gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
The improved multi-scale Retinex algorithm and its application in face recognition (2015)

In this paper an improved multi-scale Retinex algorithm is studied to solve the insufficiency that the traditional multi-scale Retinex algorithm is incapable of non-uniform illumination images. Before being processed by the multi-scale Retinex algorithm, the given images are preprocessed by a nonlinear transformation to make the illumination of images tends to uniform. Besides, the improved algorithm is combined with PCA and LDA algorithm and apply for face recognition to identify the face images under complex illumination. Simulations show that the improved algorithm has a better ability for various illumination, and it increases the recognition rate under complex illumination.
Service differentiation and fair sharing in distributed quantum computing (2023)

In the future, quantum computers will become widespread and a network of quantum repeaters will provide them with end-to-end entanglement of remote quantum bits. As a result, a pervasive quantum computation infrastructure will emerge, which will unlock several novel applications, including distributed quantum computing, that is the pooling of resources on multiple computation nodes to address problem instances that are unattainable by any individual quantum computer. In this paper, we first investigate the issue of service differentiation in this new environment. Then, we define the problem of how to select which computation nodes should participate in each pool, so as to achieve a fair share of the quantum network resources available. The analysis is performed via an open source simulator and the results are fully and readily available.
Biochemical and molecular characterization of Lactobacillus reuteri 121 reuteransucrase (2004)

Lactobacillus reuteri strain 121 uses sucrose for synthesis of a unique, soluble glucan ('reuteran') with mainly alpha-(1-->4) glucosidic linkages. The gene (gtfA) encoding this glucansucrase enzyme had previously been characterized. Here, a detailed biochemical and molecular analysis of the GTFA enzyme is presented. This is believed to be the first report describing reuteransucrase enzyme kinetics and the oligosaccharides synthesized with various acceptors. Alignments of the GTFA sequence with glucansucrases from Streptococcus and Leuconostoc identified conserved amino-acid residues in the catalytic core critical for enzyme activity. Mutants Asp1024Asn, Glu1061Gln and Asp1133Asn displayed 300- to 1000-fold-reduced specific activities. To investigate the role of the relatively large N-terminal variable domain (702 amino acids) and the relatively short C-terminal putative glucan-binding domain (267 amino acids, with 11 YG repeats), various truncated derivatives of GTFA (1781 amino acids) were constructed and characterized. Deletion of the complete N-terminal variable domain of GTFA (GTFA-Delta N) had little effect on reuteran characteristics (size, distribution of glycosidic linkages), but the initial transferase activity of the mutant enzyme increased drastically. Sequential C-terminal deletions (up to six YG repeats) in GTFA-Delta N also had little effect on reuteran characteristics. However, enzyme kinetics drastically changed. Deletion of 7, 8 or 11 YG repeats resulted in dramatic loss of total enzyme activity (43-, 63- and 1000-fold-reduced specific activities, respectively). Characterization of sequential C-terminal deletion mutants of GTFA-Delta N revealed that the C-terminal domain of reuteransucrase has an important role in glucan binding.
Complications of Intrathecal Baclofen Pumps in Children (2003)

Intrathecal baclofen is increasingly being used to manage severe spasticity in children. Although substantial tone reduction with this treatment has been documented, complications also occur. In this study, we describe the device- and major non-device-related complications in a group of 100 consecutive children and young adults who received 117 intrathecal baclofen pumps for the management of severe spasticity. Twenty-four patients (24%) experienced a total of 48 complications. The most common complication was disconnection of the catheter at its connection to the pump, occurring in 9% of pumps implanted. This complication occurred more frequently in pumps with catheter access ports (16%) than in those without ports (2%). Catheter dislodgement from the intrathecal space was the next most common complication, occurring in 8% of pumps implanted (13% of pumps with ports, 4% of pumps without ports). To decrease the occurrence of the most common complications of intrathecal pumps, we now typically implant pumps without catheter access ports, and we use 2-piece catheters. Although the lack of an access port may be a disadvantage for troubleshooting, most complications can be detected in pumps without a port. Patient and family education is critical in preventing serious consequences of baclofen withdrawal resulting from catheter-related complications.
STBC based STTC codes optimized designs for three transmit antenna systems (2006)

International audience
Implementation of a Novel Web-Based Lesion Selection Tool to Improve Acquisition of Tumor Biopsy Specimens (2021)

The novel LST platform facilitates coordination, performance, and management of longitudinal biopsy specimens. Use of the LST enables sampling of the designated lesion consistently, which is likely to accurately inform us the effect of the treatment on tumor microenvironment and evolution of resistant pathways. Such studies are important translational component of any clinical trials and research as they guide the development of next line of therapy, which has significant effect on clinical utility. However, validation of this approach in a larger study is warranted.
Crystal Engineering: An Outlook for the Future (2018)

