gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Photopolymers for stable solar cells, sodium batteries and photoelectrochromic windows (2016)

The stability of energy devices is a critical (but often disregarded) issue, since great focus is often devoted to the efficiency records (even if these values rapidly decrease upon time). However, today's research in the energy field must be connected to concepts such as long-term stability, safety and environmental impact. In this work, we present free-radical photopolymerization as an attractive technique for the design and straightforward preparation of polymeric components for different energy devices (both storage and conversion). Photopolymerization represents a very attractive technique to this purpose, since it does not require solvents, catalysts, thermal treatments and purification steps. In the initial section, polymer electrolytes for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) are demonstrated as alternatives to the standard liquid counterparts, using cobalt complexes as redox mediator. In addition, external luminescent and light-cured coatings are developed to further increase cell durability through a combined effect of UV-cutting, down-shifting and self-cleaning. In the second section, electrolytes and light-cured protective coatings are demonstrated for the first time in photoelectrochromic devices, thus leading to smart windows with highly stable characteristics and easy to be manufactured on a large scale. Finally, we show how Na-ion polymer batteries can be considered as an emerging, green and safe solution to the large storage of the electricity produced by solar panels
Small airway segmentation in thoracic computed tomography scans: a machine learning approach (2018)

Small airway obstruction is a main cause for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We propose a novel method based on machine learning to extract the airway system from a thoracic computed tomography (CT) scan. The emphasis of the proposed method is on including the smallest airways that are still visible on CT. We used an optimized sampling procedure to extract airway and non-airway voxel samples from a large set of scans for which a semi-automatically constructed reference standard was available. We created a set of features which represent tubular and texture properties that are characteristic for small airway voxels. A random forest classifier was used to determine for each voxel if it belongs to the airway class. Our method was validated on a set of 20 clinical thoracic CT scans from the COPDGene study. Experiments show that our method is effective in extracting the full airway system and in detecting a large number of small airways that were missed by the semi-automatically constructed reference standard.
Developing multi-layer mirror technology near 45 nm using Sc/Si interfaces (2004)

Given the existing X-ray laser sources near 45 nm it would be useful to produce efficient X-ray optics in the 35 to 50 nm wavelength range that could be utilized in new applications. In this work we are developing the process to stabilize the interfaces of nanolaminate structures using materials such as Sc and Si. These materials will enable us to develop new multi-layer mirror technology that can be used in the wavelength range near 45 nm. To obtain this objective, the interfacial structure and reaction kinetics must first be well understood and then controlled for design applications. In this work we fabricate several Sc/Si multi-layer mirrors with and without a B{sub 4}C barrier layer. The structure and reflectivity of the mirrors are analyzed.
Lipophilic Polycation Vehicles Display High Plasmid DNA Delivery to Multiple Cell Types (2017)

A class of cationic poly(alkylamidoamine)s (PAAAs) containing lipophilic methylene linkers were designed and examined as in vitro plasmid DNA (pDNA) delivery agents. The PAAAs were synthesized via step-growth polymerization between a diamine monomer and each of four different diacid chloride monomers with varying methylene linker lengths, including glutaryl chloride, adipoyl chloride, pimeloyl chloride, and suberoyl chloride, which served to systematically increase the lipophilicity of the polymers. The synthesized polymers successfully complexed with pDNA in reduced serum medium at N/P ratios of 5 and greater, resulting in polyplexes with hydrodynamic diameters of approximately 1 μm. These polyplexes were tested for in vitro transgene expression and cytotoxicity using HDFa (human dermal fibroblast), HeLa (human cervical carcinoma), HMEC (human mammary epithelial), and HUVEC (human umbilical vein endothelial) cells. Interestingly, select PAAA polyplex formulations were found to be more effective than Lipofectamine 2000 at promoting transgene expression (GFP) while maintaining comparable or higher cell viability. Transgene expression was highest in HeLa cells (∼90% for most formulations) and lowest in HDFa cells (up to ∼20%) as measured by GFP fluorescence. In addition, the cytotoxicity of PAAA polyplex formulations was significantly increased as the molecular weight, N/P ratio, and methylene linker length were increased. The PAAA vehicles developed herein provide a new delivery vehicle design strategy of displaying attributes of both polycations and lipids, which show promise as a tunable scaffold for refining the structure-activity-toxicity profiles for future genome editing studies.
Aflatoxin exposure is higher in vegetarians than nonvegetarians in Thailand (1997)

