masking threshold. Experiments confirm that novel algorithm is superior to classic methods, particularly at low SNR environment.
Development of MicroRNA Therapeutics for Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common form of liver cancer and is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Treatment options for HCC are very limited, as it is often diagnosed at a late stage. Recent studies have demonstrated that microRNAs (miRNAs), a class of non-coding RNAs, are aberrantly expressed in HCC. Some of these were shown to be functionally involved in carcinogenesis and tumor progression, suggesting that miRNAs can serve as novel molecular targets for HCC therapy. Several promising studies have recently demonstrated the therapeutic potential of miRNAs in animal models and in reducing the viral load in hepatitis C patients. In this review, these advances and strategies for modulating miRNAs for in vivo therapeutic delivery and replacement therapy are discussed.
Miniaturized six-port receiver for 60 GHz communication

In this paper, a miniaturized front-end six-port receiver prototyped by 130 nm CMOS technology at 60 GHz frequency band is presented. The proposed six-port circuit consists of three compact 3dB branch-line couplers (BLC) and one compact Wilkinson power divider (WPD). Two miniaturization techniques are used; meandering thin-film microstrip transmission lines (MTFM) and capacitive loading (CL). These two techniques lead to dramatic size reduction which is desirable for MMIC technology. Moreover multi-level metallization processes, offered for CMOS technology, is used. The results are provided based on a full-wave commercial electromagnetic package, ADS Agilent. The simulated results show good impedance characteristics over 57-64 GHz frequency band. The S-parameter results, as well as constellation diagram of QPSK modulation with data rate of 3.52 Gbps for three different cases confirm the capability of miniaturized six-port circuit for high data-rate wireless personal area network (WPAN) applications at 60 GHz frequency band.
Ocular and Systemic Findings and Their Correlation with Hemodynamically Significant Carotid Artery Stenosis: A Retrospective Study

Background. Optometrists often encounter patients with ocular signs and/or symptoms suggestive of carotid artery disease, but criteria for eye care practitioners concerning when to order carotid studies are not well established. A retrospective study in an optometry clinic was performed to determine if certain ocular findings and associated systemic risk factors were associated with hemodynamically significant carotid artery stenosis (HSCAS). Methods. A retrospective analysis was performed on all patients examined in the optometry clinic at the Sepulveda Ambulatory Care Center from January 1, 1998 through December 31, 1999 to identify all patients who had carotid studies ordered. Charts were then reviewed to determine the ocular finding that prompted the carotid study. Statistical analysis using an odds-ratio was performed to determine whether any ocular sign/symptom or systemic risk factor was associated with HSCAS. Results. Of 3822 patients, 48 (1.26%) had carotid studies ordered. Eight (17%) had HSCAS of >50% and symptomatic patients were 1.6 times more likely to have HSCAS than asymptomatic patients. Patients with HSCAS were 1.8 times more likely to have retinal vascular occlusions, 1.9 times more likely to have normotensive glaucoma, 2.4 times more likely to have peripheral retinal hemorrhages, and 2.6 times more likely to be smokers, although none of these factors were found to be a statistically significant indicator of HSCAS. However, the number of systemic diseases tended to be greater for the HSCAS patients compared with the non-HSCAS patients (HSCAS median = 3.5 and the non-HSCAS median = 2, p = 0.049). Conclusion. Although no single ocular or systemic risk factor was found to be a statistically significant indicator of HSCAS, the number of systemic disease risk factors tended to be greater for the HSCAS patients compared with the non-HSCAS patients (p = 0.049). An extensive literature review was also performed to help establish guidelines for when to order carotid studies on the basis of ocular signs and/or symptoms as well as the presence of additive associated systemic risk factors.
[The systematic review of studies on the efficacy of interventions for the primary prevention of alcohol abuse among adolescents].

UNLABELLED Italy finds itself one of the world's leading countries for alcohol consumption. This problem is particularly relevant amongst adolescents. In the past 20 years many preventive interventions of alcohol abuse, addressed to adolescents, have been realized mainly in the United States. PURPOSE OF THE STUDY To evaluate the effect of educational preventive interventions addressed to youths from 10 to 18 years old on alcohol use. MATERIALS AND METHODS We have done a systematic review of articles indexed on Medline between 1983 and July 1995. We also consulted the bibliography of the articles retrieved for further references. Randomized controlled trials using alcohol consumption as outcome measure have been included. RESULTS Of the 100 articles found only 21 were included, in which 27 preventive programs, using 5 different types of intervention, were evaluated. Only 3 resulted effective on all the outcome measures utilized and 6 were partially effective. Overall the methodological quality was low. CONCLUSIONS The low methodological quality and the great variability of outcome measures utilized made it difficult to compare the results of different studies and impossible to reach definitive conclusions. All the studies were done in the United States and therefore their results cannot be presently generalized to Italy. Consequently, prior to implementing expensive prevention programs in the Italian schools, it would be opportune to perform further well-designed effectiveness trials.
Joint optimization of pricing and resource allocation in competitive telecommunications networks

