gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
The role of paracrine IL-6 and IL-10 in neuroblastoma progression (49.9) (2007)

Abstract Tumor-associated inflammation may play a critical role in tumor progression but its mechanism is yet poorly understood. We have detected elevated levels of IL-6 (2.9 – 88.9 pg/ml) in serum from 10 patients with recurrent stage 4 neuroblastoma. Although none of 5 tested neuroblastoma cell lines produced either IL-6 or IL-10, their conditioned medium selectively induced both cytokines in short-term culture of normal PBMC in a time- and dose-dependent manner as determined by 9-plex Luminex® assay. Treatment with rhIL-6 enhanced neuroblastoma cell proliferation as measured by BrdU incorporation and was sufficient for their survival in a serum-free medium. IL-6 induced rapid STAT3 phosphorylation in neuroblastoma cells and production of yet unidentified soluble factors that inhibited dendritic cell maturation. Gene expression analysis with TaqMan® Low Density Arrays of primary metastatic tumors from 40 patients revealed that elevated expression of IL-6 or IL-10 was associated with a poor 5-year event-free survival: 35% +/−11% vs. 75 +/−10% when IL-6 or IL-10 expression was above and below median levels, respectively (P &amp;lt; 0.02). Thus, although neuroblastoma cells do not express IL-6 and IL-10, they can induce expression of these cytokines by inflammatory cells. These cytokines can then have a paracrine effect on tumor cells and other elements of tumor microenvironment that may promote tumor progression.
Double exceptional points in grating coupled metal-insulator-metal heterostructure (2022)

In this work we theoretically study the exceptional points and reflection spectra characteristics of a grating coupled metal-insulator-metal heterostructure, which is a non-Hermitian system. Our results show that by selecting suitable geometrical parameters with grating periodicity @150 nm, that satisfy zero reflection condition, double exceptional points appear in a mode bifurcation regime. Furthermore, the thickness of partition metal layer between two cavities plays an important role in controlling the reflection properties of the heterostructure. There is a clear mode splitting when the partition layer allows strong coupling between the two cavity modes. Conversely, in weak coupling regime the mode splitting becomes too close to be distinguished. Moreover, the vanishing of reflection leads to unidirectional reflectionless propagation, which is also known as unidirectional invisibility. With grating periodicity ≥400nm, the transmissions for forward and backward incident directions are no longer the same due to the generation of diffraction. High contrast ratio (≈1) between the two incident directions leads to asymmetric transmission. This work lays the basis for designing double exceptional points and asymmetric transmission in coupled non-Hermitian photonics system. The proposed heterostructure can be a good candidate for new generation optical communications, optical sensing, photo-detection, and nano-photonic devices.
Solution and Biologically Relevant Conformations of Enantiomeric 11<i>-cis</i>-Locked Cyclopropyl Retinals (2002)

To gain information on the conformation of the 11-cis-retinylidene chromophore bound to bovine opsin, the enantiomeric pair (2a and 2b) of 11-cis-locked bicyclo[5.1.0]octyl retinal (retCPr) 2 was prepared and its conformation was investigated by NMR, geometry optimization, and CD calculations. This compound is also of interest since it contains a unique moiety in which a chiral cyclopropyl group is flanked by triene and enal chromophores, and hence would clarify the little-known chiroptical contribution of a cyclopropyl ring linked to polyene systems. NMR revealed that the seven-membered ring of retCPr adopts a twist chair conformation. The NMR-derived structure constraints were then used for optimizing the geometry of 2 with molecular mechanics and ab initio methods. This revealed that enantiomer 2a with a 11 beta,12 beta-cyclopropyl group exists as two populations of diastereomers depending on the twist around the 6-s bond; however, the sense of twist around the 12-s is positive in both rotamers. The theoretical Boltzmann-weighted CD obtained with the pi-SCF-CI-DV MO method and experimental spectra were consistent, thus suggesting that the conjugative effect of the cyclopropyl moiety is minimal. It was found that only the beta-cyclopropyl enantiomer 2a, but not the alpha-enantiomer 2b, binds to opsin. This observation, together with earlier retinal analogues incorporation results, led to the conclusion that the chromophore sinks into the N-terminal of the opsin receptor from the side of the 4-methylene and 15-aldehyde, and that the binding cleft accommodates 11-cis-retinal with a slightly positive twist around C12/C13. A reinterpretation of the previously published negative CD couplet of 11,12-dihydrorhodopsin also leads to a chromophoric C12/C13 twist conformation with the 13-Me in front as in 1b. Such a conformation for the chromophore accounts for both the observed biostereoselectivity of retCPr 2a and the observed negative couplet of 11,12-dihydro-Rh7.
Impact of Depression and Anxiety on Initiation of Antiretroviral Therapy Among Men Who Have Sex with Men with Newly Diagnosed HIV Infections in China (2017)

