gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Synthesis and application of triazinyl-2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-piperidine derivatives as stabilizers for polymeric materials (1998)

Two new unsaturated compounds, i. e. triazinyl-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine derivatives (TTMP), were synthesized under conditions of phase-transfer catalysis and their copolymers with styrene (St) were prepared. The participation of TTMP in the polymerization did not affect the rate of copolymerization, molecular weight and polydispersity of the St polymers. At low concentrations (0.1 wt.-%) a significant stabilizing effect against photodegradation was determined. Zwei neue ungesättigte Derivate auf der Basis von Triazinyl-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidin (TTMP) wurden unter Phasentransferkatalyse-Bedingungen synthetisiert und mit Styrol (St) copolymerisiert. TTMP beeinflußt kaum die Geschwindigkeit der Copolymerisation, das Molekulargewicht und die Molekulargewichtsverteilung der Styrol-Polymeren. Bei niedrigen Konzentrationen (0,1 Gew.-%) wurde eine deutliche Stabilisierung gegen Photoabbau festgestellt.
Prophylactic Anti-Infective Activity of Poly-[1-6]-β-<scp>d</scp>-Glucopyranosyl-[1-3]-β-<scp>d</scp>-Glucopyranose Glucan in a Guinea Pig Model of Staphylococcal Wound Infection (1998)

ABSTRACT The judicious use of perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis reduces the infectious complications of surgery. However, increased bacterial resistance within hospitals may make antibiotic prophylaxis less effective in the future and alternative strategies are needed. New immunomodulatory agents might prevent wound infections by stimulation of the host immune system. To test this hypothesis, we administered poly-[1-6]-β- d -glucopyranosyl-[1-3]-β- d -glucopyranose glucan (PGG glucan), which enhances neutrophil microbicidal activity, intravenously to guinea pigs in doses ranging from 0.015 to 4 mg/kg of body weight on the day before, on the day of, and on the day after intermuscular inoculation with methicillin-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis . Abscesses were identified at 72 h, and median infective doses (ID 50 ) and statistical significance were determined by logistic regression. Guinea pigs receiving PGG glucan and inoculated with methicillin-resistant S. aureus and S. epidermidis exhibited ID 50 of as much as 2.5- and 60-fold higher, respectively, than those of control guinea pigs not receiving PGG glucan. Maximal protection was observed with a dose of 1 mg of PGG glucan per kg, and efficacy was reduced at higher as well as at lower PGG glucan doses. Furthermore, a single dose of PGG glucan given 24 h following bacterial inoculation was found to be effective in preventing infection. We conclude that PGG glucan reduces the risk of staphylococcal abscess formation. Neutrophil-activating agents are a novel means of prophylaxis against surgical infection and may be less likely than antibiotics to be affected adversely by the increasing antibiotic resistance of nosocomial pathogens.
Study on resistance training for upper-limb rehabilitation using an exoskeleton device (2013)

Rehabilitation robotics has received more and more attention during the last decades, especially the exoskeleton device for the upper limb rehabilitation, but most of them are heavy and large. In our study, a light and wearable exoskeleton device was proposed, which can be used in home rehabilitation and it can also be used to implement passive and active training. In this paper, we proposed to perform the active rehabilitation based on the upper limb exoskeleton rehabilitation device (ULERD) with variable stiffness elastic actuators, which improves the safety for human-robot interaction and produces adjustable stiffness capacity and resistance training to meet the demand for safe active-passive elbow rehabilitation. It provides a wide approach for human machine interface (HMI) in which the device is non-backdrivable, and at the same time it is difficult to obtain the contact force information directly. The proposed method was verified by the experiments conducted under two conditions with passive DoFs unlocked and with passive DoFs locked during elbow flexion and extension performance. Each experiment has three level resistances provided to the user. The surface electromyography (sEMG) signals derived from biceps and triceps were used to evaluate the efficacy of this method in both experiments.
Digital Feedback Suppression (DFS): Characterization of Feedback-margin Improvements in a DFS Hearing Instrument (1994)

