gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
A gene therapy approach to accelerating bone healing (1999)

It has been demonstrated that BMPs, IGFs, and TGFbetas improve the process of bone healing in vivo. We have suggested the use of gene therapy as a possible way to deliver growth factors to fracture sites in order to improve repair. The aim of this study was to develop a minimally invasive gene therapy approach to treat bone injuries locally without damaging the local blood circulation. A segmental defect of 1.3 cm was created in the diaphysis of the femur in mature NZW rabbits. Internal fixation with 7-hole DCP plates and 2.7 mm screws was used to stabilize the bone. After building a chamber by tightly closing the muscles around the segmental defect, 0.5 ml of either saline solution or a collagen gel containing 1 x 10(10) particles of adenovirus carrying cDNA encoding either the bacterial beta-galactosidase gene (LacZ), or the firefly luciferase gene were injected into the gap. The control side received 0.5 ml of saline solution without virus particles. Bone marrow, cortical and trabecular bone and surrounding muscle were harvested from the injected femur and were analyzed for local gene expression through X-gal staining or measurement of local luciferase activity. To determine whether distant sites were transduced, tissue from the spleen, liver, and lung were harvested as well as bone, bone marrow and muscle from the contralateral diaphysis of the femur. The delivery of the adenoviral vector suspended in saline solution led to local transduction of the bone, bone marrow and the muscle surrounding the gap. No luciferase activity was found in the contralateral femur, lung, or spleen, and only transient luciferase activity was seen in the liver. While marker gene expression persisted within the surrounding soft tissues for at least 2 weeks, the expression in bone lasted up to 6 weeks. This study has shown that it is possible to use adenoviral vectors to transfer and express genes locally within a segmental defect. Gene expression persisted for several weeks, which may be already sufficient to accelerate repair.
31.3: A New Type of Liquid Crystal Diffractive Light Valve with Very Small Pixel Size (2002)

Abstract Polymer wall confined switchable diffractive liquid crystal light valve is investigated by two‐dimensional finite‐difference time‐domain (FDTD) optical simulations and liquid crystal director calculations. The calculated brightness vs. device pixel size and the number of turn “ON” pixels are provided. The results indicate that this kind of device is very promising candidate for high resolution and high brightness projection displays.
Model-Driven Refactoring Approaches: A Comparison Criteria (2012)

Model-driven engineering, an emerging trend in software engineering, has enabled the application of refactoring to UML models. Due to its growing popularity in the domain of refactoring, a number of approaches to specify models and transformation rules have been proposed in literature. A comparison framework is required by researchers and practitioners to guide them in selecting an appropriate approach suitable to their specific needs and trade-offs. In this paper, we provide a set of suitable criteria to evaluate and compare the various model refactoring approaches that can aid practitioners and researchers in the selection process. The paper also compares the refactoring approaches against the framework.
Cosmic-Ray Muon Imaging of Fukushima Daiichi (2014)

Reactor imaging using scattering of cosmic-ray muon is proposed to assess the damages to the reactors at Fukushima Daiichi. Simulation studies showed feasibility of the reactor imaging with muons, and the technique has been demonstrated at a research reactor, Toshiba Nuclear Critical Assembly, where the reactor core was imaged with spatial resolution of 3 cm after 1 month of exposure time.
Locally produced C5a binds to T cell–expressed C5aR to enhance effector T-cell expansion by limiting antigen-induced apoptosis (2008)

Our recent studies have shown that immune cell-produced complement provides costimulatory and survival signals to naive CD4(+) T cells. Whether these signals are similarly required during effector cell expansion and what molecular pathways link locally produced complement to T-cell survival were not clarified. To address this, we stimulated monoclonal and polyclonal T cells in vitro and in vivo with antigen-presenting cells (APCs) deficient in the complement regulatory protein, decay accelerating factor (DAF), and/or the complement component C3. We found that T-cell expansion induced by DAF-deficient APCs was augmented with diminished T-cell apoptosis, whereas T-cell expansion induced by C3(-/-) APCs was reduced because of enhanced T-cell apoptosis. These effects were traced to locally produced C5a, which through binding to T cell-expressed C5aR, enhanced expression of Bcl-2 and prevented Fas up-regulation. The results show that C5aR signal transduction in T cells is important to allow optimal T-cell expansion, as well as to maintain naive cell viability, and does so by suppressing programmed cell death.
New Approach To Guidance Law Design (2005)

