gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
High-resolution, wavefront-sensing, full-field polarimetry of arbitrary beams using phase retrieval (2022)

Recent advances in structured illumination are enabling a wide range of applications from imaging to metrology, which can benefit from advanced beam characterization techniques. Solving uniquely for the spatial distribution of polarization in a beam typically involves the use of two or more polarization optics, such as a polarizer and a waveplate, which is prohibitive for some wavelengths outside of the visible spectrum. We demonstrate a technique that circumvents the use of a waveplate by exploiting extended Gerchberg-Saxton phase retrieval to extract the phase. The technique enables high-resolution, wavefront-sensing, full-field polarimetry capable of solving for both simple and exotic polarization states, and moreover, is extensible to shorter wavelength light.
Fragments of Migration Culture from Bureaucratic Rationality to the Network Paradigm, Suggestions and Food for Thought (2017)

Through my contact with migrants at a non-profit organisation in the province of Parma over the last few years I have become familiar with the ways in which they are received and introduced to the realities of their new world. I have been able to interact with many of them and discuss various subjects with some in English or more frequently French (as many come from countries that were at least historically French-speaking), with the help of an interpreter and/or a cultural mediator. The topics addressed range from life in their country of origin to their journey – often lasting years and involving sacrifices and potentially life-threatening dangers –, their attitude towards Italy and the Italians and their plans for the future.Some of these conversations were transcribed in texts, becoming something akin to life stories (Cipriani, 1989, 1996; Guidicini, 1995; Berteaux, Bichi, 2008; Aa.Vv., 2015). This article will cite extracts from these accounts in order to illustrate the ideas expressed. Due for future publication, the material in question is held at the archives of Svoltare, a non-profit organisation in Parma. More specifically, the interviewees whose stories are cited are: Mohamed Agahatti Toutta, born in 1985 in Danga, a small village in Mali; Omogbai Murana Prince, a 21-year-old from Auchi, the second most important city in Nigeria; Bamba Drissa, also in his early twenties, from the city of Abengourou in the south of Ivory Coast; and Zakhil Abdul Baseer, born in 1994, from the Afghan city of Bazarak, the administrative centre of the province of Panjshir.
573. Vector Free Genome Editing of Immune Cells for Cell Therapy (2016)

While the ex vivo manipulation of primary cells has signaled a new era in the application of cell-based therapies, common methods to manipulate primary cells have limitations. To overcome the limitations associated with conventional cell delivery and engineering systems, we have developed a microfluidic approach to delivery where cells are mechanically deformed as they pass through constricting channels. This deforms the cell membrane resulting in the diffusion of material from the surrounding buffer directly into the cytosol. This system has demonstrated efficacy in patient-derived cells, such as stem cells and immune cells and with a variety of target molecules that are difficult to address with alternative methods. Moreover, by eliminating the need for electrical fields or exogenous materials such as viral vectors and plasmids, it minimizes the potential for cell toxicity and off-target effects. Here, we present evidence detailing our ability to deliver functional material to primary human T cells via membrane deformation with little detectable perturbation in baseline gene expression, cell function, and viability. To determine effect of membrane deformation on gene expression and to compare to other delivery systems, human T cells were subjected to membrane deformation or electroporation and gene expression changes were compared to unmanipulated control cells using microarray analysis. Differential gene expression with respect to both methods of delivery was assessed by performing t tests on the coefficient of a linear mixed-effects model that treated delivery method as a fixed effect and donor as a random effect. Electroporation produced substantially more changes in gene expression than membrane deformation. Subsequently, we designed a series of experiments to manipulate gene expression with the CRISPR-CAS9 system using membrane deformation to deliver CAS9 ribonucleoproteins (RNPs; recombinant CAS9 protein complexed with a single-guide RNA) designed to edit a model locus, the B2 microglobulin component of MHC class 1 (B2M). Here, we show that the delivery of the CRISPR-CAS9 system via membrane deformation results in a significant reduction in B2M surface protein expression by FACS analysis. Taken together, these data suggest that membrane deformation is a viable delivery method for genetic engineering of primary human cells with little off target effects on baseline gene expression. Indeed, the ability to deliver structurally diverse materials to difficult-to-transfect primary cells indicate that this method could potentially enable many novel clinical applications.
Selective Autoretroperfusion Provides Substantial Cardioprotection in Swine (2020)

