gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Focal Sweep Camera for Space-Time Refocusing (2012)

A conventional camera has a limited depth of field (DOF), which often results in defocus blur and loss of image detail. The technique of image refocusing allows a user to interactively change the plane of focus and DOF of an image after it is captured. One way to achieve refocusing is to capture the entire light field. But this requires a significant compromise of spatial resolution. This is because of the dimensionality gap - the captured information (a light field) is 4-D, while the information required for refocusing (a focal stack) is only 3-D. In this paper, we present an imaging system that directly captures a focal stack by physically sweeping the focal plane. We first describe how to sweep the focal plane so that the aggregate DOF of the focal stack covers the entire desired depth range without gaps or overlaps. Since the focal stack is captured in a duration of time when scene objects can move, we refer to the captured focal stack as a duration focal stack. We then propose an algorithm for computing a space-time in-focus index map from the focal stack, which represents the time at which each pixel is best focused. The algorithm is designed to enable a seamless refocusing experience, even for textureless regions and at depth discontinuities. We have implemented two prototype focal-sweep cameras and captured several duration focal stacks. Results obtained using our method can be viewed at www.focalsweep.com.
Completely implantable hyperthermia applicator with externalized temperature monitoring: Tests in conductive gel (1986)

Development is underway on a hyperthermia applicator intended for complete implantation and long-term use. Radio frequency energy is transmitted from an external antenna to a closely coupled subdermal antenna. This internal antenna is connected via a transmission line to deeply implanted electrodes. Changes in temperature at the electrodes result in a change in tissue resistivity which modifies the complex impedance seen at the external antenna terminals. This variation in antenna impedance (magnitude and/or phase angle) can, in principle, be utilized to indirectly monitor and regulate tissue temperature at the electrode location. Test results from conductive-gel tissue phantom experiments are presented.
Chimerism Reveals a Role for the Streptokinase β-Domain in Nonproteolytic Active Site Formation, Substrate, and Inhibitor Interactions (2002)

Streptokinase (SK) and staphylokinase form cofactor-enzyme complexes that promote the degradation of fibrin thrombi by activating human plasminogen. The unique abilities of streptokinase to nonproteolytically activate plasminogen or to alter the interactions of plasmin with substrates and inhibitors may be the result of high affinity binding mediated by the streptokinase beta-domain. To examine this hypothesis, a chimeric streptokinase, SKbetaswap, was created by swapping the SK beta-domain with the homologous beta-domain of Streptococcus uberis Pg activator (SUPA or PauA, SK uberis), a streptokinase that cannot activate human plasminogen. SKbetaswap formed a tight complex with microplasminogen with an affinity comparable with streptokinase. The SKbetaswap-plasmin complex also activated human plasminogen with catalytic efficiencies (k(cat)/K(m) = 16.8 versus 15.2 microm(-1) min(-1)) comparable with streptokinase. However, SKbetaswap was incapable of nonproteolytic active site generation and activated plasminogen by a staphylokinase mechanism. When compared with streptokinase complexes, SKbetaswap-plasmin and SKbetaswap-microplasmin complexes had altered affinities for low molecular weight substrates. The SKbetaswap-plasmin complex also was less resistant than the streptokinase-plasmin complex to inhibition by alpha(2)-antiplasmin and was readily inhibited by soybean trypsin inhibitor. Thus, in addition to mediating high affinity binding to plasmin(ogen), the streptokinase beta-domain is required for nonproteolytic active site generation and specifically modulates the interactions of the complex with substrates and inhibitors.
Suppression of the immune response to alloantigen by factors released from ultraviolet-irradiated keratinocytes. (1990)

The immune response to allogeneic histocompatibility Ag can be suppressed by injecting allogeneic spleen cells into mice that have been previously exposed to UV radiation. The suppression is associated with Ag-specific suppressor T cells found in the spleens of the UV-irradiated mice. An intriguing and as yet unanswered question is how the irradiation of the animal's dorsal skin leads to the induction of splenic Ag-specific suppressor cells. Our data suggest that soluble factors released by UV-irradiated keratinocytes are involved in the induction of Ag-specific suppressor cells. Injecting culture supernatants from UV-irradiated keratinocytes into normal mice produced the same effect as whole-body UV irradiation and suppressed the induction of delayed hypersensitivity to alloantigen. Spleen cells from these mice were unable to respond to the alloantigen in the MLR. Radiation-resistant, suppressor T cells (CD3+, CD4+, CD8-) were found in the spleens of the mice injected with suppressive supernatants. Treating the keratinocytes with cycloheximide or treating the supernatants from the UV-irradiated keratinocytes with trypsin removed all suppressive activity, suggesting the active material is a protein. The suppressive activity bound to agarose beads coupled with Con A, and was eluted with alpha-methyl-D-mannoside, further suggesting the suppressive material is a glycoprotein. Because the suppression of the immune response to alloantigen induced by this suppressive cytokine mimicked the suppression found after exposure to UV radiation, these findings support the concept that the induction of systemic suppression by UV-irradiation results from the release of suppressive substances by UV-irradiated keratinocytes. In addition, these data suggest that the induction of Ag-specific suppressor cells by this factor may provide a novel method of suppressing allograft rejection.
Autophagy, NLRP3 inflammasome and auto-inflammatory/immune diseases. (2016)

