gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Comparative analysis of nanosystems’ effects on human endothelial and monocytic cell functions (2018)

The objective of our work was to investigate the effects of different types of nanoparticles on endothelial (HUVEC) and monocytic cell functions. We prepared and tested 14 different nanosystems comprising liposomes, lipid nanoparticles, polymer, and iron oxide nanoparticles. Some of the tested nanosystems contained targeting, therapeutic, or contrast agent(s). The effect of particles (0-400 µg/mL) on endothelial-monocytic cell interactions in response to TNF-α was investigated using an arterial bifurcation model and dynamic monocyte adhesion assay. Spontaneous HUVEC migration (0-100 µg/mL nanoparticles) and chemotaxis of monocytic cells towards MCP-1 in presence of particles (0-400 µg/mL) were determined using a barrier assay and a modified Boyden chamber assay, respectively. Lipid nanoparticles dose-dependently reduced monocytic cell chemotaxis and adhesion to activated HUVECs. Liposomal nanoparticles had little effect on cell migration, but one formulation induced monocytic cell recruitment by HUVECs under non-uniform shear stress by about 50%. Fucoidan-coated polymer nanoparticles (25-50 µg/mL) inhibited HUVEC migration and monocytic cell chemotaxis, and had a suppressive effect on monocytic cell recruitment under non-uniform shear stress. No significant effects of iron oxide nanoparticles on monocytic cell recruitment were observed except lauric acid and human albumin-coated particles which increased endothelial-monocytic interactions by 60-70%. Some of the iron oxide nanoparticles inhibited HUVEC migration and monocytic cell chemotaxis. These nanoparticle-induced effects are of importance for vascular cell biology and function and must be considered before the potential clinical use of some of the analyzed nanosystems in cardiovascular applications.
Spectroscopic sensing with silicon nitride photonic integrated circuits (2017)

Silicon photonics is rapidly emerging as a mature technology platform for the fabrication of photonic integrated circuits. It builds on the technology base of the CMOS-world and allows to implement advanced photonic functions on a small footprint chip with high accuracy and yield. For operation at telecom wavelengths above 1 micrometer one typically uses silicon-on-insulator wafers with waveguides with a silicon core. For short-wavelength operation, below 1 micrometer, one can use a silicon nitride (SiN) core instead of a silicon core. This results in a platform for operation in the visible and near infrared, with moderately high refractive index contrast and low loss photonic components. Operation at short wavelengths can be beneficial for a variety of reasons, including the possibility to use low cost high performance sources and detectors and the compatibility with sensing in an aqeous environment. The SiN CMOS-platform has been used to demonstrate a variety of spectroscopic sensing functions. In essence the SiN chips may contain sensing structures, whereby the evanescent tail of the guided light is interacting with the analyte, as well as spectrometric functions to read out the spectrum resulting from the interaction with the analyte. This approach has allowed to demonstrate refractive index biosensors, spontaneous Raman spectroscopy and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy. In the latter case the SiN waveguides are enriched with gold nano-antennas to enhance the local field strength seen by the analyte. The spectrometric functions can be based on arrayed waveguide gratings, echelle grating spectrometers or Fourier Transform spectrometers.
Center Frequency and Bandwidth Tunable Filter Employing Tunable Comb-Shaped Transmission Line Resonators and J-inverters (2006)

This paper presents a novel and simple-structured digital tunable bandpass filter that individually controls the center frequency and bandwidth. The filter consists of tunable lambda/4-length resonators and tunable J-inverters. The employed tunable resonator has a transmission line with a comb-shaped pattern on both sides of the line and multiple switches placed between the teeth of the comb-shaped pattern. The tunable J-inverter comprises a microstrip gap having multiple conductor tips and switches in the gap. A prototype two-pole tunable bandpass filter is designed and fabricated to verify the feasibility of the proposed filter. The tuning ratios of the measured bandwidth and center frequency are 2.67 and 1.14, respectively
Gap Effect Abnormalities during a Visually Guided Pro-Saccade Task in Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (2015)