Mild hypothermia (MH) and retroperfusion are 2 techniques proposed to reduce infarct size due to myocardial infarction. The authors evaluated the effects of focal MH combined with selective coronary venous autoretroperfusion (SARP) as an acute cardioprotective modality before percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in a swine model of left ventricular myocardial infarction. Significant reduction in infarct size with preservation of cardiac function and cardiomyocyte viability were achieved. The authors propose that SARP alone or in combination with MH may provide a clinically relevant percutaneous short-term option of cardiac support to high-risk patients undergoing PCI.
<title>Catalytic activities of metals for single-wall carbon nanotube growth during CO<formula><inf><roman>2</roman></inf></formula> laser vaporization</title> (2002)

Catalytic activities of Fe, Pt, and Ni/Co metals were compared in the synthesis of single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) by using CO<SUB>2</SUB> laser vaporization. In room temperature laser vaporization in AR gas under pressures of 150-760 Torr, a small amount of SWNTs, forming thin bundles, were synthesized by Pt and Ni/Co catalysts. However, SWNTs were not synthesized by using an Fe catalyst. The central diameters of SWNTs were 1.51 and 1.33 nm for the Pt and Ni/Co catalysts, respectively. At 1200 degree(s)C, thick bundles of SWNTs with a central diameter of 1.39nm were synthesized for Ni/Co in high yield (>70%0. However, the increase in SWNT yield was not significant when using a Pt catalyst at 1200 degree(s)C. We discuss catalytic growth of SWNTs in terms of eutectic temperatures of Pt-C and Ni/Co-C phases.
With a Little Help from My Friends: Nearest-Neighbor Contrastive Learning of Visual Representations (2021)

Self-supervised learning algorithms based on instance discrimination train encoders to be invariant to pre-defined transformations of the same instance. While most methods treat different views of the same image as positives for a contrastive loss, we are interested in using positives from other instances in the dataset. Our method, Nearest-Neighbor Contrastive Learning of visual Representations (NNCLR), samples the nearest neighbors from the dataset in the latent space, and treats them as positives. This provides more semantic variations than pre-defined transformations. We find that using the nearest-neighbor as positive in contrastive losses improves performance significantly on ImageNet classification, from 71.7% to 75.6%, outperforming previous state-of-the-art methods. On semi-supervised learning benchmarks we improve performance significantly when only 1% ImageNet labels are available, from 53.8% to 56.5%. On transfer learning benchmarks our method outperforms state-of-the-art methods (including supervised learning with ImageNet) on 8 out of 12 downstream datasets. Furthermore, we demonstrate empirically that our method is less reliant on complex data augmentations. We see a relative reduction of only 2.1% ImageNet Top-1 accuracy when we train using only random crops.
Electrochemical Evaluation of Active Materials for Lithium Ion Batteries by One (Single) Particle Measurement (2016)

A one (single) particle measurement was employed to estimate electrochemical parameters of active materials for lithium ion batteries in order to design porous electrodes and cells. A micro electrode was used as a current collector for LiCoO2 and graphite particles. In the cases of materials with large expansion and shrinkage during discharge and charge process, a tweezers-type current collector was developed and applied to the measurement. Si particle as an anode material for post lithium ion batteries was measured by using a tweezers-type current collector to stabilize a contact between active material and current collector. Successfully, the tweezers-type current collector provided a stable contact to the active material particle. The electrochemical parameters for various active materials were obtained from the one (single) particle measurement. Based on these parameters, the porous electrode and lithium ion cell can be designed.
Polyacrylonitrile Single‐Walled Carbon Nanotube Composite Fibers (2004)

Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fibers containing 10 wt.‐% single‐walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) exhibit a 100 % improvement in tensile modulus and reduced thermal shrinkage and polymer solubility. A 40 °C increase in glass transition temperature as compared to the control PAN fiber is also observed (see Figure). SWNT anisotropy has been observed using infrared spectroscopy.
Femtosecond electron diffractometry: a new approach and first steps (2007)

Simulations and first experiments that aims to improve the temporal resolution of ultrafast electron diffraction are presented. For this purpose a laser with a high pulse energy operating at a MHz-repetition rate has been developed. Work in progress involves scaling the laser energy to the few muJ level by applying a pump laser with higher power and by adding an amplification stage. Few-fs electron pulses will be generated by means of a novel hybrid DC-AC electron gun. These ultrashort electron pulses synchronized to fs-laser pulses will allow investigating molecular dynamics on an unprecedented time scale, making observable, for example, the motion of rotational and vibrational wavepackets as well as ultrafast conformational changes.
Precise indoor localization using smart phones (2010)

We present an indoor localization application leveraging the sensing capabilities of current state of the art smart phones. To the best of our knowledge, our application is the first one to be implemented in smart phones and integrating both offline and online phases of fingerprinting, delivering an accuracy of up to 1.5 meters. In particular, we have studied the possibilities offered by WiFi radio, cellular communications radio, accelerometer and magnetometer, already embedded in smart phones, with the intention to build a multimodal solution for localization. We have also implemented a new approach for the statistical processing of radio signal strengths, showing that it can outperform existing deterministic techniques.
VPg, coat protein and five non-structural proteins of potato A potyvirus bind RNA in a sequence-unspecific manner. (1998)

The potato A potyvirus (PVA)-encoded proteins P1, HC-Pro, P3, CI, VPg, NIaPro, NIb and coat protein (CP) were expressed as 6 x His-tagged recombinant proteins in Escherichia coli and purified to homogeneity. RNA binding was tested using purified proteins in Northwestern and liquid assays. PVA proteins except P3 bound to positive- and negative-sense transcripts prepared from the nontranslated 5'- and 3'-regions of PVA genomic RNA and to full-length transcripts of PVA RNA. RNA binding by these proteins showed no sequence specificity since they also bound to various non-PVA control RNAs. Binding properties of P1, HC-Pro, CI and NIaPro are consistent with previous studies carried out on a few other potyviruses, but the binding of VPg, NIb and CP to RNA reveal novel interactions between RNA and potyvirus proteins. Furthermore, the RNA-binding properties of all major proteins of a potyvirus have not been reported previously.
Molecular factors that determine Curie spin relaxation in dysprosium complexes (2001)

Dysprosium complexes can serve as transverse relaxation (T2) agents for water protons through chemical exchange and the Curie spin relaxation mechanism. Using a pair of matched dysprosium(III) complexes, Dy-L1 (contains one inner-sphere water) and Dy-L2 (no inner-sphere water), it is shown that the transverse relaxation of bulk water is predominantly an inner-sphere effect. The kinetics of water exchange at Dy-L1 were determined by 17O NMR. Proton transverse relaxation by Dy-L1 at high fields is governed primarily through a large chemical shift difference between free and bound water. Dy-L1 forms a noncovalent adduct with human serum albumin which dramatically lengthens the rotational correlation time, τR, causing the dipole–dipole component of the Curie spin mechanism to become significant and transverse relaxivity to increase by 3–8 times that of the unbound chelate. These findings aid in the design of new molecular species as efficient r2 agents. Magn Reson Med 46:917–922, 2001. Published 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Thermal Analysis of the PediaFlow Pediatric Ventricular Assist Device (2007)

