gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Design evaluation and product reliability assessment using accelerated reliability fatigue life tests (2002)

Accelerated reliability stress tests were performed to evaluate a design concern on a printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) for a disk drive product. Preliminary design tests indicated that a motor driver 176 pin PQFP (plastic quad flat package) IC package mounted on the PCBA may have a reliability problem in the field. The function of the motor driver chip was to provide electrical contact to the motor bearing assembly housed in the HDA. An elastomeric connector mounted on the PCBA under the 176 pin PQFP IC package was used to provide the electrical connection between the IC and the motor bearing assembly. A minimum force was required to maintain the electrical contact through the imbedded wires used in the elastomeric connector sandwiched between the PQFP package and the HDA. This force was provided by a hold down screw used to push the PCBA on the HDA. The reliability concern was that pin 1 and pin 176 on the corner of the PQFP package and closest to the elastomeric connector will break due to the high bending stress experienced, the effect of which is aggravated due to the coupling of thermal stress during operation. Typically stresses are higher on the four corner pins of an IC package, and gradually reduce to zero towards the middle of the package on each side. Accelerated reliability stress tests were performed to answer the reliability concerns, and if there was indeed a reliability issue, recommend design solutions to the problem and finally predict fatigue life.
Rapid identification of Candida albicans by using Albicans ID and fluoroplate agar plates (1994)

Two commercially available agar media, Albicans ID and Fluoroplate, that use a chromogenic or a fluorogenic substrate for the detection and identification of Candida albicans were evaluated. From 1,006 clinical samples containing 723 yeast strains, 352 C. albicans strains were detected with either of the two media. The sensitivity of each of the two media was 93.8% and the specificity was 98.6%, with five false-positive reactions for Candida tropicalis and no false-negative reactions.
Compatible Objective Lens for Blu-ray Disc and Degital Versatile Disc Using Diffractive Optical Element and Phase-Step Element which Corrects both Chromatic and Spherical Aberrations (2004)

A compatible lens with a diffractive optical element that overcomes differences in disk thickness and longitudinal chromatic aberration and phase steps that eliminate chromatic spherical aberrations are proposed. Both blue and red parallel incident rays can be converged on both disks; therefore, the servo and readout signals can be detected by a single common photodetector. A compatible optical head, which can write Blu-ray Discs (BDs) and degital versatile discs (DVDs) with only one objective lens assembly and one photodetector, can be achieved. We show the convergence of the blue and red parallel incident rays and signal readout using the compatible objective lens.
Reduced Complexity Sum-Product Algorithm for Decoding Nonlinear Network Codes and In-Network Function Computation (2016)

While the capacity, feasibility, and methods to obtain codes for network coding problems are well studied, the decoding procedure and complexity have not garnered much attention. In this paper, we pose the decoding problem at a sink node in a network as a marginalize product function (MPF) problem over the Boolean semiring and use the sum product (SP) algorithm on a suitably constructed factor graph to perform iterative decoding. The number of operations required to perform SP decoding is reduced using traceback. The number of operations required to perform SP decoding with and without traceback is obtained. For nonlinear network codes, we define fast decodability of a network code at sinks demanding all the messages and identify a sufficient condition for the same. Next, we consider the network function computation problem wherein the sink nodes demand a function of the messages. We present an MPF formulation for function computation at the sink nodes and use the SP algorithm to obtain the value of the demanded function. Though the proposed method can be used for decoding both linear and nonlinear network codes, it is advantageous only for the case of nonlinear network codes.
Uncovering hotel guests preferences through data mining techniques (2017)

The proliferation of online travel communities, travel websites, and technology developments are driving tourism industry to develop new methods for marketing and improving customer satisfaction. The main aim of this study is to analyze the potential use of Data Mining and Web Mining techniques in tourism industry to extract the hidden knowledge from hotel visitors information. For this purpose we have collected the data, from visitors of Mersing Island hotels as found at www.tripadvisor.com through our task specific RK web crawler, which collected 616 user profiles information. The research method used in this research is CRISP DM, and by using this method along with RK Crawler, two models have been proposed to use by managers in order to improve customer satisfaction. Results show that there are a various type of tourists with each group having different preferences. For instance, if a visitor is from Singapore, male, and interested in great foods and wine, he is also interested in outdoor and adventure activities. This research study can be very helpful for tourist association, hospitality, and hotel managers.
CO<sub>2</sub> and CH<sub>4</sub> Separation by Adsorption Using Cu-BTC Metal−Organic Framework (2010)