The introduction of a new power behind-the-ear hearing instrument equipped with an integrated digital feedback suppression (DFS) system, based on adaptive, digital signal processing, creates the need for new methods for evaluating the characteristics of this new technology. A special measuring method based on determination of the complex loop gain of the DFS instrument and the associated feedback path is described. This method yields information about the static feedback-margin improvement due to the DFS system, and the method is usable especially in connection with measurements on real ears. It requires fairly advanced test facilities, including a dual-channel FFT analyzer and, by preference, an anechoic room. Loop gain measurements on the new DFS power behind-the-ear hearing instrument show encouraging results. Groups of profoundly hearing-impaired children and adults were tested, and static feedback-margin improvements in the order of 10 dB for the new DFS power hearing instrument were seen. Variations were largest for groups using own ear moulds and individually fitted instruments.
Anionic Amphiphilic Dendrimers as Antibacterial Agents (2008)

An anionic amphiphilic dendrimer is reported that possesses increased cytotoxicological potency against prokaryotic cells compared to eukaryotic cells. The half-maximal effective concentration (EC50) for the dendrimer against Bacillus subtilis, a Gram-positive bacterial strain, was measured to be 4.1 x 10(-5) M, while that against human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) was more than 36x greater at a value of 1.5 x 10(-3) M. EC50 ratios for two commercial amphiphiles, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and Triton X-100, in addition to a similar synthesized dendritic structure were at most only 3.8x greater. Furthermore, the observed EC50 values appear to be correlated to the critical aggregation constant (CAC) in solution suggesting a mechanism of action for these anionic amphiphilic dendrimers related to their supramolecular structures.
Generation of architectural documentation using XML (2003)

Documentation generation is the process of creating the system documentation at different levels of abstraction from the source code for a legacy system. The main goal is to help the stakeholders to understand the system with representations at the appropriate abstraction level. We follow an architecture reconstruction method to create an architectural model of the system and we use a documentation generation technique to re-document its architecture. In this article, we present our XML based approach for generating the architectural documentation of a software system.
Implementation of an adaptive delta modulation codec in speech record/playback chip (2003)

An adaptive delta modulation (ADM) codec has high adaptive efficiency and excellent noise immunity which is specially suited for speech coded system. This paper proposes a novel adaptive delta modulation speech codec, which reuses the same circuit for the step generator and the predict code generator by proper controlling in the different intervals, reducing the size of die and the power dissipation.
Can fetal electrocardiography improve the prediction of intraparturn fetal acidosis? (1986)

An outline is given of a computer-based system which continuously enhances and measures the waveform of the intrapartum fetal electrocardiogram. This system has been used to examine the behaviour of the ST segment and T wave in a group of 14 fetuses where the outcome was biochemically and clinically normal, and in a group of 10 fetuses which were acidotic at birth. When the mean values in each group were compared, highly significant differences were found for both of these components of the waveform. These differences have also been demonstrated by the analysis of long-term trends in the behaviour of these variables. The highly significant correlation between both a long-term increase in ST segment and T wave height and fetal acidosis, found in this study, reflects earlier work by others in the experimental animal fetus. The findings suggest that continuous monitoring of the waveform of the fetal electrocardiogram in labour may give a much better prediction of fetal acidosis than is currently achieved with the monitoring of heart rate alone.
Technologies for CO{sub 2}-capture from advanced power-generation systems (1993)

The US power-generation industry generated about 1.5 billion metric tons of CO{sub 2} in 1990, with over 95% of that CO{sub 2} being generated by coal-fired utility boilers. Extensive use of coal for power generation is expected to continue for many years to come. Therefore, should capture and sequestration of CO{sub 2} be necessary, coal-fired power plants are likely to be primary targets for CO{sub 2} capture. This paper discusses opportunities and techniques for the capture of CO{sub 2} from the advanced power-generation systems that appear to be the leading candidates for widespread commercialization in the next two decades: integrated coal gasification-combined cycle (IGCC) and fuel cells. Retrofitting of conventional power plants for burning coal with O{sub 2} to facilitate CO{sub 2} capture was also investigated. A brief discussion of the impact of the CO{sub 2}-capture technology on the cost of power generation is also presented. Research and development needs of the CO{sub 2}-capture technologies are also identified. The results indicate that CO{sub 2} recovery from IGCC and fuel-cell plants is less complicated, less energy-intensive, and less costly than its recovery from conventional coal-fired power stations.
New records of Coprophilous Pyrenomycetes from Taiwan (III) (2003)

