gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Sequential noise estimation with optimal forgetting for robust speech recognition (2002)

Mismatch is known to degrade the performance of speech recognition systems. In real life applications mismatch is usually nonstationary, and a general way to compensate for slowly time varying mismatch is by using sequential algorithms with forgetting. The choice of forgetting factor is usually performed empirically on some development data, and no optimality criterion is used. We introduce a framework for obtaining the optimal forgetting factor. The proposed method is applied in conjunction with a sequential noise estimation algorithm, but can be extended to sequential bias or affine transformation estimation. Speech recognition experiments conducted first under a controlled scenario on the 5K Wall Street Journal task corrupted by different noise types, then under a real-life scenario on speech recorded in a noisy car environment validate the proposed method.
Cloning, nucleotide sequences, and enzymatic properties of glucose dehydrogenase isozymes from Bacillus megaterium IAM1030 (1992)

Bacillus megaterium is known to have several genes that code for isozymes of glucose dehydrogenase. Two of them, gdhI and gdhII, were cloned from B. megaterium IAM1030 in our previous work (T. Mitamura, R. V. Evora, T. Nakai, Y. Makino, S. Negoro, I. Urabe, and H. Okada, J. Ferment. Bioeng. 70:363-369, 1990). In the present study, two new genes, gdhIII and gdhIV, were isolated from the same strain and their nucleotide sequences were identified. Each gene has an open reading frame of 783 bp available to encode a peptide of 261 amino acids. Thus, a total of four glucose dehydrogenase genes have been cloned from B. megaterium IAM1030. In addition, this strain does not seem to have other glucose dehydrogenase genes that can be distinguished from the four cloned genes so far examined by Southern hybridization analysis. The two newly cloned genes were expressed in Escherichia coli cells, and the products, GlcDH-III and GlcDH-IV, were purified and characterized and compared with the other isozymes, GlcDH-I and GlcDH-II, encoded by gdhI and gdhII, respectively. These isozymes showed different mobilities in sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (GlcDH-I greater than GlcDH-III = GlcDH-IV greater than GlcDH-II), although they have the same number of amino acid residues. Double-immunodiffusion tests showed that GlcDH-I is immunologically different from the other isozymes and that GlcDH-III and GlcDH-IV are identical to one another but a little different from GlcDH-II. These glucose dehydrogenases were stabilized in the presence of 2 M NaCl. The effect of NaCl was especially large for GlcDH-III, which is most unstable enzyme. Kinetic studies showed that these isozymes are divided into two groups with respect to coenzyme specificity, although they can utilize both NAD and NADP: GlcDH-III and GlcDH-IV prefer NAD, and GlcDH-I and GlcDH-II prefer NADP. The phylogenic relationship of these glucose dehydrogenase genes is also discussed.
Permeable Polysilicon Etch-access Windows For Microshell Fabrication (2005)

The use of permeable polysilicon etch access windows for removing underlying sacrificial PSG has been implemented to fabricate low-pressure, hermetically sealed shells. Shells 3 /spl mu/m high and as wide as 1 mm have been cleared of sacrificial PSG using concentrated HF in less than 120 sec. In addition, low-pressure hermetic sealing has been demonstrated with low-stress silicon nitride to deposit less than 100/spl A ring/ inside of the shell. Applications include not only encapsulation but also the formation of surface micromachined fluid passages.
Mechanism of action of SNS-032, a novel cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor, in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (2009)

Inhibitors of cyclin-dependent kinases (Cdks) have been reported to have activities in chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells by inhibiting Cdk7 and Cdk9, which control transcription. Here we studied the novel Cdk inhibitor SNS-032, which exhibits potent and selective inhibitory activity against Cdk2, Cdk7, and Cdk9. We hypothesized that transient inhibition of transcription by SNS-032 would decrease antiapoptotic proteins, resulting in cell death. SNS-032 effectively killed chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells in vitro regardless of prognostic indicators and treatment history. This was associated with inhibition of phosphorylation of RNA polymerase II and inhibition of RNA synthesis. Consistent with the intrinsic turnover rates of their transcripts and proteins, antiapoptotic proteins, such as Mcl-1 and X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP), were rapidly reduced on exposure to SNS-032, whereas Bcl-2 protein was not affected. The initial decrease of Mcl-1 protein was the result of transcriptional inhibition rather than cleavage by caspase. Compared with flavopiridol and roscovitine, SNS-032 was more potent, both in inhibition of RNA synthesis and at induction of apoptosis. SNS-032 activity was readily reversible; removal of SNS-032 reactivated RNA polymerase II, which led to resynthesis of Mcl-1 and cell survival. Thus, these data support the clinical development of SNS-032 in diseases that require short-lived oncoproteins for survival.
Ghost Removal in High Dynamic Range Images (2006)

