gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Achieving environmentally sustainable growing media for soilless plant cultivation systems – A review (2016)

Soilless cultivation is recognized globally for its ability to support efficient and intensive plant production. While production systems vary, most utilize a porous substrate or growing medium for plant provision of water and nutrients. Until relatively recently, the main drivers for the selection of the component materials in growing media were largely based on performance and economic considerations. However, increasing concern over the environmental impacts of some commonly used materials, has led researchers to identify and assess more environmentally sound alternatives. There has been an understandable focus on renewable materials from agricultural, industrial and municipal waste streams; while many of these show promise at an experimental level, few have been taken up on a significant scale. To ensure continued growth and sustainable development of soilless cultivation, it is vital that effective and environmentally sustainable materials for growing media are identified. Here we describe the factors influencing material selection, and review the most commonly used organic materials in relation to these. We summarise some of the renewable, primary and waste stream materials that have been investigated to date, highlighting the benefits and challenges associated with their uptake. In response to the need for researchers to better identify promising new materials, we present an evidence-based argument for a more consistent approach to characterising growing media and for a clearer understanding of the practical and economic realities of modern soilless cultivation systems.
Control and Optimization of Residential Photovoltaic Power Generation System With High Efficiency Isolated Bidirectional DC–DC Converter (2019)

Currently, residential photovoltaic power generation system is increasingly used worldwide. In this paper, an optimized structure of residential photovoltaic (PV) power generation system with 1500V DC bus is proposed. It includes PV panels, a three-level boost converter, a high efficiency isolated bidirectional DC-DC converter, battery and three-phase five-level DC-AC converter that can work under islanding mode or grid-connected mode. The higher DC bus voltage greatly reduces line loss and improves efficiency of the system. An energy management scheme used for the system is proposed in this paper to guarantee the stability of the system and to increase its economic benefits. Besides, the optimized method for the structure of the bidirectional dc-dc converter is proposed. This structure can achieve higher DC voltage gain and higher efficiency. Furthermore, for low voltage battery application in the residential system, LLC and CLLC under DC transformer (DCX) mode are evaluated and the LLC is selected as the isolated bidirectional DC-DC converter. The optimized designed method of bidirectional LLC is proposed. Finally, experiments are carried out to verify the performance of the optimized converters and the system.
Chromatin remodeling complex NURF regulates thymocyte maturation (2011)

The maturation of T cells requires signaling from both cytokine and T-cell receptors to gene targets in chromatin, but how chromatin architecture influences this process is largely unknown. Here we show that thymocyte maturation post-positive selection is dependent on the nucleosome remodeling factor (NURF). Depletion of Bptf (bromodomain PHD finger transcription factor), the largest NURF subunit, in conditional mouse mutants results in developmental arrest beyond the CD4(+) CD8(int) stage without affecting cellular proliferation, cellular apoptosis, or coreceptor gene expression. In the Bptf mutant, specific subsets of genes important for thymocyte development show aberrant expression. We also observed defects in DNase I-hypersensitive chromatin structures at Egr1, a prototypical Bptf-dependent gene that is required for efficient thymocyte development. Moreover, chromatin binding of the sequence-specific factor Srf (serum response factor) to Egr1 regulatory sites is dependent on Bptf function. Physical interactions between NURF and Srf suggest a model in which Srf recruits NURF to facilitate transcription factor binding at Bptf-dependent genes. These findings provide evidence for causal connections between NURF, transcription factor occupancy, and gene regulation during thymocyte development.
Development of oxidative lime pretreatment and shock treatment to produce highly digestible lignocellulose for biofuel and ruminant feed applications (2011)

