gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Synergistic effects of Bifidobacterium thermophilum RBL67 and selected prebiotics on inhibition of Salmonella colonization in the swine proximal colon PolyFermS model (2014)

Probiotics and prebiotics are promising strategies to counteract Salmonella prevalence in swine. In the present study, we investigated the effects of prebiotics (fructo- (FOS), galacto- (GOS) and mannan- (MOS) oligosaccharides) and the bacteriocinogenic Bifidobacterium thermophilum RBL67 (RBL67) on Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Typhimurium N-15 (N-15) colonization using the PolyFermS in vitro continuous fermentation model simulating the swine proximal colon. The PolyFermS model was designed with a first-stage reactor containing immobilized fecal pig microbiota. This reactor continuously inoculated five parallel second-stage reactors, a control and four treatment reactors, all operated with proximal colon conditions. FOS and GOS (5.2g/day), and MOS (half dosage) and RBL67 (108 copy numbers/mL applied daily) were tested on the ability of N-15 to colonize reactors, inoculated with the same microbiota. Reactor effluents were collected daily and analyzed for microbial composition (quantitative PCR and 454 pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA gene pool) and main metabolites (HPLC). RBL67 and N-15 were shown to stably colonize the system. Colonization of N-15 was strongly inhibited by FOS and GOS, whereas addition of RBL67 alone or combined with MOS showed intermediate results. However, the effect of FOS and GOS was enhanced when prebiotics were combined with a daily addition of RBL67. FOS and GOS increased the total short chain fatty acid production, especially acetate and propionate. RBL67 combined with FOS additionally stimulated butyrate production. Our study demonstrates the suitability of the porcine PolyFermS in vitro model to study nutritional effects of pro- and prebiotics on gut microbiota composition and activity. It can further be used to monitor Salmonella colonization. The inhibition effects of FOS and GOS on N-15 colonization are partly due to an increased acetate production, while further antimicrobial mechanisms may contribute to an enhanced inhibition with prebiotic-RBL67 combinations. A future direction of this work could be to understand the anti-Salmonella effects of Bifidobacterium thermophilum RBL67 in the presence of prebiotics to unravel the mechanism of this probiotic:pathogen interaction.
The Design, Synthesis, and Evaluation of 1,5,7‐Trisubstituted‐3‐Pyridyl‐Xanthones for Use as Insecticides Starting from Pyripyropene A (2016)

A readily accessible template of 1,5,7-trisubstituted-3-pyridyl-xanthones was designed starting from naturally occurring pyripyropene A for agrichemical development. Our originally developed Ag<sub>2</sub> CO<sub>3</sub> -mediated oxidative cyclization enabled ready access to the key scaffold, 1,5,7-trihydroxy-3-chloro-xanthone. The chemo- and regioselective sequential introduction of four substituents to the scaffold rapidly afforded the desired, structurally diverse 1,5,7-trisubstituted-3-pyridyl-xanthones. An evaluation of insecticidal activity revealed that one of the synthesized compounds retained insecticidal activity against vetch aphid and green peach aphid. The observed insecticidal spectrum was similar to that of pyripyropene A. The developed template could be a valuable aid for future agrichemical development.
Gastrointestinal nematode expulsion in IL-4 knockout mice is IL-13 dependent (2000)

Female IL-4 knockout (KO) mice on a C57BL/6 background (F4KOC57) are susceptible to infection with the cecal-dwelling nematode Trichuris muris whereas wild-type C57BL/6 mice are resistant and expel the parasite. In this study we show that in sharp contrast, female IL-4 KO mice on a BALB/c background (F4KOB/c) are resistant to infection as are wild-type BALB/c mice. Although susceptible F4KOC57 make negligible levels of all type 2 cytokines, resistant F4KOB/c were capable of producing significant levels of antigen-specific IL-13 (a cytokine shown to be critical in resistance to T. muris). To examine if the IL-13 in F4KOB/c mice was of functional importance, it was neutralized in vivo using a fusion protein, A25 (sIL-13 R.Fc). The results presented here clearly demonstrate that neutralization of IL-13 in vivo did indeed prevent T. muris expulsion in normally resistant F4KOB/c mice. In addition, administration of recombinant mouse IL-13 to normally susceptible male IL-4KO BALB/c mice (M4KOB/c) caused an 87.85 % reduction in worm burden. Collectively, these data show that IL-13 is important in the poorly understood effector mechanisms resulting in the expulsion of T. muris from the gut. Moreover, the present data highlight the functional importance of gender and background strain in interpretation of studies using gene-targeted animals.
Domain randomization for transferring deep neural networks from simulation to the real world (2017)

