gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Osteoclasts promote immune suppressive microenvironment in multiple myeloma: therapeutic implication (2016)

The number and activity of osteoclasts (OCs) are strongly enhanced by myeloma cells, leading to significant bone lesions in patients with multiple myeloma (MM). Mechanisms remain elusive as to whether myeloma-supporting OCs also induce suppressive immune bone marrow (BM) microenvironment. Here, we first show that OCs significantly protect MM cells against T-cell-mediated cytotoxicity via direct inhibition of proliferating CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells. The immune checkpoint molecules programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1), Galectin-9, herpesvirus entry mediator (HVEM), and CD200, as well as T-cell metabolism regulators indoleamine 2, 3-dioxygenase (IDO), and CD38 are significantly upregulated during osteoclastogenesis. Importantly, the levels of these molecules, except CD38, are higher in OCs than in MM cells. Anti-PD-L1 monoclonal antibody (mAb) and IDO inhibitor partly overcome OC-inhibited T-cell responses against MM cells, confirming their roles in OC-suppressed MM cell lysis by cytotoxic T cells. In addition, Galectin-9 and a proliferation-induced ligand (APRIL), secreted by OCs, are significantly upregulated during osteoclastogenesis. Galectin-9 specifically induces apoptosis of T cells while sparing monocytes and MM cells. APRIL induces PD-L1 expression in MM cells, providing additional immune inhibition by OCs. Moreover, CD38 is significantly upregulated during osteoclastogenesis. When targeted by an anti-CD38 mAb, suppressive T-cell function by OCs is alleviated, associated with downregulation of HVEM and IDO. Taken together, these results define the expression of multiple immune proteins and cytokines in OCs essential for suppressive MM BM milieu. These results further support the combination of targeting these molecules to improve anti-MM immunity.
Investigation of the electrochemical properties of commercial bipolar membranes (1980)

Results are reported from a study of the electrochemical properties of commercial bipolar membranes in a system in which the membrane separates salt solutions of equal concentration (salt system), and in a system where the cation-exchange side is in contact with an acid solution and the anion-exchange side with an alkaline solution of equal concentration (acid-alkali system). These solution systems were chosen because they represent the limiting conditions realized in electro-ion-exchange processes with the use of bipolar ion-exchange membranes. The current efficiency for hydrogen and hydroxyl ions increases with dilution of the solutions and with increase of current density. Bipolar membranes MB-3 and MB-4, containing phosphate groups, have the best electrochemical characteristics.
Wireless Electronic Stethoscope (2014)

A stethoscope is a medical device used to listen to heart sounds and breathing of the body. Stethoscope can be broadly classified into two types: Acoustic stethoscope and Electronic stethoscope. The commonly used stethoscope is an acoustic stethoscope. The disadvantage of acoustic stethoscope is that the sound level is very low and this stethoscope is not very suitable to use in noisy environment as well as to detect internal sounds of babies as they are very low. Electronic stethoscope electronically amplifies body sounds. As the sound signals are transmitted electronically, it can be wireless and can provide noise reduction. The primary aim of this paper is to develop and construct an electronic stethoscope using filters and based on wireless Bluetooth using Arduino Microcontroller that will make it easier to detect heart sound. In this paper we have discussed design and simulation of an electronic stethoscope which will not only provide us with a better signal but can also be wireless and interfaced with computers so that it can be further analysed and stored for further uses.
Lipids distribution imaging of lipid vesicles by multi-focus excitation CARS microscope (2009)

