gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Information hiding-a survey (1999)

Information-hiding techniques have recently become important in a number of application areas. Digital audio, video, and pictures are increasingly furnished with distinguishing but imperceptible marks, which may contain a hidden copyright notice or serial number or even help to prevent unauthorized copying directly. Military communications systems make increasing use of traffic security techniques which, rather than merely concealing the content of a message using encryption, seek to conceal its sender, its receiver, or its very existence. Similar techniques are used in some mobile phone systems and schemes proposed for digital elections. Criminals try to use whatever traffic security properties are provided intentionally or otherwise in the available communications systems, and police forces try to restrict their use. However, many of the techniques proposed in this young and rapidly evolving field can trace their history back to antiquity, and many of them are surprisingly easy to circumvent. In this article, we try to give an overview of the field, of what we know, what works, what does not, and what are the interesting topics for research.
Characterization of TCC on chip-multiprocessors (2005)

Transactional coherence and consistency (TCC) is a novel coherence scheme for shared memory multiprocessors that uses programmer-defined transactions as the fundamental unit of parallel work, synchronization, coherence, and consistency. TCC has the potential to simplify parallel program development and optimization by providing a smooth transition from sequential to parallel programs. In this paper, we study the implementation of TCC on chip-multiprocessors (CMPs). We explore design alternatives such as the granularity of state tracking, double-buffering, and write-update and write-invalidate protocols. Furthermore, we characterize the performance of TCC in comparison to conventional snoopy cache coherence (SCC) using parallel applications optimized for each scheme. We conclude that the two coherence schemes perform similarly, with each scheme having a slight advantage for some applications. The bandwidth requirements of TCC are slightly higher but well within the capabilities of CMP systems. Also, we find that overflow of speculative state can be effectively handled by a simple victim cache. Our results suggest TCC can provide its programming advantages without compromising the performance expected from well-tuned parallel applications.
Expression and immune response to hepatitis C virus core DNA-based vaccine constructs (1996)

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major worldwide cause of acute and chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. The development of vaccines against HCV have been complicated by the high variability of the envelope region, and it is likely that the cellular immune responses to viral structural proteins may be important for eradicating persistent viral infection. Recently, it was reported that the injection into muscle cells of plasmids encoding viral genes resulted in the generation of strong cellular immune responses. We constructed vectors that express the highly conserved HCV core gene. In this regard, the pHCV 2-2 construct contained the entire HCV core region and pHCV 4-2 contained both the 5′ noncoding region and the core gene. Cellular expression of HCV core protein was assessed following transfection into human and murine cell lines, and higher intracellular levels of the 21-kd core protein were observed with pHCV 2-2. These HCV core DNA constructs were used to immunize BALB/c mice and produced low-level anti-HCV core humoral immune responses. To assess cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) activity generated in vivo, a cloned syngeneic SP2/O myeloma cell line constitutively expressing HCV core protein was established and inoculated into BALB/c mice to produce growth of plasmacytomas. Strong CTL activity was generated because the tumor size and weight in pHCV 2-2-immunized mice were remarkably reduced compared with mice injected with mock DNA. Spontaneous CTL activity was also exhibited by splenocytes in an in vitro cytotoxicity assay. These investigations demonstrate that plasmid constructs expressing HCV core protein generate strong CTL activity, as assessed both in vivo and in vitro, and are promising candidates as antiviral agents.
Warped Low-Delay CELP for Wideband Audio Coding (1999)