At present, the United States generates biofuels (ethanol) from corn grain. Unfortunately, low crop yields and limited growth regions result in limited availability. Furthermore, the use of staple food crops for ethanol production has generated a highly controversial food vs. fuel debate. Because of its high abundance and relatively low cost, lignocellulosic biomass is a promising alternative feedstock for biofuel production; however, structural features of lignocellulose limit accessibility of enzymes or microorganisms. These structural barriers include high lignin content, acetyl groups on hemicellulose, high cellulose crystallinity, cellulose degree of polymerization, and small pore volume. To overcome these barriers, a variety of pretreatment processes (chemical and mechanical) have been developed. \n\nOxidative-lime pretreatment (OLP) is highly effective at reducing lignin content and removing acetyl groups from hemicellulose. Combining OLP with a mechanical treatment process greatly enhances the enzymatic digestibility of lignocellulose. \n\nRecommended OLP conditions were determined for Dacotah (120 °C, 6.89-bar O2, 240 min) and Alamo (110 °C, 6-89-bar O2, 240 min) switchgrass. Using recommended conditions, 72-h glucan digestibilities (g glucan hydrolyzed/100 g glucan in raw biomass; 15 filter paper units/g raw glucan) of 85.2 and 88.5 were achieved for Dacotah and Alamo, respectively. Adding ball milling to OLP further enhanced glucan digestibility to 91.1 (Dacotah) and 90.0 (Alamo). \n\nIn previous studies, shock treatment achieved promising results, but was often inconsistent. This work refined shock treatment with a focus on using consistent procedures and performance analysis. The combination of OLP and shock treatment enhanced the 72-h glucan digestibility of several promising biomass feedstocks: bagasse (74.0), corn stover (92.0), poplar wood (94.0), sorghum (71.8), and switchgrass (89.0). Highly digestible lignocellulose can also be used as ruminant animal feed. Shock treatment plus OLP increased the total digestible nutrients (TDNN; g nutrients digested/100 g organic matter) of corn stover from 51.9 (untreated) to 72.6. Adding in pre-washed corn stover solubles to produce a combined feed (17.8 percent corn stover solubles and 82.2 percent shock OLP corn stover) increased TDNN to 74.9. Mixing in enough solubilized protein to match the crude protein content of corn grain further improved TDNN to 75.5, only 12.6 less than corn grain.
Cell encapsulation technology as a therapeutic strategy for CNSmalignancies (2001)

Gene therapy using viral vectors has to date failed to reveal its definitive clinical usefulness. Cell encapsulation technology represents an alternative, nonviral approach for the delivery of biologically active compounds to tumors. This strategy involves the use of genetically engineered producer cells that secrete a protein with therapeutic potential. The cells are encapsulated in an immunoisolating material that makes them suitable for transplantation. The capsules, or bioreactors, permit the release of recombinant proteins that may assert their effects in the tumor microenvironment. During the last decades, there has been significant progress in the development of encapsulation technologies that comprise devices for both macro- and microencapsulation. The polysaccharide alginate is the most commonly used material for cell encapsulation and is well tolerated by various tissues. A wide spectrum of cells and tissues has been encapsulated and implanted, both in animals and humans, indicating the general applicability of this approach for both research and medical purposes, including CNS malignancies. Gliomas most frequently recur at the resection site. To provide local and sustained drug delivery, the bioreactors can be implanted in the brain parenchyma or in the ventricular system. The development of comprehensive analyses of geno- and phenotypic profiles of a tumor (genomics and proteomics) may provide new and important guidelines for choosing the optimal combination of bioreactors and recombinant proteins for therapeutic use.
A shortcut hydrothermal strategy for the synthesis of zinc nanowires (2008)

Synthesis of metal nanowires has opened many new possibilities for designing ideal building blocks for future nanodevices. In this work, zinc nanowires with lengths of micrometre magnitude were synthesized in high yield by a shortcut hydrothermal strategy. The synthesis involves a template-free, non-seed and catalyst-free solution-phase process to high-quality zinc nanowires, which is low-cost and proceeds at relatively short time. In this process, zinc nanowires were prepared through the reduction of zinc acetate with absolute ethanol in the presence of silver nitrate under hydrothermal atmosphere. The strategy suggests that silver ion plays a vital role in the synthesis of zinc nanowires, without which the substituted product is zinc oxide nanowires. X-ray diffraction and energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy measurements confirm the final formation of zinc nanowires and component transformation from zinc oxide nanowires in the introduction of silver ion. We believe that with the efficient synthesis, longer zinc nanowires can be fabricated and may find potential applications for superconductors and nanodevices.
Fibrin fragment D-dimer and the risk of future venous thrombosis (2003)

