gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Local compression in automated breast ultrasound in the mammographic geometry (2010)

Background, Motivation and Objective: Automated ultrasound scanning (AUS) of the breast has developed more slowly than anticipated. The main limitation, beyond achieving adequate acoustic coupling to the breast, has been excessive shadow artifacts, as reflecting structures at acute angles to the ultrasound beam are not flattened by the transducer as well as in manual scanning. We believe that imaging of the breast in near mammographic compression provides much of the needed flattening. The question under initial study in this effort is, whether in breast AUS under very light mammographic compression, local compression by the transducer might flatten the acutely oriented structures further and reduce the acoustic path length to key structures in the breast. We suspect these improvements will be possible without distorting the breast so dramatically that the lesion registration advantages of scanning the breast in the same system as mammography or digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) are not realized. Preliminary tests are reported here, as well as design of a system for a more refined human study. Statement of Contribution/Methods: Initial imaging tests were performed in our combined AUS/DBT system. A fiber mesh, loosened slightly in its frame, replaced the standard plastic mammography compression paddle. The transducer, in contact with the mesh and the breast, was translated by motors. The compression force of the linear array transducer on its vertical was manually controlled. Breast phantoms and the breasts of three women were scanned with usual compression by the mesh paddle and then with less global, but added local, compression. Results: Examples of flattened structures were observed more brightly in the locally compressed breasts, and acoustic paths longer than 35 mm were reduced, by ~10 mm. In many areas image penetration was 3 cm greater. In one case, image volumes w/wo local compression were spatially aligned by nonlinear image registration software. Discussion and Conclusions: Visual indicators of image features expected to provide improved ultrasonic imaging were observed with local compression and lateral movement of tissues appeared acceptable. These results motivated design and construction of an apparatus to make local compression practical and safe. It utilizes joystick control of the vertical compression force during scanning, realized by pneumatic actuators attached to the transducer. The air pressure applied to these actuators is also applied to actuators in the joystick for force feedback to the operator. Two miniature vibrators attached to the joystick provide vibrotactile feedback of the reaction torques computed from the measurements of 6 force sensors on the transducer holder. The fail-safe system design insures no pneumatic compression force application to the breast in case of power loss or emergency shutdown.
Polyelectrolyte Complexes of Low Molecular Weight PEI and Citric Acid as Efficient and Nontoxic Vectors for in Vitro and in Vivo Gene Delivery (2016)

Gene transfection mediated by the cationic polymer polyethylenimine (PEI) is considered a standard methodology. However, while highly branched PEIs form smaller polyplexes with DNA that exhibit high transfection efficiencies, they have significant cell toxicity. Conversely, low molecular weight PEIs (LMW-PEIs) with favorable cytotoxicity profiles display minimum transfection activities as a result of inadequate DNA complexation and protection. To solve this paradox, a novel polyelectrolyte complex was prepared by the ionic cross-linking of branched 1.8 kDa PEI with citric acid (CA). This system synergistically exploits the good cytotoxicity profile exhibited by LMW-PEI with the high transfection efficiencies shown by highly branched and high molecular weight PEIs. The polyectrolyte complex (1.8 kDa-PEI@CA) was obtained by a simple synthetic protocol based on the microwave irradiation of a solution of 1.8 kDa PEI and CA. Upon complexation with DNA, intrinsic properties of the resulting particles (size and surface charge) were measured and their ability to form stable polyplexes was determined. Compared with unmodified PEIs the new complexes behave as efficient gene vectors and showed enhanced DNA binding capability associated with facilitated intracellular DNA release and enhanced DNA protection from endonuclease degradation. In addition, while transfection values for LMW-PEIs are almost null, transfection efficiencies of the new reagent range from 2.5- to 3.8-fold to those of Lipofectamine 2000 and 25 kDa PEI in several cell lines in culture such as CHO-k1, FTO2B hepatomas, L6 myoblasts, or NRK cells, simultaneously showing a negligible toxicity. Furthermore, the 1.8 kDa-PEI@CA polyelectrolyte complexes retained the capability to transfect eukaryotic cells in the presence of serum and exhibited the capability to promote in vivo transfection in mouse (as an animal model) with an enhanced efficiency compared to 25 kDa PEI. Results support the polyelectrolyte complex of LMW-PEI and CA as promising generic nonviral gene carriers.
Metamorphic Ga<sub>y</sub>In<sub>1−y</sub>P/Ga<sub>1−x</sub>In<sub>x</sub>As tandem solar cells for space and for terrestrial concentrator applications at C > 1000 suns (2001)