In certain bidirectional and multi-directional real-time audio applications there is a need for low-delay audio coding techniques. A typical encoding/decoding delay of current wideband audio codecs is more than 40 ms, whereas the goal for low-delay coding significantly less than that. Both technical and psychoacoustical requirements and limitations of low-delay coding in bidirectional real-time audio applications are discussed in this paper. The coding delay in codecs based on non-parametric spectral estimation, e.g., subband decomposition or MDCT, result from the buffering of signal frames before spectral analysis. Usually there are also several other sources for the algorithmic delay which have been reviewed in the case of MPEG codecs in [1]. In this paper, it is suggested that the algorithmic coding delay should be 2-5 ms. A frame length of 2 ms corresponds to 88 samples of audio at 44.1 kHz sampling rate. It is probable that sufficiently high definition spectral decomposition cannot be obtained using non-parametric techniques in this short frame. The codec introduced in the paper uses parametric spectral estimation, which is a variant of linear predictive spectral modeling. This algorithm is actually a modification of a lowdelay speech coding algorithm, G.728 Low-Delay CELP [2], which is a widely used standard codec in video conferencing applications. Linear predictive analysis and auditory modeling are performed in a backward adaptive manner, which means that the analysis window lies mainly on the already transmitted part of the signal. The coefficients from the LPC analysis are used in a time-varying synthesis filter. The synthesis filter is driven by an excitation signal which consists of a sequence of excitation vectors which have been selected from a vector codebook using a simplified auditory model. A version of the G.728 codec for wideband speech at sampling rate of 32 kHz has already been proposed [3]. A major modification to the conventional algorithm in the current paper is that the linear predictive analysis and synthesis filter are frequencywarped [4, 5, 6, 7]. This means that the frequency resolution of the spectral estimation is matched with the frequency scale of hearing. This technique makes the linear predictive coding scheme applicable to perceptual wideband audio coding. At this time, it seems plausible that high-quality audio coding at approximately 2 bits/sample and with a coding delay of less than 2 ms is a realistic goal.
Mammalian motor neurons corelease glutamate and acetylcholine at central synapses (2005)

Motor neurons (MNs) are the principal neurons in the mammalian spinal cord whose activities cause muscles to contract. In addition to their peripheral axons, MNs have central collaterals that contact inhibitory Renshaw cells and other MNs. Since its original discovery >60 years ago, it has been a general notion that acetylcholine is the only transmitter released from MN synapses both peripherally and centrally. Here, we show, using a multidisciplinary approach, that mammalian spinal MNs, in addition to acetylcholine, corelease glutamate to excite Renshaw cells and other MNs but not to excite muscles. Our study demonstrates that glutamate can be released as a functional neurotransmitter from mammalian MNs.
DNA-vaccination via tattooing induces stronger humoral and cellular immune responses than intramuscular delivery supported by molecular adjuvants (2008)

Tattooing is one of a number of DNA delivery methods which results in an efficient expression of an introduced gene in the epidermal and dermal layers of the skin. The tattoo procedure causes many minor mechanical injuries followed by hemorrhage, necrosis, inflammation and regeneration of the skin and thus non-specifically stimulates the immune system. DNA vaccines delivered by tattooing have been shown to induce higher specific humoral and cellular immune responses than intramuscularly injected DNA. In this study, we focused on the comparison of DNA immunization protocols using different routes of administrations of DNA (intradermal tattoo versus intramuscular injection) and molecular adjuvants (cardiotoxin pre-treatment or GM-CSF DNA co-delivery). For this comparison we used the major capsid protein L1 of human papillomavirus type 16 as a model antigen. L1-specific immune responses were detected after three and four immunizations with 50 microg plasmid DNA. Cardiotoxin pretreatment or GM-CSF DNA co-delivery substantially enhanced the efficacy of DNA vaccine delivered intramuscularly by needle injection but had virtually no effect on the intradermal tattoo vaccination. The promoting effect of both adjuvants was more pronounced after three rather than four immunizations. However, three DNA tattoo immunizations without any adjuvant induced significantly higher L1-specific humoral immune responses than three or even four intramuscular DNA injections supported by molecular adjuvants. Tattooing also elicited significantly higher L1-specific cellular immune responses than intramuscularly delivered DNA in combination with adjuvants. In addition, the lymphocytes of mice treated with the tattoo device proliferated more strongly after mitogen stimulation suggesting the presence of inflammatory responses after tattooing. The tattoo delivery of DNA is a cost-effective method that may be used in laboratory conditions when more rapid and more robust immune responses are required.
A Whole Blood Immunoassay for the Interferon-Inducible Human Mx Protein (1992)