Plasma D-dimer concentration rises more than 100-fold during acute deep vein thrombosis, but there are no prospective data concerning D-dimer as a risk factor for incident venous thrombosis in a general population. Incident venous thrombosis was ascertained in 2 prospective observational studies, the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study and the Cardiovascular Health Study. Of 21 690 participants enrolled between 1987 and 1993, after 8 years of follow-up, D-dimer was measured using baseline stored plasma of 307 participants who developed venous thrombosis and 616 who did not. Relative to the first quintile of the distribution of D-dimer, the age-adjusted odds ratios for future venous thrombosis for the second to fifth quintiles of D-dimer were 1.6, 2.3, 2.3, and 4.2, respectively (P for trend <.0001). Following added adjustment for sex, race, body mass index, factor V Leiden, prothrombin 20210A, and elevated factor VIII coagulant activity (factor VIII:c), these odds ratios were 1.5, 2.1, 1.9, and 3.0, respectively (P for trend <.0001). Among those with idiopathic thrombosis or secondary thrombosis unrelated to cancer, the adjusted fifth quintile odds ratios were 3.5 and 4.8, respectively. By contrast, D-dimer in the fifth versus first quintile was not related to occurrence of cancer-associated thrombosis (odds ratio, 1.1). Odds ratios for elevated D-dimer were consistently elevated in subgroups defined by age, sex, race, duration of follow-up, and thrombosis type (deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolus). D-dimer is strongly and positively related to the occurrence of future venous thrombosis.
Rapid Analysis of Whole Blood and Blood Serum Using near Infrared Spectroscopy (1994)

In the present study we describe the relationship between laboratory values obtained with routinely used laboratory analytical methods and near infrared (NIR) spectral data of 126 whole blood and 228 blood serum samples. Spectra were measured with a SPECTRALYZER 1025 (PMC) computerised research analyser. The relationship among laboratory data and values of the second derivative of the log (1/ R) spectra measured at different wavelengths was determined by multiple linear regression (MLR) using three and four term linear summation equations, principal component regression (PCR) and partial least-squares (PLS) regression methods. Along with examples for qualitative detection of protein and lipid in human sera, as well as distinction of albumin and globulin dissolved in physiological saline solution, we describe mathematical models and evaluate their performance for the determination of protein and beta-lipoprotein (β-LP) content of serum as well as oxygen saturation and carbon dioxide pressure in whole blood. Validation of our results yielded a standard error of performance (SEP) of 2.47 g L −1 for protein content and 0.79 TU for β-LP content in blood serum, whereas SEP values of 5.41% for oxygen saturation and 5.27 mm Hg for carbon dioxide pressure in whole blood were found. Our results presented in this preliminary study indicate that NIR measurements can be related to analytical data of whole blood and serum. NIR spectroscopy is a rapid, accurate, cost effective method for determining quality parameters of whole blood and serum and might be a promising new tool in the field of automated clinical laboratory analysis.
Implementing a Production Performance Management Platform for Better Production Data Management, Improved Surveillance and Forecasting for Mature Fields – A Case Study in Sharjah, UAE (2020)