Abstract The use of Ga 1−x In x As instead of GaAs as a bottom solar cell in a Ga y In 1−y P/Ga 1−x In x As tandem structure increases the flexibility of choosing the optimum bandgap combination of materials for a multijunction solar cell. Higher theoretical efficiencies are calculated and different cell concepts are suggested for space and terrestrial concentrator applications. Various Ga y In 1−y P/Ga 1−x In x As material combinations have been investigated for the first time and efficiencies up to 24·1% (AM0) and 27·0% (AM1·5 direct) have been reached under one‐sun conditions. An efficiency of 30·0–31·3% was measured for a Ga 0·35 In 0·65 P/Ga 0·83 In 0·17 As tandem concentrator cell with prismatic cover at 300 suns. The top and bottom cell layers of this structure are grown lattice‐matched to each other, but a large mismatch is introduced at the interface to the GaAs substrate. This cell structure is well suited for the use in next‐generation terrestrial concentrators working at high concentration ratios. For the first time a cell efficiency up to 29–30% has been measured at concentration levels up to 1300 suns. A small prototype concentrator with Fresnel lenses and four tandem solar cells working at C = 120 has been constructed, with an outdoor efficiency of 23%. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Growth Substrate and Nutrient Salt Environment Alter Mannitol-to-Hexose Partitioning in Celery Petioles (1994)

The fleshy parenchyma tissue of celery [ Apium graveolens L. var. dulce (Mill.) Pers.] petioles is the major storage tissue for the sugar alcohol mannitol and for the hexoses, glucose and fructose. In this study, we found that plants grown in the soilless mixture, Promix, fertilized weekly with a nutrient solution, or grown in a hydroponic container culture, differed in carbohydrate composition. However, plant growth was not affected. Higher mannitol and lower hexose concentrations were present in petioles from plants grown hydroponically. This was true in petioles that did not differ in total soluble carbohydrate concentration. The ratio of mannitol to hexose concentration in petioles was ≈2-fold higher for hydroponically grown plants compared to Promix-grown plants, and the higher ratio was maintained during the entire 12-week experimental period. Carbohydrate partitioning was also affected by petiole development within the plant. Sucrose and hexose concentrations were highest in mature petioles, whereas mannitol was relatively high in all petioles except the oldest ones. Because the mineral solution applied to the Promix-grown plants had a lower total salt concentration compared to hydroponically grown plants, we postulated that the salt concentration of the mineral solution might be an important factor affecting C partitioning in celery petioles. When plants were grown hydroponically at two different salt concentrations [electrical conductivity (EC) = 2.7 and 6.0 mS·cm -1 ], high mannitol-to-hexose ratios were observed in celery petioles of plants grown at high salt concentration (EC = 6.0 mS·cm -1 ), a result supporting the hypothesis that the salt environment might alter mannitol and hexose concentrations in a coordinated way. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that elevated mannitol levels may be a significant component of plant adjustment to salt stress, possibly adding osmotic adjustment and preventing inactivation of metabolic processes.
Inventory time reduction in Gen2 with single-antenna separation of FM0 RFID signals (2011)

In this work single-antenna detection schemes for collided radio frequency identification (RFID) signals are proposed to achieve waveform separation and extract information when two RFID tags simultaneously transmit. Industry standard Generation 2 (Gen2) tags with FM0 (biphase-space) encoding are fully exploited, including FM0 inherent memory, in sharp contrast to tag separation prior art. It is shown that memory-assisted detection for two collided FM0 tags performs 3dB better in terms of bit-error-rate (BER), compared to memoryless detection. Information from waveform separation is used to significantly reduce the total inventory time for a given tag population in framed Aloha schemes, including the widely adopted Gen2. No modification of the existing readers' RF front end is required, as the proposed techniques could operate with single-antenna readers. This might be important for portable UHF Gen2 RFID systems, where multiple-antennas are not always an option.
Self-Assembly of Mesoporous Nanoscale Silica/Gold Composites (2003)

