gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Paternal calorie restriction prior to conception alters anxiety-like behavior of the adult rat progeny (2015)

The maternal environment influences a broad range of phenotypic outcomes for offspring, with anxiety-like behavior being particularly susceptible to maternal environmental perturbations. Much less is known regarding paternal environmental influences. To investigate this, adult male rats were exposed to 25% calorie restriction (CR) or glucocorticoid elevation (CORT; 200 μg/ml of corticosterone in drinking water) for ∼ 6 weeks prior to breeding. Elevated plus maze (EPM), open field (OF), predator odor (cat urine), and acoustic startle/pre-pulse inhibition (AS/PPI) were characterised in the adult male offspring. Plasma concentrations of corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRF), adrenocorticotropin hormone (ACTH), and serum leptin were characterised in both sires and offspring. Maternal care received by litters was additionally observed. Expectedly, CR and CORT treatment attenuated weight gain, whilst only CR induced anxiolytic behavior in the EPM. The adult offspring sired by CR males also demonstrated a reduction in weight gain, food intake and serum leptin levels when compared to controls. Moreover, CR offspring demonstrated an anxiolytic-like profile in the EPM and OF, enhanced habituation to the AS pulse, reduced PPI, but no alteration to predator odor induced defensiveness compared to control. CORT offspring failed to demonstrate any behavioral differences from controls, however, exhibited a trend towards reduced ACTH and leptin concentration. Collectively, the results indicate that a reduction in calories in males prior to conception can affect the behavior of adult offspring. The phenotypic transmission of CR experiences from fathers to the progeny could potentially be mediated epigenetically. The role of glucocorticoid elevation and maternal care are also discussed.
Thermochemical Properties of Polyethylenoxime (2021)

The energy of combustion of polyethylene oxime is determined for the first time via combustion calorimetry. The resulting experimental data are used to calculate the standard enthalpy of combustion and thermochemical characteristics of the formation of a partially crystalline polymer at T = 298.15 K, along with the thermodynamic characteristics of its synthesis in the range of 298.15–400 K.
Situated Citizen Photojournalism and a Look at Dilemmatic Thinking (2002)

We present an approach to investigating the development of in individuals and communities. To study this style of thinking we use a framework called Situated Citizen Journalism (SCJ) in which non-specialists (citizens) work with professional photojournalists and learning technologists to create and critique images. The participants form a community of journalistic practice. This paper describes the SCJ approach; the rationale for situating the investigation of dilemmatic thinking within the photojournalism practice; and a project currently in progress to investigate young people's dilemmatic thinking through photojournalism. We conclude with a number of research questions guiding the development of collaborative software to support SCJ.
Enhancing the Biodegradation of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons: Effects of Nonionic Surfactant Addition on Biofilm Function and Structure (2008)

The application of surfactants for the bioremediation of sites contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons has been widely reported, because they are known to increase PAH solubility and desorption, thereby enhancing their bioavailability to biofilm microorganisms. The effects of a nonionic surfactant on the biodegradation of PAHs in porous media, as well as the fate of the surfactant, were investigated in this study. Column experiments in the presence of the surfactant showed that the degradation of the two-ring PAH alone was not significantly affected, but that there was a small enhancement of three- and four-ring PAH degradation when they were present as sole substrates and when using Triton X-100. This was due to the higher solubility of the PAHs in the presence of the surfactant. Biofilm seemed to respond well to binary mixtures of phenanthrene–naphthalene and pyrene–naphthalene, with removals of 45.5 and 24.1%, respectively, in the presence of the surfactant; however, higher biodegradations were always achieved by having just PAH mixtures without the surfactant, indicating the importance of cometabolic mechanisms over improved solubilization of PAHs. Optical sections taken using a confocal laser scanning microscope allowed observation of a heterogeneous web-like matrix of biofilm, with diverse biological aggregate structures.
Lactate induces FGF21 expression in adipocytes through a p38-MAPK pathway (2016)