Crystal Engineering has traditionally dealt with molecular crystals. It is the understanding of intermolecular interactions in the context of crystal packing and in the utilization of such understanding in the design of new solids with desired physical and chemical properties. We outline here five areas which come under the umbrella of Crystal Engineering and where we feel that a proper planning of research efforts could lead to higher dividends for science together with greater returns for humankind. We touch on themes and domains where science funding and translation efforts could be directed in the current climate of a society that increasingly expects applications and utility products from science and technology. The five topics are: 1) pharmaceutical solids; 2) industrial solid state reactions; 3) mechanical properties with practical applications; 4) MOFs and COFs framework solids; 5) new materials for solar energy harvesting and advanced polymers.
Planar Waveguide: Utility in Amino Acid Detection (2003)

A device for the detection of fluorescently labeled nucleic acid sequences immobilized or hybridized to the surface of a planar waveguide has been developed. The device described requires no image gathering or analysis utilities, nor any specially patterned waveguide surface for detection. The system consists of an excitation light source and a photo detector, filters for select fluorescent emissions and a standard glass microscope slide that functions as a planar waveguide (PWG) and assay substrate. The device can discriminate fluorescent DNA products hybridized to a glass based array as effectively as laser based reader instruments, and is a low cost system with a high potential for full automation. The system’s functional parameters are presented along with design schematics of current prototypes. Performance data is also presented showing test results comparable to pre-established fluorescence detection means. Future design goals are also discussed. It is concluded that as a component in telemedicine or other remote medical care strategies, the detection means presented can play a significant role in bringing molecular diagnosis and gene detection to arenas of medical care where it is currently unavailable.
Chelating the valley of death: Deferoxamine’s path from bench to wound clinic (2023)

There is undisputable benefit in translating basic science research concretely into clinical practice, and yet, the vast majority of therapies and treatments fail to achieve approval. The rift between basic research and approved treatment continues to grow, and in cases where a drug is granted approval, the average time from initiation of human trials to regulatory marketing authorization spans almost a decade. Albeit with these hurdles, recent research with deferoxamine (DFO) bodes significant promise as a potential treatment for chronic, radiation-induced soft tissue injury. DFO was originally approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1968 for the treatment of iron overload. However, investigators more recently have posited that its angiogenic and antioxidant properties could be beneficial in treating the hypovascular and reactive-oxygen species-rich tissues seen in chronic wounds and radiation-induced fibrosis (RIF). Small animal experiments of various chronic wound and RIF models confirmed that treatment with DFO improved blood flow and collagen ultrastructure. With a well-established safety profile, and now a strong foundation of basic scientific research that supports its potential use in chronic wounds and RIF, we believe that the next steps required for DFO to achieve FDA marketing approval will include large animal studies and, if those prove successful, human clinical trials. Though these milestones remain, the extensive research thus far leaves hope for DFO to bridge the gap between bench and wound clinic in the near future.
Physical Activity, Waist-to-Hip Ratio, and Other Risk Factors for Ovarian Cancer (1996)

We investigated the association of epithelial ovarian cancer with physical activity, waist-to-hip ratio, reproductive factors, and family history of cancer in a prospective cohort study of 31,396 postmenopausal women. Ninety-seven women developed incident epithelial ovarian cancer over 7 years. The number of livebirths was associated with lower risk (multivariate-adjusted relative risks for 1-2, 3-4, and > 4 livebirths compared with nulliparity were 0.64, 0.47, and 0.43, respectively). A family history of ovarian cancer in a first-degree relative was associated with a 2.5 times greater risk (95% confidence interval = 0.90-6.7). Multivariate-adjusted relative risks for the upper three quartiles of waist-to-hip ratio compared with the lowest quartile were 2.0, 1.6, and 2.3, respectively. Women with "moderate" and "high" levels of physical activity compared with those with "low" physical activity had relative risks of 1.4 and 2.1, respectively. Positive associations of physical activity and waist-to-hip ratio with ovarian cancer seem inconsistent with existing theories of ovarian cancer pathogenesis.
Integrated Plasma Control in DIII-D (2005)

The integrated plasma control approach provides a systematic method for designing plasma control algorithms with high reliability and for confirming their performance off-line prior to experimental implementation. This approach includes construction of plasma and system response models, validation of models against operating experiments, design of integrated controllers that operate in concert with one another as well as with supervisory modules, simulation of control action against off-line and actual machine control platforms, and iteration of the design-test loop to optimize performance. Using this approach, required levels of robustness to model uncertainties and off-normal events can be quantified and incorporated in the design process. The DIII-D digital plasma control system (PCS) enables application of this method by providing a flexible programming environment and an architecture for real-time parallel operation of a set of computers that executes the large set of control algorithms needed for exploration of the advanced tokamak regime. The present work describes the DIII-D PCS and the approach, benefits, and progress made in integrated plasma control as applied to the DIII-D tokamak, with implications for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor design and other next-generation tokamaks.
Infection of pigs with African swine fever virus via ingestion of stable flies (Stomoxys calcitrans) (2018)

