Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
One-dimensional chiral photonic bandgap structure analyzed by nonsymmetric transmission-line method

In this paper, the formula of reflection coefficient of multi-layer chiral media is derived by non-symmetric transmission-line method. Then, it is applied to 1-D chiral photonic crystal structure, which is composed of thin chiral layers sandwiched by air. The results show that it is difficult to obtain photonic band gap for general dielectric when the difference of two media refractive indices isn't large, and the reflection coefficient is small. With the increasing of the refractive index of the medium, reflection coefficient becomes gradually large, and reflection bandwidth basically keeps unchanged. These characteristics are agreed with results of theoretical analysis of photonic crystal. However, for chiral photonic crystal, although the refractive index of chiral layer is small, the wave spectrum obtained contains forbidden zones and the reflection coefficient from such a structure is found to be almost equal to 1, i.e., the wave is almost totally reflected through adjusting chiral parameter. Therefore it is easier to obtain an ideal photonic band gap.
Training arithmetical skills when finger counting and working memory cannot be used: A single case study in a child with cerebral palsy

Abstract Children with cerebral palsy (CP) are at greater risk of mathematical learning disabilities due to associated motor and cognitive limitations. However, there is currently little evidence on how to support the development of arithmetic skills within such a specific profile. The aim of this single-case study was to assess the effectiveness of a neuropsychological rehabilitation of arithmetic skills in NG, a 9-year-old boy with CP who experienced math learning disability and cumulated motor and short-term memory impairments. This issue was explored combining multiple-baseline and changing-criterion designs. The intervention consisted of training NG to solve complex additions applying calculation procedures with a tailor-made computation tool. Based on NG’s strengths, in accordance with evidence-based practice in psychology, the intervention was the result of a co-construction process involving N, his NG’s parents and professionals (therapist and researchers). Results were analyzed by combining graph visual inspections with non-parametric statistics for single-case designs (NAP-scores). Analyses showed a specific improvement in NG’s ability to solve complex additions, which maintained for up to 3 weeks after intervention. The training effect did not generalize to his ability to perform mental additions, and to process the symbolic magnitude.
Quantitative morphometric analysis of intrinsic and extrinsic skin ageing in individuals with Fitzpatrick skin types II–III

Skin ageing is an intricate physiological process affected by intrinsic and extrinsic factors. There is a demand to understand how the skin changes with age and photoexposure in individuals with Fitzpatrick skin types I‐III due to accelerated photoageing and the risk of cutaneous malignancies. To assess the structural impact of intrinsic and extrinsic ageing, we analysed 14 skin parameters from the photoprotected buttock and photoexposed dorsal forearm of young and ageing females with Fitzpatrick skin types II‐III (n = 20) using histomorphic techniques. Whilst the minimum viable epidermis (Emin) remained constant (Q > 0.05), the maximum viable epidermis (Emax) was decreased by both age and photoexposure (Q ≤ 0.05), which suggests that differences in epidermal thickness are attributed to changes in the dermal‐epidermal junction (DEJ). Changes in Emax were not affected by epidermal cell proliferation. For the first time, we investigated the basal keratinocyte morphology with age and photoexposure. Basal keratinocytes had an increased cell size, cellular height and a more columnar phenotype in photoexposed sites of young and ageing individuals (Q ≤ 0.05), however no significant differences were observed with age. Some of the most striking changes were observed in the DEJ, and a decrease in the interdigitation index was observed with both age and photoexposure (Q ≤ 0.001), accompanied by a decreased height of rête ridges and dermal papilla. Interestingly, young photoexposed skin was comparable to ageing skin across many parameters, and we hypothesise that this is due to accelerated photoageing. This study highlights the importance of skin care education and photoprotection from an early age.
OPTICAL WAVEGUIDES FOR EVANESCENT FIELD SENSING