Five coprophilous Pyrenomycetes, Arnium macrotheca, Podospora araneosa, P. immersa, P. pleiospora, and Sordaria lappae are described and illustrated in this paper. They are reported for the first time in Taiwan.
Comparison of<i>Escherichia coli</i>Strains Recovered from Human Cystitis and Pyelonephritis Infections in Transurethrally Challenged Mice (1998)

Urinary tract infection, most frequently caused by Escherichia coli, is one of the most common bacterial infections in humans. A vast amount of literature regarding the mechanisms through which E. coli induces pyelonephritis has accumulated. Although cystitis accounts for 95% of visits to physicians for symptoms of urinary tract infections, few in vivo studies have investigated possible differences between E. coli recovered from patients with clinical symptoms of cystitis and that from patients with symptoms of pyelonephritis. Epidemiological studies indicate that cystitis-associated strains appear to differ from pyelonephritis-associated strains in elaboration of some putative virulence factors. With transurethrally challenged mice we studied possible differences using three each of the most virulent pyelonephritis and cystitis E. coli strains in our collection. The results indicate that cystitis strains colonize the bladder more rapidly than do pyelonephritis strains, while the rates of kidney colonization are similar. Cystitis strains colonize the bladder in higher numbers, induce more pronounced histologic changes in the bladder, and are more rapidly eliminated from the mouse urinary tract than pyelonephritis strains. These results provide evidence that cystitis strains differ from pyelonephritis strains in this model, that this model is useful for the study of the uropathogenicity of cystitis strains, and that it would be unwise to use pyelonephritis strains to study putative virulence factors important in the development of cystitis.
High Piezoelectric Activity in Nonpoled Thin Films Prepared by Vapor Deposition Polymerization (2008)

The piezoelectric constant of 50 pm V-1 and pyroelectric constant of 20 µC m-2 K-1 were obtained for polyurea thin films (∼300 nm) prepared by vapor deposition polymerization from methane diisocyanate and diaminofluorene. The pyroelectric signal and the infrared spectrum indicate that the dipoles of urea groups in the polymer were highly oriented normal to the surface of the aluminum substrate to induce remanent polarization without a conventional poling process. The piezoelectricity observed for the film is due to the coupling effect of the remanent polarization and electrostriction. No ferroelectric polarization reversal was observed for the film up to 390 K.
Effects of dihydropyridine calcium channel modulators on cardiac sodium channels (1988)

To investigate whether cardiac sodium channels have dihydropyridine (DHP) receptors we studied the effects of the optically pure (greater than 95%) enantiomers of the DHPs PN200-110 and BAY-K 8644 and the racemic DHP nitrendipine (NTD). Whole cell and single-channel sodium currents were recorded from cultured ventricular cells of neonatal rats using the patch-clamp method. NTD reduced cardiac sodium currents in a voltage-dependent manner. Inhibitory effects were due to an increase in traces without activity. The unit conductance remained unchanged. At negative holding potentials, NTD transiently increased the probability of channel opening. Both (+) and (-) PN 200-110 blocked sodium channels, although the (-) isomer was about one order of magnitude less effective. The blocking effects were voltage dependent. (+) BAY-K 8644 had similar blocking effects. (-) BAY-K 8644 produced an increase in sodium currents due to an increased frequency of channel openings and a marked prolongation of open time without any significant change in unit conductance. The DHPs have effects on cardiac sodium whole cell and single-channel currents that appear identical to and are as stereospecific as their effects on cardiac calcium currents, although the concentrations required are larger. In contrast the inwardly rectifying potassium channel (IK1) is unaffected by these DHPs. We conclude that functionally equivalent DHP receptors are present in cardiac sodium and calcium channels but not potassium channels and take this as evidence of the homology between sodium and calcium channels.
Real-time simulations of networks of Hodgkin-Huxley neurons using analog circuits (2006)

