gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Health aware stochastic planning for persistent package delivery missions using quadrotors (2014)

In persistent missions, taking system's health and capability degradation into account is an essential factor to predict and avoid failures. The state space in health-aware planning problems is often a mixture of continuous vehicle-level and discrete mission-level states. This in particular poses a challenge when the mission domain is partially observable and restricts the use of computationally expensive forward search methods. This paper presents a method that exploits a structure that exists in many health-aware planning problems and performs a two-layer planning scheme. The lower layer exploits the local linearization and Gaussian distribution assumption over vehicle-level states while the higher layer maintains a non-Gaussian distribution over discrete mission-level variables. This two-layer planning scheme allows us to limit the expensive online forward search to the mission-level states, and thus predict system's behavior over longer horizons in the future. We demonstrate the performance of the method on a long duration package delivery mission using a quadrotor in a partially-observable domain in the presence of constraints and health/capability degradation.
Introduction (2006)

Wilkie Collins was a popular and prolific novelist whose career spanned most of the second half of the nineteenth century. It began in 1850, when Charles Dickens, William Makepeace Thackeray and Charlotte Brontë were at the height of their powers and George Eliot was still to publish a work of fiction, and ended in 1890, as the Victorian novel itself was drawing to a close, in the era of Thomas Hardy, H. G. Wells, Rudyard Kipling and George Gissing. Collins published more than twenty novels, numerous short stories and perceptive and witty pieces of journalism. He collaborated closely with Dickens during the 1850s and 1860s and was involved with Dickens in dramatic productions as well as adapting his own work for the stage. He was a busy and hard-working professional writer who negotiated a rapidly changing literary marketplace and was able to make use of new forms of publication and distribution of fiction at both national and global levels.
Soluble Amyloid Oligomers Increase Bilayer Conductance by Altering Dielectric Structure (2006)

The amyloid hypothesis of Alzheimer's toxicity has undergone a resurgence with increasing evidence that it is not amyloid fibrils but a smaller oligomeric species that produces the deleterious results. In this paper we address the mechanism of this toxicity. Only oligomers increase the conductance of lipid bilayers and patch-clamped mammalian cells, producing almost identical current-voltage curves in both preparations. Oligomers increase the conductance of the bare bilayer, the cation conductance induced by nonactin, and the anion conductance induced by tetraphenyl borate. Negative charge reduces the sensitivity of the membrane to amyloid, but cholesterol has little effect. In contrast, the area compressibility of the lipid has a very large effect. Membranes with a large area compressibility modulus are almost insensitive to amyloid oligomers, but membranes formed from soft, highly compressible lipids are highly susceptible to amyloid oligomer-induced conductance changes. Furthermore, membranes formed using the solvent decane (instead of squalane) are completely insensitive to the presence of oligomers. One simple explanation for these effects on bilayer conductance is that amyloid oligomers increase the area per molecule of the membrane-forming lipids, thus thinning the membrane, lowering the dielectric barrier, and increasing the conductance of any mechanism sensitive to the dielectric barrier.
A Mixture of 3 Bifidobacteria Decreases Abdominal Pain and Improves the Quality of Life in Children With Irritable Bowel Syndrome (2016)

In children with IBS a mixture of Bifidobacterium infantis M-63, breve M-16V, and longum BB536 is associated with improvement in AP and QoL. These findings were not confirmed in FD subjects. Trial identifier: NCT02566876 (http://www.clinicaltrial.gov).
Measurement of Tension in a String Using an Array of Capacitive Force Sensors (2012)

The measurement of tension in strings and soft tissues is of critical importance in many applications, including orthopedic surgeries. Various sensors have previously been designed for the measurement of tension, but they all require either attachment of the sensor to the string or the use of an external-inertial reference. This paper presents two new sensors to estimate tension in strings without the need for attaching any devices on the string or a need for an inertial reference. Both sensors employ an array of three capacitive force measurement devices and estimate the tension based on these three readings. Experimental data show that the sensors can measure tension values up to 100 N on a bench-top test rig.
An integrated common-mode feedback topology for multi-frequency bioimpedance imaging (2009)