We demonstrated high-speed imaging of the distribution of DPPC (dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine), d62-DPPC (deuterated DPPC), and DOPC (dioleoylphosphatidylcholine) lipids in a lipid vesicle with a multi-focus excitation CARS (coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering) microscope using a microlens array scanner. By the multi-focus excitation, the dwell time is increased in proportion to the number of focal spots compared with a single beam scanning, and high-speed and high-quality CARS imaging is possible without increasing the peak power of each spot. We demonstrated the selectively visualization of DPPC and d62-DPPC lipid vesicles, in which the vesicles contain a type of lipid, by observing at 2840 cm<sup>-1</sup> and 2090 cm<sup>-1</sup>. We also visualized the DOPC and DPPC lipids distribution in a lipid mixture vesicle observed at 1440 cm<sup>-1</sup> and 1655 cm<sup>-1</sup>. The image acquisition time of 10 s/image at each Raman shift was realized. The signal ratio of 1440 cm<sup>-1</sup> and 1655 cm<sup>-1</sup> was locally intense on the lipid vesicle. It must be because the gel phase domain of DPPC lipids was exists in the DOPC lipids which were liquid-crystalline phase at room temperature.
Control software for the Multi-Channel Led starlight simulator (2018)

We built a multi-channel led starlight simulator capable to reproduce the radiation of stars of F, G, K and M spectral types in the wavelength range 365-940 nm. This range overlaps the photosynthetic active interval allowing us to use the simulator for biological experiments under radiation and atmospheric conditions close as much as possible to those expected on extrasolar planets. The simulator is a laboratory tool which is part of the “Atmosphere in a Test Tube” project, aimed to study the photosynthetic efficiency of bacteria under alien environmental conditions and their possible impact on the atmosphere of the host planet. This paper describes the software developed to control the simulator. We begin by presenting a conceptual overview of the instruments and then illustrating the top-level requirements and the architecture of the control software. Finally, we give a description of the graphical user interface.
Modeling via formation in photosensitive MCM dielectric materials using sequential neural networks (2002)

Multichip module (MCM) technology is considered a strategic solution in electronics packaging because this approach offers significant advantages in terms of performance and reliability. However, manufacturing cost is a critical issue for mass production of high-performance MCM packages. Therefore, development of low-cost manufacturing technology is desirable. To realize this, process modeling, optimization, and control techniques are required. In this paper, a modeling approach for via formation in MCM dielectric layers composed of photosensitive benzocyclobutene (BCB) is presented. A series of designed experiments are used to characterize the via formation workcell (which consists of the spin coat, soft bake, expose, develop, cure, and plasma de-scum unit process steps). Sequential neural network process models are then constructed to characterize the entire process. In the sequential scheme, each workcell sub-process is modeled individually, and each sub-process model is linked to previous sub-process outputs and subsequent sub-process inputs. This modeling scheme is compared with two other approaches to evaluate model prediction capability. The sequential method shows superior prediction capability. This modeling structure will be useful for feedback and feed-forward process control, and will eventually be used for development of a supervisory process control scheme.
Bone-forming peptide-3 induces osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow stromal cells via regulation of the ERK1/2 and Smad1/5/8 pathways (2017)

A bone-remodeling imbalance induced by increased bone resorption and osteoclast formation causes skeletal diseases such as osteoporosis. Induction of osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) leads to bone regeneration. Many researchers have tried to develop new adjuvants as specific stimulators of bone regeneration for therapeutic use in patients with bone resorption. We tried to develop a new adjuvant that has stronger osteogenic differentiation-promoting activity than bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs). In this study, we identified a new peptide, which we called bone-forming peptide (BFP)-3, derived from the immature precursor of BMP-7. Upon osteogenic differentiation, BMSCs treated with BFP-3 exhibited higher alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and mineralization ability and significantly up-regulated expression of osteogenic genes such as ALP, osteocalcin (OC), Osterix, and Runx2 compared with control BMSCs. Furthermore, fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) and immunofluorescence analyses demonstrated that BFP-3 treatment up-regulated CD44 expression. Interestingly, extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) and Smad1/5/8 phosphorylation was increased by BFP-3 treatment during osteogenic differentiation. Furthermore, BFP-3-induced osteogenic differentiation was significantly decreased by treatment with ERK1/2- and Smad-specific inhibitors. These results suggest that BFP-3 plays an important role in regulating osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs through increasing levels of osteogenic-inducing factors and regulating the ERK1/2 and Smad1/5/8 signaling pathways. Our finding indicates that BFP-3 may be a potential new therapeutic target for promoting bone formation.
Continuous supercritical synthesis of high quality UV-emitting ZnO nanocrystals for optochemical applications (2013)