High dynamic range images may be created by capturing multiple images of a scene with varying exposures. Images created in this manner are prone to ghosting artifacts, which appear if there is movement in the scene at the time of capture. This paper describes a novel approach to removing ghosting artifacts from high dynamic range images, without the need for explicit object detection and motion estimation. Weights are computed iteratively and then applied to pixels to determine their contribution to the final image. We use a non-parametric model for the static part of the scene, and a pixel's membership in this model determines its weight. In contrast to previous approaches, our technique does not rely on explicit object detection, tracking, or pixelwise motion estimates. Ghost-free images of different scenes demonstrate the effectiveness of our technique.
Phagocytosis of tumor cells by human monocytes cultured in recombinant macrophage colony-stimulating factor. (1990)

Macrophages and cultured human monocytes can mediate efficient antibody-dependent cytotoxicity (ADCC) against human tumor cells using monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). The mechanism of this killing is usually assumed to involve secreted factors (reactive oxygen intermediates, tumor necrosis factor, or other cytotoxic factors) leading to target cell lysis. In this study, we present evidence that phagocytosis of intact target cells is the principal mechanism of antitumor cytotoxicity in our in vitro model of ADCC by cultured monocytes. Human monocytes cultured in recombinant human macrophage colony-stimulating factor ingested up to 100% of fluorochrome-labeled melanoma and neuroblastoma target cells, in the presence of an appropriate antitumor mAb. Electron microscopy demonstrated phagocytosis of intact tumor cells by cultured monocytes during ADCC. All of the radionuclide in radiolabeled target cells was taken up by monocytes during phagocytosis. By preventing the release of radioisotope tracers, phagocytosis thus prevents the detection of this very efficient form of cytotoxicity by most conventional assays.
Effective Manipulation of the Electronic Effects and Its Influence on the Emission of 5‐Substituted Tris(8‐quinolinolate) Aluminum(III) Complexes (2006)

The unique electron-transport and emissive properties of tris(8-quinolinolate) aluminum(III) (Alq(3)) have resulted in extensive use of this material for small molecular organic light-emitting diode (OLED) fabrication. So far, efforts to prepare stable and easy-to-process red/green/blue (RGB)-emitting Alq(3) derivatives have met with only a limited success. In this paper, we describe how the electronic nature of various substituents, projected via an arylethynyl or aryl spacer to the position of the highest HOMO density (C5), may be used for effective emission tuning to obtain blue-, green-, and red-emitting materials. The synthetic strategy consists of four different pathways for the attachment of electron-donating and electron-withdrawing aryl or arylethynyl substituents to the 5-position of the quinolinolate ring. Successful tuning of the emission color covering the whole visible spectrum (lambda=450-800 nm) was achieved. In addition, the photophysical properties of the luminophores were found to correlate with the Hammett constant of the respective substituents, providing a powerful strategy with which to predict the optical properties of new materials. We also demonstrate that the electronic nature of the substituent affects the emission properties of the resulting complex through effective modification of the HOMO levels of the quinolinolate ligand.
A ceramic system for continuous release of acetylsalicylic acid. (1994)

