gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Cold-Induced Acral Vasospasm in Migraine as Assessed by Nailfold Video-Microscopy: Prevalence and Response to Migraine Prophylaxis (1997)

In order to learn the prevalence of cold-induced vasospasm in migraine patients, blood cell velocity measurements of finger nailfold capillaries were performed in 58 consecutive patients suffering from migraine with and without aura. In 5 (8.6%) patients capillaroscopy could not be performed because of reduced nailfold transparency; 21 of the remaining 53 patients (39.6%) showed blood flow stop due to vasospasm under cold provocation. There was no significant difference (P = 0.69) in the occurrence of vasospastic reaction between migraine with (12 of 32 patients = 37.5%) and without (9 of 21 patients = 42.9%) aura. The clinical and capillaroscopic course under migraine prophylaxis was observed in 18 vasospastic patients. After sixteen weeks 14 patients showed good clinical improvement of their migraine. The vasospastic reaction persisted in only 1 patient. This patient and 3 others with abolished vasospasm were still suffering from migraine. These findings suggest that observing blood cell velocity noninvasively in nailfold capillaries under cold provocation could be useful for objectively monitoring the response to prophylactic treatment in migraine patients or for testing new potentially antimigraine drugs.
Application of Amine-Tethered Solid Sorbents for Direct CO<sub>2</sub> Capture from the Ambient Air (2011)

While current carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) technologies for large point sources can help address the impact of CO(2) buildup on global climate change, these technologies can at best slow the rate of increase of the atmospheric CO(2) concentration. In contrast, the direct CO(2) capture from ambient air offers the potential to be a truly carbon negative technology. We propose here that amine-based solid adsorbents have significant promise as key components of a hypothetical air capture process. Specifically, the CO(2) capture characteristics of hyperbranched aminosilica (HAS) materials are evaluated here using CO(2) mixtures that simulate ambient atmospheric concentrations (400 ppm CO(2) = "air capture") as well as more traditional conditions simulating flue gas (10% CO(2)). The air capture experiments demonstrate that the adsorption capacity of HAS adsorbents are only marginally influenced even with a significant dilution of the CO(2) concentration by a factor of 250, while capturing CO(2) reversibly without significant degradation of performance in multicyclic operation. These results suggest that solid amine-based air capture processes have the potential to be an effective approach to extracting CO(2) from the ambient air.
Identification of an Interleukin 17F/17A Heterodimer in Activated Human CD4+ T Cells (2007)

IL-17F and IL-17A are members of the IL-17 pro-inflammatory cytokine family. IL-17A has been implicated in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. IL-17F is a disulfide-linked dimer that contains a cysteine-knot motif. We hypothesized that IL-17F and IL-17A could form a heterodimer due to their sequence homology and overlapping pattern of expression. We evaluated the structure of recombinant IL-17F and IL-17A proteins, as well as that of natural IL-17F and IL-17A derived from activated human CD4+ T cells, by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, immunoprecipitation followed by Western blotting, and mass spectrometry. We find that both IL-17F and IL-17A can form both homodimeric and heterodimeric proteins when expressed in a recombinant system, and that all forms of the recombinant proteins have in vitro functional activity. Furthermore, we find that in addition to the homodimers of IL-17F and IL-17A, activated human CD4+ T cells also produce the IL-17F/IL-17A heterodimer. These data suggest that the IL-17F/IL-17A heterodimer may contribute to the T cell-mediated immune responses.
Effect of nanoparticles on critical heat flux of water in pool boiling heat transfer (2003)

