gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Effect of hydrogen on the diode properties of reactively sputtered amorphous silicon Schottky barrier structures (1981)

The diode properties of reactively sputtered hydrogenated amorphous silicon Schottky barrier structures (a-SiHx /Pt) have been investigated. We find a systematic relation between the changes in the open circuit voltage, the barrier height, and the diode quality factor. These results are accounted for by assuming that hydrogen incorporation into the amorphous silicon network removes states from the top of the valence band and sharpens the valence-band tail. Interfacial oxide layers play a significant role in the low hydrogen content, and low band-gap regime.
The Basic Goods and the "Lawlike" Use of Reason: Comments on Human Rights and the Common Good (2013)

I want to discuss a problem concerning the connections between the human good and the common good in John Finnis’s work. This is not a very original target; Finnis has no doubt heard many objections aimed at precisely this aspect of his position. But it strikes me that a number of these objections are not sufficiently articulated. To give one representative example, Lloyd Weinreb has argued that any thoughtful disagreement with the substantive moral conclusions Finnis draws from his conception of basic goods must be seen, by Finnis, as simply unreasonable, and this reflects Finnis’s “confusion about the nature of moral reasoning itself.”1 Weinreb’s argument assumes a conception of practical reason that leaves answers to moral questions more underdetermined than does Finnis’s conception, but nothing is done to vindicate the relevant assumptions against Finnis’s rival account. I hope to do a little better here, by drawing what I...
A Pre-aspartate-specific Protease from Human Leukocytes That Cleaves Pro-interleukin-1 β (1989)

Interleukin-1 beta is a 17.4-kilodalton hormone derived from a 33-kilodalton inactive precursor produced by monocytes. We used the precursor as a substrate to detect proteolytic activities in peripheral blood mono-nuclear cell-conditioned medium that might be involved in interleukin-1 beta processing. We found that the conditioned medium, following passage through DEAE-Sephacel, generates a biologically active fragment from the precursor that runs slightly higher than the mature hormone in sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The responsible activity behaved as a single protein in ion exchange chromatography. It was completely inhibited by metal ion chelators and not by inhibitors of serine, cysteine, or aspartate proteases, and it was dependent on both calcium (or magnesium) and zinc. The enzyme was not inhibited by three substrate-based metalloprotease inhibitors, phosphoramidon, benzyloxycarbonyl-Gly-Leu-NH2, and N-(2-carboxy-3-phenylpropionyl)-Leu. NH2-terminal sequence analysis showed that cleavage of the precursor occurred between a histidine and an aspartate residue, and digestion of synthetic peptides indicated that the protease is specific for pre-aspartate cleavages.
Groin Hernia Repair: Open Techniques (2005)

Since the introduction of the Bassini method in 1887, more than 70 types of pure tissue repair have been reported in the surgical literature. An unacceptable recurrence rate and prolonged postoperative pain and recovery time after tissue repair along with our understanding of the metabolic origin of inguinal hernias led to the concept of tension-free hernioplasty with mesh. Currently, the main categories of inguinal hernia repair are the open repairs and the laparoscopic repairs. In the open category, repair of the hernia is achieved by pure tissue approximation or by tension-free mesh repair. The most commonly performed tissue repairs are those of Bassini, Shouldice, and to a lesser extent McVay. In the tension-free mesh repair category, the mesh is placed in front of the transversalis fascia, such as with the Lichtenstein tension-free hernioplasty, or behind the transversalis fascia in the preperitoneal space, such as during the Nyhus, Rives, Read, Stoppa, Wantz, and Kugel procedures. Numerous comparative randomized trials have clearly demonstrated the superiority of the tension-free mesh repair over the traditional tissue approximation method. Placing mesh behind the transversalis fascia, although a sound concept, requires extensive dissection in the highly complex preperitoneal space and can lead to injury of the pelvic structures, major hematoma formation, or both. In addition, according to the prospective randomized comparative study of mesh placement in front of versus behind the transversalis fascia, the latter offers no advantage over the former, and it is more difficult to perform, learn, and teach. More importantly, preperitoneal mesh implantation (via open and laparoscopic procedure) leads to obliteration of the spaces of Retzius and Bogros, making certain vascular and urologic procedures, in particular radical prostatectomy and lymph node dissection, extremely difficult if not impossible. In conclusion, according to level A evidence from randomized comparative studies, (1) mesh repair is superior to pure tissue approximation repairs, and (2) mesh implantation in front of the transversalis fascia is superior, safer, and easier than open or laparoscopic mesh implantation behind the transversalis fascia.
Magnetic strong coupling in a spin-photon system and transition to classical regime (2010)