Depression and anxiety are common among persons recently diagnosed with HIV infection. We examined whether depression or anxiety was associated with delayed initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) among a prospective cohort of Chinese men who have sex with men (MSM) who were newly diagnosed with HIV. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was used for measuring depression and anxiety, with scores of 0-7, 8-10, and 11-21 representing normal, borderline, and likely, respectively. ART initiation information was extracted from the National ART Database. Cox regression was performed to assess associations between HADS scores and the time to ART initiation. Of 364 eligible participants enrolling in the cohort within a median of 11 days after HIV diagnosis, 62% initiated ART during the 12-month follow-up period. The baseline prevalence for likely/borderline depression was 36%, and likely/borderline anxiety was 42%. In adjusted analyses, compared with a depression score of 0, the likelihood of starting ART was 1.82 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.38-2.41], 3.11 (95% CI: 1.82-5.30), and 2.53 (95% CI: 1.48-4.32) times higher for depression scores of 3, 9, and 13, respectively. A similar pattern was observed for the anxiety score. In contrast to our hypothesis, both depression and anxiety were associated with earlier ART initiation among Chinese MSM with newly diagnosed HIV. We speculate that individuals who are more concerned about their new HIV diagnosis may be more likely to seek HIV care and follow a doctor's advice. The effects of depression or anxiety on ART initiation likely differ in varying subgroups and by symptom severity.
Privacy-Enabled Object Tracking in Video Sequences Using Compressive Sensing (2009)

In a typical video analysis framework, video sequences are decoded and reconstructed in the pixel domain before being processed for high level tasks such as classification or detection.Nevertheless, in some application scenarios, it might be of interest to complete these analysis tasks without disclosing sensitive data, e.g. the identity of people captured by surveillance cameras. In this paper we propose a new coding scheme suitable for video surveillance applications that allows tracking of video objects without the need to reconstruct the sequence,thus enabling privacy protection. By taking advantage of recent findings in the compressive sensing literature, we encode a video sequence with a limited number of pseudo-random projections of each frame. At the decoder, we exploit the sparsity that characterizes background subtracted images in order to recover the location of the foreground object. We also leverage the prior knowledge about the estimated location of the object, which is predicted by means of a particle filter, to improve the recovery of the foreground object location. The proposed framework enables privacy, in the sense it is impossible to reconstruct the original video content from the encoded random projections alone, as well as secrecy, since decoding is prevented if the seed used to generate the random projections is not available.
Nanoscale Characterization with Laser Picosecond Acoustics (2007)

Nanophotonics—the manipulation of light with nanomaterials—is a booming subject, its success owing to the host of nanoscale fabrication techniques now at our disposal. However, for the characterization of such nanomaterials it is expedient to turn to other types of waves with a wavelength commensurate with the nanostructure in question. One such choice is acoustic waves of nanometre wavelength. The aim of this article is to provide an introduction to laser picosecond acoustics, a means by which gigahertz‐terahertz ultrasonic waves can be generated and detected by ultrashort light pulses. This method can therefore be used to characterize materials with nanometre spatial resolution. In this article we review the theoretical background for opaque single‐layer thin film isotropic samples with reference to key experiments. Solids including metals and semiconductors are discussed, although liquids and, conceivably, gases, are not excluded.
Mechanical Characterization of Ultrathin DLC Suspended Membranes for CMUT Applications (2015)