The present study is to enhance the critical heat flux (CHF) in pool boiling from a flat square heater immersed in nanofluid (water mixed with extremely small amount of nanosized particles). The test results show that the enhancement of CHF was drastic when nanofluid is used as a cooling liquid instead of pure water. The experiment was performed to measure and compare pool boiling curves of pure water and nanofluid at the pressure of 2.89 psia (Tsat=60 °C) using 1×1 cm2 polished copper surfaces as a boiling surface. The tested nanofluid contains alumina (Al2O3) nanoparticles dispersed in distilled and deionized water. Tested concentrations of nanoparticles range from 0 g/l to 0.05 g/l. The measured pool boiling curves of nanofluids saturated at 60 °C have demonstrated that the CHF increases dramatically (∼200% increase) compared to pure water case; however, the nucleate boiling heat transfer coefficients appear to be about the same.
Extensive Mutagenesis of the Hepatitis B Virus Core Gene and Mapping of Mutations That Allow Capsid Formation (1999)

We generated a large number of mutations in the hepatitis B virus (HBV) core gene inserted into a bacterial expression vector. The new mutagenesis procedure generated deletions and insertions (as sequence repeats) of various lengths at random positions between M1 and E145 but not substitutions. The R-rich 30-amino-acid C-terminal domain was not analyzed. A total of 50,000 colonies were tested with a polyclonal human serum for the expression of hepatitis B core or e antigen. A total of 110 mutants randomly chosen from 1,500 positive colonies were genotyped. Deletions and insertions were clustered in four regions: D2 to E14, corresponding to the N-terminal loop in a model for the core protein fold (B. Bottcher, S. A. Wynne, and R. A. Crowther, Nature 386:88-91, 1997); V27 to P50 (second loop); L60 to V86 (upper half of the alpha helix forming the N-terminal part of the spike and the tip of the spike); and V124 to L140 (C-terminal part of the C-terminal helix and downstream loop). Deletions or insertions in the remaining parts of the molecule forming the compact center of the fold seemed to destabilize the protein. Of the 110 mutations, 38 allowed capsid formation in Escherichia coli. They mapped exclusively to nonhelical regions of the proposed fold. The mutations form a basis for subsequent analysis of further functions of the HBV core protein in the viral life cycle.
Expression of IL‐15RA or an IL‐15/IL‐15RA fusion on CD8<sup>+</sup> T cells modifies adoptively transferred T‐cell function in <i>cis</i> (2009)

IL-15 and IL-15 receptor alpha (IL-15RA) play a significant role in multiple aspects of T-cell biology. However, given the evidence that IL-15RA can present IL-15 in trans, the functional capacity of IL-15RA expressed on CD8(+) T cells to modify IL-15 functions in cis is currently unclear. In the current study, we explore the functional consequences of IL-15RA, expression on T cells using a novel method to transfect naive CD8(+) T cells. We observed that RNA nucleofection led to highly efficient, non-toxic, and rapid manipulation of protein expression levels in unstimulated CD8(+) T cells. We found that transfection of unstimulated CD8(+) T cells with IL-15RA RNA led to enhanced viability of CD8(+) T cells in response to IL-15. Transfection with IL-15RA enhanced IL-15-mediated phosphorylation of STAT5 and also promoted IL-15-mediated proliferation in vivo of adoptively transferred naïve CD8(+) T cells. We demonstrated that IL-15RA can present IL-15 via cis-presentation on CD8(+) T cells. Finally, we showed that transfection with a chimeric construct linking IL-15 to IL-15RA cell autonomously enhances the viability and proliferation of primary CD8(+) T cells and cytotoxic potential of antigen-specific CD8(+) T cells. The clinical implications of the current study are discussed.
Prostatism (1979)

One hundred and seven consecutive patients referred with symptoms of bladder outlet obstruction were studied using cystometry and combined pressure-flow-electromyographic investigation. The symptoms of infravesical obstruction were not statistically significantly correlated to the hydrodynamic documentation of increased bladder outlet resistance as judged by maximum flow rate and the calculated urethral resistance. Irritative symptoms such as frequency, nocturia, urgency and urgeincontinence were statistically significantly correlated to the presence of detrusor hyperreflexia. The functional disorder bladder neck dyssynergia was encounterd in 5% of the patients (95% confidence limits 1-10%). This diagnosis cannot be made by conventional urological investigations. It is concluded that objective demonstration of infravesical obstruction is mandatory in the selection of patients with symptoms of lower urinary tract dysfunction for surgery on the prostate or the bladder neck.
Relative dosimetry using active matrix flat-panel imager (AMFPI) technology (1999)