This investigation was conducted to study the release of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) from a beta-Tricalcium Phosphate (TCP) resorbable ceramic matrix (RCM) in Tris-HCl (pH 7.4, 0.5M) at 37 degrees C. Initial compression load studies were conducted for 12 hours. Compression load and dose-response studies were conducted for a total duration of seven days. Mixtures of 150 mg acetylsalicylic acid (Aspirin) and 500 mg TCP were compressed at loads of 2000, 3000, or 4000 lbs. Ceramics with 75, 150, 225, 300, or 375 mg of ASA were mixed with 500 mg TCP and compressed at 3000 lbs. Aliquots of Tris-HCl, taken at two hour intervals for the first 12 hours, and daily thereafter, were assayed spectrophotometrically for ASA at 245 nm. Differences in the amounts of ASA released by RCMs compressed at the three loads were not significant. Release of ASA from RCMs was linear only if the ceramic/ASA ratio was close to 6.67:1. Results of this investigation suggest that resorbable TCP ceramics can be used for continuous delivery of ASA for seven days.
Characterization of a silencer regulatory element in the human interferon-gamma promoter. (1994)

Previous analysis of the human interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma promoter indicated that the region of DNA from -251 to -215 (designated here as BE (binding element)) possessed silencer activity, as deletion of this region caused an increase in promoter activity. Based on this finding, we have conducted a series of experiments to characterize BE function and analyze the binding proteins which interact with this region. Transient transfection assays in the Jurkat T cell line revealed that the BE region possesses silencer activity, which is orientation-dependent when reinserted 5' to the IFN-gamma core promoter. However, when the BE region was inserted in front of a heterologous promoter (thymidine kinase (TK)), a mild enhancer activity was observed. Utilizing the electrophoretic mobility shift assay, we have identified two major DNA-protein complexes (designated as S and E complexes) which interact with this region. Mutational analysis indicated that the silencer activity observed with the IFN-gamma promoter correlated with the S complex and the enhancer activity correlated with the E complex. Preliminary characterization of these two DNA-protein complexes has demonstrated the presence of multiple proteins in each complex. We have found that the S protein complex has a recognition sequence similar to the nuclear factor AP2, and we have identified the nuclear factor Yin-Yang 1 (YY1) as one of the proteins in the E complex.
Clinical impact of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (2003)

In humans, vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) most commonly result in intestinal colonization, which does not result in symptoms, may persist for a long time and serves as a reservoir for transmission of VRE to other patients. Certain VRE-colonized patients are at risk of infection, including haematology and oncology patients, patients in intensive care units and recipients of solid (especially abdominal) organ transplants. Controlling the spread of VRE colonization and preventing colonized patients from becoming infected are important aims. Ramoplanin is a member of a new class of antimicrobial agents; it may have a role in preventing infection in patients colonized with VRE.
Targeting sTNF/TNFR1 Signaling as a New Therapeutic Strategy (2015)

Deregulation of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) plays an important role in the initiation and perpetuation of chronic inflammation and has been implicated in the development of various autoimmune diseases. Accordingly, TNF-inhibitors are successfully used for the treatment of several diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, and psoriasis. However, total inhibition of TNF can cause severe side effects such as an increased risk of inflammation and reactivation of tuberculosis. This is likely due to the different actions of the two TNF receptors. Whereas TNFR1 predominantly promotes inflammatory signaling pathways, TNFR2 mediates immune modulatory functions and promotes tissue homeostasis and regeneration. Therefore, the specific blockage of TNFR1 signaling, either by direct inhibition with TNFR1-selective antagonists or by targeting soluble TNF, which predominantly activates TNFR1, may prevent the detrimental effects associated with total TNF-inhibitors and constitute a next-generation approach to interfere with TNF.
A single-sensor hand geometry and palmprint verification system (2003)

Several contributions have shown that fusion of decisions or scores obtained from various single-modal biometrics verification systems often enhances the overall system performance. A recent approach of multimodal biometric systems with the use of single sensor has received significant attention among researchers. In this paper, a combination of hand geometry and palmprint verification system is being developed. This system uses a scanner as sole sensor to obtain the hands images. First, the hand geometry verification system performs the feature extraction to obtain the geometrical information of the fingers and palm. Second, the region of interest (ROI) is detected and cropped by palmprint verification system. This ROI acts as the base for palmprint feature extraction by using Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA). Lastly, the matching scores of the two individual classifiers is fused by several fusion algorithms namely sum rule, weighted sum rule and Support Vector Machine (SVM). The results of the fusion algorithms are being compared with the outcomes of the individual palm and hand geometry classifiers. We are able to show that fusion using SVM with Radial Basis Function (RBF) kernel has outperformed other combined and individual classifiers.
Influence of Epidermal Growth Factor on the Maturation of Fetal Rat Brain Cells in Aggregate Culture (1989)