The effect of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) template concentration, solvent conditions, and silica source on the structure and self-assembly of mesoporous nanoscale silica/gold composites was investigated. Nanocomposites were analyzed using X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and liquid nitrogen adsorption. The number of gold particles per silica shell, referred to as the cluster number, and the ratio of gold/silica to pure silica particles, referred to as the occupancy, varied considerably with the concentration of CTAB template. In addition, the shape of the particles and the direction of mesopore growth were found to depend highly on the solvent composition and the silica source used. The materials produced were thermally stable above 540 °C, had pore volumes greater than 0.53 cm g-1 at standard temperature and pressure, and had surface areas in excess of 690 m2 g-1. The overall particle sizes ranged in diameter from 93 to 520 nm, and the pore center-to-pore center distances of the mesochannels of calcined samples varied from 3.06 to 5.25 nm. From an analysis of the silica mesopore geometry and the position of the gold nanoparticle, a three-stage mechanism for the self-assembly process of the nanocomposites is proposed.
Role Of Stem Cell Factor In The Reactivation Of Human Fetal Hemoglobin (2009)

In humans the switch from fetal to adult hemoglobin (HbF → HbA) takes place in the perinatal and postnatal period, determining the progressive replacement of HbF with HbA synthesis (i.e., the relative HbF content in red blood cells decreases from 80-90% to <1%). In spite of more than twenty years of intensive investigations on this classic model, the molecular mechanisms regulating the Hb switching, as well as HbF synthesis in adults, has been only in part elucidated. In adult life, the residual HbF, restricted to F cell compartment, may be reactivated up to 10-20% of total Hb synthesis in various conditions associated with "stress erythropoiesis": this reactivation represented until now an interesting model of partial Hb switch reverse with important therapeutic implications in patients with hemoglobinopathies, and particularly in β-thalassemia. In vitro and in vivo models have led to the identification of several chemical compounds able to reactivate HbF synthesis in adult erythroid cells. Although the impact of these HbF inducers, including hypomethylating agents, histone deacetylase inhibitors and hydroxyurea, was clear on the natural history of sickle cell anemia, the benefit on the clinical course of β-thalassemia was only limited: particularly, the toxicity and the modest increase in γ-globin reactivation indicated the need for improved agents able to induce higher levels of HbF. In the present review we describe the biologic properties of Stem Cell Factor (SCF), a cytokine sustaining the survival and proliferation of erythroid cells, that at pharmacological doses acts as a potent stimulator of HbF synthesis in adult erythroid cells.
Using Ajax for desktop-like geospatial web application development (2009)

As one of key components of Web 2.0 architecture, Ajax brings web applications with more responsive, interactive, intuitive and dynamic features. With its rich combination of technologies, Ajax provides a strong foundation for the development of geospatial web applications. An Ajax-enabled and desktop-like online geospatial analysis system is built to provide Geosciences community an easy web access to Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) standards compliant geospatial data, information and services from multiple sources. In this system, Ajax-enabled Graphic User Interface (GUI) components, Servlet calling and web service invocations are integrated and implemented to create a better web experience for the end users. Ajax helps this data-rich and service-centric geospatial web application be increasingly used.
Measurements of Young's Modulus of Elasticity of the Canine Aorta with Ultrasound (1979)