ZnO nanocrystals (NCs) are of increasing interest in many industrial applications especially in the field of optochemical sensors. We recently demonstrated the synthesis of excitonic luminescent ZnO NCs using the perfectly controlled environment offered by supercritical microfluidics. However, the limited production rates of such a microscale synthesis approach make it essential to develop scaled-up continuous supercritical synthesis processes. Here, we investigate the influence of the scale-up effect from continuous microfluidic up to millifluidic systems over the synthesized ZnO NCs’ optical properties. We also propose to discuss the influence of reactor’s dimensions, as a consequence of different hydrodynamics regimes, on the characteristics of ZnO NCs. The obtained ZnO NCs have various shapes depending on the considered set-up. A strong excitonic-only emission in the UV region in room temperature photoluminescence (PL) spectra is obtained from all types of reactors, demonstrating the success of the scale-up process for higher production rates (up to 100 mg per hour).
One Cure for Communication Lag: CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE U.S. COMMISSION ON COLLEGE GEOGRAPHY (2008)

The Commission on College Geography has and continues to make significant contributions to the teaching of geography, and its publication programme particularly should interest New Zealand geographers. Although CCG publications are oriented to undergraduate training, many papers should prove useful to geography teachers at higher and lower levels in the educational system. New Zealand geographers probably would find the Research Paper Series the most useful, but also might profit from perusal of the Technical and General Paper Series. The price of Commission publications is remarkably low. The full list is well within reach of institutional budgets, and individuals should be able to afford the papers on a selected basis. Five Research Papers, for example, cost no more than one long paperback textbook. New Zealand geographers are encouraged to investigate these publications, which are doing much to lessen the communication lag between researcher and teacher on the one hand and between scholarly journal and textbook on the other.
Transformation of Trichloroethylene to Predominantly Non‐Regulated Products under Stimulated Sulfate Reducing Conditions (2013)

Abstract Anaerobic microcosms containing sediment and water were amended to generate a range of mass loadings of FeS . Microcosms were then spiked with trichloroethylene ( TCE ) and the concentration of TCE and possible volatile reaction products monitored over time. The lowest yields of TCE , as well as the lowest yields of reaction products regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act (i.e., dichloroethylene isomers and vinyl chloride), were observed at FeS mass loadings at or above 20 g/L. Sixty eight days after spiking with TCE , selected microcosms were amended with sulfate and lactate, or sulfate, Fe( II ), and lactate, and the effect of these amendments on TCE transformation and yield of regulated products was compared to microcosms that did not receive any amendments. Addition of sulfate, Fe( II ), and lactate led to the greatest improvement on TCE depletion rates and the lowest yields of regulated reaction products compared with addition of sulfate and lactate, or no amendments. Analysis of kinetic modeling suggests that microbial and abiotic processes acted in concert to promote TCE transformation to a relatively low yield of regulated products in microbially active microcosms that contained high mass loadings of FeS .
An analytical model for predicting the remaining battery capacity of lithium-ion batteries (2003)

Predicting the residual energy of the battery source that powers a portable electronic device is quite important in designing and employing an effective dynamic power management policy in the device. This paper presents a closed-form analytical model for predicting the remaining capacity of a lithium-ion battery. The proposed high-level model relies on online current and voltage measurements and, at the same time, correctly accounts for the temperature and cycle aging effects. The accuracy of the high-level model is validated by comparing our analytical model with the Dualfoil simulation results (under some simplifying assumptions), demonstrating 5% error between simulated and predicted data.
An approach based on constrained nonnegative matrix factorization to unmix hyperspectral data (2010)

