gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Soy‐based polyurethanes by nonisocyanate route (2008)

Abstract Polyurethanes by a nonisocyanate route were prepared by reacting carbonated soybean oil with different diamines. The effect of amine structure and carbonate to amine ratio on polyurethane structure and mechanical, physical, and swelling properties was studied. The reactants 1,2‐ethylenediamine, 1,4‐butylenediamine, and 1,6‐hexamethylenediamine were used with the carbonate to amine ratio of 1 : 0.5, 1 : 1, and 1 : 2. It was found that along with urethane formation, the amine group reacted with ester groups to form amides. All amines produced elastomeric polyurethanes with glass transitions between 0 and 40°C and hardness between 40 and 90 Shore A. The reaction of epoxidized soybean oil with carbon dioxide was optimized resulting in complete conversion of epoxy to cyclic carbonate groups ending in polyurethanes with higher crosslinking density and much higher tensile strength than previously reported for similar polyurethanes. Swelling in toluene and water depended on crosslinking density and the polarity of polyurethane networks controlled by the cyclic carbonate‐to‐amine‐ratio. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008
Postoperative Kinematics in Structural Scoliosis (1977)

Three cases with idiopathic, structural scoliosis were examined postoperatively with a roentgen stereophotogrammetric method. Curvatures developed in both the frontal and sagittal planes. Axial rotation also occurred. In addition, residual mobility was demonstrated and quantified one year postoperatively.
Comparing ectopic bone growth induced by rhBMP‐2 on an absorbable collagen sponge in rat and rabbit models (2006)

Recombinant human Bone Morphogenetic Protein-2 (rhBMP-2) is currently employed as an autograft replacement for spinal fusion. The morphogen is incorporated onto its carrier, an absorbable collagen sponge (ACS), in the operating room. Although the effectiveness of the rhBMP-2/ACS implant in stimulating bone formation in human subjects has now been well established, further investigations of its use are necessary to deepen our understanding of its performance. The objective of the present study was to determine whether fluid released from the rhBMP-2/ACS implant could induce bone growth in tissue sites away from the implant site. We first measured the amount of protein in the fluid released from the rhBMP-2-soaked ACS during intraoperative handling. Variables included soak time and degree of compression. In the compression group that most closely approximated intraoperative conditions, more than 95% of the rhBMP-2 protein was retained by the ACS following a 15-min. soak time. This in vitro study was followed by an in vivo ectopic implant experiment using rat and rabbit models. The animal investigation compared the amount of bone induced by rhBMP-2 solution alone versus the de novo bone formation induced by rhBMP-2/ACS implants with varying concentrations of rhBMP-2. No ossicles were found at the sites where rhBMP-2 solution was injected in either animal species. Twenty-two of the 24 subcutaneous sites in the rats implanted with the rhBMP-2/ACS constructs displayed the presence of the typical 4- and 12-week ossicle. There were no noticeable differences in the size and shape of the ossicles after 4 and 12 weeks. There was a greater percentage of implant sites without ossicles in the rabbits, compared to the rats.
Hot gas stream application in micro-bonding technique (2006)

This paper presents a new concept for bonding micro-parts with dimensions in the range of 50 μm to 300 μm. Two different kinds of adhesives - polyurethane adhesive foil and hot melt glue - were applied to a basic substrate by different techniques. The focused and concentrated hot gas stream softened glue which had been applied in a solid state. Micro-parts were then embossed in the softened glue, or covered and shielded by it. In this way, a rigid and compact bond was obtained after cooling. For the positioning of micro-parts (optical fibers), it has been necessary to manufacture adequate V-grooves. Finite element analyses using the ANSYS<sup>TM</sup> program package were performed in order to evaluate parameters which govern the heat transfer to the adhesive and substrate respectively. Experimental results are in good agreement with results obtained by the numerical simulations. The advantages of this new approach are small system size, low capital costs, simple usage, applicability to many material combinations, easy integration into existing production lines, etc.
Energy loss of ions moving through high-density matter (1977)

An equation is obtained for the energy loss of ions to electrons in a high-density plasma of arbitrary degeneracy. The quantum-mechanical form of the dielectric function is used to produce a formula that is free of the usual Coulomb divergence, so that the introduction of ad hoc cutoff parameters is not required. The results show a decrease of 20% to 50% in the energy-loss rate when compared with other formulas that use the standard Coulomb logarithm.
Comparison of two open-loop adaptive speech enhancement algorithms for digital hearing aids (2002)

