gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Characterization of Sputtered Ta and TaN Films by Spectroscopic Ellipsometry (2006)

Spectroscopic ellipsometry is emerging as a routine tool for in-situ and ex-situ thin-film characterization in semiconductor manufacturing. For interconnects in ULSI circuits, diffusion barriers of below 10 nm thickness are required and precise thickness control of the deposited layers is indispensable. In this work, we studied single films of tantalum and two stoichiometrics of tantalum nitride as well as TaN/Ta film stacks both on bare and oxidized silicon. Spectroscopic ellipsometry from the UV to the NIR was applied to determine the optical properties of the films for subsequent modeling by a Lorentz-Drude approach. These models were successfully applied to TaN/Ta thin-film stacks where the values of the film thickness could be determined exactly. Moreover, it is shown that considerable differences in the optical properties arise from both film thickness and substrate
Measurement of the Rat Urinary Plasminogen Activator (Esterase A) by Direct Radioimmunoassay in Urine and Tissue (1984)

Rat urinary esterase A, a plasminogen activator with kininogenase activity, was recently purified and characterized (J. Chao (1983) J. Biol. Chem. 258, 4434-4439). A sensitive radioimmunoassay for esterase A has been developed. This assay uses a rabbit antiserum in a final dilution of 1:160 000 and the purified enzyme was labelled with 125I using a lactoperoxidase method. It detects 80 pg of immunoreactive material per tube. This antiserum has some cross-reactivity with rat urinary kallikrein (approximately 5%) but a previously characterized tissue kallikrein antiserum has negligible cross-reactivity with the urinary esterase A in the assays. Therefore, kallikrein levels are measured simultaneously in all samples to obtain accurate levels of immunoreactive esterase A. Dilutions of urine or tissue homogenates showed complete parallelism with esterase A standard curves. No cross-reactivity with dog, human or monkey urine was seen. The recovery of esterase A from rat urine was 99.7 +/- 3.5%. Intra- and between-assay errors were 6.5 and 11.2%, respectively. Immunoreactive esterase A was measured and compared with kallikrein levels in rat urine, kidney, pancreas, submandibular gland, descending colon and ileum. The urinary esterase A excretion rate was reduced significantly in rats on a high sodium, compared with a low sodium diet, but not significantly increased above control by the latter. Nonetheless, a significant correlation between urinary kallikrein and esterase A excretion rate was present. This radioimmunoassay can now be used to measure esterase A levels in urine and tissue as questions have arisen about its regulation and functional significance.
Gentamicin Inhibits Renal Protein and Phospholipid Metabolism in Rats (2001)

Studies were undertaken to characterize the mechanism of aminoglycoside-induced nephrotoxicity. Early time points in gentamicin treatment (1 to 3 d) were used to investigate the development of toxic events without the complication of gross morphologic cellular alterations. Enzyme activities of cortical homogenates and brush border membrane (BBM) preparations documented little effect on specific activities or the ability to isolate representative membrane fractions. In vivo protein synthesis experiments demonstrated that gentamicin reduced cellular protein synthesis after 2 d of treatment. This inhibition increased to 50% on the third day. Total cellular proteins synthesis was inhibited to the same extent as BBM protein synthesis. However, gentamicin had different effects on homogenate versus BBM phospholipids. The total phospholipid contents in cortical homogenates and BBM from treated animals were increased, compared with control animals. A significant decrease in phospholipid synthesis was observed only in homogenates from treated animals. When effects on individual phospholipids were investigated, only an increase in phosphatidylinositol levels was observed in cortical homogenates from treated rats. However, gentamicin treatment was demonstrated to increase the levels of phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidylcholine, while decreasing the level of sphingomyelin (SPH), in BBM. Incorporation of (32)P into SPH, phosphatidylserine, and phosphatidylethanolamine was inhibited in cortical homogenates from gentamicin-treated animals; among BBM phospholipids, however, a significant decrease was observed only for SPH synthesis. It was concluded that inhibition of phospholipid degradation was quantitatively the major contributor to the effects of gentamicin on phospholipid metabolism. Confocal microscopic studies, using tracer amounts of fluorescently labeled gentamicin, revealed gentamicin in large, mostly basal structures. Correlative electron microscopic studies, using photo-oxidation techniques, demonstrated that these structures consisted of lysosomal, Golgi complex, and mitochondrial structures. These observations suggest retrograde trafficking of gentamicin and indicate a general mechanism of gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity.
Reorientation of a Nematic Liquid Crystal of Discotic Molecules by Photoinduced Space Charge Fields (1998)

