gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Degradation of PVCs obtained by controlled chemical dehydrochlorination (1983)

Abstract Thermal and thermo‐oxidative degradation of poly(vinyl chloride)s (PVCs) containing increased concentrations of allylic chlorines, PVC(A)s, prepared by controlled chemical dehydrochlorination with potassium‐ t ‐butoxide ( t ‐BuOK) have been studied. The introduction of small amounts of internal allylic chlorines into PVC significantly decreases the thermal and thermo‐oxidative stability of the resin. A linear relationship exists between the initial rates ( V HCl ) 0 of thermal and thermooxidative dehydrochlorination of solid PVC(A)s and the concentration S of internal allylic chlorines. Both the slope and the intercept of the thermo‐oxidative ( V HCl ) 0 vs. S plot are higher in oxygen than those obtained in nitrogen at the same temperature; this finding is attributed to fast oxidation of polyenes, and to peroxy radicals formed during polyene oxidation, which initiate subsequent HCl loss by attacking normal repeat units in PVC. The extent of HCl loss as a function of time during thermal degradation of PVC(A)s in intert solvent shows a rapid initial phase followed by a slower stationary phase. The first phase is due to dehydrochlorination involving the labile chlorines, while the stationary phase indicates random initiation of HCl loss at normalCH 2 CHCl repeat units. Initial rates of HCl loss increase with S , while the rates of HCl loss during the stationary phase are independent of S . The rate constant of initiation of HCl loss at internal allylic chlorines is almost four orders of magnitude higher than that of random initiation; however, the former is still orders of magnitude lower than that of chain propagation. Quantitative analysis of UV‐visible spectra of PVC(A)s degraded in solution suggests geometric polyene distribution. The average length of polyenes decreases as the extent of HCl loss increases and reaches a constant value of ca. 3 at ca. 1% HCl loss for all the investigated PVC(A) samples.
La Sindrome Anemica Cardio-Renale. Prima Parte: Epidemiologia e Aspetti Clinici (2017)

Abstract non disponibile (Cardionephrology)
Gate oxide damage in a high density inductively coupled plasma (1994)

A high density inductively coupled plasma (ICP) polycide etcher was studied by incorporating it into a 0.5 μm complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor process flow having a nominal 10 nm gate oxide. Polysilicon: oxide etch selectivity, sidewall profile, and critical dimension control were found to be good. Gate oxide damage was studied in detail using both antenna and large capacitor test structures in area- and edge-intensive configurations. No charge buildup was detected using the antenna structures, and damage measured using large capacitors was also very low. Damage was found to be insensitive to bias power, while the sequence of extinguishing the plasma had a small effect. An experimental hardware modification significantly reduced the level of subintrinsic failures of gate edge-intensive capacitors. Split-lot comparisons were made of several etchers using standard hardware and processes, and the rf ICP etcher was found to result in significantly lower oxide damage than the split-power rf triode, plasma-mode rf diode, or microwave electron cyclotron resonance etchers studied. The lowest damage occurred in the ICP, followed by the diode. Langmuir probe measurements were made of plasma potential and ion current for the bulk etch and overetch processes used in the ICP etcher; the results are compared to wafer maps of oxide damage. Plasma potential and ion current are very uniform in this plasma, and no pattern is evident from the wafer maps of breakdown failures. The low oxide damage measured using the ICP etcher probably results from the combination of hardware and process design that ensures a uniform plasma.
MicroRNA-1 Negatively Regulates Expression of the Hypertrophy-Associated Calmodulin and Mef2a Genes (2009)

Calcium signaling is a central regulator of cardiomyocyte growth and function. Calmodulin is a critical mediator of calcium signals. Because the amount of calmodulin within cardiomyocytes is limiting, the precise control of calmodulin expression is important for the regulation of calcium signaling. In this study, we show for the first time that calmodulin levels are regulated posttranscriptionally in heart failure. The cardiomyocyte-restricted microRNA miR-1 inhibited the translation of calmodulin-encoding mRNAs via highly conserved target sites within their 3' untranslated regions. In keeping with its effect on calmodulin expression, miR-1 downregulated calcium-calmodulin signaling through calcineurin to NFAT. miR-1 also negatively regulated the expression of Mef2a and Gata4, key transcription factors that mediate calcium-dependent changes in gene expression. Consistent with the downregulation of these hypertrophy-associated genes, miR-1 attenuated cardiomyocyte hypertrophy in cultured neonatal rat cardiomyocytes and in the intact adult heart. Our data indicate that miR-1 regulates cardiomyocyte growth responses by negatively regulating the calcium signaling components calmodulin, Mef2a, and Gata4.
Ultrasound-mediated disruption of the blood tumor barrier for improved therapeutic delivery (2021)

