gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
LDS manufacturing technology for next generation radio frequency applications (2016)

This contribution is focused on Laser Direct Structuring (LDS) fabrication for upcoming generations of RF-applications covering millimeter-wave frequencies. Starting with a short motivation the current situation of LDS fabricated RF devices is presented. Subsequently, the requirements on the manufacturing process for future applications are defined. The main LDS manufacturing parameters and their influences on the RF properties are discussed. Especially the influence of the surface roughness of the applied metalization is considered and evaluated. On the example of a millimeter wave dielectric antenna operating at 24 GHz and 77 GHz the suitability of LDS fabrication is verified. An RF characterization of the test antennas is done and the results are discussed. On basis of this, possible applications, in the automotive as well as consumer sector, are pointed out. Summarizing the main findings of this contribution the next steps to be taken for a fabrication of future LDS MID RF devices are derived.
Tamoxifen-induced apoptosis in breast cancer cells relates to down-regulation of bcl-2, but not bax and bcl-X(L), without alteration of p53 protein levels. (1999)

Tamoxifen (TAM) has been shown to induce apoptosis in breast cancer cells. bcl-2 family genes, which can interact with each other, have been shown to interfere with apoptosis after various stimuli. In this study, we investigated the effects of TAM on bcl-2 family gene products bcl-2, bax, and bcl-X(L) and on p53 levels in estrogen receptor-positive MCF-7 breast cancer cells. We found that TAM induced time- and concentration-dependent down-regulation of bcl-2 at both the mRNA and protein level. Down-regulation of bcl-2 correlated with TAM-induced apoptosis. In addition, estradiol treatment significantly increased bcl-2 protein expression and blocked the reduction of bcl-2 by TAM. TAM did not, however, affect bax, bcl-X(L), or p53 expression at the mRNA or protein level. Our results demonstrate that TAM can induce apoptosis in a time- and dose-dependent manner by modulating bcl-2 levels in breast cancer cells, and down-regulation of bcl-2 induced by TAM was not accompanied by alterations in p53 levels.
Mechanism of the silver-catalysed heterogeneous epoxidation of ethylene (1983)

R. B. Grant and R. M. Lambert, J. Chem. Soc., Chem. Commun., 1983, 662 DOI: 10.1039/C39830000662
Holes at the top. Why CEO firings backfire. (2002)

When a company does well, its CEO is showered with money and adulation. When it does poorly, the CEO gets the blame--and the boot. For better or worse, investors now view chief executives as the primary determinant of corporate performance. But the reality is that most companies perform no better after they dismiss their CEOs than they did in the years leading up to the dismissals. Worse, the organizational disruption created by a rushed firing can leave a company with deep and lasting scars. Far from being a silver bullet, the replacement of a CEO often amounts to little more than a self-inflicted wound. The blame for such poor results, the author argues, lies squarely with boards of directors. Boards often lack the strategic understanding of the business necessary to give due diligence to choosing a replacement CEO. Concern over restoring investor confidence quickly--rather than doing what's right for the company--drives the selection process. And all too often, companies continue to be dogged by the same old problems after the new CEOs come on board. But a good board can make a CEO replacement pay off if its members first develop a better understanding of the business context, worry less about pleasing the investment community and more about a replacement's strategic fit, and take an active role in overseeing the new CEO and the performance and direction of the company. In the long run, such approaches are likely to foster stability at the helm--making it less likely a company will have to fire its CEO in the first place.
An Analysis of U.S. Patent #5,243,538 “Comparison and Verification System for Logic Circuits and Method Thereof" (2018)