Bridging the `reality gap' that separates simulated robotics from experiments on hardware could accelerate robotic research through improved data availability. This paper explores domain randomization, a simple technique for training models on simulated images that transfer to real images by randomizing rendering in the simulator. With enough variability in the simulator, the real world may appear to the model as just another variation. We focus on the task of object localization, which is a stepping stone to general robotic manipulation skills. We find that it is possible to train a real-world object detector that is accurate to 1.5 cm and robust to distractors and partial occlusions using only data from a simulator with non-realistic random textures. To demonstrate the capabilities of our detectors, we show they can be used to perform grasping in a cluttered environment. To our knowledge, this is the first successful transfer of a deep neural network trained only on simulated RGB images (without pre-training on real images) to the real world for the purpose of robotic control.
Thermal Studies of the Laser Inertial Fusion Energy (LIFE) Target during Injection into the Fusion Chamber (2014)

The tests of the external heat transfer coefficient suggests that the values used in the numerical analysis for the temperature distribution within the fusion fuel target following flight into the target chamber are probably valid. The tests of the heat transfer phenomena occurring within the target due the rapid heating of the LEH window for the hot gasses within the fusion chamber show that the heat does indeed convect via the internal helium environment of the target towards the capsule and that the pressure in the front compartment of the target adjacent to the LEH window increases such that t bypass venting of the internal helium into the second chamber adjacent to the capsule is needed to prevent rupture of the membranes. The bypass flow is cooled by the hohlraum during this venting. However, the experiments suggest that our internal heat flow calculations may be low by about a factor of 2. Further studies need to be conducted to investigate the differences between the experiment and the numerical analysis. Future studies could also possibly bring the test conditions closer to those expected in the fusion chamber to better validate the results. A sacrificial layer will probably be required on the LEH window of the target and this can be used to mitigate any unexpected target heating.
Großbänder des hinteren Beckenrings: Sakrotuberal- und Sakrospinalband (2011)

Die Sakrotuberal- und Sakrospinalbänder stabilisieren als Bestandteile des hinteren Beckenrings das Kreuzdarmbeingelenk. Weitere vielfältige Verbindungen zu Muskeln, Faszien und Leitungsstrukturen begründen die klinische Bedeutung der Sakrotuberal- und Sakrospinalbänder, insbesondere bei Nervenengpasssyndromen und bei Beckeninstabilitäten.
Washing of Soil Contaminated with PAHs and Heavy Petroleum Fractions Using Two Anionic and One Ionic Surfactant: Effect of Salt Addition (2004)

The aim of this work was to select the surfactant for washing an aged soil contaminated with PAHs and heavy hydrocarbons fraction, between two anionic and one ionic surfactant. The effect of the addition of salt when washing with the ionic surfactant was evaluated. Results of this work indicated the following. Soil contaminants concentration as g TPH kg soil−1 was 17,200 mg kg−1. All washing performances were dependent on the type of surfactant and applied doses. In general, best removal efficiencies were obtained with TW80 (59.57%), followed very near by E600 (57.67%), and at the en by SDS (39.0%), in comparison to the blank assessment (only water), where removal efficiency was about 12%. These removal efficiencies were correlated to the MW, CMC, and HLB values of every surfactant. SDS efficiencies were quite enhanced by the addition of 1% (60.36% removal efficiency) and 2% (70.28% removal efficiency) of NaCl. Its seems that there exist two reasons for this phenomena i.e., the diminution in the real value of SDS CMC (as reported by many authors) and, the capabilities of NaCl solutions to dissolve higher amounts of hydrocarbons than only tap water.
Three-Phase Unbalanced Load Flow Tool for Distribution Networks (2012)