Nonnegative matrix factorization (NMF) has been recently applied to solve the hyperspectral unmixing problem because it ensures nonnegativity and needs no assumption for the presence of pure pixels. However, the algorithm has a large amount of local minima due to the obvious nonconvexity of the objective function. In order to improve its performance, auxiliary constraints can be introduced into the algorithm. In this paper, we propose a new approach named abundance separation and smoothness constrained NMF by introducing two constraints, namely, abundance separation and smoothness, into the NMF algorithm. These constraints are based on two properties of hyperspectral imagery. First, usually, every ground object presents dominance in a specific region of the entire image scene and the correlation is weak between different endmembers. Second, moving through various regions, ground objects usually vary slowly and abrupt changes rarely appear. We also propose a learning algorithm to further improve the performance of our method, from which the auxiliary constraints are removed at an appropriate time. The proposed algorithm retains all the advantages of NMF and effectively overcomes the shortcoming of local minima at the same time. Experimental results based on synthetic and real hyperspectral data show the superiority of the proposed algorithm with respect to other state-of-the-art approaches.
Adverse Effects of Oseltamivir Phosphate Therapy on the Liver of LDLR−/− Mice Without Any Benefit on Atherosclerosis and Thrombosis (2021)

Desialylation, governed by sialidases or neuraminidases, is strongly implicated in a wide range of human disorders, and accumulative data show that inhibition of neuraminidases, such as neuraminidases 1 sialidase, may be useful for managing atherosclerosis. Several studies have reported promising effects of oseltamivir phosphate, a widely used anti-influenza sialidase inhibitor, on human cancer cells, inflammation, and insulin resistance. In this study, we evaluated the effects of oseltamivir phosphate on atherosclerosis and thrombosis and potential liver toxicity in LDLR-/- mice fed with high-fat diet. Our results showed that oseltamivir phosphate significantly decreased plasma levels of LDL cholesterol and elastin fragmentation in aorta. However, no effect was observed on both atherosclerotic plaque size in aortic roots and chemically induced thrombosis in carotid arteries. Importantly, oseltamivir phosphate administration had adverse effects on the liver of mice and significantly increased messenger RNA expression levels of F4/80, interleukin-1β, transforming growth factor-β1, matrix metalloproteinase-12, and collagen. Taken together, our findings suggest that oseltamivir phosphate has limited benefits on atherosclerosis and carotid thrombosis and may lead to adverse side effects on the liver with increased inflammation and fibrosis.
Heterogeneous mutations in the human lipoprotein lipase gene in patients with familial lipoprotein lipase deficiency. (1991)

The DNA sequences were determined for the lipoprotein lipase (LPL) gene from five unrelated Japanese patients with familial LPL deficiency. The results demonstrated that all five patients are homozygotes for distinct point mutations dispersed throughout the LPL gene. Patient 1 has a G-to-A transition at the first nucleotide of intron 2, which abolishes normal splicing. Patient 2 has a nonsense mutation in exon 3 (Tyr61----Stop) and patient 3 in exon 8 (Trp382----Stop). The latter mutation emphasizes the importance of the carboxy-terminal portion of the enzyme in the expression of LPL activity. Missense mutations were identified in patient 4 (Asp204----Glu) and patient 5 (Arg243----His) in the strictly conserved amino acids. Expression study of both mutant genes in COS-1 cells produced inactive enzymes, establishing the functional significance of the two mis-sense mutations. In these patients, postheparin plasma LPL mass was either virtually absent (patients 1 and 2) or significantly decreased (patients 3-5). To detect these mutations more easily, we developed a rapid diagnostic test for each mutation. We also determined the DNA haplotypes for patients and confirmed the occurrence of multiple mutations on the chromosomes with an identical haplotype. These results demonstrate that familial LPL deficiency is a heterogeneous genetic disease caused by a wide variety of gene mutations.
Particle Exhaust Scheme Using an In-Vessel Cryocondensation Pump in the Advanced Divertor Configuration of the DIII-D Tokamak (1992)