Aflatoxin-albumin (AFB-albumin) adducts and hepatitis B markers (anti-HBs, and anti-HBc) were measured in vegetarians and nonvegetarians from Chiang Mai, Thailand. The AFB-albumin adduct levels were detected in 62% (37 of 60) of the vegetarian samples and 22% (22 of 100) of nonvegetarians. Somewhat higher levels were detected in vegetarians sera collected in the summer than in the winter, although this difference was not statistically significant. Subjects who were hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive had slightly higher AFB-albumin adduct levels than subjects who had evidence of past exposure (anti-HBc-positive) or no HB virus infection. This study indicated that vegetarians may have a higher frequency of aflatoxin exposure than nonvegetarians. Thai vegetarians consume various vegetables, grains, peanut, soybean, and fermented products, which have been reported to be sources of aflatoxin.
Multiple Phase Inversion of Emulsions Stabilized by <i>in Situ</i> Surface Activation of CaCO<sub>3</sub> Nanoparticles via Adsorption of Fatty Acids (2011)

The in situ surface activation of raw CaCO(3) nanoparticles by interaction with a series of sodium carboxylates of chain length between 6 and 12 as well as sodium 2-ethylhexylsulfosuccinate (AOT) was studied, and the impact of this on the stabilization and phase inversion of toluene-water emulsions was assessed. By using complementary experiments including measurement of particle zeta potentials, adsorption isotherms of amphiphile, and relevant contact angles, the mechanism of this activation was revealed. The results show that hydrophilic CaCO(3) nanoparticles can be surface activated by interaction with sodium carboxylates and AOT even if they are not surface-active themselves. Both the electrostatic interaction between the positive charges on particle surfaces and the negative charges of anionic amphiphile headgroups and the chain-chain interactions of the amphiphile result in monolayer adsorption of the amphiphile at the particle-water interface. This transforms the particles from hydrophilic to partially hydrophobic such that they become surface-active and stabilize oil-in-water O/W(1) emulsions and induce O/W(1) → water-in-oil W/O phase inversion, depending on the chain length of the carboxylate molecules. At high amphiphile concentration, bilayer or hemimicelle adsorption may occur at the particle-water surface, rendering particles hydrophilic again and causing their desorption from the oil-water interface. A second phase inversion, W/O → O/W(2), may occur depending on the surface activity of the amphiphile. CaCO(3) nanoparticles can therefore be made good stabilizers of both O/W and W/O emulsions once surface activated by mixing with traces of suitable anionic amphiphile.
Maintaining resting cardiac fibroblasts in vitro by disrupting mechanotransduction (2020)

Mechanical cues activate cardiac fibroblasts and induce differentiation into myofibroblasts, which are key steps for development of cardiac fibrosis. In vitro, the high stiffness of plastic culturing conditions will also induce these changes. It is therefore challenging to study resting cardiac fibroblasts and their activation in vitro. Here we investigate the extent to which disrupting mechanotransduction by culturing cardiac fibroblasts on soft hydrogels or in the presence of biochemical inhibitors can be used to maintain resting cardiac fibroblasts in vitro. Primary cardiac fibroblasts were isolated from adult mice and cultured on plastic or soft (4.5 kPa) polyacrylamide hydrogels. Myofibroblast marker gene expression and smooth muscle α-actin (SMA) fibers were quantified by real-time PCR and immunostaining, respectively. Myofibroblast differentiation was prevented on soft hydrogels for 9 days, but had occurred after 15 days on hydrogels. Transferring myofibroblasts to soft hydrogels reduced expression of myofibroblast-associated genes, albeit SMA fibers remained present. Inhibitors of transforming growth factor β receptor I (TGFβRI) and Rho-associated protein kinase (ROCK) were effective in preventing and reversing myofibroblast gene expression. SMA fibers were also reduced by blocker treatment although cell morphology did not change. Reversed cardiac fibroblasts maintained the ability to re-differentiate after the removal of blockers, suggesting that these are functionally similar to resting cardiac fibroblasts. However, actin alpha 2 smooth muscle (Acta2), lysyl oxidase (Lox) and periostin (Postn) were no longer sensitive to substrate stiffness, suggesting that transient treatment with mechanotransduction inhibitors changes the mechanosensitivity of some fibrosis-related genes. In summary, our results bring novel insight regarding the relative importance of specific mechanical signaling pathways in regulating different myofibroblast-associated genes. Furthermore, combining blocker treatment with the use of soft hydrogels has not been tested previously and revealed that only some genes remain mechano-sensitive after phenotypic reversion. This is important information for researchers using inhibitors to maintain a “resting” cardiac fibroblast phenotype in vitro as well as for our current understanding of mechanosensitive gene regulation.
<i>ACTN3</i> genotype influences skeletal muscle mass regulation and response to dexamethasone (2021)

