gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
MEASURED AND MODELED REMOVAL MECHANISMS FOR BENCH-SCALE CONSTRUCTED WETLANDS RECEIVING LEAD MINE WATER (2008)

Based on a period of 505-2595 days of operating lab-scale wetlands (bioreactors) treating simulated lead mine drainage containing Pb, Zn, and sulfate, a model of flow and metals removal, both equilibria and kinetics, was developed using PHREEQC, a freely-available aqueous geochemistry model. To develop parameters for the model, the fundamental question: "Where does the metal go?" had to be answered. Although the model predicts sulfide formation, we observed limited metal sulfides based on extractive assays. Despite the presence of sulfide in pore water, our wetlands display significant uptake of metals from the water via adsorption instead of via sulfide precipitation. Our operating results have shown that plants do not have a noticeable impact on removal of metals in these wetlands beyond perhaps recharge of organic matter by decaying plants. We speculate that beyond know inaccuracies in extractive assays; the metals undergo very slow reactions in-situ which cause changes in the form of the metals from adsorbed to less soluble forms, presumably due to sulfides present from the biological sulfate reduction. Overall, metals removal in our wetlands appears to follow a two-step process: first adsorption to the sediment, then sulfide formation.
The Network Limits of Infectious Disease Control via Occupation-Based\n Targeting (2021)

Policymakers commonly employ non-pharmaceutical interventions to manage the\nscale and severity of pandemics. Of non-pharmaceutical interventions, social\ndistancing policies -- designed to reduce person-to-person pathogenic spread --\nhave risen to recent prominence. In particular, stay-at-home policies of the\nsort widely implemented around the globe in response to the COVID-19 pandemic\nhave proven to be markedly effective at slowing pandemic growth. However, such\nblunt policy instruments, while effective, produce numerous unintended\nconsequences, including potentially dramatic reductions in economic\nproductivity. Here we develop methods to investigate the potential to\nsimultaneously contain pandemic spread while also minimizing economic\ndisruptions. We do so by incorporating both occupational and network\ninformation contained within an urban environment, information that is commonly\nexcluded from typical pandemic control policy design. The results of our method\nsuggest that large gains in both economic productivity and pandemic control\nmight be had by the incorporation and consideration of simple-to-measure\ncharacteristics of the occupational contact network. However we find evidence\nthat more sophisticated, and more privacy invasive, measures of this network do\nnot drastically increase performance.\n
THE USE OF ADSORBENTS IN THE REMOVAL OF CYTOKINES (2001)

Inflammation is an essential host reaction to infection, however over-stimulation of inflammatory pathways can lead to septic shock, acute liver failure and multiple organ failure (MOF). These conditions are characterised by an increase in the production of cytokines such as TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6. The removal of these inflammatory mediators or their regulation may help treat these conditions. Various methods have been used to reduce levels of circulating cytokines including haemofiltration and haemoperfusion although these techniques have generally been shown to offer limited clinical benefit. However it has been shown that some adsorbents may offer an efficient alternative for the removal of cytokines from the circulation of patients suffering from sepsis (1) This study investigated the potential of a number of alternative carbon and resin based adsorbents for the removal of cytokines and the degree to which adsorption can be increased by the manipulation of pore size and surface chemistry. The adsorbents used in the experiments reported here contained macropores (>50nm), mesopores (2–50nm) and micropores (<2nm) that provide high surface area and rapid access to the internal surface, together with specific functional groups (OH or sulphonic acid) that may impart a degree of selectivity. Test solutions were prepared in a 0.1% BSA Tyrode buffer with final cytokine concentrations ranging from (0 pg.mL−1 to 1000 pg.mL−1). Solutions (15mLs) were incubated at 25°C and shaken, (100 rpm) with 0.5g of each adsorbent for 6 hours. Aliquots of solution taken at various time points were analysed using ELISA kits (IDS Ltd). Concentrations of free cytokine were calculated with reference to standard curves and used to calculate relative adsorption capacities. The results suggested that both the manipulation of pore size and functional group associated with the adsorbents can be used to increase the removal of cytokines from protein solutions. The data suggest that the adsorbents used in this study may provide a suitable therapeutic aid in the treatment of sepsis.
SP3-2 Influence of Ambient Condition and Nozzle Hole on Spray and Combustion Characteristics in Medium Speed Engines(SP: Spray and Spray Combustion,General Session Papers) (2012)