One of the key limitations in medical impedance imaging and bio-impedance measurements is common-mode errors. We present an integrated common-mode feedback topology which reduces these errors for use in a bio-imaging system for in-vivo monitoring of neonate lung function (10-200 kHz current injection frequency). A frequency-selective feedback network is described which reduces the common-mode voltage due to electrode impedance mismatch at the input of the differential amplifier. The theory and key design blocks are presented. The circuit was implemented in a 5-V 0.35-mum CMOS technology, occupying an area of 0.75 mm <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sup> and dissipating about 20 mW. Experiments were conducted using, an RC model of the electrodes, and ECG electrodes on the forearm to demonstrate the working of the integrated circuit. Measured results show that the common-mode signal is reduced by 85%, 75%, 70% and 65% at 10 kHz, 50 kHz, 100 kHz and 200 kHz, respectively.
Wildland–urban interface (WUI) fire modelling using PHOENIX Rapidfire: A case study in Cavaillon, France (2013)

In parts of the world with Mediterranean type climates, periodic wildfires are part of natural processes. Where such fires impinge on populated areas, there is the potential for significant losses of lives and property. The interface between vegetated areas and human settlements is described as the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) and is typically where most wildfire losses occur. The threat of fire is becoming an important issue due to increasing populations and the potential for increased fire frequency with climate change. Understanding how wildfires behave in and adjacent to the WUI is important, as it can enable appropriate fire preparedness and response actions to be taken. Dynamic fire spread simulators are widely used to characterise large-scale fires to provide rapid predictions of potential fire spread and impacts, however these scales are generally much greater than those of interest in the WUI. There are currently few options for rapidly characterising fire in the WUI.
Neaumycin: A New Macrolide from <i>Streptomyces</i> sp. NEAU-x211 (2012)

Neaumycin, a new 30-membered macrolide featuring an internal diester bridge, a molecular architecture that is unprecedented among known macrolide natural products, was isolated from a soil actinomycete strain Streptomyces sp. NEAU-x211. The structure of neaumycin was elucidated on the basis of comprehensive mass and NMR spectroscopic interpretation, including the relative stereochemistry of four independent coupling systems.
Phenotypic Characterization and Regulation of the<i>nolA</i>gene of<i>Bradyrhizobium japonicum</i> (1996)

Two Bradyrhizobium japonicum nolA mutants were constructed and used to test the functional role of NolA in nodulation. Contrary to the previous hypothesis that NolA acts as a repressor of nod gene transcription, the expression of a nodD1-lacZ or nodY-lacZ fusion in the nolA mutant strains was similar to that found in the wild type. However, NolA does appear to act as a transcriptional regulatory protein since it is required for its own expression, as well as that of nodD2. Expression of NodD2 from a constitutive promoter led to a significant reduction in nodC-lacZ activity. Therefore, the repression of nod gene expression by NolA is likely an indirect effect, perhaps mediated by other genes (e.g., nodD2) that are regulated by NolA. When inoculated onto soybean roots, the nolA mutant strains showed only a slight delay in nodulation as compared to the wild type. However, the mutant strains were grossly defective in nodulation and nitrogen fixation on cowpea plants. Microscopic examination of soybean nodules induced by the nolA mutant strains showed developmental and morphological characteristics similar to nodules formed by the wild type with only a slight delay in bacteroid maturation. In contrast, cowpea nodules induced by the nolA mutant strains contained fewer infected cells and bacteroids were not found in a typical symbiosome structure. These results indicate that NolA is a transcriptional activator required for the expression of genes that play a role not only in the early stages of infection, but also during the later stages of bacteroid development and maintenance.
[The morphogenic characteristics of human transitional-cell bladder tumors in Ukraine after the accident at the Chernobyl Atomic Electric Power Station]. (1998)

