gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Comparative proteomic analysis coupled with conventional protein assay as a strategy to identify predictors of successful testicular sperm extraction in patients with non‐obstructive azoospermia (2013)

Among infertile couples, approximately half have to face with male infertility. In men with non-obstructive azoospermia, surgical retrieval testicular sperm extraction (TESE) of spermatozoa can be attempted, but with low success rates. A specific biomarker that could predict residual spermatogenesis would obviously be of interest before performing TESE. Thus, our aim was to identify biomarkers of residual spermatogenesis in seminal plasma of patients with non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) using an isotope-coded protein label (ICPL)-based proteomic strategy coupled with conventional protein assay. This retrospective study was conducted in 40 men with NOA at the University Hospital of Nantes and Proteomics Core facility Biogenouest - Inserm U1085 - IRSET, Rennes, France. Comparative ICPL proteomic screening of frozen seminal plasma and correlation with TESE outcome allowed the identification of some differentially expressed proteins. Among them, lectin galactoside-binding, soluble 3 binding protein (LGALS3BP) expression was further confirmed using conventional protein assay, and its interest as a predictor of TESE outcome was then evaluated and compared with conventional clinical and hormonal markers of residual spermatogenesis. Among the 12 differentially expressed proteins identified with comparative ICPL proteomic strategy, seminal LGALS3BP expression was found to be significantly higher in men with successful TESE. Finally, comparative ICPL proteomic screening of seminal plasma appears to be a promising approach for the identification of biomarkers of residual spermatogenesis. LGALS3BP, associated with clinical and hormonal markers, could potentially be used as a predictive marker of successful TESE outcome in patients with NOA.
A low-leakage power clamp ESD protection circuit with prolonged ESD discharge time and compact detection network (2015)

A novel power-rail ESD clamp circuit with a small time constant to achieve a longer turn-on time is proposed. During an ESD event, the turn-on time of discharge transistor Mbig in the proposed circuit is 5.87 times of that of the traditional one; under the normal power supply condition, the total leakage current has reduced to 4.635% compared with the leakage current of traditional circuit; under fast power supply condition, the proposed power-rail ESD clamp circuit can work efficiently with a turned off discharge transistor, thus avoiding the loss of power consumption due to the false triggering in traditional power-rail ESD clamp circuit.
Magneto-electric magnetic tunnel junction as process adder for non-volatile memory applications (2015)

Magneto-electric magnetic tunnel junction devices (ME-MTJ) show promise for beyond-CMOS memory applications. The advantages of these devices include non-volatility, easy integration with CMOS processing, high-density, low power consumption and high-speed operation. We discuss circuitry that allows the ME-MTJ devices to interface with SRAM memory, to create non-volatile storage elements. Various layouts are suggested for the circuit configurations, showing flexible integration in an efficient manner.
A robust and low power dual data rate (DDR) flip-flop using c-elements (2010)

To maintain the performance of digital systems, while reducing the energy consumption, implementation of dual edge flip flops has recently become the focus of many researchers. This paper presents a new robust and low power dual edge flip-flop using c-elements. Unlike the existing dual data rate (DDR) flip flops [1-4], the proposed circuit uses the direct clock pulses to latch the data, without a need for additional pulse generator circuitry for the clock signal, which lowers the clock dynamic power consumption by factor of 2×. Moreover, because of its simplicity with very low transistor count, it provides a more robust solution for DDR flip-flops. In comparison with ep-DSFF (explicit-pulsed static hybrid flop) [1] at 45 nm CMOS process, the proposed DDR-FF consumes 32% less power, with 12% less C2Q delay. The power-delay product of the proposed DDR-FF is 41% better than its counterpart, ep-DSFF. The proposed DDR-FF uses only 24 transistors and can easily be implemented into the cell libraries for high performance and low power ASIC design flow.
Theory of Single-Pulse Femtosecond Coherent Anti-Stokes Raman Scattering Using a Chirped Probe Beam (2008)

The theory of single-pulse, chirped-probe, femtosecond (fs) coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) for gas-phase temperature and species measurements is developed. The time-dependent density matrix equations are solved numerically for the fs CARS process.
NAF Filtercake Removal Using Microemulsion Technology (2007)

