gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
A data-driven approach for real-time full body pose reconstruction from a depth camera (2011)

In recent years, depth cameras have become a widely available sensor type that captures depth images at real-time frame rates. Even though recent approaches have shown that 3D pose estimation from monocular 2.5D depth images has become feasible, there are still challenging problems due to strong noise in the depth data and self-occlusions in the motions being captured. In this paper, we present an efficient and robust pose estimation framework for tracking full-body motions from a single depth image stream. Following a data-driven hybrid strategy that combines local optimization with global retrieval techniques, we contribute several technical improvements that lead to speed-ups of an order of magnitude compared to previous approaches. In particular, we introduce a variant of Dijkstra's algorithm to efficiently extract pose features from the depth data and describe a novel late-fusion scheme based on an efficiently computable sparse Hausdorff distance to combine local and global pose estimates. Our experiments show that the combination of these techniques facilitates real-time tracking with stable results even for fast and complex motions, making it applicable to a wide range of inter-active scenarios.
AVALIAÇÃO DE PROJETOS SUSTENTÁVEIS: ESTUDO DE CASO DA SERRA DO MAR, BAIRRO COTA - MUNICÍPIO DE CUBATÃO – SP (2015)

Este artigo pretende evidenciar os fatores críticos de insucesso de um projeto de sustentabilidade de grande repercussão social, demonstrar suas causas e efeitos apontando soluções alternativas para projetos futuros pelo método de gestão de projetos Modelo Diamante. Trata-se de um estudo de caso sobre o Programa de Recuperação Socioambiental da Serra do Mar (PRSSM), que teve a remoção de 5.318 famílias que viviam em áreas de risco geológico-geotécnico ou constituíam riscos ambientais às áreas de preservação natural da Mata Atlântica para moradias em novos bairros projetados e construídos pela CDHU. A aplicação assertiva do Modelo Diamante pode avaliar as variáveis críticas do projeto tentando reconduzi-lo à consecução de seus objetivos, proporcionando os benefícios. Conclui-se que a detecção dos fatores críticos de insucesso de forma transparente e em tempo oportuno pode reconduzir o projeto para seu curso de sucesso na conclusão de seus objetivos, desde que o Plano de Resgate e suas ações correspondentes sejam seguidas de acordo com o que foi planejado.
Probing Protein Electrostatics with a Synthetic Fluorescent Amino Acid (2002)

Electrostatics affect virtually all aspects of protein structure and activity and are particularly important in proteins whose primary function is to stabilize charge. Here we introduce a fluorescent amino acid, Aladan, which can probe the electrostatic character of a protein at multiple sites. Aladan is exceptionally sensitive to the polarity of its surroundings and can be incorporated site-selectively at buried and exposed sites, in both soluble and membrane proteins. Steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence measurements of Aladan residues at different buried and exposed sites in the B1 domain of protein G suggest that its interior is polar and heterogeneous.
Peptidolytic monoclonal antibody elicited by a neuropeptide. (1992)

We report evidence that a monoclonal antibody raised by immunization with a vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP)-carrier protein conjugate selectively hydrolyzes VIP and a fluorescence quenched decapeptide (FQ14-22D), representing the region of VIP most susceptible to autoantibody-mediated cleavage (residues 14-22). A high affinity of the antibody for VIP and a lower affinity for FQ14-22D were revealed by kinetic studies and further substantiated by potent inhibition of FQ14-22D cleaving activity by full-length VIP. Sequencing of FQ14-22D hydrolysis products indicated selective cleavage at one peptide bond. These observations suggest that antibodies induced against naturally occurring polypeptide antigens can express peptidolytic activity targeted for specific sequences in the recognition epitope.
Long-Term Circulation of Vaccine-Derived Poliovirus That Causes Paralytic Disease (2002)