To increase the spatial resolution of CMUT based ultrasound imaging, the feasibility of devices made of arrays of vibrating areas in the square micrometer range is investigated. The manufacturing and characterization of ultrathin diamond like carbon suspended membranes that can act as the mobile electrode of capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducers are described. To get significant displacements, the membrane thickness must be reduced to the nanometer range. Consequently, a 5 to 20 nm thick Ni/DLC/Ni stack is first deposited by electron cyclotron resonance. The three-layer stack is then transferred on test devices to form suspended membranes over 0.5 to 2 μm wide trenches. The device characterization includes SEM imaging and AFM force measurements. The mechanical properties of the suspended sheets were extracted, which allows the determination of the bending rigidity (1 x 10-14 to 20 x10-14N.m) of the mobile part of the transducer. This parameter is required for device modelling as it integrates the properties of the final membrane (material, thickness, surface alteration, etc.).
Selective Targeting of the p53-hDM2 Interaction Using Hydrocarbon-Stapled p53 Peptides. (2006)

Abstract p53 is a transcription factor that induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in response to DNA damage and cellular stress, and thereby plays a critical role in protecting cells from malignant transformation. The E3 ubiquitin ligase hDM2 controls p53 levels through a direct binding interaction that neutralizes p53 transactivation activity, exports nuclear p53, and targets it for degradation via the ubiquitination-proteasomal pathway. Loss of p53 activity, either by deletion, mutation, or hDM2 overexpression, is the most common defect in human cancer. Tumors with preserved expression of wild type p53 are rendered vulnerable to pharmacologic approaches that stabilize and upregulate p53. In this context, hDM2 inhibition has emerged as a validated approach to restore p53 activity and resensitize cancer cells to apoptosis in vitro and in vivo. The inhibition of the p53-hDM2 interaction has been studied intensively with the goal of developing novel therapeutics for cancer. Here we describe the synthesis and evaluation of hydrocarbon-stapled α-helical peptides based on the transactivation domain of the p53 tumor suppressor protein. Select p53 stapled peptides exhibit subnanomolar binding to hDM2, displaying the highest affinity hDM2 binders reported to date. We find that these structurally-stabilized peptides are resistant to proteolysis and exhibit cell permeability as documented by flow cytometry and confocal microscopy analyses. In vivo binding of p53 stapled peptides to nuclear hDM2 is highly specific as demonstrated by co-immunoprecipitation experiments. In response to stapled peptide treatment, we observe upregulation of p53 and its transcriptional targets, including p21 and Bax. As a consequence, the peptides are capable of activating apoptosis in hDM2-overexpressing tumor cells through the p53 tumor suppressor signaling pathway. Thus, we find that hydrocarbon-stapled p53 peptides can trigger apoptosis in cancer cells by effectively modulating the p53-hDM2 protein interaction.
Determination of Nanoscaled SiO_2 Particle Content in different Electroplating baths by ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry (2005)

Abstrcat The concentration of nanoscaled SiO_2 particles in Watt nickel electroplating bath, bright acidic electroless Cu plating bath, pyrophosphate copper plating bath and potassium chloride zinc plating bath were respectively measured by ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry on the basis of former experiments and research. A very wide wavelength range with low absorbance of blank solution and high absorbance of working solution that all the absorbance-wavelength curves show demonstrates that all the baths are ideal systems for determining by spectrophotometry. The results prove that the standard curves of all the systems are very satisfactory with correlation coefficient of over 0.98, and this method has far lower average relative error (0.044%)than gravimetric analysis method (16.2%)and is more time-saving.
Current-controlled bi-stable domain configurations in Ni81Fe19 elements: An approach to magnetic memory devices (2002)