Yield management techniques have been used by companies in various competitive industrial contexts in order to keep a high level of revenue. With the opening of the telecommunications markets, operators are looking for ways of including competition in their decision process. By analyzing the customers' preferences, the market can be segmented into groups of similar preferences, and offers targeted to a particular market segment. In this paper, we study a problem of revenue management for a network operator offering services on end‐to‐end markets, while facing competition. We present a natural formulation for this problem that uses bilinear bilevel programming models, similar to those used in the airline industry [Côté et al., J Revenue Pricing Manage 2 (2003), 23–36]. However, such an approach leads to optimization problems that are very difficult to solve exactly on the large scale instances found in the telecommunications industry. To address difficulties solving large problems, we introduce a new alternative formulation for the problem, give a proof of NP‐hardness, and propose solution methods related to this formulation. The first one is an exact method based on a branch‐and‐bound algorithm; then we propose two approximate methods, one based on Lagrangian relaxation, and one based on a concave approximation of the objective function to be maximized. Comparative results are given. We show that this approach is practically efficient and leads to exact solutions for instances of telecommunications networks of a size larger than previously possible. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. NETWORKS, Vol. 50(1), 37–49 2007
Optimal transportation schedule for a Lumber company in Ghana

In this paper, the concept of transportation problem was applied to a Lumber Company A in Ghana which had a difficulty in transporting wood from its four logging sites to five wood markets weekly in order to minimize cost. Based on the data collected, Management Scientist Version 5 Software was used to solve the transportation problem. Optimal weekly transportation schedule was obtained for the Lumber Company. Finally, the total optimal transportation cost of the company for every week was found to be GH₵ 2500. It is strongly recommended that the Lumber Company should adhere to the optimal transportation schedule and also employ at least one operations researcher to assist the company in its activities. 48 Douglas Kwasi Boah et al.
Risk Factor Disclosures: Do Managers and Markets Speak the Same Language?

Prior research documents market responses to quarterly updates to annual risk factor disclosures, suggesting quarterly risk factor updates are informative. In this study, we explore whether future equity returns are associated with quarterly risk factor updates, and whether updates containing more focused and specific language affect this relationship. We find that firms with quarterly risk factor updates experience lower future abnormal returns, relative to firms without updates, suggesting that on average, the market reaction to quarterly risk factor updates is incomplete at the time the 10-Q is filed. This incomplete market reaction is driven primarily by the group of updates that is important, yet is less specific about the effects of the risk on firm fundamentals. We also find that analysts underreact to the same group of risk factor updates associated with the market underreaction.
Chain length distribution of the products formed in solanesyl diphosphate synthase reaction.

Factors that affect the termination of isoprenoid chain elongation catalyzed by prenyltransferase were investigated. The chain-length distribution of reaction products of solanesyl diphosphate synthase [EC 2.5. 1.11] homogeneously purified from Micrococcus luteus changed dramatically according to the concentration of the complex formed between isopentenyl diphosphate and Mg2+ (IPP-Mg) in the reaction mixture. However, the concentration of the complex between farnesyl diphosphate and Mg2+ (FPP-Mg), the priming substrate for this synthase, did not affect the product distribution, provided that the concentration of IPP-Mg was maintained at a certain level. Thus, the level of IPP-Mg is decisive in affecting the chain length distribution of the products of the prenyltransferase reaction, and the Mg(2+)-dependent variability of product specificity so far observed can now be understood in terms of the effect of IPP-Mg concentration.
How Does an LBO Impact the Target's Industry?

We document the implications of an LBO for the target firm’s peers in terms of follow-on acquisitions, alliances, investment, and governance changes. LBOs tend to lead overall merger activity, predicting both more LBOs and strategic acquisitions in the industry. LBOs predict significant changes to investment outlays, strategic alliances, and anti-takeover provisions. Tests show that our evidence is most consistent with LBOs causing or signaling private information about optimal changes to the industry rather than LBO sponsors simply selecting into changing industries. Our study sheds light on LBOs’ role in merger activity as well as their motivation.
Development of the gingival sulcus at the time of tooth eruption and the influence of genetic factors

Tooth eruption is characterized by a concert of mechanisms that result in the emergence of teeth in the oral cavity. Genetic variants seem to regulate this process and the formation of a gingival sulcus around the teeth. Interindividual variability in the response to microbial triggers in the sulcus plays an important role in the onset and progression of periodontal diseases. Host genetic variants can influence this variability, affecting the response of the host to the subgingival biofilm. Genetic factors affecting tooth eruption could potentially influence susceptibility to periodontal diseases and, specifically, susceptibility to localized aggressive periodontitis. This review aims to discuss the evidence available for the role of host genetic variants in tooth eruption and to and to give some directions for prospective research in this topic.
Organization design and corporate governance of business groups: A comparison of the public and private sector