FGF21 (fibroblast growth factor 21), first described as a main fasting-responsive molecule in the liver, has been shown to act as a true metabolic regulator in additional tissues, including muscle and adipose tissues. In the present study, we found that the expression and secretion of FGF21 was very rapidly increased following lactate exposure in adipocytes. Using different pharmacological and knockout mice models, we demonstrated that lactate regulates Fgf21 expression through a NADH/NAD-independent pathway, but requires active p38-MAPK (mitogen activated protein kinase) signalling. We also demonstrated that this effect is not restricted to lactate as additional metabolites including pyruvate and ketone bodies also activated the FGF21 stress response. FGF21 release by adipose cells in response to an excess of intermediate metabolites may represent a physiological mechanism by which the sensing of environmental metabolic conditions results in the release of FGF21 to improve metabolic adaptations.
Tripartite Mechanism of Extinction Suggested by Dopamine Neuron Activity and Temporal Difference Model (2008)

Extinction of behavior enables adaptation to a changing world and is crucial for recovery from disorders such as phobias and drug addiction. However, the brain mechanisms underlying behavioral extinction remain poorly understood. Midbrain dopamine (DA) neurons appear to play a central role in most acquisition processes of appetitive conditioning. Here, we show that the responses of putative DA neurons to conditioned reward predicting cues also dynamically encode two classical features of extinction: decrement in amplitude of previously learned excitatory responses and rebound of responding on subsequent retesting (spontaneous recovery). Crucially, this encoding involves development of inhibitory responses in the DA neurons, reflecting new, extinction-specific learning in the brain. We explored the implications of this finding by adding such inhibitory inputs to a standard temporal difference model of DA cell activity. We found that combining extinction-triggered plasticity of these inputs with a time-dependent spontaneous decay of weights, equivalent to a forgetting process as described in classical behavioral extinction literature, enabled the model to simulate several classical features of extinction. A key requirement to achieving spontaneous recovery was differential rates of spontaneous decay for weights representing original conditioning and for subsequent extinction learning. A testable prediction of the model is thus that differential decay properties exist within the wider circuits regulating DA cell activity. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that extinction processes at both cellular and behavioral levels involve a dynamic interaction between new (inhibitory) learning, forgetting, and unlearning.
Object-oriented numerical modeling for integrated optics (1998)

We show how the concepts central to object oriented programming--inheritance, polymorphism and encapsulation-- can be used efficiently to implement extensible and reusable code that can be readily applied to integrated optics modeling. In particular, we will show how object oriented programming can lead to elegant and adaptable simulation code that can be easily tailored for specific needs. This approach leads to small and elegant code that can--in certain instances--be preferable to fully mouse driven commercial programs. Examples are given. We have developed a collection of modern modeling techniques using object oriented programming aimed at integrated optics. This readily available code library encompasses beam propagation methods, mode solvers, gratings and coupled mode analysis. Being based on a general programming language, namely C++, it is possible to use the library to automate tedious calculations and/or optimization problems. The library can also be used to rapidly develop custom made software for rapid prototyping and/or to apply to specific research problems. Moreover, due to its object oriented nature, the library pieces fit together naturally and versatile simulation code can be written.
Microclimate limits thermal behaviour favourable to disease control in a nocturnal amphibian (2020)

While epizootics increasingly affect wildlife, it remains poorly understood how the environment shapes most host-pathogen systems. Here, we employ a three-step framework to study microclimate influence on ectotherm host thermal behaviour, focusing on amphibian chytridiomycosis in fire salamanders (Salamandra salamandra) infected with the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal). Laboratory trials reveal that innate variation in thermal preference, rather than behavioural fever, can inhibit infection and facilitate salamander recovery under humidity-saturated conditions. Yet, a 3-year field study and a mesocosm experiment close to the invasive Bsal range show that microclimate constraints suppress host thermal behaviour favourable to disease control. A final mechanistic model, that estimates range-wide, year-round host body temperature relative to microclimate, suggests that these constraints are rule rather than exception. Our results demonstrate how innate host defences against epizootics may remain constrained in the wild, which predisposes to range-wide disease outbreaks and population declines.
Real-world prognostic model for malignant pleural mesothelioma. (2021)