Loss of homeostasis, as a result of pathogen invasion or self imbalance, causes tissue damage and inflammation. In addition to its well-established role in promoting clearance of pathogens or cell corpses, inflammation is also key to drive tissue repair and regeneration. Conserved from flies to humans, a transient, well-balanced inflammatory response is critical for restoration of tissue homeostasis after damage. The absence of such a response can result in failure of tissue repair, leading to the development of devastating immunopathologies and degenerative diseases. Studies in the past decade collectively suggest that a malfunction of NLRP3 inflammasome, a key tissue damage sensor, is a dominant driver of various autoinflammatory and autoimmune diseases, including gout, rheumatoid arthritis, and lupus. It is therefore crucial to understand the biology and regulation of NLRP3 inflammasome and determine its affect in the context of various diseases. Of note, various studies suggest that autophagy, a cellular waste removal and rejuvenation process, serves an important role as a macrophage-intrinsic negative regulator of NLRP3 inflammasome. Here, we review recent advances in understanding how autophagy regulates NLRP3 inflammasome activity and discuss the implications of this regulation on the pathogenesis of autoinflammatory and autoimmune diseases.
Vector Targeting in Gene Therapy (2006)

In gene therapy, current vector systems demonstrate insufficient expression and lack of specificity, resulting in poor curative effects in target cells and/or high toxicity to nontarget cells. Thus, vector optimization is critical for the derivation of efficient clinical gene therapeutics. Recently, adenoviral vectors have been targeted at the level of transduction and transcription to overcome these issues. Using genetic capsid modification techniques, adapter molecules with tissue-specific antibodies and tissue-specific promoters (TSPs), these vectors can be efficiently targeted. These strategies are applicable for many types of target cells and are compatible with a variety of targeting molecules. These combinations are aimed at improving therapeutic index of diseases such as cancers, as well as nonmalignant diseases such as pulmonary hypertension.
A study on hybrid switch architecture using hierarchical memory system (1986)

Abstract On the premise that flexibility in communication is a primary objective for future digital networks providing various services, it is highly desirable to integrate circuit switching (CS) and packet switching (PS) functions into a single switching node. This paper proposes a hybrid switching system where PS and CS switching functions are integrated by making use of a hierarchical memory system in which the CS and PS switching buffers and program buffers reside in the same memory area, and the high‐speed memory in the hierarchy can be accessed both by transmission lines and processors. The design concept which adopts a new architecture necessary to meet the above requirement and the evaluation of its call processing capacity using traffic simulation and theoretical analysis are described.
Quantitative evaluation of optical surfaces by means of an improved Foucault test approach (1993)

Foucault knife-edge testing has been the classic qualitative test method for optical surface and wave-front quality measurement for more than one hundred years. We have developed an upgraded quantitative method, using off-the-shelf digital microprocessors and a solid state camera, to provide white-light evaluation of generalized optical surfaces with the precision and accuracy of computer-aided laser interlerometry. We describe a method that upgrades the knife-edge test from a qualitative test to a precise quantitative evaluation. The hardware is described and initial results for some aberrations are shown comparing the knife-edge test with interferometric measurements.
Detection of thermal neutrons using gadolinium-oxide-based nanocrystals (2011)

The concept of detection of thermal neutrons using gadolinium oxide nanocrystals is explored. Gadolinium is an element with by far the highest thermal neutron capture cross section among all stable isotopes. Colloidal synthesis of Gd<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> nanocrystals, Gd<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> nanocrystals doped with Ce, Gd<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> nanocrystals doped with Eu, and Gd<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> nanocrystals co-doped with Ce and Eu is reported. The nanocrystals were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering analysis, and steady-state UV-VIS optical absorption and photoluminescence spectroscopy. Neutron detection has been modeled with MCNPX and confirmed in experiments with Gd-containing nanocrystalline samples irradiated with <sup>252</sup>Cf neutron source.
Improve Control to Output Dynamic Response and Extend Modulation Index Range With Hybrid Selective Harmonic Current Mitigation-PWM and Phase-Shift PWM for Four-Quadrant Cascaded H-Bridge Converters (2017)