Abstract In production engineering, managing a mature field, where cost and job complexity increases as the reservoirs further deplete, analyzing a vast amount of data from different sources is required to understand the well and reservoir performance on a timely basis. Analyzing the full picture of the production system behavior and planning timely interventions is the key in managing these fields. As the E&P organizations go through the production lifecycle, it is increasingly difficult to keep this data in a structured format and a place where it can be easily accessed by the end users for their day-to-day workflows. More and more production data end up in Excel spreadsheets and other repositories creating what is known as data entropy. Legacy corporate data archives become a bottleneck in efficient production data management as they cannot scale efficiently. On the data analytics side, production and reservoir engineers often rely on Excel spreadsheets or inefficient home-grown systems which restrict their ability to derive more insights from the data. Then there is the collaboration aspect. Emails and shared-drives become the de-facto form of exchanging analysis and data, but these resources are time consuming and error-prone due to misplacement, duplication and different vintage of several data files. It is contradictory that the E&P industry despite its steady advances with digitalization and adoption of the latest technologies such as Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (to mention a few) continues to struggle with these fundamental data management issues. The implementation of a robust production data management system and basic analysis workflows are key to enabling effective digital tools and must be a top priority for any oil and gas organization consolidating their digital journey. This paper talks about the success case of implementing a production data management system for the mature assets of a National Oil Corporation, encompassing 37 years of production data from various scattered archives. The implementation of the system was customized to suit the requirement of the end-users to enable maximum utilization and faster adoption of the technology. The conceptualization, implementation, customization and development of this digital transformation initiative along with lessons learnt and future development possibilities is demonstrated in this case study.
A Frequency-Agile RF Frontend Architecture for Multi-Band TDD Applications (2014)

Emerging wireless standards specify dozens of bands spanning several octaves, which need to be supported in form-factor and energy constrained mobile devices targeting ubiquitous connectivity. However, in current multi-band radio implementations, significant redundancy is still the norm in the RF frontend. This work introduces an improved architecture for multi-band, time-division duplexed (TDD) radios, which replaces multiple narrowband frontend components with a frequency-agile solution, tunable over a wide frequency range. A highly digital architecture is adopted, leading to a fully integrated solution wherein both efficiency and achievable frequency range benefit from CMOS scaling. A prototype is integrated in 45 nm SOI CMOS. Peak PA output power is 27.7 ±0.5 dBm from 1.3 to 3.3 GHz, with up to 30% total efficiency at 2 V. For TDD LTE applications, better than -30 dBc ACLR and -30 dB EVM is measured with 64 QAM, 20 MHz signals from 1.44 to 3.41 GHz, with up to 17.2% average efficiency and 23.4 dBm average power. The LNA achieves AV ≥ 14 dB, NF = 4.4 ±1.6 dB and IIP 3 ≥ -7 dBm from 1.3 to 3.3 GHz while drawing just 6 mA from 1 V. The demonstrated frequency range covers a total of 11 TDD bands .
Investigation of the mechanical properties of two glassy carbon materials using pointed indenters (1996)

Abstract Precision force–displacement measurements have been made of the continuous indentation of two glassy carbon materials using three pyramidal indenters with different apical face angles. The data for all three indenters shows hysteresis with almost complete recovery on unloading despite contact pressures reaching a considerable fraction of the elastic modulus. The extent of hysteresis on unloading was found to depend upon the apical angle of the pointed indenters. The data are analysed following a procedure developed by Oliver and Pharr. It is found that the hardness decreases with increasing apical angle of the indenter whereas the modulus is almost independent of the indenter angle except for the sharpest indenter upon the initiation of radial cracks about the impression during loading.
The Species <i>Mycobacterium africanum</i> in the Light of New Molecular Markers (2004)

The findings of recent studies addressing the molecular characteristics of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex isolates have initiated a discussion on the classification of M. africanum, especially of those isolates originating from East Africa (cluster F, subtype II) and displaying phenotypic and biochemical characteristics more similar to those of M. tuberculosis. To further address this question, we analyzed a representative collection of 63 M. tuberculosis complex strains comprising 30 M. africanum subtype I strains, 20 M. africanum subtype II strains, 10 randomly chosen M. tuberculosis isolates, and type strains of M. tuberculosis, M. bovis, and M. africanum for the following biochemical and molecular characteristics: single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in gyrB and narGHJI and the presence or absence of RD1, RD9, and RD12. For all molecular markers analyzed, subtype II strains were identical to the M. tuberculosis strains tested. In contrast, the subtype I strains as well as the M. africanum type strain showed unique combinations of SNPs in gyrB and genomic deletions (the absence of RD9 and the presence of RD12), which proves their independence from M. tuberculosis and M. bovis. Accordingly, all subtype I strains displayed main biochemical characteristics included in the original species description of M. africanum. We conclude that the isolates from West Africa were proved to be M. africanum with respect to the phenotypic and genetic markers analyzed, while the isolates from East Africa must be regarded as phenotypic variants of M. tuberculosis (genotype Uganda). We propose the addition of the molecular characteristics defined here to the species description of M. africanum, which will allow clearer species differentiation in the future.
Berberine Ameliorates Intestinal Mucosal Barrier Damage Induced by Peritoneal Air Exposure (2014)