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that starts in early childhood and has a comprehensive impact on psychosocial activity and education as well as general health across the lifespan. Despite its prevalence, the current diagnostic criteria for ADHD are debated. Saccadic eye movements are easy to quantify and may be a quantitative biomarker for a wide variety of neurological and psychiatric disorders, including ADHD. The goal of this study was to examine whether children with ADHD exhibit abnormalities during a visually guided pro-saccadic eye-movement and to clarify the neurophysiological mechanisms associated with their behavioral impairments. Thirty-seven children with ADHD (aged 5-11 years) and 88 typically developing (TD) children (aged 5-11 years) were asked to perform a simple saccadic eye-movement task in which step and gap conditions were randomly interleaved. We evaluated the gap effect, which is the difference in the reaction time between the two conditions. Children with ADHD had a significantly longer reaction time than TD children (p < 0.01) and the gap effect was markedly attenuated (p < 0.01). These results suggest that the measurement of saccadic eye movements may provide a novel method for evaluating the behavioral symptoms and clinical features of ADHD, and that the gap effect is a potential biomarker for the diagnosis of ADHD in early childhood.
Analysis and Mitigation of Electromigration in RF Circuits: An LNA Case Study (2011)

Circuit reliability is an increasingly important concern. Most of the reliability studies have concentrated on digital circuits, which have typically led analog circuits in terms of technology node. This is no longer true as both RF/analog and digital components are being integrated with the leading edge manufacturing process. In this paper, we present a methodology for analyzing the parametric degradation caused by electromigration in inductors and vias at design time. We identify reliability hot spots and concentrate our efforts on these circuit components to enhance the lifetime of the circuit with low area and no performance impact.
Par j 1 and Par j 2, the two major allergens in Parietaria judaica, bind preferentially to monoacylated negative lipids (2009)

Par j 1 and Par j 2 proteins are the two major allergens in Parietaria judaica pollen, one of the main causes of allergic diseases in the Mediterranean area. Each of them contains eight cysteine residues organized in a pattern identical to that found in plant nonspecific lipid transfer proteins. The 139- and 102-residue recombinant allergens, corresponding respectively to Par j 1 and Par j 2, refold properly to fully functional forms, whose immunological properties resemble those of the molecules purified from the natural source. Molecular modeling shows that, despite the lack of extensive primary structure homology with nonspecific lipid transfer proteins, both allergens contain a hydrophobic cavity suited to accommodate a lipid ligand. In the present study, we present novel evidence for the formation of complexes of these natural and recombinant proteins from Parietaria pollen with lipidic molecules. The dissociation constant of oleyl-lyso-phosphatidylcholine is 9.1 +/- 1.2 microm for recombinant Par j 1, whereas pyrenedodecanoic acid shows a much higher affinity, with a dissociation constant of approximately 1 microm for both recombinant proteins, as well as for the natural mixture. Lipid binding does not alter the secondary structure content of the protein but is very efficient in protecting disulfide bonds from reduction by dithiothreitol. We show that Par j 1 and Par j 2 not only bind lipids from micellar dispersions, but also are able to extract and transfer negative phospholipids from bilayers.
Novel Fast-Setting Mineral Trioxide Aggregate: Its Formulation, Chemical–Physical Properties, and Cytocompatibility (2018)

One of the main drawbacks that limits the application of mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) in dental field is its long setting time. Mineral trioxide aggregate with accelerated setting properties and excellent chemical-physical and biological properties is still required. In this study, an innovative mineral trioxide aggregate, which consists of calcium silicates, calcium aluminates, and zirconium oxide, was designed to obtain fast-setting property. The optimized formulation can achieve initial setting in 10 min and final setting in 15 min, which are much faster than commercial mineral trioxide aggregate. In addition, the optimized fast-setting MTA showed adequate radiopacity and good biocompatibility. The ion concentrations after storage in water for 1 day were 52.3 mg/L Ca, 67.7 mg/L Al, 48.8 mg/L Si, and 11.7 mg/L Mg. The hydration products of hardened cements were investigated by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and Fourier transform infrared, showing the accelerated setting time was due to the formation of honeycomb-like calcium silicate hydrate gel. The novel MTA could be a promising material for dental applications.
Inverter characterization for intermittent and peak duty motor drives (2014)