On Sept. 7, 1993, U. S. Patent Number 5,243,538 was awarded to four Hitachi employees for a technique for comparing logic circuits using Binary Decision Diagrams (BDDs). Although the U. S. patent application was filed on Aug. 7, 1990, they had filed for a patent in Japan on Aug. 9, 1989, and hence this earlier date should be used in determining the prior art. The key property exploited by the patentees is that by generating the BDDs for the two logic circuits according to a unique ordering of the variables, the task of comparing the BDDs is greatly simplified. The patentees did not cite and apparently were not aware of work done on BDD-based logic comparison during the 9 years between the cited papers by S. B. Akers and their patent application. In particular, the author devised a technique for generating and comparing logic functions using Ordered (i.e., assuming a unique ordering of variables) BDDs in 1984. Papers published in 1985 (Design Automation Conference) and 1986 (IEEE Transactions on Computers) describe this method in detail. We assert that this patent should not have been issued, as it attempts to patent prior art.
Thieno[2,3‐<i>d</i>]pyrimidines in the Synthesis of New Fused Heterocyclic Compounds of Prospective Antitumor and Antioxidant Agents (Part II) (2012)

Diethyl azodicarboxylate and 3,4,5,6‐tetrachloro‐1,2‐benzoquinone react with cyclopentano‐ and cycloheptano‐fused thienopyrimidines to form the oxidative dimer of the starting material via S—S bond formation. Reaction of two equivalents of 2,2′‐(cyclohexa‐2′,5′‐diene‐1,4‐diylidene)dimalononitrile with thienopyrimidines afforded 3‐(4′,4′‐dicyanomethylene‐cycloalka[ a ]‐2,5‐dienyl)‐4‐oxo‐6,7,8,9‐tetrahydro‐5 H ‐cyclo‐hepta[4,5]‐[1,3]thiazolo[3,2‐ a ]‐thieno[2,3‐ d ]pyrimidin‐2‐ylidene‐2‐dicarbonitriles. The thioenopyrimidines react with 2‐[1,3‐dioxo‐1 H ‐inden‐2(3 H )‐ylidene]malononitrile to produce 1,3,5′‐trioxo‐1,3,3′,5′‐tetrahydro spiro‐ (indene‐2,2′‐thiazolo[2,3‐ b ]‐cycloalkyl[ b ]‐thieno[2,3‐ d ]pyrimidine)‐3′‐carbonitriles. However, the reaction of thienopyrimidines with 2,3‐dicyano‐1,4‐naphthoquinone proceeded to afford the fused cycloalkyl‐thieno form of naphtho[1,3]thiazolo[3,2‐ a ]thieno[2,3‐ d ]pyrimidine‐6.7,12‐triones. Reaction of 2‐hydrazino‐5,6,7,8‐tetrahydrobenzo[ b ]thieno[2,3‐ d ]pyrimidine‐4(1 H )‐one with dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate and ethyl propiolate, respectively, afforded cyclohexano‐fused ( Z )‐dimethyl 2[( E )‐4‐oxo‐3,4‐dihydrothieno[2,3‐ d ]pyrimidine‐2(1 H )‐ylidene)hydrazono]succinate and thieno‐pyrimidinotriazine. Both oxidative dimers of thienopyrimidines showed high inhibition of Hep‐G2 cell growth compared with the growth of untreated control cells. Moreover, the cycloheptano‐fused thiazinothienopyrimidine indicates a promising specific antitumor agent against Hep‐G2 cells because its IC 50 is < 20 μ M .
Cell Mediated Immunity in Virus Infections (1997)

The discovery of the molecular nature of T cell-mediated immunity is reviewed in a historical context. Current approaches to understanding virus-induced inflammatory processes are described.
A Multimodal Human–Robot Interface to Drive a Neuroprosthesis for Tremor Management (2012)

