gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Urinary measurement of transforming growth factor-beta and type IV collagen as new markers of renal injury: application in diabetic nephropathy. (1998)

Urinary samples were concentrated rapidly and efficiently and were used to develop several protein assays that may be of value in monitoring individuals with progressive renal disorders. Transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-11) and retinol binding protein (RBP) were measured with modification of commercially available methods used to assay serum specimens; type 3 collagen (T3C) was measured with a new immunonephelometric assay. The precision characteristics of these assays are comparable with those reported for microalbuminuria. The clinical utility of measuring a panel of these markers was demonstrated in urine samples from 16 control subjects and from 46 individuals with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) with various albumin excretion rates (AERs). TGF-beta1 and T3C were used as markers of cytokine expression and of the renal fibrogenic process, whereas RBP excretion served as a marker of tubular injury or dysfunction. Compared with controls, T3C excretion was significantly increased in 18 normoalbuminuric and further increased in 13 microalbuminuric (AER 20 < or = 200 microg/min) IDDM subjects. RBP excretion was increased in macroalbuminuric IDDM subjects (AER >200 microg/min, overt nephropathy). Significant correlations were also found between AER and RBP in all but macroalbuminuric individuals, whereas TGF-beta1 correlated with T3C excretion in controls and in normoalbuminuric diabetic subjects. Urinary RBP but not AER was an excellent predictor of diabetic nephropathy as defined by serum creatinine (P = 0.0001). This underscores the importance of an early tubulopathy in the subsequent development of glomerulopathy and overt nephropathy. The data suggest that longitudinal monitoring of a panel of urinary markers such as that used in the current study may better define their relevance in progressive glomerulosclerosis and may also provide greater insight into the mechanisms underlying such process.
Similarity between Euclidean and cosine angle distance for nearest neighbor queries (2004)

Understanding the relationship among different distance measures is helpful in choosing a proper one for a particular application. In this paper, we compare two commonly used distance measures in vector models, namely, Euclidean distance (EUD) and cosine angle distance (CAD), for nearest neighbor (NN) queries in high dimensional data spaces. Using theoretical analysis and experimental results, we show that the retrieval results based on EUD are similar to those based on CAD when dimension is high. We have applied CAD for content based image retrieval (CBIR). Retrieval results show that CAD works no worse than EUD, which is a commonly used distance measure for CBIR, while providing other advantages, such as naturally normalized distance.
Bone bonding behavior of MgOCaOSiO<sub>2</sub>P<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub>CaF<sub>2</sub> glass (mother glass of A · W‐glass‐ceramics) (1989)

In this study, it was found that a Ca-P layer and a Si layer were formed on the interface of the mother glass of apatite-wollastonite containing glass-ceramics (designated AW) and bone tissue. The dissolution of Si, Ca, and P from glass (MgO-CaO-SiO2-P2O5-CaF2) is necessary to form a chemical film (a Si layer and a Ca-P layer). The three kinds of glasses used were 1) a mirror surface of the mother glass (MgO 4.6, CaO 44.9, SiO2 34.2, P2O5 16.3, CaF 0.5 weight ratio) of AW (designated G-AW (mirror], 2) an abraded surface of G-AW (designated G-AW (#2000)), 3) a mirror surface SiO2 glass (designated G-Si, 100% SiO2). The glass plates (15 mm x 10 mm x 2 mm) were implanted into the metaphysis of tibia of mature male rabbits for 10 and 25 weeks. The failure load, when an implant detached from the bone or when the bone itself broke, was measured by a detaching test and the interface of glass/bone was observed by SEM-EPMA. Failure loads in G-Si, G-AW (mirror), and G-AW (#2000) 10 weeks after implantation were 0.18 +/- 0.24, 3.06 +/- 1.29, and 2.94 +/- 1.77 kg, respectively. Those in G-Si, G-AW (mirror), and G-AW (#2000) 25 weeks after implantation were 1.30 +/- 1.18, 3.88 +/- 1.06, and 3.55 +/- 1.51, respectively. The failure loads in G-Si vs. G-AW (mirror) and those in G-Si vs. G-AW (#2000) differed significantly (P less than 0.01). There were no significant differences in the failure load according to the surface roughness of G-AW. As shown by SEM-EPMA observation, a Si layer next to G was adjacent to a Ca-P layer next to the bone. The chemical film showed no increase in thickness as time passed. A Ca-P layer did not form on the interface of Si-G and bone.
Objective and Subjective Measures of MPEG Video Quality (1996)