Abstract A new reorientation effect in nematic liquid crystals of discotic molecules has been observed and investigated for the first time, which occurs under the combined influence of DC-electrical and optical fields. It is shown that illumination with intensities as low as 10−3 W/cm2 is sufficient for a strong photo-induced reorientation process, indicating a rather large nonlinear optical coefficient. The dependence of photoexcitation upon the applied voltage as well as from intensity and wavelength of the light wave has been investigated. Furthermore, a first model will be discussed, which explains the experimental observations to result from photo-induced space charge fields which enhance the electrical field-induced reorientation of the discotic molecules. Key Words: Nonlinear OpticsElectro-Optical EffectsLight-ValvePhotorefractive Effect
Iodine‐Mediated Oxidative Annulation by C–C Cleavage: A Domino Synthetic Approach to Quinazolinones and Benzo[4,5]imidazo[1,2‐ c ]quinazolines (2020)

Abstract A facile iodine‐mediated unprecedented C–C cleavage by employing CuI has been established towards the synthesis of quinazolin‐4(3 H )‐ones and benzo[4,5]imidazo[1,2‐ c ]quinazolines. This protocol involves peroxide free synthetic approach for the stable C–C bond cleavage followed by oxidative annulation to develop a library of fused N ‐heterocyclic molecules.
Investigation on optimal materials selection in RTD-Fluxgate Design (2006)

The aim of this paper is to present experimental results, along with analytical calculations, on different prototypes of RTD fluxgate using a set of three ferromagnetic materials. The residence times difference approach is based on the time domain characterization of the transitions between the stable steady states of the hysteresis loop whose features are related to the external magnetic field to be measured. Experiments and studies reported in the following sections aim to give guidelines for the optimal system design in terms of sensitivity and power budget, exploiting the features of the ferromagnetic materials used as core. The prototypes developed at the DIEES of the Engineering Faculty in Catania and used during the experiments represent test vehicles. Moreover they allow the validation of the theoretical considerations made on the subject in view of future integrated realizations of fluxgates with RTD readout strategy to demonstrate how a suitable choice of the core material can improve the devices performances
Asymmetric adaptation in human walking using the Tethered Pelvic Assist Device (TPAD) (2013)

Human nervous system is capable of modifying motor commands in response to alterations in walking conditions. Previous research has shown that external perturbations that induce gait asymmetry can lead to adaptation in gait parameters. Such strategies have also been shown to temporarily restore gait symmetry in subjects with post stroke hemiparesis. This work aims to develop an experimental paradigm to induce gait asymmetry in human subjects by applying external asymmetric forces on the pelvis through the Tethered Pelvic Assist Device (TPAD). These external forces on the pelvis have the potential to influence the swing and the stance phases of both legs. Eight healthy subjects participated in the experiment where a higher resistive force was applied on the pelvis during the swing phase of the left leg as compared to the right leg. We hypothesized that such asymmetrically applied forces on the pelvis will lead to asymmetric adaptation in the human walking.
Transcriptional regulation of tenascin‐W by TGF‐beta signaling in the bone metastatic niche of breast cancer cells (2015)