Tremor is the most prevalent movement disorder, and its incidence is increasing with aging. In spite of the numerous therapeutic solutions available, 65% of those suffering from upper limb tremor report serious difficulties during their daily living. This gives rise to research on different treatment alternatives, amongst which wearable robots that apply selective mechanical loads constitute an appealing approach. In this context, the current work presents a multimodal human-robot interface to drive a neuroprosthesis for tremor management. Our approach relies on the precise characterization of the tremor to modulate a functional electrical stimulation system that compensates for it. The neuroprosthesis is triggered by the detection of the intention to move derived from the analysis of electroencephalographic activity, which provides a natural interface with the user. When a prediction is delivered, surface electromyography serves to detect the actual onset of the tremor in the presence of volitional activity. This information in turn triggers the stimulation, which relies on tremor parameters-amplitude and frequency-derived from a pair of inertial sensors that record the kinematics of the affected joint. Surface electromyography also yields a first characterization of the tremor, together with precise information on the preferred stimulation site. Apart from allowing for an optimized performance of the system, our multimodal approach permits the implementation of redundant methods to both enhance the reliability of the system and adapt to the specific needs of different users. Results with a representative group of patients illustrate the performance of the interface presented here and demonstrate its feasibility.
A Large-Scale Evaluation of High-Impact Password Strength Meters (2015)

Passwords are ubiquitous in our daily digital lives. They protect various types of assets ranging from a simple account on an online newspaper website to our health information on government websites. However, due to the inherent value they protect, attackers have developed insights into cracking/guessing passwords both offline and online. In many cases, users are forced to choose stronger passwords to comply with password policies; such policies are known to alienate users and do not significantly improve password quality. Another solution is to put in place proactive password-strength meters/checkers to give feedback to users while they create new passwords. Millions of users are now exposed to these meters on highly popular web services that use user-chosen passwords for authentication. More recently, these meters are also being built into popular password managers, which protect several user secrets including passwords. Recent studies have found evidence that some meters actually guide users to choose better passwords—which is a rare bit of good news in password research. However, these meters are mostly based on ad hoc design. At least, as we found, most vendors do not provide any explanation for their design choices, sometimes making them appear as a black box. We analyze password meters deployed in selected popular websites and password managers. We document obfuscated source-available meters, infer the algorithm behind the closed-source ones, and measure the strength labels assigned to common passwords from several password dictionaries. From this empirical analysis with millions of passwords, we shed light on how the server end of some web service meters functions and provide examples of highly inconsistent strength outcomes for the same password in different meters, along with examples of many weak passwords being labeled as strong or even excellent . These weaknesses and inconsistencies may confuse users in choosing a stronger password, and thus may weaken the purpose of these meters. On the other hand, we believe these findings may help improve existing meters and possibly make them an effective tool in the long run.
Integrating multiple landscape‐scale drivers in the lichen epiphyte response: climatic setting, pollution regime and woodland spatial‐temporal structure (2009)

Abstract Aim To quantify the role of multiple biodiversity drivers – pollution, woodland structure and climate – controlling lichen epiphyte composition and diversity. Location Scotland, north‐west Europe. Methods Four compatible datasets were assembled: site‐scale species distribution data (response) and base‐line modelled data on climate, pollution loads and extent of old‐growth woodland (explanatory variables). First, partial‐canonical correspondence analysis was used: (1) to compare the importance of environmental variables to pure spatial effects and (2) to partition the importance of environmental variables in explaining species composition. Secondly, patterns of species richness were investigated using multiple least‐squares regression. Results Old‐growth woodland was the most important control of species richness. Pollution was the most important explanatory variable for species composition. The impact of pollution on composition (and to a lesser extent on richness) is explained: (1) By recovery of lichens with declining SO 2 pollution, although with epiphyte composition shifted by the recent effects of N‐pollution and (2) By the limited spatial extent of severe pollution, and generally low‐to‐moderate pollution loads across our study area, combined with the positive effect of old‐growth woodland extent in controlling species richness. The effect of climate and old‐growth woodland on species composition covaried, supporting an interaction between habitat quality and climatic setting, which may be important in understanding the epiphyte response to climate change. Conclusions Advances in conservation planning will likely require an integrated approach to understanding simultaneous effects of multiple drivers, providing opportunities for integrated management strategies. Our study provides a preliminary example of this approach by combining three key biodiversity drivers into a single framework for lichen epiphytes. Thus, reducing pollution loads may make old‐growth woodland that currently exists in a polluted landscape available for colonization, thereby extending the available habitat for epiphytes, and facilitating an effective species response to climate change.
Erosion effects on TVC vane heat transfer characteristics (1994)

