gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
The application of Kohonen and Multilayer Perceptron Networks in the speech nonfluency analysis (2014)

Paper reports the neural network tests on ability of recognition and categorising the nonfluent and fluent utterance records. 40 of 4-second fragments containing the blockade before words starting with stop consonants (p, b, t, d, k and g) and including from 1 to 11 stop consonant repetitions and 40 recordings of the speech of the fluent speakers containing the same fragments were applied. Two various networks were examined. The first, Self Organizing Map (Kohonen network), with 21 inputs and 25 neurons in output layer, was used to reduce the dimension describing the input signals. As a result of the analysis we achieved vectors consisting of the neurons winning in a particular time point. Those vectors were taken as an input for the next network that was Multilayer Perceptron. Its various types: with one and two hidden layers, different kinds and time of learning were examined.
Reliability of integrated municipal water systems during drought: Reliability bounds approach (2002)

Drought conditions pose a serious risk to the performance of integrated municipal water systems (MWS). They subject MWS to a combined effect of increased demands and decreased supplies. The performance of integrated MWS is investigated under two failure scenarios which are that: available supply is not adequate to meet the required demand; and, system distribution and treatment capacity are less than the demand rate. These failure modes may be correlated because they are driven by the same climatic conditions such as rainfall and temperature. The approach takes into account correlation between supply and demand in drought periods as well as the interdependence between the two failure modes. A novel approach is presented in estimating the reliability of integrated MWS for multiple failure modes based on the reliability bounds concept.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">&gt;</ETX>
The Mediator Complex Subunits MED14, MED15, and MED16 Are Involved in Defense Signaling Crosstalk in Arabidopsis (2016)

Mediator is a highly conserved protein complex that functions as a transcriptional coactivator in RNA polymerase II (RNAPII)-mediated transcription. The <i>Arabidopsis</i> Mediator complex has recently been implicated in plant immune responses. Here, we compared salicylic acid (SA)-, methyl jasmonate (MeJA)-, and the ethylene (ET) precursor 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC)-induced defense and/or wound-responsive gene expression in 14 <i>Arabidopsis</i> Mediator subunit mutants. Our results show that MED14, MED15, and MED16 are required for SA-activated expression of the defense marker gene <i>PATHOEGNESIS-RELATED GENE1</i>, MED25 is required for MeJA-induced expression of the wound-responsive marker gene <i>VEGATATIVE STORAGE PROTEIN1</i> (<i>VSP1</i>), MED8, MED14, MED15, MED16, MED18, MED20a, MED25, MED31, and MED33A/B (MED33a and MED33B) are required for MeJA-induced expression of the defense maker gene <i>PLANT DEFENSIN1.2</i> (<i>PDF1.2</i>), and MED8, MED14, MED15, MED16, MED25, and MED33A/B are also required for ACC-triggered expression of <i>PDF1.2</i>. Furthermore, we investigated the involvement of MED14, MED15, and MED16 in plant defense signaling crosstalk and found that MED14, MED15, and MED16 are required for SA- and ET-mediated suppression of MeJA-induced <i>VSP1</i> expression. This result suggests that MED14, MED15, and MED16 not only relay defense signaling from the SA and JA/ET defense pathways to the RNAPII transcription machinery, but also fine-tune defense signaling crosstalk. Finally, we show that MED33A/B contributes to the necrotrophic fungal pathogen <i>Botrytis cinerea-</i>induced expression of the defense genes <i>PDF1.2, HEVEIN-LIKE</i>, and <i>BASIC CHITINASE</i> and is required for full-scale basal resistance to <i>B. cinerea</i>, demonstrating a positive role for MED33 in plant immunity against necrotrophic fungal pathogens.
A comparison of the efficacy of darifenacin alone vs. darifenacin plus a Behavioural Modification Programme upon the symptoms of overactive bladder (2008)

Darifenacin treatment provides a degree of normalisation of micturition variables and improvement in HRQoL that cannot be further enhanced by behavioural therapy of the type used in this study. Whether behavioural modification would add benefit over darifenacin treatment in patients with more pronounced incontinence problems remains to be determined.
Two-Dimensional Clusters of Colloidal Spheres: Ground States, Excited States, and Structural Rearrangements (2015)