This work develops a three-phase unbalanced load flow tool tailored for radial distribution networks based on Matlab®. The tool can be used to assess steady-state voltage variations, thermal limits of grid components and power losses in radial MV-LV networks with photovoltaic (PV) generators where most of the systems are single phase. New ancillary service such as static reactive power support by PV inverters can be also merged together with the load flow solution tool and thus, the impact of the various reactive power control strategies on the steady-state grid operation can be simply investigated. Performance of the load flow solution tool in the sense of resulting bus voltage magnitudes is compared and validated with IEEE 13-bus test feeder.
Phase-Dependent Effects of Spinal Cord Stimulation on Locomotor Activity (2006)

This paper examines how electrical stimulation of the spinal cord can modulate the output of the central pattern generator (CPG) for locomotion. Application of discrete current pulses to a single spinal segment was shown to affect multiple parameters of an ongoing locomotor pattern in an in vitro spinal cord. For any given stimulus, the effects on frequency, duration, and symmetry of locomotor output were strongly dependent on the phase at which stimulation was applied within the CPG cycle. Additionally, most stimuli had an immediate impact and evinced no effects on subsequent cycles. The most dramatic changes were seen when stimulation was applied during motor bursting: stimuli applied to the ipsilateral spinal hemicord increased the burst length, while stimuli applied to the contralateral spinal hemicord decreased the burst length. Smaller changes were observed when stimulating during delays between motor bursts. Thus, phasic stimulation was shown to influence the behavior of the CPG and spinal locomotion circuits on a cycle-by-cycle basis. This work represents the first step toward our ultimate goal of developing a neuroprosthetic device to restore locomotion after a severe spinal cord injury.
Listening to Patients With Lupus: Why Not Proactively Integrate the Internet as a Resource to Drive Improved Care? (2023)

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a multisystem autoimmune disease. It is characterized by a broad spectrum of manifestations, depending on the affected organs and the severity of the inflammation at the time of presentation. Despite improvements in management, treatments are required on a chronic, cyclical basis; have high potential for unpleasant side effects; and deliver variable efficacy. Patients require care from multiple specialists, which can be delivered simultaneously and sporadically. Our fragmented health care system further exacerbates the disconnect between intermittent medical care and the lived experiences of patients with SLE. The goals of this research are to (1) assess the current standard of care for patients with SLE through the review of medical literature, including clinical consensus guidelines and systematic reviews; (2) assess the lived experiences of patients with lupus through the review of peer-reviewed literature on social listening, structured interviews, and data available from the open-access digital health platform PatientsLikeMe; and (3) present the perspective that the medical community has an opportunity to acknowledge and review the use of digital health interventions (DHIs) with their patients. The results of this research indicate that patients are incorporating DHIs, such as the internet and social media platforms, as critical components of their care for even the most basic of support. Although patients with SLE are depending on this support to shape their care, it is not considered a primary source of care by clinicians. Integrating the voices of patients brings valuable dimension to understanding the lived experiences of patients with SLE and the impacts of mutually dependent patient needs as patients navigate the disease in daily life. The medical community has a meaningful opportunity to leverage and recommend existing DHIs, such as web-based community platforms and web-based patient registries, at every stage of the patient journey to help patients better manage their condition. This has the potential to proactively build patient trust and well-being, reduce the underreporting of symptoms, increase shared decision-making, inform and shape clinical guidelines and future research, and improve patient outcomes.
Bimetallic nanocatalysts in mesoporous silica for steam reforming reactions to produce H2 for fuel cells (2014)

Welcome to the WIT Press eLibrary - the home of the Transactions of the Wessex Institute collection, providing on-line access to papers presented at the Institute's prestigious international conferences and from its State-of-the-Art in Science & Engineering publications.
ChemInform Abstract: Ligands for Practical Rhodium‐Catalyzed Asymmetric Hydroformylation (2008)