This paper investigates inverter time ratings and short-time electrical and thermal limitations in peak duty intermittent-load motor drives. An inverter electro-thermal model is developed and validated to complement prior motor thermal models. The inverter model is used to assess short-time capabilities of IGBT inverters. The results show that the inverter is the thermal bottleneck for short-term ratings in a drive system. A large thermal mass heat sink is shown to increase time ratings. The limit is the semiconductor heat capacity, which is invariant for any duration above a fraction of a second. Analyses are extended to inverter characterization for repetitive duty. For aperiodic duty, an energy-based time rating estimation process is discussed and case studies based on automotive duty and fault duty are presented.
On the Applicability of Registration Uncertainty (2018)

Estimating the uncertainty in (probabilistic) image registration enables, e.g., surgeons to assess the operative risk based on the trustworthiness of the registered image data. If surgeons receive inaccurately calculated registration uncertainty and misplace unwarranted confidence in the alignment solutions, severe consequences may result. For probabilistic image registration (PIR), the predominant way to quantify the registration uncertainty is using summary statistics of the distribution of transformation parameters. The majority of existing research focuses on trying out different summary statistics as well as a means to exploit them. Distinctively, in this paper, we study two rarely examined topics: (1) whether those summary statistics of the transformation distribution most informatively represent the registration uncertainty; (2) Does utilizing the registration uncertainty always be beneficial. We show that there are two types of uncertainties: the transformation uncertainty, Ut, and label uncertainty Ul. The conventional way of using Ut to quantify Ul is inappropriate and can be misleading. By a real data experiment, we also share a potentially critical finding that making use of the registration uncertainty may not always be an improvement.
Advisory Temporal Logic Inference and Controller Design for Semiautonomous Robots (2018)

In this paper, we present a method to learn (infer) and refine a set of advices from the trajectories generated in the successful and failed attempts in a task or game, in the form of advisory signal temporal logic (STL) formulas. Each advice consists of an advisory motion STL formula that characterizes the spatial-temporal pattern of the motion as a feature of success and an advisory selection STL formula as a criterion for the environment to select the advice. For the inference of advisory STL formulas, we provide a theoretical framework of perfect classification with a labeled set of trajectories with different time lengths. We design an advisory controller that can drive the robots to satisfy an advisory motion STL formula based on the advice selected according to the advisory selection STL formula. The advisory controller can advise or guide the human operators or the robots for better performance with the shared autonomy between the human operator and the controller. We provide two case studies to test the effectiveness of the advisory controller, one with a Baxter-On-Wheels simulator and the other with two quadrotors in an experimental testbed in iteratively improving the success rates of completing the tasks with the help of the designed advisory controller.
Real-Time Ultrasound-Guided High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound Therapy with Enhanced Visualization and Reduced Treatment Time (2005)

We present a novel technique for synchronizing diagnostic ultrasound imaging and High‐Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) therapy systems for real‐time image‐guided therapy that does not require any modification of a commercial imaging system. HIFU therapy with a duty cycle of 83% could be performed simultaneously with B‐mode imaging by combining 5 image frames to remove HIFU interference in the entire field of view, with an overall frame rate of 11 frames/s. In vivo experiments in rabbit thigh muscle showed that the volume of HIFU‐treated lesions increased by 342% (p<0.01) when the duty cycle was increased from 50% to 95% for the same HIFU treatment times. The HIFU treatment time required at 90% duty cycle was 64% less (p<0.05) than that required at a 50% duty cycle to create lesions of the same volume.
On the Repeated Use of Random FM Waveforms (2022)

