gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Upregulation of Inflammatory Mediators in End-Stage Renal Disease as Measured Using Biochip Array Technology (2011)

Systemic vascular changes contribute to both the pathogenesis and thrombotic comorbidities of end-stage renal disease (ESRD). This study aims to profile various biomarkers and better understand their role in the pathogenesis of ESRD. Plasma samples from 49 patients with ESRD and 56 control individuals were analyzed for markers for inflammation, specifically C-reactive protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 (TNFR1), neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL); thrombomodulin (TM); neuron-specific enolase (NSE), and thrombosis-D-dimer (DD). Compared to controls, all markers studied showed a statistically significant upregulation in patients with ESRD. These results indicate a polypathologic process in patients with ESRD, leading to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events. However, the clinical significance of previously untested markers, such as TNFR1, NGAL, and NSE, still needs to be further explored. This study further validates the role of endothelial damage and endogenous thrombotic processes in ESRD as evidenced by the increased levels of TM and DD.
Sample pretreatment on a microchip with an integrated electrospray emitter (2006)

This study presents a microbead-packed PDMS microchip with an integrated electrospray emitter for sample pretreatment prior to sheathless ESI-MS. We prove the concept of analytical functions integrated onto a cm-sized area of a single bulk material. The microchip consists of two PDMS substrates replicated from SU-8 fabricated silicon wafer masters, bonded together after oxidation by corona discharge treatment. The channel within the microchip contains a grid structure that was used to trap 5 microm hypercross-linked polystyrene beads. The beads acted as a medium for sample desalting and enrichment. Electrical contact for the sheathless ESI process was achieved by coating the integrated emitter with conductive graphite powder after applying a thin layer of PDMS as glue. The coating as well as the bond of the PDMS structures showed excellent durability. A continuous spray was obtained from the microchip for over 800 h in a long-term electrospray stability experiment. Desalting and enrichment of neuropeptides from a physiological salt solution was successful by loading the sample onto the packed beads, followed by a washing and an eluting step. The results were obtained and evaluated using a TOF MS. An LOD of approximately 20 fmol (loaded onto the beads) for angiotensin II was obtained from a sample of neuropeptides dissolved in physiological salt solution.
Research on automobile body conceptual design system based on evolutionary computation (2009)

More and more attention is paid to computer aided automobile body conceptual design field in recent years. This paper presents a novel method which applies evolutionary design to the automobile body conceptual design system. By using some evolutionary design algorithm like genetic algorithm, the method helps designers to produce innovative design ideas and interesting results in the stage of automobile body conceptual design. The case study demonstrates the advantages of the proposed method.
Hormones and Pre-term Birth (2022)

Pre-Term Birth (PTB) affects 5–18 percent of livebirths worldwide and despite advances in neonatal care, is the leading global cause of death of children under 5 years of age. PTB remains a major health inequality, and rates are increasing. PTB is a multifactorial syndrome; the biological mechanisms involved are incompletely understood, although several risk factors exist which form the focus for preventive strategies. Maternal steroid and thyroid hormones, their biosynthesis and bioavailability is fundamental for the appropriate development of fetuses, and any perturbations to these processes can have adverse developmental outcome such as PTB. Prediction of PTB proves challenging although enables targeted therapies to be offered with the intention of preventing or delaying birth, without unnecessary overtreatment. Several interventions exist which reduce the severe morbidity and mortality from PTB, including antenatal corticosteroids and magnesium sulphate therapy. Animal models of PTB help developing future therapeutic candidates for prevention of PTB in women.
Dielectrics for Terahertz Metasurfaces: Material Selection and Fabrication Techniques (2019)