Tenascin-W is a matricellular protein with a dynamically changing expression pattern in development and disease. In adults, tenascin-W is mostly restricted to stem cell niches, and is also expressed in the stroma of solid cancers. Here, we analyzed its expression in the bone microenvironment of breast cancer metastasis. Osteoblasts were isolated from tumor-free or tumor-bearing bones of mice injected with MDA-MB231-1833 breast cancer cells. We found a fourfold upregulation of tenascin-W in the osteoblast population of tumor-bearing mice compared to healthy mice, indicating that tenascin-W is supplied by the bone metastatic niche. Transwell and co-culture studies showed that human bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) express tenascin-W protein after exposure to factors secreted by MDA-MB231-1833 breast cancer cells. To study tenascin-W gene regulation, we identified and analyzed the tenascin-W promoter as well as three evolutionary conserved regions in the first intron. 5'RACE analysis of mRNA from human breast cancer, glioblastoma and bone tissue showed a single tenascin-W transcript with a transcription start site at a noncoding first exon followed by exon 2 containing the ATG translation start. Site-directed mutagenesis of a SMAD4-binding element in proximity of the TATA box strongly impaired promoter activity. TGFβ1 induced tenascin-W expression in human BMSCs through activation of the TGFβ1 receptor ALK5, while glucocorticoids were inhibitory. Our experiments show that tenascin-W acts as a niche component for breast cancer metastasis to bone by supporting cell migration and cell proliferation of the cancer cells.
TiO2 enhanced ultraviolet detection based on a graphene/Si Schottky diode (2015)

TiO<sub>2</sub> nanoparticles are spin-coated on the graphene/Si Schottky junction to improve its photoresponse in the ultraviolet region.
Alterations in blood volume following short-term supramaximal exercise (1984)

To investigate the role of high-intensity intermittent exercise on adaptations in blood volume and selected hematological measures, four male subjects aged 19-23 yr [peak O2 consumption (VO2max) = 53 ml X min-1 X kg-1] performed supramaximal (120% VO2max) cycle exercise on 3 consecutive days. Each exercise session consisted of intermittent work performed as bouts of 1-min work to 4-min rest until fatigue or until a maximum of 24 repetitions had been completed. Measurements on blood samples were made before the exercise period and 24 h after the last exercise session. Plasma volume (PV) estimated using 131I-human serum albumin increased by 11.6% (3,504 vs. 3,912 ml; P less than 0.05). Total blood volume (TBV) based on PV and hematocrit (Hct) values increased by 4.5% (5,798 vs. 6,059 ml; P less than 0.05), whereas red cell volume (RCV) decreased by 6.4% (2,294 vs. 2,147 ml; P less than 0.05). Measurements of hematological indices indicated significant reductions (P less than 0.05) in whole-blood Hct (39.7 vs. 35.5%), hemoglobin concentration (15.5 vs. 13.9 g/100 ml), hemoglobin content (897 vs. 839 g), and red blood cell count (5.15 vs. 4.55 X 10(6) X mm-3). The findings of this study suggest that exercise intensity is a major factor in promoting exercise-induced hypervolemia and that rapid elevations in PV can be induced early in training.
Control of Nanofiltration membranes biofouling by using a new anti-fouling coating (2016)

Background: Fluoroquinolones are one of the most frequently prescribed antibiotic classes in the United States; however, up to 80% of use has been deemed inappropriate. Additionally, fluoroquinolones have been categorized as high risk agents for causing C. difficile infection (CDI). Interventions to limit fluoroquinolone utilization have been associated with a reduction in CDI rates. Investigators sought to assess the impact of a health system respiratory fluoroquinolone restriction program on C. difficile infection rates. Methods: This is a multi-center, retrospective study comparing hospital-acquired C. difficile infection rates at five hospitals within a healthcare system after implementation of a respiratory fluoroquinolone restriction program. The program included education as well as development and implementation of criteria for utilization. The Student’s t-test was used to assess the impact of the restriction program on CDI rates and moxifloxacin utilization.Results: The hospital system experienced a 94% overall reduction in respiratory fluoroquinolone days of therapy per 1000 patient days (DOT/1000 patient days) and a 35% reduction in hospital-acquired CDI cases per 1000 patient days (CDI rate). The mean DOT/1000 patient days decreased post-education [24.5 (SEM 1.1) vs. 12.8 (SEM 1.5); abs reduction 11.7, p&lt;0.001] and was further reduced post-restriction [12.8 (SEM 1.5) vs. 4.0 (SEM 0.6); abs reduction 8.8, p&lt;0.001]. A significant reduction in CDI rate was experienced between the pre-intervention and post-restriction phases (absolute mean reduction of 0.1, p=0.036) as well as the pre-restriction and post-restriction phases (absolute mean reduction of 0.1, p=0.046).Conclusions: Implementation of a respiratory fluoroquinolone restriction program can reduce utilization and hospital-acquired C. difficile infection.
Low seroprevalence of COVID-19 in Lao PDR, late 2020 (2021)