Successful implementation of the global poliomyelitis eradication program raises the problem of vaccination against poliomyelitis in the posteradication era. One of the options under consideration envisions completely stopping worldwide the use of the Sabin vaccine. This strategy is based on the assumption that the natural circulation of attenuated strains and their derivatives is strictly limited. Here, we report the characterization of a highly evolved derivative of the Sabin vaccine strain isolated in a case of paralytic poliomyelitis from a 7-month-old immunocompetent baby in an apparently adequately immunized population. Analysis of the genome of this isolate showed that it is a double (type 1-type 2-type 1) vaccine-derived recombinant. The number of mutations accumulated in both the type 1-derived and type 2-derived portions of the recombinant genome suggests that both had diverged from their vaccine predecessors approximately 2 years before the onset of the illness. This fact, along with other recent observations, points to the possibility of long-term circulation of Sabin vaccine strain derivatives associated with an increase in their neurovirulence. Comparison of genomic sequences of this and other evolved vaccine-derived isolates reveals some general features of natural poliovirus evolution. They include a very high preponderance and nonrandom distribution of synonymous substitutions, conservation of secondary structures of important cis-acting elements of the genome, and an apparently adaptive character of most of the amino acid mutations, with only a few of them occurring in the antigenic determinants. Another interesting feature is a frequent occurrence of tripartite intertypic recombinants with either type 1 or type 3 homotypic genomic ends.
Depth-encoded all-fiber swept source polarization sensitive OCT (2014)

Polarization sensitive optical coherence tomography (PS-OCT) is a functional extension of conventional OCT and can assess depth-resolved tissue birefringence in addition to intensity. Most existing PS-OCT systems are relatively complex and their clinical translation remains difficult. We present a simple and robust all-fiber PS-OCT system based on swept source technology and polarization depth-encoding. Polarization multiplexing was achieved using a polarization maintaining fiber. Polarization sensitive signals were detected using fiber based polarization beam splitters and polarization controllers were used to remove the polarization ambiguity. A simplified post-processing algorithm was proposed for speckle noise reduction relaxing the demand for phase stability. We demonstrated systems design for both ophthalmic and catheter-based PS-OCT. For ophthalmic imaging, we used an optical clock frequency doubling method to extend the imaging range of a commercially available short cavity light source to improve polarization depth-encoding. For catheter based imaging, we demonstrated 200 kHz PS-OCT imaging using a MEMS-tunable vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) and a high speed micromotor imaging catheter. The system was demonstrated in human retina, finger and lip imaging, as well as ex vivo swine esophagus and cardiovascular imaging. The all-fiber PS-OCT is easier to implement and maintain compared to previous PS-OCT systems and can be more easily translated to clinical applications due to its robust design.
Controlled-Release Theophylline Tablet Formulations Containing Acrylic Resins, II. Combination Resin Formulations (1987)

AbstractTheophylline tablet formulations containing a combination of cationic and anionic acrylic resins were prepared and evaluated. Equal amounts of Eudragit RSPM (cationic resin) and Eudragit L100 (anionic resin) were included at the 15% level (total polymer content) into the tablet formulations. Pressure-hardness profiles with theophylline-resin compacts (4:1) demonstrated that compacts containing the RSPM resin were the most compressible. The dissolution profiles for theophylline in acidic media showed slower release rates from tablets containing the combined resins than from those containing each of the single resins. It was proposed that this decrease in drug release rate was a result of a solid state interaction between the oppositely charged polymers. As the amount of retardant in the matrix increased, the release rates in acidic media decreased. In pH 7.4 phosphate buffer, much faster release was seen due to the higher solubility of the Eudragit L-100 resin at this pH level. Tablet hardness between the range of 6.8 kg to 15 kg showed minimal influences on the dissolution rate. Recompression and relubrication of the tablet formulation containing both polymers, produced a decrease in release rates of theophylline from the tablet matrix.
Peripheral neuropathy from taxol and cisplatin combination chemotherapy: Clinical and electrophysiological studies (1994)