We study the energy level structure of the Tavis-Cumming model applied to an ensemble of independent magnetic spins $s=1/2$ coupled to a variable number of photons. Rabi splittings are calculated and their distribution is analyzed as a function of photon number ${n}_{\text{max}}$ and spin system size $N$. A sharp transition in the distribution of the Rabi frequency is found at ${n}_{\text{max}}\ensuremath{\approx}N$. The width of the Rabi frequency spectrum diverges as $\sqrt{N}$ at this point. For increased number of photons ${n}_{\text{max}}&gt;N$, the Rabi frequencies converge to a value proportional to $\sqrt{{n}_{\text{max}}}$. This behavior is interpreted as analogous to the classical spin-resonance mechanism where the photon is treated as a classical field and one resonance peak is expected. We also present experimental data demonstrating cooperative, magnetic strong coupling between a spin system and photons, measured at room temperature. This points toward quantum computing implementation with magnetic spins, using cavity quantum-electrodynamics techniques.
A sparse sampling algorithm for near-optimal planning in large Markov decision processes (1999)

A critical issue for the application of Markov decision processes (MDPs) to realistic problems is how the complexity of planning scales with the size of the MDP. In stochastic environments with very large or innite state spaces, traditional planning and reinforcement learning algorithms may be inapplicable, since their running time typically grows linearly with the state space size in the worst case. In this paper we present a new algo-rithm that, given only a generative model (a natural and common type of simulator) for an arbitrary MDP, performs on-line, near-optimal planning with a per-state running time that has no dependence on the number of states. The running time is exponential in the horizon time (which depends only on the discount factor \n and the desired degree of approx-imation to the optimal policy). Our algorithm thus provides a dierent complexity trade-o than classical algorithms such as value iteration | rather than scaling linearly in both horizon time and state space size, our running time trades an exponential dependence on the former in exchange for no dependence on the latter. Our algorithm is based on the idea of sparse sampling. We prove that a randomly sampled look-ahead tree that covers only a vanishing fraction of the full look-ahead tree nevertheless suÆces to compute near-optimal actions from any state of an MDP. Practical implementations of the algorithm are discussed, and we draw ties to our related recent results on nding a near-best strategy from a given class of strategies in very large partially observable MDPs [KMN00]. 1
Search for maternal cells in human umbilical cord blood by polymerase chain reaction amplification of two minisatellite sequences (1994)

Abstract Since our first report in 1989, 26 transplants by means of umbilical cord blood have been reported. Furthermore, systematic studies of the feasibility of using banked placental blood for bone marrow reconstitution of unrelated recipients on a large scale are in progress worldwide. However, already by 1989, it was pointed out that the use of cord blood might be hampered by contamination of neonatal blood with maternal cells contributing unacceptably to graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). In the present study, we used the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of 2 minisatellite sequences (33.6 and MS 51) to address this question. The sensitivity of PCR amplification of minisatellite sequences is known to be of 1% to 0.1%. This sensitivity has been confirmed in the present study, in which a dilution analysis was performed for each experiment in which cell separation was performed. The inclusion of the dilution experiment in these analyses allowed us to estimate the relative amount of contaminating maternal cells, if any. Among 47 cases (31 whole blood analyses, 10 gradient separations, and 6 subpopulation separations), the coamplification of the 2 minisatellites sequences allowed the discrimination of maternal and neonate alleles in 42 cases (89%). In 1 case, we were able to detect a child-specific allele in a mother's whole blood sample, thus validating our approach to search for maternal cells in cord blood. In a single other case, we were able to detect a maternal-specific allele in the cord blood sample. This maternal specific allele was detected in the whole blood, polymorphonuclear cell, and lymphocyte fractions. Comparison of the signal intensity obtained with these 3 cord blood samples to the result of the dilution experiment performed in the same analysis led to an estimate of 1 to 5% maternal cells in the polymorphonuclear cell fraction and 0.1% to 1% maternal cells in the whole blood and lymphocyte cell fractions. In conclusion, our study indicates that maternal cells are very rarely present in the cord blood collected at birth because we detected them in only 1 of 47 cases. More importantly, when detected, they were present at very low level in the lymphocyte cell fraction (0.1% to 1%). However, although small, this amount of cells may result in GVHD in a susceptible recipient. Because the method we used allows the detection of maternal cells within cord blood from 10(4) nucleated cells, it would thus be of interest in a cord blood banking perspective.
Immunotherapy with Chimeric NKG2D Receptors Leads to Long-Term Tumor-Free Survival and Development of Host Antitumor Immunity in Murine Ovarian Cancer (2008)