This work describes the effects of erosion on the heat transfer characteristics on thrust vector control vanes exposed to aluminized propellant exhaust flows. This was accomplished using an inverse heat transfer parameter identification of quarter scale models. The model is based on a four node lumped parameter system with two heat energy inputs. The erosion is modeled as decreasing the geometric dimensions linearly as function of time and percentage of aluminum in the propellant. Excellent agreement was found between experimental and model temperature profiles. The heat transfer coefficients of the vanes were found to decrease with increasing erosion rates.
Fabrication of high aspect ratio through silicon vias (TSVs) by magnetic assembly of nickel wires (2011)

Three-dimensional (3D) integration of electronics and/or MEMS-based transducers is an emerging technology that vertically interconnects stacked dies using through silicon vias (TSVs). They enable the realization of devices with shorter signal lengths, smaller packages and lower parasitic capacitances, which can result in higher performance and lower costs of the system. This paper presents a novel low-cost fabrication technique for solid metal-filled TSVs using nickel wires as conductive path. The wires are placed in the via hole of a silicon wafer by magnetic self-assembly. This metal filling technique enables through-wafer vias with high aspect ratios and potentially eliminates characteristic cost drivers of the TSV production such as metallization processes, wafer thinning and general issues associated with thin-wafer handling.
Good Pharmaceutical Freeze-Drying Practice (1997)

This text is devoted to pharmaceutical freeze-drying in all its forms and in all its technological variations. Whether you freeze-dry nonsterile tablets or you lyophilize injectables, this book covers all the technological and regulatory requirements. Written by a panel of leading practitioners in the pharmaceutical industry -- production experts,
Exploration and Development of PPAR Modulators in Health and Disease: An Update of Clinical Evidence (2019)

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are nuclear receptors that govern the expression of genes responsible for energy metabolism, cellular development, and differentiation. Their crucial biological roles dictate the significance of PPAR-targeting synthetic ligands in medical research and drug discovery. Clinical implications of PPAR agonists span across a wide range of health conditions, including metabolic diseases, chronic inflammatory diseases, infections, autoimmune diseases, neurological and psychiatric disorders, and malignancies. In this review we aim to consolidate existing clinical evidence of PPAR modulators, highlighting their clinical prospects and challenges. Findings from clinical trials revealed that different agonists of the same PPAR subtype could present different safety profiles and clinical outcomes in a disease-dependent manner. Pemafibrate, due to its high selectivity, is likely to replace other PPARα agonists for dyslipidemia and cardiovascular diseases. PPARγ agonist pioglitazone showed tremendous promises in many non-metabolic disorders like chronic kidney disease, depression, inflammation, and autoimmune diseases. The clinical niche of PPARβ/δ agonists is less well-explored. Interestingly, dual- or pan-PPAR agonists, namely chiglitazar, saroglitazar, elafibranor, and lanifibranor, are gaining momentum with their optimistic outcomes in many diseases including type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and primary biliary cholangitis. Notably, the preclinical and clinical development for PPAR antagonists remains unacceptably deficient. We anticipate the future design of better PPAR modulators with minimal off-target effects, high selectivity, superior bioavailability, and pharmacokinetics. This will open new possibilities for PPAR ligands in medicine.
Test effort estimation using use case points (2001)

This paper presents a new approach to the estimation of software testing efforts based on Use Case Points [UCP] as a fundamental project estimation measure. From preliminary applications on our web-based projects, we conjecture that this could in fact be more reliable than FP. The caveat here is that the V-model must be in use and use case generation must start becoming available right at the requirements gathering phase. The acceptance test plan is then prepared with the use cases from the requirement documents as input. Further work could provide a more exact relationship between the two.
PRECISION DETERMINATION OF ATMOSPHERIC EXTINCTION AT OPTICAL AND NEAR-INFRARED WAVELENGTHS (2010)