In this study, Spray and Combustion Characteristics of Diesel Fuel in the Medium Speed Engines (High ambient pressure and larger nozzle hole diameter compared to Automotive Engines) were clarified. To simulate the ambient density and ambient temperature conditions of the actual engine, optical accessible Rapid Compression Expansion Machine (RCEM) was used. As a result, increasing ambient density and nozzle hole diameter increases spray cone angle. Increase of Spray cone angle shortens ignition delay and ignites upstream of spray. From these results, spray and combustion characteristics on medium speed engines were clarified, which were different from automotive engines.
Performance evaluation of a hybrid system comprising silent discharge plasma and manganese oxide catalysts for benzene decomposition (2001)

A hybrid system comprising a silent discharge plasma reactor (SDR) and manganese oxide (MnO/sub 2/) catalyst was used for the decomposition of benzene in air. The benzene conversion was greatly enhanced by combining MnO/sub 2/ with the SDR in the latter part. The MnO/sub 2/ catalyst decomposed benzene by using ozone (O/sub 3/) that was formed in the SDR as the oxidant precursor. With an increase in the amount of water vapor in air, the benzene conversion was decreased, due to the deactivation of high-energy electrons, the diminished formation of O/sub 3/ in SDR, and decreased activity of MnO/sub 2/ for the benzene oxidation with O/sub 3/. The only products of the reaction were CO/sub 2/ and CO. The carbon mass balance was not perfect due to the deposition of intermediates on MnO/sub 2/ during the reaction. The intermediates were subsequently decomposed to CO/sub 2/ and CO by MnO/sub 2/ in the presence of O/sub 3/. In dry air, the selectivities to CO/sub 2/ and CO were 70% and 30%, respectively, and were almost independent of specific energy density. The CO/sub 2/ selectivity was improved to 90% by humidifying the background air.
Differential Effects of Chronic Oral Antihypertensive Therapies on Systemic Arterial Circulation and Ventricular Energetics in African-American Patients (1995)

The noninvasive methodology used in this study constitutes a new tool for serial and simultaneous evaluation of arterial hemodynamics and left ventricular energetics in systemic hypertension. In this study, we demonstrate the differential effects of chronic antihypertensive therapies on systemic arterial circulation and indexes of MVO2 in African-American subjects. Consideration of drug-induced differential responses of arterial load and indexes of MVO2 with each drug may provide a more physiological approach to the treatment of systemic hypertension in indivi
Electronic Guidebooks and Visitor Attention. (2001)

We describe an electronic guidebook prototype and report on a study of its use in a historic house. Supported by mechanisms in the guidebook, visitors constructed experiences that had a high degree of interaction with three entities: the guidebook, their companions, and the house and its contents. In this paper, we report a qualitative analysis of how different properties of the guidebook helped or hindered visitors&amp;apos; attempts to balance the competing demands of these attentional entities. Based on the visitors&amp;apos; comments and behavior, we distill a set of design principles.
An adaptive design for identifying the dose with the best efficacy/tolerability profile with application to a crossover dose-finding study (2020)

Proof-of-concept in clinical trials has traditionally focused on identification of a maximum tolerated dose with the assumption that the higher doses provide better efficacy. However adverse events associated with a maximum tolerated dose may have a negative effect on efficacy. We present an efficient adaptive dose-finding strategy which concentrates patient assignments at and around the dose which has the best efficacy/tolerability profile based on a utility function. The strategy is applied within the setting of a crossover design. While the strategy may also be applied to parallel studies, a crossover design provides more power for a given sample size for comparisons between the optimal dose versus placebo and/or active control when it is reasonable to assume no carryover effects.
Evaluation of a limited angle scanned electron beam x-ray CT approach for two-phase pipe flows (2006)

