gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Aldose reductase deficiency significantly ameoliorates development of diabetic nephropathy in C57BL/6 mice (2010)

Objective
To study the roles of aldose reductase in the development of diabetic nephropathy using mouse models which were deficient for aldose reductase (AR).


Methods
Eight-week-old homozygous male AR-knockout (KO), bitransgenic (BT) and wild-type (WT) background C57BL/6 mice were treated with or without 40 μg/g streptozotocin by intraperitoneal injection. After 2 weeks, blood glucose was measured and hyperglycemia was confirmed. Diabetic and control mice were further maintained for 17 weeks, then sacrificed. Body weight, kidney weight, serum glucose, triglyceride, cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine, glomerular filtration rate and urinary albumin parameters were determined. PAS staining was performed for kidney histological analyses. Western blot and immunohistochemistry were used to determine the expression of collagen Ⅳ and transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-β1). Protein kinase C (PKC) activities for the cytoplasm and cell membrane fractions of the renal cortex were assayed with the kit of PepTag® Assay for non-radioactive detection of PKC. One-way ANOVA was used for multiple comparisons.


Results
In comparison with the diabetic mice with normal aldose reductase activity, most serum and urinary parameters as well as renal histological and functional parameters were significantly improved in diabetic mice deficient in aldose reductase. For instance, loss of AR in the KO mice results in 43% reduction in urine albumin ((1.49±0.26) vs (2.62±0.34)mg/g creatinine, F=20.8, P<0.01) whereas a 48% reduction was resulted in the BT mice ((1.36±0.12) vs (2.62±0.34) mg/g creatinine, F=20.8, P<0.01). Further, aldose reductase deficiency prevented hyperglycemia-induced activation of PKC and TGF-β1.


Conclusion
AR contributes to the development of diabetic nephropathy in vivo. The inhibition of AR may be beneficial for the prevention and treatment of the disease.


Key words: 
Aldose reductase; Diabetic nephropathy; Glomerula; Protein kinase C; Transforming growth factor-beta1
Intracochlear drug delivery in combination with cochlear implants (2016)

Local drug application to the inner ear offers a number of advantages over systemic delivery. Local drug therapy currently encompasses extracochlear administration (i. e., through intratympanic injection), intracochlear administration (particularly for gene and stem cell therapy), as well as various combinations with auditory neurosensory prostheses, either evaluated in preclinical or clinical studies, or off-label. To improve rehabilitation with cochlear implants (CI), one focus is the development of drug-releasing electrode carriers, e. g., for delivery of glucocorticosteroids, antiapoptotic substances, or neurotrophins to the inner ear. The performance of cochlear implants may thus be improved by protecting neuronal structures from insertion trauma, reducing fibrosis in the inner ear, and by stimulating growth of neuronal structures in the direction of the electrodes. Controlled drug release after extracochlear or intracochlear application in conjunction with a CI can also be achieved by use of a biocompatible, resorbable controlled-release drug-delivery system. Two case reports for intracochlear controlled release drug delivery in combination with cochlear implants are presented. In order to treat progressive reduction in speech discrimination and increased impedance, two cochlear implant patients successfully underwent intracochlear placement of a biocompatible, resorbable drug-delivery system for controlled release of dexamethasone. The drug levels reached in inner ear fluids after different types of local drug application strategies can be calculated using a computer model. The intracochlear drug concentrations calculated in this way were compared for different dexamethasone application strategies.
Ladder-Type Dithienonaphthalene-Based Donor–Acceptor Copolymers for Organic Solar Cells (2013)

A novel ladder-type dithienonaphthalene (DTN) was designed and synthesized as an electron-rich unit for constructing donor–acceptor copolymers. Different acceptor moieties, including benzo[c][1,2,5]thiadiazole (BT), 5,6-bis(hexyloxy)-4,7-di(thiophen-2-yl)benzo[c][1,2,5]thiadiazole (TBT), and 2,5-bis(2-ethylhexyl)-3,6-di(thiophen-2-yl)pyrrolo[3,4-c]pyrrole-1,4(2H,5H)-dione (TDPP), were used as electron-deficient units for the target copolymers. These copolymers (PDTNBT, PDTNTBT, and PDTNTDPP) were obtained via the Stille coupling reaction and characterized by 1H NMR spectroscopy, UV–vis absorption spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). Owing to the four solubilizing alkyl chains on the DTN unit, all the three copolymers have good solubility in common solvents. Among these polymers, PDTNTBT exhibits the highest space-charge limit current (SCLC) hole mobility of 2.13 × 10–5 cm2 V–1 s–1, which is beneficial for achieving high performance solar cells. Under the simulated AM 1.5G illumination condition (100 mW/cm2), solar cells based on PDTNTBT:PC71BM (1:3, w/w) exhibit a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 4.8% with a current density of 10.3 mA cm–2, an open-circuit voltage of 0.86 V, and a fill factor of 54%. With the same device fabrication method, PDTNTDPP:PC71BM (1:3, w/w) and PDTNBT:PC71BM (1:3, w/w) based devices exhibit efficiencies of 1.52% and 2.79%, respectively. Furthermore, inverted solar cells based on these copolymer blends are also fabricated. The inverted devices based on PDTNTDPP:PC71BM (1:2, w/w) and PDTNBT:PC71BM (1:2, w/w) exhibit PCEs of 1.60% and 2.89%, respectively, which are similar to their corresponding conventional devices. And the inverted devices based on PDTNTBT:PC71BM (1:2, w/w) show a higher PCE of 5.0%, and more importantly, they are quite stable as demonstrated by the 4.75% PCE after ambient storage for two months.
Inyenyeri Environmental Management Plan (EMP) appendix four - due diligence for wood sourcing from plantations (2017)

