Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Synthesis of ultraviolet luminescent silicon nanocrystals by nanosecond pulsed laser ablation in water

We report the preparation of silicon nanocrystals with efficient ultraviolet luminescence by nanosecond pulsed laser ablation in de-ionized water at a high laser fluence condition. Atomic force microscopy results show that nano-grains form in the process of laser ablation. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analyses indicate that silicon nanocrystals are formed and partially oxidized during synthesis. The photoluminescence measurement and the ultraviolet-visible transmittance spectroscopy of the samples prepared at various fluences reveal that all the prepared samples present an efficient ultraviolet emission at room temperature and it can be attributed to the quantum confinement effect and surface defect states. The emission wavelength of silicon nanocrystals is far shorter than visible light, which means potential applications in optoelectronic devices.
Lessons from LESFOIL Project on Large-Eddy Simulation of Flow Around an Airfoil

A synopsis of important results obtained by seven partners in the Brite ‐Euram project LESFOIL sponsored by the European Union is presented. This project was devoted to assessing the feasibility of large-eddy simulations (LES)forthecomputationofthee owaroundanairfoil.Asatestcase,theAerospatialeA-airfoilat Re=2£10 6 and 13.3-deg angle of attack was chosen. All partners performed simulations of this e ow with various methods, most of which employed e nite volume schemes and various subgrid-scale models of eddy-viscosity type. The key results of theindividual partners’ publicationsarepresented ina comparativeway.Itis demonstratedthatthiscone guration with realistic conditions for aeronautical e ows is extremely demanding for LES. One reason is the need to achieve a threshold resolution for the adequate discretization of the attached and mildly separating boundary layer. The second and even more demanding requirement is the need for an adequate treatment of transition, which in the present computations was achieved by increased resolution.
Photothermal ablation of malignant brain tumors by nanoparticle loaded macrophages

Nanoshells are a new class of optically tunable nanoparticles composed of a dielectric core (silica) coated with an ultrathin metallic layer (gold). Since nanoshells are roughly one million times more efficient at converting NIR light into heat than conventional dyes when exposed to NIR light, they can generate sufficient heat to induce cell death. Macrophages are frequently found in and around glioblastomas in both experimental animals and patient biopsies. Inflammatory cells loaded with nanoparticles could therefore be used to target tumors.
Identification and In Silico Analysis of a Homozygous Nonsense Variant in TGM1 Gene Segregating with Congenital Ichthyosis in a Consanguineous Family

Background and Objectives: Lamellar ichthyosis is a rare skin disease characterized by large, dark brown plate-like scales on the entire body surface with minimum or no erythema. This phenotype is frequently associated with a mutation in the TGM1 gene, encoding the enzyme transglutaminase 1 which plays a catalytic role in the formation of the cornified cell envelop. The present study aimed to carry out clinical and genetic characterization of the autosomal recessive lamellar ichthyosis family from Balochistan. Materials and Methods: A consanguineous family with lamellar ichthyosis was enrolled from Balochistan, Pakistan. PCR amplification of all the exons and splice site junctions of the TGM1 gene followed by Sanger sequencing was performed on the genomic DNA. The identified variant was checked by In silico prediction tools to evaluate the effect of the variant on protein. Results: Sanger sequencing identified a homozygous nonsense variant c.131G >A (p.Trp44*) in the TGM1 gene that segregated in the autosomal recessive mode of inheritance in the family. The identified variant results in premature termination of transcribed mRNA and is predicted to cause a truncated or absent translation product transglutaminase-1 (TGase-1) accompanied by loss of catalytic activity, causing a severe clinical phenotype of lamellar ichthyosis in the patients. Conclusions: Here, we report a consanguineous lamellar ichthyosis family with a homozygous nonsense variant in the TGM1 gene. The variant is predicted as pathogenic by different In silico prediction tools.
Bifurcations of a weighted-residual integral boundary-layer model for nonlinear dynamics of falling liquid films