A study made into the morphogenesis of transitional cell tumors of human urinary bladder in 226 patients before the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant breakdown (I period of investigation) and 608 patients and majority of whom have been living in those regions of Ukraine affected by contamination with radionuclides as a result of the Chernobyl accident (II period of investigation) revealed decline in the prevalence of transitional cell papillomas, younger age of patients, greater incidence of invasive varieties of moderately differentiated, poorly differentiated (high-grade) transitional cell carcinoma, an unusual frequency of transitional cell carcinoma presenting with foci of multilayer planocellular metaplasia, lymphoidocellular infiltration, recurrent inflammation, foci of necrosis and hemorrhages.
A Hyperpolarizable <sup>1</sup>H Magnetic Resonance Probe for Signal Detection 15 Minutes after Spin Polarization Storage (2016)

Abstract Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are two extremely important techniques with applications ranging from molecular structure determination to human imaging. However, in many cases the applicability of NMR and MRI are limited by inherently poor sensitivity and insufficient nuclear spin lifetime. Here we demonstrate a cost‐efficient and fast technique that tackles both issues simultaneously. We use the signal amplification by reversible exchange (SABRE) technique to hyperpolarize the target 1 H nuclei and store this polarization in long‐lived singlet (LLS) form after suitable radiofrequency (rf) pulses. Compared to the normal scenario, we achieve three orders of signal enhancement and one order of lifetime extension, leading to 1 H NMR signal detection 15 minutes after the creation of the detected states. The creation of such hyperpolarized long‐lived polarization reflects an important step forward in the pipeline to see such agents used as clinical probes of disease.
E4F1 deficiency results in oxidative stress–mediated cell death of leukemic cells (2011)

The multifunctional E4F1 protein was originally discovered as a target of the E1A viral oncoprotein. Growing evidence indicates that E4F1 is involved in key signaling pathways commonly deregulated during cell transformation. In this study, we investigate the influence of E4F1 on tumorigenesis. Wild-type mice injected with fetal liver cells from mice lacking CDKN2A, the gene encoding Ink4a/Arf, developed histiocytic sarcomas (HSs), a tumor originating from the monocytic/macrophagic lineage. Cre-mediated deletion of E4F1 resulted in the death of HS cells and tumor regression in vivo and extended the lifespan of recipient animals. In murine and human HS cell lines, E4F1 inactivation resulted in mitochondrial defects and increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that triggered massive cell death. Notably, these defects of E4F1 depletion were observed in HS cells but not healthy primary macrophages. Short hairpin RNA-mediated depletion of E4F1 induced mitochondrial defects and ROS-mediated death in several human myeloid leukemia cell lines. E4F1 protein is overexpressed in a large subset of human acute myeloid leukemia samples. Together, these data reveal a role for E4F1 in the survival of myeloid leukemic cells and support the notion that targeting E4F1 activities might have therapeutic interest.
Data-Efficient Quickest Change Detection in Minimax Settings (2012)

The classical problem of quickest change detection is studied with an additional constraint on the cost of observations used in the detection process. The change point is modeled as an unknown constant, and minimax formulations are proposed for the problem. The objective in these formulations is to find a stopping time and an on-off observation control policy for the observation sequence, to minimize a version of the worst possible average delay, subject to constraints on the false alarm rate and the fraction of time observations are taken before change. An algorithm called DE-CuSum is proposed and is shown to be asymptotically optimal for the proposed formulations, as the false alarm rate goes to zero. Numerical results are used to show that the DE-CuSum algorithm has good trade-off curves and performs significantly better than the approach of fractional sampling, in which the observations are skipped using the outcome of a sequence of coin tosses, independent of the observation process. This work is guided by the insights gained from an earlier study of a Bayesian version of this problem.
An intelligent approach for optimizing supply chain operations (2015)