A new fabrication process of ion‐exchange waveguides well suited for integrated‐sensor applications is presented. The process consists in burying each extremity of the waveguide few microns below the surface while its central region is located at the surface. For a single‐mode waveguide at 785 nm, we measured propagation losses of 0.13 dB/cm for the buried portion, 2.80 dB/cm for the surface portion, and losses of 0.40 dB for the transition region. For this structure, we also observed a deformation of the fundamental mode. The proposed method is easy to implement and permits one to control precisely the topography of the elaborated waveguides.
Beneficial Effects of Plasma Rich in Growth Factors (PRGF) Versus Autologous Serum and Topical Insulin in Ocular Surface Cells

Abstract Purpose In the last few decades, several blood derived products such as platelet-rich plasma (PRP), plasma rich in growth factors (PRGF) and autologous serum (AS) have been used for the treatment of ocular surface disorders. Recently, insulin has been proposed to be used as an alternative for the treatment of ocular surface diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the biological potential of PRGF eye drops in comparison with AS and insulin on ocular surface cells. Methods Blood from three healthy young donors was collected to obtain autologous serum (AS) eye drops and plasma rich in growth factors (PRGF) eye drops. Insulin (Actrapid®) was diluted at 1 and 0.2 IU/mL. The biological potential of PRGF, AS and insulin was assessed by proliferation in HCE, HK and HConF cells. Wound healing assay was performed in HCE cells after incubation with the different treatments. HConF and HK cells were differentiated to myofibroblast after treatment with 2.5 ng/mL of TGF-β1 and then incubated with all treatments. Results PRGF eye drops induced significantly higher proliferation rate compared to AS or insulin in HConF and HK cells, but not in HCE cells. In addition, the percentage of wound healing area was significantly reduced after PRGF treatment in comparison with AS or insulin treatment. Furthermore, PRGF significantly reduced the number of myodifferentiated cells compared to AS and insulin at both concentrations analyzed. Conclusion The results obtained in the present study show that PRGF increases the biological activity of the ocular surface cells and reduces the expression of fibrosis marker compared to insulin or AS. Translational relevance The present study suggests that plasma rich in growth factors eye drops are a more effective therapy than insulin and autologous serum eye drops for the treatment of ocular surface diseases.
Investigation of Discrete Dopant Fluctuation Effects in Sub-45-nm Silicon–Oxide–Nitride–Oxide–Silicon Flash Memory Cell

The effects of discrete dopant fluctuation in sub-45-nm silicon–oxide–nitride–oxide–silicon (SONOS) flash memory cells are studied for the first time. In addition to the well-known fluctuation in threshold voltage, the wide threshold voltage distribution also affects cell retention, which results in a severe reliability problem in planar SONOS flash memory cells beyond the 22 nm generation. Similar discrete dopant effects are observed in the fin field-effect transistor (FinFET) structure. The FinFET SONOS flash memory cell having a nearly un-doped channel is shown to be promising for sub-22-nm SONOS technologies.
Particles in a stationary spherically symmetric gravitational field

Dirac's equation has been considered in a Schwarzschild (Reissner-Nordstrom) background. Resonances in a continuum of states are found, similar to the Klein-Gordon case. Also the solutions of the Dirac and Klein-Gordon equations are investigated for an extended gravitating source. Special attention has been given to the case in which the radius of the source tends towards its Schwarzschild radius. A limiting charge-to-mass ratio for black holes is obtained.
Long-term effects of eHealth secondary prevention on cardiovascular health: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