Abstract Manipulation of terahertz radiation opens new opportunities that underpin application areas in communication, security, material sensing, and characterization. Metasurfaces employed for terahertz manipulation of phase, amplitude, or polarization of terahertz waves have limitations in radiation efficiency which is attributed to losses in the materials constituting the devices. Metallic resonators‐based terahertz devices suffer from high ohmic losses, while dielectric substrates and spacers with high relative permittivity and loss tangent also reduce bandwidth and efficiency. To overcome these issues, a proper choice of low loss and low relative permittivity dielectric layers and substrates can improve field confinement and reduce dissipation. Alternatively, replacing metallic resonators with a moderate relative permittivity dielectric material that supports cavity mode resonances also reduces dissipation due to the absence of conduction current. Herein, an overview of dielectric materials employed as spacers and dielectric resonators is provided, and the fabrication methods employed to realize these devices at the terahertz frequency range are also presented. Material selection guidelines, material‐specific and application‐specific fabrication quality metrics are outlined, and new techniques are proposed.
Mechanical and Durability Studies on Ficus exasperata Leaf Ash Concrete (2022)

This paper reports the effect of snake grass (SG) fibers in Ficus exasperata Leaf Ash (FELA) concrete. Snake grass fibers of percentages 0.5, 1, 1.5, and 2 were used in this investigation. Tests of compressive strength, split tensile strength, and flexural strength and durability studies of salt resistance, sulphate resistance, and impact energy resistance were determined, and the test results are discussed in detail. Test results revealed that FELA ash of 15% replacement in cement showed remarkable binding property. Moreover, incorporation of snake grass fiber in concrete improves the strength, postcracking resistance, and energy absorption. It is also observed that 1.5% snake grass fiber incorporation in concrete exhibited better strength properties and energy absorption property than 0.5% and 1%. Also, beyond 1.5%, there is significant reduction in workability property. Regardless of durability property, the mix containing 1.5% snake grass fiber has shown better resistance against durability when compared with other mixes. It is also observed that penetration of chloride and sulphate ions made slight deterioration at sharp edges. Moreover, test results revealed that applications of FELA concrete with snake grass fiber can be effectively expanded in the construction industry.
Enabling development of OpenCL applications on FPGA platforms (2013)

High-level FPGA synthesis tools aim to increase the productivity of FPGAs and to adopt them among software developers and domain experts. OpenCL is a specification introduced for parallel programming across heterogeneous platforms. In this paper, an automated compilation flow to generate customized application-specific hardware descriptions from OpenCL computation kernels is reported. The flow uses Xilinx AutoESL tool to obtain the design specification for OpenCL kernel cores. The provided architecture integrates generated cores with memory and OpenCL host application interfaces. The host program in the OpenCL application is compiled and executed to demonstrate a proof-of-concept implementation towards achieving an end-to-end flow that provides abstraction of hardware at the front-end.
Analysis of EIS Technique and Nafion 117 Conductivity as a Function of Temperature and Relative Humidity (2012)

This work presents an analysis of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) technique and conductivity of Nafion 117 membrane at relative humidities of 10–100% and at temperatures 25–80°C. A correlation is presented to calculate the conductivity of Nafion 117 over the temperature and water vapor activity range measured. The correlation also captures the effect of water vapor activity on the activation energy for proton transport. The two-probe EIS technique was employed to measure the in-plane membrane resistance and the effect of platinum electrode dimension was investigated. An equivalent circuit that captures the impedance spectra was used to resolve the ionic resistance. The capacitive behavior of Nafion 117 with water-uptake was observed and analyzed. The two- and four-probe methods are compared and yield essentially identical Nafion 117 conductivities (two-probe 79 ± 1% mS cm−1, four-probe 82 ± 1% mS cm−1) in room-temperature liquid water.
Pressure-Scaling of Pressure-Swirl Atomizer Cone Angles (2006)

An experimental investigation was conducted to study the effects of increased ambient pressure (up to 6.89 MPa) and increased nozzle pressure drop (up to 2.8 MPa) on the cone angles for sprays produced by pressure-swirl atomizers having varying amounts of initial swirl. This study extends the classical results of DeCorso and Kemeny [1]. Shadow photography was used to measure cone angles at x/D0=10, 20, 40, and 60. Our lower pressure results for atomizer swirl numbers of 0.50 and 0.25 are consistent with those of DeCorso and Kemeny [1], who observed a decrease in cone angle with an increase in a pressure drop-ambient density product until a minimum cone angle was reached at ΔPρair1.6~200. Results for atomizers having higher swirl numbers do not match the DeCorso and Kemeny [1] results as well, suggesting that their correlation be used with caution. Another key finding is that an increase in ΔPρair1.6 to a value of 1000 leads to continued decreases in cone angle, but that a subsequent increase to 4000 has little effect on cone angle. Finally, there was little influence of atomizer pressure drop on cone angle, in contrast to findings of previous workers. These effects are hypothesized to be due to gas entrainment.
Absicherung von Zulaufreaktoren durch Überwachung der Reaktantenakkumulation mittels On‐line‐Energiebilanzierung (1999)