The nonlinear dynamics of thin liquid films falling on a vertical plane is investigated numerically using the first-order time-dependent weighted-residual integral boundary layer (WRIBL) equations derived by Ruyer-Quil and Manneville (2000). We find that sufficiently close to the stability threshold of the system with periodic boundary conditions, the emerging waves are of γ1-type. However, beyond a secondary bifurcation threshold, γ2-type waves emerge and can coexist with γ1 waves. The analysis of the WRIBL equations reveals the existence of both periodic traveling wave (TW) and aperiodic non-stationary wave (NSW) flows. The bifurcation structure of WRIBL equations is found to include three distinct regions: (i) linearly stable, (ii) bounded wave flows, (iii) reverse-flow solutions.
POLAR observations of coherent electric field structures

The POLAR plasma wave instrument often detects coherent electric field structures in the high altitude polar magnetosphere. The structures appear to be positively charged potentials which are found to move both up and down the ambient magnetic field. Typical estimated velocities and parallel scale sizes are the order of 1000 km/s and 100–1000 meters, respectively. We have observed the structures at radial distances of 2.02 to 8.5 Re and L shells of 6 − 12+, although the they are likely to occur over a broader range of space than suggested by this initial study. The structures are responsible for some of the the spectral features of broadband electrostatic noise, and are similar to recent GEOTAIL and FAST observations of solitary waves.
Kinetic Simulation of the Transient Sheath in Plasma Ion Implantation

Kinetic particle simulation modeling of a system consisting of plasma, sheath, material, and an external driving circuit is carried out. Plasma ion implantation relies on ion acceleration in the sheath region to a necessary energy level (10-50 keV). The dynamic evolution of the sheath is highly nonlinear and complex, especially when the negative voltage applied to the target material is modulated at a finite frequency to contain the sheath expansion to a manageable size. Our approach uses a kinetic particle-in-cell (PIC) simulation method for a bounded plasma system allowing an external circuit, as in the laboratory experiment. It predicts the kinetic properties which cannot be determined by the fluid approach. When the effect of voltage ramping is considered, the fast dynamic behaviors of the transient sheath such as an initial blow-up of the sheath, can be clearly understood. Except for the very fast ramping, our results are consistent with those of analytic and fluid calculations. The collisional effect is significant, but the temperature effect is negligible.
A variational perspective on controllability

We introduce and examine a variational approach to controllability problems based on the minimization of a suitable error functional that measures how far admissible functions are from being a solution of the underlying state law. This philosophy is based on imposing boundary, initial and desirable final conditions into the admissible class of functions, and focus on minimizing the departure of such admissible functions from being a solution of the state law. This strategy leads to considering a functional analytical framework which sometimes is a bit different from the standard one, but it permits to show that the unique continuation property is equivalent to exact controllability. Indeed, the unique continuation property can be interpreted as the fact that local minimizers of the error functional can only occur at zero error. The following two are the main ingredients in which this variational approach relies: the existence of minimizers for the error and the unique continuation property just stated. The main issue on the existence of minimizers is to overcome lack of coercivity in the classical sense. Two advantages of this approach are its natural extension to nonlinear situations, and its direct numerical implementation as a steepest descent procedure.
Formation of gap solitons in ferromagnetic films with a periodic metal grating

Received 16 February 2010; published 20 May 2010We have studied experimentally the formation of magnetic solitons in a periodic system constituted by aferromagnetic ﬁlm and a periodic metal grating. We show that due to the ﬁnite-size effects and the inﬂuence ofdynamic magnetic losses, the wave dispersion within the stop bands caused by the periodicity allows obser-vation of both bright and dark solitons formed via the induced and the coupled modulation instabilities. We ﬁndthat the ﬂexibility of the studied system enables a wide variation in the characteristics of the excited solitonsby the proper choice of the experimental conditions.DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevB.81. 180406 PACS number s : 85.70. Ge, 05.45. Yv, 75.30. Ds, 76.50. g
Medical Parasitology & Epidemiology Sciences

