gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Reinshard: An Optimally Sharded Dual-Blockchain for Concurrency Resolution (2022)

Decentralized control, low-complexity, flexible and efficient communications are the requirements of an architecture that aims to scale blockchains beyond the current state. Such properties are attainable by reducing ledger size and providing parallel operations in the blockchain. Sharding is one of the approaches that lower the burden of the nodes and enhance performance. However, the current solutions lack the features for resolving concurrency during cross-shard communications. With multiple participants belonging to different shards, handling concurrent operations is essential for optimal sharding. This issue becomes prominent due to the lack of architectural support and requires additional consensus for cross-shard communications. Relying on the advantages of hybrid Proof-of-Work/Proof-of-Stake (PoW/PoS), like Ethereum , hybrid consensus and 2-hop blockchain , we propose Reinshard , a new blockchain that inherits the properties of hybrid consensus for optimal sharding. Reinshard uses PoW and PoS chain-pairs with PoS sub-chains for all the valid chain-pairs where the hybrid consensus is attained through Verifiable Delay Function (VDF). Our architecture provides a secure method of arranging nodes in shards and resolves concurrency conflicts using the delay factor of VDF. The applicability of Reinshard is demonstrated through security and experimental evaluations. A practical concurrency problem is considered to show the efficacy of Reinshard in providing optimal sharding.
Analysis of defect structure in silicon. Characterization of samples from UCP ingot 5848-13C (1982)

Statistically significant quantitative structural imperfection measurements were made on samples from ubiquitous crystalline process (UCP) Ingot 5848 - 13 C. Important trends were noticed between the measured data, cell efficiency, and diffusion length. Grain boundary substructure appears to have an important effect on the conversion efficiency of solar cells from Semix material. Quantitative microscopy measurements give statistically significant information compared to other microanalytical techniques. A surface preparation technique to obtain proper contrast of structural defects suitable for QTM analysis was perfected.
Automatic query wefinement using lexical affinities with maximal information gain (2002)

This work describes an automatic query refinement technique, which focuses on improving precision of the top ranked documents. The terms used for refinement are lexical affinities (LAs), pairs of closely related words which contain exactly one of the original query terms. Adding these terms to the query is equivalent to re-ranking search results, thus, precision is improved while recall is preserved. We describe a novel method that selects the most informative LAs for refinement, namely, those LAs that best separate relevant documents from irrelevant documents in the set of results. The information gain of candidate LAs is determined using unsupervised estimation that is based on the scoring function of the search engine. This method is thus fully automatic and its quality depends on the quality of the scoring function. Experiments we conducted with TREC data clearly show a significant improvement in the precision of the top ranked documents.
Challenges and considerations of analog front-ends design for portable ultrasound systems (2010)

High performance portable ultrasound imaging system is demanded by a wide variety of point of care applications. Ultrasound system minimization and improvement have been proven in the past several years. One of the main driving forces for portable ultrasound system minimization and improvement is the advanced semiconductor technology. Besides, transducer technology is further enhancing system sensitivity and reducing system cost. Corresponding silicon processes were selected for achieving low power, low noise and compact size in ultrasound analog front-end (AFE) design. The combination of bipolar and CMOS processes achieves significant power, noise and size reduction, as well as superior CW performance. Key considerations of ultrasound analog front-end were discussed and analyzed. Standard test procedures were developed to assist the design.
Examples of Probable Host–Pathogen Co‐adaptation/Co‐evolution in Isolated Farmed Animal Populations in the Mountainous Regions of North Vietnam (2008)

In Vietnam, for a number of specific geographical and historical reasons, the mountainous areas have preserved an exceptional diversity of wild and domestic animal species of high socioeconomic interest. This endemic genetic diversity fosters a rapid response to environmental change in mostly isolated local communities and, in particular, fosters the constant adaptation of ecosystems common to humans and farmed and wild animal populations and pathogens. During a 2-year study carried out in several mountainous regions of North Vietnam near the Chinese border, we surveyed 1697 breeders in 249 villages and gathered 5815 biological samples among the four main domesticated species of food animals: chickens, cattle, buffaloes, and goats. Serological analyses were carried out by ELISA on 726 sera in order to assess the prevalence of antibodies specific to two major diseases suspected to be present in the region: avian influenza (AI) and peste des petits ruminants (PPR). The results reported here reveal the presence of antibodies specific to AI, but not the H5N1 highly pathogenic strain, and the presence of antibodies specific to PPR, confirming that this disease, never previously described in Southeast Asia, is present in this region, with no mortality and little or no evidence of clinical cases. These are probably situations of co-evolutive epidemiological equilibrium between pathogen populations, which may have lost their virulence, and animal populations that have acquired genetic resistances over generations, either naturally or through genetic introgression from related wild species better adapted to such pathogens. These results suggest the need for more research, both short-term and, more globally, long-term.
The Photochemical Attachment of the O‐Glucoside of 3‐Hydroxykynurenine to α‐Crystallin: A Model for Lenticular Aging (1999)