The proposed new guidance law design approach enables us to create laws that improve the effectiveness of the proportional navigation law. This new class of the guidance laws is developed based on the Lyapunov method. The new laws will augment the proportional navigation law which is a part of these laws; additional components are selected based on the negative definiteness of the derivative of the Lyapunov function. The guidance law components are determined based on the partial stability of the guidance system dynamics under consideration and only with respect to the line-of-sight derivative. The comparative analysis of the modified proportional navigation algorithms with the traditional proportional navigation law showed that the new guidance laws guarantee shorter homing time requirements and larger capture area.
Synthesis of porous spherical silicon oxynitride material and evaluation of its properties in reversed-phase chromatographic separation (2013)

Silica has been widely used as HPLC column packing material. However, the fact that base can attack the silanol and dissolve the silica embarrasses the utilization of silica stationary phase in high pH mobile phases (pH >8). In our previous research, the use of porous spherical silicon oxynitride (sph-SiON) material from high temperature nitridation of silica microspheres as stationary phase for HPLC has been explored, and the sph-SiON is stable to alkaline mobile phases and demonstrates excellent separation of a variety of polar compounds in hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) mode. Herein, the degree of nitridation was studied as a function of temperature of nitridation at 750-1 050 degrees C, yielding the silicon oxynitride with 0.40%-12.0% (mass fraction) nitrogen from elemental analysis. At the temperature of 1 050 degrees C, the nitrogen content increased from 12.0% to 24.5% with the nitridation time increasing from 20 h to 120 h. The sph-SiON is stable when disposed in different pH aqueous solutions for one week. The sph-SiON material can be modified to give hydrophobic surface through the reaction of surface Si-NHx with dimethyloctadecylchlorosilane. Elemental analysis and 13C cross-polarization magic-angle spinning (CP/MAS) NMR spectrum of C18-sph-SiON prove the integration of C18 alkyl groups attached onto the sph-SiON surface. The chromatographic evaluation of C18-sph-SiON in reversed-phase separation mode was performed with alkylbenzenes as hydrophobic probes. Three alkylbenzene compounds can be separated and retained well on C18-sph-SiON even in the mobile phase of methanol/H2O (70/30, v/v) with 78 507 plates/m, and an excellent tailing factor (0.95) can be obtained for ethylbenzene. In comparison with C18-SiO2, C18-sph-SiON shows distinct differences with respect to different classes of analytes, i. e. neutral analyte naphthalene, acidic analyte ibuprofen, and basic analyte amitriptyline.
Trans-pars-planar illumination enables a 200° ultra-wide field pediatric fundus camera for easy examination of the retina (2019)

This study is to test the feasibility of using trans-pars-planar illumination for ultra-wide field pediatric fundus photography. Fundus examination of the peripheral retina is essential for clinical management of pediatric eye diseases. However, current pediatric fundus cameras with traditional trans-pupillary illumination provide a limited field of view (FOV), making it difficult to access the peripheral retina adequately for a comprehensive assessment of eye conditions. Here, we report the first demonstration of trans-pars-planar illumination in ultra-wide field pediatric fundus photography. For proof-of-concept validation, all off-the-shelf optical components were selected to construct a lab prototype pediatric camera (PedCam). By freeing the entire pupil for imaging purpose only, the trans-pars-planar illumination enables a 200° FOV PedCam, allowing easy visualization of both the central and peripheral retina up to the ora serrata. A low-cost, easy-to-use ultra-wide field PedCam provides a unique opportunity to foster affordable telemedicine in rural and underserved areas.
Development and validation of a 36-gene sequencing assay for hereditary cancer risk assessment (2017)