Within Eastern Europe, African swine fever virus (ASFV) has unexpectedly spread to farms with high biosecurity. In an attempt to explain this process, pigs were allowed to ingest flies that had fed on ASFV-spiked blood, which had a realistic titre for an infected pig. Some of the pigs became infected with the virus. Thus, ingestion of blood-sucking flies, having fed on ASFV-infected wild boar before entering stables, represents a potential route for disease transmission.
iPS Cells: New Applications for Metabolic Liver Diseases (2012)

Gaining insight into the biology of human stem cells and the early embryonic development helps us to generate new ways for generation of tissue-specific cells from embryonic stem cells or other pluripotent stem cell resources. The landmark studies from Shinya Yamanaka and others opened a new era in stem cell biology, by providing a technology that allows the generation of pluripotent stem cells from patients’ cells and, thus, allowing the generation of disease-specific stem cells. But in their pluripotent stage those stem cells cannot be readily used for studies of the disease phenotype and improved differentiation protocols need to be applied to get a disease-specific cell phenotype. Combining these two major advances in the field of stem cell biology, new approaches for studying metabolic liver diseases in correlation to each patient’s symptoms are available, which provide a breakthrough in new drug target research or individual gene therapy.
Caerulomycin A Enhances Transforming Growth Factor-β (TGF-β)-Smad3 Protein Signaling by Suppressing Interferon-γ (IFN-γ)-Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 1 (STAT1) Protein Signaling to Expand Regulatory T Cells (Tregs) (2014)

Cytokines play a very important role in the regulation of immune homeostasis. Regulatory T cells (Tregs) responsible for the generation of peripheral tolerance are under the tight regulation of the cytokine milieu. In this study, we report a novel role of a bipyridyl compound, Caerulomycin A (CaeA), in inducing the generation of Tregs. It was observed that CaeA substantially up-regulated the pool of Tregs, as evidenced by an increased frequency of CD4(+) Foxp3(+) cells. In addition, CaeA significantly suppressed the number of Th1 and Th17 cells, as supported by a decreased percentage of CD4(+)/IFN-γ(+) and CD4(+)/IL-17(+) cells, respectively. Furthermore, we established the mechanism and observed that CaeA interfered with IFN-γ-induced STAT1 signaling by augmenting SOCS1 expression. An increase in the TGF-β-mediated Smad3 activity was also noted. Furthermore, CaeA rescued Tregs from IFN-γ-induced inhibition. These results were corroborated by blocking Smad3 activity, which abolished the CaeA-facilitated generation of Tregs. In essence, our results indicate a novel role of CaeA in inducing the generation of Tregs. This finding suggests that CaeA has enough potential to be considered as a potent future drug for the treatment of autoimmunity.
Electronic band structure of insulating hydrogenated carbon-germanium films (1999)

Amorphous carbon-germanium films (a-GeXCY:H) produced by plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition from tetramethylgermanium in a radio-frequency (13.56 MHz) glow discharge, were investigated. It had been found previously that these films, according to the discharge power P, could be obtained as an amorphous semiconductor or an amorphous insulator. The latter type of the films (deposited at P=5 W) is a subject of this article. Investigations on an optical absorption, bulk photogeneration, and internal photoemission were performed. On this basis the main parameters of the electronic band structure of the films, such as transport gap EG, optical gaps, Eopt and E04, electron affinity χ, and ionization potential J, were determined. These parameters change drastically as a result of an aging process. For the fresh films, EG=5.7 eV, Eopt=3.1 eV, and E04=3.6 eV, while for the aged films, EG=7.1 eV, Eopt=3.8 eV, E04=4.2 eV, χ=1.2 eV, and J=8.3 eV. It is suggested that the aging process consists in the oxidation of the films, which causes a reduction of the density of localized states in the bulk of the film as well as a drastic decrease in the surface states (from about 1018 m−2 V−1 for the fresh film to 1.6×1016 m−2 V−1 for the aged film).
Pathogenesis of human cytomegalovirus in the immunocompromised host (2021)