Random frequency modulation (RFM) comprises a diverse class of noise radar waveforms that have been shown to possess a number of useful and practical attributes. Specifically, the inherent FM structure makes such waveforms amenable to high-power transmitters, while the high dimensionality arising from non-repetition facilitates the exploration of new operating modes. Of course, trade-offs in computational complexity and/or storage limitations may in some cases preclude the use of completely unique waveforms during a coherent processing interval (CPI). Consequently, here we examine the impact of the degree of repetition and the particular manner in which it occurs via examination of the point spread function, Monte Carlo simulation, and open-air experimental measurements.
A low cost vibrotactile array to manage respiratory motion (2009)

We present a tactile Respiratory Management System (tRMS) to manage and control breathing patterns of cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy. The system comprises of an array of small vibrating motors and a control box that supplies power to and provides a control interface for up to twelve motors through the parallel port of a standard personal computer. The vibrotactile array can be fastened along the forearm, arm, thigh, leg or abdomen in any configuration using Velcro and fabric wraps. All motors are operated in a binary fashion, i.e. on or off, with quick response time and perceivable vibration magnitudes. The tRMS system is inexpensive and portable, providing spatiotemporal variations in tactile cues to regulate respiratory motion during radiotherapy. The system will also be used in future psychophysical studies to determine effective use of tactile cues to control human motor actions.
Low‐grade fibromyxoid sarcoma arising within the median nerve (2018)

We report a case of low-grade fibromyxoid sarcoma arising within the median nerve. A 31-year-old woman presented with symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome and an enlarging mass in her right palm over 1 year. MRI demonstrated a mass associated with the right median nerve with solid and cystic components. At surgery, the mass was located within the epineurium, could be bluntly dissected from the nerve fascicles, and was suspected to be a schwannoma. A 3.4 cm, tan-pink, glistening, smooth, homogenous mass was submitted to pathology. Microscopically, the tumor was a solid and cystic circumscribed nodule with a dense fibrous pseudocapsule. The tumor cells were uniformly bland and spindle-shaped, with small, hyperchromatic oval nuclei and were embedded in an alternating fibrous and myxoid stroma with a prominent curvilinear vasculature and perivascular sclerosis. The differential diagnosis for this lesion included myxoid neurofibroma, schwannoma, soft tissue perineurioma, low-grade malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor and low-grade fibromyxoid sarcoma. The tumor cells expressed MUC4, GLUT-1, and vimentin and were negative for S-100 protein, epithelial membrane antigen, smooth muscle actin, desmin, claudin-1, neurofilament and SOX10. Fluorescence in situ hybridization, with a break-apart probe strategy, demonstrated FUS rearrangement, consistent in this morphological context with the low-grade fibromyxoid sarcoma-associated FUS-CREB3L2 or FUS-CREB3L1 fusions. Low-grade fibromyxoid sarcoma is exceptionally rare in the peripheral nerve, with only a single previously reported case. Nonetheless, as our case illustrates, this entity must be included in the differential diagnosis of unusual intraneural mesenchymal tumors. As in all other locations, intraneural low-grade fibromyxoid sarcomas should be excised with negative margins. Patients with this disease require long-term clinical follow-up, given this tumor's propensity for very late distant metastases to the lungs and other sites.
Anti‑oncogenic and pro‑myogenic action of the MKK6/p38/AKT axis induced by targeting MEK/ERK in embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma (2022)