Molecular simulations have shown that the metal−organic framework Cu-BTC (Cu3(BTC)2) is an interesting candidate for the separation of CO2 by adsorption. In this work, the first experimental binary and ternary adsorption data of CO2, CH4, and CO on the Cu-BTC are reported. These data are analyzed and compared with coadsorption models that are built from pure component isotherm data. Cu-BTC has a CO2/CH4 selectivity of ∼8 and a high delta loading (=difference between adsorption capacity under conditions of adsorption and desorption) and therefore appears to be a good compromise between zeolites, with high selectivity for CO2, but low delta loadings, and activated carbons, with high delta loadings, but low selectivity, for pressure swing adsorption applications.
Serum and Urinary Fibrin/Fibrinogen Degradation Products in Glomerulonephritis (1971)

The serum and urine concentrations of fibrin/fibrinogen degradation products (F.D.P.) were estimated in 172 patients with glomerulonephritis. In each case the diagnosis was established on the basis of clinical, renal histological, and ultrastructural findings. Serum F.D.P. concentrations were often raised in all types of glomerulonephritis, though more consistently in active proliferative forms. The urinary concentration provided a reliable and sensitive index of activity, progression, and natural history in proliferative glomerulonephritis. In these forms the urinary F.D.P. content was thought to reflect predominantly lysis of intraglomerular fibrin deposits. In minimal lesion and membranous glomerulonephritis low but abnormal concentrations of urinary F.D.P. were consistently found. It is suggested that in these cases the products are derived from limited proteolysis of fibrinogen filtered through an abnormally permeable basement membrane.Daily measurement of urinary F.D.P. concentration is of potential value in the differential diagnosis of patients with glomerulonephritis and at the same time provides a sensitive assessment of the activity and natural history of proliferative disease.
Highly tunable-emittance radiator based on semiconductor-metal transition of VO2 thin films (2013)

This paper describes a VO2-based smart structure with an emittance that increases with the temperature. A large tunability of the spectral emittance, which can be as high as 0.90, was achieved. The transition of the total emittance with the temperature was fully reversible according to a hysteresis cycle, with a transition temperature of 66.5 °C. The total emittance of the device was found to be 0.22 and 0.71 at 25 °C and 100 °C, respectively. This emittance performance and the structure simplicity are promising for the next generation of energy-efficient cost-effective passive thermal control systems of spacecrafts.
Microfocusing optics for hard x-rays fabricated by x-ray lithography (1995)

Lithographic techniques for fabrication of hard X-ray Fresnel Zone Plates are discussed. Practical results achieved at the center for X-ray Lithography of the University of Wisconsin-Madison are presented. Fabrication technology includes replication of an e-beam written master mask into a thick photoresist by synchrotron radiation X-ray lithography, and subsequent electroplating of a metal zone plate structure using photoresist pattern as a mold.
Correlation between skeletal muscle vascular decompensation and survival: roles of tissue ischemia and innervation. (1979)

A constant-flow, cross-perfused, vascularly isolated gracilis muscle preparation was used to examine the hypothesis that locally produced and released products of ischemic muscle metabolism are responsible for the vascular decompensation (vasodilation) reported to occur in late oligemic hypotension. Well-oxygenated donor arterial blood perfused recipient gacilis muscles at a constant flow rate of 5.2 +/- 0.5 ml/100 gm/min while the recipient animals were subjected to a modified Wigger's hemorrhage protocol. Arterial and venous blood gases taken across the gracilis muscle at regular intervals during the experiments verified adequate tissue perfusion. Of the thirteen studies reported, only ten shocked recipient dogs progressed to irreversible shock postreinfusion. This series was identified as the "recipient-irreversibly shocked group." The remaining three shocked animals recovered from the shock protocol and were labeled "recipient-reversibly shocked series." The initial response to blood loss in both groups was intense vasconstriction, with the greatest initial constriction occurring in the irreversibly shocked series. The three animals that survived the protocol were able to sustain this compensatory effort, but the ten that ultimately progressed into irreversible shock postreinfusion invariably demonstrated a significant loss of vascular tone during late oligemia (conductance rose from 43% to 63% of control). Thus evidence is presented which indicates decompensation during adequate tissue perfusion, or absence of ischemia. A strong correlation was also shown to exist between sustained compensatory vasoconstriction in the gracilis muscle, and survival. The suggestion is made that part of the loss of vascular tone may be related to prejunctional inhibition of adrenergic transmission or alpha-receptor fatigue, with a minor role being played by the vasodepressor products of local tissue ischemia.
Robust wavelet zerotree image compression with fixed-length packetization (2002)

We present a novel robust image compression algorithm in which the output of a wavelet zerotree-style coder is manipulated into fixed-length segments. The segments are independently decodable, and errors occurring in one segment do not propagate into any other. The method provides both excellent compression performance and graceful degradation under increasing packet losses. We extend the basic scheme to perform region-based compression, in which specified portions of the image are coded to higher quality with little or no side information required by the decoder.
Regulatory Network of <i>Escherichia coli</i>: Consistency Between Literature Knowledge and Microarray Profiles (2003)