For the hearing impaired, listening in noise is one of the biggest problems. With the advent of true digital hearing aids, new solutions for this problem are being researched. This paper presents a comparison of two open-loop adaptive speech enhancement algorithms for application in digital hearing aids based on Texas Instruments digital signal processing (DSP) chips. The first algorithm uses second order signal statistics to update the coefficients of an adaptive Finite Impulse Response (FIR) filter. The second algorithm uses higher order (up to fourth) statistics to update the coefficients. In theory, the adaptive FIR based on higher order statistics should perform better in eliminating Gaussian noise, including pink noise. However the results presented in this paper show that this algorithm's performance degrades rapidly as the input signal-to-noise (SNR) drops below 0 dB. Additionally, if there are multiple frequencies, with different power levels, present in the input, the higher order based adaptive filter greatly distorts the power relationship between the frequencies. In an application like speech, where the relative power levels of the formant frequencies can be critical, this would not be acceptable. Hence, in the final analysis, it is shown that the second order statistics based adaptive filter is preferred for speech enhancement.
Status and Plans for GEKKO XII and Japanese Laser Fusion Program (1992)

Recent achievements in the pellet implosion include the generation of 1013 neutrons per shot and 10 keV plasma with stagnation free mode compression, and the high density compression up to 600 times solid density with plastic shell pellet implosion. Based on the present data base, we are now confident in achieving ignition and high gain using sufficient driver energy. The reactor design study and the development of the reactor driver have become important in order to demonstrate the feasibility of the fusion energy by ICF.
New Locality Records of Ixodes granulatus and Ixodes vespertilionis (Acari: Ixodidae) From Tree-Shrews (Scandentia: Tupaiidae) and Bats (Chiroptera: Hipposideridae) in Laos (2018)

Between May and June 2015, 512 bats, six rodents, and six tree-shrews were examined for ectoparasites in Vientiane and Khammouane Provinces, Laos. Thirty-seven ticks (33 females and four males) identified as Ixodes granulatus Supino were collected from four individuals of the Northern tree-shrew, Tupaia belangeri (Wagner) (Scandentia:Tupaiidae), and one female of Ixodes vespertilionis Koch was collected from one individual of the Intermediate Leaf-nosed Bat, Hipposideros larvatus (Horsfield) (Chiroptera:Hipposideridae). This appears to be the first record of I. vespertilionis from Laos, as well as the first record of this host-parasite relationship in the Southeast Asia region.
Flow/shear stress‐induced constriction of rat middle cerebral artery (2010)

It is known that the intracranial volume is tightly regulated (Monroe‐Kelly doctrine). Thus we hypothesized that increases in flow/wall shear stress elicit constrictions (instead of dilations) in cerebral arteries. Changes of diameter of isolated middle cerebral arteries of rats to increases in intraluminal flow elicited by increasing pressure difference were measured. The diameter of vessels decreased significantly to increases in flow (max.: from 150±10 to 118±6 ηm, from 171±7 to 130±7ηm and from 140±10 to 116±11ηm in the presence of 60, 80, 100 mmHg pressure, respectively, which were inhibited by the non‐specific cyclooxygenase blocker indomethacin. The maximal decrease in diameter to increase in flow at 100 mmHg was 58±4 % of passive diameter obtained in Ca2+ solution. In conclusion, in contrast to responses of coronary and skeletal muscle microvessels, increases in shear stress ‐ via release of constrictor prostaglandins‐ elicit constriction in cerebral arteries, suggesting that the primary purpose of this mechanism is not to maintain wall shear stress, but to limit the increase in blood volume, thus intracranial volume/pressure. (Hungarian Nat. Sci. Res. Fund. ‐ OTKA K71591, K67984, Hungarian Neuroimaging F., NIH‐HL‐43023, AHA Founders Aff., 0555897T)
Functionalization of Polymer Nanoparticles Formed by Microemulsion RAFT‐Mediated Polymerization (2010)

Abstract Polymer nanoparticles were prepared via a microemulsion RAFT polymerization using a xanthate chain transfer agent. The xanthate moiety at the polymer chain‐end preferentially resides at the polymer/water interface. This allows not only the formation of block copolymers to be synthesized in water but also further functionalization of the nanoparticle surface with other macromolecules. The synthesis of polystyrene latex nanoparticles by xanthate‐mediated microemulsion polymerization is described. The resulting nanoparticles had an average hydrodynamic diameter of 25 nm and a narrow particle size distribution, with PNIPAM being bound to the surface. Our novel method of functionalized polymer nanoparticles can be used for the coupling of important biomacromolecules. magnified image
Ocean Profile Measurements During the Seasonal Ice Zone Reconnaissance Surveys Ocean Profiles (2017)

Abstract : The overarching objectives for SIZRS are to determine seasonal variations in air-ice-ocean characteristics across the SIZ extending over several years and for a variety of SIZ conditions, investigate and test hypotheses about the physical processes that occur within the SIZ that require data from all components of SIZRS, and improve predictive models of the SIZ through model validation and through the determination of observing system requirements. For the ocean profiles component of SIZRS, our objective is to determine variations in ocean characteristics across the SIZ extending over several years and for a wide variety of SIZ conditions.
Detection of neutralizing antibodies against multiple SARS-CoV-2 strains in dried blood spots using cell-free PCR (2022)

