gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Reverberation Chamber low Frequency Field Uniformity Improvement with Conducting Pyramidal Structures (2012)

Reverberation chambers are commonly used in industry for measuring electromagnetic interference because they are cost-effective. We attempt to stir modes more evenly inside reverberation chambers by introducing passive field uniformity enhancement (PFUE) structures. These structures augment the existing rotating stirrers. Measured results for a 2.445 × 2.475 × 3.72 m reverberation chamber are presented. The results show that the inclusion of passive structures improves the field uniformity in the low 300 - 400 MHz band. The standard deviation of the electric field distribution in this band is improved by up to 0.93 dB. The PFUE structures also reduced the dynamic range, in the worst case, by 2 dB at high frequencies.
Vibration Therapy Accelerates Healing of Stage I Pressure Ulcers in Older Adult Patients (2010)

Based on these results, the use of the vibrator may facilitate the healing of Stage I PrUs.
Understanding The Mechanism of Bacillus subtilis Spore Germination (2013)

Members of Bacillus and Clostridium species sporulate under adverse conditions and the resultant spores can remain metabolically dormant and resistant for years. However, when conditions are favorable, primarily when specific nutrients become available, spores can resume vegetative growth via the process of germination. The overall goal of the work outlined in this thesis is to achieve a better understanding of the process of germination in bacterial spores, since spores are a major concern in food spoilage and food borne diseases as well as in bioterrorism due to Bacillus anthracis spores.\nThere are two types of germination: nutrient and non-nutrient germination. Specific nutrient germinants that trigger germination are recognized by germinant receptors (GRs), with different GRs having different nutrient germinant specificities and this interaction somehow causes the release of Ca-DPA from the spore core via SpoVA proteins. Spores can also be germinated by non-nutrient germinants by bypassing the GRs and causing spore cortex peptidoglycan hydrolysis leading to DPA release. Interestingly, there is tremendous heterogeneity in the germination of individual spores in populations, and the reasons for this heterogeneity have been unclear. In this study, spores of Bacillus species that germinated extremely poorly with saturating levels of nutrient and non-nutrient germinants, termed superdormant (SD) spores, were isolated from spore populations and the causes for superdormancy of these spores were determined. The results indicate that a low level of a specific GR or GRs is a major cause of spore superdormancy using nutrient germinants, while in case of non-nutrient germinants a spore coat defect seems to be the most likely cause.\nAnother goal of this thesis was to identify a protein that is involved in the coupling reaction between binding of nutrients germinants to the GRs and the release of DPA from the spore core via SpoVA proteins. Hence a genetic screen was performed to identify such genes encoding additional proteins essential for spore germination with nutrient germinants but this work did not identify any new protein. However, the fact that we identified a dominant negative mutation in gerD suggests that perhaps GerD is the signal integrator that we were looking for.
Effect of lipid composition and liposome size on toxicity and in vitro fungicidal activity of liposome-intercalated amphotericin B (1987)

Intercalation of amphotericin B into liposomes at a 10 mol% drug/lipid ratio decreased its cytotoxicity by 3- to 90-fold in cultured murine cells and reduced its lethality by 2- to 8-fold in a median lethal dose (LD50) test in mice when compared with the commercial deoxycholate-solubilized drug (LD50 = 2.3 mg/kg). The cytotoxicity and lethality of the liposomal preparations were a function of their lipid composition and diameter. There was no correlation between the reduction of toxicity in the tissue culture assay and the reduction of lethality in the LD50 test. The rank order of reduction of lethality was sterol-containing liposomes greater than solid liposomes greater than fluid liposomes. In general, small sterol-containing vesicles were less lethal than large vesicles of the same composition. Intercalation of amphotericin B in sterol or solid liposomes increased not only the LD50 but also the time to death. The organ distribution of amphotericin B 24 h after intravenous administration was similar whether the drug was given as the commercial deoxycholate preparation or in liposomes. Finally, there were no differences among any of the formulations in their fungicidal activity against Candida tropicalis and Saccharomyces cerevisiae in vitro. The lesser and slower lethality of the liposomal and detergent-solubilized drug suggests that the mechanism by which liposomes reduce the lethality of amphotericin B is by slowing its rate of transfer to a sensitive cellular target.
Crystal structure of a mirror-image L-RNA aptamer (Spiegelmer) in complex with the natural L-protein target CCL2 (2015)