The transcriptional network of Escherichia coli may well be the most complete experimentally characterized network of a single cell. A rule-based approach was built to assess the degree of consistency between whole-genome microarray experiments in different experimental conditions and the accumulated knowledge in the literature compiled in RegulonDB, a data base of transcriptional regulation and operon organization in E. coli. We observed a high and statistical significant level of consistency, ranging from 70%-87%. When effector metabolites of regulatory proteins are not considered in the prediction of the active or inactive state of the regulators, consistency falls by up to 40%. Similarly, consistency decreases when rules for multiple regulatory interactions are altered or when "on" and "off" entries were assigned randomly. We modified the initial state of regulators and evaluated the propagation of errors in the network that do not correlate linearly with the connectivity of regulators. We interpret this deviation mainly as a result of the existence of redundant regulatory interactions. Consistency evaluation opens a new space of dialogue between theory and experiment, as the consequences of different assumptions can be evaluated and compared.
The Potential of an Endemic Fungus,<i>Colletotrichum gloeosporioides</i>, for Biological Control of Round-Leaved Mallow (<i>Malva pusilla</i>) and Velvetleaf (<i>Abutilon theophrasti</i>) (1988)

A fungal pathogen, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides (Penz.) Sacc. f. sp. malvae , isolated from anthracnose symptoms of round-leaved mallow ( Malva pusilla Sm.), was shown in greenhouse tests to be host specific to Malva spp. and velvetleaf ( Abutilon theophrasti Medic. # 3 ABUTH), and only with slight attack on hollyhock [ Althaea rosea (L.) Cav. # ALGRO], Malope trifida Cav., and Venice mallow ( Hibiscus trionum L. # HIBTR). Round-leaved mallow plants inoculated with a spore suspension of the fungus were killed after 17 to 20 days. It was less pathogenic on velvetleaf with 60 to 70% attack. The fungus can readily be cultured and field tests from 1982 to 1987 resulted in excellent control of round-leaved mallow under natural conditions. Therefore, it has good potential for biological control of round-leaved mallow in field crops.
<i>Trypanosoma cruzi</i> Infection Imparts a Regulatory Program in Dendritic Cells and T Cells via Galectin-1–Dependent Mechanisms (2015)

Galectin-1 (Gal-1), an endogenous glycan-binding protein, is widely distributed at sites of inflammation and microbial invasion. Despite considerable progress regarding the immunoregulatory activity of this lectin, the role of endogenous Gal-1 during acute parasite infections is uncertain. In this study, we show that Gal-1 functions as a negative regulator to limit host-protective immunity following intradermal infection with Trypanosoma cruzi. Concomitant with the upregulation of immune inhibitory mediators, including IL-10, TGF-β1, IDO, and programmed death ligand 2, T. cruzi infection induced an early increase of Gal-1 expression in vivo. Compared to their wild-type (WT) counterpart, Gal-1-deficient (Lgals1(-/-)) mice exhibited reduced mortality and lower parasite load in muscle tissue. Resistance of Lgals1(-/-) mice to T. cruzi infection was associated with a failure in the activation of Gal-1-driven tolerogenic circuits, otherwise orchestrated by WT dendritic cells, leading to secondary dysfunction in the induction of CD4(+)CD25(+)Foxp3(+) regulatory T cells. This effect was accompanied by an increased number of CD8(+) T cells and higher frequency of IFN-γ-producing CD4(+) T cells in muscle tissues and draining lymph nodes as well as reduced parasite burden in heart and hindlimb skeletal muscle. Moreover, dendritic cells lacking Gal-1 interrupted the Gal-1-mediated tolerogenic circuit and reinforced T cell-dependent anti-parasite immunity when adoptively transferred into WT mice. Thus, endogenous Gal-1 may influence T. cruzi infection by fueling tolerogenic circuits that hinder anti-parasite immunity.
Chronic Pain and the Emotional Brain: Specific Brain Activity Associated with Spontaneous Fluctuations of Intensity of Chronic Back Pain (2006)

Living with unrelenting pain (chronic pain) is maladaptive and is thought to be associated with physiological and psychological modifications, yet there is a lack of knowledge regarding brain elements involved in such conditions. Here, we identify brain regions involved in spontaneous pain of chronic back pain (CBP) in two separate groups of patients (n = 13 and n = 11), and contrast brain activity between spontaneous pain and thermal pain (CBP and healthy subjects, n = 11 each). Continuous ratings of fluctuations of spontaneous pain during functional magnetic resonance imaging were separated into two components: high sustained pain and increasing pain. Sustained high pain of CBP resulted in increased activity in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC; including rostral anterior cingulate). This mPFC activity was strongly related to intensity of CBP, and the region is known to be involved in negative emotions, response conflict, and detection of unfavorable outcomes, especially in relation to the self. In contrast, the increasing phase of CBP transiently activated brain regions commonly observed for acute pain, best exemplified by the insula, which tightly reflected duration of CBP. When spontaneous pain of CBP was contrasted to thermal stimulation, we observe a double-dissociation between mPFC and insula with the former correlating only to intensity of spontaneous pain and the latter correlating only to pain intensity for thermal stimulation. These findings suggest that subjective spontaneous pain of CBP involves specific spatiotemporal neuronal mechanisms, distinct from those observed for acute experimental pain, implicating a salient role for emotional brain concerning the self.
Specific transport of inorganic phosphate, glucose 6‐phosphate, dihydroxyacetone phosphate and 3‐phosphoglycerate into amyloplasts from pea roots (1989)