Mx protein, an intracellular protein induced by type I interferons (IFNs), is useful as a marker for the IFN-induced state. It is detectable, for example, in leukocytes of patients undergoing IFN-alpha treatment as well as in patients suffering from viral or autoimmune diseases. For immunizations and standardizations, recombinant human MxA protein was expressed in Escherichia coli and purified from inclusion bodies by several steps of chromatography. Two monoclonal antibodies against nonoverlapping epitopes and specific for human Mx protein were selected to establish a simple two-site immunometric enzyme assay. In addition, a monoclonal antibody also reacting with Mx proteins of other species was identified. Prior to assay, whole blood samples were lysed with a nonionic detergent. The sample was incubated on wells coated with a first monoclonal antibody (1304.5.32) together with a second biotinylated monoclonal (1302.34.16), which, after washing, was revealed by an avidin-alkaline phosphatase system. Limit of detection was 5 ng/ml. In two-thirds of normal blood samples (n = 87), Mx protein levels were below 5 ng/ml; 25 samples (29%) had Mx levels between 5 and 50 ng/ml; and 4 samples (5%) were above 50 ng/ml. No Mx was found in plasma, and the mononuclear cell fraction accounted for the bulk of Mx in blood. In vitro, as determined by flow cytometry, monocytes and lymphocytes accumulated Mx protein for 24 h with similar kinetics and remained at plateau levels for more than 70 h. Monocytes contained around eight times more Mx than lymphocytes. The immunoassay was also suitable for detecting Mx after IFN induction in heparinized blood.
Augmented Lymphocyte Expansion from Solid Tumors With Engineered Cells for Costimulatory Enhancement (2011)

Treatment of patients with adoptive T-cell therapy requires expansion of unique tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) cultures from single-cell suspensions processed from melanoma biopsies. Strategies which increase the expansion and reliability of TIL generation from tumor digests are necessary to improve access to TIL therapy. Previous studies have evaluated artificial antigen presenting cells for their antigen-specific and costimulatory properties. We investigated engineered cells for costimulatory enhancement (ECCE) consisting of K562 cells that express 4-1BBL in the absence of artificial antigen stimulation. ECCE accelerated TIL expansion and significantly improved TIL numbers (P=0.001) from single-cell melanoma suspensions. TIL generated with ECCE contain significantly more CD8CD62L and CD8CD27 T cells then comparable interleukin-2-expanded TIL and maintained antitumor reactivity. Moreover, ECCE improved TIL expansion from nonmelanoma-cell suspensions similar to that seen with melanoma tumors. These data demonstrate that the addition of ECCE to TIL production will enable the treatment of patients that are ineligible using current methods.
Anti-HIV Type 1 Cytotoxic T Lymphocyte Effector Activity and Disease Progression in the First 8 Years of HIV Type 1 Infection of Homosexual Men (1995)

Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) may play an important role in host defense against HIV-1 infection. In this study, we examined the responses of circulating effector CTL (CTLe) specific for Gag, Pol, Env, and Tat in 57 HIV-1-infected men, 49 of whom were asymptomatic and had documented time since seroconversion of < 8 years. CTLe responses to at least one of the four HIV-1 gene products were detected in 83% of the subjects. The magnitude and prevalence of the anti-Tat responses were significantly less than the responses to Gag, Pol, and Env. Cell depletion studies indicated that the lytic activity against the HIV-1 structural proteins was mediated by CD8+ T cells, although 30% of Env-specific lysis was mediated by CD16+ natural killer cells. Anti-HIV-1 CTLe responses against Gag and Pol were significantly less in subjects infected for over 6 years as compared to those infected for shorter periods of time. We found no correlation, however, between anti-HIV-1 CTLe responses and either CD4+ or CD8+ T cell counts, rates of CD4+ T cell loss, HIV-1 infectious viral load, use of antiviral medications, or subsequent progression to AIDS. Our results indicate that anti-HIV-1 CTLe activity is relatively stable in asymptomatic subjects infected < 6 years, and is not an early marker for risk of disease progression.
Characterization of silicon parallel-plate electrostatic actuator in partially conducting aqueous solution (2008)