The science goals for future ground-based all-sky surveys, such as the Dark Energy Survey, PanSTARRS, and the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope, require calibration of broadband photometry that is stable in time and uniform over the sky to precisions of 1% or better, and absolute calibration of color measurements that are similarly accurate. This performance will need to be achieved with measurements made from multiple images taken over the course of many years, and these surveys will observe in less than ideal conditions. This paper describes a technique to implement a new strategy to directly measure variations of atmospheric transmittance at optical wavelengths and application of these measurements to calibration of ground-based observations. This strategy makes use of measurements of the spectra of a small catalog of bright "probe" stars as they progress across the sky and back-light the atmosphere. The signatures of optical absorption by different atmospheric constituents are recognized in these spectra by their characteristic dependences on wavelength and airmass. State-of-the-art models of atmospheric radiation transport and modern codes are used to accurately compute atmospheric extinction over a wide range of observing conditions. We present results of an observing campaign that demonstrate that correction for extinction due to molecular constituents and aerosols can be done with precisions of a few millimagnitudes with this technique
A Specific Mechanism of Nonspecific Inhibition (2003)

Promiscuous small molecules plague screening libraries and hit lists. Previous work has found that several nonspecific compounds form submicrometer aggregates, and it has been suggested that this aggregate species is responsible for the inhibition of many different enzymes. It is not understood how aggregates inhibit their targets. To address this question, biophysical, kinetic, and microscopy methods were used to study the interaction of promiscuous, aggregate-forming inhibitors with model proteins. By use of centrifugation and gel electrophoresis, aggregates and protein were found to directly interact. This is consistent with a subsequent observation from confocal fluorescence microscopy that aggregates concentrate green fluorescent protein. beta-Lactamase mutants with increased or decreased thermodynamic stability relative to wild-type enzyme were equally inhibited by an aggregate-forming compound, suggesting that denaturation by unfolding was not the primary mechanism of interaction. Instead, visualization by electron microscopy revealed that enzyme associates with the surface of inhibitor aggregates. This association could be reversed or prevented by the addition of Triton X-100. These observations suggest that the aggregates formed by promiscuous compounds reversibly sequester enzyme, resulting in apparent inhibition. They also suggest a simple method to identify or reverse the action of aggregate-based inhibitors, which appear to be widespread.
Saturation gradients in drainage of porous media: NMR imaging measurements (1993)

Abstract A steady‐state method recently proposed for measuring two‐phase flow properties of a porous medium is supplemented by NMR imaging for measuring the saturation gradients which are allowed to persist in the specimen. The method relies on a strong capillary end effect which is assumed to be enforced by an outlet capillary pressure boundary condition, but direct verification of this has not hitherto been available. For constant flow rates, incremented stepwise, steady‐state profiles of hydrocarbon saturation S o are obtained which agree with predictions that they be monotonic, nonintersecting, and convex. Using D 2 O for the aqueous phase allows unambiguous detection of hydrocarbon by NMR, and imaging measurements of transverse relaxation time T 2 were included in the protocol. T 2 shows a dependence on S o which is mild but not negligible for quantitative NMR imaging.
Speech perception (1993)

In this tutorial review new concepts and experimental results on speech perception, particularly its development, will be described. First, an overview is provided of the results of classical experiments investigating speech preception in its ‘‘initial state.’’ Next, new results demonstrating the effects of language experience on speech preception will be described, showing that the preception of speech is altered by exposure to language in the first 6 months of life. Finally, preception of auditory-visual illusions in speech preception will be described, including a 90-s demonstration experiment that allows audience members to experience the effect. Auditory-visual effects are discussed within the context of speech perception–production links which have their inception in early infancy. A new theory of the development of speech perception that incorporates these results will be presented.