Companies are striving to gain an appropriate percentage of the market share in today's competitive industrial environment, as they understand that the key of success in the competitive market is to generate substantial profit by operating the company in the lowest possible costs. Logistic costs is one of the largest part of the total costs which is difficult to identify it, and many organizations are surprised by their scale and start to look for savings from logistic costs (1). Deloitte and Touche (1999) indicated that 98 percent of respondents agreed that logistics and supply chain management is either critical or very important to their company. Moreover, reducing operating costs has become the initial incentive for companies to examine their logistics and supply chain management strategies (2). More and more companies are forming close relationships with their suppliers through strategic alliance and integration to ensure best quality of the sources and lower costs. Strategic alliance and integration with suppliers are considered as a win-win situation for the joint parties and can bring mutual benefits and open relationships wherein the needs of both parties are satisfied (3). This paper aims to discuss the framework of supply chain management, embracing the principle of fuzzy logic to analyze and monitor the performance of suppliers based on the criteria of product quality and delivery time. By indicating the possible issues with the relevant suppliers prior to final confirmation, the proposed system is used to recommend the purchasing quantity to be placed in the next purchase order.
Surgery in the management of mediastinal carcinoid. (1994)

Primary carcinoid tumors of the mediastinum were described for the first time in 1972 as thymic carcinoids. Our experience with 16 patients who underwent diagnostic and surgical procedures at the Mayo Clinic is presented. All of these patients had mediastinal carcinoid. The surgical procedures included node biopsy, anterior mediastinotomy (Chamberlain), median sternotomy and posterior lateral thoracotomy. Complete resection was possible in 9 (56.3%) patients, 3 (18.7%) had partial removal (debulking), and 4 (25%) had diagnostic biopsies only. The operative morbidity was 25%. There were no postoperative deaths. In resectable patients, the average disease free interval was 45.7 months. Five year and ten year survival was 47% and 22%, respectively. Local or distant metastatic spread developed in all patients (100%). Mediastinal carcinoids are a separate entity from other thymic and mediastinal neoplasms. (We suggest that) Surgical excision may be possible earlier in the disease and radiation and chemotherapy are of doubtful value.
A Review of Glass-Ionomer Cements for Clinical Dentistry (2016)

This article is an updated review of the published literature on glass-ionomer cements and covers their structure, properties and clinical uses within dentistry, with an emphasis on findings from the last five years or so. Glass-ionomers are shown to set by an acid-base reaction within 2-3 min and to form hard, reasonably strong materials with acceptable appearance. They release fluoride and are bioactive, so that they gradually develop a strong, durable interfacial ion-exchange layer at the interface with the tooth, which is responsible for their adhesion. Modified forms of glass-ionomers, namely resin-modified glass-ionomers and glass carbomer, are also described and their properties and applications covered. Physical properties of the resin-modified glass-ionomers are shown to be good, and comparable with those of conventional glass-ionomers, but biocompatibility is somewhat compromised by the presence of the resin component, 2 hydroxyethyl methacrylate. Properties of glass carbomer appear to be slightly inferior to those of the best modern conventional glass-ionomers, and there is not yet sufficient information to determine how their bioactivity compares, although they have been formulated to enhance this particular feature.
Design for testability method for CML digital circuits (1999)

This paper presents a new Design for Testability (DFT) technique for Current-Mode Logic (CML) circuits. This new technique, with little overhead, using built-in detectors, monitors all gate output swings and flags all abnormal voltage excursions. These detectors cover classes of faults that cannot be tested by stuck-at testing methods only. Circuit simulations have shown that abnormal gate output excursions caused by the presence of a defect are common with CML. We also show that this technique works well below "at-speed" frequencies. Finally, variants of the built-in detectors with reduced area overhead are proposed.
High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol and Cause-Specific Mortality in Individuals Without Previous Cardiovascular Conditions (2016)