Accurate modeling of heat dissipation in pediatric intracorporeal devices is crucial in avoiding tissue and blood thermotrauma. Thermal models of new Maglev ventricular assist device (VAD) concepts for the PediaFlow VAD are developed by incorporating empirical heat transfer equations with thermal finite element analysis (FEA). The models assume three main sources of waste heat generation: copper motor windings, active magnetic thrust bearing windings, and eddy currents generated within the titanium housing due to the two-pole motor. Waste heat leaves the pump by convection into blood passing through the pump and conduction through surrounding tissue. Coefficients of convection are calculated and assigned locally along fluid path surfaces of the three-dimensional pump housing model. FEA thermal analysis yields a three-dimensional temperature distribution for each of the three candidate pump models. Thermal impedances from the motor and thrust bearing windings to tissue and blood contacting surfaces are estimated based on maximum temperature rise at respective surfaces. A new updated model for the chosen pump topology is created incorporating computational fluid dynamics with empirical fluid and heat transfer equations. This model represents the final geometry of the first generation prototype, incorporates eddy current heating, and has 60 discrete convection regions. Thermal analysis is performed at nominal and maximum flow rates, and temperature distributions are plotted. Results suggest that the pump will not exceed a temperature rise of 2 degrees C during normal operation.
A Scalable Machine Learning System for Pre-Season Agriculture Yield Forecast (2018)

Yield forecast is essential to agriculture stakeholders and can be obtained with the use of machine learning models and data coming from multiple sources. Most solutions for yield forecast rely on NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) data which, besides being time-consuming to acquire and process, only allows forecasting once crop season has already started. To bring scalability for yield forecast, in the present paper we describe a system that incorporates satellite-derived precipitation and soil properties datasets, seasonal climate forecasting data from physical models and other sources to produce a pre-season prediction of soybean/maize yield-with no need of NDVI data. This system provides significantly useful results by the exempting the need for high-resolution remote-sensing data and allowing farmers to prepare for adverse climate influence on the crop cycle. In our studies, we forecast the soybean and maize yields for Brazil and USA, which corresponded to 44% of the world's grain production in 2016. Results show the error metrics for soybean and maize yield forecasts are comparable to similar systems that only provide yield forecast information in the first weeks to months of the crop cycle.
ACTIBIND, a T2 RNase, Competes with Angiogenin and Inhibits Human Melanoma Growth, Angiogenesis, and Metastasis (2007)

Melanoma is a very aggressive and highly angiogenic tumor in which standard treatments have had only limited success. Patients with advanced disease have a 5-year survival rate of 5%. In search for alternatives, we identified a natural product extracted from the fungus Aspergillus niger, termed ACTIBIND, that inhibits tumor growth and metastasis of melanoma in vivo. ACTIBIND, a T2 RNase, exerts antitumorigenic and antiangiogenic activities by competing with the angiogenic factor angiogenin (itself an RNase homologue). Thus, there was decreased expression and activity of the matrix metalloproteinase 2 in melanoma and vascular endothelial cells, decreased vascularization, and increased tumor cell apoptosis in vivo. ACTIBIND significantly inhibited angiogenesis in an in vivo angiogenesis assay with sponges containing angiogenin. In vitro, ACTIBIND was internalized by both melanoma and human umbilical vein endothelial cells, reached the cell nuclei, and inhibited the activity of angiogenin response elements in a dose-dependent manner. Collectively, our data indicate that ACTIBIND should be tested for its potential as a new antiangiogenic modality for the treatment of melanoma.
SP371SELECTIVE BLOCKADE OF PERIOSTIN EXON 17 PROTECTED FROM DEVELOPMENT OF RENAL FIBROSIS (2018)

gut microbiota accompanied by exacerbated inflammation and increased insulin resistance were also observed, which might involve in the development of muscle wasting and sarcopenic obesity in UNXHS rats. CONCLUSIONS: High salt diet induced dysbiosis of the gut microbiota, increased inflammation and insulin resistance, and resulted in muscle wasting in CKD rats. Further research is warranted to clarify whether restoration of symbiosis would improve muscle wasting and clinical outcomes for CKD patients with high salt intake.
Fungal Isocyanide Synthases and Xanthocillin Biosynthesis in Aspergillus fumigatus (2018)