The young human lens contains a small metabolite from tryptophan called the O-glucoside of 3-hydroxykynurenine (3-HKG). Its function is to absorb most radiation between 295 and 400 nm, preventing it from reaching the retina. With age the concentration of this component decreases while the lens crystallins acquire covalently attached chromophores. This study investigates the photochemical attachment of 3-HKG to lens alpha-crystallin. Initial studies showed that alpha-crystallin photolyzed in the presence of 3-HKG developed a fluorescence (emission, 440 nm) and UV-visible spectrum similar to that found in aged human lens proteins. Extensive studies were then performed on the tryptic HPLC maps as monitored by photodiode array and fluorescent detection. Numerous photoproducts with either blue (emission, > 400 nm) or green (emission, > 500 nm) fluorescence were formed in addition to nonfluorescent compounds with absorption maxima above 300 nm. Comparisons were made between these model photoproducts and peptide maps from alpha-crystallin isolated from old human lenses. In terms of retention time and UV-visible spectra at least two of the peptides that appear in the model system are also present in the human samples. It is concluded that one of the aging processes in the human lens is the photochemically induced attachment of 3-HKG to lens proteins.
Association Between Soluble Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 and Intracerebral Hemorrhage Outcomes in the FAST Trial (2023)

Admission serum levels of sICAM-1 were associated with mortality, poor outcome, and hematoma expansion. Given the possibility of a biological interaction between recombinant activated factor-VII and sICAM-1, these findings highlight the need to further explore the role of sICAM-1 as a potential marker of poor ICH outcomes.
Resource allocation schemes in heterogeneous wireless networks based on genetic algorithm (2015)

In this paper, two resource allocation schemes based on genetic algorithm (GA) in heterogeneous wireless networks are proposed. The first scheme is called traffic-based resource allocation scheme (TRAS) which allocates the resource mainly based on the bandwidth requirements of traffic and bandwidth availability. In the second scheme which is called utility-based resource allocation scheme (URAS), traffic priority and the cost user pays for allocated resource are considered. The proposed schemes aim to find the optimum resource allocation to a set of mobile terminals (MTs) with quality of service (QoS) supporting by adopting GA which computes for each MT's traffic an optimal number of basic bandwidth units (BBUs). The connection-level performance of both proposed resource allocation schemes are evaluated by using extensive simulations. The results demonstrate that substantial performance improvement can be achieved by applying the proposed URAS scheme compared to the existing solutions.
6F-2 Extended Insulation Layer Structure for CMUTs (2007)

Electrostatic transducers require an electrically insulating structure between their electrodes. In state-of-the-art transducers, such as capacitive (micromachined) ultrasonic transducers (CUTs, CMUTs), this insulating structure is the main limiting factor in terms of device reliability (electrical breakdown, parasitic charging effects) and device performance (thin gap devices with low parasitic capacitance). We present a configuration, based on an extended insulation layer structure, which addresses all of these issues. A deep-trench-oxidation technique is used, that allows the fabrication of a released thermally-grown silicon dioxide structure, which can be more than 30 mum deep extended into the substrate. Preliminary measurement results from a CUT, featuring a back plate with such a deep extended insulation layer structure, are presented. The approach of using an extended insulation layer structure not only can improve the present CUT and CMUT technology in terms of reliability and performance, it also opens the door to high temperature applications of various types of electrostatic transducers.
Handbook of Weaving (2010)

A mixture of science and art, weaving is nearly as old as human history. Despite the many technological advances in the field, however, it is still virtually impossible to control each individual fiber in a woven structure. To help you meet this and other weaving challenges, Handbook of Weaving covers every step of the process clearly and systemati
Comparative analysis of modern methods of production of Al – Zr ligatures (2021)

A brief overview of modern industrial and experimental methods for the synthesis of aluminozirconium ligatures is performed. The basic regularities of the proceeding processes, and also properties of the obtained ligatures are considered, technical and economic indicators and prospects of development of the considered technologies are estimated. The comparative estimation of key parameters of the most promising technologies for industrial application is carried out, the influence of temperature, a mode of synthesis and a kind of initial raw materials on profitability of the process is estimated. Aluminothermic and electrolytic methods of ligature synthesis are considered in more detail, the views of other authors on the kinetics of ongoing processes are taken into account, and an overview of the influence of electrolyte composition and electrolysis mode on the structure and properties of produced alloys is presented. It has been shown that, depending on the method, in a wide temperature range (80 – 1000 oC), Al – Zr master alloy with a zirconium content up to 57 wt.% can be obtained. However, all existing methods for the production of Al – Zr master alloys have significant drawbacks, which lead to the relatively high cost of the master alloys, the presence of hazard waste and low production efficiency. It is concluded that along with the current methods of direct fusion of metals and aluminothermic synthesis, it is promising to obtain ligatures by electrolysis of oxide-fluoride melts KF – NaF – AlF3 using zirconium oxide as the main metalcontaining raw material. The results of experimental testing of a new method for obtaining Al – Zr master alloys via electrolysis of oxide-fluoride melts are presented. It has been established that the developed technology makes it possible to maximize the extraction of zirconium from the oxide, to continuously obtain master alloys with a high zirconium content, excluding the accumulation of unclaimed waste. The study was performed with the financial support of the Russian Foundation for Basic Research within the research project No. 19-33-90144.
205: ACCURACY OF IDENTIFYING VENOUS THROMBOEMBOLISM BY ADMINISTRATIVE CODING COMPARED TO MANUAL REVIEW (2017)