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a major anatomical and physiological barrier limiting the passage of drugs into brain. Central nervous system tumors can impair the BBB by changing the tumor microenvironment leading to the formation of a leaky barrier, known as the blood-tumor barrier (BTB). Despite the change in integrity, the BTB remains effective in preventing delivery of chemotherapy into brain tumors. Focused ultrasound is a unique noninvasive technique that can transiently disrupt the BBB and increase accumulation of drugs within targeted areas of the brain. Herein, we summarize the current understanding of different types of targeted ultrasound mediated BBB/BTB disruption techniques. We also discuss influence of the tumor microenvironment on BBB opening, as well as the role of immunological response following disruption. Lastly, we highlight the gaps between evaluation of the parameters governing opening of the BBB/BTB. A deeper understanding of physical opening of the BBB/BTB and the biological effects following disruption can potentially enhance treatment strategies for patients with brain tumors.
Nanoformulated Remdesivir with Extremely Low Content of Poly(2‐oxazoline)‐Based Stabilizer for Aerosol Treatment of COVID‐19 (2022)

The rise of the novel virus SARS-CoV2 which causes the disease known as COVID-19 has led to a global pandemic claiming millions of lives. With no clinically approved treatment for COVID-19, physicians initially struggled to treat the disease, and a need remains for improved antiviral therapies in this area. It is conceived early in the pandemic that an inhalable formulation of the drug remdesivir which directly targets the virus at the site of infection could improve therapeutic outcomes in COVID-19. A set of requirements are developed that would be conducive to rapid drug approval: 1) try to use GRAS reagents 2) minimize excipient concentration and 3) achieve a working concentration of 5 mg/mL remdesivir to obtain a deliverable dose which is 5-10% of the IV dose. In this work, it is discovered that Poly(2-oxazoline) block copolymers can stabilize drug nanocrystal suspensions and provide suitable formulation characteristics for aerosol delivery while maintaining antiviral efficacy. The authors believe POx block copolymers can be used as a semi-ubiquitous stabilizer for the rapid development of nanocrystal formulations for new and existing diseases.
Photocatalytic Monofluorination of Benzene by Fluoride via Photoinduced Electron Transfer with 3-Cyano-1-methylquinolinium (2013)

The photocatalytic fluorination of benzene occurs under photoirradiation of an oxygen-saturated acetonitrile (MeCN) of the 3-cyano-1-methylquinolinium ion (QuCN(+)) containing benzene and tetraethylammonium fluoride tetrahydrofluoride (TEAF·4HF) with a xenon lamp (500 W) attached to a colored-glass filter (λ < 290 nm) to yield fluorobenzene and hydrogen peroxide. The quantum yield of formation of fluorobenzene was 6%. Nanosecond laser flash photolysis measurements were performed to elucidate the mechanistic details for photocatalytic fluorination. Transient absorption spectra taken after the nanosecond laser excitation at 355 nm of a degassed MeCN solution of QuCN(+) and benzene exhibited absorption bands due to QuCN(•) (λmax = 500 nm) and the benzene dimer radical cation (λmax = 900 nm), which were generated by photoinduced electron transfer from benzene to the singlet excited state of QuCN(+). The decay rate of the transient absorption band due to the benzene dimer radical cation was accelerated by the addition of TEAF·4HF. The observed rate constant increased with increasing concentration of TEAF·4HF. The rate constant of the electrophilic addition of fluoride to the benzene radical cation was determined to be 9.4 × 10(9) M(-1) s(-1). Thus, the photocatalytic reaction is initiated by intermolecular photoinduced electron transfer from benzene to the single excited state of QuCN(+). The benzene radical cation formed by photoinduced electron transfer reacts with the fluoride anion to yield the F-adducted radical. However, QuCN(•) can reduce O2 to O2(•-), and this is followed by the protonation of O2(•-) to afford HO2(•). The hydrogen abstraction of HO2(•) from the F-adduct radical affords fluorobenzene and H2O2 as the final products.
Pharmacological activation of PPARβ/δ preserves mitochondrial respiratory function in ischemia/reperfusion via stimulation of fatty acid oxidation-linked respiration and PGC-1α/NRF-1 signaling (2022)

Myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury leads to significant impairment of cardiac function and remains the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor β/δ (PPARβ/δ) confers cardioprotection <i>via</i> pleiotropic effects including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory actions; however, the underlying mechanisms are not yet fully elucidated. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of PPARβ/δ activation on myocardial mitochondrial respiratory function and link this effect with cardioprotection after ischemia/reperfusion (I/R). For this purpose, rats were treated with the PPARβ/δ agonist GW0742 and/or antagonist GSK0660 <i>in vivo</i>. Mitochondrial respiration and ROS production rates were determined using high-resolution fluororespirometry. Activation of PPARβ/δ did not alter mitochondrial respiratory function in the healthy heart, however, inhibition of PPARβ/δ reduced fatty acid oxidation (FAO) and complex II-linked mitochondrial respiration and shifted the substrate dependence away from succinate-related energy production and towards NADH. Activation of PPARβ/δ reduced mitochondrial stress during <i>in vitro</i> anoxia/reoxygenation. Furthermore, it preserved FAO-dependent mitochondrial respiration and lowered ROS production at oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS)-dependent state during ex vivo I/R. PPARβ/δ activation was also followed by increased mRNA expression of components of FAO -linked respiration and of transcription factors governing mitochondrial homeostasis (carnitine palmitoyl transferase 1b and 2-CPT-1b and CPT-2, electron transfer flavoprotein dehydrogenase -ETFDH, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma co-activator 1 alpha- PGC-1α and nuclear respiratory factor 1-NRF-1). In conclusion, activation of PPARβ/δ stimulated both FAO-linked respiration and PGC-1α/NRF -1 signaling and preserved mitochondrial respiratory function during I/R. These effects are associated with reduced infarct size.
Direct Chill Casting of CLAD Ingot (2006)

Novelis Inc. recently released its first new innovative technology which opens new opportunities in the clad aluminum product marketplace, where a combination of mechanical and physical properties can be obtained which are superior to the monolithic material alone. Clad aerospace and brazing products are well known commercial products which are provided by commercial roll bonding processes, but which can now be produced with the new Novelis technology. This paper discusses the new technology, e.g., the casting, fabrication, the properties of clad sheet are reported and it is established that the clad-core interface is comprised of a high strength, oxide free zone. This technology enables a new family of clad products with clad/core combinations which cannot be produced by the conventional roll bonding process.
Polymeric helices with submicron dimensions for MEMS devices (2005)

&lt;p&gt;Polymer helices with submicron dimensions have been fabricated from a variety of isotropic and liquid crystalline polymers with storage moduli ranging from 38MPa to 1.9GPa (measured at 1Hz, room temperature). These helices are made using a double templating process, in which a thin film comprised of independent helical structures deposited using glancing angle deposition (GLAD) acts as the master. In our process the 'positive' structure of the master is copied into a polymer 'negative', which then itself acts as a template for the final film of polymer helices. Liquid crystalline polymers are of particular interest for use in MEMS because highly ordered liquid crystalline polymers can be actuated by exposing them to a stimulus (such as heat) that causes a decrease in order, leading to a reversible, macroscopic change in shape. The phase behavior, optical properties, and mechanical properties of planar aligned monoacrylate liquid crystalline polymers with varying crosslinker content are investigated, in order to determine the composition that will yield the largest deformations upon heating. We find that films with the lowest crosslinker content investigated (2.5%) undergo the largest reduction in birefringence as they are heated, corresponding to a loss in order. However, we also observe that the films with the highest crosslinker content investigated (10%) undergo the largest physical deformation upon heating. SEM images illustrating the deformation of liquid crystalline polymer helices as they are heated are also presented.&lt;/p&gt;
A millimeter-wave radar for train application (2003)