e20562 Background: Two mesothelioma prognostic models have been suggested: European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) and Cancer and Leukaemia Group B (CALGB) models. Both were based on clinical trial patients enrolled in the mid-1980s to early-1990s. Several changes to mesothelioma management have been adopted since publication of these models, including improved surgical and palliative interventions and changes to systemic therapy. Methods: With ethics approval, we collected and analyzed the health data of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) patients with histologically confirmed diagnosis treated at our institution between January 1991 and March 2019. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS). Univariate analysis was used to identify significant predictors of survival, which were then used to construct a multivariate survival tree with complete case-analysis and bootstrapping. Patients were then stratified into three prognostic groups based on their median OS. Results: 337 patients were included in the study; 309 (91.7%) were dead at last follow-up. The median OS was 9.4 (8.1-11.5) months for the entire population. Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status (PS), histology, white blood count, platelets, International Mesothelioma Interest Group stage, age and hemoglobin were independent predictors of survival. The final pruned survival tree was based on 285 patients and incorporated the first five predictors. Good, intermediate and poor prognostic groups had median OS of &gt; 12 months, 6-12 months, and &lt; 6 months, respectively. Factors associated with the prognostic groups were: good prognosis: ECOG 0-1, normal platelets, stage 1, 2 and epithelioid histology; intermediate prognosis: ECOG 0-1 with either stage 3, 4 and/or sarcomatoid or biphasic histology; poor prognosis: ECOG 2-4 regardless of other factors. Conclusions: In contrast to EORTC/CALGB, real world evidence generates these prognostic groups with face validity but will need independent validation. Our data does not account for recent advances including immunotherapy, and thus patients with non-epithelioid histology may have better survival than predicted.[Table: see text]
Polymer Light-Emitting Electrochemical Cells with Frozen p-i-n Junction at Room Temperature (1998)

Light-emitting electrochemical cells (LECs) are a new approach to achieving light emission from semiconducting (luminescent) polymers. The fabrication and structure of bright polymer LECs are described that operate at room temperature in the frozen p-i-n mode. Their performance characteristics are shown to be similar to those of polymer light-emitting diodes. Frozen-junction LECs are demonstrated to fulfill all the criteria for electroluminescent devices suitable for high pixel density, column–row addressable flat-panel displays.
Application of discrete derivative method with a new frequency mapping technique for adaptive-notch-filter based vibration control in industrial servo systems (2017)

This paper presents an application of a discrete derivative method with a new frequency mapping technique for adaptive-notch-filter (ANF) based resonance suppression in an actual industrial servo system. An ANF includes a frequency estimator which estimates the frequency of input signal in real time. A new discrete derivative method, which utilizes a modified bilinear transform, was recently developed to improve the frequency estimation performance of ANF and applied to computer simulation cases. The frequency estimation performance in steady state is improved, especially in high frequency ranges by using this derivative method. However the previous method can cause large estimation errors when estimated frequency varies rapidly. This paper develops a new frequency mapping technique which compensates for the frequency warping of the modified bilinear transform, and applies it with the discrete derivative method to implement an ANF. This method shows improved frequency estimation performance even when the estimated frequency varies rapidly. Numerical simulations are performed for the cases which an adaptation gain, the amplitude of an input signal, or the frequency of an input signal is high, respectively. Note that the rapid change of estimated frequency occurs in these cases. Experiments using an industrial servo system are also performed to show the improved frequency estimation performance of the developed ANF.
A conserved role for sleep in supporting Spatial Learning in Drosophila (2020)