Pellathy, Tiffany; Saul, Melissa; Clermont, Gilles; Nagpal, Chirag; Dubrawski, Artur; Pinsky, Michael; Hravnak, Marilyn Author Information
Carrier Lifetime in Semiconductors with Band-Gap Widths Close to the Spin-Orbit Splitting Energies (2019)

Expressions for the Auger- and radiative-recombination rates are derived in terms of Kane’s model for materials with a band-gap width close to the spin-orbit splitting energy, which is the case for InAs, InAsSb solid solutions, etc. Our results are compared with simplified expressions for recombination rates, frequently used in publications. It is shown that the nonparabolicity of the electronic structure should be taken into account in calculations of the recombination rates. As an example, the temperature dependences of the charge-carrier lifetimes governed by radiative and non-radiative processes are calculated for InAsSb solid solutions.
Synthesis and biomedical applications of functionalized fluorescent and magnetic dual reporter nanoparticles as obtained in the miniemulsion process (2006)

As superparamagnetic nanoparticles capture new applications and markets, the flexibility and modifications of these nanoparticles are increasingly important aspects. Therefore a series of magnetic polystyrene particles encapsulating magnetite nanoparticles (10–12 nm) in a hydrophobic poly(styrene-co-acrylic acid) shell was synthesized by a three-step miniemulsion process. A high amount of iron oxide was incorporated by this process (typically 30–40% (w/w)). As a second reporter, a fluorescent dye was also integrated in order to obtain 'dual reporter particles'. Finally, polymerization of the monomer styrene yielded nanoparticles in the range 45–70 nm. By copolymerization of styrene with the hydrophilic acrylic acid, the amount of carboxyl groups on the surface was varied. The characterization of the latexes included dynamic light scattering, transmission electron microscopy, surface charge and magnetic measurements. For biomedical evaluation, the nanoparticles were incubated with different cell types. The introduction of carboxyl groups on the particle surfaces enabled the uptake of nanoparticles as demonstrated by the detection of the fluorescent signal by fluorescent activated cell sorter (FACS) and laser scanning microscopy. The quantity of iron in the cells that is required for most biomedical applications (like detection by magnetic resonance imaging) has to be significantly higher, as can be achieved by the uptake of magnetite encapsulated nanoparticles functionalized only with carboxyl groups. A further increase of uptake can be accomplished by transfection agents like poly-L-lysine or other positively charged polymers. This functionality was also engrafted into the surface of the nanoparticles by covalently coupling lysine to the carboxyl groups. The amount of iron that can be transfected was even higher than with the nanoparticles with a transfection agent added and this only physically adsorbed. Furthermore, the subcellular localization of these nanoparticles was demonstrated to be clustered in endosomal compartments.
Efficient and Low Cost Synthesis of the 2‐(tert‐Butyldiphenylsilyloxymethyl)benzoyl Chloride for the Protection of Nucleobases. (2003)

Abstract For Abstract see ChemInform Abstract in Full Text.
Elements for the numerical analysis of wave motion in layered strata (1983)

Abstract A technique is developed for the numerical analysis of wave motion in layered strata. Semidiscrete particular solutions satisfying inhomogeneous boundary conditions are calculated by the finite element method. These solutions are combined with semidiscrete modes of an appropriate eigenvalue problem. The boundary conditions corresponding to rigid and rough footings on a layered stratum are treated in detail. Applications are considered which demonstrate the validity of the technique.
MHC Class I Antigen Processing of an Adenovirus CTL Epitope Is Linked to the Levels of Immunoproteasomes in Infected Cells (2000)