Abstract Traditional chemical methods for removal of non-aqueous fluid (NAF) filter cake and internal formation damage use acids, solvents and mutual solvents mixed in clear brine. In some cases, this conventional technology gives good results; but, in other instances, the results can be disappointing. A new generation of single-phase microemulsion stimulation fluids has been developed for removal of filter cake and formation damage in wells drilled with NAF systems. The development work included the design of microemulsion formulations, determination of the destruction rate of the filter cake with additives that prevent massive completion fluid losses, and evaluation of return permeability for injector and production wells. The driving mechanism of this technology is to obtain a near-zero free energy state between the novel microemulsion and the NAF filter cake or damaged formation face which promotes incorporation of the oil into the microemulsion and spontaneously reverses the wettability of the filter cake particles, disaggregating them so they are no longer damaging. The laboratory results described in this paper show that the novel microemulsion design delays its spontaneous action long enough to permit well completion operations without experiencing massive losses to the formation. Permeability data obtained demonstrate that this new technology is highly effective for enhanced water-injection and productivity.
Scaffold‐Free Fabrication of Osteoinductive Cellular Constructs Using Mouse Gingiva‐Derived Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (2016)

Three-dimensional (3D) cell constructs are expected to provide osteoinductive materials to develop cell-based therapies for bone regeneration. The proliferation and spontaneous aggregation capability of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) thus prompted us to fabricate a scaffold-free iPSC construct as a transplantation vehicle. Embryoid bodies of mouse gingival fibroblast-derived iPSCs (GF-iPSCs) were seeded in a cell chamber with a round-bottom well made of a thermoresponsive hydrogel. Collected ball-like cell constructs were cultured in osteogenic induction medium for 30 days with gentle shaking, resulting in significant upregulation of osteogenic marker genes. The constructs consisted of an inner region of unstructured cell mass and an outer osseous tissue region that was surrounded by osteoblast progenitor-like cells. The outer osseous tissue was robustly calcified with elemental calcium and phosphorous as well as hydroxyapatite. Subcutaneous transplantation of the GF-iPSC constructs into immunodeficient mice contributed to extensive ectopic bone formation surrounded by teratoma tissue. These results suggest that mouse GF-iPSCs could facilitate the fabrication of osteoinductive scaffold-free 3D cell constructs, in which the calcified regions and surrounding osteoblasts may function as scaffolds and drivers of osteoinduction, respectively. With incorporation of technologies to inhibit teratoma formation, this system could provide a promising strategy for bone regenerative therapies.
An efficient red eye reduction technique (2012)

Automatic Red Eye Reduction (RER) technique is one of the essential components for imaging device with flash. We present an efficient RER technique that performs red eye detection followed by a verification procedure and an artifact free red eye correction method. The integral projection based method of red eye detection is fast and efficient in handling wide range of variations in pose, scale, and image quality. To reduce the false positives a novel verification method is used. Finally a simple color correction technique followed by a gaussian smoothing is shown to provide a natural looking red eye correction. To reduce the computational complexity, red eye detection is performed on low resolution image and map them efficiently to high resolution image. The proposed method has been compared with state-of-the-art commercial solution and it is found have better RER accuracy. The overall solution is computational cost effective which makes it feasible for use in low power imaging devices.
The hydraulic performance of the storm chamber in a new manhole designed for separate sewer systems (2020)

This paper presents the hydraulic study of a new manhole geometry, designed to allow the installation of separate sewer systems in narrow streets. The new manhole design comprises two chambers in one structure to manage separate flows. The new shape of the manhole generates a new flow pattern for stormwater. It is therefore important to understand the hydraulic properties of sewer systems using the newly designed stormwater manhole chamber. The present study focuses on exploring the hydraulic performance of the storm chamber, which is usually characterized by significant head losses and shockwaves, these related to different flow regimes. A physical model was used to carry out a systematic experiment to explore the flow characteristics of the manhole under both subcritical and transitional flow conditions. The results revealed an enhancement in head loss with higher amplitude waves generated at transition flow when compared with a conventional manhole.
Laser welding components for electric vehicles with a high-power blue laser system (2020)

Welding copper to itself and other metals is challenging using conventional welding techniques. The process window for welding copper with an infrared (IR) laser, resistance welder, or an ultrasonic welder is very narrow. In the case of the infrared laser, the high reflectivity at these wavelengths makes it difficult to couple the power into the material and control the temperature of the weld puddle. In the case of ultrasonic and resistive welding, the high thermal conductivity of the material and the tendency to create particles cause less than ideal welds. These fundamental problems can be overcome by using a laser with a wavelength that is highly absorbed by these materials. This paper will present recent welding results using a fiber coupled 500-W blue laser system coupled to a welding head to deliver a 215 μm spot size and an average power density of 1.6 MW/cm2. These results will be compared with the authors’ previous results from a free space delivered laser system that was the prototype for the 500-W fiber coupled laser. The fiber coupled laser system performance exceeded the free space performance because of two factors: (1) the welding was able to be performed at normal incidence (90°) to the surface allowing for greater power coupling into the copper and (2) a smaller spot size with a higher power density was used (1.6 MW/cm2 vs 398 kW/cm2). Tests on welding battery components, including stacks of foils, buss bars, hairpins (for motors), and other components, with no porosity and no spatter will be covered. Both copper and mixed metals welding results will be presented. Tests have also been performed with 1 kW of laser power from a processing head with a 400 μm spot size and an average power density of 800 kW/cm2. Both systems have enough power density to initiate the keyhole welding process in copper, stainless steel, and aluminum. The difference in welding speeds for these two systems will be compared in this paper.
Test Procedure for the Quantification of Rolling Tire Belt Vibrations (1997)