We study experimentally what is arguably the simplest yet nontrivial colloidal system: two-dimensional clusters of six spherical particles bound by depletion interactions. These clusters have multiple, degenerate ground states whose equilibrium distribution is determined by entropic factors, principally the symmetry. We observe the equilibrium rearrangements between ground states as well as all of the low-lying excited states. In contrast to the ground states, the excited states have soft modes and low symmetry, and their occupation probabilities depend on the size of the configuration space reached through internal degrees of freedom, as well as a single "sticky parameter" encapsulating the depth and curvature of the potential. Using a geometrical model that accounts for the entropy of the soft modes and the diffusion rates along them, we accurately reproduce the measured rearrangement rates. The success of this model, which requires no fitting parameters or measurements of the potential, shows that the free-energy landscape of colloidal systems and the dynamics it governs can be understood geometrically.
Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis ATCC 15697 α-Fucosidases Are Active on Fucosylated Human Milk Oligosaccharides (2011)

Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis ATCC 15697 utilizes several small-mass neutral human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs), several of which are fucosylated. Whereas previous studies focused on endpoint consumption, a temporal glycan consumption profile revealed a time-dependent effect. Specifically, among preferred HMOs, tetraose was favored early in fermentation, with other oligosaccharides consumed slightly later. In order to utilize fucosylated oligosaccharides, ATCC 15697 possesses several fucosidases, implicating GH29 and GH95 α-L-fucosidases in a gene cluster dedicated to HMO metabolism. Evaluation of the biochemical kinetics demonstrated that ATCC 15697 expresses three fucosidases with a high turnover rate. Moreover, several ATCC 15697 fucosidases are active on the linkages inherent to the HMO molecule. Finally, the HMO cluster GH29 α-L-fucosidase possesses a crystal structure that is similar to previously characterized fucosidases.
Optical Charge-Transfer in Iron(III)hexacyanoferrate(II):  Electro-intercalated Cations Induce Lattice-Energy-Dependent Ground-State Energies (2003)

The maximum of the color-conferring charge-transfer (CT) band in Prussian Blue (PB) varies with the electrochemically introduced cation M(z+) incorporated (as "supernumerary") for charge neutrality, and the dependence on particular properties of the M(z+) has been sought. With alkali-metal ions, the CT-maximum shifts are in the same sequence as the PB mass changes on M+ insertion; the effect on the CT ground state of the intra-lattice interaction of an M+ with the ferrocyanide CN- moiety (competing with cation hydration), is then implicated in shifts of the maxima, as the ferrocyanide is the donor center in the optical CT. More definitely, for M2+ and Ag+, solubility-products of the insoluble M(z+) ferrocyanides (that provide direct indicators of the intra-lattice M(z+)-[Fe(II)(CN)(6)](4- interactions) show a strong correlation with the spectral shifts. The determining interaction of M(z+) with ferrocyanide within PB is enhanced in some cases by the accessibility of M(z+) oxidation states +/- 1 different from the common values. PB lattice energies and the ground states of the optical CTs thus appear closely interlinked. The electrochemical uptake of appreciable amounts of the M(z+) within the lattices was confirmed by XPS.
[Effects of TNF-alpha on IL-8 mRNA expression in endothelial cells]. (2001)