We report the crystal structure of a 40 mer mirror-image RNA oligonucleotide completely built from nucleotides of the non-natural L-chirality in complex with the pro-inflammatory chemokine L-CLL2 (monocyte chemoattractant protein-1), a natural protein composed of regular L-amino acids. The L-oligonucleotide is an L-aptamer (a Spiegelmer) identified to bind L-CCL2 with high affinity, thereby neutralizing the chemokine's activity. CCL2 plays a key role in attracting and positioning monocytes; its overexpression in several inflammatory diseases makes CCL2 an interesting pharmacological target. The PEGylated form of the L-aptamer, NOX-E36 (emapticap pegol), already showed promising efficacy in clinical Phase II studies conducted in diabetic nephropathy patients. The structure of the L-oligonucleotide[Symbol: see text]L-protein complex was solved and refined to 2.05 Å. It unveils the L-aptamer's intramolecular contacts and permits a detailed analysis of its structure-function relationship. Furthermore, the analysis of the intermolecular drug-target interactions reveals insight into the selectivity of the L-aptamer for certain related chemokines.
Computer-Controlled Ozone Inhalation Exposure System (2008)

Accurate systems designed to expose laboratory animals to carefully controlled concentrations of gases and aerosols are an important tool in inhalation toxicology studies. These systems are necessary for determining the dose-response relationship of toxicants under a variety of exposure conditions. The objective of this project was to develop a system, employing feedback control, to expose small laboratory animals to precise concentrations of ozone. This system needed the capability of maintaining exposures at selected levels between 0.2 to 3.0 ppm over specified periods ranging between 1 and 8 h in order to evaluate health risks associated with ozone. The overall goals of this study were (1) to develop a system capable of automatically controlling the ozone exposure levels so the steady-state error remained less than 1% and (2) to optimize the system's response time. By employing a tuned control algorithm, gas monitors, data acquisition, and a custom computer software program, these two goals were realized.
Real-Time PCR Assays Targeting a Unique Chromosomal Sequence of Yersinia pestis (2005)

Our method clearly discriminates Y. pestis DNA from all other Yersinia species tested and from the closely related Y. pseudotuberculosis. These chromosomal assays are important both to verify the presence of Y. pestis based on a chromosomal target and to easily distinguish it from Y. pseudotuberculosis.
Estimation Formulas for the Specific Absorption Rate in Humans Exposed to Base-Station Antennas (2011)

The demonstration of compliance with guidelines for human exposure to base-station antennas can be a time consuming process or often results in overly conservative estimates. To alleviate this burden and reduce the overestimation, approximation formulas for the whole-body average specific absorption rate (SAR) and the peak spatial SAR of human bodies using readily available basic antenna parameters have been developed and validated in this study. The formulas can be used for adults standing in the radiating near field of base-station antennas operating between 300 MHz and 5 GHz, at distances larger than 200 mm. It is shown that the 95th-percentile absorption for the human population can be well approximated by the absorption mechanism and statistical data of weight, height, and body-mass index of the human population. The validation was performed numerically using three anatomical human models (Duke, Ella, and Thelonious) exposed to 12 generic base-station antennas in the frequency range 300 MHz to 5 GHz at six distances between 10 mm and 3 m. From the 432 evaluated configurations, the estimation formulas for adult models are proven to be conservative in predicting the SAR exposure values of the two adults, but as expected not of the child.
A novel approach to identify problematic call center conversations (2012)