AIM Despite the well-documented short to medium-term effectiveness of eHealth (electronic health) secondary prevention interventions on patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD), there is limited empirical evidence regarding long-term effectiveness. This review aims to evaluate the long-term effects of eHealth secondary prevention interventions on the health outcomes of patients with CVD. METHODS AND RESULTS This systematic review and meta-analysis followed Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. EMBASE, Medline, Web of Science, and Scopus were searched from 1990 to May 2022. Randomized controlled trials investigating the effects of eHealth secondary prevention on health outcomes of CVD patients that collected end-point data at ≥ 12 months were included. RevMan 5.3 was used for risk of bias assessment and meta-analysis. Ten trials with 1,559 participants were included. Data pooling suggested that eHealth programs have significantly reduced low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) [n = 6; SMD = -0.26, 95%CI (-0.38, -0.14), I2 = 17%, p < . 001]; systolic blood pressure [n = 5; SMD = -0.46, 95% CI, (-0.84, -0.08), I2 = 90%, p = 0.02]; and, re-hospitalization, reoccurrence, and mortality [RR = 0.36, 95% CI [0.17, 0.77], I2 = 0%, p = . 009]. Effects on behavioral modification, physiological outcomes of body weight and blood glucose, and quality of life were inconclusive. CONCLUSION eHealth secondary prevention is effective in improving long-term management of risk factors and reducing the reoccurrence of cardiac events in patients with CVD. Results are inconclusive for behavior modification and quality of life. Exploring, implementing and strengthening strategies in eHealth secondary prevention programs that focus on maintaining behavior changes and enhancing psychosocial elements should be undertaken. REGISTRATION PROSPERO CRD42022300551.
The expression of aspect in Sesotho

The expression of aspect in Sesotho within the framework of the principles, properties and mechanisms of three different components of grammar, i.e. the syntactic, morphological and semantic components, has been established in a broader context. The application of the terms aspect and tense in the existing grammatical descriptions of the Sesotho verbs, however, has proved to be problematic. This is largely owing to the fact that these categories are established in Sesotho on the basis of notional distinctions. This study aims to examine comprehensively, firstly, the morphosyntactic system of Sesotho, in order to determine the range of categories that express grammatical aspect, which includes the Perfective and Imperfective aspects in Sesotho. The perfective-imperfective opposition is a particular area of focus in this study, and comprises the different tenses which are involved in the meaning of the situation types (activities, achievements, accomplishments and states). In this regard, questions relating to the distinctive properties of tense and aspect in Sesotho, namely: (i) the aspect categories that occur in the full range of tenses in Sesotho, (ii) the aspect categories that occur in deficient verb constructions, and (iii) the theoretical treatment of the relationship between aspect and the aspectual classes of verbs (activities, achievements, accomplishments and states) in Sesotho, undergo detailed examination and investigation in this study. Secondly, the study both defines and explores the theoretical frameworks pertaining to the analysis of: (i) the correlation between the Sesotho aspect system and the relationship between situation types and grammatical aspects in Sesotho, (ii) the distribution of aspectual classes of verbs with respect to grammatical aspect and temporal adjunct (foradverbial and inadverbial) categories in Sesotho, and (iii), the effect on telicity of certain complement categories on the inner temporal structure of aspectual verb classes. The study establishes the premise that the syntactic evidence for telic events in Sesotho usually turns on the feature of completion which involves the interaction of duration and a change of state. Therefore, this study aims to demonstrate that the existence and application of the durative adverbial provides syntactic evidence for atelic events. The argument for the causes and dynamics of the telic/atelic dichotomy, as approached in this study, is based on crucial shifts
A comparison between Monte Carlo simulations of runaway breakdown and terrestrial gamma‐ray flash observations

Monte Carlo simulations of the runaway breakdown of air are used to calculate the spectra of terrestrial gamma‐ray flashes (TGFs), which are then compared with RHESSI and CGRO/BATSE observations. It is found that the recent RHESSI spectrum is not consistent with a source altitude above 24 km but can be well fit by a source in the range of 15–21 km, depending upon the electric field geometry of the source. Because 15 km is not unusual for the tops of thunderstorms, especially at low latitudes, and is lower than typical minimum sprite altitudes, the RHESSI data imply that thunderstorms and not sprites may be the source of these TGFs. On the other hand, the soft energy spectrum seen in some BATSE TGFs is inconsistent with such large atmospheric depths, indicating that there may exist two distinct sources of TGFs, with altitudes below 21 km and above 30 km.
Interventions to improve nutritional status for older patients with cancer – a holistic approach is needed