Maturation of astrocytes, neurons, and oligodendrocytes was studied in serum-free aggregating cell cultures of fetal rat telencephalon by an immunocytochemical approach. Cell type-specific immunofluorescence staining was examined by using antibodies directed against glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and vimentin, two astroglial markers; neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and neurofilament (NF), two neuronal markers, and galactocerebroside (GC), an oligodendroglial marker. It was found that the cellular maturation in aggregates is characterized by distinct developmental increases in immunoreactivity for GFAP, vimentin, NSE, NF, and GC, and by a subsequent decrease of vimentin-positive structures in more differentiated cultures. These findings are in agreement with observations in vivo, and they corroborate previous biochemical studies of this histotypic culture system. Treatment of very immature cultures with a low dose of epidermal growth factor (EGF, 5 ng/ml) enhanced the developmental increase in GFAP, NSE, NF and GC immunoreactivity, suggesting an acceleration of neuronal and glial maturation. In addition, EGF was found to alter the cellular organization within the aggregates, presumably by influencing cell migration.
Overview of atomic layer etching in the semiconductor industry (2015)

Atomic layer etching (ALE) is a technique for removing thin layers of material using sequential reaction steps that are self-limiting. ALE has been studied in the laboratory for more than 25 years. Today, it is being driven by the semiconductor industry as an alternative to continuous etching and is viewed as an essential counterpart to atomic layer deposition. As we enter the era of atomic-scale dimensions, there is need to unify the ALE field through increased effectiveness of collaboration between academia and industry, and to help enable the transition from lab to fab. With this in mind, this article provides defining criteria for ALE, along with clarification of some of the terminology and assumptions of this field. To increase understanding of the process, the mechanistic understanding is described for the silicon ALE case study, including the advantages of plasma-assisted processing. A historical overview spanning more than 25 years is provided for silicon, as well as ALE studies on oxides, III–V compounds, and other materials. Together, these processes encompass a variety of implementations, all following the same ALE principles. While the focus is on directional etching, isotropic ALE is also included. As part of this review, the authors also address the role of power pulsing as a predecessor to ALE and examine the outlook of ALE in the manufacturing of advanced semiconductor devices.
Abstract 13881: Cardiac Progenitor Cell Infusion in Patients With Univentricular Heart Diseases in Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction (2015)

Backgrounds: The clinical outcomes of heart failure with reduced and preserved ejection fraction (HFrEF and HFpEF) after staged palliations in patients with univentricular heart disease remain unknown as is the question whether cardiosphere-derived cell (CDC) transfer may have impact on either type of cardiac dysfunction. Purpose: We sought to characterize the heart failure patients, include HFrEF and HFpEF, with single ventricular physiology and investigate the clinical responsiveness after CDC therapy. Methods: Forty-three patients, aged 2.2±1.4 years, undergoing staged shunt procedures were divided into two groups by cardiac function based on cMRI (HFrEF: EF&lt;40%, n=30; HFpEF: EF&gt;40%, n=13). Results: Compared with HFpEF patients, HFrEF patients showed increased cardiac volume (P=0.02) and mass index (P=0.04), those were associated with reduced global circumferential strain in HFrEF compared with HFpEF (P=0.0004). There was no difference in the incidence of late gadolinium enhancement detected by cMRI in both groups (20% in HFrEF and 15% in HFpEF). When patients underwent staged shunt procedures, HFpEF group had significant reduction in EF (P=0.03) and atrial strain (P=0.047), resulting in increase in Tei index 1 month after palliation (P=0.02). To investigate whether CDC infusion may affect the cardiac function in these two types of HF, patients were subjected to receive CDC injection 1 month post palliation. In contrast to HFpEF group, HFrEF patients demonstrated a marked improvement in EF (P=0.0006), right ventricular elastance (P=0.0005) 3 months after CDC infusion. Similarly, diastolic function improvements were found in CDC-treated HFrEF group but HFpEF patients as shown by increased atrial fractional area change (P=0.01) and reduced E-wave/e’sr (P=0.049). However, patients with HFpEF showed no improvement in diastolic function but significantly reduced dP/dt at 3 months (P=0.04). These beneficial effects by CDCs could not be seen in remaining 20 patients who were assigned to treat as palliation alone without CDC injection. Conclusions: HFpEF is common in univentricular heart diseases and that may have early perioperative right ventricular dysfunction and could be CDC therapy-resistant leading to latent heart failure.
Double-blind, Placebo-Controlled Study of Entacapone in Levodopa-Treated Patients With Stable Parkinson Disease (2004)