A particle exhaust scheme using a cryocondensation pump in the advanced divertor configuration of the DIII-D tokamak is described. In this configuration, the pump is located inside a baffle chamber within the tokamak, designed to receive particles reflected off the divertor strike region. A concentric coaxial loop with forced-convection flow of two-phase helium is selected as the cryocondensation surface. The pumping configuration is optimized by Monte Carlo techniques to provide maximum exhaust efficiency while minimizing the deleterious effects of impingement of energetic plasma particles on cryogenic surfaces. Heat loading contributions from various sources on the cryogenic surfaces are estimated, based on which the cryogenic flow loop for the pump is designed. The mechanical aspects of the pump, designed to meet the many challenging requirements of operating the cryopump internal to the tokamak vacuum and in close proximity with the high-temperature plasma, are also outlined.
Design of a haptic device for finger and hand rehabilitation (2010)

A five-bar linkage mechanism with two active and three passive (end-effector rotations) degrees-of-freedom was designed as a haptic device and integrated inside a developed application in Matlab/Simulink using Handshake proSENSE toolbox for the haptic and graphic rendering, as well as the control loop and the external communication, achieving a realtime system for virtual reality based rehabilitation. The five-bar mechanism was developed in order to cover the reachable workspace of a human finger, and having a high manipulability in its workspace and low inertia. It can generate forces up to 20 [N] at the end-effector, which is suitable for finger and hand exercise rehabilitation. The system was evaluated and tested successfully. A hand rehabilitation case study and their results are presented. These results are demonstrative on the feasibility of the proposed design and application.
Development of antimicrobial active film containing CINnamaldehyde and its application to snakehead (Ophiocephalus argus) fish (2017)

Abstract Active packaging containing plant essential oils as a food preservation method is attracting more and more attention. Bioactive films based on ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH) incorporating with and without cinnamaldehyde (CIN）were prepared and characterized in this study. Physical and mechanical properties including tensile strength, elongation at break, water vapor permeability (WVP), oxygen permeability (OP), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and SEM image were investigated. Then active properties including release of bioactive element, antioxidant and antibacterial ability of the film sample were also conducted. Finally, the preservative effects of active films on snakehead dices stored at 4 ± 1 °C were performed by analyzing changes in pH value, water loss rate (WLR), total bacterial counts (TBC) and total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB‐N). The results showed that film A with CIN possessed higher tensile strength and lower OP compared to those of EVOH film. Moreover, the film with active element had significant antioxidant and antibacterial ability. The radical scavenging rate of the active film reached as high as 39.01%. On day 10, the TBC of fish dices in EVOH film reached 6.07 log CFU/g and the TVB‐N was 16.83 mgN/100 g, while it took 14 days for fish dices packed with film A to reach similar levels. Therefore, active packaging may prolong shelf life of aquatic food and have significance for food preservation. Practical applications Packaging is an essential part of food preservation. Active packaging containing antimicrobial/antioxidant compounds should extend shelf life of the products. Ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH) is well known packing material for its excellent oxygen barrier property. Cinnamaldehyde (CIN) is extracted from Cinnamomum cassia Presl bark and exhibits antimicrobial activity against a wide range of microorganisms. The addition of CIN into EVOH not only enhances physical and mechanical properties of the film, but also shows significant antioxidant and antibacterial ability, which can prolong the shelf life of the products. The preservative effects of the active film on fresh snakehead fish presented in this study are valuable information for practical application of active packaging to aquatic products preservation in particular, and food in general.
UV laser photo-induced refractive index changes in poly-methyl-meth-acrylate and plastic optical fibres for application as sensors and devices (2000)

Initial attempts to photo-induce refractive mdcx changes in bulk poly methyl methacrylate (PMMA) and in PMMA based plastic optical fibres (POF) using UV light are described. Optimum changes have been achieved at 216 nm, causing path length changes of 10&pi;, corresponding to possible refractive index modulation of between 5 and 14 % over thicknesses up to 100 &mu;m. The effects of refractive index changes on the far field modal distribution of tapered PMMA plastic optical fibres are described.