We investigated the imaging capability of a fast linearly scanned electron beam x-ray tomography approach with respect to the phase structure recovery for two-phase flows in a cylindrical pipe. As a consequence of the suggested linear electron beam deflection pattern we need to solve an inverse problem of the limited-angle type which introduces some artefacts in the reconstructed images. To reduce these artefacts we have devised a modified iterative image reconstruction algorithm denoted as binary ART including a level-set based image smoothing operation. To assess the achievable quality of spatial phase structure recovery from the limited-angle data we performed a simulation study on three-dimensional flow data sets obtained with a fast and high-resolution conductivity wire-mesh sensor under real two-phase flow conditions. The simulations revealed that the reconstruction error remains below 2% for up to 1% of Gaussian noise in the projection data and even for up to 5% noise in the case of bubble diameters below 3 mm.
What factors mediate the inter-relationship between frailty and pain in cognitively and functionally sound older adults? A prospective longitudinal ageing cohort study in Taiwan (2018)

In cognitively and functionally sound community-dwelling adults aged ≥50 years, moderate pain was related to frailty in those older than 65 years, but not younger ones. Besides the direct influence of pain on frailty, depression partially mediated the pain-frailty nexus. The mechanism by which depression influences pain and frailty requires further investigation.
Photoalignment dynamics of azo dyes series with different coordination metals (2014)

Abstract There are many photoaligned azo dyes that can be used for orientation of liquid crystals in various display devices. However, the structure of these compounds needs to be optimized to increase the rate of the process of molecule photoalignment, as well as to spread the application of these compounds. The main coordination metal that presents in the molecules of azo dyes is sodium derivatives. The use of other alkali metals remains an open question. We used quantum‐chemical computation methods and reversible intermolecular bonding model to determine the effect of metal coordination on the velocity of photoalignment. The theoretical predictions were experimentally verified using sodium, potassium, lithium, and cesium salts of the model azo dye synthesized by us. We conclude that potassium azo derivatives are the fastest, ceteris paribus .
Formation of crew‐cut aggregates of various morphologies from amphiphilic block copolymers in solution (1998)

Crew-cut micelle-like aggregates represent a new type of aggregate formed in solution by the self-assembly of highly asymmetric amphiphilic block copolymers. The aggregates are termed crew-cut because the dimensions of the core are bigger than those of the corona. They are prepared by first dissolving copolymers, such as polystyrene-b-poly(acrylic acid), in a common solvent, e.g. dimethylformamide (DMF), and then adding water to the solution to induce aggregation of the polystyrene segments. Since the first description of an experimental study of spherical crew-cut micelles in 1994, over 20 papers have appeared in the literature. One of the most noteworthy phenomena seen in the crew-cut aggregate systems is the existence of multiple morphologies. These include spheres, rods, vesicles, lamellae, large compound vesicles, large compound micelles and several other structures. This paper presents an overview of the phenomenon, and a description of the qualitative principles underlying the formation of crew-cut aggregates of various morphologies in solution. The main topics of this paper are the preparation of crew-cut aggregates, the critical micellization concentration, the aggregation number, the common solvent content in the core, the mobility of the core-forming blocks in the core region, and the relative importance of thermodynamics versus kinetics during micellization as a function of added water content. The formation and morphology of the crew-cuts are also compared with those in other self-assembled systems, i.e. small molecule amphiphiles in solution, block copolymers in bulk and blends of block copolymers and homopolymers. It has been found that the most important factors influencing the morphology of the aggregates are the copolymer composition, the initial copolymer concentration in solution, the added water content, the nature of the common solvent and the type and concentration of added ions (salt, acid or base). The morphology is mainly controlled by a force balance involving three factors, namely the stretching of the polystyrene (PS) blocks in the core, the surface tension between the core and the outside solvent, and the repulsion among the corona chains. The morphogenic effects of the above-mentioned parameters can, in general, be ascribed to their influence on this force balance during the formation of the aggregates. In particular, the length of corona-forming blocks or the addition of ions mainly affects the repulsive interactions of the corona chains; the effect of the water content in solution is related to the change of the surface tension between the PS core and the solvent; and the effect of changing the common solvent from DMF to tetrahydrofuran or to dioxane on the morphology is due mainly to the increased dimensions of the core-forming blocks resulting from the changes of the solvent contents in the core and the aggregation numbers. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Fabrication of silicon cones and pillars using rough metal films as plasma etching masks (1999)