Homozygosity for the common <i>ACTN3</i> null polymorphism (<i>ACTN3</i> 577X) results in α-actinin-3 deficiency in ~20% of humans worldwide and is linked to reduced sprint and power performance in both elite athletes and the general population. α-Actinin-3 deficiency is also associated with reduced muscle mass, increased risk of sarcopenia, and altered muscle wasting response induced by denervation and immobilization. Here, we show that α-actinin-3 plays a key role in the regulation of protein synthesis and breakdown signaling in skeletal muscle and influences muscle mass from early postnatal development. We also show that α-actinin-3 deficiency reduces the atrophic and anti-inflammatory response to the glucocorticoid dexamethasone in muscle and protects against dexamethasone-induced muscle wasting in female but not male mice. The effects of α-actinin-3 deficiency on muscle mass regulation and response to muscle wasting provide an additional mechanistic explanation for the positive selection of the <i>ACTN3</i> 577X allele in recent human history.
Quantum Dot−Block Copolymer Hybrids with Improved Properties and Their Application to Quantum Dot Light-Emitting Devices (2009)

To combine the optical properties of CdSe@ZnS quantum dots (QDs) with the electrical properties of semiconducting polymers, we prepared QD/polymer hybrids by grafting a block copolymer (BCP) containing thiol-anchoring moieties (poly(para-methyl triphenylamine-b-cysteamine acrylamide)) onto the surfaces of QDs through the ligand exchange procedure. The prepared QD/polymer hybrids possess improved processability such as enhanced solubility in various organic solvents as well as the film formation properties along with the improved colloidal stability derived from the grafted polymer shells. We also demonstrated light-emitting diodes based on QD/polymer hybrids, exhibiting the improved device performance (i.e., 3-fold increase in the external quantum efficiency) compared with the devices prepared by pristine (unmodified) QDs.
Heating and cooling system for an on-board gas adsorbent storage vessel (2023)

In one aspect, a system for controlling the temperature within a gas adsorbent storage vessel of a vehicle may include an air conditioning system forming a continuous flow loop of heat exchange fluid that is cycled between a heated flow and a cooled flow. The system may also include at least one fluid by-pass line extending at least partially within the gas adsorbent storage vessel. The fluid by-pass line(s) may be configured to receive a by-pass flow including at least a portion of the heated flow or the cooled flow of the heat exchange fluid at one or more input locations and expel the by-pass flow back into the continuous flow loop at one or more output locations, wherein the by-pass flow is directed through the gas adsorbent storage vessel via the by-pass line(s) so as to adjust an internal temperature within the gas adsorbent storage vessel.
Dielectronic Recombination In Active Galactic Nuclei (2006)

XMM-Newton and Chandra observations of active galactic nuclei (AGN) show rich spectra of X-ray absorption lines. These observations have detected a broad unresolved transition array (UTA) between ˜ 15-17 Å. This is attributed to inner-shell photoexcitation of M-shell iron ions. Modeling these UTA features is currently limited by uncertainties in the low-temperature dielectronic recombination (DR) data for M-shell iron. In order to resolve this issue, and to provide reliable iron M-shell DR data for plasma modeling, we are carrying out a series of laboratory measurements using the heavy-ion Test Storage Ring (TSR) at the Max-Plank-Institute for Nuclear Physics in Heidelberg, Germany. Currently, laboratory measurements of low temperature DR can only be performed at storage rings. We use the DR data obtained at TSR, to calculate rate coefficients for plasma modeling and to benchmark theoretical DR calculations. Here we report our recent experimental results for DR of Fe XIV forming Fe XIII.
Contactless Vector Network Analysis With Printed Loop Couplers (2008)

In this paper, an introduction to contactless vector network analysis is given. Furthermore, the implementation of a contactless measurement setup is presented using different printed coupling structures. The coupling structures are connected to a vector network analyzer (VNA) by means of conventional on-wafer probes, as well as planar-coaxial transitions. For the contactless method, conventional calibration algorithms are used to determine the scattering parameters of a device within a complex planar circuit. The contactless measured results are compared to results received with a conventional VNA and to simulation results obtained with a 3-D field simulator. These comparisons show that, especially for small coupling structures of approximately 1 mm, the results correspond well up to 20 GHz.
Improvement of voidage prediction in liquid-solid fluidized beds by inclusion of the Froude number in effective drag relations (2020)