The traditional dilemma for performing network simulations with analog circuits is the great difficulty of handling the connectivity in hardware. The main problem is that hardware-based connectivit...
Parameter estimation of digital communication signal (2014)

Direct spread spectrum signal with high anti-interference property, It has the characteristics of pseudo noise. Research on direct spread spectrum signal parameter estimation has important practical significance. According to the transmission characteristics of direct spread spectrum signal, using the time domain correlation method to estimate pn code period and using the frequency domain smooth periodogram estimate chip rate, and using matrix decomposition method to restore the pseudo-code sequence, completed parameter estimation of direct spread spectrum signal.
Intrinsic disorder is essential for Cas9 inhibition of anti-CRISPR AcrIIA5 (2020)

Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPRs) and CRISPR-associated (Cas) proteins provide adaptive immunity to prokaryotes against invading phages and plasmids. As a countermeasure, phages have evolved anti-CRISPR (Acr) proteins that neutralize the CRISPR immunity. AcrIIA5, isolated from a virulent phage of Streptococcus thermophilus, strongly inhibits diverse Cas9 homologs, but the molecular mechanism underlying the Cas9 inhibition remains unknown. Here, we report the solution structure of AcrIIA5, which features a novel α/β fold connected to an N-terminal intrinsically disordered region (IDR). Remarkably, truncation of the N-terminal IDR abrogates the inhibitory activity against Cas9, revealing that the IDR is essential for Cas9 inhibition by AcrIIA5. Progressive truncations and mutations of the IDR illustrate that the disordered region not only modulates the association between AcrIIA5 and Cas9-sgRNA, but also alters the catalytic efficiency of the inhibitory complex. The length of IDR is critical for the Cas9-sgRNA recognition by AcrIIA5, whereas the charge content of IDR dictates the inhibitory activity. Conformational plasticity of IDR may be linked to the broad-spectrum inhibition of Cas9 homologs by AcrIIA5. Identification of the IDR as the main determinant for Cas9 inhibition expands the inventory of phage anti-CRISPR mechanisms.
Transcriptome Analysis Reveals Human Cytomegalovirus Reprograms Monocyte Differentiation toward an M1 Macrophage (2008)

Monocytes are primary targets for human CMV (HCMV) infection and are proposed to be responsible for hematogenous dissemination of the virus. Monocytes acquire different functional traits during polarization to the classical proinflammatory M1 macrophage or the alternative antiinflammatory M2 macrophage. We hypothesized that HCMV induced a proinflammatory M1 macrophage following infection to promote viral dissemination because, biologically, a proinflammatory state provides the tools to drive infected monocytes from the blood into the tissue. To test this hypothesis of monocyte conversion from a normal quiescent phenotype to an inflammatory phenotype, we used Affymetrix Microarray to acquire a transcriptional profile of infected monocytes at a time point our data emphasized is a key temporal regulatory point following infection. We found that HCMV significantly up-regulated 583 (5.2%) of the total genes and down-regulated 621 (5.5%) of the total genes>or=1.5-fold at 4 h postinfection. Further ontology analysis revealed that genes implicated in classical M1 macrophage activation were stimulated by HCMV infection. We found that 65% of genes strictly associated with M1 polarization were up-regulated, while only 4% of genes solely associated with M2 polarization were up-regulated. Analysis of the monocyte chemokinome at the transcriptional level showed that 44% of M1 and 33% of M2 macrophage chemokines were up-regulated. Proteomic analysis using chemokine Ab arrays confirmed the secretion of these chemotactic proteins from HCMV-infected monocytes. Overall, the results identify that the HCMV-infected monocyte transcriptome displayed a unique M1/M2 polarization signature that was skewed toward the classical M1 activation phenotype.
Static stress transfer and earthquake triggering: No lower threshold in sight? (2000)