The past two decades have brought many important advances in our understanding of the hereditary susceptibility to cancer. Numerous studies have provided convincing evidence that identification of germline mutations associated with hereditary cancer syndromes can lead to reductions in morbidity and mortality through targeted risk management options. Additionally, advances in gene sequencing technology now permit the development of multigene hereditary cancer testing panels. Here, we describe the 2016 revision of the Counsyl Inherited Cancer Screen for detecting single-nucleotide variants (SNVs), short insertions and deletions (indels), and copy number variants (CNVs) in 36 genes associated with an elevated risk for breast, ovarian, colorectal, gastric, endometrial, pancreatic, thyroid, prostate, melanoma, and neuroendocrine cancers. To determine test accuracy and reproducibility, we performed a rigorous analytical validation across 341 samples, including 118 cell lines and 223 patient samples. The screen achieved 100% test sensitivity across different mutation types, with high specificity and 100% concordance with conventional Sanger sequencing and multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA). We also demonstrated the screen's high intra-run and inter-run reproducibility and robust performance on blood and saliva specimens. Furthermore, we showed that pathogenic Alu element insertions can be accurately detected by our test. Overall, the validation in our clinical laboratory demonstrated the analytical performance required for collecting and reporting genetic information related to risk of developing hereditary cancers.
Implementation of vortex wake control using SMA-actuated devices (1997)

Mitigation of the undesirable effects of trailing vortex wakes has been a long-standing priority for both reduction of submarine wake signature and alleviation of aircraft vortex wake hazard. A recent study established the feasibility of using relatively weak, secondary vortices with carefully selected unsteady amplitude and phasing to accelerate the breakup of the primary vortex system of a lifting surface, a technique denoted `vortex leveraging'. This paper will summarize progress on the development of SMA-actuated devices for implementing vortex leveraging for hydrodynamic applications. The methods being applied to the hydrodynamic design of these deformable Smart Vortex Leveraging Tabs (SVLTs) will be described, and the results of a preliminary assessment of SVLT performance in achieving wake breakup will be presented. Also, previous work on the design and testing of deformable control surfaces actuated via embedded SMA agonist wires will be reviewed and the design process being employed in the present applications will be discussed. Finally, the plans for near-term computational and experimental work to validate the use of SMA-driven devices for the wake mitigation task will be briefly outlined.
Pretreatment with Pancaspase Inhibitor (Z-VAD-FMK) Delays but Does Not Prevent Intraperitoneal Heat-Killed Group B Streptococcus-Induced Preterm Delivery in a Pregnant Mouse Model (2009)

Caspases and apoptosis are thought to play a role in infection-associated preterm-delivery. We have shown that in vitro treatment with pancaspase inhibitor Z-VAD-FMK protects trophoblasts from microbial antigen-induced apoptosis. Objective. To examine whether in vivo administration of Z-VAD-FMK would prevent infection-induced preterm-delivery. Methods. We injected 14.5 day-pregnant-mice with heat-killed group B streptococcus (HK-GBS). Apoptosis within placentas and membranes was assessed by TUNEL staining. Calpain expression and caspase-3 activation were assessed by immunohistochemistry. Preterm-delivery was defined as expulsion of a fetus within 48 hours after injection. Results. Intrauterine (i.u.) or intraperitoneal (i.p.) HK-GBS injection led to preterm-delivery and induced apoptosis in placentas and membranes at 14 hours. The expression of calpain, a caspase-independent inducer of apoptosis, was increased in placenta. Treatment with the specific caspase inhibitor Z-VAD-FMK (i.p.) prior to HK-GBS (i.p.) delayed but did not prevent preterm-delivery. Conclusion. Caspase-dependent apoptosis appears to play a role in the timing but not the occurrence of GBS-induced preterm delivery in the mouse.
Broadband RF disambiguation in subsampled analog optical links via intentionally-introduced sampling jitter (2014)

