gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Travel Medicine, 2nd Edition (2009)

The second edition of this valuable textbook highlights a dynamic specialty that integrates many disciplines. Edited by 5 internationally renowned leaders in travel medicine, the book assembles a fine group of authors and chapters. The print version is hard cover and comes with online access that is easy to use and fully searchable. Both versions include useful maps, tables, and figures, which can be exported from the online version to PowerPoint presentations to assist in teaching. The online version also links to abstracts of references, allowing readers easy access to the abstracts simply by clicking on linked references.

The book consists of 57 well-organized chapters that begin with fundamental topics such as epidemiology, travel clinic management and resources, and basic disease prevention. The chapters then progress to more specialized topics such as special hosts (e.g., immunocompromised travelers), special itineraries (e.g., expatriates and persons on expeditions), health problems while traveling, and posttravel care. This edition also features a new chapter on cruise ship travel. The chapters vary greatly in length and content: chapters on jet lag and sun-associated problems are brief; chapters on topics such as immunization of healthy adults are detailed and lengthy (i.e., 36 pages). The immunization chapter covers a large amount of material that is challenging because it addresses international variations in vaccine licensure and guidelines. For instance, tick-borne encephalitis vaccine and cholera vaccine, which are described in this chapter, are available in Europe but not in the United States. However, the global nature of travel medicine necessitates practitioners’ knowledge of these vaccines.

As the field of travel medicine matures and its evidence base increases, topics such as environmental aspects of travel, psychological aspects of travel, and travel injuries are gaining greater recognition. If a new edition is considered, additional topics that would be helpful to clinicians include travelers’ precautions for eye care (especially regarding certain environmental exposures), breastfeeding among travelers (currently an abbreviated section in a chapter that discusses pregnant travelers), and collaboration among practitioners of travel medicine and public health professionals. Specific policies and procedures for travel clinic management could also address the triage of posttravel illnesses.

This book is a comprehensive reference on travel medicine. It is rich in information, pleasant to read, and practical. It has been updated to recommend current best practices in travel medicine. The editors have assembled an excellent textbook, and I recommend it enthusiastically to health professionals interested in this growing specialty.
Properties of the Human Umbilical Vein as a Living Scaffold for a Tissue-Engineered Vessel Graft (2007)

Umbilical cords are usually discarded after delivery, even though they contain a set of functional vessels. We investigated whether the human umbilical vein (HUV) is suitable as a storable scaffold for the tissue engineering of small-caliber vessel grafts. Isolated HUVs were cryopreserved by freezing or vitrification. The reaction of the vessels to vasoactive compounds and the mechanical properties were determined in an organ bath. Mitochondrial metabolism, release of antithrombotic compounds, and platelet adhesion were measured on the luminal vessel surface. Seeding with endothelial cells was tested on denuded HUVs. The vessels showed a weak response to norepinephrine but were readily contracted by serotonin and by the thromboxane A2 mimetic U46619. Endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation was weak, reaching significance only for histamine. However, the vessels relaxed to sodium nitroprusside, and to acetylcholine if sandwiched with human saphenous vein. Cryopreservation did not change the mechanical properties in the relevant tension range. Vasoconstriction to potassium chloride and serotonin were reduced after freezing (22.9 ± 7.6%, 27.7 ± 10.2%) and after vitrification (2.6 ± 5.8%, 4.3 ± 7.1%). The mitochondrial metabolism was also attenuated after freezing (57.9 ± 25.9%) and after vitrification (21.7 ± 6.7%). Prostacyclin release was elevated after both cryopreservation procedures (4.0-fold, 3.9-fold), whereas there was no significant change in the adhesion of platelets. Denuded HUVs could readily be seeded with isolated endothelial cells before and after freezing. We conclude that HUV is suitable as a storable living scaffold with antithrombogenic properties.
Conformational Changes of Linear−Dendrimer Diblock Copolymers in Dilute Solution (2005)