The selective harmonic current mitigation pulsewidth modulation (SHCM-PWM) technique can be used in cascaded multilevel converters to extend the harmonic reduction spectrum, reduce the coupling inductance and increase the efficiency. The offline SHCM-PWM technique has small number of switching transitions as its switching angles can only change once in a fundamental cycle and relatively long time delays because it uses FFT. As a result, its dynamic response has a lot to desire. As it will be proven in this paper, in four-quadrant power converters, to have a good transient dynamic response, both active and reactive power must be controlled at least two times in a fundamental cycle. In this paper, a hybrid modulation technique is introduced. The proposed technique uses SHCM-PWM under steady state and phase-shift PWM (PSPWM) under transient. In addition, in order to extend the modulation index range and ensure that SHCM-PWM can process four-quadrant active and reactive power, the constraints of the switching angles for the SHCM-PWM are modified. Simulations and experiments are conducted on a seven-level cascaded H-bridge converter to verify the proposed technique.
A Fast EDFM Method for Production Simulation of Complex Fractures in Naturally Fractured Reservoirs (2018)

Abstract Natural fractures are the main producibility factor in the weathered granite reservoirs (basement rock) and volcanic-rock reservoirs. Production practices show that these reservoirs could have high production rate, but the difference of well productivity between single wells is obvious. These reservoirs have complex natural fractures oriented at medium-high angles, which could bring high complexity and heterogeneity to the reservoirs, adding anisotropy to reservoir permeability. It is very hard to effectively simulate complex fractures in naturally fractured reservoirs and study the applicability of different well type and well pattern by using common reservoir simulators. A fast EDFM (Embedded Discrete Fracture Model) method was put forward for production simulation of complex fractures in naturally fractured reservoirs. The EDFM processor combining commercial reservoir simulators (ECLIPSE or CMG) is fully integrated to forecast production performance of the weathered granite reservoir. With a new set of EDFM formulations, the non-neighboring connections (NNCs) in the EDFM are converted into regular connections in traditional reservoir simulators, and the NNCs factors are linked with gridblock permeabilities. So complex dynamic behaviors of natural fractures can be captured, which can maintain the accuracy of DFMs (discrete fracture models) and keep the efficiency offered by structured gridding. In this paper, a 3D model with complex natural fractures was built to model the performance of different well types and well patterns. The results show that wells with higher density of natural fractures produce higher oil production, and horizontal wells with higher density of natural fractures have larger oil production than vertical wells because horizontal wells have a larger contact area than vertical wells. What’s more, heterogeneity and anisotropy have a great effect on well pattern and well type, which need to be studied carefully in the oilfield development.
Microvesicles Derived from Endothelial Progenitor Cells Enhance Neoangiogenesis of Human Pancreatic Islets (2012)

The efficacy of islet transplantation is limited by poor graft vascularization. We herein demonstrated that microvesicles (MVs) released from endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) enhanced human islet vascularization. After incorporation into islet endothelium and β-cells, EPC-derived MVs favored insulin secretion, survival, and revascularization of islets transplanted in SCID mice. MVs induced in vitro islet endothelial cell proliferation, migration, resistance to apoptosis, and organization in vessel-like structures. Moreover, MVs partially overcame the antiangiogenic effect of rapamycin and inhibited endothelial-leukocyte interaction via L-selectin and CD40. MVs were previously shown to contain defined patterns of mRNAs. Here we demonstrated that MVs carried the proangiogenic miR-126 and miR-296 microRNAs (miRNAs). MVs pretreated with RNase or derived from Dicer knocked-down EPCs showed a reduced angiogenic effect. In addition, MVs overcame the antiangiogenic effect of the specific antagomiRs of miR-126 and miR-296, suggesting a relevant contribution of miRNAs delivered by MVs to islet endothelium. Microarray analysis of MV-stimulated islet endothelium indicated the upregulation of mRNAs coding for factors involved in endothelial proliferation, differentiation, and angiogenesis. In addition, MVs induced the activation of the PI3K-Akt and eNOS signaling pathways in islet endothelium. These results suggest that MVs activate an angiogenic program in islet endothelium that may sustain revascularization and β-cell function.
Organic–Inorganic Nanocomposites with Completely Defined Interfacial Interactions (2001)

Access to structure–processing property relationships in nanocomposites is given through the work undertaken by these authors. Their approach relies on linking cubic silsesquioxane (see Figure) by organic tethers. The analytical data presented here form strong foundations for the formation of nanocomposites with well-defined interfaces and periodicity.
Nucleotide sequence and phylogenetic analysis of a segment of a highly virulent strain of infectious bursal disease virus. (2001)