Abstract ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 200 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a “Full Text” option. The original article is trackable via the “References” option.
Expression of the neural form of nitric oxide synthase by CA1 hippocampal neurons and other central nervous system neurons (1994)

Nitric oxide can act as a neurotransmitter and a retrograde modulator of synaptic transmission, but uncontrolled nitric oxide synthase activity has been associated with neural degeneration. Although earlier studies using immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization, and NADPH-diaphorase staining had suggested that nitric oxide synthase is not expressed in the CA1 neurons of the hippocampus, we have recently demonstrated that NADPH-diaphorase activity can be detected in CA1 neurons of the hippocampus. To confirm that this diaphorase activity reflects nitric oxide synthase, we have developed a more sensitive in situ hybridization procedure, and an RNase protection assay to detect message for constitutive nitric oxide synthase, the form constitutively expressed in many neurons. Message for constitutive nitric oxide synthase is expressed in the hippocampus, and it is localized to neural cell layers CA1, CA3, the dentate gyrus and some displaced neurons, but not to CA2. Expression of constitutive nitric oxide synthase message in the CA1 region was lost when pyramidal neurons died due to transient forebrain ischemia, supporting the conclusion that CA1 pyramidal cells express constitutive nitric oxide synthase. Although constitutive nitric oxide synthase message is strongly expressed in CA3 and the dentate gyrus, there is little diaphorase activity in these cells, suggesting that there may be post-transcriptional controls that limit constitutive nitric oxide synthase expression in some cells. Message for constitutive nitric oxide synthase is also present in a number of other regions, including the amygdala, several hypothalamic nuclei, the cerebellum, the olfactory bulb, two distinct regions of the perirhinal cortex, the subthalamic nuclei, a neuronal layer in the retrosplenial granular cortex, the lateral geniculate nucleus, the presubiculum, the inferior colliculus, the superior colliculus, the pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus, and scattered individual neurons in the cortex, hippocampus and brainstem. These studies support a role for nitric oxide in multiple regions of the central nervous system. In particular, nitric oxide synthase, the enzyme responsible for the synthesis of nitric oxide, is expressed in the CA1 region of the hippocampus, where there is evidence that nitric oxide may play a major role in long-term potentiation. CA1 hippocampal neurons are an example of a population of neurons that express constitutive nitric oxide synthase but are very sensitive to excitotoxicity and ischemic insults.
Discrete-time Risk-sensitive Mean-field Games (2018)

In this paper, we study a class of discrete-time mean-field games under the infinite-horizon risk-sensitive discounted-cost optimality criterion. Risk-sensitivity is introduced for each agent (player) via an exponential utility function. In this game model, each agent is coupled with the rest of the population through the empirical distribution of the states, which affects both the agent's individual cost and its state dynamics. Under mild assumptions, we establish the existence of a mean-field equilibrium in the infinite-population limit as the number of agents ($N$) goes to infinity, and then show that the policy obtained from the mean-field equilibrium constitutes an approximate Nash equilibrium when $N$ is sufficiently large.
The efficacy of medicinal plant preparations in the alleviation of radiodermatitis in patients with breast cancer: A systematic review of clinical trials (2023)

Radiodermatitis in breast cancer patients varies from mild irritation to life-threatening lesions. Several studies suggest a role for topical corticosteroid ointments in the treatment of radiodermatitis. Yet, to avoid the adverse effects of corticosteroids, many authors recommend the use of topical herbal products instead. The therapeutic role of herbal treatments has yet to be fully understood. This systematic review evaluates the role of topical or oral herbal medicines in radiodermatitis prevention and treatment. A systematic search of four databases (Embase, PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus) was performed without language and time restrictions from their inception until April 2023. The bibliographies of potential articles were also searched manually. Studies evaluated and compared the effects of herbal preparations with the control group, on dermatitis induced by radiotherapy for breast cancer. The Cochrane risk of bias tool was used to assess the included studies. Thirty-five studies were included in the systematic review. Studies which used herbal drugs including topical and oral formulations were evaluated. Herbal monotherapy and combination therapy were reported, and their effects on radiodermatitis were explained in the systematic review. In conclusion, henna ointments, silymarin gel, and Juango cream were reported to reduce the severity of radiodermatitis. These agents should be considered for radiodermatitis prophylaxis and treatment. The data on aloe gel and calendula ointment were conflicting. Further randomized controlled trials of herbal medications and new herbal formulations are required to determine their effects on breast cancer radiodermatitis.
Efficacy and safety of naltrexone and acamprosate in the treatment of alcohol dependence: a systematic review (2004)