The conformation of linear−dendrimer hybrid diblock copolymers in solution has been studied using both small-angle neutron scattering and dynamic light scattering. The diblock consisted of a fourth-generation benzyl ether dendrimer with different molecular weight polystyrene bonded to the focal point of the dendrimer; the total molecular weight ranged from 20 to 100 kDa. In agreement with previous studies, it was found that this dendron, without a linear chain attached, alters its size upon solvent change. The addition of a polystyrene chain to the focal point of a dendrimer was also found to have an effect on the dimensions and shape of the dendrimer block. A low-molecular-weight polystyrene chain swelled the dendrimer without perturbing its native spherelike conformation. However, at larger polystyrene molecular weights, the linear block manipulates a transition of the dendrimers' morphology form spherelike to an extended conformation. Control of this shape and size change has potential for these unique macromolecular architectures to function as a novel molecular building block.
An Interleaved High Step-Up DC-DC Converter with Built-in Transformer-Based Voltage Multiplier for DC Microgrid Applications (2022)

This paper proposes a high step-up DC-DC converter with a built-in transformer (BIT)-based voltage multiplier (VM) that is suitable for integrating low-voltage renewable energy sources into a DC microgrid. A three-winding BIT is combined with the switched-capacitor (SC) cells to extend the voltage gain and reduce the voltage stress on the switches. The current-falling rates of the diodes are controlled by the leakage inductances of the BIT, alleviating the reverse-recovery problem of the diodes. The operating modes and steady-state analysis are presented. Additionally, the validity of the proposed converter is confirmed by the simulation and experimental results of a 400 W converter with an input voltage of 20 V and output voltage of 400 V. Moreover, a comparison study is presented to verify the superiority of the proposed converter over the closest existing topologies in the literature.
Translesional pressure and flow responses in a patient with a vasoactive and atherosclerotic coronary artery (1996)

Sympathetic stimulation produces characteristic changes in systemic and coronary hemodynamics which can be detected by pressure and flow velocity measurements in patients with coronary artery disease. In this particular patient with a highly reactive coronary vasculature in association with a fixed obstructive lesion, marked vasoreactivity produced striking differences in the resting translesional pressure gradient and flow velocity. Intracoronary nitroglycerin was immediately effective in relieving adverse vasoconstrictor tone. Studies of coronary hemodynamics during sympathetic stimulation in such patients will lead to improved understanding of the therapeutic modalities and associated interventional techniques to treat ischemic producing vasoreactive coronary arteries.
Decentralized Event-Triggered Federated Learning with Heterogeneous Communication Thresholds (2022)

A recent emphasis of distributed learning research has been on federated learning (FL), in which model training is conducted by the data-collecting devices. Existing research on FL has mostly focused on a star topology learning architecture with synchronized (time-triggered) model training rounds, where the local models of the devices are periodically aggregated by a centralized coordinating node. However, in many settings, such a coordinating node may not exist, motivating efforts to fully decentralize FL. In this work, we propose a novel methodology for distributed model aggregations via asynchronous, event-triggered consensus iterations over the network graph topology. We consider heterogeneous communication event thresholds at each device that weigh the change in local model parameters against the available local resources in deciding the benefit of aggregations at each iteration. Through theoretical analysis, we demonstrate that our methodology achieves asymptotic convergence to the globally optimal learning model under standard assumptions in distributed learning and graph consensus literature, and without restrictive connectivity requirements on the underlying topology. Subsequent numerical results demonstrate that our methodology obtains substantial improvements in communication requirements compared with FL baselines.
Thyroid Disorders Spectrum in Pediatric Endocrine Clinic; Seven-Year Experience of a Teaching Hospital in Saudi Arabia (2023)