Berberine, an isoquinoline alkaloid derived from many medicinal plants, has been extensively used to treat various gastrointestinal diseases. In the present study, we investigated whether berberine could ameliorate intestinal mucosal barrier damage induced by peritoneal air exposure for 3 h. Peritoneal air-exposure rats received 100, 150, and 200 mg/kg berberine orally via gavage four times before and after surgery. Blood and terminal ileum samples were collected 24 h after surgery. The serum D-lactate levels were determined using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit. Intestinal permeability was determined by measuring the intestinal clearance of fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-dextran (FD4). Intestinal inflammation was assessed by measuring myeloperoxidase activity. Intestinal histopathology was also assessed. The results revealed that berberine decreased the serum D-lactate level, intestinal FD4 clearance, and myeloperoxidase activity. Edema and inflammation were reduced by berberine in the intestinal mucosa and submucosa, and the Chiu's scores, indices of intestinal mucosal injury, also decreased in the berberine-treated group. In addition, berberine exerted these protective effects in a dose-dependent manner, with a significant difference from the control group at doses of 150 and 200 mg/kg. The results suggest that berberine could ameliorate intestinal mucosal barrier damage induced by peritoneal air exposure, which is linked to its anti-inflammatory activity. Berberine may be a promising treatment for intestinal mucosal barrier damage in open abdominal surgery.
Accelerated Increase in Serum Interleukin-1 Receptor Antagonist Starts 6 Years Before Diagnosis of Type 2 Diabetes (2010)

We show elevated IL-1Ra levels for 13 years and an accelerated increase during the last 6 years before type 2 diabetes diagnosis, indicating the presence of an anti-inflammatory response that may act to counterbalance the metabolic and immunologic disturbances that precede type 2 diabetes.
Subcellular distribution of androgen receptors in human normal, benign hyperplastic, and malignant prostatic tissues: characterization of nuclear salt-resistant receptors. (1983)

Two populations of nuclear androgen receptors have been characterized in human prostatic tissue, and the levels and proportions of each were found to differ in normal prostates, benign hyperplastic prostates (BPH), and malignant prostates. A significant percentage (35 to 50%) of total nuclear androgen receptors was associated with the salt-resistant nuclear matrix fraction. The remainder were easily extracted from nuclei by 0.6 M KCl. Optimal conditions for measuring receptors in both compartments involved the use of an inhibitor of proteolysis (phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride) and the omission of dithiothreitol from buffers. In the presence of dithiothreitol, most of the nuclear salt-resistant receptors were rendered salt extractable. Cytosol androgen receptor levels were not significantly different in normal, BPH, or malignant prostatic tissues. In contrast, the levels and distribution of nuclear salt-extractable and salt-resistant androgen receptors exhibited characteristic patterns. Compared to normal prostatic tissue, nuclear salt-extractable receptors were significantly elevated in both BPH and cancer, whereas nuclear salt-resistant receptors were elevated in BPH but not in cancer. The ratio of salt-extractable to salt-resistant receptors was approximately 1:1 in both normal and BPH tissues and 2:1 in cancer. In addition, a microassay has been developed for the measurement of androgen receptors in the three subcellular compartments of needle biopsy specimens of prostatic cancer. Studies are in progress to determine whether the measurement of both nuclear salt-extractable and salt-resistant receptors may improve the usefulness of receptor levels to predict the hormonal responsiveness of prostatic cancer.