An easily implementable serological assay to accurately detect severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) neutralizing antibodies is urgently needed to better track herd immunity, vaccine efficacy and vaccination rates. Herein, we report the Split-Oligonucleotide Neighboring Inhibition Assay (SONIA) which uses real-time qPCR to measure the ability of neutralizing antibodies to block binding between DNA-barcoded viral spike protein subunit 1 and the human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 receptor protein. The SONIA neutralizing antibody assay using finger-prick dried blood spots displays 91-97% sensitivity and 100% specificity in comparison to the live-virus neutralization assays using matched serum specimens for multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants-of-concern. The multiplex version of this neutralizing antibody assay, using easily collectable finger-prick dried blood spots, can be a valuable tool to help reveal the impact of age, pre-existing health conditions, waning immunity, different vaccination schemes and the emergence of new variants-of-concern.
Adaptive Systems for Smart Buildings Utilizing Wireless Sensor Networks and Artificial Intelligence (2012)

In this thesis, research efforts are dedicated towards the development of practical adaptable techniques to be used in Smart Homes and Buildings, with the aim to improve energy management and conservation, while enhancing the learning capabilities of Programmable Communicating Thermostats (PCT) – “transforming” them into smart adaptable devices, i.e., “Smart Thermostats”. An Adaptable Hybrid Intelligent System utilizing Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques is presented, based on which, a novel Adaptive Learning System (ALS) model utilizing WSN, a rule-based system and Adaptive Resonance Theory (ART) concepts is proposed. The main goal of the ALS is to adapt to the occupant’s pattern and/or schedule changes by providing comfort, while not ignoring the energy conservation aspect. The proposed ALS analytical model is a technique which enables PCTs to learn and adapt to user input pattern changes and/or other parameters of interest. A new algorithm for finding the global maximum in a predefined interval within a two dimensional space is proposed. The proposed algorithm is a synergy of reward/punish concepts from the reinforcement learning (RL) and agent-based technique, for use in small-scale embedded systems with limited memory and/or processing power, such as the wireless sensor/actuator nodes. An application is implemented to observe the algorithm at work and to demonstrate its main features. It was observed that the “RL and Agent-based Search”, versus the “RL only” technique, yielded better performance results with respect to the number of iterations and function evaluations needed to find the global maximum. Furthermore, a “House Simulator” is developed as a tool to simulate house heating/cooling systems and to assist in the practical implementation of the ALS model under different scenarios. The main building blocks of the simulator are the “House Simulator”, the “Smart Thermostat”, and a placeholder for the “Adaptive Learning Models”. As a result, a novel adaptive learning algorithm, “Observe, Learn and Adapt” (OLA) is proposed and demonstrated, reflecting the main features of the ALS model. Its evaluation is achieved with the aid of the “House Simulator”. OLA, with the use of sensors and the application of the ALS model learning technique, captures the essence of an actual PCT reflecting a smart and adaptable device. The experimental performance results indicate adaptability and potential energy savings of the single in comparison to the zone controlled scenarios with the OLA capabilities being enabled.
A progression of high-frequency RCS prediction techniques (1985)

Since the widespread use of radar in World War II, engineers have grappled with the problem of calculating the radar echo characteristics of a wide variety of bodies, and over the years methods have steadily improved. This paper surveys a progression of methods, not necessarily in chronological order, each of which offers its own peculiar advantage. We begin with the caveat that large, complex targets are of prime current interest, hence the scattering calculations are for the "high-frequency" regime. As such, the method of moments, although an extremely powerful tool, is not suitable for routine computations for large bodies. Geometric optics, perhaps the oldest method in use, is a simple prescription, but gives the wrong answer for flat and singly curved surfaces, and no answer at all if the specular point is not on the surface. Physical optics does yield results in those cases, but fails by progressively wider margins as the scattering direction swings farther from the specular direction. The theories of Keller and Ufimtsev introduce edge-diffraction terms that improve the prescription, but the diffraction coefficients are poorly behaved in the transition regions of the shadow and reflection boundaries. The uniform theory of Kouyoumjian and Pathak provides the proper behavior of the transition regions, but the scattering direction is constrained to lie on the Keller cone. A method of equivalent currents suggested by Ryan and Peters, extended by Knott and Senior, and refined by Michaeli allows the scattering direction to be arbitrary, but the equivalent currents are nonphysical because they depend on the direction of the observation. Mitzner developed an "incremental length diffraction coefficient" which extends Ufimtsev's theory much as Michaeli's equivalent currents extend Keller's theory. None of these methods can handle the surface traveling wave, a significant echo mechanism for long, smooth bodies, because the methods treat localized scattering phenomena, while the surface traveling wave involves the entire surface. However, as demonstrated by Ross, the repeated application of edge-diffraction theory to account for multiple interactions between pairs of parallel edges comes close to giving the correct result. Unfortunately, there has been no extension of this application to the routine calculation of the surface traveling wave contribution for arbitrary surface geometries. Moreover, practical schemes developed for re-entrant structures and for the interaction between scattering elements consume a great deal of computer time. Thus while our repertory of useful computation methods has greatly expanded in the last 40 years, there remain some scattering mechanisms we still cannot treat in a routine fashion.
2.24-Gbit/s 151-km optical transmission system using high-speed integrated silicon circuits (1990)

