gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Field Monitoring and Numerical Analysis of Large-Span Three-Sided Reinforced Concrete Culvert (2021)

This paper investigates the structural behavior and soil–structure interaction mechanism of a three-sided culvert (TSC) at service and ultimate load levels. Field measurements were used to verify a two-dimensional (2D) finite-element model (FEM) and evaluate the backfill height at which the TSC would fail. In addition, experimental data available in the literature of an arched TSC segment loaded to failure was adopted to verify a three-dimensional (3D) FEM for the analysis at the ultimate limit state (ULS). The results demonstrated that the Canadian Highway Bridge Design Code overestimates the earth pressures on the top slab. It was also found that the connection at the sidewall base does not behave as a perfect hinge. Finally, the nonlinearity of the reinforced concrete (RC) was evaluated throughout the loading spectrum and it was concluded that simplifying the behavior of RC using a linear-elastic model is only adequate at the service load levels.
QS Relevance in a Changing World: A Research Project (2010)

This article by Marcel Frei presents the progress on a doctoral research project being undertaken at Massey University on the development of a strategic decision making framework to assist Australian and New Zealand quantity surveyors to remain relevant in this changing world.
Towards an interactive procedural reconstruction of the Louvre (2011)

We present a novel approach for the interactive creation of procedural 3D models in a more efficient way than state of the art tools for 3D reconstruction. Our tool uses the split grammar approach in an interactive setting and generalizes it in several ways. The tool allows for code-free, direct manipulation in 3D, and we provide operations to merge and specialize subdivided scopes. This remedies a severe limitation of context-free grammars, which can only produce a tree of splits. The user can interactively browse through the refinement hierarchy, apply rules and change parameters visually. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our tool with a reconstruction of some facade parts of a prime example of classical architecture, the Louvre in Paris. Complex man-made shapes exhibit great regularities for a number of reasons, from functionality over manufacturability to aesthetics and style. A procedural representation is therefore commonly perceived as most appropriate. The problem, however, is to create it in an efficient, user-friendly way. One alternative is to use a programming language like Python (Blender), JavaScript (e.g., with WebGL), or CGAShape (grammar language of the CityEngine). Programmed models can be quite scalable – with CGA Shape for instance, whole cities can be described – but not so many 3D artists or CH professionals accept a code editor as user interface for 3D modeling; and only few of them are good programmers. In order to save the virtues and remedy the deficiencies of procedural modeling we have developed a new modeling tool. The Louvre was selected as target model because it poses serious challenges: Classical architecture is very procedural, with many levels of nested repetitions and symmetries. Domain coverage: As a masterpiece, the Louvre covers most of the design space of the classical architecture that was highly influential all over Europe Scalability: The Louvre is huge (600m long, 300 mwide) and highly detailed. Purely manual reconstruction will hardly succeed even with excessive copy & paste. Irregularities: Seemingly regular parts are irregular because of 800 years of construction history. A post facto correction of inaccurate model parameters is indispensable to avoid costly re-modeling. On a more abstract level, the challenge is to find a bridge between the flexibility of programming and the intuitiveness of direct 3D interaction. We propose a modeling by example method, providing a small but well-defined set of modeling operations. The research question is: Are they sufficient for the domain of classical architecture? The benefit for the CH community is a more efficient 3D modeling toolkit than classical forward modelers (SketchUp etc.) without the overhead of coding (CityEngine). The tool will undergo first user tests during summer/autumn 2011.
Improving the Performance of Deep Quantum Optimization Algorithms with Continuous Gate Sets (2020)

Variational quantum algorithms are believed to be promising for solving computationally hard problems on noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) systems. Gaining computational power from these algorithms critically relies on the mitigation of errors during their execution, which for coherence-limited operations is achievable by reducing the gate count. Here, we demonstrate an improvement of up to a factor of 3 in algorithmic performance for the quantum approximate optimization algorithm (QAOA) as measured by the success probability, by implementing a continuous hardware-efficient gate set using superconducting quantum circuits. This gate set allows us to perform the phase separation step in QAOA with a single physical gate for each pair of qubits instead of decomposing it into two CZ gates and single-qubit gates. With this reduced number of physical gates, which scales with the number of layers employed in the algorithm, we experimentally investigate the circuit-depth-dependent performance of QAOA applied to exact-cover problem instances mapped onto three and seven qubits, using up to a total of 399 operations and up to nine layers. Our results demonstrate that the use of continuous gate sets may be a key component in extending the impact of near-term quantum computers.
lpt6 , a Gene Required for Addition of Phosphoethanolamine to Inner-Core Lipopolysaccharide of Neisseria meningitidis and Haemophilus influenzae (2004)