Abstract Safe Operation of Semi‐Batch Reactors by Supervising the Accumulation of Reactants Through Online Energy Balance . An essential part of the strategy for ensuring safe operating conditions for semi‐batch reactors is the permanent guarantee of an admissible accumulation of reactants. Thus, even in case of a failure or a breakdown of the cooling system or the agitator, the maximum possible pressure and temperature in the reactor still remain within their permissible limits. The energy balance method makes it possible to monitor online the reactant concentration and to limit the accumulation by switching off the feed of reactant in time. Practical experience with a production plant is presented in which, over a period of 2 years, numerous process cycles were calculated and subjected to comparative analysis. The results show that the reproducibility as well as the accuracy of calculation are high and that the energy balance method can be regarded as reliable. In addition, recommendations for the implementation of this safety strategy as a reliable tool in plants are obtained. On this basis, the energy balance method provides additional information about the process and, thus, can provide an increase of plant safety and product quality by maintaining process availability.
08221 Abstracts Collection – Geometric Modeling (2008)

From May 26 to May 30 2008 the Dagstuhl Seminar 08221 ``Geometric Modeling'' was held in the International Conference and Research Center (IBFI), Schloss Dagstuhl. During the seminar, several participants presented their current research, and ongoing work and open problems were discussed. Abstracts of the presentations given during the seminar as well as abstracts of seminar results and ideas are put together in this paper. The first section describes the seminar topics and goals in general. Links to extended abstracts or full papers are provided, if available.
Supplementary Figure 5 from Chemerin Reactivates PTEN and Suppresses PD-L1 in Tumor Cells via Modulation of a Novel CMKLR1-mediated Signaling Cascade (2023)

&lt;p&gt;Supplementary Figure 5. Targeted inhibitors and CMKLR1 Blocking. A. mTOR inhibitor RAD001 (everolimus; 200nM, Selleck Chemical) was used to treat DU145 tumor cells prior to chemerin exposure, and levels of indicated proteins assessed by Western blot; RAD001 suppressed expression of both pS6 and PD-L1, regardless of the presence or absence of chemerin. Taken together, these data suggest that chemerin treatment results in an increase in tumor PTEN expression, with associated changes in components of the canonical PI3K-AKT-mTOR signaling pathway as well as decreases in pS6/S6 and PD-L1 expression, comparable to PI3K and mTOR inhibitors that have been used in clinical trials. B. Flow cytometry of DU145 cells pretreated with either alpha-NETA or the blocking peptide showed &gt;50% reduction in the binding of an anti-CMKLR1 monoclonal antibody (FAB362P, R&amp;D Systems) compared to controls, indicating specific inhibition of CMKLR1 by these agents. Figures representative of n=2 experiments each; *p &lt; 0.05, NS=not significant. C. A CMKLR1 blocking peptide (5uM, sc-374570 P, Santa Cruz Biotechnology) was used to treat DU145 cells in the presence or absence of chemerin. A representative western blot (left) shows a significant increase of PTEN and decrease of PD-L1 expression seen with chemerin treatment was completely abrogated in cells pretreated with the anti-CMKLR1 peptide. Western results from 3 replicates are quantified for PTEN and PD-L1 expression (right). (*p &lt; 0.05, n = 3).&lt;/p&gt;
Microsecond pulsed glow discharge time‐of‐flight mass spectrometer (1994)