A millimeter-wave radar using a spread spectrum technique for train applications has been developed in the 60 GHz band. This radar measures the distance, velocity, azimuth angle, and the magnitude of received signal of each target. The methods for detection are described in this paper. In the experiment, the radar detected the linear shape of trains.
Modular Polymer‐Caged Nanobins as a Theranostic Platform with Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Relaxivity and pH‐Responsive Drug Release (2010)

Polymerverkapselte Nanobehälter (PCNs), die zu Kupfer(I)-katalysierten Klick-Reaktionen fähig sind, ermöglichen die Kombination von Gadolinium(III)-Kontrastmitteln für die Kernspintomographie mit dem Cytostatikum Gemcitabin (GMC) in einer theranostischen Plattform (siehe Bild). Die mit Gadolinium(III) verknüpften und mit GMC beladenen PCNs (GdIII–PCNGMC) zeigen deutlich verbesserte Ergebnisse bezüglich der r1-Relaxivitäten, der Wirkstoffaufnahme und der pH-empfindlichen Wirkstoff-Freisetzung.
Solvent‐assisted microcontact molding: A convenient method for fabricating three‐dimensional structures on surfaces of polymers (1997)

Solvent‐assisted micro‐contact molding (SAMIM) , a non‐photo‐lithographic technique for fabriation of patterned, quasi‐three‐dimensional structures on surfaces of many different polymers, is described. The basis of the technique–an embossing/molding process in which a solvent softens a polymer–is out lined and many examples are given. The Figure shows a polystyrene structure produced using SAMIM with acetone as the solvent. magnified image
Compatibilization of Isotactic Polypropylene (iPP) and High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) with iPP–PE Multiblock Copolymers (2018)

A series of isotactic polypropylene (iPP) and polyethylene (PE) diblock, tetrablock, and hexablock copolymers (BCPs) were synthesized with tunable molecular weights using a hafnium pyridylamine catalyst. The BCPs were melt blended with 70 wt % high-density PE (HDPE) and 30 wt % iPP commercial homopolymers at concentrations between 0.2 and 5 wt %. The resulting blend morphologies were investigated using TEM, revealing uniformly dispersed iPP droplets ranging progressively in size with increasing BCP content from three-quarters to one-quarter of the diameter of the uncompatibilized mixture. Tensile tests revealed a dramatic enhancement in toughness based on the strain at break which increased from 10% for the unmodified blend to more than 300% with just 0.2 wt % BCP and over 500% with the addition of 0.5 wt % BCP or greater. Incorporation of BCPs in blends also improved the impact toughness, doubling the Izod impact strength to a level comparable to the neat HDPE with just 1 wt % additive. These improved blend properties are attributed to enhanced interfacial strength, which was independently probed using T-peel adhesion measurements performed on laminates composed of HDPE/BCP/iPP trilayers. Thin (ca. ≤100 nm thick) BCP films, fabricated by high-temperature spin coating and molded between the homopolymer films, significantly altered the laminate peel strength, depending on the molecular weight and molecular architecture of the block copolymer. Multilayer laminates containing no BCP or low molecular weight diblock copolymer separated by adhesive failure during peel testing. Sufficiently high molecular weight iPP–PE diblock copolymers and iPP–PE–iPP–PE tetrablock copolymers with significantly lower block molecular weights exhibited cohesive failure of the HDPE film rather than adhesive failure. We propose adhesion mechanisms based on molecular entanglements and cocrystallization for tetrablocks and diblocks, respectively, to account for these findings. These results demonstrate exciting opportunities to recycle the world's top two polymers through simple melt blending, obviating the need to separate these plastics in mixed waste streams.
Iron‐encapsulated cold‐set whey protein isolate gel powder ‐ Part 2: Effect of iron fortification on sensory and storage qualities of Yoghurt (2016)