Presents an in-depth analysis and discussion of the results from applying the ANSI T1.801.03-1996 objective video quality metrics to subjectively rated MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 video test scenes. The objective metrics presented in ANSI T1.801.03-1996 (American National Standard for Telecommunications - Digital Transport of One-Way Video Signals - Parameters for Objective Performance Assessment) were able to account for 90% of the subjective information that could be captured considering the level of measurement error present in the subjective and objective data sets. By contrast, peak signal to noise ratio (PSNR), a traditional objective metric, was only able to account for 21% of the subjective information.
Bone Morphogenetic Protein-4 Mediates Cardiac Hypertrophy, Apoptosis, and Fibrosis in Experimentally Pathological Cardiac Hypertrophy (2012)

Identifying the key factor mediating pathological cardiac hypertrophy is critically important for developing the strategy to protect against heart failure. Bone morphogenetic protein-4 (BMP4) is a mechanosensitive and proinflammatory gene. In this study, we investigated the role of BMP4 in cardiac hypertrophy, apoptosis, and fibrosis in experimentally pathological cardiac hypertrophy. The in vivo pathological cardiac hypertrophy models were induced by pressure-overload and angiotensin (Ang) II constant infusion in mice, and the in vitro model was induced by Ang II exposure to cultured cardiomyocytes. The expression of BMP4 increased in pressure overload, Ang II constant infusion-induced pathological cardiac hypertrophy, but not in swimming exercise-induced physiological cardiac hypertrophy in mice. BMP4 expression also increased in Ang II-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy in vitro. In turn, BMP4 induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, apoptosis, and cardiac fibrosis, and these pathological consequences were inhibited by the treatment with BMP4 inhibitors noggin and DMH1. Moreover, Ang II-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy was inhibited by BMP4 inhibitors. The underlying mechanism that BMP4-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and apoptosis was through increasing NADPH oxidase 4 expression and reactive oxygen species-dependent pathways. Lentivirus-mediated overexpression of BMP4 recapitulated hypertrophy and apoptosis in cultured cardiomyocytes. BMP4 inhibitor DMH1 inhibited pressure overload-induced cardiac hypertrophy in mice in vivo. The plasma BMP4 level of heart failure patients was increased compared with that of subjects without heart failure. In summary, we conclude that BMP4 is a mediator and novel therapeutic target for pathological cardiac hypertrophy.
Plasma endothelin concentrations in patients with pulmonary hypertension associated with congenital heart defects. Evidence for increased production of endothelin in pulmonary circulation. (1991)

Plasma ET-LI concentrations were elevated in patients with pulmonary hypertension; the elevation was due to the increased production of ET-LI in pulmonary circulation, indicating the possible involvement of endothelin in the pathophysiology of pulmonary hypertension.
Particle Size Measurement and Control in a Pilot Plant, Tall-form Spray Dryer (1989)

As part of an ongoing investigation into the improvement of process control for spray dryer systems, a pilot-plant, tall-form spray dryer with a two-fluid nozzle has been fully instrumented and commissioned to develop and assess a range of control strategies designed for industrial application. We argue that the internal condition of the spray in the dryer must be the prime variable to measure and control if the state of the dried product is to be closely maintained. To this end, a Malvern Instruments 2600D Particle Sizer was mounted across the 400 mm diameter of the dryer to measure the spray droplet size distribution. Experiments with the two-fluid nozzle, spraying either pure water or 2% by weight sodium nitrate solution, have shown that the volume-surface area mean diameter of the droplet cloud can be effectively controlled by manipulation of the atomizing air flowrate, both for setpoint changes and for feed flowrate load disturbances. However, investigation of performance of the two-fluid nozzle has established that the spray produced could not be radially homogeneous. For such a spray, the sampling volume of the particle size analyzer has been shown to be not representative of the spray as a whole. The volume-surface area mean diameter of the droplet may be over-estimated by 50% due to this bias. A method of correction has been proposed, suitable for incorporation into the online control scheme. The combination of sampling error correction and an online control schema should provide precise control of the true volume-surface area mean diameter in an industrial spray dryer.
A Continuous Skeletonization Method Based on Level Sets (2002)