The main objective of this study is to see if a lower threshold for earthquake triggering exists. Resolving this issue is important for the understanding of earthquake mechanics and for the purpose of hazard analysis. We compute the cumulative static stress changes imposed on 63 M ≥ 4.5 earthquakes in central California between 1969 and 1998, by adding the stress changes imposed by all previous M ≥ 4.5 earthquakes as a function of time prior to the events. We find that 85% of the cumulative stress changes at the time of rupture are positive for stress change magnitudes of >10 kPa (>0.1 bar), and 70% are positive for stress changes of <10 kPa (< 0.1 bar) as well as <1 kPa (<0.01 bar). A comparison between these results and those obtained for synthetic catalogs, in which the timing or focal mechanisms of the earthquakes were randomized, shows that this degree of triggering is very unlikely to be found in a random catalog. Thus we conclude that no lower threshold for earthquake triggering in central California has been found. We show that the temporal distribution of stress changes that discourage failure is consistent with the theoretical prediction that the time delay increases with the magnitude of the stress change.
Life Cycle Assessment of Neodymium-Iron-Boron Magnet-to-Magnet Recycling for Electric Vehicle Motors (2018)

Neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB) magnets offer the strongest magnetic field per unit volume, and thus, are widely used in clean energy applications such as electric vehicle motors. However, rare earth elements (REEs), which are the key materials for creating NdFeB magnets, have been subject to significant supply uncertainty in the past decade. NdFeB magnet-to-magnet recycling has recently emerged as a promising strategy to mitigate this supply risk. This paper assesses the environmental footprint of NdFeB magnet-to-magnet recycling by directly measuring the environmental inputs and outputs from relevant industries and compares the results with production from "virgin" materials, using life cycle assessments. It was found that magnet-to-magnet recycling lowers environmental impacts by 64-96%, depending on the specific impact categories under investigation. With magnet-to-magnet recycling, key processes that contribute 77-95% of the total impacts were identified to be (1) hydrogen mixing and milling (13-52%), (2) sintering and annealing (6-24%), and (3) electroplating (6-75%). The inputs from industrial sphere that play key roles in creating these impacts were electricity (24-93% of the total impact) and nickel (5-75%) for coating. Therefore, alternative energy sources such as wind and hydroelectric power are suggested to further reduce the overall environmental footprint of NdFeB magnet-to-magnet recycling.
Unexpected magnetism in gold nanostructures: making gold even more attractive (2011)

Gold nanostructures have attracted widespread attention due to their novel optical, electronic, and biocompatible properties. These make gold nanostructures (and in particular nanoparticles) very attractive for a variety of applications, including catalysis, therapeutics, diagnostics, sensing, and nanoelectronics. In this topical review, the newly discovered magnetic properties of gold nanostructures are highlighted. This unexpected magnetism in gold nanoparticles is a result of (1) the predominant effect of surfaces at the nanoscale, (2) the electronic modification to gold from strongly capping molecules, and (3) the strong spin–orbit coupling of gold. This review discusses the salient experimental results, a theoretical model, and closes by highlighting possible industrial applications of magnetic gold nanostructures.
Immunosuppression and Multiple Primary Malignancies in Kidney-Transplanted Patients: A Single-Institute Study (2015)

Immunodeficiency is associated with higher cancer incidence. However, it is unknown whether there is a link between immunodeficiency and development of multiple primary malignancies. In the present study we analyse this link focusing on kidney-transplanted patients, as they are at higher risk of developing cancer due to the chronic assumption of immunosuppressants. We followed up 1200 patients who underwent kidney transplantation between 1980 and 2012. A total of 77/1200 kidney-transplanted patients developed cancer and 24 of them developed multiple cancers. Most multiple cancers were synchronous with a nonsignificant association between cancer and rejection episodes. In the general cancer population, one-ninth of patients are at higher risk of developing a second tumor over a lifetime; hence it would be reasonable to conclude that, from a merely theoretical and statistical viewpoint, long-term transplanted patients potentially have a higher risk of developing MPMs. However, data did not confirm this assumption, probably because these patients die before a second primary malignancy appears. Despite many observations on the increased incidence of different tumor types in immunodeficient patients and despite immunosuppression certainly being a predisposing factor for the multicancer syndrome, data so far are not robust enough to justify a correlation between immunodeficiency and multiple primary malignancies in transplanted patients.