Iron was incorporated at 20–60 mg/kg of yoghurt using iron‐encapsulated cold‐set whey protein isolate gel powder ( WPI ‐Fe) and by direct addition of ferrous sulphate solution. The changes in physicochemical and sensory qualities of the yoghurt samples were determined over 14 days of storage. Quality attributes of the yoghurt fortified using WPI ‐Fe particles at up to 60 mg iron/kg were similar to those of unfortified control samples, especially in terms of colour and flavour, while the samples fortified by direct addition of ferrous sulphate exhibited noticeable adverse effects even at 20 mg iron/kg.
Experimental Implementation of an All-Optical Interferometric Drop, Add, and Extract Multiplexer for Superchannels (2015)

We present the experimental implementation of an all-optical ROADM scheme for routing of an individual subchannel within an all-optical OFDM superchannel. The different functions required of optical node were demonstrated using interferometric technique with the extraction, drop, and addition of individual subchannel in a ten subchannels optically aggregated signal. The scheme we reported enables a fully flexible node compatible with future terabit per second superchannel transmission.
Universal Physiological Representation Learning With Soft-Disentangled Rateless Autoencoders (2021)

Human computer interaction (HCI) involves a multidisciplinary fusion of technologies, through which the control of external devices could be achieved by monitoring physiological status of users. However, physiological biosignals often vary across users and recording sessions due to unstable physical/mental conditions and task-irrelevant activities. To deal with this challenge, we propose a method of adversarial feature encoding with the concept of a Rateless Autoencoder (RAE), in order to exploit disentangled, nuisance-robust, and universal representations. We achieve a good trade-off between user-specific and task-relevant features by making use of the stochastic disentanglement of the latent representations by adopting additional adversarial networks. The proposed model is applicable to a wider range of unknown users and tasks as well as different classifiers. Results on cross-subject transfer evaluations show the advantages of the proposed framework, with up to an 11.6% improvement in the average subject-transfer classification accuracy.
Monte Carlo study on ultrasound backscattering by three-dimensional distributions of red blood cells (2008)

A Monte Carlo study on ultrasound backscattering by red blood cells (RBCs) is presented for three-dimensional (3D) distributions of particles. The cells were treated as classical spherical particles and accordingly, the Boltzmann distribution was considered to describe probability distribution of energy states of a system composed of such particles. The well-known Metropolis algorithm can generate configurations according to that probability distribution and therefore, was employed in this study to simulate some realizations of both nonaggregating and aggregating RBCs. The study of nonaggregating particles was motivated to compare simulations with existing experimental results and consequently, to validate the model. In the case of aggregating RBCs, the interaction potential between cells was modeled with the Morse potential and the frequency-dependent backscattering coefficient (BSC) was investigated at different hematocrits (H, particle volume fractions). The impact of aggregation potential on the spectral slope (SS) was also evaluated. It is shown that BSC increased as the magnitude of aggregating potential was raised and the effect was more pronounced at higher hematocrits. Moreover, spectral slopes at nonaggregating and low aggregating conditions were found to be around 4, which is consistent with the Rayleigh scattering theory. However, it had diminished significantly, particularly at higher hematocrits as the magnitude of the attractive potential energy was raised. For instance, at H=40% SS dropped from 4.04 for nonaggregating particles to 3.62 at the highest aggregating potential considered in this study. Our results suggest that this 3D model is capable of reflecting the effects of RBC aggregation on BSC and SS.
Polymer solar cells: screen printing as a novel deposition technique (2004)

Screen-printing is studied as deposition technique for conjugated material based layers. For light emitting diode applications poly(2-methoxy-5-(2'-ethyl-hexyloxy)-1,4-phenylene vinylene) (MEH-PPV) is applied. For this material, batches with different molecular weight and different solution concentrations are subjected to rheology measurements. Also the influence of several printing parameters like squeegee speed and pressure, snap-off distance and mesh size of the screen on the film formation and final thickness is investigated. It is shown that for each material batch and solution concentration specific printer settings have to be used to obtain active layers that are suitable for opto-electronic applications. Photovoltaics based on the principle of bulk donor-acceptor heterojunction are also tested using a blend of MEH-PPV mixed with the C<sub>60</sub>-derivative (6,6)-phenyl C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM). Promising results have been obtained showing that screen-printing can be a suitable technique for the deposition of the active layer of polymer solar cells.