Complex associations exist between HDL-C levels and sociodemographic, lifestyle, comorbidity factors, and mortality. HDL-C level is unlikely to represent a CV-specific risk factor given similarities in its associations with non-CV outcomes.
ACTIVATION OF ERK2 BY RESPIRATORY SYNCYTIAL VIRUS IN A549 CELLS IS LINKED TO THE PRODUCTION OF INTERLEUKIN 8 (2000)

The airway inflammation that results from respiratory syncytial virus infection is associated with a marked increase in interleukin 8 and neutrophils in the infected sites of the lung. In this study, the relationship between production of interleukin 8, infection of A549 cells by the virus, and activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) was investigated. Infection of A549 cells by the virus caused an increase on the activity of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 2 (ERK2) by about 10-fold compared with the noninfected cells. The increase in the activity of ERK2 during the viral infection was an immediate event and occurred prior to the viral replication process. PD98059, which blocks the activation of MAPK/ERK kinase 1 (MEK1), inhibited the increase in the activity of ERK2 by infection of respiratory syncytial virus by about 50% at 10 microM. Pretreatment of A549 cells with PD98059 before the viral infection also inhibited the increase in the production of interleukin 8 by 50%, but had little effect on the mRNA level. The viral infection had no effect on the activities of p38 and c-jun N-terminal kinase (JNK). These observations suggest that activation of ERK2 by respiratory syncytial virus infection may be one of the mechanisms that result in the increase of the production of interleukin 8.
Active self-polarization of contractile cells in asymmetrically shaped domains (2007)

Mechanical forces generated by contractile cells allow the cells to sense their environment and to interact with other cells. By locally pulling on their environment, cells can sense and respond to mechanical features such as the local stress (or strain), the shape of a cellular domain, and the surrounding rigidity; at the same time, they also modify the mechanical state of the system. This creates a mechanical feedback loop that can result in self-polarization of cells. In this paper, we present a quantitative mechanical model that predicts the self-polarization of cells in spheroidally shaped domains, comprising contractile cells and an elastic matrix, that are embedded in a three-dimensional, cell-free gel. The theory is based on a generalization of the known results for passive inclusions in solids to include the effects of cell activity. We use the active cellular susceptibility tensor presented by Zemel [Phys. Rev. Lett. 97, 128103 (2006)] to calculate the polarization response and hence the elastic stress field developed by the cells in the cellular domain. The cell polarization is analyzed as a function of the shape and the elastic moduli of the cellular domain compared with the cell-free surrounding material. Consistent with experiment, our theory predicts the development of a stronger contractile force for cells in a gel that is surrounded by a large, cell-free material whose elastic modulus is stiffer than that of the gel that contains the cells. This provides a quantitative explanation of the differences in the development of cellular forces as observed in free and fixed gels. In the case of an asymmetrically shaped (spheroidal) domain of cells, we show that the anisotropic elastic field within the domain leads to a spontaneous self-polarization of the cells along the long axis of the domain.
Ferroelectric Behavior in Barium Zirconium Metaniobate (1960)

An unusual type of ferroelectric behavior has been observed in barium zirconium metaniobate, BaNb 1.5 Zr 0.25 O 5.25 . The orthorhombic, pseudotetragonal single crystal displays dielectric hysteresis only in its c direction, with normal dielectric properties in the a‐b plane. No evidence of a fist‐ or second‐order ferroelectric‐paraelectric transition has been observed up to 1400°C. The crystal melts incongruently at about 1525°C. A maximum in the dielectric constant occurs at 80°C. when measured at 10 3 c.p.s. but is not accompanied by any effect in the spontaneous polarization. The temperature of this k′ maximum has the frequency dependence of a dielectric relaxation process with an average activation energy of 0.2 e.v. These properties are consistent with the idea of a higher than second‐order ferroelectric‐paraelectric transition in this material. The dielectric behavior is explicable in terms of 180°“dipole aggregates” having a wide range of activation energies of reversal. There are suggestions in the technical literature of similar behavior in other materials.