The overall objective of the Improved Cookstoves Project for Rwanda is to reduce the use of woody biomass for cooking through promotion of improved cookstoves, and to assess the effectiveness and health benefits of contrasting stove and business models (of the two selected companies Inyenyeri and DelAgua). Some of the negative impacta and mitigation measures include: disposal of damaged or obsolete cookstoves may also be required and will be conducted during project implementation by each company based on the requirements of Organic Law N° 04/2005 of 08/04/2005. Although the project does not anticipate disposal of massive quantities of cookstoves, the disposal is envisioned to be conducted in close coordination with the local District authorities. Only district-approved sold waste management facilities will be used to dispose of the obsolete stoves. at the same time the project will promote recycling practices to minimize waste, where applicable; and The program is expected to benefit the households that adopt improved cookstoves by offering reductions in environmental health risk factors and savings in productive time that is otherwise used for collecting fire wood for cooking. The program will also contribute to the enhancement of the cooking/fuel value chain and the creation of job opportunities in the areas of marketing, sales and after sales services for improved cookstoves and customized fuel.
Complexity of Marine <scp>CO<sub>2</sub></scp> System Highlighted by Seasonal Asymmetries (2018)

Abstract The complexities of the marine carbon cycle continue to be uncovered. In this issue, Fassbender et al. (2018, https://doi.org/10.1029/2017GB005855 ) combined measured surface ocean partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO 2 ) with model predictions of increases in dissolved inorganic carbon to explore seasonal pCO 2 changes. They find that when seasonal cycles of other variables (temperature, salinity, total alkalinity, and dissolved inorganic carbon) are maintained to climatological means, seasonal amplitudes of pCO 2 are affected asymmetrically. Thus, even ignoring other natural or climate change factors, the assumption that the seasonal cycle of pCO 2 will be preserved may not be valid. Fassbender et al. (2018) intentionally ignore the influence of other variables such as a global warming signal in order to hone in explicitly on carbon system dynamics. The results show that when studying CO 2 fluxes, especially into the future, the full seasonal cycle must be investigated, as what happens at one time of year may not translate to the rest of the year. Practically, this means that in order to fully understand the marine carbon cycle and its control over atmospheric CO 2 levels, there is an urgent need for more surface pCO 2 data covering more months of the year particularly in the polar oceans that are highly seasonally biased.
Minimally Invasive Colorectal Surgery in the Morbidly Obese: Does High Body Mass Index Lead to Poorer Outcomes? (2013)

Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) for the treatment of colorectal diseases has been shown to provide several advantages over an open approach including decreased postoperative pain, improved pulmonary function, lower wound complication rate, and faster postoperative recovery resulting in shorter hospital stay Nevertheless, the impact of these advantages in the obese population has yet to be fully evaluated The available studies to date have compared outcomes of laparoscopic colectomy in obese patients (BMI>30 kg/m 2 ) versus non-obese patients (BMI<30 kg/m 2 ) including normal-and overweight patients, and have revealed higher conversion rate and worse postoperative outcomes in the obese patients However, the effect of MIS on the subset of patients who are morbidly obese ( 40 kg/ m 2 ) has not been specifically addressed in the surgical literature The aim of this study was to compare short-term outcomes of minimally invasive colorectal surgery between Morbidly Obese (MO) and Normal Weight (NW) patients.
Validity of electronic health record-derived quality measurement for performance monitoring (2012)

This study provides a cautionary note in using EHR-derived measurement for public reporting of provider performance or use for payment.
Porcine Follitropin (1978)

The amino acid sequence of the porcine beta subunit has been established by studies of peptides isolated after tryptic, thermolytic and staphylococcal protease treatments of the reduced and carboxymethylated chain. The primary structure of the amino-terminal region of the molecule has been solved by automatic sequencing of the reduced and tritium-labeled carboxymethylated subunit. The amino acid sequence of porcine follitropin beta subunit differs from that of its human counterpart by several amino acid replacements, deletion or addition of one or several residues. The porcine chain appears shorter at both its amino and carboxy-terminal ends. The chemical evolution of follitropin is briefly considered and compared to these of thyrotropin and lutropin.
A model of fluid and solute exchange in the human: validation and implications (2000)