We previously described a gene, lpt3, required for the addition of phosphoethanolamine (PEtn) at the 3 position on the beta-chain heptose (HepII) of the inner-core Neisseria meningitidis lipopolysaccharide (LPS), but it has long been recognized that the inner-core LPS of some strains possesses PEtn at the 6 position (PEtn-6) on HepII. We have now identified a gene, lpt6 (NMA0408), that is required for the addition of PEtn-6 on HepII. The lpt6 gene is located in a region previously identified as Lgt-3 and is associated with other LPS biosynthetic genes. We screened 113 strains, representing all serogroups and including disease and carriage strains, for the lpt3 and lpt6 genes and showed that 36% contained both genes, while 50% possessed lpt3 only and 12% possessed lpt6 only. The translated amino acid sequence of lpt6 has a homologue (72.5% similarity) in a product of the Haemophilus influenzae Rd genome sequence. Previous structural studies have shown that all H. influenzae strains investigated have PEtn-6 on HepII. Consistent with this, we found that, among 70 strains representing all capsular serotypes and nonencapsulated H. influenzae strains, the lpt6 homologue was invariably present. Structural analysis of LPS from H. influenzae and N. meningitidis strains where lpt6 had been insertionally inactivated revealed that PEtn-6 on HepII could not be detected. The translated amino acid sequences from the N. meningitidis and H. influenzae lpt6 genes have conserved residues across their lengths and are part of a family of proven or putative PEtn transferases present in a wide range of gram-negative bacteria.
Pressure actuated film riding seals for turbo machinery (2023)

A seal assembly for a rotary machine is provided. The seal assembly includes multiple sealing device segments disposed circumferentially intermediate to a stationary housing and a rotor. Each of the sealing device segments includes a stator interface element, a shoe plate having an extended portion having one or more labyrinth teeth facing the rotor and a load bearing portion, wherein the shoe plate is configured to generate an aerodynamic force between the shoe plate and the rotor. The sealing device segment further includes a secondary seal configured to be in contact with the stator interface element at a radially outer end and configured to be in contact with an elevated nose section of the extended portion of the shoe plate on a radially inner end; and multiple flexible elements attached to the shoe plate and to the stator interface element.
Closed-Chamber Inhalation Pharmacokinetic Studies with Hexamethyldisiloxane in the Rat (2003)

AbstractGas uptake methods together with physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling have been used to assess metabolic parameters and oral absorption rates for a wide variety of volatile organic compounds. We applied these techniques to study the in vivo metabolism of hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDS), a volatile siloxane with low blood/air (partition coefficient PB ≈ 1.00) and high fat/blood partitioning (partition coefficient PF ≈ 300). In contrast to other classes of metabolized volatiles, metabolic parameters could only be estimated from closed-chamber results with confidence by evaluating both closed-chamber disappearance curves and constant concentration inhalation studies. The constant-concentration inhalation results refine the estimate of the blood/air partition coefficient and constrain model structure for storage of the lipophilic compound in blood and tissues. The gas uptake results, from Fischer 344 rats (male, 8-9 wk old) exposed to initial HMDS air concentrations from 500 to 5000 ppm, were modeled with a 5-tissue PBPK model. Excellent fits were obtained with diffusion-limited uptake of HMDS in fat and a lipid storage pool in the blood. Metabolism, restricted to the liver, was described as a single saturable process (V max = 113.6 µmol/h/kg; K m = 42.6 µmol/L) and was affected by inhibitors (diethyldithiocarbamate) or inducers (phenobarbital) of cytochrome P-450s. Exhalation kinetics of HMDS after oral/intraperitoneal administration showed low bioavailability and significant lag times, also quite different from results of other classes of volatile hydrocarbons. In general, estimates of metabolic clearance by gas uptake studies were improved by simultaneous examination of time-course results from constant concentration inhalation studies. This conclusion is likely to hold for any volatile lipophilic compound with low blood/air partitioning.
Walking and finger tapping can be done with independent rhythms (2019)

Rhythmic movements occur in many aspects of daily life. Examples include clapping the hands and walking. The production of two independent rhythms with multiple limbs is considered to be extremely difficult. In the present study we evaluated whether two different, independent rhythms that involved finger tapping and walking could be produced. In Experiment I, twenty subjects that had no experience of musical instrument training performed rhythmic finger tapping with the right index finger and one of four different lower limb movements; (1) self-paced walking, (2) given-paced walking, (3) alternative bilateral heel tapping from a sitting position, and (4) unilateral heel tapping with the leg ipsilateral to the tapping finger from a sitting position. The target intervals of finger tapping and heel strikes for walking step/heel tapping were set at 375 ms and 600 ms, respectively. The even distribution of relative phases between instantaneous finger tapping and heel strike was taken as the criteria of independency for the two rhythms. In the self-paced walking and given-paced walking tasks, 16 out of 20 subjects successfully performed finger tapping and walking with independent rhythms without any special practice. On the other hand, in the bipedal heels striking and unipedal heel striking tasks 19 subjects failed to perform the two movements independently, falling into interrelated rhythms with the ratio mostly being 2:1. In Experiment II, a similar independency of finger tapping and walking at a given pace was observed for heel strike intervals of 400, 600, and 800 ms, as well as at the constant 375 ms for finger tapping. These results suggest that finger tapping and walking are controlled by separate neural control mechanisms, presumably with a supra-spinal locus for finger tapping, and a spinal location for walking.
Finite precision wavelets for image coding: lossy and lossless compression performance evaluation (2002)