Sleep loss and aging impair hippocampus-dependent Spatial Learning in mammalian systems. Here we use the fly Drosophila melanogaster to investigate the relationship between sleep and Spatial Learning in healthy and impaired flies. The Spatial Learning assay is modeled after the Morris Water Maze. The assay uses a "thermal maze" consisting of a 5 × 5 grid of Peltier plates maintained at 36-37°C and a visual panorama. The first trial begins when a single tile that is associated with a specific visual cue is cooled to 25°C. For subsequent trials, the cold tile is heated, the visual panorama is rotated and the flies must find the new cold tile by remembering its association with the visual cue. Significant learning was observed with two different wild-type strains-Cs and 2U, validating our design. Sleep deprivation prior to training impaired Spatial Learning. Learning was also impaired in the classic learning mutant rutabaga (rut); enhancing sleep restored learning to rut mutants. Further, we found that flies exhibited a dramatic age-dependent cognitive decline in Spatial Learning starting at 20-24 days of age. These impairments could be reversed by enhancing sleep. Finally, we find that Spatial Learning requires dopaminergic signaling and that enhancing dopaminergic signaling in aged flies restored learning. Our results are consistent with the impairments seen in rodents and humans. These results thus demonstrate a critical conserved role for sleep in supporting Spatial Learning, and suggest potential avenues for therapeutic intervention during aging.
Fixed point topology and robustness to perturbations between pairs of coupled neurons (2012)

Synchronization of neural firing plays an important role in nervous system function. Synchronized and phase locked relationships have been implicated in the creation and retrieval of memories [1,2], while the disruption of normal synchrony and phase locking appears to be a factor in disorders like schizophrenia [3,4]. Here we explore synchronization mechanisms in small two-cell networks and the robustness of these networks to perturbations.

Phase response curves (PRCs) describe how neurons respond to perturbations applied at specific times during the interspike interval. The PRC can be plotted in terms of the time to next spike as a function of when the spike arrived; this curve describes the dynamics of a single neuron, and the intersection points of two of these interaction curves represent the fixed points of the coupled system [5,6].

Achuthan and colleagues have recently shown (manuscript submitted) that interaction curves with 0, 1, or 2 fixed points can exist in hybrid circuits of one biological and one model neuron. In this work, we use two reciprocally coupled Wang Buzsaki [7] model neurons to investigate how different numbers of coupled system fixed points affect the network robustness against perturbation. In addition, we investigate the effect of interaction curve shape on network robustness. The perturbation applied to test robustness is a delay or advance of a single spike of one model neuron.

Like Achuthan et al, we show that systems with 1 or 2 fixed points exhibit phase locking, while a system with 0 fixed points, but interaction curves in close proximity, shows temporary locking with some phase walkthrough. We are currently quantifying the effects of perturbation strength and timing on transient disturbances to the phase locking of the coupled system as well as convergence time back to the pre-perturbation phase relationship. In addition, we are exploring how the proximity of interaction curves affects robustness of the coupled system to perturbation. Preliminary results show that interaction curves that are closer together take a longer amount of time and more cycles to recover from perturbation than interaction curves that are further apart. Experimental validation of these modeling results will be shown.
New heterobicationic hemicyanine dyes: Synthesis, spectroscopic properties, and photoinitiating ability (2006)

Abstract This article describes the synthesis, spectroscopic properties, and free‐radical photoinitiation ability of new heterobicationic hemicyanine dyes. A new synthetic strategy for the preparation of unsymmetrical cyanine dyes has been developed, based on 2‐methylbenzothiazole derivative quaternization by 3‐pyridinium‐1‐bromopropane bromide and subsequent condensation of the resulting product with p ‐( N,N ‐dimethylamino)benzaldehyde. The tested dyes possess in one molecule two quaternary nitrogen atoms; that is, they are heterobicationic in nature. Novel hemicyanine dyes have been tested as visible‐light photoinitiators of vinyl monomer polymerization. Heterobicationic hemicyanine dyes paired with n ‐butyltriphenylborate anions are very efficient photoinitiators of the free‐radical polymerization of trimethylolpropane triacrylate when irradiated with the visible emission of an argon‐ion laser. The photoinitiating abilities of the novel photoredox pairs are compared with the photoinitiation properties of their monocationic equivalent {3‐methyl‐2‐[4‐( N,N ‐dimethylamino)styryl]benzothiazolium n ‐butyltriphenylborate} as well as a Rose Bengal derivative (a typical triplet‐state photoinitiator). © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 6345–6359, 2006
Caractéristiques du microbiote chez le sujet âgé - Synthèse du 5e symposium « Feeding the Microbiota » (2020)