The discovery of current-switchable bi-stable remanent domain configurations on small ferromagnetic islands is reported. Rectangular NiFe islands with a thickness of 50 to 100 nm and lateral dimensions on the order of several microns were imaged using magnetic force microscopy after application of 10 ns current pulses through the material. The closure configuration can be set into either the 4 or 7 domain configuration by applying positive or negative current polarity at density on the order 107 A/cm2. The chirality of the closure patterns is fixed, implying that only two rather than four states are stable in these patterns. The possibility of using these configurations as a means of storing a logic state for memory applications is discussed.
Dual Emissive Gold(I)–Sulfido Cluster Framework Capable of Benzene–Cyclohexane Separation in the Solid State Accompanied by Luminescence Color Changes (2021)

A decanuclear gold(I)-sulfido complex, [(L<sup>H</sup>)<sub>4</sub>Au<sub>10</sub>S<sub>4</sub>]Cl<sub>2</sub> (<b>L<sup>H</sup>-Au<sub>10</sub>S<sub>4</sub>-Cl</b>, where L<sup>H</sup> = 4,5-bis(diphenylphosphanyl)-2<i>H</i>-1,2,3-triazole), assembled from the reaction of H<sub>2</sub>S with the chlorogold(I) precursor obtained from the click reaction of [dppa(AuCl)<sub>2</sub>] (where dppa = 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)acetylene) with NaN<sub>3</sub>, is shown to display a bright dual green and red emission in the solid state. Single crystal X-ray diffraction (SCXRD) studies indicate a gold(I) cluster-based framework assembled through intermolecular halogen···hydrogen bonds as well as other weak interactions. The framework of <b>L<sup>H</sup>-Au<sub>10</sub>S<sub>4</sub>-Cl</b> is found to display high stability toward solvent molecules, with capability to encapsulate solvent molecules, such as benzene and cyclohexane, inside the crystal lattice voids via a single-crystal-to-single-crystal (SCSC) transformation. With different degrees of influence on the dual green and red emission, crystalline solids of <b>L<sup>H</sup>-Au<sub>10</sub>S<sub>4</sub>-Cl</b> exhibit remarkable solvatochromic luminescence in the presence of benzene and cyclohexane. Notably, due to the size confinement of the lattice cavities, the <b>L<sup>H</sup>-Au<sub>10</sub>S<sub>4</sub>-Cl</b> solids exhibit a high selectivity (>95%) toward benzene in a mixture of equimolar concentration of benzene and cyclohexane. This work has demonstrated the promising capability of gold(I)-sulfido cluster frameworks to serve as luminescent functional materials for the separation of benzene and cyclohexane.
A Study of Visual Context Representation and Control for Remote Sport Learning Tasks (2008)

Shared visual context plays a vital role in video-mediated remote learning tasks. However, it remains unclear how to provide such visual context in order to best facilitate learning. In this paper, we present an exploratory study to (a) evaluate the impact of visual context representation on sport learning in video-mediated environments, and (b) investigate how users control the visual context (e.g., changing viewpoint) in assisting learning. We find that (a) for sports, the 3D free view representation enables faster, more accurate learning than 2D representation; (b) average users tend to “browse ” randomly instead of selecting a particular viewpoint with intention; and (c) different users have dramatically different control patterns for similar visual context, which suggests the importance of user customization. We anticipate our results will bring theoretical and practical implications for the design of next-generation video-mediated learning systems.
Automatic dialect classification for statistical machine translation (2014)

The training data for statistical machine translation are gathered from various sources representing a mixture of domains. In this work, we argue that when translating dialects representing varieties of the same language, a manually assigned data source is not a reliable indicator of the dialect. We resort to automatic dialect classification to refine the training corpora according to the different dialects and build improved dialect specific systems. A fairly standard classifier for Arabic developed within this work achieves state-of-the-art performance, with classification precision above 90%, making it usefully accurate for our application. The classification of the data is then used to distinguish between the different dialects, split the data accordingly, and utilize the new splits for several adaptation techniques. Performing translation experiments on a large scale dialectal Arabic to English translation task, our results show that the classifier generates better contrast between the dialects and achieves superior translation quality than using the original manual corpora splits.
Electrochemical Sensors for on-Site Detection of Toxic Metal Ions in Environmental Water Systems (2020)