The first examination of the use of active matrix flat-panel arrays for dosimetry in radiotherapy is reported. Such arrays are under widespread development for diagnostic and radiotherapy imaging. In the current study, an array consisting of 512 x 512 pixels with a pixel pitch of 508 microm giving an area of 26 x 26 cm2 has been used. Each pixel consists of a light sensitive amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) photodiode coupled to an a-Si:H thin-film transistor. Data was obtained from the array using a dedicated electronics system allowing real-time data acquisition. In order to examine the potential of such arrays as quality assurance devices for radiotherapy beams, field profile data at photon energies of 6 and 15 MV were obtained as a function of field size and thickness of overlying absorbing material (solid water). Two detection configurations using the array were considered: a configuration (similar to the imaging configuration) in which an overlying phosphor screen is used to convert incident radiation to visible light photons which are detected by the photodiodes; and a configuration without the screen where radiation is directly sensed by the photodiodes. Compared to relative dosimetry data obtained with an ion chamber, data taken using the former configuration exhibited significant differences whereas data obtained using the latter configuration was generally found to be in close agreement. Basic signal properties, which are pertinent to dosimetry, have been investigated through measurements of individual pixel response for fluoroscopic and radiographic array operation. For signal levels acquired within the first 25% of pixel charge capacity, the degree of linear response with dose was found to be better than 99%. The independence of signal on dose rate was demonstrated by means of stability of pixel response over the range of dose rates allowed by the radiation source (80-400 MU/min). Finally, excellent long-term stability in pixel response, extending over a 2 month period, was observed.
Altered subthalamo-pallidal synchronisation in parkinsonian dyskinesias (2005)

The aim of this work was to study the role of subthalamo-pallidal synchronisation in the pathophysiology of dyskinesias. We recorded local field potentials (LFPs) in a patient with Parkinson's disease and left surgery induced dyskinesias with double, bilateral deep brain stimulation electrode implants in the subthalamic nucleus (STN) and the globus pallidus internus (GPi). Synchronisation was studied through coherence analysis. In the nuclei contralateral to the dyskinetic side of the body there was decreased STN-GPi coherence in the high beta range (20-30 Hz) and an enhanced coherence at low frequencies (<10 Hz). Despite the possible limitations arising from single-case observations, our findings suggest that parkinsonian dyskinesias are related to altered synchronisation between different structures of the basal ganglia. Firing abnormalities within individual basal ganglia nuclei are probably not enough to account for the complex balance between hypokinetic and hyperkinetic symptoms in human parkinsonian dyskinesias and altered interactions between nuclei should also be considered.
The use of smart tokens to permit the secure, remote access of electronic health records (2006)

A model is described whereby Electronic Health Records (EHRs) stored on a remote central server can be accessed from doctor's surgeries in regional Australia. The centrepiece of the model is a smart token on which reside unique identifiers, which facilitate secure, remote, transportable access by consulting physicians of patient clinical data, at the discretion of the patient.
The use of animal models to investigate the pathogenesis of neuroinflammatory disorders of the central nervous system (2003)

Purpose of review A major hurdle in the research of neuroinflammatory disorders of the central nervous system is the inaccessibility of the organ. Thus investigation is limited to end-stage disease and systemic changes that occur during disease progression, neither of which may reflect the pathological process in the central nervous system. These factors may explain the lack of effective therapies in multiple sclerosis, a common chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system. To overcome such limitations approaches using more relevant animal models have been developed to study pathological mechanisms as well as the design of rational therapeutic strategies. This review describes the animal models used to study pathological processes leading to inflammation within the central nervous system that may be operating in multiple sclerosis and the use of these models in the design of more rational therapeutic strategies. Recent findings The clinical heterogeneity of multiple sclerosis as well as the finding of different pathological patterns suggests that multiple sclerosis may be a spectrum of diseases that may represent different pathological processes. This and the renewed interest in the extent of axonal damage has led to the development of more relevant animal models, such as those in nonhuman primates, that both reflect the spectrum of multiple sclerosis and allow the development of species-specific therapeutic approaches. Summary While many animal models are available, the use of relevant animal models that mimic either the different forms of multiple sclerosis or the spectrum of multiple sclerosis is critical to examine those factors, for example genes or proteins, that are of pathogenic relevance and can be used as targets for therapy.
Diagnosis of late onset neonatal sepsis with cytokines, adhesion molecule, and C-reactive protein in preterm very low birthweight infants (1997)