Insights into the molecular and cellular biology of embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma (ERMS), an aggressive paediatric tumour, are required in order to identify new targets for novel treatments that may benefit patients with this disease. The present study examined the functional effects of MKK3 and MKK6, two upstream kinases of p38, and found that the ectopic expression of MKK6 led to rapid p38 activation and the myogenic differentiation of ERMS cells, whereas MKK3 failed to induce differentiation, while maintaining the proliferation state. Myogenin and myosin heavy chain were induced in MKK6‑overexpressing ERMS cells and were inhibited by the p38 inhibitor, SB203580. The expression of Myc and ERK‑PO4 increased under the effect of SB203580, whereas it decreased in MKK6‑overexpressing cells. AKT activation was part of the myogenic program triggered by MKK6 overexpression alone. To the best of our knowledge, the present study demonstrates, for the first time, that the endogenous MKK6 pathway may be recovered by MEK/ERK inhibition (U0126 and trametinib) and that it concomitantly induces the reversal of the oncogenic pattern and the induction of the myogenic differentiation of ERMS cell lines. The effects of MEK/ERK inhibitors markedly increase the potential clinical applications in ERMS, particularly on account of the MEK inhibitor‑induced early MKK6/p38 axis activation and of their anti‑oncogenic effects. The findings presented herein lend further support to the antitumour effects of MKK6; MKK6 may thus represent a novel target for advanced personalised treatments against ERMS.
Self-assembled monolayer resists for electron beam lithography (2005)

In this paper, we report the resist characteristics of self-assembled alkanethiol monolayers on gold upon electron beam exposure. We have observed only negative resist behavior for smaller alkanethiols under various exposure conditions. Longer alkanethiols act as either positive or negative resists depending on the exposure conditions. The positive resist behavior is limited by the relative etch resistivity of the unexposed area, which is partly determined by the monolayer quality. We have proposed a dual exposure procedure for improving pattern transferability using both positive and negative resist behavior. The electron induced modifications of self-assembled monolayers are observed to be in qualitative agreement with Bethe's model for electron-solid interaction.
Possible destruction of cholinoceptive neurons by overstimulation of cholinergic tracts (1986)

It is well established that intracerebral injections of kainic acid may cause not only neuronal cell destruction at the injection site, but also losses in some distant regions. The mechanisms are different. The distant, but not the local, destruction can be produced by folic as well as by kainic acid and prevented by pretreatment of the animal with diazepam. Overexcitation of excitatory projections is believed responsible for the distant damage and evidence is presented that in some instances the projections involved are cholinergic. Thus, for example, injections of kainic acid or folic acid into the substantia innominata of rats destroy neurons in areas such as the pyriform cortex and amygdala which receive cholinergic projections from the injected area. Some of the destroyed neurons are GABAergic. That the distant toxicity in these areas can be partially blocked by scopolamine and is accompanied by decreases in the number of muscarinic binding sites is consistent with a cholinergic mechanism. Distant damage also occurs in the thalamus but this appears to be mediated by a noncholinergic projection. Similar injections of folic acid or kainic acid into the rostral pontine tegmentum, another area with cholinergic cells, cause destruction of both dopaminergic and GABAergic neurons in the substantia nigra. The effect on the GABAergic but not that on the dopaminergic cells is blocked by scopolamine. The results are discussed in relation to possible mechanisms of epilepsy and of selective neuronal losses in diseases such as Parkinson's disease.
PAWNs: Satisfying the need for ubiquitos secure connectivity and location services (2002)

The dawning of the 21st century has seen unprecedented growth in the number of wireless users, applications, and network access technologies. This trend is enabling the vision of pervasive ubiquitous computing where users have network access anytime, anywhere, and applications are location-sensitive and context-aware. To realize this vision, we need to extend network connectivity beyond private networks, such as corporate and university networks, into public spaces like airports, malls, hotels, parks, arenas, and so on - those places where individuals spend a considerable amount of their time outside private networks. In this article we argue that wireless LAN technologies are the ideal mechanism for extending network connectivity to these public places, and enabling location and context-aware applications in them. However, implementing and deploying public area wireless networks (PAWNs) present a number of practical challenges, including network security, privacy, authentication, mobility management, and provisioning of key services. We discuss these challenges as a general problem for PAWNs, and then describe a PAWN we have designed, implemented, and deployed called CHOICE that addresses them. We describe the architecture and components of CHOICE, the service models it supports, and the location services and context-aware applications we have implemented and deployed in it.