This paper investigates the robustness of the wavelet transform, implemented by means of the lifting scheme (LS), with respect to numerical errors in the representation and calculation of transformed coefficients. The study promises to offer important contributions for the understanding of the LS capabilities when specific implementations are considered. This is a topic of growing interest as the new standard JPEG 2000, based on the wavelet transform, is being finalized. Taking into account the effect of finite precision representation can drive both software and hardware implementations with optimized trade off between complexity and performance; moreover the robustness to numerical errors could be an important feature, not usually considered, in order to select the best wavelet filters.
Macroscale Superlubricity Induced by MXene/MoS2 Nanocomposites on Rough Steel Surfaces under High Contact Stresses (2023)

Toward the goal of achieving superlubricity, or near-zero friction, in industrially relevant material systems, solution-processed multilayer Ti<sub>3</sub>C<sub>2</sub>T<sub><i>x</i></sub>-MoS<sub>2</sub> blends are spray-coated onto rough 52100-grade steel surfaces as a solid lubricant. The tribological performance was assessed in a ball-on-disk configuration in a unidirectional sliding mode. The test results indicate that Ti<sub>3</sub>C<sub>2</sub>T<sub><i>x</i></sub>-MoS<sub>2</sub> nanocomposites led to superlubricious states, which has hitherto been unreported for both individual pristine materials, MoS<sub>2</sub> and Ti<sub>3</sub>C<sub>2</sub>T<sub><i>x</i></sub>, under macroscale sliding conditions, indicating a synergistic mechanism enabling the superlative performance. The processing, structure, and property correlation were studied to understand the underlying phenomena. Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy revealed the formation of an <i>in situ</i> robust tribolayer that was responsible for the performance at high contact pressures (>1.1 GPa) and sliding speeds (0.1 m/s). This report presents the lowest friction obtained by either MoS<sub>2</sub> or MXene or any combination of the two so far.
Resist hardening using a conformable mold (1986)

The novolak-based resist image is thoroughly hardened by baking with a conformable mold which is formed by spin coating polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) over the novolak image. Therefore, instead of a deep-UV hardening exposure or a plasma hardening step followed with a high temperature bake, this hardening process consists of a PMMA coating followed with a high temperature bake. Experimental results show that hardening took place throughout the bulk of the resist. The resist profile remains intact after a 200 °C bake and a second novolak resist image can be delineated on top of the hardened image without any mutual interaction, whereas conventional deep-UV or plasma hardening technique can only harden the resist surface layer. Large features hardened with these conventional techniques tend to deform. Recent results showed stability of resist profile for baking temperature up to at least 500 °C in a nitrogen flushed furnace. The lateral dimension change of the resist image after resist hardening using a conformable mold (RHCM) and 500 °C bake was shown to be less than 0.05 μm.
High-solar-absorptance CSP coating characterization and reliability testing with isothermal and cyclic loads for service-life prediction (2019)

Revealed degradation mechanisms in the HSA CSP coatings through accelerated testing and materials characterization enable absorber service life prediction.
Systemic Delivery of Small RNA Using Lipid Nanoparticles (2014)

Gene silencing mediated by RNA interference (RNAi) is expected to have a beneficial impact on the treatment of many diseases because of its potency, selectivity and versatility. To maximize the potential of RNAi effectors such as small interfering RNA and microRNA in clinical therapy, the development of a practical delivery system is required, especially for systemic administration. Recent studies demonstrated that chemical modification of these small RNAs and/or encapsulation of them into lipid nanoparticles is a promising strategy to achieve targeted delivery via systemic administration. In this review article, we introduce recent progress of the research on systemic delivery systems for RNAi therapeutics and consider crucial elements for the design of lipid nanoparticles as a small RNA vector.
3343 Identification of host-microbial interaction networks that mediate intestinal epithelial barrier function in necrotizing enterocolitis (2019)