A novel effective drag relation for liquid-solid fluidisation is proposed, suitable for application in full-scale installations. This is achieved by presenting new insights related to the influence of the temporal-spatial heterogeneity on the effective hydrodynamic drag for large fluidised systems. While heterogeneous flow behaviour can be predicted increasingly accurately in CFD simulations that explicitly model the heterogeneous solids distribution, for the operation of many large-scale applications it is infeasible to perform such computationally intensive simulations. Therefore, there is a clear need for full-scale drag relations that effectively take into account the heterogeneous behaviour and irregular spatial particle distributions. Our new drag relation is based on a large set of experiments, which shows that the degree of overall expansion is not only dependent on the ratio of laminar-turbulent flow, but also on the amount of homogenous versus heterogeneous flow, which is not included in current full-scale drag relations. To include the effect of heterogeneity, the standard drag relation, based on the Reynolds number, is extended with a specific type of Froude number. Because fully turbulent flow regimes are rare in applications of liquid-solid fluidisation, our focus is not on the turbulent flow regime but instead on laminar and transitional flow regimes. In these regimes, three types of models are investigated. The first type is based on a theoretical similarity with terminal settling, the second is based on the semi-empirical Carman-Kozeny model, and the third is based on empirical equations using symbolic regression techniques. For all three types of models, coefficients are calibrated on experimental data with monodisperse and almost spherical glass beads. The models are validated with a series of calcium carbonate grains applied in drinking water treatment processes as well as data obtained from the literature. Using these models, we show that the voidage prediction average relative error decreases from approximately 5% (according to the best literature equations which use Reynolds number only) to 1–2% (using both Reynolds and Froude number). This implies that our new models are more suitable for operational control in full-scale fluidised bed applications, such as pellet softening in drinking water treatment processes.
80-degree field-of-view transmissive metasurface-based spatial light\n modulator (2021)

Compact, lightweight and high-performance spatial light modulators (SLMs) are\ncrucial for modern optical technologies. The drive for pixel miniaturization,\nnecessary to improve their performance, has led to a promising alternative,\nactive optical metasurfaces, which enable tunable subwavelength wavefront\nmanipulation. Here, we demonstrate an all-solid-state programmable transmissive\nSLM device based on Huygens dielectric metasurfaces. The metasurface features\nelectrical tunability, provided by mature liquid crystals (LCs) technology. In\ncontrast to conventional LC SLMs, our device enables high resolution with a\npixel size of ~1 um. We demonstrate its performance by realizing programmable\nbeam steering, which exhibits high side mode suppression ratio of ~6 dB. By\ncomplementing the device with a 3D printed doublet microlens, fabricated using\ntwo-photon polymerization, we enhance the field of view up to ~80 degrees. The\ndeveloped prototype paves the way to compact, efficient and multifunctional\ndevices for next generation augmented reality displays, light detection and\nranging (LiDAR) systems and optical computing.\n
Design of phase Ib/II study of oral VERU-111, an α and β-tubulin inhibitor, for the treatment of metastatic castration- and androgen-blocking-agent-resistant prostate cancer. (2019)

TPS330 Background: VERU-111 is a novel oral small molecule (NCE) that targets α and β-tubulin subunits of microtubules resulting in the inhibition of tubulin polymerization. Agents that target microtubules are among the most effective for the treatment of metastatic cancers. However, these currently available agents target only the β-tubulin subunit and are administered IV. VERU-111 has high oral bioavailability and does not interact with MDR proteins. In nonclinical models, VERU-111 has high activity against many tumor types as well as against prostate cancers that have become resistant to taxanes and novel androgen blocking agents (abiraterone and enzalutamide). In 28-day dog and rat toxicity studies, no neutropenia, myelosuppression, or liver function test changes were observed at oral daily doses in blood concentrations that resulted in antitumor activity in preclinical models. Based on these unique properties, VERU-111 has advanced into a Phase1b/2 clinical trial. Methods: V1011101 is a Phase 1b/2 study, being conducted in at least three sites in the US, evaluating the safety and preliminary efficacy of VERU-111 in men with metastatic castration and androgen blocking agent resistant prostate cancer (mCARPC). The Phase 1b portion of the study consists of 21-day cycles where VERU-111 is taken daily, orally for 7-days followed by a 14-day hiatus (dose cycle). Safety/tolerability of VERU-111 and MTD of VERU-111 will be determined. The Phase 2 will use the selected dose cycle from the Phase 1b and the primary endpoint will be the PSA 50 response rate, defined as a decline in PSA to &gt; 50% of baseline level, confirmed with a second measurement at least 3 weeks apart (PCWG3) and determine the pharmacokinetic profile of VERU-111. The secondary endpoints include determining the safety/tolerability of VERU-111 as defined as incidence of CTCAE v5.0 grade ≥3 toxicities; estimating the median PSA progression-free survival (PCWG3); estimating the median progression-free survival (PCWG3); and estimating the objective response rate. It is anticipated that based upon the Phase 1b/2 clinical findings VERU-111 will also be expanded into other cancer types.