As a kind of chemokine, IL-8 plays an important role in inflammatory reaction. Its expression in endothelial cells is regulated by a variety of cytokines. In this study, after incubating cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells(HUVECs) with TNF-alpha for different time, we employed RT-PCR to assay IL-8 mRNA expression and immunocytochemical staining to detect NF-kappa B activation in HUVECs. The results revealed: (1) IL-8 mRNA expressed little in untreated HUVECs; after HUVECs was pre-incubated with TNF-alpha for 1 hour, IL-8 mRNA expression increased greatly, and it increased further after pre-incubated for 3 hours; however, when HUVECs was pre-incubated with TNF-alpha for 6 hours, IL-8 mRNA expression decreased, and it almost decreased to basal level when pre-incubated for 9 hours; (2) the immunoreactivity of NF-kappa B p65 in the nuclei of untreated HUVECs was negative; it became positive in the nuclei of HUVECs pre-incubated with TNF-alpha for 1 hour and 3 hours; it became weak positive in the nuclei of HUVECs pre-incubated with TNF-alpha for 6 hours, and after 9 hours, pre-incubation, the immunoreactivity of NF-kappa B p65 in the nuclei of HUVECs was negative. These results implied that TNF-alpha was capable of inducing IL-8 gene expression and activation NF-kappa B. and Their time courses were similar, thus suggesting that the induction of IL-8 gene expression by TNF-alpha is probably due to the activation of NF-kappa B.
Testosterone protects high-fat/low-carbohydrate diet-induced nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in castrated male rats mainly via modulating endoplasmic reticulum stress (2017)

We previously showed that testosterone (T) deficiency enhanced high-fat/low-carbohydrate diet (HFD)-induced hepatic steatosis in rats independent of insulin resistance and that T replacement reduced hepatic macrovesicular fat accumulation and inflammation. The present report explores the mechanism of T's protective effects on HFD-induced steatohepatitis. Adult male rats were randomized into four treatment groups for 15 wk: intact rats on regular chow diet or HFD, and castrated rats on HFD with or without T replacement. Fatty acid β-oxidation and de novo synthesis were not changed by castration and T replacement, but expression of lipid export proteins ApoB100 and microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (MTP) was suppressed by HFD in both intact and castrated rats but restored by T replacement. Macrovesicular lipid droplet-related proteins perilipin 1 and fat-specific protein 27 were increased by HFD in castrated rats and suppressed by T replacement. Higher activation/expression of ER stress proteins (PERK, IRE-1α, JNK, NF-κB, and CHOP) was demonstrated in castrated rats fed HFD compared with intact animals, and T replacement suppressed these changes. We conclude that 1) HFD leads to ApoB100/MTP suppression reducing export of lipids; 2) castration promotes progression to steatohepatitis through activation of the ER stress pathway and enhancement of macrovesicular droplet protein expression; and 3) testosterone suppresses ER stress, inhibits the formation of macrovesicular lipid droplets, promotes lipid export, and ameliorates steatohepatitis induced by HFD and castration.
Pilot Study: Application Of Intramuscular Stimulation To Upper Extremity Musculature Of A Child With Spastic Quadriparesis, Cerebral Palsy (2005)

The application of intramuscular stimulation to the upper extremity musculature of a child with spastic quadriparesis, cerebral palsy (CP) is under investigation. Two of the objectives of this pilot study are to document the effects of an intramuscular stimulation exercise regime on stimulated and voluntary movement and to define stimulation patterns which will augment existing motor function. Intramuscular electrodes were implanted in one child with CP and a regular exercise regime has been implemented. On a weekly basis, electrode response is measured using two different ground electrode placements and stimulated and volitional grasps are assessed using procedures defined in our laboratory. Preliminary results indicate that ground electrode placement may affect recruitment of secondary muscles. In addition, our current grasp evaluation appears to be appropriate to assess stimulated and voluntary movement of spastic musculature.
An Analysis of the Infections and Determination of Empiric Antibiotic Therapy in Cats and Dogs with Cancer-Associated Infections (2021)