Thyroid disorders constitute one of the major endocrine disorders in pediatric service. It includes a range of congenital versus acquired anatomic and/or functional thyroid diseases in growing children that has a spectrum of severity from severe intellectual disability effect to subclinical mild pathologies. This study was designed to analyze the demographic characteristics, clinical pattern, and severity of thyroid disorders in the pediatric endocrine clinic patients at the teaching hospital of the university over a 7-year duration. A total number of 148 patients with thyroid disorders were seen in pediatric Endocrine clinic during the time between January 2015 and December 2021. Female patients constitute 64% of them. Acquired Hypothyroidism was the commonest disorder; 34% of the cases followed by the congenital hypothyroidism (CH), then Hashimoto's thyroiditis, and 5.8% for others. While a very small percentage was acquired hyperthyroidism. The majority of referrals were from dermatology and other service for the screening of thyroid disease as association with other autoimmune diseases with percentage of 28.3%. Next was neck swelling manifestation in 22.6%. Thyroid disorders in children, both congenital and acquired, constitute an important medical issue for pediatricians to be aware of its variable presentations, and its potential serious health consequences on the affected children if not diagnosed and treated earlier. Acquired hypothyroidism constitutes more percentage of the thyroid disorders followed in the pediatric endocrinology outpatient clinics. Congenital hypothyroidism is the second most common thyroid disorder in the outpatient unit, having the most potential complications. These results support the international studies with the female predominance in most of thyroid disorders.
Accuracy of Empirical Correlations for Estimating Diffusion Coefficients in Aqueous Organic Mixtures (1997)

Diffusion coefficients for a homologous series of alkylbenzenes and alkylphenones have been measured by the Aris-Taylor open tube method from 30 to 60 degrees C over a wide range in methanol/water and acetonitrile/water compositions (10-100% by volume of organic). The measurements were compared to estimates derived from five of the most common empirical correlations. The errors for methanolic mixtures by the Wilke-Chang, Scheibel, and Lusis-Ratcliff correlations are usually less than 20%. The Scheibel, Wilke-Chang, and Hayduk-Laudie correlations work better than others for acetonitrile/water mixtures. Overall, the Scheibel correlation shows the smallest errors, and we recommend its use to that of the more widely used Wilke-Chang method for the systems studied here. We have also developed fitting equations for estimating viscosity so that the diffusion coefficients can be easily estimated.
Influence of Colloids on Mineralization in Unconventional Oil and Gas Reservoirs and Wellbores (2022)

Management of mineral scale in unconventional oil and gas systems is important for maintaining flow within the well and permeability within the formation, to maximize hydrocarbon production. Pretreatment of water used as base fluid for hydraulic fracturing of Marcellus Shale impacts whether mineral scale precipitation may occur within well tubing and the formation. This chapter provides examples demonstrating how laboratory and modeling approaches can help identify which mineral scale may become problematic for unconventional oil and gas production to develop appropriate base water pretreatment and chemical additive schemes for hydraulic fracturing fluids.
In-bed fibre optic breathing and movement sensor for non-intrusive monitoring (2009)

We present a new fibre optic breathing/movement sensor for in-bed non-intrusive monitoring. The light is modulated through microbending effect during breathing/body movement. The sensing system consists of optical transmitter, optical receiver, a sensor sheet, and a computer. An algorithm was developed to extract body movement signals and report breathing rate and information on body movement of bedded person. The breathing rate measurement system shows an accuracy of +/-1 breath, which has been successfully demonstrated in field trial (FusionWorld).
Patent Reviews: 5,541,413; 5,606,441; 5,608,552; 5,612,786; 5,627,585; 5,668,660; 5,680,215; 5,691,784; 5,724,179; 5,724,193; 5,734,485; 5,734,506; 5,742,431; 5,742,433; 5,767,993 (1998)

The patent number, date of issuance by the U.S. Patent Office, and classification are shown on the first line. The filing date is that of the first application (although some patents may derive from earlier applications with earlier claim dates). Any opinions expressed are those of the reviewers and do not reflect the opinions of the organizations with which they are associated, the Optical Society of America, or this journal. Printed copies of these patents may be ordered from the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, DC 20231: telephone (703) 557-3158. Inquiries about patents should be addressed to the Patents Office, not to this journal or to OSA.
Local Structure of CO Coadsorbed with O on Ni(111):  A Temperature-Dependent Study (2000)