Proteasomes are the major source for the generation of peptides bound by MHC class I molecules. To study the functional relevance of the IFN-gamma-inducible proteasome subunits low molecular mass protein 2 (LMP2), LMP7, and mouse embryonal cell (MEC) ligand 1 in Ag processing and concomitantly that of immunoproteasomes, we established the tetracycline-regulated mouse cell line MEC217, allowing the titrable formation of immunoproteasomes. Infection of MEC217 cells with Adenovirus type 5 (Ad5) and analysis of Ag presentation with Ad5-specific CTL showed that cells containing immunoproteasomes processed the viral early 1B protein (E1B)-derived epitope E1B192-200 with increased efficiency, thus allowing a faster detection of viral entry in induced cells. Importantly, optimal CTL activation was already achieved at submaximal immunosubunit expression. In contrast, digestion of E1B-polypeptide with purified proteasomes in vitro yielded E1B192-200 at quantities that were proportional to the relative contents of immunosubunits. Our data provide evidence that the IFN-gamma-inducible proteasome subunits, when present at relatively low levels as at initial stages of infection, already increase the efficiency of antigenic peptide generation and thereby enhance MHC class I Ag processing in infected cells.
Evaluation of Hydraulic Fracturing and Re-Entries in the Hassi-Messaoud Field, Algeria (2002)

Abstract Since 1990, two emerging techniques, hydraulic fracturing and re-entry techniques, have been applied in HMD Field, Algeria, to increase oil production. This paper analizes the production data for more than 17 re-entries and 60 fractured wells. The results indicate that oil production from 13 out of 17 re-entries declined rapidly to below the original level within a year, and 31 out of 60 fractured wells are not profitable. To analyze the well performance from field data, a 3D simulator was used to evaluate both hydraulic fracturing wells and re-entries. Several scenarios were built for each technique. The effect of fracture length, fracture width, fracture height, re-entry length, pay zone, and oil price on technical and economical success was analyzed. Risk analysis was used to take into account of practical, economical, and other unexpected factors. The results show that fractured wells are profitable but not for re-entry wells.
Epidemiology of congenital idiopathic talipes equinovarus in Iowa, 1997–2005 (2010)

Congenital idiopathic talipes equinovarus (ITEV), also known as clubfoot, is a well-recognized foot deformity. To date, prevalence estimates and descriptive data reported for ITEV have varied due to differences in study methodology. Using population-based surveillance data collected by the Iowa Registry for Congenital and Inherited Disorders, we examined isolated ITEV births delivered from 1997 through 2005 and compared to live births in Iowa during the same time period. An overall prevalence was calculated for live, singleton full-term births only. Prevalence odds ratios (POR)s and 95% confidence intervals (CI)s were examined for selected infant and parental characteristics. The prevalence of isolated ITEV was 11.4 per 10,000 live, singleton full-term births (95% CI = 10.3, 12.6), with no significant variation in prevalence during the study period. Increased PORs were found for males (POR 1.8; 95% CI = 1.5, 2.3) and maternal smoking during pregnancy (POR = 1.5, 95% CI = 1.2, 1.9); low birth weight (<2,500 g) showed an increase among females (POR = 3.2, 95% CI = 1.5, 6.9) but not males (POR = 0.9, 95% CI = 0.3, 2.8). Elevated, but non-significant, PORs were found for season of birth, maternal education, and trimester prenatal care was initiated; decreased PORs were found for fetal presentation, maternal race/ethnicity, parity, area of residence, and parental age at delivery. Our study of a well-defined, homogenous sample suggested that prevalence of isolated ITEV in Iowa was similar to that reported in other population-based studies and provided support for some, but not all, previously reported associations with infant and parental characteristics. More detailed, longitudinal studies of isolated ITEV are recommended.
The Receptor Binding Specificity of the Live Attenuated Influenza H2 and H6 Vaccine Viruses Contributes to Vaccine Immunogenicity and Protection in Ferrets (2011)

To prepare for influenza pandemics that may be caused by the H2 and H6 subtype influenza viruses, live attenuated influenza virus (LAIV) H2 and H6 vaccines are being developed and evaluated. The H2 and H6 vaccine candidates with different receptor binding preferences specified by amino acid substitutions at residues 226 and 228 were generated and evaluated for their growth in embryonated chicken eggs and their immunogenicity and protection against wild-type virus challenge in the ferret model. The viruses containing Q226 and G228 in the hemagglutinin (HA) protein bound to the avian-like α2,3-sialic acid (SA) receptor and replicated efficiently in chicken eggs. The viruses with L226 and G228 bound preferentially to the human-like α2,6-SA receptor. The viruses containing L226 and S228 displayed dual binding to both α2,3-SA and α2,6-SA receptors and replicated efficiently in eggs. The strains containing L226/G228 or L226/S228 that preferentially bound to α2,6-SA receptors replicated efficiently in the upper respiratory tract of ferrets, induced high levels of neutralizing antibody, and conferred a high level of protection against wild-type virus challenge infection compared to the strain with the Q226/G228 residues. Our data suggest that pandemic vaccines with receptor binding preference to both avian- and human-like receptors might be desired for efficient viral replication in eggs and for inducing protective immune responses in humans.