We have developed a simple fabrication process which allows the production of nanoscale silicon structures. Rough silver films are used as an etching mask for reactive ion etching at 10 °C. Variation of the etching parameters, such as the rf power, allows control over the shape of the features; the production of both pillars and cones is possible. The density and diameter of these features are controlled by the etching time. Pillars with diameters as small as 5 nm are reported.
Development of advanced control rod of hafnium hydride for fast reactors (2006)

Boron carbide (B{sub 4}C) has been mainly used in fast reactors as a control rod. The lifetime of B{sub 4}C control rods is limited by Pellet-Cladding Mechanical Interaction (PCMI) failure due to the swelling of B{sub 4}C pellet. Helium, which is generated by the nuclear reaction of B{sup 10}, causes the pellet swelling. Application of hafnium (Hf) hydride as a control rod is discussed in this paper, since the generation of He{sup 4} is not an issue in the nuclear reaction process of Hf with neutrons. A control rod of Hf hydride is considered for use in fast reactors ,since fast neutrons generated in the driver fuel region are moderated and are efficiently captured in the Hf-hydride region of a control rod assembly. The nuclear reaction process of Hf with neutrons is expressed by Hf{sup d77}(n,{gamma})Hf{sup d78}(n,{gamma})Hf{sup d79}. The Hf{sup d78}, which is generated by a neutron capture reaction of Hf{sup d77}, has also a large neutron capture cross section. This implies that the Hf hydride control rod is superior to the B{sub 4}C control rod in performance of long life use. The Hf-hydride control rod has been designed with the extended life of five to ten years in whichmore » the experimental data of the Zr-hydride were mostly referred due to the lack of data of Hf-hydride. The researches on Zr-hydride have been carried out much more than those on Hf-hydride since Zr-hydride is widely employed as a neutron moderator in nuclear reactors. (authors)« less
Sensitivity and specificity of the Optomap for fundus screening in a Hong Kong Chinese population (2003)

Appearance of retinal haemorrhage in Optomap: (left) Red-green composite image; (middle) Red channel (Choroidal layer); (right) Green channel (Inner retinal layer) Optomap Definition of sensitivity and specificity Positive Negative a b d c Sensitivity = a / (a + b) Specificity = d / (c + d) Positive Dilated fundus examination Negative Sam CK Cheng1, Ernest Goldschmidt2, Peter G Swann3, Larry HY Ng1, Maurice KH Yap1, Carly SY Lam1 1.Centre for Myopia Research, School of Optometry, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong SAR. 2.Danish Institute for Myopia Research, Denmark. 3.School of Optometry, Queensland University of Technology, Australia.
Characterization of reactive ion etching of sol-gel SiO 2 using Taguchi optimization method (1999)

SiO<SUB>2</SUB> films prepared using sol-gel technique have found enormous potential applications in photonics, electronics and sensor devices. However, the feasibility of the devices utilizing sol-gel technology lies on the ease of the fabrication processes such as patterns transfer using wet or dry etchings. Dry etching is preferred over wet etching as it is able to produce finer features with high anisotropic etch profile. In this paper, we report the development of a dry reactive ion etching process for sol-gel SiO<SUB>2</SUB> using a mixture of CF<SUB>4</SUB> and O<SUB>2</SUB> plasma. Parameters such as RF power, chamber pressure, CF<SUB>4</SUB> and O<SUB>2</SUB> flow rate, were optimized using a statistical method called Taguchi Technique. Etch rate of as high as 50nm/min, with high anisotropy etched profile, has been obtained.
Structure-guided saturation mutagenesis of N-acetylneuraminic acid lyase for the synthesis of sialic acid mimetics (2005)