Taxol is a novel antineoplastic agent that has demonstrated impressive clinical activity in breast, ovarian, lung, and head and neck cancers. This broad antitumor activity of taxol in cisplatin-sensitive tumors suggests that the combination of taxol and cisplatin may become one of the most commonly used taxol-based chemotherapeutic regimen in the treatment of solid tumors. Both taxol and cisplatin, however, are neurotoxic. To study the neurotoxic effects of these two agents when used in combination, we prospectively evaluated neurological function at baseline, during, and following treatment, in 21 cancer patients treated with taxol (135-350 mg/m2), cisplatin (75-100 mg/m2), and granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (5 micrograms/kg). Twenty of the 21 patients (95%) developed a sensory-motor neuropathy 1 to 21 weeks after the initiation of therapy, that was progressive with each additional course of chemotherapy. The neuropathy was symmetrical, length dependent, axonal in nature by physiological studies, and more pronounced in those patients who received higher doses of taxol. The neuropathy appeared earlier and at lower taxol doses in those patients with preexisting neuropathies. We conclude that sensory-motor neuropathy is a frequent dose-dependent toxicity of combined cisplatin and taxol use. Peripheral neuropathy is likely to become the major dose-limiting toxicity of taxol-cisplatin combination chemotherapy when higher doses of these agents are administered with granulocyte-colony stimulating factor.
Transcriptional regulation of prostate kallikrein-like genes by androgen. (1992)

Using gene-specific synthetic oligonucleotides the expression and regulation of kallikrein-like genes in the human prostatic cancer cell line LNCaP were studied. Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and human glandular kallikrein (hGK-1) together constitute a subfamily of serine proteases exclusively produced in the human prostate. RNA analysis revealed that both genes are expressed in LNCaP cells with PSA basal levels being 2-fold higher than hGK-1 levels. Both mRNAs are induced over a period of 24 h in the presence of 3.3 nM of the synthetic androgen mibolerone. Stimulation of PSA RNA is about 5-fold, whereas hGK-1 stimulation is less pronounced. Nuclear run-on analysis revealed that androgen induction of kallikrein-like genes in LNCaP cells is a rapid event (less than 3 h) occurring at the level of transcription initiation. Treatment of cells with cycloheximide demonstrates that, while PSA/hGK-1 basal transcription strictly depends on continuous protein synthesis, transcriptional induction by androgen does not. This suggests the direct involvement of the androgen receptor in the induction process independent of additional labile protein factors necessary for kallikrein basal transcription. A binding motif is present in the PSA and hGK-1 promoters, closely resembling the consensus sequence for steroid-responsive elements. The androgen antagonist cyproterone acetate was also able to stimulate transcription of kallikrein-like genes in LNCaP cells. In contrast, androgen-dependent transcriptional suppression of the protooncogene c-myc was strongly counteracted by cyproterone acetate. Thus, antiandrogens act differentially on androgen-regulated prostate-specific (PSA, hGK-1) and growth-related (c-myc) gene expression in LNCaP cells.
Effects of B‐ionizing radiation on the properties of flexible packaging materials (1990)

Abstract The influence of B‐ionizing radiation on chemical structure and mass transfer phenomena was studied in the principal flexible food packaging materials (LDPE and OPP). No significant changes were observed in the structure of polymer matrices or in oxygen permeability and global migration after ionizing the materials at dose levels approved for food products ( &lt; 110 kGy). Nevertheless, at low doses, it was observed that volatile organic compounds were present in ionized films. Several oxidation products were analysed by a dynamic head space technique. These oxidation products (typically ketones, aldehydes and carboxylic acids) could play a part in the organoleptic properties of prepackaged foods and, consequently, in their shelf‐life.
Is the “3+3” Dose-Escalation Phase I Clinical Trial Design Suitable for Therapeutic Cancer Vaccine Development? A Recommendation for Alternative Design (2014)

Our analysis suggests that the risks of serious toxicities with therapeutic cancer vaccines are extremely low and that toxicities do not correlate with dose levels. Accordingly, the conventional dose-escalation design is not suitable for cancer vaccines with few exceptions. Here, we propose an alternative design for therapeutic cancer vaccine development.
Ligand-dependent G Protein Coupling Function of Amyloid Transmembrane Precursor (1995)

Amyloid precursor protein (APP), a transmembrane precursor of beta-amyloid, possesses a function whereby it associates with G(o) through its cytoplasmic His657-Lys676. Here we demonstrate that APP has a receptor function. In phospholipid vesicles consisting of baculovirally made APP695 and brain trimeric G(o), 22C11, a monoclonal antibody against the extracellular domain of APP, increased GTP gamma S binding and the turnover number of GTPase of G(o) without affecting its intrinsic GTPase activity. This effect of 22C11 was specific among various antibodies and was observed neither in G(o) vesicles nor in APP695/Gi2 vesicles. In APP695/G(o) vesicles, synthetic APP66-81, the epitope of 22C11, competitively antagonized the action of 22C11. Monoclonal antibody against APP657-676, the G(o) binding domain of APP695, specifically blocked 22C11-dependent activation of G(o). Therefore, APP has a potential receptor function whereby it specifically activates G(o) in a ligand-dependent and ligand-specific manner.
Guidelines regarding negative wound therapy (NPWT) in the diabetic foot. (2004)