ABSTRACT The ride comfort on uneven roads is affected by vibrations of the tire which contribute to the audible noise inside the car. For any efficient development process, objective testing is essential to obtain a physical understanding of the vibrational behavior. The results of vehicle road testing show that tire modes have an influence on both the accelerations of the axles and on the interior sound pressure. Changes in tire design result in changes of frequency and damping of the belt modes. Indoor testing was carried out with a measuring hub, while the tire was running on a cleated drum. Concerning the vertical forces, the vibrational behavior of the tire can be described by the enveloping process, measured at very low speeds, and the transfer behavior of the tire, defined by a transfer function. Based on this model, a test procedure is derived which allows the measurement of frequency and damping of the first vertical belt mode and of the torsional belt mode. The influence of the inflation pressure and of the tread compound's physical properties is discussed. Measurements on different test stands show, that belt vibrations can be influenced by insufficient stiffness of the test stand.
Multiple-aperture telescope array with a high fill factor (2002)

Traditionally a telescope system consists of a large collecting element, usually called the primary, located at the entrance pupil and some smaller elements to relay or convey the light to an image plane. As telescope systems become larger and larger, in order to achieve higher resolution and collect more light, a point is reached where the size of the required elements exceeds the current state of the art in fabrication and support. For telescopes larger than this, the entrance pupil must either be divided into manageable segments, or the entrance pupil is divided into an array of separate telescopes. A multiple telescope array consists of afocal collector telescopes distributed in the entrance pupil, relay optics to bring the light to the center and control tilt and piston errors, and a focal combiner telescope to form the image. Sparse telescope arrays have been designed for various applications. This paper addresses the issues and design constraints leading to a multiple telescope array with a high fill factor.
Differential distribution of DNA methylation within the RASSF1A CpG island in breast cancer. (2003)

Aberrant DNA methylation of promoter CpG islands is associated with transcriptionally repressive heterochromatin in neoplasia. The dynamics of this epigenetic process in mediating the transition from an active to an inactive state of transcription remains to be elucidated, however. Here, we used the methylation-specific oligonucleotide microarray to map the methylation patterns of a CpG island, located within the promoter and the first exon regions of RASSF1A, in normal breast tissue controls, primary tumors, and breast cancer cell lines. Oligonucleotide pairs, spaced along the CpG island region, were designed to discriminate between methylated and unmethylated alleles of selected sites. The methylation-specific oligonucleotide data indicate that the majority of test samples show widespread methylation in the first exon of RASSF1A. In contrast, the promoter area was usually undermethylated in normal controls and in 32% of the primary tumors tested, whereas the rest of the primary tumors and breast cancer cell lines showed various degrees of methylation in the region. Methylation profiling of individual tumors further suggest that DNA methylation progressively spreads from the first exon into the promoter area of this gene. Functional analysis indicates that increased density of RASSF1A promoter methylation is associated with altered chromatin, marked by a depletion of acetylated histones and methylated histone 3-lysine 4 and an enrichment of methylated histone 3-lysine 9 in the studied area. The combination of these epigenetic modifications may engender a stable silencing of the gene in breast cancer cells. Thus, this study underscores the importance of detailed mapping of methylation patterns within a CpG island locus that may provide insights into the progressive nature of aberrant DNA methylation and its relationship with transcriptional silencing during the neoplastic process.
Ultra High-Speed Optical Transmission based on LDPC-Coded Modulation and Coherent Detection for Employment in All-Optical Network Scenario (2007)

The coded modulation schemes enabling 100+ Gb/s transmission by using commercially available components operating at 40 Giga symbols/s have been proposed and discussed in this paper. We considered bit-interleaved coded modulation (BICM) in combination with the low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes that are used as component codes, and in combination with coherent detection scheme. It was shown that coherent detection scheme outperforms the direct detection one and provides additional margin needed for application in an all-optical network scenario.
Skewless Network Clock Synchronization Without Discontinuity: Convergence and Performance (2014)