Analogues of N-acetylneuraminic acid (sialic acid, NANA, Neu5Ac), including 6-dipropylcarboxamides, have been found to be selective and potent inhibitors of influenza sialidases. Sialic acid analogues are, however, difficult to synthesize by traditional chemical methods and the enzyme N-acetylneuraminic acid lyase (NAL) has previously been used for the synthesis of a number of analogues. The activity of this enzyme towards 6-dipropylcarboxamides is, however, low. Here, we used structure-guided saturation mutagenesis to produce variants of NAL with improved activity and specificity towards 6-dipropylcarboxamides. Three residues were targeted for mutagenesis, Asp191, Glu192 and Ser208. Only substitution at position 192 produced significant improvements in activity towards the dipropylamide. One variant, E192N, showed a 49-fold improvement in catalytic efficiency towards the target analogue and a 690-fold shift in specificity from sialic acid towards the analogue. These engineering efforts provide a scaffold for the further tailoring of NAL for the synthesis of sialic acid mimetics.
Acetylsalicylic acid enhances purinergic receptor-mediated outward currents in rat megakaryocytes (2009)

Purinergic receptor activation increases cytosolic Ca(2+) concentration in a fluctuating fashion, triggering oscillatory outward Ca(2+)-activated K(+) currents in rat megakaryocytes (MKs). Whole cell and nystatin-perforated patch-clamp techniques were used to analyze changes in ionic conductance in MK with acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), a cyclooxygenase-1 inhibitor and antithrombotic agent. MKs are a model for platelet reactivity, particularly in ASA treatment failure (ASA resistance). Freshly isolated MKs were incubated 30 min in the absence or presence of 1 mM ASA. Using a K(+)-rich internal solution, we recorded outward currents in response to 10 microM ATP, 10 microM ADP, and 5 microM 2-methyl-thio-ADP (2MeSADP) in the voltage-clamp mode. Agonist-induced currents decreased in amplitude over time, but this decline was attenuated by ASA in both continuous and repeated agonist challenge, indicating increased MK reactivity with ASA treatment. In separate experiments, heterologous desensitization was observed when MKs were stimulated with ADP after exposure to a thromboxane receptor agonist (U46619), indicating cross talk between thromboxane and purinergic pathways. Different cells, treated with ASA or MRS2179 (P2Y1 receptor antagonist), were stimulated with 2MeSADP. The dose-response curve was shifted to the left in both cases, suggesting increased MK reactivity. ASA also caused an increased interval between currents (delay). ASA attenuated desensitization of purinergic receptors and increased delay, again suggesting cross talk between purinergic and thromboxane pathways. These findings may be relevant to ASA resistance, because individual variations in sensitivity to the multiple effects of ASA on signaling pathways could result in insensitivity to its antiplatelet effects in some patients.
Hyperactive Editing Domain Variants Switch the Stereospecificity of Tyrosyl-tRNA Synthetase (2016)

d-Amino acids are excluded at three different steps during protein synthesis: the aminoacylation of tRNA, binding of aminoacyl-tRNAs to EF-Tu, and selection of the aminoacyl-tRNA by the ribosome. We previously altered the enantioselectivity of tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase (TyrRS) by inserting the editing domain from phenylalanyl-tRNA synthetase (FRSed) between Gly 161 and Ile 162 in tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase (the editing domain hydrolyzes l-Tyr-tRNA but not d-Tyr-tRNA). In this paper, we test the hypothesis that the enantioselectivity of this TyrRS-FRSed chimera can be shifted further toward the formation of d-Tyr-tRNA by introducing activating mutations into the editing site. Yokoyama and colleagues previously identified six alanine substitutions in phenylalanyl-tRNA synthetase that increase its editing activity.1 We have introduced these alanine substitutions into TyrRS-FRSed in various combinations, generating 14 different variants. To analyze their editing activity, we developed a continuous, spectrophotometric, steady-state post-transfer editing assay in which l-Tyr-tRNA is generated in situ, resulting in the release of one molecule of AMP during each editing cycle. Post-transfer editing is monitored by coupling the release of AMP to the reduction of NAD(+) (via the actions of AMP deaminase and IMP dehydrogenase), resulting in an increase in absorbance at 340 nm. In general, TyrRS-FRSed variants containing two activating mutations are the most active, with additional alanine substitutions decreasing the activity of the editing domain. Linear free energy relationships indicate that high kcat values are correlated with high binding affinities for l-Tyr-tRNA. Lastly, competition assays indicate that at least one TyrRS-FRSed variant (F145A/S211A) preferentially aminoacylates tRNA with d-tyrosine, demonstrating that the enantioselectivity of tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase can be inverted using hyperactive editing domains.