Cancer patients commonly develop infectious complications over the course of the disease. One thousand patients receiving treatment for an oncologic disease at a single veterinary teaching hospital were retrospectively reviewed for concurrent infections. A total of 153 confirmed bacterial infections were identified, 82 of which were abscesses or wounds, 13 of which were respiratory infections, 3 of which were ear infections, and 55 of which were urinary tract infections. It was observed that the majority of the infections were caused by bacteria that are normally associated with that specific site location. <i>Escherichia coli</i> was the most common pathogen linked to infections in general, but <i>Staphylococcus pseudintermedius</i> was a frequently identified pathogen associated with wound infections. The susceptibility to diverse antimicrobials varied with the site of infection. Eleven cases (7.1%) were caused by opportunistic infections of the site, and <i>E. coli</i> and <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> were the pathogens isolated. Those bacteria were resistant to many antibiotics but showed susceptibility to aminoglycosides, imipenem, quinolones, and polymyxin B. In conclusion, veterinary patients with cancer or those under treatment for tumors develop infections by commonly encountered bacteria in the different sites of the body, with a susceptibility to antibiotics that is not out of line from what is expected. A small subset of cases developed opportunistic infections, with microbes that were more resistant to many classes of antibiotics.
Characterization of the mitochondrial carnitine palmitoyltransferase enzyme system. I. Use of inhibitors. (1987)

The effects of various inhibitors of carnitine palmitoyltransferase I were examined in mitochondria from rat liver and skeletal muscle. Three types of inhibitors were used: malonyl-CoA (reversible), tetradecylglycidyl-CoA and three of its analogues (irreversible), and 2-bromopalmitoyl-CoA (essentially irreversible when added with carnitine). Competitive binding studies between labeled and unlabeled ligands together with electrophoretic analysis of sodium dodecyl sulfate-solubilized membranes revealed that in mitochondria from both tissues all of the inhibitors interacted with a single protein. While the binding capacity for inhibitors was similar in liver and muscle (6-8 pmol/mg of mitochondrial protein) the proteins involved were of different monomeric size (Mr 94,000 and 86,000, respectively). Treatment of mitochondria with the detergent, octyl glucoside, yielded a soluble form of carnitine palmitoyltransferase and residual membranes that were devoid of enzyme activity. The solubilized enzyme displayed the same activity regardless of whether carnitine palmitoyltransferase I of the original mitochondria had first been exposed to an irreversible inhibitor or destroyed by chymotrypsin. It eluted as a single activity peak through four purification steps. The final product from both liver and muscle migrated as single band on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide electrophoresis with Mr of approximately 80,000. The data are consistent with the following model. The inhibitor binding protein is carnitine palmitoyltransferase I itself (as opposed to a regulatory subunit). The hepatic monomer is larger than the muscle enzyme. Each inhibitor interacts via its thioester group at the palmitoyl-CoA binding site of the enzyme but also at a second locus that is probably different for each agent and dictated by the chemical substituent on carbon 2. Disruption of the mitochondrial inner membrane by octyl glucoside causes inactivation of carnitine palmitoyltransferase I while releasing carnitine palmitoyltransferase II in active form. The latter is readily purified, is a smaller protein than carnitine palmitoyltransferase I, and has the same molecular weight in liver and muscle. It is insensitive to inhibitors where on or off the mitochondrial membrane.
The International Standard for Recombinant DNA-derived Erythropoietin: collaborative study of four recombinant DNA-derived erythropoietins and two highly purified human urinary erythropoietins (1992)