Purpose of review Older adults with cancer frequently experience malnutrition and sarcopenia resulting in lower treatment efficacy, increased risk of toxicities and healthcare costs, lower quality of life and shorter survival. Improving nutritional status in this rapidly growing population is an urgent need globally. We reviewed randomized controlled trials from the last 18 months focusing on nutritional status and applying multimodal interventions in older adults with cancer. Recent findings Several randomized controlled trials have been reported recently elucidating the impact of nutritional interventions as a part of multimodal interventions through different stages of cancer care. Although multimodal interventions rarely demonstrate survival benefit, they improve several important aspects of cancer care, including patient-centred endpoints such as physical functioning, adherence, patient satisfaction and quality of life. Summary Multimodal interventions including nutrition have the potential to improve patient-centred outcomes in older adults with cancer during the continuum of care, from prehabilitation to palliative care. Early, integrated supportive care applying the right intervention in the right setting at the proper time along with personalized antitumor treatment is the cornerstone of optimal holistic cancer care.
Characterization of a new CCCTC-binding factor binding site as a dual regulator of Epstein-Barr virus latent infection

Distinct viral gene expression characterizes Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection in EBV-producing marmoset B-cell (B95-8) and EBV-associated gastric carcinoma (SNU719) cell lines. CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF) is a structural chromatin factor that coordinates chromatin interactions in the EBV genome. Chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by sequencing against CTCF revealed 16 CTCF binding sites in the B95-8 and SNU719 EBV genomes. The biological function of one CTCF binding site (S13 locus) located on the BamHI A right transcript (BART) miRNA promoter was elucidated experimentally. Microscale thermophoresis assay showed that CTCF binds more readily to the stable form than the mutant form of the S13 locus. EBV BART miRNA clusters encode 22 miRNAs, whose roles are implicated in EBV-related cancer pathogenesis. The B95-8 EBV genome lacks a 11.8-kb EcoRI C fragment, whereas the SNU719 EBV genome is full-length. ChIP-PCR assay revealed that CTCF, RNA polymerase II, H3K4me3 histone, and H3K9me3 histone were more enriched at S13 and S16 (167-kb) loci in B95-8 than in the SNU719 EBV genome. 4C-Seq and 3C-PCR assays using B95-8 and SNU719 cells showed that the S13 locus was associated with overall EBV genomic loci including 3-kb and 167-kb region in both EBV genomes. We generated mutations in the S13 locus in bacmids with or without the 11.8-kb BART transcript unit (BART(+/-)). The S13 mutation upregulated BART miRNA expression, weakened EBV latency, and reduced EBV infectivity in the presence of EcoRI C fragment. Another 3C-PCR assay using four types of BART(+/-)·S13(wild-type(Wt)/mutant(Mt)) HEK293-EBV cells revealed that the S13 mutation decreased DNA associations between the 167-kb region and 3-kb in the EBV genome. Based on these results, CTCF bound to the S13 locus along with the 11.8-kb EcoRI C fragment is suggested to form an EBV 3-dimensional DNA loop for coordinated EBV BART miRNA expression and infectivity.
Digital technology in informed consent for surgery: systematic review

Abstract Background Informed consent is an ethical and legal requirement in healthcare and supports patient autonomy to make informed choices about their own care. This review explores the impact of digital technology for informed consent in surgery. Methods A systematic search of EBSCOhost (MEDLINE/CINAHL), Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and Web of Science was performed in November 2021. All RCTs comparing outcomes of both digital and non-digital (standard) consent in surgery were included. Each included study underwent an evaluation of methodological quality using the Cochrane risk of bias (2.0) tool. Outcomes assessed included comprehension, level of satisfaction and anxiety, and feasibility of digital interventions in practice. Results A total of 40 studies, across 13 countries and 15 surgical specialties were included in this analysis. Digital consent interventions used active patient participation and passive patient participation in 15 and 25 studies respectively. Digital consent had a positive effect on early comprehension in 21 of 30 (70 per cent) studies and delayed comprehension in 9 of 20 (45 per cent) studies. Only 16 of 38 (42 per cent) studies assessed all four elements of informed consent: general information, risks, benefits, and alternatives. Most studies showed no difference in satisfaction or anxiety. A minority of studies reported on feasibility of digital technology in practice. Conclusion Digital technologies in informed consent for surgery were found to have a positive effect on early comprehension, without any negative effect on satisfaction or anxiety. It is recommended that future studies explore the feasibility of these applications for vulnerable patient groups and busy surgical practice.
A dark-matter search using the final CDMS II dataset and a novel detector of surface radiocontamination