Voice based call centers enable customers to query for information by speaking to agents in the call center. Most often these call conversations are recorded for analysis with the intent of trying to identify things that can help improve the performance of the call center to serve the customer better. Today the recorded conversations are analyzed by humans by listening to call conversations, which is both time consuming, fatigue prone and not accurate. Additionally, humans are able to analyze only a small percentage of the total calls because of economics. In this paper, we propose a visual method to identify problem calls quickly. The idea is to sieve through all the calls and identify problem calls, these calls can then be further analyzed by human. We first model call conversations as a directed graph and then identify a structure associated with a normal call. All call conversations that do not have the structure of a normal call are then classified as being abnormal. In this paper, we use the speaking rate feature to model call conversation because it makes it easy to spot potential problem calls. We have experimented on real call center conversations acquired from a call center and the results are encouraging.
Extreme Temperatures and Mortality: Assessing Effect Modification by Personal Characteristics and Specific Cause of Death in a Multi-City Case-Only Analysis (2006)

In this study we identified several subpopulations and mortality causes particularly susceptible to temperature extremes. This knowledge may contribute to establishing health programs that would better protect the vulnerable.
Rehabilitation Facilities within JHS Receive Medical Rehabilitation Research Network Grant from the National Institutes of Health (2002)

No abstract available.
Altered reactivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in the primary fibromyalgia syndrome. (1993)

The reactivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis was investigated in 10 female patients fulfilling the Yunus criteria for the primary fibromyalgia syndrome (PFS) and in 10 matched, healthy and sedentary controls. The 2 groups were subjected to a dexamethasone suppression (DXM) test, a corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) test and an insulin induced hypoglycemia (IH) test. In the DXM test there was no escape from suppression in patients or controls. The CRH and the IH tests showed a markedly enhanced, and statistically significant, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) release in patients with PFS versus controls, while the cortisol response in both groups was not different. Our data suggest that fibromyalgia is related to a neuroendocrine disorder characterized by hyperreactive pituitary ACTH release and a relative adrenal hyporesponsiveness. This HPA response pattern is unique and contrasts to the hypercortisolemic responses observed in affective disorders, e.g., depression, which like PFS, are often thought to be precipitated by chronic stress. Our findings seem to indicate a relative adrenal insufficiency in PFS, which might serve clinically as an explanation for the reduced aerobic capacity and impaired muscle performance these patients display.
Seed-mediated synthesis of NaY F<sub>4</sub>:Y b, Er<i>/</i>NaGdF<sub>4</sub>nanocrystals with improved upconversion fluorescence and MR relaxivity (2010)

10.1088/0957-4484/21/12/125602
IL-15R -IgG1-Fc Enhances IL-2 and IL-15 Anti-tumor Action through NK and CD8+ T Cells Proliferation and Activation (2010)

Natural killer (NK) cells-based immunotherapy is one of the most promising treatments for incurable malignant tumors. NK cells in combination with monoclonal antibodies to surface antigens of the tumor cell have been proved to be effective in a number of clinical trials. A limiting step in the development of successful cellular immunotherapy lies in developing an efficient and economic method to expand appropriate amount of NK cells and CD8(+) T cells. In this study, we constructed a humanized IL-15Ralpha-IgG1-Fc, which mimicked IL-15 trans-presentation. The feasibility of expanding populations of the human NK and CD8(+) T cells by IL-15Ralpha-IgG1-Fc complexes was tested. We then measured the cytotoxicity of expanded NK and CD8(+) T cells against tumor cell lines and primary tumor cells. When tested ex vivo, IL-2/IL-15Ralpha-IgG1-Fc complexes significantly enhanced NK and CD8(+) T cells expansion, isolated or non-isolated from PBMCs. The effect of IL-15Ralpha-IgG1-Fc was dependent on the presence of IL-2 or IL-15. IL-15Ralpha-IgG1-Fc complexes increased NK, CD8(+) T and NKT cells ratio in PBMC and BMMC after 14 days incubation. High level of granzyme B expression was observed in the supernatant of the complexes-treated NK cells. Expanded NK and CD8(+) T cell populations had cytotoxic function against the PC3, LNCaP, K562 and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patient primary B cell lymphoma. We concluded that IL-2/IL-15Ralpha-IgG1-Fc significantly enhanced NK, CD8(+) T and NKT cells expansion, which possess strong anti-tumor activity. These data support clinical testing IL-2/IL-15Ralpha-IgG1-Fc expanded NK cells in patients with prostate cancer and CLL.
Homogeneous luminescence immunoassay for total estrogens in urine. (1984)