A robust and efficient method in 2D and 3D for the calculation of skeletons for arbitrary objects is presented. The method is based on the calculation of the distance function with respect to the object boundary. This is combined, in a post processing step, with a new indicator to identify the skeleton, which coincides with the singularity set of the distance map. The indicator is defined as a suitable function of certain local momenta of this distance map and allows a robust and accurate computation of the distance from the skeleton set. This distance is then extended, again via the level set method, onto the whole space. Several applications in 2D and 3D are presented.
Test methodology for rain influence on automotive surround sensors (2016)

Automotive safety systems aim to provide maximum protection to vehicle occupants and vulnerable road users. These safety features rely on data from surround sensors such as radar, lidar and camera, which provide detailed information about the environment of the vehicle. A minor error in the measurements of these sensors can lead to major injuries or death. Hence, the reliability and accuracy of these sensor systems is mandatory. The performance of surround sensors depends on their local environment, because of the attenuation of the ambient atmosphere. Environmental influences such as rain additionally affects the accuracy of sensor systems. Therefore, these sensors must be tested under various weather conditions. This paper presents a new test methodology for rain influence on automotive surround sensors. Therefore, a rain simulator was designed and validated. The proposed test methodology was applied to radar, lidar and camera sensors in an experimental setup.
Exact Maximum <i>A Posteriori</i> Estimation for Binary Images (1989)

SUMMARY In this paper, for a degraded two-colour or binary scene, we show how the image with maximum a posteriori (MAP) probability, the MAP estimate, can be evaluated exactly using efficient variants of the Ford–Fulkerson algorithm for finding the maximum flow in a certain capacitated network. Availability of exact estimates allows an assessment of the performance of simulated annealing and of MAP estimation itself in this restricted setting. Unfortunately, the simple network flow algorithm does not extend in any obvious way to multicolour scenes. However, the results of experiments on two-colour images suggest that, in general, simulated annealing, according to practicable ‘temperature’ schedules, can produce poor approximations to the MAP estimate to which it converges.
New reduction pathways for <i>ctc</i>-[PtCl<sub>2</sub>(CH<sub>3</sub>CO<sub>2</sub>)<sub>2</sub>(NH<sub>3</sub>)(Am)] anticancer prodrugs (2010)

Reduction of anticancer prodrugs such as ctc-[PtCl(2)(CH(3)CO(2))(2)(NH(3))(Am)] can yield three products in addition to the expected cis-[PtCl(2)(NH(3))(Am)]. A possible explanation is that reduction proceeds by several pathways where in addition to the loss of two axial ligands, one axial (acetato) and one equatorial (chlorido) ligand, or two equatorial ligands are eliminated.
Induction of Sesquiterpene Cyclase and Suppression of Squalene Synthetase Activities in Plant Cell Cultures Treated with Fungal Elicitor (1988)

Addition of elicitor, cell wall fragments of the fungus Phytophthora parasitica, to tobacco cell suspension cultures (Nicotiana tabacum) resulted in the rapid synthesis and secretion of large amounts of antibiotic sesquiterpenoids. Pulse-labeling experiments with [(14)C]acetate and [(3)H] mevalonate demonstrated that the induction of sesquiterpenoid biosynthesis, maximal by 6 to 9 hours after elicitor addition to the cell cultures, was paralleled by a rapid and large decline in the incorporation rate of radioactivity into sterols. Consequently, sterol accumulation was also inhibited upon addition of elicitor to the cell cultures. Sesquiterpene cyclase activity was absent from control cell cultures but induced to a maximum within 10 hours of elicitor addition to the cell cultures. The cyclase activity remained elevated for an additional 30 hours before declining. In contrast, squalene synthetase activity was suppressed to less than 15% of that found in control cells within 7 hours of elicitor addition. Our results suggest that the channeling of isoprenoid intermediates, and especially farnesyl diphosphate, into sesquiterpenoids occurred by a coordinated increase in the sesquiterpene cyclase and a decrease in the squalene synthetase enzyme activities. A reexamination of the data pertaining to the transient induction of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase activity (EC 1.1.1.34) in elicitor-treated cells suggested that, while the reductase activity was necessary for sesquiterpenoid biosynthesis, it functioned more to maintain a sufficient level of intermediates between mevalonate and farnesyl diphosphate rather than as a rate limiting step controlling the synthesis rate of any one class of isoprenoids.
Equilibrium thermal transitions of collagen model peptides (2004)