Ovarian cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer death in women and the development of novel therapies is needed to complement the standard treatment options such as chemotherapy and radiation. In this study, we show that treatment with T cells expressing a chimeric NKG2D receptor (chNKG2D) was able to lead to long-term, tumor-free survival in mice bearing established ovarian tumors. Tumor-free mice were able to reject a rechallenge with ovarian tumor cells 225 days after original tumor injection. In addition, chNKG2D T cell treatment induced specific host immune responses to ovarian tumor cells, including the development of both CD8+ and CD4+ T cell tumor-specific memory responses. The chNKG2D T cells reduced the ovarian tumor burden using both cytotoxic and cytokine-dependent pathways. Specifically, chNKG2D T cell expression of perforin, GM-CSF, and IFN-gamma were essential for complete antitumor efficacy.
BCL‐2 promotes migration and invasiveness of human glioma cells (1998)

Malignant progression in gliomas is correlated with increased migratory capacity which involves metalloproteolytic activity. Here, we report that ectopic expression of BCL-2 in two malignant glioma sublines markedly promoted glioma cell migration from spheroids and invasion into Matrigel-coated membranes. Invasion of fetal rat-brain aggregates was enhanced by BCL-2. Zymography revealed activation of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) in BCL-2-expressing cells. BCL-2 expressing cells showed an increase in MMP-2/-3/-12 (LN-18), and MMP-9/-12 and cell surface urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u-PA) (LN-229) mRNA and a reduction in tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMP)-2 mRNA (LN-229). Taken together, we propose a novel function for BCL-2 in the malignant phenotype of glioma cells, that is, to enhance migration and invasion by altering the expression of a set of metalloproteinases and their inhibitors.
Interferons in the management of viral hepatitis. (1998)

Since their discovery in 1957, interferons (IFNs) have been noted to have protective effects against human viral infections. The use and safety of IFNs in patients with acute or chronic hepatitis B or C infections have evolved over the last 20 years. The most studied IFN for the management of viral hepatitis is IFN-alpha, but others have recently been evaluated through controlled clinical trials. IFN treatment is not currently indicated for patients with acute hepatitis B, but has proven beneficial in chronic hepatitis B. The success of treatment in this group of patients has been measured by the normalization of liver enzymes, loss of hepatitis B e antigen and loss of detectable serum DNA of hepatitis B. It has been estimated in several clinical trials that as many as 40% of treated patients will respond to therapy, as defined above. Although only a few and limited studies have evaluated the use of IFNs in acute hepatitis C, treatment appears to decrease the likelihood of chronicity, and should be considered. In chronic hepatitis C, treatment has been effective in achieving sustained viral eradication in up to 20% of patients taking the FDA-approved dosage of three million units, three times weekly for 6-12 months. However, higher doses, longer duration of treatment or combining IFN with other antiviral agents may improve the rate of response. It has become clear during the last two decades that IFNs have beneficial effects for patients with viral hepatitis B or C. Much more effort is needed to establish the optimal dose and duration of therapy. Studies addressing the pharmacokinetics of IFNs in patients with viral hepatitis are needed, and methods to improve the bioavailability of these products to affected tissues such as the liver may improve efficacy and minimize side-effects.
Accelerating volumetric cine MRI (VC-MRI) using undersampling for real-time 3D target localization/tracking in radiation therapy: a feasibility study (2017)