Abstract A linear time‐of‐flight mass spectrometer (TOFMS) has been designed, constructed, and coupled with a glow discharge source in microsecond pulsed mode (MSPGD). Orthogonal acceleration, a DC quadrupole and deflecting pulse techniques are used to diminish kinetic distribution and the spatial distribution of ions, and for deflecting Ar + ions in their flight path. Comparison was made in the same discharge source between MSPGD and DC discharge. The continuous ion current is only 0.2 nA in the DC discharge mode, while the peak ion current reaches over 100 nA in the MSPGD mode. In addition, the ratio of the repelled ions to total ions is much higher in MSPGD than with a DC discharge in TOFMS. The mechanism of MSPGD is discussed. A resolving power of 500 was achieved, which is excellent for elemental analysis. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first time that a MSPGD‐TOFMS combination has been described. The system is now being further optimized to improve its performance.
Review of Common Pathogens in Deep Sternal Wounds, Blood Stream and Bone Infections in Patients Following Sternotomy: A 10 Year Follow up (2017)

Background: Deep sternal wound infections, mediastinitis and sternal osteomyelitis are devastating and life-threatening complications of median-sternotomy incisions after cardiac surgical procedures. The incidence of surgical wound infection in sternotomies is relatively high among heart disease patients since these patients are burdened with a high number of risk factors compared to the general population. Purpose: This study focusses on microbiological data of deep sternal wounds, alongside blood and bone cultures to help define early and appropriate antibiotic therapy following debridement and reconstructive surgery. Furthermore, this study discusses whether antibiotic treatment of sepsis can rely on preliminary wound cultures. Results: The most commonly cultured organism from deep sternal wound infections was Staphylococcus and the most commonly cultured Gram-negative organism was Pseudomonas. All Gram-negative organisms combined together represented approximately 50% of all cultures. We found that 37% of blood culture pathogens were initially found in wound cultures, and 14% of blood culture organisms were first identified in bone cultures. From a different prespective, 16% of the organisms isolated from the wound and 26% of the organisms isolated from the bone were later found to involve the blood. Conclusions: The initial antibiotic regimen should be broad spectrum, covering both Gram-positive and Gram-negative organisms. We demonstrate that for osteomyelitis of the sternum, antibiotic treatment for a relatively short period of two weeks is adequate alongside thorough debridement and reconstruction with a vascularized soft tissue flap (pectoral major). Furthermore, the initial antibiotic regimen during sepsis may partially rely on preliminary wound cultures since a third of the pathogens found in the blood were first identified in wound cultures.
NRES: the network of robotic Echelle spectrographs (2016)

Las Cumbres Observatory Global Network (LCOGT) is building the Network of Robotic Echelle Spectrographs (NRES), which will consist of six identical, optical (390 - 860 nm) high-precision spectrographs, each fiber-fed simultaneously by up to two 1-meter telescopes and a thorium argon calibration source. We plan to install one at up to 6 observatory sites in the Northern and Southern hemispheres, creating a single, globally-distributed, autonomous spectrograph facility using up to twelve 1-meter telescopes. Simulations suggest we will achieve long-term radial velocity precision of 3 m/s in less than an hour for stars brighter than V = 12. We have been funded with NSF MRI and ATI grants, and expect our first spectrograph to be deployed in fall 2016, with the full network operation of 5 or 6 units beginning in 2017. We will briefly overview the NRES design, goals, robotic operation, and status. In addition, we will discuss early results from our prototype spectrograph, the laboratory and on-sky performance of our first production unit, and the ongoing software development effort to bring this resource online.
Topical α‐gal nanoparticles accelerate diabetic wound healing (2020)