Easy to use devices for the rapid detection of toxic metal ions in drinking water is essential for improving monitoring, identification and management of water resources. In 2014, over 100,000 residents of Flint, Michigan, were exposed to high levels of lead in their drinking water, leading to serious environmental and health issues. The problem faced by Flint is a perfect example of the need for a portable device for on-site detection system that can sense the presence of high concentrations of toxic metal ions in the environment in natural pH with no sample pretreatment. In this work, an easy to use method for metal ion detection in natural water samples was developed. Preconcentration of ions at the electrode surface was achieved by optimizing a nanostructured layer consisting of gold nanoparticles and a conductive polymer, which improved detection sensitivity and selectivity withing limits that cover the EPA levels for metal ion exposure. The method was demonstrated for the detection of As, Pb and Hg in natural waters, using anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV). Several parameters were optimized in order to achieve the highest detection sensitivity, including pH, ionic strength and deposition time. Local water samples were tested for heavy metal ion content and validated using lab-based methods, including atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) and ICP-MS. This methodology was applied onto the surface of low-cost screen-printed electrodes which are easy to use and portable.
Radiosity on graphics hardware (2005)

Radiosity is a widely used technique for global illumination. Typically the computation is performed offline and the result is viewed interactively. We present a technique for computing radiosity, including an adaptive subdivision of the model, using graphics hardware. Since our goal is to run at interactive rates, we exploit the computational power and programmability of modern graphics hardware. Using our system on current hardware, we have been able to compute and display a radiosity solution for a 10,000 element scene in less than one second.
Root Development in Sweet Corn Inoculated with the Biocontrol Fungus Trichoderma harzianum (1995)

Production of shrunken-2 sweet corn is often limited by poor establishment. Good root development is necessary for establishment, and it can be limited by stress or disease. Trichoderma harzianum strain 1295-22 was developed as a biocontrol fungus with particularly strong root-colonizing ability. In addition to acting as a biocontrol agent, it stimulates root growth. In greenhouse experiments using field soil, root dry weight 21 days after planting was 500 mg, greater compared with 320 mg in uninoculated controls, an average increase of &gt;50%. The thoroughness of soil exploration more than doubled, from 31% (control) to 70% ( Trichoderma ) of the soil being within 1 cm of a root. The difference in performance was not attributable to disease: no disease symptoms were evident, the occurrence of disease organisms was low, it was the same in both treatments, and it was not associated with smaller plants. Furthermore, the greatest differences were noted in steam-sterilized soil. Colonization of the roots by Trichoderma was related to the age of the root. The oldest part of the radicle had 10 6 cfu/g root DW. Branched seminal roots had 10 5.5 cfu/g. Even the rapidly growing tips of the first-whorl roots were well-colonized (10 4.7 cfu/g). The mechanism of increased root growth has not been identified, but colonized roots acidify about 0.1 pH units more than control roots, which could cause both faster acid-growth and increased ion uptake. Ion leakage into distilled water is about 25% lower in colonized roots.
FlatCam: Thin, Lensless Cameras Using Coded Aperture and Computation (2016)

FlatCam is a thin form-factor lensless camera that consists of a coded mask placed on top of a bare, conventional sensor array. Unlike a traditional, lens-based camera, where an image of the scene is directly recorded on the sensor pixels, each pixel in FlatCam records a linear combination of light from multiple scene elements. A computational algorithm is then used to demultiplex the recorded measurements and reconstruct an image of the scene. FlatCam is an instance of a coded aperture imaging system; however, unlike the vast majority of related work, we place the coded mask extremely close to the image sensor that enables thin and flat form-factor imaging devices. We employ a separable mask to ensure that both calibration and image reconstruction are scalable in terms of memory requirements and computational complexity. We demonstrate the potential of the FlatCam design using two prototypes: one at visible wavelengths and one at infrared wavelengths.