Introduction: Hydatidosis is a worldwide zoonotic disease caused by the larval stage of Echinococcus granulosus . Most cases of hydatid cysts have been reported from the liver and lungs. This study reported a case of a renal hydatid cyst in a 16-year-old patient. Case Report: The patient was a 16-year-old boy from Bonab, East Azerbaijan province, who presented to the physician due to pain in the right side during urination. The CT scan showed a 34 × 41 mm cystic mass calcified in the middle of the right kidney. The patient underwent surgery successfully, and pathological findings confirmed the existence of cysts. Conclusion: The findings demonstrated that the age of the renal hydatid cyst is decreasing and can be considered as many problems for the health of children and society, and any organ of the body can be attacked with E. granulosus . Therefore, the hydatid cyst should be suspected by observing any adhesive space in the kidney. The calcified hydatid cyst has been rarely reported in a 16-year-old boy.
Rapid activation of brain resident memory T cells following neurological insults

Brain tissue resident memory T cells (TRM) are an emerging lymphocyte of interest. While the phenotype and gene expression pattern of brain TRMs have recently been discussed, their function and response to neurologic insults is not yet understood. Using the described phenotype of TRMs (TCRB+, CD69+, CD4 or CD8+, CD103−, CD44+), we analyzed the reaction of this lymphocyte in the brain to various neurological insults. We found that physical insult induced by an intracranial(ic) injection of PBS resulted in increased TRM numbers within 24 hours post insult. This TRM population later decreased yet remained above baseline by 50 days post insult. Interestingly, TRM populations also increased in the brains of animals as a function of age, suggesting natural insults experienced by mice leads to an ever increasing TRM population in the brain. We then assessed the reaction of TRMs to virus in the brain. Mice infected ic with Theiler’s Murine Encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV) had a marked increase in brain TRMs one day later, which is 4 days prior to detection of traditional TMEV antigenspecific CD8 T cells. This implies TRMs respond to CNS viral infections prior to generation of virus antigen specific responses. Finally, we investigated the role of dendritic cell (DC) antigen presentation in generation of TRMs using our novel MHC class I conditional knockout mice. Conditional ablation of H-2Kb and H-2Db did not disrupt TRM populations in the brain. Our data is the first study to show: 1. Activation of TRMs in the brain preceded antigen specific cell infiltration and 2. MHC class I molecules on DCs are not required to generate brain resident TRMS. Understanding brain TRMs is crucial in elucidating their role in neurodegeneration and/or targeting them in CNS cancers.
Terahertz time-domain-spectroscopy system based on femtosecond Yb:fiber laser and GaBiAs photoconducting components

We describe a terahertz time-domain-spectroscopy system that is based on photoconductive components fabricated from low-temperature-grown GaBiAs epitaxial layers and activated by femtosecond 1.03 μm pulses emitted by an Yb:fiber laser. Experiments performed with the laser pulses of different durations have evidenced that the spectral range of the system is limited by the photoexcited carrier lifetime. The optical to terahertz conversion efficiency of the system exceeds 10−4 with the usable spectral range of about 3 THz in the case of 170 fs excitation pulses.
How to Alleviate Feelings of Crowding in a Working from Home Environment: Lessons Learned from the COVID-19 Pandemic

The sudden adoption of working from home (WFH) during the COVID-19 pandemic has required the reconfiguration of home spaces to fit space for remote work into existing spaces already filled with other domestic functions. This resulted in blurring of home and work boundaries, the potential lack of space for telecommuting from home, and telecommuters’ feelings of crowding. Numerous studies have shown the negative effects of crowding feelings on workers’ responses. This study focused on the issue of crowding in the residential workspace. An online survey was conducted to investigate how features of the home workspace correlate with telecommuters’ feelings of crowding and how these feelings affect satisfaction, health, and productivity. As a result, we found that various environmental features of home workspaces (e.g., house size, purpose of workspace, accessible balcony, lighting, noise, etc.), as well as psychological aspects (e.g., individual control over space use), had significant effects on telecommuters’ feelings of crowdedness. It was also found that feelings of crowding in the WFH environment can directly and indirectly affect teleworkers’ satisfaction with work environments, well-being, and work performance. Based on the results, we offered various potential ways to alleviate overcrowding issues in the WFH context.
Influence of the Spatial Distribution of Jobs in Intervening Opportunities Models