We describe an homogeneous luminescence immunoassay for "total" estrogens in enzymically hydrolyzed urine from nonpregnant women. The antiserum, raised against estriol-16,17- dihemisuccinate conjugated to bovine serum albumin, specifically bound the C-19 steroids carrying the estrogen-characteristic phenolic group. 17 beta-Estradiol conjugated with aminobutylethyl isoluminol was used to monitor the immunological reaction; this conjugate was stable for at least two years. Because binding to the antiserum markedly enhances the light-producing efficiency of the tracer, no separation of bound and free antigen is necessary. Results (microgram/24 h) by this method (y) correlated well (r = 0.958) with those by a conventional fluorometric (x) method (y = 2. 51x - 2.83). The sensitivity (detection limit) is 4 micrograms/L and the precision compares well with that of commonly used RIA methods. The method appears suited to large numbers of samples, as in menstrual cycle monitoring.
Monte Carlo investigations of the effect of beam divergence on thick, segmented crystalline scintillators for radiotherapy imaging (2010)

The use of thick, segmented scintillators in electronic portal imagers offers the potential for significant improvement in x-ray detection efficiency compared to conventional phosphor screens. Such improvement substantially increases the detective quantum efficiency (DQE), leading to the possibility of achieving soft-tissue visualization at clinically practical (i.e. low) doses using megavoltage (MV) cone-beam computed tomography. While these DQE increases are greatest at zero spatial frequency, they are diminished at higher frequencies as a result of degradation of spatial resolution due to lateral spreading of secondary radiation within the scintillator--an effect that is more pronounced for thicker scintillators. The extent of this spreading is even more accentuated for radiation impinging the scintillator at oblique angles of incidence due to beam divergence. In this paper, Monte Carlo simulations of radiation transport, performed to investigate and quantify the effects of beam divergence on the imaging performance of MV imagers based on two promising scintillators (BGO and CsI:Tl), are reported. In these studies, 10-40 mm thick scintillators, incorporating low-density polymer, or high-density tungsten septal walls, were examined for incident angles corresponding to that encountered at locations up to approximately 15 cm from the central beam axis (for an imager located 130 cm from a radiotherapy x-ray source). The simulations demonstrate progressively more severe spatial resolution degradation (quantified in terms of the effect on the modulation transfer function) as a function of increasing angle of incidence (as well as of the scintillator thickness). Since the noise power behavior was found to be largely independent of the incident angle, the dependence of the DQE on the incident angle is therefore primarily determined by the spatial resolution. The observed DQE degradation suggests that 10 mm thick scintillators are not strongly affected by beam divergence for detector areas up to approximately 30x30 cm2. For thicker scintillators, the area that is relatively unaffected is significantly reduced, requiring a focused scintillator geometry in order to preserve spatial resolution, and thus DQE.
Agricultural systems management: Lao chicken larb (2017)

Larb (also known as laab or laap) is a light meat salad typically served with rice and lettuce cups and is considered one of the national dishes of Laos. It has variations in northern Thailand. The word larb is believed to have different origins, including the Lao word 'lab' meaning 'fortune' and the ancient northern Thai verb meaning to 'chop finely'.
SFQ control circuits for Josephson junction qubits (2003)

Devices of three types: magnetic pulse generators, read-out circuits, and digital circuits controlling them are needed to support scalable operation of quantum logic based on the Josephson junction qubits. The most natural framework for implementation of such a classical interface to quantum circuits is provided by the RSFQ technology . In this work, we argue, however, that specific qubit requirements can not be satisfied with the conventional RSFQ approach and describe the necessary modifications. We suggest a new structure of the pulse generator based on two long underdamped Josephson junctions which is characterized by the reduced power consumption and reduced output noise. We also show how to trade off power consumption and speed of the digital control circuits by using Josephson junctions with similar values of the shunt resistors but very different critical currents. Finally, we suggest a new read-out circuit which enables dynamic compensation of the backaction down to the level approaching fundamental quantum-mechanical limit.
Unraveling the role of structural water in bilayer V<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub> during Zn<sup>2+</sup>-intercalation: insights from DFT calculations (2019)