The purpose of these guidelines is to the summarize consensus of a multidisciplinary expert advisory panel convened to determine appropriate use of negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT), also known as Vacuum-Assisted Closure or V.A.C. Therapy, in the treatment of diabetic foot wounds. The Tucson Expert Consensus Conference (TECC) on V.A.C. Therapy was convened in an effort to guide the direction for future research either to confirm or refute current consensus while providing practical guidance to the clinician currently treating diabetic foot wounds. The consensus committee discussed and commented on the following ten key questions regarding NPWT: 1) How long should NPWT be used in the treatment of a diabetic foot wound? 2) Should NPWT be applied to a wound that has not been debrided? 3) How should the patient using NPWT be evaluated on an outpatient basis? 4) When should NPWT be applied following lower-extremity bypass? 5) When should NPWT be applied after incision and drainage of infection? 6) How should NPWT be used in patients with osteomyelitis? 7) How should nonadherence (i.e., noncompliance) be defined in the patient on NPWT? When should NPWT be discontinued in this population? 8) How should NPWT be used in combination with other modalities? 9) Should small, superficial, noninfected wounds be considered for NPWT? 10) How should we define success in future studies of NPWT?
Probing and Tailoring pH-Dependent Interactions between Block Copolymers and Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes for Density Gradient Sorting (2012)

The method by which surfactants selectively interact with particular electronic types of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and thereby enable the isolation of metallic and semiconducting species is not well understood. While density gradient ultracentrifugation (DGU) has demonstrated its potential as a powerful nanomaterial separation technique, this study utilizes DGU as an analytic tool to probe the interactions between amphiphilic block copolymers, surfactants capable of electronic type extraction, and the SWCNT surface. By modulating the pH during DGU, we find that the linear shaped Pluronic copolymers can extract either metallic or semiconducting SWCNTs at purities in excess of 99%. Furthermore, the first electronic type sorting mechanism is given by which oxygen absorption and subsequent protonation of the SWCNT surface acts to template copolymer adhesion. Detailed characterization reveals the underlying mechanism for pH-shifted DGU and is thus likely to enable future development of more efficient and facile SWCNT electronic type sorting methods.
Regulation of Mercury Resistance in the Crenarchaeote Sulfolobus solfataricus (2006)

ABSTRACT Mercuric ion, Hg(II), inactivates generalized transcription in the crenarchaeote Sulfolobus solfataricus . Metal challenge simultaneously derepresses transcription of mercuric reductase ( merA ) by interacting with the archaeal transcription factor aMerR. Northern blot and primer extension analyses identified two additional Hg(II)-inducible S. solfataricus genes, merH and merI (SSO2690), located on either side of merA . Transcription initiating upstream of merH at promoter merHp was metal inducible and extended through merA and merI , producing a merHAI transcript. Northern analysis of a merRA double mutant produced by linear DNA recombination demonstrated merHp promoter activity was dependent on aMerR to overcome Hg(II) transcriptional inhibition. Unexpectedly, in a merA disruption mutant, the merH transcript was transiently induced after an initial period of Hg(II)-mediated transcription inhibition, indicating continued Hg(II) detoxification. Metal challenge experiments using mutants created by markerless exchange verified the identity of the MerR binding site as an inverted repeat (IR) sequence overlapping the transcription factor B binding recognition element of merHp . The interaction of recombinant aMerR with merHp DNA, studied using electrophoretic mobility shift analysis, demonstrated that complex formation was template specific and dependent on the presence of the IR sequence but insensitive to Hg(II) addition and site-specific IR mutations that relieved in vivo merHp repression. Despite containing a motif resembling a distant ArsR homolog, these results indicate aMerR remains continuously DNA bound to protect and coordinate Hg(II)-responsive control over merHAI transcription. The new genetic methods developed in this work will promote experimental studies on S. solfataricus and other Crenarchaeota .
Phagocytosis of aggregated lipoprotein by macrophages: low density lipoprotein receptor-dependent foam-cell formation. (1989)