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a herpesvirus that infects ~60% of adults in developed countries and more than 90% in developing countries. Usually, it is controlled by a vigorous immune response so that infections are asymptomatic or symptoms are mild. However, if the immune system is compromised, HCMV can replicate to high levels and cause serious end organ disease. Substantial progress is being made in understanding the natural history and pathogenesis of HCMV infection and disease in the immunocompromised host. Serial measures of viral load defined the dynamics of HCMV replication and are now used routinely to allow intervention with antiviral drugs in individual patients. They are also used as pharmacodynamic read-outs to evaluate prototype vaccines that may protect against HCMV replication and to define immune correlates of this protection. This novel information is informing the design of randomized controlled trials of new antiviral drugs and vaccines currently under evaluation. In this Review, we discuss immune responses to HCMV and countermeasures deployed by the virus, the establishment of latency and reactivation from it, exogenous reinfection with additional strains, pathogenesis, development of end organ disease, indirect effects of infection, immune correlates of control of replication, current treatment strategies and the evaluation of novel vaccine candidates.
P1131STEADY CONCENTRATION PERITONEAL DIALYSIS INCREASES ULTRAFILTRATION AND SODIUM REMOVAL COMPARED TO CAPD (2020)

Abstract Background and Aims Fluid and sodium removal may be a challenge during glucose-based PD, leading to increased use of high glucose solutions to maintain sufficient fluid removal. This may in turn lead to increased sodium sieving, resulting in a decreased sodium removal. Carry Life® UF uses Steady Concentration PD (SCPD), where the infusion of glucose compensates for glucose uptake and maintains the intraperitoneal glucose concentration at a sufficient level providing a continuous ultrafiltration throughout the dwell. The present study investigated the effect of Carry Life UF compared to a standard CAPD dwell regarding ultrafiltration, sodium removal and glucose absorption. Method Eight stable PD patients were included in the study. Subjects were treated with 5-hour Carry Life UF treatments using three different glucose doses (11, 14, 20 g/h). An initial fill with 1500 ml, 13.6 g/l glucose PD solution was used. A small volume of dialysate was drained hourly to avoid overfill. A standard 4-hour Peritoneal Equilibration Test (PET) (2000 ml, 22.7 g/l glucose) was used as control. Data expressed as mean ± SD, statistical analysis using one-way ANOVA. Results Ultrafiltration was significantly increased during the Carry Life UF treatments compared to PET (646±256, 739±312, 863±380 ml for 11 g/h, 14 g/h and 20 g/h, respectively, vs. 162±242 ml for PET, p&amp;lt;0.01). Sodium removal increased significantly during Carry Life UF treatments (86±27, 92±33, 110±37 mmol/dwell for 11, 14, and 20 g glucose/h) compared to PET (22±33 mmol/dwell, p&amp;lt;0.001). Figure a shows that the intraperitoneal glucose concentration increased during the first hours of the Carry Life UF treatments and remained stable during the remainder of the treatments. During PET the glucose concentration decreased gradually during the treatment. The maximum intraperitoneal glucose concentration did not exceed 26 g/l (144 mmol/l) during the Carry Life UF treatments. The UF volume per gram of glucose uptake was significantly higher for the two lower Carry Life UF glucose doses compared to PET (Figure b). Conclusion SCPD performed with Carry Life® UF maintained a stable intraperitoneal glucose concentration during the 5-hour treatment which generated significantly higher UF volumes compared to 4-hour PET. During the Carry Life UF treatments glucose was used more efficiently, particularly for the two lowest doses, in comparison to PET. The increased sodium removal with Carry Life® UF enables a better balance between UF volume and sodium removal than for example during APD. In summary, SCPD using Carry Life® UF increases the efficiency of PD compared to standard, glucose-based CAPD with respect to ultrafiltration and sodium removal.
Extracellular Vesicles in Corneal Fibrosis/Scarring (2022)

Communication between cells and the microenvironment is a complex, yet crucial, element in the development and progression of varied physiological and pathological processes. Accumulating evidence in different disease models highlights roles of extracellular vesicles (EVs), either in modulating cell signaling paracrine mechanism(s) or harnessing their therapeutic moiety. Of interest, the human cornea functions as a refractive and transparent barrier that protects the intraocular elements from the external environment. Corneal trauma at the ocular surface may lead to diminished corneal clarity and detrimental effects on visual acuity. The aberrant activation of corneal stromal cells, which leads to myofibroblast differentiation and a disorganized extracellular matrix is a central biological process that may result in corneal fibrosis/scarring. In recent years, understanding the pathological and therapeutic EV mechanism(s) of action in the context of corneal biology has been a topic of increasing interest. In this review, we describe the clinical relevance of corneal fibrosis/scarring and how corneal stromal cells contribute to wound repair and their generation of the stromal haze. Furthermore, we will delve into EV characterization, their subtypes, and the pathological and therapeutic roles they play in corneal scarring/fibrosis.