We have developed an ultrasonic technique for determining the dynamic Young's modulus of elasticity (E) of the canine aorta in vivo. Young's modulus was measured in the descending thoracic aorta (DTA) and the abdominal aorta (AA) of 12 dogs over a range of mean blood pressures from 40 – 200 mm Hg. The vessels were excised and dynamic moduli were determined in vitro post-mortem from pressure-volume curves. The data so obtained were compared to the in vivo values. In vivo and in vitro moduli increased exponentially with mean distending pressure (P). The equation of best fit for these data was of the form E = R 0 exp(aP). E 0 and a depend on the site of measurement (AA or DTA) and upon the particular animal. In vivo and in vitro moduli were not significantly different in the AA (AA: in vivo E 0 = 667 ± 382 mm Hg, a = 0.017 ± 0.004 mm Hg -1 in vitro E 0 = 888 ± 367, a = 0.016 ± 0.002). However, in vivo moduli exceeded in vitro moduli in the DTA. (DTA: in vivo E 0 = 687 ± 241, a = 0.016 ± 0.004 in vitro E 0 = 349 ± 64, a = 0.018 ± 0.003). The increased stiffness of the DTA compared to the AA in vivo may be due to the in situ tethering of the aorta to the spine by the parietal pleura.
Application of a New-Generation Complexing Agent in Removal of Heavy Metal Ions from Aqueous Solutions (2008)

The paper presents the studies on removal of copper(II) and zinc(II) ions from aqueous solutions in the presence of the tetrasodium salt of polyaspartic acid carried out on commercially available, chelating ion exchangers with different functional groups which are widely applied in the recovery of heavy metal ions from industrial effluents. The research results indicate a high affinity of these resins for the zinc(II) and copper(II) ions. The sorption characteristics of each metal ion in the presence of the complexing agent onto the studied chelating ion exchangers with thiourea, aminomethylphosphonate, iminodiacetate, and polyamine groups were represented by the Langmuir isotherms quite well.
Properties of metal/polyacetylene Schottky barriers (1981)

Rectifying barriers of undoped and lightly doped trans-(CH)x films with low work function metals have been investigated. I-V and C-V measurements were used to explore the junction properties. The junction characteristics were found to be Schottky-like in the large sense accompanied by significant differences in detail. Using C-V measurements to determine the carrier concentration, we found the carrier mobility to be concentration dependent.
Linear system reduction using Pade approximation to allow retention of dominant modes (1975)

A new method of reduction in order of linear time-invariant systems is introduced. It combines the desirable features of the time-moments and the modal methods of reduction. The methods is based on the concept of Pade approximation about more than one point. The reduced model derived by this method, retains the dominant modes (or any desirable modes) and fits the initial time-moments of the system The method is extended to the problem of reducing a high-order multivariable system described by its matrix transfer function. Several illustrative examples are discussed throughout the paper.
Allocation of essential lipids in <i>Daphnia magna</i> during exposure to poor food quality (2007)

Summary In nature, food conditions change temporally and force consumers into trade‐offs during resource allocation. In particular, under poor food conditions, for example during cyanobacterial blooms, herbivores have to optimize their resource allocation to maximize fitness, and face two decisions: (i) an individual might attempt to allocate acquired essential resources to reproductive tissues or use them for its own maintenance; and (ii) an individual might decide to optimize the chemical quality of its eggs. As cyanobacteria feature a deficiency in some essential lipids that leads to a decline in the growth and fecundity of Daphnia , an important freshwater herbivore, we investigated Daphnia magna 's Strauss allocation of lipids such as polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and cholesterol during an experimental non‐toxic cyanobacterial bloom. Generally, we found a substantial maternal investment of the particularly important omega‐3 (n‐3) PUFAs, in particular eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), into the eggs. The concentration of EPA was 2·4‐fold higher in eggs than in somatic tissue, a cumulative effect, which was not significantly changed under cyanobacterial food conditions. Under poor conditions, D. magna not only decreased the number of eggs produced but, in principle, reduced the previously high concentrations of EPA in both eggs and somatic tissues to a similar degree. In contrast to EPA, the concentrations of α‐linolenic acid and cholesterol, although lower than EPA, were more homeostatic in eggs than in somatic tissues, in which concentrations decreased. When food quality was improved, D. magna were able to recover completely the fatty acid concentrations in their somatic tissues and eggs. This study shows that the content of particular lipids in its food clearly affects resource allocation in D. magna , and suggests that cholesterol is important for somatic growth, while PUFAs are primarily needed for reproduction. As a decreasing investment of essential lipids into eggs implies a reduced fitness of the animals’ progeny under poor food conditions, this could have a strong impact on population dynamics, which might also be valid for other species.
Quantized CIELab* space and encoded spatial structure for scalable indexing of large color image archives (2002)