Structural water in bilayer V<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub>·<italic>n</italic>H<sub>2</sub>O could affect the Zn ions intercalation and rebuild a smooth electrostatic environment between V<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub> sheets for fast Zn ions diffusion.
Generalized consensus computation in networked systems with erasure links (2005)

We study consensus problems in networked systems with unreliable links. Our contributions are two-fold. First, we derive a family of decentralized consensus algorithms for minimizing a sum of convex functions, /spl Sigma//sub i=1//sup N/f/sub i/(x), where each function f/sub i/ only depends on information at one node in the network. Computing the consensus average is a special case in this setting. Then, we construct a modified algorithm which is resilient in situations where the channels between nodes act as binary erasure channels. The flexibility and efficacy of our approach is demonstrated through an application of robust estimation.
OFDM-Modulated Dynamic Coded Cooperation in Underwater Acoustic Channels (2014)

Dynamic coded cooperation (DCC) allows relay diversity without altering the transmission procedure from the source to the destination. In this paper, we propose a practical orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM)-modulated DCC scheme for underwater relay networks, where OFDM modulation accommodates multipath fading channels with large delay spread. Two cooperation strategies are studied, where the relay transmits either identical or different OFDM blocks as the source during the cooperation phase. The block-level synchronization between the OFDM blocks from the source and the relay is achieved by a delay control mechanism at the relay, by knowing the distances among the source, relay, and destination. Two OFDM-DCC design examples are presented, one based on nonbinary rate-compatible low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes applied across multiple OFDM blocks, and the other using layered interblock erasure correction and intrablock error-correction coding. In addition to simulation studies, one particular design has been implemented on practical OFDM modems, and tested in a swimming pool and in a recent sea experiment. The proposed OFDM-DCC scheme is particularly appealing to underwater acoustic (UWA) networks where a relay node with abundant resources (e.g., a surface buoy) can enhance communications among underwater nodes without changing their transmission procedure.
Picosecond all-optical switching of magnetic tunnel junctions (2016)

Control of magnetism without using magnetic fields enables large-scale integration of spintronic devices for memory, computation and communication in the beyond-CMOS era. Mechanisms including spin torque transfer, spin Hall effect, and electric field or strain assisted switching have been implemented to switch magnetization in various spintronic devices. Their operation speed, however, is fundamentally limited by the spin precession time to be longer than 10-100 picoseconds. Overcoming such a speed constraint is critical for the prospective development of spintronics. Here we report the demonstration of picosecond all-optical switching of a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ)- the building block of spintronic logic and memory -only using single telecom-band, infrared laser pulses. This first optically switchable MTJ uses ferrimagnetic GdFeCo as the free layer, and its switching is directly readout by measuring its tunneling magnetoresistance with a DR/R ratio of 0.6%. An instrument limited switching repetition rate at MHz has been demonstrated, but the fundamental limit should be higher than tens of GHz. This result represents an important step toward integrated opto-spintronic devices that combines spintronics and photonics technologies to enable ultrafast conversion between fundamental information carriers of electron spins and photons.
Post Harvest Biological Control of Citrus Fruit Rot (1993)

Bacillus sphericus and Candida sp. were tested for their ability to reduce disease development in citrus fruits after challenge with post-harvest pathogens Alternaria citri and Penicillium italicum . Lesion diameter and frequency of Alternaria rot were significantly less in fruits pre-treated with aqueous suspension of both the antagonists as compared with controls pre-treated with water. Lesion development was related to pathogen spore concentration and the concentration of antagonists. The control of disease was proportional to the time allowed to the fruit for its submersion in the antagonistic suspension.