The folding of collagen in vitro is very slow and presents difficulties in reaching equilibrium, a feature that may have implications for in vivo collagen function. Peptides serve as good model systems for examining equilibrium thermal transitions in the collagen triple helix. Investigations were carried out to ascertain whether a range of synthetic triple-helical peptides of varying sequences can reach equilibrium, and whether the triple helix to unfolded monomer transition approximates a two-state model. The thermal transitions for all peptides studied are fully reversible given sufficient time. Isothermal experiments were carried out to obtain relaxation times at different temperatures. The slowest relaxation times, on the order of 10-15 h, were observed at the beginning of transitions, and were shown to result from self-association limited by the low concentration of free monomers, rather than cis-trans isomerization. Although the fit of the CD equilibrium transition curves and the concentration dependence of T(m) values support a two-state model, the more rigorous comparison of the calorimetric enthalpy to the van't Hoff enthalpy indicates the two-state approximation is not ideal. Previous reports of melting curves of triple-helical host-guest peptides are shown to be a two-state kinetic transition, rather than an equilibrium transition.
Transfection of glutathione S-transferase (GST)-pi antisense complementary DNA increases the sensitivity of a colon cancer cell line to adriamycin, cisplatin, melphalan, and etoposide. (1996)

The goal of this study was to demonstrate that glutathione S-transferase (GST)-pi is directly involved in the intrinsic and acquired resistance of cancer cells to anticancer drugs. To this end, GST-pi antisense cDNA was transfected into the cultured human colon cancer cell line M7609, which expresses an innately high level of GST-pi and shows intrinsic drug resistance, and into an M7609 strain with acquired resistance to Adriamycin (ADR;i.e., M7609/ADR cells). The changes in the sensitivity of these transfectants to various anticancer drugs were investigated. The intracellular concentrations of GST-pi in M7609/anti-1 cells and M7609/anti-2 cells, two clones that were established by transfection of GST-pi antisense cDNA into M7609 cells, were decreased to approximately half of those detected in the parent cells (M7609) and in the control cells transfected with vector alone (M7609/pLJ). The sensitivities of the antisense transfectants in relation to ADR, cisplatin, melphalan, and etoposide were increased -3.3-fold, 2.3-fold, 2.2-fold, and 2.1-fold, respectively, compared with those of M7609 and M7609/pLJ. On the other hand, the sensitivities of the antisense transfectants to Taxol, vincristine, 5-fluorouracil, and mitomycin C were not significantly changed. Similarly, the transfection of antisense cDNA into M7609/ADR cells resulted in the reduction of intracellular GST-pi concentration (by about half) and an increased sensitivity to ADR (4.4-fold), but no increase in 5-fluorouracil sensitivity. Thus, GST-pi is considered to be a multidrug resistance factor that is responsible for both the intrinsic and acquired resistance of cancer cells to anticancer drugs such as ADR, cisplatin, melphalan, and etoposide.
Simple Sensors Used for Measuring Service Times and Counting Pedestrians (2011)

Sensors composed of light barriers and switching mats are used to continuously measure service times at security and border checkpoints in an airport setting. The service times in combination with the number of service checkpoints operating in parallel determine the passenger flow. Checkpoints are a major bottleneck at airports and hence determine the capacity of the whole airport system. The results show that at the considered locations both light barriers and switching mats after initial calibration are able to provide continuous information of acceptable accuracy on the distribution of service times. In addition, the technology can be used to inexpensively measure the flow of passengers with reasonable accuracy compared with other pedestrian counting technologies. As such it provides valuable input to the airport operations management.
Discovery of Novel 2-Aryl-4-benzoyl-imidazoles Targeting the Colchicines Binding Site in Tubulin As Potential Anticancer Agents (2010)