Substantial evidence from galaxies, galaxy clusters, and cosmological scales suggests that ~85% of the matter of our universe is invisible. The missing matter, or "dark matter" is likely composed of non-relativistic, non-baryonic particles, which have very rare interactions with baryonic matter and with one another. Among dark matter candidates, Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) are particularly well motivated. In the early universe, thermally produced particles with weak-scale mass and interactions would `freeze out’ at the correct density to be dark matter today. Extensions to the Standard Model of particle physics, such as Supersymmetry, which solve gauge hierarchy and coupling unification problems, naturally provide such particles. Interactions of WIMPs with baryons are expected to be rare, but might be detectable in low-noise detectors. The Cryogenic Dark Matter Search (CDMS) experiment uses ionization- and phonon- sensitive germanium particle detectors to search for such interactions. CDMS detectors are operated at the Soudan Underground Laboratory in Minnesota, within a shielded environment to lower cosmogenic and radioactive background. The combination of phonon and ionization signatures from the detectors provides excellent residual-background rejection. This dissertation presents improved techniques for phonon calibration of CDMS II detectors and the analysis of the final CDMS II dataset with 612 kg-days of exposure. We set a limit of 3.8x10^(-44) cm^2 on WIMP-nucleon spin-independent scattering cross section for a WIMP mass of 70 GeV/c^2. At the time this analysis was published, these data presented the most stringent limits on WIMP scattering for WIMP masses over 42 GeV/c^2, ruling out previously unexplored parameter space. Next-generation rare-event searches such as SuperCDMS, COUPP, and CLEAN will be limited in sensitivity, unless they achieve stringent control of the surface radioactive contamination on their detectors. Low-penetrating radiation, such as alpha and beta particles, will mimic signal in these experiments. This dissertation also presents the design and prototyping of a novel detector for surface radiocontaminants, called the BetaCage --- a neon-gas time projection chamber built from radiopure materials and operated underground with shielding similar to CDMS II. The BetaCage will enable beta screening of materials at world-best sensitivity of 10^(-5)/cm^2/keV/day, providing a valuable tool to the physics community.
Research of intent recognition in rehabilitation robots: a systematic review.

PURPOSE Rehabilitation robots with intent recognition are helping people with dysfunction to enjoy better lives. Many rehabilitation robots with intent recognition have been developed by academic institutions and commercial companies. However, there is no systematic summary about the application of intent recognition in the field of rehabilitation robots. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to summarize the application of intent recognition in rehabilitation robots, analyze the current status of their research, and provide cutting-edge research directions for colleagues. MATERIALS AND METHODS Literature searches were conducted on Web of Science, IEEE Xplore, ScienceDirect, SpringerLink, and Medline. Search terms included "rehabilitation robot", "intent recognition", "exoskeleton", "prosthesis", "surface electromyography (sEMG)" and "electroencephalogram (EEG)". References listed in relevant literature were further screened according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. RESULTS In this field, most studies have recognized movement intent by kinematic, sEMG, and EEG signals. However, in practical studies, the development of intent recognition in rehabilitation robots is limited by the hysteresis of kinematic signals and the weak anti-interference ability of sEMG and EEG signals. CONCLUSIONS Intent recognition has achieved a lot in the field of rehabilitation robotics but the key factors limiting its development are still timeliness and accuracy.In the future, intent recognition strategy with multi-sensor information fusion may be a good solution.