The catechol O-methyltransferase inhibitor entacapone, used as an adjunct to levodopa in PD patients who do not experience motor fluctuations, does not improve Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale motor scores but does improve a variety of quality-of-life measures.
Role of Rho in Chemoattractant-Activated Leukocyte Adhesion Through Integrins (1996)

Heterotrimeric guanine nucleotide binding protein (G protein)-linked receptors of the chemoattractant subfamily can trigger adhesion through leukocyte integrins, and in this role they are thought to regulate immune cell-cell interactions and trafficking. In lymphoid cells transfected with formyl peptide or interleukin-8 receptors, agonist stimulation activated nucleotide exchange on the small guanosine triphosphate-binding protein RhoA in seconds. Inactivation of Rho by C3 transferase exoenzyme blocked agonist-induced lymphocyte alpha4beta1 adhesion to vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 and neutrophil beta2 integrin adhesion to fibrinogen. These findings suggest that Rho participates in signaling from chemoattractant receptors to trigger rapid adhesion in leukocytes.
Broad band array multiplexers made with silica waveguides on silicon (1992)

Get PDF Email Share Share with Facebook Tweet This Post on reddit Share with LinkedIn Add to CiteULike Add to Mendeley Add to BibSonomy Get Citation Copy Citation Text R. Adar, C. H. Henry, C. Dragone, R. C. Kistler, and M. A. Milbrodt, "Broad band array multiplexers made with silica waveguides on silicon," in Integrated Photonics Research, Vol. 10 of 1992 OSA Technical Digest Series (Optica Publishing Group, 1992), paper PD4. Export Citation BibTex Endnote (RIS) HTML Plain Text Citation alert Save article
Left ventricular myocardial edema. Lymph flow, interstitial fibrosis, and cardiac function. (1991)

We hypothesized that both acute and chronic accumulation of myocardial interstitial edema (extravascular fluid [EVF]) would compromise cardiac function. We also postulated that excess fluid within the myocardial interstitial space would potentiate interstitial fibrosis, thus further compromising function. Dogs were divided into three groups: 1) control, 2) chronic pulmonary hypertensive with right heart failure, and 3) chronic arterial hypertensive. The quantity of EVF, expressed as the unitless blood-free (wet weight-dry weight)/dry weight ratio, and interstitial fibrosis (collagen content) were determined and correlated with cardiac function at baseline and after acute elevation of coronary venous pressure and reduction of cardiac lymph flow. Control EVF was 2.90 +/- 0.20 (mean +/- SD), which increased to 3.45 +/- 0.16 after acute (3-hour) elevation of coronary sinus pressure. This EVF significantly compromised cardiac function. The EVF in chronically hypertensive dogs and in dogs with chronic right heart pressure elevations was 3.50 +/- 0.30 and 3.50 +/- 0.08, respectively. End-diastolic left ventricular interstitial fluid pressure increased from a control value of 14.9 +/- 3.1 (at EVF = 2.9) to 24.8 +/- 3.7 (at EVF = 3.5). An EVF of 3.5 produced approximately 30% reduction of the heart's ability to maintain cardiac output at a left atrial pressure of 15 mm Hg. The compromised function in these chronic models is exacerbated after acute elevation of coronary venous pressure and reduction of cardiac lymph flow. Collagen levels were elevated by at least 20% in the chronic hypertensive dogs and in the nonhypertrophied left ventricles of dogs with chronic right heart pressure elevation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)