A series of 2-aryl-4-benzoyl-imidazoles (ABI) was synthesized as a result of structural modifications based on the previous set of 2-aryl-imidazole-4-carboxylic amide (AICA) derivatives and 4-substituted methoxylbenzoyl-aryl-thiazoles (SMART). The average IC(50) of the most active compound (5da) was 15.7 nM. ABI analogues have substantially improved aqueous solubility (48.9 μg/mL for 5ga vs 0.909 μg/mL for SMART-1, 0.137 μg/mL for paclitaxel, and 1.04 μg/mL for combretastatin A4). Mechanism of action studies indicate that the anticancer activity of ABI analogues is through inhibition of tubulin polymerization by interacting with the colchicine binding site. Unlike paclitaxel and colchicine, the ABI compounds were equally potent against multidrug resistant cancer cells and the sensitive parental melanoma cancer cells. In vivo results indicated that 5cb was more effective than DTIC in inhibiting melanoma xenograph tumor growth. Our results suggest that the novel ABI compounds may be developed to effectively treat drug-resistant tumors.
Live Oral Cholera Vaccine: Evaluation of the Clinical Effectiveness of Two Strains in Humans (1974)

El Tor Ogawa C14-S5 and EW-6, two live vaccine candidate strains, were given to volunteers in varying doses with and without bicarbonate. Vibrios were found in the stool of one of 32 men given the vaccine strain, and only three men developed a significant titer rise (fourfold or greater) at 2 weeks of vibriocidal or antitoxic antibody. Five men who had previously received 10(9) organisms of the C14-S5 strain were challenged subsequently with virulent Ogawa 395 Vibrio cholerae. The rate of clinical infection in these men was no different than in unvaccinated controls. It was demonstrated that the live oral cholera vaccines did not remain viable in the intestine long enough to act antigenically.
Sequestration of CD4-Associated Lck from the TCR Complex May Elicit T Cell Hyporesponsiveness in Nonobese Diabetic Mice (1998)

The Lck protein tyrosine kinase associates noncovalently with the cytoplasmic domain of CD4. Upon ligand engagement of the TCR, CD4-associated Lck is rapidly activated and recruited to the TCR complex. Coupling of this complex to an intracellular signaling pathway may result in T cell proliferation. Previously, we reported that thymocytes from nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice (> or = 6 wk of age) exhibit a proliferative hyporesponsiveness after TCR stimulation, which is associated with defective TCR-mediated signaling along the protein kinase C/Ras/mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway of T cell activation. Here, we investigated whether differential association of Lck with TCR or CD4 mediates the control of NOD thymocyte hyporesponsiveness. We demonstrate that less CD4-associated Lck is recruited to the TCR in activated NOD thymocytes than in control thymocytes. This CD4-mediated sequestration of Lck from the TCR correlates with the increased binding of CD4-associated Lck through its Src homology 2 domain to free TCRzeta and CD3gamma epsilon chains on the plasma membrane. Sequestration of Lck by CD4 does not occur in activated thymocytes from 3-wk-old NOD mice and is only apparent in thymocytes from NOD mice >5 to 6 wk of age. This diminished recruitment of CD4-associated Lck to the TCR is not mediated by an increase in the amount of CD8-associated Lck. Thus, impaired recruitment of CD4-associated Lck to the TCR complex may represent an early event that results in deficient coupling of the TCR complex to downstream signaling events and gives rise to NOD thymocyte hyporesponsiveness.
HEMOSTATIC EFFICACY OF TWO ADVANCED DRESSINGS IN AN AORTIC HEMORRHAGE MODEL IN SWINE (2004)

Departments: Abstracts of Papers to Be Presented at the Sixty-Third Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma Grand Wailea Resort & Spa, Maui, Hawaii September, 29-October 2, 2004: PDF Only
Mechanisms of enveloped virus entry into cells. (1990)

Enveloped animal viruses enter their host cells by a process of membrane fusion. This fusion can occur at the cell plasma membrane or within the endocytic vacuolar system, depending on the characteristics of the virus fusion protein. Examples of both pathways of viral entry are detailed in this review. Semliki Forest virus (SFV) is presented as a well-studied prototype of those viruses which use endocytic uptake in order to infect cells. Fusion of endocytosed SFV is specifically triggered by the acidic pH present within the endocytic pathway, which causes specific conformational changes in the SFV spike protein. While the overall features of endocytic uptake are similar for all viruses which use this pathway, the mechanism by which the viruses then cause fusion appears to differ significantly between them. The best understood fusion mechanism is that of influenza virus, for which sequences involved in pH-dependent fusion can be correlated with the crystallographic structure of the spike protein. In contrast to these pH-dependent virus systems, the entry of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) into cells occurs by a pH-independent fusion mechanism probably involving fusion at the plasma membrane. The data to date on HIV fusion, endocytosis and entry are summarized as an example of this pathway.