This article analyzes the influence of spatial distribution of jobs, which represents intervening opportunities, in aggregated and disaggregated trip distribution models that generated eight origin–destination matrices. The observed trip matrix was obtained from the Urban Transport Master Plan (PDTU) of the Rio de Janeiro Metropolitan Region in Brazil. The estimated matrices were calculated using the gravity, intervening opportunities and Naïve Bayes models, organized at two aggregation levels. These models’ performance was evaluated considering the aggregation level, the model approach adopted (aggregated or disaggregated), and the spatial distribution of the intervening opportunities. The results indicated that the intervening opportunities exert a positive influence on all models, under any level of zone size (subdistricts or neighborhoods). In the aggregate models, the variable “jobs” insertion improved the models’ performance when applied at a higher aggregation level (subdistricts). The best-case scenario showed a coefficient of determination (R2) equal to 0.8705, obtained in a disaggregated model with intervening opportunities applied in subdistricts.
The Distant Cepheid QQ Persei

High-dispersion spectra were obtained to derive the radial velocity and chemical composition of the distant Cepheid QQ Per. Its location at l = 141°, b = -6.5° allows it to be either a very distant classical Cepheid at 31 kpc from the Galactic center or a type II Cepheid at roughly half that distance. Five spectra at various phases were analyzed for abundances and an additional four spectra were useful for radial velocity. Effective temperatures ranging from 5100 to 5700 K were derived from the five spectra by requiring that there be no dependence of the iron abundance as derived from lines arising from a range of excitation potentials. The metallicity from the mean of five spectra is [Fe/H] = -0.6 ± 0.1. While this allows membership in either the thick disk or the distant thin disk, the presence of H emission at almost all phases indicates that QQ Per is a type II Cepheid of the thick disk. Relative to iron we find a small excess of oxygen, as often seen in metal-poor stars, and a surprising excess of C and N, as derived from high excitation lines. We show that the excess remains so long as no temperature error remains greater than about 200 K. Small deficiencies of the s-process elements appear to be present in common with many metal-poor stars.
Preparation and characterization of surface plasmon resonance tunable gold and silver films

Precise control of thermal evaporation deposition parameters allows the reproducible production of silver and gold island films on glass substrates with tunable surface plasmon resonance wavelengths. Specific combinations of substrate temperature, deposition rate, and film thickness produce films exhibiting surface plasmon resonance wavelengths that can be adjusted from throughout the visible and into the near infrared regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. The effects of deposition parameters on surface plasmon resonance wavelengths are quantified using a so-called “design of experiment” analysis. The analysis produces reliable predictive models for producing Ag and Au films with predetermined surface plasmon resonance wavelengths.
Identification of Key Aromatic Compounds in Basil (Ocimum L.) Using Sensory Evaluation, Metabolomics and Volatilomics Analysis

Basil (Ocimum L.) is widely used as a flavor ingredient, however research on basil flavor is limited. In the current study, nine basil species were selected, including Ocimum basilicum L.var. pilosum (Willd.) Benth. , Ocimum sanctum, Ocimum basilicum cinnamon, Ocimum gratissimum var. suave, Ocimum tashiroi, Ocimum basilicum, Ocimum americanum, Ocimum basilicum ct linalool, and Ocimum basilicum var. basilicum, and their fragrance and flavor characteristics were assessed by sensory evaluation. The results indicated that Ocimum basilicum var. basilicum and Ocimum gratissimum var. suave have a strong clove smell and exhibited a piquant taste. Metabolomics and volatilomics analyses measured 100 nonvolatile metabolites and 134 volatiles. Differential analysis showed that eugenol, γ-terpinene, germacrene D and malic acid were among the most varied metabolites in basil species. Combined with sensory evaluation results, correlation analysis revealed that β-pinene and γ-cadinene contributed to the piquant smell, while eugenol and germacrene D contributed to the clove smell, and malic acid and L-(−)-arabitol contributed to the sweet flavor in basil. This study provided comprehensive flavor chemistry profiles of basil species and could be used as a guide for basil flavor improvement. The better understanding of objective sensory attributes and chemical composition of fresh basil could introduce the improved cultivars with preponderant traits, which is also in accordance with the various demands of breeders and growers, food producers, and consumers.
The Immune Response to Azo-Human γ-Globulin Conjugates in Mice Tolerant to Human γ-Globulin