Using C 1s scanned-energy mode photoelectron diffraction (PhD), the local geometry of CO adsorbed onto a Ni(111)(2×2)-O surface has been investigated as a function of the temperature of dosing or subsequent annealing. Around room temperature the CO adopts local atop sites in agreement with the previous interpretation of vibrational spectroscopy, but at low temperature a substantial fraction of the CO molecules adopt the hollow sites occupied in the absence of the preadsorbed O, generally consistent with the results of an earlier PhD study. Heating such a surface leads to a new state in which only atop sites are occupied, but this appears to be a result of desorption of the hollow species rather than any transformation of sites. The results confirm the qualitative site occupations deduced in a recent study of this system which used C 1s and O 1s photoelectron binding energy shifts to fingerprint the local site changes.
Abstract PR07: Neutralizing the activity of murine TGF-β receptor 2 promotes a differentiated tumor cell phenotype and inhibits pancreatic cancer metastasis (2015)

Abstract Elevated levels of TGF-β are a negative prognostic indicator for patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer; as a result the TGF-β pathway is an attractive target for therapy. However, clinical application of pharmacologic inhibition of TGF-β remains challenging because TGF-β has tumor suppressor functions in many epithelial malignancies including pancreatic cancer. In fact, direct neutralization of TGF-β promotes tumor progression of genetic murine models of pancreatic cancer. Here we report that neutralizing the activity of murine TGF-β receptor 2 using a monoclonal antibody (2G8) has potent anti-metastatic activity in orthotopic human tumor xenografts, syngenic tumors and a genetic model of pancreatic cancer. 2G8 induced an anti-metastatic stromal phenotype by increasing pro-inflammatory macrophages and NK cells and concomitantly decreasing anti-inflammatory macrophages, MDSCs and activated fibroblasts. These stromal specific changes resulted in tumor cell epithelial differentiation and a potent reduction in metastases. We conclude that TGF-β signaling within stromal cells participates directly in tumor cell phenotype and pancreatic cancer progression. Thus, strategies that inhibit TGF-β dependent effector functions of stromal cells could be efficacious for the therapy of pancreatic tumors. This abstract is also presented as Poster A38. Citation Format: Katherine T. Ostapoff, Bercin Kutluk Cenik, Miao Wang, Risheng Ye, Xiaohing Xu, Desiree Nugent, Michelle Hagopian, Mary Topalovski, Lee B. Rivera, Kyla D. Carroll, Rolf A. Brekken. Neutralizing the activity of murine TGF-β receptor 2 promotes a differentiated tumor cell phenotype and inhibits pancreatic cancer metastasis. [abstract]. In: Abstracts: AACR Special Conference on Cellular Heterogeneity in the Tumor Microenvironment; 2014 Feb 26-Mar 1; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(1 Suppl):Abstract nr PR07. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.CHTME14-PR07
Circuit Analysis of an EMI Filter for the Prediction of its Magnetic Near-Field Emissions (2011)

In this paper, a circuit analysis of the electromagnetic interference filter used in a variable-speed drive is carried out in order to predict the resonance frequencies of its magnetic near-field radiations. The parasitic elements of the filter's components are determined by measurements and a model of the filter integrating these parasitics elements is proposed. It is used to calculate the input impedance and the transfer functions of the filter in common and differential modes. In parallel, magnetic near-field measurements were performed and the frequencies corresponding to a maximal radiation are related to the resonance frequencies of the transfer function.
Lipopolysaccharide enhances CD11b/CD18 function but inhibits neutrophil aggregation (1994)