In this paper we present experimental results on the behavior of a silicon parallel-plate electrostatic actuator operated in a partially conducting aqueous solution. First, an experimental setup based on a laser position sensor is described for dynamic measurement of out-of-plate motion of MEMS structures in liquids. This set up is used to characterize motion of a surface-micromachined, polysilicon piston actuator operated in water using high- frequency drive signals to avoid charge migration that screens actuation potential. Results show that besides actuator design and fluid properties, voltage-displacement characteristics and pull-in phenomenon of parallel-plate actuators also depend on drive frequency.
The synthesis of a new 22 π-electron macrocycle: pentaphyrin (1983)

The first synthesis of pentapyrrole macrocycle analogous to the porphyrins is described.
Real-time quantification of CK-19 mRNA-positive cells in peripheral blood of breast cancer patients using the lightcycler system. (2003)

The developed method is highly sensitive and specific, and can be used for high-throughput continuous monitoring and quantification of circulating epithelial cells in the peripheral blood of breast cancer patients.
Neurofibromatosis-associated lung disease: a case series and literature review (2006)

An association of neurofibromatosis with diffuse lung disease (NF-DLD) has been described, but its true prevalence and characteristics remain unclear. The objective of the present study was to define diffuse lung disease in patients with neurofibromatosis. A retrospective case series and literature review in a tertiary care academic medical centre is reported in which medical records, chest radiographs and high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) scans were reviewed. A total of 55 adult patients with neurofibromatosis were identified, three of whom had NF-DLD. A literature review revealed 16 articles reporting 61 additional cases, yielding a total of 64 NF-DLD cases. The mean age of patients was 50 yrs. Males outnumbered females; most reported dyspnoea. Of the 16 subjects with documented smoking histories, 12 were ever-smokers. Eight patients had HRCT scan results demonstrating ground-glass opacities (37%), bibasilar reticular opacities (50%), bullae (50%), cysts (25%) and emphysema (25%); none had honeycombing. A group of 14 patients had surgical biopsy results that showed findings of interstitial fibrosis (100%) and interstitial inflammation (93%). In conclusion, neurofibromatosis with diffuse lung disease is a definable clinical entity, characterised by upper lobe cystic and bullous disease and lower lobe fibrosis. Its relationship to smoking remains unclear.
Picoamperometric Detection of Glucose at Ultrasmall Platinum-Based Biosensors:  Preparation and Characterization (2003)

A simple method is described for the construction of a glucose biosensor with good reproducibility. After electrochemical etching, the sensing tip of an etched platinum microelectrode was insulated using a synthetic rubber dip coating. The insulating layer was then heat-cured, leading to a small exposed area at the very end of the etched Pt tip, as confirmed by scanning electron microscopy. Phenol and 2-allylphenol were electropolymerized to form an extra insulating layer that effectively retained glucose oxidase (GOX) on the sensing tip of the electrode. On the basis of cyclic voltammetry measurements, the apparent radius of the biosensor tip was estimated to be between 10 and 500 nm, depending on GOX loading. With operational and storage stabilities over 3 weeks, the glucose biosensor prepared using optimal GOX concentration (10 mg/mL) exhibited a picoamperometric current response within approximately 2 s and a detection limit of 20 microM with excellent reproducibility.
Herpes Simplex Virus Triggers and Then Disarms a Host Antiviral Response (2001)

Virus infection induces an antiviral response that is predominantly associated with the synthesis and secretion of soluble interferon. Here, we report that herpes simplex virus type 1 virions induce an interferon-independent antiviral state in human embryonic lung cells that prevents plaquing of a variety of viruses. Microarray analysis of 19,000 human expressed sequence tags revealed induction of a limited set of host genes, the majority of which are also induced by interferon. Genes implicated in controlling the intracellular spread of virus and eliminating virally infected cells were among those induced. Induction of the cellular response occurred in the absence of de novo cellular protein synthesis and required viral penetration. In addition, this response was only seen when viral gene expression was inhibited, suggesting that a newly synthesized viral protein(s) may function as an inhibitor of this response.
Inner Eyelid Surface Temperature as a Function of Warm Compress Methodology (2008)