The International Standard (IS) for Recombinant DNA-Derived (rDNA) Erythropoietin (EPO) (in ampoules coded 87/684) and three other rDNA EPO preparations in ampoules coded 87/690, 87/696 and 88/574 respectively, were compared with two preparations of highly purified human urinary (HU) EPO and the 2nd International Reference Preparation of Human Urinary Erythropoietin for Bioassay (2nd IRP) by 26 laboratories in 11 countries using a wide range of in-vivo and in-vitro bioassays and immunoassays. These EPO preparations were also compared by electrophoresis and isoelectric focusing. Estimates of EPO content in terms of the 2nd IRP by all in-vivo bioassay methods gave combined unweighted geometric means (with 95% fiducial limits) of: 86 (75-99) IU/ampoule for the IS, 81 (70-94) IU/ampoule for 87/690, 58 (48-71) IU/ampoule for 87/696 and 120 (100-143) IU/ampoule for 88/574. Mean estimates of EPO content in terms of the 2nd IRP by in-vitro bioassays (except receptor assays) were larger than, and those by immunoassays were similar to, the mean estimates by in-vivo bioassays. The use of purified rDNA or HU EPO as standards in place of the 2nd IRP reduced the inter-laboratory variability of estimates of purified EPO preparations by in-vivo and in-vitro bioassays and by immunoassays, and reduced the variability of overall mean estimates for each of these preparations between the three types of method. The inter-laboratory variability of immunoassay estimates of human serum EPO was similar whether the 2nd IRP or one of the purified EPOs was used as standard. Significant differences in in-vivo and in-vitro biological, immunological and physicochemical properties were found between these four rDNA EPO preparations and between them and the HU EPO in the two purified preparations and in the 2nd IRP. There were also differences between the immunoreactivities of the two serum EPO samples included in the study, and between them and the immunoreactivities of the purified EPOs. The differences between rDNA EPOs appeared to be related to differences between the cells used for their biosynthesis, but may also be the result of differences in purification methods and of inter-batch variations. Significant differences in assay specificity were observed within each of the three general types of method. The specificity of the in-vivo bioassays was influenced by the route of hormone administration. The specificities of the mouse spleen cell in-vitro bioassays differed from that of the mouse spleen receptor-binding assay.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Film morphology and photophysics of polyfluorene (2000)

We have studied the interplay between photophysics and film morphology of poly(9,9-dioctyl)fluorene (PFO) using a variety of optical probes. Upon slowly warming a spin-cast PFO film from 80 to 300 K, a fraction of the sample is transformed into a different solid phase, the $\ensuremath{\beta}$ phase. Absorption and electroabsorption measurements show that the $\ensuremath{\beta}$ phase has more extended conjugation than the glassy phase. As a consequence, excited states of the $\ensuremath{\beta}$ phase are redshifted and have higher polarizability. The photoinduced absorption spectrum of a glassy PFO film is dominated by triplet excitons, whereas both polarons and triplet excitons are seen in a sample containing a fraction of the $\ensuremath{\beta}$ phase. The dependence of the photoinduced absorption and photocurrent upon the excitation wavelength shows that there is a clear link between polaron and triplet photogeneration.
Product quality, service reliability and management of operations at Starbucks (1970)

High product quality, service reliability, and management of operations are key factors in business growth and sustainability. Analyzing “The Starbucks Experience” is a pedagogical approach to reinforcing the concepts of control and management of quality, service reliability, and efficient operations in action. The objective of this paper is to show how providing high-quality, reliable products and service at Starbucks have influenced its market share, productivity, and profitability. In turn, Starbucks has improved on these business measures by excelling in operations management. The approach taken was to research the early days at Starbucks to gain insight on what made Starbucks so successful and then to use observational research to assess the customer experience at a particular Starbucks store in a city in the state of Michigan, USA. Sitting in this Starbucks store in the city’s little downtown and observing its operations and customers contact offered the opportunity to observe customers waiting in line, the baristas serving the customers, examining the store’s layout, and listening to conversations that revealed what customers like and dislike about “The Starbucks Experience.” Recommendations are made to improve operations. These areas fall under operations management for a company that sells a product and provides a service. There are three reasons customers choose Starbucks: the coffee, the people serving the coffee, and the experience in the stores. By excelling in these three areas and improving operations management, Starbucks can regain its market share, and improve productivity and profitability.
ADVERSE HEALTH EFFECTS AMONG WOMEN LIVING WITH HEAVY SNORERS (2000)

Women living with heavy snorers were more frequently affected by symptoms of insomnia, morning headache, daytime sleepiness, and fatigue than women living with non-snorers. Questionnaire data were collected from 1,032 women 30 to 64 years of age residing in Dalarna county, in mid-Sweden. There were indications of a "dose-response relationship" between the conjectured sound exposure and reported symptoms, regardless of whether the female herself snored. Sleeping in separate bedrooms did not seem to give the women any alleviation. The results point to a possible contributory cause of disturbed sleep, morning headache, and daytime sleepiness among women living with a snoring spouse. The results also indicate that prevention and treatment of snoring are important issues for the couple as well as for the snorer.