Optimal cutoff values for these markers in detecting late onset systemic infection in very low birthweight infants have been defined. Withholding antibiotic treatment at the onset of infection could be fatal and is not recommended, but the concomitant use of IL-6 and C-reactive protein or TNF alpha should allow antimicrobial treatment to be discontinued at 48 hours without waiting for microbiological results, provided that the infants are in good clinical condition.
High-speed double-precision computation of reciprocal, division, square root, and inverse square root (2002)

A new method for the high-speed computation of double-precision floating-point reciprocal, division, square root, and inverse square root operations is presented in this paper. This method employs a second-degree minimax polynomial approximation to obtain an accurate initial estimate of the reciprocal and the inverse square root values, and then performs a modified Goldschmidt iteration. The high accuracy of the initial approximation allows us to obtain double-precision results by computing a single Goldschmidt iteration, significantly reducing the latency of the algorithm. Two unfolded architectures are proposed: the first one computing only reciprocal and division operations, and the second one also including the computation of square root and inverse square root. The execution times and area costs for both architectures are estimated, and a comparison with other multiplicative-based methods is presented. The results of this comparison show the achievement of a lower latency than these methods, with similar hardware requirements.
Putative role of dietary trace elements in coronary heart disease and cancer. (1994)

Relatively little attention has been given to the role of dietary trace elements in oxidative processes or in the aetiologies of chronic disease processes. Iron and copper are pro-oxidants in vitro, but there is now compelling evidence that adequate body copper status is required to maintain antioxidant defences in vivo. Epidemiological evidence linking measures of high iron nutritional status with both coronary heart disease (CHD) and cancer is accumulating, although there are few mechanisms implicating iron in these disease processes apart from acting as a pro-oxidant. In contrast, low copper nutritional status may produce pro-oxidant effects and experimental evidence, especially from animal models of CHD, suggests that copper has an involvement in disease mechanisms which is much wider than simply an involvement in maintaining oxidant/antioxidant balance. Zinc is considered to have antioxidant effects in vivo but the role of zinc as an antioxidant, or in CHD and cancer processes, is presently unclear. Although selenium has for some time been recognised as an antioxidant nutrient, epidemiological data gathered to date linking this trace element with either CHD or cancer are inconsistent.
Speaker-aware long short-term memory multi-task learning for speech recognition (2016)

In order to address the commonly met issue of overfitting in speech recognition, this article investigates Multi-Task Learning, when the auxiliary task focuses on speaker classification. Overfitting occurs when the amount of training data is limited, leading to an over-sensible acoustic model. Multi-Task Learning is a method, among many other regularization methods, which decreases the overfitting impact by forcing the acoustic model to train jointly for multiple different, but related, tasks. In this paper, we consider speaker classification as an auxiliary task in order to improve the generalization abilities of the acoustic model, by training the model to recognize the speaker, or find the closest one inside the training set. We investigate this Multi-Task Learning setup on the TIMIT database, while the acoustic modeling is performed using a Recurrent Neural Network with Long Short-Term Memory cells.
Detection of dsRNA from Cleistothecia and Conidia of the Grape Powdery Mildew Pathogen,<i>Uncinula necator</i> (1991)