This paper presents a scalable approach for content-based searching and browsing of color image archives using segmented color-layout and spatial structure information. The segmented color layout is computed using quantized CIE-Lab* space, and encoded quadtrees have been used to preserve and represent the structural information. Our careful choice of feature space and associated indexing provides a scalable content-based indexing and retrieval (CBIR) system, where query time is relatively independent of the database size and only depends on the number of images similar to the query image. A sample query in our system takes less than 25 msec on a Pentium 233 MHz machine using a database of 5000 512/spl times/512 size images. This query time is orders of magnitude less than the time on available commercial and research prototypes. Experimental results are also presented showing the quality and efficiency of the indexing system.
Self-Diagnosis Technique for Virtual Private Networks Combining Bayesian Networks and Case-Based Reasoning (2014)

Fault diagnosis is a critical task for operators in the context of e-TOM (enhanced Telecom Operations Map) assurance process. Its purpose is to reduce network maintenance costs and to improve availability, reliability and performance of network services. Although necessary, this operation is complex and requires significant involvement of human expertise. The study of the fundamental properties of fault diagnosis shows that the diagnosis process complexity needs to be addressed using more intelligent and efficient approaches. In this paper, we present a hybrid approach that combines Bayesian networks and case-based reasoning in order to overcome the usual limits of fault diagnosis techniques and to reduce human intervention in this process. The proposed mechanism allows the identification of the root cause with a finer precision and a higher reliability. At the same time, it helps to reduce computation time while taking into account the network dynamicity. Furthermore, a study case is presented to show the feasibility and performance of the proposed approach based on a real-world use case: a virtual private network topology.
The Risk and Natural Course of Age-Related Maculopathy (2003)

We provided the absolute risk of AMD as a function of age and early ARM fundus signs, and showed that both are prominent independent risk factors. The progression of ARM stages follows, after the appearance of the first soft drusen, a distinct course at a gradual pace that accelerates with increasing age.
Ultrafast and efficient optical Kerr effects in chalcogenide glass fibers and the application in all-optical switching (2002)

This paper reports on the femtosecond nonlinear refractive response in As/sub 2/S/sub 3/-based glass fibers, and the use of small core fibers with large refractive index differences for reducing switching power. We also demonstrate all-optical switching in a 100-GHz pulse train using a laser diode as a gate pulse source.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">></ETX>
The Functional Integration of a Polytopic Membrane Protein of <i>Escherichia coli</i> is Dependent on the Bacterial Signal‐Recognition Particle (1995)

In eukaryotes, the cotranslational targeting of proteins to the endoplasmic reticular membrane is initially mediated by the signal-recognition particle (SRP), a ribonucleoprotein complex consisting of the 7SL RNA and six protein subunits. Since the discovery of sequence homology between (a) the Escherichia coli 4.5S RNA (Ffs) and 7SL RNA, and (b) the E. coli P48 (Ffh) and SRP 54-kDa subunit, more evidence has been obtained that E. coli also possesses an SRP-type pathway that acts in the translocation of secreted proteins. Such a pathway could possibly be involved in the cotranslational integration of hydrophobic membrane proteins that cannot be effectively targeted post-translationally due to folding and aggregation. In this study, we report that disruption of the E. coli SRP complex with a dominant lethal 4.5S RNA mutant in vivo prevents functional membrane integration of the E. coli lactose permease (LacY). Likewise, depletion of the P48 (Ffh) protein also results in a decrease in the amount of functional LacY inserted into the E. coli plasma membrane. In direct contrast, inhibition of SecA function does not affect LacY integration. These results suggest a major function of the bacterial SRP in the targeting and subsequent integration of hydrophobic membrane proteins as opposed to SecA mediating the post-translational targeting of secretory proteins.