An inadequate response from macrophages, key orchestrators of the wound healing process, has been implicated in the pathophysiology of impaired healing in diabetes. This study explored the utility of nanoparticles presenting the α-gal (Galα1-3Galβ1-4GlcNAc-R) epitope to induce anti-Gal antibody-mediated local transient recruitment of macrophages to accelerate wound closure and healing in a diabetic murine model. α1,3galactosyltrasferase knockout mice were stimulated to produce anti-Gal antibodies and subsequently diabetes was induced by streptozotocin-induced β-cell destruction. Six mm full-thickness skin wounds were made and α-gal nanoparticles (AGN) were topically applied on postwounding days 0 and 1. Wounds were analysed histologically for macrophage invasion and markers of wound healing, including epithelialization, vascularization and granulation tissue deposition through postoperative day 12. We found that application of AGN transiently but significantly increased macrophage recruitment into the wounds of diabetic mice. Treated wounds demonstrated more rapid closure and enhanced wound healing as demonstrated by significantly accelerated rates of epithelialization, vascularization and granulation tissue deposition. Thus, topical treatment of full-thickness wounds in diabetic mice with α-gal nanoparticles induced a transient but significant increase in macrophage recruitment resulting in an accelerated rate of wound healing. Using α-gal nanoparticles as a topical wound healing adjunct is a simple, safe and effective means of augmenting dysregulated macrophage recruitment present in the diabetic state.
3.6 Long-Term P-Blocker Therapy in Patients with Dilated Cardiomyopathy (1994)

Summary. Evidence for the effectiveness of long-term s-blockade in the treatment of he art failure has been increasingly accumulated. We found that s­ blocker was also effective in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy. In our 5year follow-up study, Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed a significant improve­ ment of mortality with s-blocker treatment, mainly due to the prevention of sudden death. Besides, although echocardiographical parameters also signifi­ cantly improved, the extent of improvement largely depended on the severity of the intercellular type of fibrosis in endomyocardial biopsy sampies. To search for the mechanism of this beneficial effect of s-blockade, the s-receptor density and efficacy in lymphocytes were examined serially at the time of administration, and before and after withdrawal, of s-blocker. In the case of s­ blocker administration, an increase in s-receptor efficacy followed by an increase in density might playa role in s-blocker tolerance and effectiveness. Withdrawal exerted an adverse effect in terms of cardiac function and receptor modification. However, s-blocker acted as a negative inotropic agent, as in a normal heart, at a late stage when the cardiac function had already recovered to such an extent that s-blocker no longer seemed necessary. These results indicate that the beneficial effect of s-blockade therapy might derive from improvement in the response to sympathetic stimulation and prevention of catecholamine injury in the residual myocardial cells.
Total Synthesis of (±)-Crinane from 6,6-Dibromobicyclo[3.1.0]hexane Using a 5-exo-trig Radical Cyclization Reaction to Assemble the C3a-Arylated Perhydroindole Substructure (2018)

Crinane embodies the tetracyclic framework associated with some of the most common Amaryllidaceae alkaloids. It has now been prepared in 10 steps from 6,6-dibromobicyclo[3.1.0]hexane (2). The initial step involves the thermally induced electrocyclic ring opening of cyclopropane 3 and capture of the resulting π-allyl cation with benzylamine to give an allylic amine that is readily elaborated to the 3°-amine 10. This last compound was engaged in a 5- exo- trig free radical cyclization reaction to give the C3a-arylated perhydroindole 11. Compound 11 was then converted, over two steps, into (±)-crinane, the hydrochloride salt of which has been subjected to single-crystal X-ray analysis.
Impact écotoxicologique des composés organiques présents dans les boues d’épuration valorisées par épandage sur les sols agricoles (2006)

La valorisation des boues d’épuration par épandage sur les sols agricoles constitue une pratique de plus en plus répandue qui contribue à améliorer la qualité des sols sur le plan physique et chimique, et fournit des éléments nutritifs aux micro-organismes et végétaux. Toutefois, les boues peuvent contenir de nombreux contaminants chimiques et biologiques potentiellement bioactifs, et présenter de ce fait des risques écotoxicologiques et sanitaires. Depuis plusieurs décennies, l’épandage des boues est soumis à réglementation. Un projet de directive européenne va proposer de nouvelles valeurs limites pour sept métaux lourds dans les boues, ainsi que pour six familles de polluants organiques et un phtalate. Si la situation semble relativement contrôlée concernant les contaminants métalliques (faible nombre d’éléments) et biologiques (procédés d’hygiénisation des boues), les risques liés aux contaminants organiques restent peu connus.