Human neutrophils are primed in the presence of complexes of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) with its serum binding protein (LBP) in a manner dependent on CD14. Cellular consequences of priming include increased responsiveness, the upregulation of surface proteins including the adhesive integrin CD11b/CD18 (Mac-1), the increased binding of certain ligands to CD11b/CD18, and the concurrent shedding of the L-selectin homing receptor. Because expression of both CD11b/CD18 and L-selectin is obligatory for formyl peptide-stimulated neutrophil aggregation in vitro (Simon et al, Blood 82:1097, 1993), we have examined the consequences of bacterial endotoxin on the expression of neutrophil adhesive molecules. We observed that the exposure of neutrophils to LPS/LBP, while enhancing the surface numbers and adhesive function of CD11b/CD18 for latex particles, did not induce aggregation. In contrast, as the LPS/LBP concentration increased (ED50 = 30 ng/mL LPS/LBP), the ability of neutrophils to aggregate decreased in parallel with the shedding of L-selectin. Moreover, when L-selectin adhesive activity was blocked by treatment with Fab fragments of Dreg- 200, aggregation was inhibited to an extent roughly proportional to the available L-selection. Blocking of LPS/LBP with CD14-specific monoclonal antibodies suppressed L-selectin shedding and preserved formyl peptide-stimulated aggregation. Taken together, the data suggest that inhibition of neutrophil aggregation by LPS/LBP is related to the expression of L-selectin via CD14 rather than LPS inhibition of CD11b/CD18 function during cellular stimulation.
Optimization of the dilute maleic acid pretreatment of wheat straw (2009)

After the dilute maleic acid pretreatment and subsequent enzymatic hydrolysis, almost complete conversion of wheat straw glucan and xylan is possible. Taking maleic acid replenishment, heating, neutralization and furfural formation into account, the optimum in the dilute maleic acid pretreatment of wheat straw in this study is 65 euro/Mg dry feedstock. This is reached when process conditions are: 50 min at 170 degrees C, with a maleic acid concentration of 46 mM. Maleic acid replenishment is the most important of the studied cost factors.
Copolymerization of Benzylidene malononitrile with methyl methacrylate and spectroscopic studies before and after irradiation with gamma rays of the obtained copolymer (2002)

Benzylidene malononitrile (BMN) monomer was prepared from the condensation of benezaldehyde with malononitrile in absolute ethanol as a reaction medium using few drops of piperidine as a catalyst at the reflux temperature for one hour. This monomer (BMN) was copolymerized with methyl methacrylate (MMA) by solution polymerization technique in the presence of benzoyl peroxide as a free radical initiator using dimethyl formamide as a reaction medium in a sealed tube under a nitrogen atmosphere at 65°C. The Kelen-Tudös and Fineman-Ross were used to determine the copolymerization parameters of MMA (M 1 ) and BMN (M 2 ) monomers. It was found that, the reactivity ratios r 1 and r 2 for MMA and BMN are equal to 2.45, 0.12 - 0.05 respectively. Alfrey Price (Q) and (e) values were calculated and the obtained data indicated that the copolymer structure is a block system. Also, infrared, 1 H-NMR and UV-visible spectroscopic studies for the obtained copolymer were performed. Further UV-visible studies of the PMMA film blended with 1% by weight of the prepared MMA-BMN copolymer were carried out before and after irradiation with different gamma doses in the range from 0-100 KGy.
Improving min-sum LDPC decoding throughput by exploiting intra-cell bit error characteristic in MLC NAND flash memory (2014)

Multi-level per cell (MLC) technique significantly improves storage density, but also poses new challenge to data integrity in NAND flash memory. Therefore, low-density parity-check (LDPC) code and soft-decision memory sensing have become indispensable in future NAND flash-based solid state drive design. However, these more powerful technologies inevitably increase the memory read latency and hence degrade the decoding throughput. Motivated by intra-cell unbalanced bit error probability and data dependency in MLC NAND flash memory, this paper proposes two techniques, i.e. intra-cell data placement interleaving and intra-cell data dependency aware min-sum decoding, to effectively improve the throughput of LDPC decoding. Experimental results show that, the proposed techniques used in an integrated way can improve the LDPC decoding throughput by up to 85% when the MLC NAND flash chip is heavily cycled, compared with conventional design practice.
A robust and efficient three-layered dialogue component for a speech-to-speech translation system (1995)

We present the dialogue component of the speech-to-speech translation system VERBMOBIL. In contrast to conventional dialogue systems it mediates the dialogue while processing maximally 50% of the dialogue in depth. Special requirements (robustness and efficiency) lead to a 3-layered hybrid architecture for the dialogue module, using statistics, an automaton and a planner. A dialogue memory is constructed incrementally.