Optical transmission experiments performed at 2.24 Gb/s using standard single-mode fiber with dispersion zero at 1.3 mu m are discussed. In the optical transmitter, a 1.5- mu m-wavelength distributed feedback laser is directly modulated by means of a special electrical drive pulse shaping technique. A link length of up to 151 km is bridged. This is the longest repeater distance at 2 Gb/s using direct detection without optical amplifiers reported so far. Moreover, the transmission system includes multiplexing and demultiplexing equipment using specially developed high-speed silicon integrated circuits. The whole system is assembled in a version suitable for field trial applications.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">></ETX>
Demonstration of a Process for the Conversion of Kraft Lignin into Vanillin and Methyl Vanillate by Acidic Oxidation in Aqueous Methanol (2009)

In this work, a process for producing vanillin and methyl vanillate from an industrial kraft lignin by oxidation in aqueous methanol at acidic pH is proposed. A series of consecutive runs, comprising the steps of kraft lignin oxidation, monomer extraction, and filtration of residual lignin, were conducted. The depolymerization of kraft lignin (1 g per run) was carried out in a stirred batch reactor with 80 vol % methanol/water as the solvent, with H3PMo12O40 as a homogeneous catalyst, and with 10 bar of oxygen initially present. The monomeric products were recovered from the process by extraction with chloroform and quantified by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Residual kraft lignin was recovered from the reaction medium by filtration. After extraction and filtration, the reaction medium, containing the homogeneous catalyst, was reused in the next run. The sum of all quantified products (gas phase, extract, and solids), as well as the amount of consumed oxygen, reached constant levels after five runs, and no indications of catalyst deactivation were found. Extracted products containing vanillin (3.5 wt %) and methyl vanillate (3.5 wt %) were recovered with a yield of 65 wt %. The extracted products were further analyzed by size exclusion chromatography (SEC) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy regarding their average molecular weight and functional group contents.
Contribution of the V<sub>λ</sub> Light Chain to the Development of the Primary Antibody Repertoire<sup>a</sup> (1995)

The experiments outlined here provide evidence that most VH gene families are expressed in association with either of three V lambda genes available in kappa-deficient mice, though their expression is nonrandom. An exclusive use of V lambda L-chain genes, where predominantly expressed V lambda 1 and V lambda 2 differ by only seven amino acid substitutions in the germline, results in a higher degree of self-reactive antibodies to conserved natural antigens like albumin, thyroglobulin, and stress proteins. The higher levels of self-reactive antibodies, characteristic of preimmune B-cell repertoire, are likely to be a product of nonrandom VH gene family expression and their restricted pairing with three V lambda L-chain genes. These data suggest that a low lambda L-chain expression in normal mice is due, in part, to endogenous selection against lambda L chain in order to restrict self reactivity within the homeostatic threshold.
The lightspace change constraint equation (LCCE) with practical application to estimation of the projectivity+gain transformation between multiple pictures of the same subject matter (2003)

For many years, the brightness constancy constraint equation (BCCE) has been used for optical flow and related computer vision computations. However, almost all cameras have some kind of automatic exposure feature such as automatic gain control (AGC), so that the overall exposure level of the image varies as the camera is aimed at brighter or darker portions of a scene. Moreover, because most cameras have some kind of unknown nonlinear response function, the change due to AGC cannot be captured by merely applying a multiplicative constant to the pixels of each image. We propose, therefore, a lightspace change constraint equation (LCCE) that accounts for exposure change (AGC) together with the nonlinear response function of the camera. The response function can be automatically "learned" by an intelligent image processing system presented with differently exposed captures of the same subject matter in overlapping regions of registered images. Most importantly, a logarithmic lightspace change constraint equation (LLCCE) is shown to have a very simple mathematical formulation. The LCCE (and log LCCE) is applied to the estimation of the projective coordinate transformation between pairs of images in a sequence, and is compared with examples where the BCCE fails.