This paper examines synchronization of computer clocks connected via a data network and proposes a skewless algorithm to synchronize them. Unlike existing solutions, which either estimate and compensate the frequency difference (skew) among clocks or introduce offset corrections that can generate jitter and possibly even backward jumps, our solution achieves synchronization without these problems. We first analyze the convergence property of the algorithm and provide explicit necessary and sufficient conditions on the parameters to guarantee synchronization. We then study the effect of noisy measurements (jitter) and frequency drift (wander) on the offsets and synchronization frequency, and further optimize the parameter values to minimize their variance. Our study reveals a few insights, for example, we show that our algorithm can converge even in the presence of timing loops and noise, provided that there is a well defined leader. This marks a clear contrast with current standards such as NTP and PTP, where timing loops are specifically avoided. Furthermore, timing loops can even be beneficial in our scheme as it is demonstrated that highly connected subnetworks can collectively outperform individual clients when the time source has large jitter. The results are supported by experiments running on a cluster of IBM BladeCenter servers with Linux.
Normal human immunoglobulins for intravenous use (IVIg) delay hyperacute xenograft rejection through F(ab′)2-mediated anti-complement activity (1997)

Xenotransplantation between discordant species leads to a hyperacute rejection mediated by natural antibodies, both of the IgG and IgM isotypes, activation of complement and endothelial cell activation. The combination of these mechanisms leads to a transplant survival of minutes to a few hours. Polyclonal human immunoglobulins for intravenous use (IVIg) from normal donors have proved effective in a number of antibody-mediated disorders, as well as in inflammatory disorders. We demonstrate that administration of IVIg in a guinea pig to rat model of cardiac xenografting can effectively delay hyperacute rejection. This effect is mediated by the F(ab')2 fragments of IVIg, and is correlated to an anti-complementary activity.
Assessment of Bone Quality by Quantitative Ultrasound Measurement (2013)

LD-100 can provide with bone parameters displaying similar reliability to peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT). In addition, the cancellous bone elasticity related to bone quality can be obtained. I. INTRODUCTION Bone strength depends not only on bone mineral density (BMD) but also on a range of other parameters which contribute to bone quality. X-ray bone densitometer is the reference method for determining BMD. Quantitative ultrasound (QUS) is expected as a method that will give insights about the bone quality, but its parameters are not direct mechanical properties. In this paper, we propose a new evaluation method for bone quality. II. PRINCIPLES AND EQUIPMENT When a short pulse in the MHz range is applied to cancellous bone, it gives birth to two waves: a fast wave, and a slow wave. The fast wave changes according to the porous network structure of trabeculae, the bone density and its elastic coefficients. The slow wave in cancellous bone is thought to vary according to the elastic behavior of bone marrow filling the pore space (1). The authors have developed bone strength measurement equipment, LD-100 (Fig.1), based on the principle of the ultrasonic two wave phenomenon. The measurement site is selected at the distal radius, at the same spot as the peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT). Making use of the two wave properties (amplitude and velocity) and echo wave, LD-100 retrieves real unit of BMD (mg/cm3) and elasticity (GPa) of the cancellous bone and also the thickness (mm) of cortical bone. Elasticity is evaluated by the velocity of fast wave and the BMD on the basis of clear causality concerning the two waves (2). III. RESULTS OF CLINICAL STUDIES (3)-(5) Authors have compared the values obtained by both LD-100 and pQCT. Fig. 2 shows the cancellous bone's BMD. Fig. 3 shows the cortical bone thickness. Highly significant correlations were found in both. In another study, the elasticity and BMD measured with LD-100 could be used to accurately discriminate whether the subjects had a vertebral fracture or not. The areas under the ROC curves were 0.842 and 0.852.
(Pyrimidinyloxy)acetic acids and pyrimidineacetic acids as a novel class of aldose reductase inhibitors (1990)

Pyrimidineacetic acids and (pyrimidinyloxy)acetic acids were synthesized by alkylation, with methyl bromoacetate or tert-butyl bromoacetate as alkylating agents. Alkylation reaction at the nitrogen or oxygen atom for different substrates was found to be solvent dependent. N-Alkylation was favored in ethereal solvent, e.g., tetrahydrofuran and dimethoxyethane, whereas O-alkylation was predominant in dimethylformamide. These compounds were tested in vitro to determine their ability to inhibit bovine lens aldose reductase. Selected compounds were assayed in vivo, in a 4-day galactose-fed rat model. The decrease in galactitol from the control was determined in lens, nerve, and diaphragm. Several of the 6-oxopyrimidine-1-acetic acids and (pyrimidinyl-4-oxy)acetic acids were found to be potent inhibitors of bovine lens aldose reductase. A study was also undertaken to determine in vitro the transport behavior of selected compounds in the isolated rat sciatic nerve. A discussion of the structure-activity relationship of this class of compounds with reference to their intrinsic biochemical activity is reported. It is concluded, in general, that ability of a compound to penetrate the tissue membrane plays an important role in the genesis of in vivo lens aldose reductase (LAR) inhibitory activity.