To optimize WC efficiency, patients should (1) heat the WC to approximately 45 degrees C, (2) optimize contact between the WC and outer eyelid surfaces, (3) reheat the WC frequently and have a replacement heated WC on hand for exchange, and (4) perform the activity for at least 4 min in order to achieve an inner lower eyelid temperature > or = 40 degrees C. Longer therapy may be necessary for more severe obstructions. These data suggest that precise, customized, labor-intensive WC procedure is necessary to optimize treating meibomian gland dysfunction and obstruction using WCs.
Influence of Skin Thickness on the in Vitro Permeabilities of Drugs through Sprague-Dawley Rat or Yucatan Micropig Skin (2012)

The purpose of this study was to clarify the influence of skin thickness on the in vitro permeabilities of 3 model drugs with different physicochemical properties (nicorandil (NR), isosorbide dinitrate (ISDN) and flurbiprofen (FP)) through Sprague-Dawley rat (rat) or Yucatan micropig (YMP) skin. Intact, dermis-split, stratum corneum-stripped or stratum corneum-stripped and dermis-split rat or YMP skin (rat skin thickness: approximately 0.4, 0.9 or 1.2 mm; YMP skin thickness: approximately 0.4, 0.9, 1.8 or 2.8 mm) were set in Franz-type diffusion cells to determine the permeation rate, lag time and resistance ratio of the viable epidermis and dermis against whole skin (R(ved)/R(tot)) of the drugs. The YMP skin permeabilities of the drugs decreased with an increase in the skin thickness, and significant differences were observed in the permeation rates and lag times between intact and dermis-split (0.4 mm) YMP skins. The decreases in the permeabilities of the drugs through the YMP skin were larger than those through the rat skin. The influence of resistances of ISDN and FP through the dermis-split rat or YMP skin was greater at 0.9 mm skin thickness than 0.4 mm skin thickness. The R(ved)/R(tot) values for the YMP skins were relatively large for lipophilic drugs (ISDN and FP), and these ratios increased with an increase in the dermis thickness. These results suggest that in vitro skin permeation studies must be done using dermis-split (0.4 mm) skin with the thinnest dermis for predicting in vivo human percutaneous absorption rate.
Intracellular antibody-caspase-mediated cell killing: An approach for application in cancer therapy (2000)

Antibodies have been expressed inside cells in an attempt to ablate the function of oncogene products. To make intracellular antibodies more generally applicable and effective in cancer therapy, we have devised a method in which programmed cell death or apoptosis can be triggered by specific antibody-antigen interaction. When intracellular antibodies are linked to caspase 3, the "executioner" in the apoptosis pathway, and bind to the target antigen, the caspase 3 moieties are self-activated and thereby induce cell killing. We have used this strategy in a model system with two pairs of intracellular antibodies and antigens. In vivo coexpression of an antibody-caspase 3 fusion with its antigenic target induced apoptosis that was specific for antibody, antigen, and active caspase 3. Moreover, the antibody-caspase 3 fusion protein was not toxic to cells in the absence of antigen. Therefore, intracellular antibody-mediated apoptosis should be useful as a specific therapeutic approach for the treatment of cancers, a situation where target cell killing is required.
Kinetics of transesterification of soybean oil (1997)

Abstract Transesterification of soybean oil with methanol was investigated. Three stepwise and reversible reactions are believed to occur. The effect of variations in mixing intensity (Reynolds number=3,100 to 12,400) and temperature (30 to 70°C) on the rate of reaction were studied while the molar ratio of alcohol to triglycerol (6:1) and the concentration of catalyst (0.20 wt% based on soybean oil) were held constant. The variations in mixing intensity appear to effect the reaction parallel to the variations in temperature. A reaction mechanism consisting of an initial mass transfer‐controlled region followed by a kinetically controlled region is proposed. The experimental data for the latter region appear to be a good fit into a second‐order kinetic mechanism. The reaction rate constants and the activation energies were determined for all the forward and reverse reactions.