It is feasible to estimate VC-MRI from a single undersampled on-board 2D cine MRI. Phantom and patient studies showed that the temporal resolution of VC-MRI can potentially be improved by 5-10 times using a 2D cine image acquired with 10-20% k-space sampling.
Suppression of tumorigenicity of A549 lung adenocarcinoma cells by human chromosomes 3 and 11 introduced via microcell‐mediated chromosome transfer (1993)

Abstract To map tumor suppressor genes for lung adenocarcinomas, we introduced normal human chromosomes 3, 7, and 11 into the A549 tumor cell line by microcell‐mediated chromosome transfer to test which chromosomes had the ability to suppress tumorigenicity. These human chromosomes, which contain the neomycin gene as a selectable marker, were transferred into A549 lung adenocarcinoma cells at frequencies of 0.3–1.8 × 10 −6 . Two microcell hybrid clones with an introduced chromosome 3, two with an introduced chromosome 7, and six with an introduced chromosome 11 were isolated and examined for their growth properties and tumorigenicity in nude mice. Whereas parental A549 cells formed tumors with an average latency of 68 d, both microcell hybrids with an introduced chromosome 3 failed to form tumors for over 360 d. Similar tumorigenicity results were obtained when the clones were implanted into denuded tracheas, a more orthotopic transplantation site. The two clones with an introduced chromosome 7 were still tumorigenic; they formed tumors within 100–123 d after injection and grew progressively, although the tumors grew slightly slower than the parental cells did. Among the six clones with an introduced chromosome 11, one clone was still highly tumorigenic but did not contain an extra copy of an intact introduced chromosome 11. Three clones with a single intact copy of introduced chromosome 11 formed tumors with latency periods significantly longer than those of the parental cells. Two clones had two copies of the introduced chromosome 11, and both failed to form tumors within 1 yr of injection. These results indicate that chromosomes 3 and 11 can suppress the tumorigenicity of A549 lung adenocarcinoma cells.
Typing and Subtyping Influenza Virus Using DNA Microarrays and Multiplex Reverse Transcriptase PCR (2001)

A model DNA microarray has been prepared and shown to facilitate typing and subtyping of human influenza A and B viruses. Reverse transcriptase PCR was used to prepare cDNAs encoding approximately 500-bp influenza virus gene fragments, which were then cloned, sequenced, reamplified, and spotted to form a glass-bound microarray. These target DNAs included multiple fragments of the hemagglutinin, neuraminidase, and matrix protein genes. Cy3- or Cy5-labeled fluorescent probes were then hybridized to these target DNAs, and the arrays were scanned to determine the probe binding site(s). The hybridization pattern agreed perfectly with the known grid location of each target, and the signal-to-background ratio varied from 5 to 30. No cross-hybridization could be detected beyond that expected from the limited degree of sequence overlap between different probes and targets. At least 100 to 150 bp of homology was required for hybridization under the conditions used in this study. Combinations of Cy3- and Cy5-labeled DNAs can also be hybridized to the same chip, permitting further differentiation of amplified molecules in complex mixtures. In a more realistic test of the technology, several sets of multiplex PCR primers that collectively target influenza A and B virus strains were identified and were used to type and subtype several previously unsequenced influenza virus isolates. The results show that DNA microarray technology provides a useful supplement to PCR-based diagnostic methods.
Animal models for Ebola and Marburg virus infections (2013)