We introduce a novel technique for broadband RF disambiguation which exploits a known jitter imparted onto the sampling rate of an optical pulse source in a subsampled analog optical link. Coarse disambiguation to bandwidths equal to the sample rate is achieved using pure tones as example waveforms by comparing the amplitude of the jitter-induced sidebands relative to the measured signal within the fundamental Nyquist band (frep/2). This sampling technique allows for ultra-wideband signal recovery with a single measurement. In a first-of-its-kind photonics demonstration we show reliable disambiguation for signals with center frequencies spanning 1 MHz - 40 GHz.
A low-noise receiver for multichannel wireless neural recording (2008)

We present a high performance wideband receiver for multichannel wireless implantable neural recording systems (WINeR) utilizing pulse width modulation of time division multiplexed (PWM-TDM) samples. The receiver consists of a 50 MHz approximately 1 GHz tunable down-converter with 75 MHz bandwidth, frequency shift keying and PWM demodulators, and a high throughput USB interface. Several IF gain stages, passive LC filters, and an FPGA-based time-to-digital converter (TDC) with time interval resolution of 428 ps have significantly enhanced the receiver performance and extended its receiving range. A 2 MB SDRAM is used as a buffer between the TDC and USB to ensure continuous throughput for the digitized raw data at data rates up to 10 Mb/s. The receiver performance is evaluated with a 6-channel WINeR transmitter, showing that the entire system input referred noise with this receiver is 9.8 and 12.7 microV(rms) at 0.5 and 3.5 m distances, respectively, which are equivalent to 8.2 and 7.9 bits of resolution at 640 ksample/s.
Active metamaterial incorporating gain device/medium: A review (2014)

Metamaterials intrigue many exciting applications in the broad electromagnetic spectrum ranging from microwave to optics. However, many of the envisaged applications still remain in theory, largely because of the intrinsic loss and dispersion associated with passive metamaterials. Incorporating active devices or media into conventional passive metamaterial structures for loss compensation, as well as dispersion control, is very attractive and may finally enable many desired applications. In addition, because of the added design degree of freedom in active metamaterials, new and rich physical phenomena and insights can be discovered. In this paper, we review the recent progress in the realm of active, gain-assisted metamaterials. Physical limitations on loss and bandwidth of metamaterials are firstly discussed. Recent experimental efforts in transmission-line and volumetric metamaterials with net gain in the microwave and optical regime are then examined. The idea of utilizing non-Foster active devices to reduce the dispersion and achieve broad bandwidth is also presented. Finally, one of the important issues of active metamaterial design, stability, is briefly discussed.
Road Surface Classification Using Automotive Ultrasonic Sensor (2016)

This work examines the method of road surface classification, based on the analysis of backscattered ultrasonic signals. The novelty of our research is the extraction of signal features for separate swathes of illuminated surface (segmentation) and the use of a wide range of statistical methods in real on-road and off-road driving conditions. The errors caused by the influence of environmental conditions and the vehicle movement were analysed, and ways to reduce them were suggested. The results demonstrate the feasibility of reliable surface classification using the proposed methodology.
Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Microscopy (2008)

Interferometric synthetic aperture microscopy (ISAM) provides high-resolution three-dimensional optical images of highly-scattering samples with large depth-of-field without scanning the focal plane. ISAM can function in real-time to provide volumes of microscopic data from biological specimens.
Animal Models for Peritoneal Dialysis (1999)

p eritoneal dialysis is an accepted and still growing method of replacement therapy in patients with end-stage renal failure. However, because it has some limitations and disadvantages, its future depends on innovations that will make the treatment more effective and eliminate or maximally reduce its side effects. Such improvements are especially important in uremic patients who have no residual renal function. It is also important to preserve the peritoneal membrane and to prevent the development of fibrotic changes in the peritoneum. Since the end of the 1980s, the rapid development of experimental in vitro techniques, based on a better understanding of molecular biology, has resulted in a relative decrease in the number of peritoneal dialysis studies performed on animals. With the introduction of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialy sis (CAPD) and the prolongation of its duration up to several years, new challenges appeared, such as bioincompatibility of dialysis fluids and resulting damage to the peritoneum with subsequent loss of ultrafiltration. These complications became priorities in peritoneal dialysis research (1). Many excellent in vitro studies have determined which components of conventional dialysis fluids are responsible for bioincompatibility (2). Further re search has suggested what alterations in the composition of dialysis fluids will make them more biocompatible (3). Here, a major advance was the introduction of solutions with neutral pH and bicarbonate, or a mixture of bicarbonate and lactate as buffers. However, despite much information (derived from in vitro experiments) about the superiority of such solutions over conventional, acidic, lactate-buffered
An Online Multi-lidar Dynamic Occupancy Mapping Method (2019)