Low density lipoprotein (LDL) modified by incubation with phospholipase C (PLC-LDL) aggregates in solution and is rapidly taken up and degraded by human and mouse macrophages, producing foam cells in vitro. Human, mouse, and rabbit macrophages degraded 125I-labeled PLC-LDL (125I-PLC-LDL) more rapidly than native 125I-labeled LDL (125I-LDL), while nonphagocytic cells such as human fibroblasts and bovine aortic endothelial cells degraded 125I-PLC-LDL more slowly than 125I-LDL. This suggested the mechanism for internalization of PLC-LDL was phagocytosis. When examined by electron microscopy, mouse peritoneal macrophages appeared to be phagocytosing PLC-LDL. The uptake and degradation of 125I-PLC-LDL by human macrophages was inhibited greater than 80% by the monoclonal antibody C7 (IgG2b) produced by hybridoma C7, which blocks the ligand binding domain of the LDL receptor. Similarly, methylation of 125I-LDL (125I-MeLDL) prior to treatment with phospholipase C decreased its subsequent uptake and degradation by human macrophages by greater than 90%. The uptake and degradation of phospholipase C-modified 125I-MeLDL by macrophages could be restored by incubation of the methylated lipoprotein with apoprotein E, a ligand recognized by the LDL receptor. These results indicate that macrophages internalize PLC-LDL by LDL receptor-dependent phagocytosis.
Cell-inspired electroactive polymer materials incorporating biomolecular materials (2011)

In this paper, we discuss a new form of electroactive material that consists of both synthetic polymers and biological molecules. This modular material system is inspired by the compartmentalized and hierarchical organization of cellular systems and features an artificial cell membrane, or lipid bilayer, which acts as the primary transduction element in the material. Building on recent developments by our group, the lipid bilayer is formed at the interface between phospholipid-encased hydrogel volumes surrounded by oil and contained in a solid substrate. Results are presented that demonstrate how the electromechanical properties of the lipid bilayer can be used for both static and dynamic sensing and actuation. Specifically, a relative change in length of the outer substrate of 10-15% due to an applied force yields large changes in capacitance (&gt; 90% reduction) or resistance (20-30% increase) depending on the composition of the bilayer. The capacitive nature of the membrane is also used in a dynamic sensing application, whereby the perturbation of an artificial hair structure induces bending in a bilayer formed at the base of the hair. This oscillation results in a time-varying membrane capacitance that in turn produces an electrical current on the order of 1 - 100pA. The ability to actuate the amount of contact between neighboring modules is also discussed and a concept for fabricating higher-order biomolecular arrays that connect internally to form networks of lipid bilayers is also presented.
A novel murine model of disseminated trichosporonosis (1992)

Serious infections caused by Trichosporon beigelii have been noted with increasing frequency in immuno-compromised patients. Progress in understanding the pathogenesis of this emerging infection has been limited by the lack of an animal model. We developed a CF1 mouse intravenous inoculation model of disseminated trichosporonosis to evaluate the pathogenicity of T. beigelii in transiently immunosuppressed mice. Four inocula (1 x 10(6), 1 x 10(7), 2 x 10(7), and 4 x 10(7) CFU per animal) of one clinical strain of T. beigelii 3001 were tested. Mice in groups of 10 were each injected with a single intravenous dose of one inoculum. Mortality correlated with inoculum size, as survival time was significantly shorter in mice injected with 4 x 10(7) or 2 x 10(7) CFU than in mice that received 1 x 10(7) or 1 x 10(6) CFU (P less than 0.01). Necrotizing abscesses with conidial and hyphal elements and neutrophil and macrophage infiltration were observed in all major organs examined. Resistance to infection was markedly lowered by immunosuppression with either cyclophosphamide or cortisone acetate, with a significantly shorter survival time and a greater fungal burden per organ in immunosuppressed animals than in normal animals (P less than 0.01). Nine additional strains were inoculated intravenously with around 5 x 10(6) CFU. Injection of each of these strains caused 100% mortality, in a pattern similar to that observed with strain 3001.