Caractéristiques du microbiote chez le sujet âgéSynthèse du 5 e symposium « Feeding the Microbiota » Le microbiote est le sujet de nombreuses recherches.Il est défini comme l'ensemble des microorganismes présents dans les tissus et sur les surfaces corporelles.Il est à l'interface avec de nombreux systèmes dont le système immunitaire, joue un rôle dans le métabolisme, l'immunité ou l'inflammation, et serait associé à certains mécanismes pathologiques.Sa composition et son activité métabolique sont influencées par différents facteurs comme l'âge.Cet article résume les thématiques abordées lors du 5 e symposium « Feeding the Microbiota » (HUG, 6 février 2020), focalisé sur le microbiote et le vieillissement. Microbiota specificities among the elderly Summary of the 5 th symposium « Feeding the Microbiota »The microbiota is a subject of particular interest and research.It is defined as all microorganisms present in tissues and on body surfaces.It sits at the interface with many systems, including the immune system, plays a role in the metabolism, immunity, or inflammation and is thought to be associated with some pathological mechanisms.Its composition and metabolic activity are influenced by diverse factors such as aging.This article summarizes the 5th symposium « Feeding the Microbiota » (Geneva University Hospitals, February 6, 2020), focused on microbiota and aging.
Simulation study of artifacts in Computed Tomography caused by metal implants (2012)

Article Simulation study of artifacts in Computed Tomography caused by metal implants was published on September 6, 2012 in the journal Biomedical Engineering / Biomedizinische Technik (volume 57, issue SI-1-Track-S).
Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles using Rheum palmatum root extract and their antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (2016)

In the present study, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesized by using aqueous root extracts of Rheum palmatum and characterized by various spectroscopic methods. The nanoparticles were found to be in hexagonal and spherical shapes. The average particle size was found to be 121 ± 2 nm with zeta potential values of −21.6 mv by dynamic light scattering (DLS) method. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis of R. palmatum revealed 35 compounds. The synthesized AgNPs showed significant activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa with IC90 values of 15 μg/ml and IC50 values of 7.5 μg/ml, respectively. The protein leakage level was high and morphological changes occurred in bacteria treated with AgNPs.
Vardenafil, a New Phosphodiesterase Type 5 Inhibitor, in the Treatment of Erectile Dysfunction in Men With Diabetes (2003)

Vardenafil statistically improved erectile function and was generally well tolerated in these diabetic patients with ED.
Building an Interlocking Human Factors Research and Development Program (2005)

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) partners with the National Astronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to manage and integrate research on enhanced air- and ground-based air traffic management technologies. This partnership, designed to integrate air traffic decision support tools, concepts, and procedures, was formalized in September 1995. Coordinated research initiatives are described in joint research project descriptions (JRPDs) that define objectives, approach, responsibilities, mission relevance, goals, and outcomes. JRPD 12 is unique in that, as a cross-cutting JRPD, it ensures relevant human factors research issues, methods, metrics, and findings of individual programs of both organizations are made known to, shared, and leveraged by the larger research community including FAA, NASA, aviation industry and academia. Now, FAA is challenged as never before to integrate research and development (R&D) capabilities into the National Airspace System. The lessons and challenges identified by this group are summarized and presented as recommendations for establishing an integrated and focused human factors R&D program.