Attempts were made to devise a simple test model for studying the termination of acquired immunologic tolerance in mice. Animals rendered tolerant to HGG after birth were challenged with one of several azo-HGG preparations in corporated into incomplete Freund's adjuvant. As judged by the trace-labeled antigen elimination method, a single challenge injection had only a marginal, if any, effect on tolerance, except in experiments where mice were injected with p-A, p-S-HGG or with o-S-HGG. Two challenge injections with azo-HGG (4 to 5 weeks apart) invariably caused a significant increase in the number of partially tolerant and non-tolerant mice. In the altered proteins, the number of azo-groups per molecule of HGG ranged from 2.6 to 13.6 and all the azo-HGG preparations used cross-reacted to a high degree (80 to 100%) with native HGG. Mice injected with either HGG or azo-HGG at a time (i.e., at the age of 13 weeks) when tolerance was disappearing spontaneously, formed precipitating antibodies to both HGG and azo-HGG without further stimulus 10 weeks later. In animals injected with either native HGG or modified HGG at the age of 23 weeks, precipitating antibodies to both antigens were found shortly after challenge. Similarly, PCA was positive with HGG, azo-HGG, and also, in half of the sera tested, with the hapten linked to a non-cross-reacting carrier protein. However, if still fully tolerant mice were challenged with HGG at the age of 10 weeks and rechallenged 5 weeks later, no precipitating antibodies to HGG or azo-HGG were detected 20 weeks after the second challenge. In the group injected with azo-HGG, precipitating antibodies only to azo-HGG, but not to native HGG, were found. Correspondingly, PCA reactions revealed that mice challenged early with HGG had no skin-fixing antibodies to HGG or azo-HGG, but sera from mice challenged with azo-HGG gave, with a few exceptions, only positive PCA reactions with azo-HGG.
Time-Dependent Measurable Hamilton–Jacobi Equations

Abstract We study the equation with Hamiltonian H(x, p) measurable with respect to the state variable, and convex and coercive in p. We introduce a notion of solution based on viscosity test functions, appropriate averages in measure-theoretic sense of the Hamiltonian, and t-partial-sup-convolutions. We get existence results, comparison principles, and stability properties. We show that our solutions are uniform limits of viscosity solutions (in the sense of Crandall and Lions) of approximated continuous equations.
Partial-Oral Antibiotic Therapy for Bone and Joint Infections in People With Recent Injection Drug Use

Abstract Background Limited outcome data exist regarding partial-oral antibiotic therapy, defined as oral antibiotics as part of a patient's treatment, for bone and joint infections (BJIs) in people who inject drugs (PWID). Methods We conducted a retrospective study of all PWID reporting drug use within 3 months and BJIs requiring ≥6 weeks of antibiotics in an urban safety-net hospital between February 1, 2019, and February 1, 2021. Treatment outcomes were assessed by chart review. Rates of failure, defined as death, symptoms, or signs concerning for worsening or recurrent infections, were assessed 90 and 180 days after completion of antibiotics. Univariate logistic regression was used to explore the association between covariates and failure. Results Of 705 patients with BJI, 88 (13%) were PWID. Eighty-six patients were included in the final cohort. Forty-four (51%) were homeless, 50 (58%) had spine infection, 68 (79%) had surgery, and 32 of 68 (47%) had postoperatively retained hardware. Twelve (14%) of 86 patients received exclusively intravenous (IV) antibiotics, and 74 (86%) received partial-oral antibiotics. Twelve (14%) of 86 patients had patient-directed discharge. In those who received partial-oral antibiotics, the failure rate was 20% at 90 days and 21% at 180 days after completion of intended treatment. Discharge to a medical respite and follow-up with infectious diseases (ID) or surgery were negatively associated with odds of failure. Conclusions Partial-oral treatment of BJI in PWID was a common practice and often successful when paired with medical respite and follow-up with ID or surgery.