The complete nucleotide sequences encoding precursor polyprotein (VP2-VP3-VP4) and VP5 of a highly virulent (hv) infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV), UPM97/61 was determined. Comparison of the deduced amino acid sequences with the published ones revealed 8 common amino acid substitutions, which were found only in the hv IBDV including the UPM97/61 strain. Three of the amino acid substitutions (222 Ala, 256 Ile and 294 Ile) were used as a marker for determining hv IBDV strains. The other five substitutions (685 Asn, 715 Ser, 751 Asp, 990 Val and 1005 Ala) were also conserved in hv IBDV strains isolated in various countries. UPM97/61 strain demonstrated also 8 unique amino acid substitutions of which 3 were in VP2, 4 in VP3 and 1 in VP4. There was 1 unique amino acid substitution in VP5 at position 19 (Asp-->Gly) not found in other strains. However, all the strains have a conserved 49 Arg. The amino acid sequence of UPM97/61 strain differed by 1.09% from the Japanese (OKYM) and Hong Kong (HK46) strains, and by 1.48% from the Israeli (IBDVKS) and European (UK661) strains. Hence, UPM97/61 is more closely related to the hv strains from Asia. However, phylogenetic analysis indicated that the origin of UPM97/61 might be the same as that of other hv strains isolated from other parts of the world.
A common framework for ML detection of spatially multiplexed and space time coded MIMO signals and reducing its computational complexity (2016)

In this paper, a common framework for maximum likelihood (ML) detection of spatial multiplexed (SM) and space time coded multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) signals is proposed. It facilitates a common field programmable gate array (FPGA) based hardware design for the detection of both SM and space time block coded (STBC) MIMO signals with reduced computational complexity. We reduce the number of multipliers required for the ML detection by utilizing a set of precomputed combinations of the constellation symbols from lookup tables (LUT) without any degradation in the packet error rate (PER) performance. The reduction in the computational complexity is achieved by using the additional memory that is available in the FPGA. To evaluate the performance of the proposed method, we perform simulations for the WLAN system based on IEEE 802.11 standard using SM-MIMO and STBC-MIMO.
Demosaiced pixel super-resolution for multiplexed holographic color imaging (2016)

To synthesize a holographic color image, one can sequentially take three holograms at different wavelengths, e.g., at red (R), green (G) and blue (B) parts of the spectrum, and digitally merge them. To speed up the imaging process by a factor of three, a Bayer color sensor-chip can also be used to demultiplex three wavelengths that simultaneously illuminate the sample and digitally retrieve individual set of holograms using the known transmission spectra of the Bayer color filters. However, because the pixels of different channels (R, G, B) on a Bayer color sensor are not at the same physical location, conventional demosaicing techniques generate color artifacts in holographic imaging using simultaneous multi-wavelength illumination. Here we demonstrate that pixel super-resolution can be merged into the color de-multiplexing process to significantly suppress the artifacts in wavelength-multiplexed holographic color imaging. This new approach, termed Demosaiced Pixel Super-Resolution (D-PSR), generates color images that are similar in performance to sequential illumination at three wavelengths, and therefore improves the speed of holographic color imaging by 3-fold. D-PSR method is broadly applicable to holographic microscopy applications, where high-resolution imaging and multi-wavelength illumination are desired.
Feasibility study of an electrodialysis system for in-home water desalination in urban India (2016)

Poor quality of drinking water delivered to homes by state utilities, and a large reliance on brackish ground water resources in parts of urban India, has resulted in the adoption of in-home water treatment solutions. The only existing in-home water treatment solution capable of desalination is reverse osmosis (RO). However, existing RO products can recover only 25-50% of the feed water supplied as usable product water. In this study, an alternative solution that relies on electrodialysis (ED) was designed and experimentally shown to achieve a recovery of 80%, producing 12L/h of water at the desired salinity of 350ppm from a feed salinity of 3000ppm. The cost and size of the proposed system were also found to be comparable to existing in-home RO systems. In-home ED water treatment systems could compete with existing RO products while providing the advantage of improved water-conservation in water-stressed India.
Development of a dual-probe Caliper CD-AFM for near model-independent nanometrology (2002)

A Caliper CD-AFM under development at Xidex uses dual atomic force microscope (AFM) probes that operate together as a caliper for accessing vertical and highly reentrant sidewalls of high aspect-ratio features. This virtually eliminates the ubiquitous effect of probe width, which has been a large component of uncertainty in optical, scanning electron microscope (SEM), and scanning probe microscopy (SPM) linewidth measurements for decades. The resulting tool architecture eliminates the main model-dependent uncertainties associated with nanometer-scale length measurements. By drastically reducing the magnitude, complexity, and variability of model dependence, the tool is made more robust and easier to calibrate. We have already demonstrated the functionality of a single tilted probe. Future developments include dual tilted probes that scan in coordinated fashion.