Evidence is provided that amyloplasts from pea roots contain a translocator which transports, in a counter exchange mode, phosphate, glucose 6‐phosphate, dihydroxyacetone phosphate and 3‐phosphoglycerate. The translocator has a low affinity for 2‐phosphoglycerate and glucose 1‐phosphate. Metabolite transport was measured by silicone oil filtering centrifugation either directly by uptake of radioactive labelled compounds or indirectly by back exchange.
Electrochemical methods for the determination of the diffusion coefficient of ionophores and ionophore–ion complexes in plasticized PVC membranes (2008)

The diffusion coefficients of active components in ion-selective membranes have a decisive influence on the life-time and detection limit of the respective ion-selective electrodes, as well as influencing the rate of polarization and relaxation processes of electrically perturbed ion sensors. Therefore, the rational design of mass transport controlled ion-selective electrodes with sub-nanomolar detection limits requires reliable data on the diffusion coefficients. We have implemented electrochemical methods for the quantitative assessment of both the diffusion coefficients of free ionophores and ion-ionophore complexes. The diffusion coefficients of the pH-sensitive chromoionophore ETH 5294 and the calcium-selective ionophore ETH 5234 were determined in plasticized PVC membranes with different PVC to plasticizer ratios. The diffusion coefficient of the free chromoionophore determined by a chronoamperometric method was validated with optical methods for a variety of membrane compositions. The calcium-selective ionophore ETH 5234 was used as a model compound to assess the diffusion coefficient of the ion-ionophore complex calculated from the time required for the complexes to cross a freshly prepared membrane during potentiometric ion-breakthrough experiments. The difference between the diffusion coefficients of the free ionophore ETH 5234 and the ion-ionophore complex was found to be significant and correlated well with the geometry of the respective species.
Implementing evolution of FIR-filters efficiently in an FPGA (2003)

Reconfigurable hardware devices make it possible to change the topology of electronic circuits at runtime. Using reconfigurable devices as a platform for evolvable hardware (EHW) is well suited for real-time adaptive systems. This paper contains a novel approach on how to evolve the parameters for an adaptive digital filter. Both the filter as well as the evolution is implemented in a single field programmable gate array (FPGA). The circuit is based on context-switching in FPGA-devices and preliminary results indicate a compact hardware as well as fast adaptation.
A Gender Study of Self-Efficacy Perceived in Socio-Cultural Environment in Mexican University Students in the Health Area (2014)

The aim of the present study was to compare the profiles of perceived self-efficacy in the sociocultural sphere between men and women, Mexican university students of health sciences. A total sample of 524 participants (202 women, 322 men) aged 17-20 years (M = 18.20; SD = 0.72) participated in this study. A quantitative approach with a descriptive and transversal survey design was applied. The results of the one-way multivariate analysis of variance, followed by the one-way univariate analyses of variance, showed that women reported significant higher punctuations than men regarding the perceived self-efficacy in promotion of the culture and cultural identity (p< .001). Therefore, gender is an important variable when design any kind of intervention for improving the perceived self-efficacy of students in sociocultural sphere. Future research should apply these findings within other cultures.
Adaptation de la méthodologie des langues étrangères aux styles d'apprentissage des élèves : un nouveau miroir aux alouettes ? (1996)

Selon certains spécialistes de l'apprentissage d'une langue étrangère, le style d'apprentissage d'un individu fonctionne comme un "filtre à input" et exerce, de ce fait, une influence considérable sur le processus d'apprentissage de la langue étrangère et sur le niveau de performance atteint par les différents types d'apprenants. Cette conception des styles d'apprentissage conduit naturellement à supposer que l'enseignement optimal d'une langue étrangère est celui dont la méthodologie est en adéquation avec le style d'apprentissage des élèves. Selon G. Simons, il convient d'aborder ce type de recherche avec la plus grande prudence si on ne veut pas qu'elle devienne un miroir aux alouettes, un de plus. Pour éviter ce piège, G. Simons analyse quelques problèmes sous-jacents à ce domaine de recherche et tente d'y apporter des solutions.