Double-stranded RNA species ranging in molecular weight from 0.95 to 6.3 × 106 were detected in grapevines in New York. We recently showed that two of the species (Mr = 5.3 and 4.4 × 106) are associated with rupestris stem pitting disease. In this report, we show that the other eight detectable dsRNA species are associated with the powdery mildew fungus, Uncinula necator. These dsRNAs associated with the powdery mildew fungus were previously detected in leaves and epidermal stem tissue of grapevines infected with powdery mildew. The same dsRNA species were also detected from extracts of isolated cleistothecia and conidia of U. necator devoid of plant tissue. Isometric and rigid rodlike particles were observed in single cleistothecia preparations when examined under transmission electron microscopy.
Human Mesenchymal Stem Cell Proliferation and Osteogenic Differentiation in Fibrin Gels <i>in Vitro</i> (2006)

This study analyzed human mesenchymal stem cell (hMSC) behavior in a fibrin sealant. hMSC morphology, proliferation, and osteogenic differentiation were analyzed after up to 28 days of incubation in eight different formulations of fibrin gels (Tisseel) prepared with various concentrations of fibrinogen complex (FC) and thrombin. Cell morphology and distribution within the gels were observed by fluorescence microscopy after cell staining with calcein dye. Cell proliferation was assessed by measuring the fluorescence intensity of the cell suspension stained with calcein dye after dissolution of the gels. A standard alkaline phosphatase (ALP) assay, von Kossa staining, and real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) were used to analyze hMSC osteogenic differentiation. Cell behavior varied depending on the gel formulation. Proliferation was higher in the formulations containing a low FC concentration, but ALP activity was higher in the formulations containing a high FC concentration. Variations in thrombin concentration had a lesser effect. Small nodules of mineralization were observed at days 21 and 28 in a formulation containing a high FC concentration, in addition to a marked increase in bone sialoprotein (BSP) gene expression level as well as a lower increase in ALP and osteopontin (OPN) levels. However, there was no significant increase in osteocalcin (OCN) expression, a late marker of osteogenic differentiation, up to day 28. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that hMSC morphology, proliferation, and osteogenic differentiation in fibrin gels depended on the FC/thrombin ratio. hMSCs appeared to undergo osteogenic differentiation when seeded in Tisseel fibrin sealant containing a high FC concentration, but they did not fully differentiate into mature osteoblasts.
Induction of apoptosis by tumor suppressor genes and oncogenes (1995)

The p53 tumor suppressor gene product, and the bcr-abl, bcl-2, and c-myc gene products all appear to influence the susceptibility of cells to apoptosis. In addition to the role p53 protein plays in mediating a cell cycle arrest in G1 following DNA damage, p53 also performs functions critical for removal of damaged cells by initiating apoptosis in certain physiological situations. Cells which express deregulated c-myc are sensitized to apoptosis following various growth suppressing stimuli and these observations have provided new insights into how apoptosis-suppressing genes such as mutant p53, bcl-2 and bcr-abl may cooperate during transformation and how they might influence the sensitivity of cells to radiation and chemotherapy.
Early postimplantation embryo lethality due to DNA rearrangements in a transgenic mouse strain. (1986)

Insertional mutagenesis in a transgenic mouse strain (HUGH/3) was caused by integration of plasmid DNA containing the human growth hormone gene and pBR322 plasmid sequences. From this study, which includes another instance of mutagenesis, and from other reports, it is apparent that insertional mutagenesis occurs fairly frequently during DNA integration in the mouse egg and that it is not specific for the exogenous DNA employed. The mutation in HUGH/3 is recessive and results in death of embryos homozygous for the donor sequences shortly after implantation, at the egg cylinder stage on days 4-5 of gestation. Restriction mapping of the insert and of the flanking DNA regions indicates that integration must have involved a series of complex events. Approximately five copies of plasmid sequences are arrayed in tandem but are interrupted at least twice by mouse cellular sequences. In addition, the mouse flanking DNA shows extensive rearrangements, probably including a deletion of at least 10 kilobases. The rearrangements may reflect an initially unstable DNA structure followed by attainment of a more stable conformation.