Business groups are large inter-organizational entities that significantly contribute to economic activities worldwide. While being a highly relevant form of business organization in many emerging nations (Hoskisson, Johnson, Tihanyi, & White, 2005), they are still well represented in some of the post-socialistic countries. For instance, private- and public- sector (state-owned) business groups in Croatia account for a one third of the GDP (Lider, 2011) and play a very important role in the development of the national economy. However, we know very little about the corporate strategy, governance processes and organizational structure applied within business groups, especially given the fact that business groups around the world vary considerably (Khanna & Yafeh, 2007). Therefore, the aim of the paper is to examine how business groups in Croatia are organized and managed. A comparative analysis of the largest business groups listed by the Croatian Chamber of Commerce offers useful insights about their level of diversification, group configuration and board structure, as well as regarding the organizational architecture of their holding company, the current level of the group internationalization, and the business group-level performance. The results clearly show similarities and differences present between among private- and state-owned business groups of interest. Thus, the paper contributes to better understanding of organizing practices of the largest business systems in Croatia, and offers specific insights about the divide between the private- and public-sector business groups.
Acquisition et analyse des exigences pour le développement logiciel : une approche dirigée par les modèles

Dans cette these, nous nous interessons a la definition d'une plate-forme industrielle favorisant une meilleure integration des techniques de verification et de validation des exigences au sein des processus de developpement. Cette plate-forme, appelee R2A (pour Requirements To Analysis) est entierement construite a l'aide de technologies issues de l'ingenierie dirigee par les modeles. Le cœur de la plate-forme est un processus de composition de modeles a deux niveaux de modelisation. Au niveau instance, il produit une specification globale des exigences a partir d'une collection de specifications d'exigences partielles, heterogenes et potentiellement incoherentes. Au niveau de la conception de la plate-forme (niveau meta), il produit le formalisme interne de la plate-forme (types d'information pouvant etre capturee et fonctionnalites supportees) a partir de composants de conception embarquant des semantiques operationnelles, de composition et de deploiement. Ce processus favorise l'adaptabilite de la plate-forme a des contextes industriels varies. L'obtention d'une specification globale des exigences (i) autorise l'application des techniques modernes de verification et de validation pour la detection d'incoherences et (ii) favorise une approche de developpement dirigee par les modeles (MDD) des les premieres etapes du developpement logiciel (synchronisation exigences et artefacts de developpement aval). Dans sa version actuelle, la plate-forme est specialisee pour le contexte industriel de France Telecom. Elle supporte quatre langages de description des exigences : les diagrammes d'activite et de classes UML, un langage naturel contraint (le RDL, pour Requirements Description Language) et son formalisme interne (le RM, pour Requirements Metamodel). Les fonctionnalites principales sont (i) la generation d'objectifs de test systeme, (ii) la production d'une premiere specification d'analyse et (iii) la verification de la coherence des exigences.
The sex ratio and age‐specific male mortality: Evidence for culling in utero

While adverse conditions early in life reportedly predispose individuals to increased mortality in adulthood, controversy remains as to whether exogenous insults in utero, especially among male fetuses, induce similar cohort “damage” in populations. A rival theory postulates that exogenous stressors in gestation may “cull” frail male members of the cohort before birth, leaving a smaller but hardier cohort with improved survival. Recent tests, which use the sex ratio (i.e., the odds of a male live birth) as a gauge of insults inflicted upon cohorts in gestation, support the culled cohort argument. These tests, however, examined only aggregate male lifespan, thereby obscuring potential heterogeneity of both damaged and culled cohorts at specific ages over the life course. Using time‐series methods, we explore associations between the sex ratio and cohort male mortality in infancy (before age 1), childhood (1–4 years), youth (5–19 years), adulthood (20–54 years), and old‐age (55–79 years). We examine males born in Sweden (1751–1913), Denmark (1835–1913), and England and Wales (1841–1912). Our findings generally support culled cohorts in that male mortality across all ages fell below its expected value among cohorts in which the sex ratio dropped below its expected level. These findings suggest that exogenous shocks to gestation, as measured by a lower than expected sex ratio, may cull males in utero, leaving behind a less frail cohort over the entire life course. Am. J. Hum. Biol., 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Impacts of human‐induced environmental change in wetlands on aquatic animals

Many wetlands harbour highly diverse biological communities and provide extensive ecosystem services; however, these important ecological features are being altered, degraded and destroyed around the world. Despite a wealth of research on how animals respond to anthropogenic changes to natural wetlands and how they use created wetlands, we lack a broad synthesis of these data. While some altered wetlands may provide vital habitat, others could pose a considerable risk to wildlife. This risk will be heightened if such wetlands are ecological traps – preferred habitats that confer lower fitness than another available habitat. Wetlands functioning as ecological traps could decrease both local and regional population persistence, and ultimately lead to extinctions. Most studies have examined how animals respond to changes in environmental conditions by measuring responses at the community and population levels, but studying ecological traps requires information on fitness and habitat preferences. Our current lack of knowledge of individual‐level responses may therefore limit our capacity to manage wetland ecosystems effectively since ecological traps require different management practices to mitigate potential consequences.