Microbial secondary metabolites, including isocyanide moieties, have been extensively mined for their repertoire of bioactive properties. Although the first naturally occurring isocyanide (xanthocillin) was isolated from the fungus <i>Penicillium notatum</i> over half a century ago, the biosynthetic origins of fungal isocyanides remain unknown. Here we report the identification of a family of isocyanide synthases (ICSs) from the opportunistic human pathogen <i>Aspergillus fumigatus</i> Comparative metabolomics of overexpression or knockout mutants of ICS candidate genes led to the discovery of a fungal biosynthetic gene cluster (BGC) that produces xanthocillin (<i>xan</i>). Detailed analysis of xanthocillin biosynthesis in <i>A. fumigatus</i> revealed several previously undescribed compounds produced by the <i>xan</i> BGC, including two novel members of the melanocin family of compounds. We found both the <i>xan</i> BGC and a second ICS-containing cluster, named the copper-responsive metabolite (<i>crm</i>) BGC, to be transcriptionally responsive to external copper levels and further demonstrated that production of metabolites from the <i>xan</i> BGC is increased during copper starvation. The <i>crm</i> BGC includes a novel type of fungus-specific ICS-nonribosomal peptide synthase (NRPS) hybrid enzyme, CrmA. This family of ICS-NRPS hybrid enzymes is highly enriched in fungal pathogens of humans, insects, and plants. Phylogenetic assessment of all ICSs spanning the tree of life shows not only high prevalence throughout the fungal kingdom but also distribution in species not previously known to harbor BGCs, indicating an untapped resource of fungal secondary metabolism.<b>IMPORTANCE</b> Fungal ICSs are an untapped resource in fungal natural product research. Their isocyanide products have been implicated in plant and insect pathogenesis due to their ability to coordinate transition metals and disable host metalloenzymes. The discovery of a novel isocyanide-producing family of hybrid ICS-NRPS enzymes enriched in medically and agriculturally important fungal pathogens may reveal mechanisms underlying pathogenicity and afford opportunities to discover additional families of isocyanides. Furthermore, the identification of noncanonical ICS BGCs will enable refinement of BGC prediction algorithms to expand on the secondary metabolic potential of fungal and bacterial species. The identification of genes related to ICS BGCs in fungal species not previously known for secondary metabolite-producing capabilities (e.g., <i>Saccharomyces</i> spp.) contributes to our understanding of the evolution of BGC in fungi.
Performance of TCP traffic and ATM feedback congestion control mechanisms (2002)

This paper presents a performance investigation of TCP traffic carried over ATM networks when feedback congestion control is exercised at the ATM layer. Two feedback congestion control schemes are investigated: the threshold feedback scheme and the optimal feedback scheme. Both schemes ensure a lossless operation so that TCP retransmissions are triggered by timer expirations. The focus of this study is the effective throughput experienced by the end users, when the effect of retransmissions is taken into account. The effective throughput of these schemes as well as of the early packet discard control mechanism is obtained by means of simulation, and the results are compared to the case in which no congestion control is exercised at the ATM layer.
P3I-4 Multidimensional Segmentation of a Mouse Left Ventricle (2006)

This paper describes a method to determine three dimensional (3D) segmentation of a mouse left ventricle over time. The temporal varying 3D data consist of elevationally interpolating a temporal sequence of two dimensional (2D) short axis ultrasound slices. The gradient vector flow active surface is used to determine a 3D surface of the LV. The initial approximation of the gradient vector flow active surface is attained by temporally propagating the final surface from the previous time instance. An inherent problem with temporal propagation is that parts of two distinct surfaces in close proximity tend to converge to the same spatial location. We propose to embed a model correction method into the 4D segmentation algorithm to alleviate this problem