Both acamprosate and naltrexone are effective as adjuvant therapies for alcohol dependence in adults. Acamprosate appears to be especially useful in a therapeutic approach targeted at achieving abstinence, whereas naltrexone seems more indicated in programmes geared to controlled consumption. Both drugs are safe and acceptably tolerated but issues of compliance need to be addressed adequately to assure their usefulness in clinical practice.
The effects of calcium buffering and cyclic AMP on mechano‐electrical transduction in turtle auditory hair cells (1997)

1. The effects of intracellular Ca2+ buffering on hair cell mechanotransduction were studied in an intact cochlear epithelium where the endolymphatic and perilymphatic surfaces could be separately perfused with different Ca2+ solutions. 2. The speed and extent of transducer adaptation increased as the concentration in the patch electrode of the Ca2+ buffer BAPTA was lowered. In 0.1 mM BAPTA or less, the transducer adapted almost completely, with a mean time constant of 0.8 ms. 3. For a fixed internal BAPTA concentration, the transducer conductance varied with hair cell location, increasing towards the high-frequency end of the cochlea, and the time constant of adaptation decreased proportionally. At a given cochlear location, hair cells with larger transducer conductances displayed faster adaptation. We suggest that transducer adaptation accounts for a variable high-pass filter observed in the acoustic tuning curve. 4. The effects of perfusion of 50 microM Ca2+ endolymph depended on the BAPTA concentration of the electrode: with 3 mM BAPTA, adaptation was abolished, but in most recordings with 0.01 or 0.1 mM BAPTA, rapid adaptation was retained. The current-displacement curve was also shifted less the lower the intracellular BAPTA concentration. Cells in the high-frequency half of the papilla retained adaptation at a higher BAPTA concentration. 5. Treatment with the cAMP agonist, 8-bromo-cAMP, or with the phosphodiesterase inhibitor 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine, caused a rightward shift in the current-displacement curve which was independent of the internal BAPTA concentration. 6. We conclude that the free Ca2+ and cyclic nucleotide concentrations of the hair bundle modulate the position of the activation curve of the transducer. The factors which may be important for the correct functioning of adaptation in vivo are discussed.
Decellularization method influences early remodeling of an allogenic tissue scaffold (2013)

Extracellular matrix-based biomaterials are currently pursued as an alternative to autologous transplants for the treatment of gingival recession and periodontal disease. These grafts offer improved tissue regeneration without the need for a second operative procedure used in current treatments to remove nonresorbable synthetic biomaterials. However, while decellularization is necessary to minimize the potential immunological impact, it can significantly modify the materials architectural and biochemical properties. By understanding cellular responses, it is possible to more specifically target varying clinical situations. These investigations assess a novel allogenic scaffold derived from the human umbilical vein and determine the effects of two decellularization approaches (osmotic lysis and the surfactant Triton X-100) on the biological and mechanical properties during early remodeling events. Results show Triton X-100 to be significantly more effective at extracting lipids, while the extraction of the scaffolds bulk protein, GAG and DNA similar between the two treatments. Once seeded, scaffolds prepared with osmotic lysis displayed increased cellular proliferation and reduced metabolic activity compared to scaffolds treated with surfactant. Biomechanical properties were largely preserved and similar between the two treatments. These results suggest that by optimizing scaffold processing conditions, biological events associated with remodeling can be modulated to tailor scaffold function for specific clinical applications. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 102A: 8–16, 2014.