Ebola and Marburg hemorrhagic fevers (EHF and MHF) are caused by the Filoviridae family, Ebolavirus and Marburgvirus (ebolavirus and marburgvirus), respectively. These severe diseases have high mortality rates in humans. Although EHF and MHF are endemic to sub-Saharan Africa. A novel filovirus, Lloviu virus, which is genetically distinct from ebolavirus and marburgvirus, was recently discovered in Spain where filoviral hemorrhagic fever had never been reported. The virulence of this virus has not been determined. Ebolavirus and marburgvirus are classified as biosafety level-4 (BSL-4) pathogens and Category A agents, for which the US government requires preparedness in case of bioterrorism. Therefore, preventive measures against these viral hemorrhagic fevers should be prepared, not only in disease-endemic regions, but also in disease-free countries. Diagnostics, vaccines, and therapeutics need to be developed, and therefore the establishment of animal models for EHF and MHF is invaluable. Several animal models have been developed for EHF and MHF using non-human primates (NHPs) and rodents, which are crucial to understand pathophysiology and to develop diagnostics, vaccines, and therapeutics. Rhesus and cynomolgus macaques are representative models of filovirus infection as they exhibit remarkably similar symptoms to those observed in humans. However, the NHP models have practical and ethical problems that limit their experimental use. Furthermore, there are no inbred and genetically manipulated strains of NHP. Rodent models such as mouse, guinea pig, and hamster, have also been developed. However, these rodent models require adaptation of the virus to produce lethal disease and do not mirror all symptoms of human filovirus infection. This review article provides an outline of the clinical features of EHF and MHF in animals, including humans, and discusses how the animal models have been developed to study pathophysiology, vaccines, and therapeutics.
Flash Nanoprecipitation: Prediction and Enhancement of Particle Stability via Drug Structure (2014)

Flash nanoprecipitation (FNP) can generate hydrophobic drug nanoparticles in ∼ 100 nm with a much higher drug loading (e.g., > 40 wt %) than traditional nanocarriers (e.g., < 20 wt %). This paper studies the effects of drug molecules on nanoparticle stability made via FNP and demonstrates that chemically bonding a drug compound (e.g., paclitaxel) with a cleavable hydrophobic moiety of organosilicate (e.g., triethoxysilicate) is able to enhance the particle size stability. A nonionic amphiphilic diblock copolymer, poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)-block-poly(ethylene glycol) (PLGA-b-PEG), is used as a model surfactant to provide steric stabilization. The experiments here show that the lower the drug solubility in the aqueous medium, the more stable the particles in terms of Ostwald ripening, which are consistent with the prediction by the LSW theory. The initial particle size distribution is sufficiently narrow and of insignificance to Ostwald ripening. To correlate the particle stability with hydrophobicity, this study introduces the n-octanol/water partition coefficient (LogP), a hydrophobicity indication, into the FNP technique. A comparison of various drugs and their analogues shows that LogP of a drug is a better hydrophobicity indication than the solubility parameter (δ) and correlates well with the particle stability. Empirically, with ACDLogP > ∼ 12, nanoparticles have good stability; with ∼ 2 < ACDLogP < ∼ 9, nanoparticles show fast Ostwald ripening and interparticle recrystallization; with ACDLogP < ∼ 2, the drug is very likely difficult to form nanoparticles. This rule creates a quick way to predict particle stability for a randomly selected drug structure and helps to enable a fast preclinical drug screen.
Second-order intermodulation mechanisms in CMOS downconverters (2003)

An in-depth analysis of the mechanisms responsible for second-order intermodulation distortion in CMOS active downconverters is proposed in this paper. The achievable second-order input intercept point (IIP2) has a fundamental limit due to nonlinearity and mismatches in the switching stage and improves with technology scaling. Second-order intermodulation products generated by the input transconductor or due to self-mixing usually contribute to determine the IIP2 even though they can, at least in principle, be eliminated. The parasitic capacitance loading the switching-stage common source plays a key role in the intermodulation mechanisms. Moreover, the paper shows that, besides direct conversion and low intermediate frequency (IF), even superheterodyne receivers can suffer from second-order intermodulation if the IF is not carefully chosen. The test vehicle to validate the proposed analysis is a highly linear 0.18-μm direct-conversion CMOS mixer, embedded in a fully integrated receiver, realized for Universal Mobile Telecommunications System applications.