Occupancy maps offer a useful representation of the environment for applications in automated driving and robotics. If created from 3D lidar scanners, they can be very accurate. Traditional static occupancy mapping methods are not able to represent a changing environment. In this paper, we present a novel dynamic occupancy mapping (DOM) algorithm. Inspired by the phase congruency idea from computer vision, it has an intuitive formulation and yet is effective in practice. In addition, our framework provides solutions to several common challenges during occupancy mapping, such as multi-lidar fusion and ground estimation. Finally, we use several experiments to quantitatively evaluate the quality of DOM's output and our algorithm runs in real-time (10Hz).
The Influence of Nickel-Hydroxide Composition and Microstructure on the High-Temperature Performance of Nickel Metal Hydride Batteries (2006)

A special precipitation process developed at Ovonic Battery Company has been utilized to produce spherical, high-density nickel-hydroxide powders with different chemical compositions. These powders were tested in sealed, cylindrical C-cell size nickel metal hydride batteries to study the effect of chemical composition on high-temperature performance. Charging measurements were made at 25, 45, and . It was found that coprecipitated cobalt in the presence of magnesium, zinc, and calcium increases the voltage gap between the oxygen-evolution potential and the midpoint voltage of the battery. The larger voltage gap dramatically increases the charge acceptance of the battery, improving its charging efficiency (normalized to the room-temperature value) from around 50% for conventional nickel hydroxide to 85% for the improved materials when measured at .
Quantum mechanics in structure-based drug design. (2006)

In principle, quantum mechanics provides a more accurate representation of molecular systems than other modeling approaches. While this notion is not a matter of dispute, it has not yet been definitively demonstrated within the realm of structure-based drug design that the use of quantum mechanical methods over the use of classical modeling approaches is justified in consideration of the increase in expense associated with quantum mechanical methods. Demonstrating that quantum mechanics-based methods can be superior to simpler models, and resolving problems relating to estimating the effects of conformational entropy, will provide key areas of interest in the coming years for in silico structure-based drug design. Recent applications using quantum mechanical methods in structure-based drug design are reviewed herein, and applications ranging from scoring receptor-ligand interactions using quantum mechanics to the generation of quantitative structure-activity relationships using quantum mechanics-derived descriptors are discussed.
Stability of a guest protein depends on stability of a host protein in insertional fusion (2010)

Insertional fusion between host and guest protein domains has been employed to create multi-domain protein complexes displaying integrated and coupled functionalities. The effects of insertional fusion on the stability of a guest protein are however rather controversial. In the study described here, we examined whether the stability of inserted TEM1 beta-lactamase (BLA), as a guest protein, might be affected by the stability of a maltodextrin-binding protein (MBP), as a host protein. Our results indicate that expression levels and in vitro stability of the BLA domain were significantly higher when inserted into thermophilic MBP from Pyrococcus furiosus (PfMBP) compared to mesophilic MBP from Escherichia coli (EcMBP). Moreover, insertion into PfMBP at selected sites was found to improve thermal stability of the BLA domain without compromise in expression levels and BLA activity. Kinetic stabilization during prolonged thermal denaturation of the BLA domain was not guaranteed by insertion into PfMBP, but rather relied on the insertion sites. Taken together, we provide evidence that (i) the stability of the guest protein depended on the stability of the host protein in insertional fusion and (ii) insertion into PfMBP, at least at selected locations, can serve as a novel method of improving protein thermal stability.