Agence Française de Développement. Additional; Institut Pasteur du Laos, Institute Pasteur, Paris and Luxembourg Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs ("PaReCIDS II").
Laser capture microdissection technology (2007)

Deciphering the cellular and molecular interactions that drive disease within the tissue microenvironment holds promise for discovering drug targets of the future. In order to recapitulate the in vivo interactions through molecular analysis, one must be able to analyze specific cell populations within the context of their heterogeneous tissue microecology. Laser capture microdissection is a method to procure subpopulations of tissue cells under direct microscopic visualization. Laser capture microdissection technology can harvest the cells of interest directly or can isolate specific cells by cutting away unwanted cells to give histologically pure enriched cell populations. A variety of downstream applications exist: DNA genotyping and loss-of-heterozygosity analysis, RNA transcript profiling, cDNA library generation, mass spectrometry proteomics discovery and signal pathway profiling.
A new model to study mucosal immunity at the ocular surface (MUC7P.758) (2014)

Abstract The ocular surface represents a mucosal interface between the environment and the host. Similarly to the lymphoid tissue of the gut, cells of the conjunctiva-associated lymphoid tissue (CALT) are organized into follicles. Humans exhibit CALT in healthy eyes, and the number and size of follicles increase with inflammation caused by infections, allergies, dry eye, and conjunctivitis, suggesting a functional role for CALT in immunity at the ocular surface. Due to the limited amount of data from animal models, functional studies of CALT are lacking. We aimed to develop a mouse model to study the dynamics and functional parameters of CALT in normal and immunologically perturbed hosts. Towards that end, we used mice deficient in IL-10 and/or IL-22. Upon ocular infection with Staphylococcus aureus (Strain USA300 LAC), we observed an expansion of immune cells in the CALT. This included elements of the adaptive and innate immune systems, with prominent expansion of group 3 innate-like lymphocytes (ILC3), which have hitherto only been shown to localize to the gut and lungs. The increase in cellular infiltrate correlated with an increase in the numbers of TNFα and IL-17 producing cells. Our studies lay the basis for a working mouse model to analyze the functional characteristics of CALT, an understudied component of the mucosal immune system. Also, this model may permit identification of factors that induce ocular inflammation leading to various ocular pathologies.
Differential responses of coral larvae to the colour of ambient light guide them to suitable settlement microhabitat (2015)

Reef-building corals produce planktonic planula larvae that must select an appropriate habitat to settle and spend the rest of their life, a behaviour that plays a critical role in survival. Here, we report that larvae obtained from a deep-water population of Pseudodiploria strigosa settled more readily under blue light and in the dark, which aligns well with the light field characteristics of their natal habitat. By contrast, larvae of the shallow-water coral Acropora millepora settled in high proportions under blue and green light while settlement was less in the dark. Acropora millepora larvae also showed reduced settlement under red light, which should be abundant at shallow depth. Hypothesizing that this might be a mechanism preventing the larvae from settling on the exposed upwards-facing surfaces, we quantified A. millepora settlement in manipulated light chambers in situ on the reef. While A. millepora larvae naturally preferred settling on vertical rather than exposed horizontal surfaces, swapping the colours of upwards-facing and sideways-facing light fields was sufficient to invert this preference. We also tested if the variation in intrinsic red fluorescence in A. millepora larvae correlates with settlement rates, as has been suggested previously. We observed this correlation only in the absence of light, indicating that larval red fluorescent protein is probably not directly involved in light sensing. Our study reveals previously under-appreciated light-sensory capabilities in coral larvae, which could be an important axis of ecological differentiation between coral species and/or populations.
Vertical One-Dimensional Photonic Crystal Platforms for Label-Free (Bio)Sensing: Towards Drop-and-Measure Applications (2015)

In this work, all-silicon, integrated optofluidic platforms, fabricated by electrochemical micromachining technology, making use of vertical, one-dimensional high-aspect-ratio photonic crystals for flow-through (bio)sensing applications are reviewed. The potential of such platforms for point-of-care applications is discussed for both pressure-driven and capillarity-driven operations with reference to refractometry and biochemical sensing.
Is the use of unrelated donor transplantation leveling off in Europe? The 2016 European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplant activity survey report (2018)

Hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) is an established procedure for acquired and congenital disorders of the hematopoietic system. In 2016, there was a tendency for continued activity in this field with 43,636 HCT in 39,313 patients [16,507 allogeneic (42%), 22,806 autologous (58%)] reported by 679 centers in 49 countries in 2016. The main indications were myeloid malignancies 9547 (24%; 96% allogeneic), lymphoid malignancies 25,618 (65%; 20% allogeneic), solid tumors 1516 (4%; 2% allogeneic), and non-malignant disorders 2459 (6%; 85% allogeneic). There was a remarkable leveling off in the use of unrelated donor HCT being replaced by haploidentical HCT. Continued growth in allogeneic HCT for marrow failure, AML, and MPN was seen, whereas MDS appears stable. Allogeneic HCT for lymphoid malignancies vary in trend with increases for NHL and decreases for Hodgkin lymphoma and myeloma. Trends in CLL are not clear, with recent increases after a decrease in activity. In autologous HCT, the use in myeloma continues to expand but is stable in Hodgkin lymphoma. There is a notable increase in autologous HCT for autoimmune disease. These data reflect the most recent advances in the field, in which some trends and changes are likely to be related to development of non-transplant technologies.
Apoptosis Stimulating Protein of p53 (ASPP2) Expression Differs in Diffuse Large B-cell and Follicular Center Lymphoma: Correlation with Clinical Outcome (2002)

ASPP2 interacts with the tumor suppressor protein p53, promotes damage-induced apoptosis, and can specifically stimulate p53 apoptotic function. Thus, ASPP2 may function as a tumor suppressor and/or play a role in the cellular response to cytotoxic injury. To explore the role of ASPP2 in human cancer, we determined ASPP2 expression in two lymphoma subtypes with differing clinical outcomes: diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and follicular center lymphoma (FCL). A real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay was developed to detect ASPP2 mRNA. Sixty-one DLBCL and twenty-three FCL cases were analyzed and normalized ASPP2 levels were expressed relative to an mRNA standard. We found that ASPP2 mean expression strongly correlated with lymphoma subtype: DLBCL = 11.74 and FCL = 4.99 (p = 0.029, unpaired 2-tailed t-test). Importantly, ASPP2 expression was variable in DLBCL but not FCL (DLBCL-range, 0.04-94.6; FCL-range, 1.2-15.0). In these DLBCL cases, serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) was an independent predictor of survival with median survival in the high LDH group of 24 months and median survival not achieved in the normal-low LDH group (p = 0.014, Log-Rank Test). Mean ASPP2 levels trended toward an inverse correlation with LDH levels: High LDH, ASPP2 = 6.2; Normal-low LDH, ASPP2 = 18.2 (p = 0.074, unpaired 2-tailed t-test). In the DLBCL cases with ASPP2 levels > 7.8, only 10% (1/10) had a high LDH, in contrast to cases with ASPP2 levels < 7.8 in which 59% (26/44) had a high LDH (p = 0.011, Fisher Exact Test). Thus, low ASPP2 mRNA levels may correlate with poor clinical outcome in lymphoma which is consistent with the hypothesis that ASPP2 may play a role in tumor formation and/or sensitivity to cytotoxic agents. Larger studies as well as analysis of different tumor types are warranted.
Electronic and mechanical properties of planar and tubular boron structures (2005)

We report the results of first-principles calculations showing that boron can form a wide variety of metastable planar and tubular forms with unusual electronic and mechanical properties. The preferred planar structure is a buckled triangular lattice that breaks the threefold ground state degeneracy of the flat triangular plane. When the plane is rolled into a tube, the ground state degeneracy leads to a strong chirality dependence of the binding energy and elastic response, an unusual property that is not found in carbon nanotubes. The achiral $(n,0)$ tubes derive their structure from the flat triangular plane. The achiral $(n,n)$ boron nanotubes arise from the buckled plane, and have large cohesive energies and different structures as a result. $(n,n)$ boron nanotubes have an internal relaxation mechanism that results in a very low Poisson ratio. The strong variation in elastic properties of boron nanotubes makes them the mechanical analogue of carbon nanotubes, and may make them ideal candidates for applications in composite materials and nanoelectromechanical systems.