OBJECTIVES/SPECIFIC AIMS: The central goal of this proposal is to characterize the mechanisms that mediate success or failure of immature intestinal barrier in necrotizing enterocilitis. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: To do this, I will utilize stem cell derived human intestinal organoids (HIOs), an innovative model of the immature intestine, and a cohort of bacterial isolates collected from premature infants who developed NEC to interrogate the cause-effect relationship of these strains on maintenance of the intestinal barrier. I hypothesize that the epithelial response to bacterial colonization is strain-dependent and results in differences in inflammatory signaling that shape epithelial barrier function in the immature intestine. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Preliminary data shows that colonization of HIOs with different bacteria leads to species-specific changes in barrier function, and some species selectively damage the epithelial barrier while others enhance epithelial barrier function. I have identified key inflammatory signals that serve as central drivers of intestinal barrier function. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: Characterization of this process is expected to substantially advance scientific understanding of early events in NEC pathogenesis and lead to new opportunities for targeted therapeutic intervention to accelerate barrier maturation or prevent hyperinflammatory reactivity in the neonatal intestine. The research proposed in this application represents an entirely novel approach to studying host-microbial interactions in the immature. Conceptually, this novel translational approach will help to define the pivotal role of colonizing bacteria in initiating epithelial inflammation in NEC patients.
Resistance Random Access Memory Based on a Thin Film of CdS Nanocrystals Prepared via Colloidal Synthesis (2012)

We demonstrate that resistance random access memory (RRAM) can be fabricated based on CdS-nanocrystal thin films. A simple drop-drying of the CdS-nanocrystal solution leads to the formation of uniform thin films with controlled thickness. RRAMs with a Ag/Al(2) O(3) /CdS/Pt structure show bipolar switching behavior, with average values of the set voltage (V(Set) ) and reset voltage (V(Reset) ) of 0.15 V and -0.19 V, respectively. The RRAM characteristics are critically influenced by the thickness of the Al(2) O(3) barrier layer, which prevents significant migration of Ag into the CdS layer as revealed by Auger electron spectroscopy (AES). Interestingly, RRAM without an Al(2) O(3) layer (i.e., Ag/CdS/Pt structure) also shows bipolar switching behavior, but the polarity is opposite to that of RRAM with the Al(2) O(3) layer (i.e., Ag/Al(2) O(3) /CdS/Pt structure). The operation of both kinds of devices can be explained by the conventional conductive bridging mechanism. Additionally, we fabricated RRAM devices on Kapton film for potential applications in flexible electronics, and the performance of this RRAM device was comparable to that of RRAMs fabricated on hard silicon substrates. Our results show a new possibility of using chalcogenide nanocrystals for RRAM applications.
Terahertz Quantum-Cascade Lasers based on Composite Right/Left-Handed Metamaterials (2013)

A composite right/left-handed metamaterial waveguide for terahertz quantum-cascade lasers is presented. Left handed (backward wave) propagation is confirmed by using the waveguide as a leaky-wave antenna where directional beams at angles of −4° and −63° are experimentally observed at excitation frequencies 2.59 and 2.48 THz, respectively.
Validation and Quality Control in Clinical Flow Cytometry (2012)

Immunophenotyping by flow cytometry plays a crucial role in many aspects of medical hematology and has replaced many traditional manual procedures. Many of these procedures are critical to clinical decisions in areas of hematopathology, infectious disease, and transplant medicine. Though more sensitive and accurate, there are many variables that can impact flow cytometry results and must be controlled in a comprehensive quality control and quality assurance program. These variables include: the collection, transportation, and sample handling to maintain optimum sample integrity; the instrument set-up and performance; the reagent performance (specifically monoclonal antibodies); and the acquisition and analysis of the generated data. This chapter will review the initial optimization and validation of clinical flow cytometry assays (both with respect to instrumentation and reagents). In addition, details will be provided for the monitoring and maintenance of the assay specifications (precision and accuracy) to ensure that high quality, reliable, and reproducible results are reported.
Arene–Ruthenium(II) Complexes with Bioactive ortho‐Hydroxydibenzoylmethane Ligands: Synthesis, Structure, and Cytotoxicity (2016)

The synthesis of a series of neutral arene–ruthenium(II) complexes (arene = p ‐cymene, hexamethylbenzene, and benzene) [(arene)Ru(HDB)Cl] derived from the reaction of the appropriate arene–ruthenium(II) dimers and ortho ‐hydroxydibenzoylmethane (HDBH), a potent inhibitor of cell proliferation, is described. In addition, related ionic complexes [(arene)Ru(HDB)(PTA)](SO 3 CF 3 ) (PTA = 1,3,5‐triaza‐7‐phosphaadamantane) have been prepared. The structure of three complexes has been confirmed by X‐ray crystallography. The cytotoxicity of the complexes has been evaluated against human ovarian carcinoma cells (A2780 and A2780cisR), as well as against nontumorigenic human embryonic kidney (HEK293) cells, and compared to the free ligand and cisplatin. Two of the complexes, that is from the first series with p ‐cymene and hexamethylbenzene, display relevant activities against the cisplatin‐resistant A2780cisR cancer cell line.