In order to understand better the complex, dynamic behaviour of the redistribution and exchange of fluid and solutes administered to normal individuals or to those with acute hypovolemia, mathematical models are used in addition to direct experimental investigation. Initial validation of a model developed by our group involved data from animal experiments (Gyenge, C.C., Bowen, B.D., Reed, R.K. & Bert, J.L. 1999b. Am J Physiol 277 (Heart Circ Physiol 46), H1228-H1240). For a first validation involving humans, we compare the results of simulations with a wide range of different types of data from two experimental studies. These studies involved administration of normal saline or hypertonic saline with Dextran to both normal and 10% haemorrhaged subjects. We compared simulations with data including the dynamic changes in plasma and interstitial fluid volumes VPL and VIT respectively, plasma and interstitial colloid osmotic pressures PiPL and PiIT respectively, haematocrit (Hct), plasma solute concentrations and transcapillary flow rates. The model predictions were overall in very good agreement with the wide range of experimental results considered. Based on the conditions investigated, the model was also validated for humans. We used the model both to investigate mechanisms associated with the redistribution and transport of fluid and solutes administered following a mild haemorrhage and to speculate on the relationship between the timing and amount of fluid infusions and subsequent blood volume expansion.
<title>Status of broadband rare-earth doped fiber sources for fiber optic gyro applications</title> (1994)

Sources with broadband spectra are required for high-grade fiber optic gyroscopes (FOG). To date, the most widely used broadband FOG source is the superluminescent laser diode (SLD), which was developed by the semiconductor laser industry to meet this specific market. However, in spite of significant improvements, commercial SLDs still suffer from a few shortcomings. In response to these limitations, a second class of broadband sources has been under investigation over the last few years, which utilize a rare earth doped fiber as the active medium. Several types of broadband fiber sources have been demonstrated. They offer the advantages of high efficiencies, pumping with a laser diode (LD), high power into the FOG (tens of mW), and a mean wavelength stability with temperature at least one order of magnitude greater than for an SLD. Several university and industrial laboratories have now produced broadband fiber sources with properties far exceeding, on all counts, those of SLDs. The object of this paper is to review the properties of these sources, and their preliminary performance in FOG test beds.
Atomic Spectroscopy (2022)

Water is perhaps the most important molecule in the solar system, and determining its origin and distribution in planetary interiors has significant implications for understanding the formation and evolution of planetary bodies. Zircon (present in both extraterrestrial and terrestrial samples) is a resistant and versatile accessory mineral, and its water content has the potential to characterize the hydrous status of zircon-crystallizing magma. However, the hydrous status can be altered by magma fractionation, mixing, or degassing. Although hydrogen isotopes of zircon can help to trace these processes, the lack of relevant microanalytical technology and reference materials has hindered significant breakthroughs in this area. In this study, we employed an analytical technique of secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) to simultaneously measure the hydrogen isotopes of zircon and their H2O content. The homogeneity test of hydrogen isotope and the H2O content of the potential reference materials (D15395, D15814, and Temora 2) were conducted by measuring the 16 OD and 16 O 1 H signals (using SIMS) in a conventional peak-hopping mono-collector mode with electron-multiplier (EM) detectors. SIMS results show that the apparent external precision (1SD) of hydrogen isotope of large grains D15395 and D15814 are 16 and 22, which is comparable with their internal error and theoretical precision according to counting statistics, indicating that they are sufficiently homogenous at the micrometer sampling level in terms of hydrogen isotopes. However, zircon Temora 2 shows a much worse external precision (83, 1SD) and an obvious negative correlation between hydrogen isotope and H2O content, hence it is not suitable to be used as reference material for hydrogen isotope. Both hydrogen isotope and H2O content of three samples were also measured using a continuous-flow thermal conversion elemental analyzer operating online with a mass spectrometer (TC/EA-MS). The homogeneous samples zircon D15395 and D15814 yielded recommended D values of -87 9 and -68 2 (1SD) and H2O content of ~478 ppm and ~332 ppm, respectively. Additionally, H2O contents acquired by TC/EA-MS and SIMS (calibrated by FTIR determined standards) were consistent within a 10% error range, demonstrating the reliability of the SIMS H2O content calibration curve for zircon and the FTIR absorption coefficient used before.
Negotiation in DAI as an infrastructure component for collaborative enterprises (2002)

The paper examines how negotiation in distributed artificial intelligence (DAI) acts as in integral component for the development of tools necessary to support collaborative enterprises. As an example of how negotiation plays a key part, the author examines its use for conflict resolution among participants involved in the concurrent design of connections in buildings. The Designer Fabricator Interpreter (DFI) System, a knowledge-based tool which fosters interaction among structural engineers (designers), fabricators and erectors is described. The system's architecture models the participants as semi-autonomous computer agents which reason from their design evaluation perspectives. Alternatives are proposed through a novel incremental negotiation method called knowledge-based negotiation. The resulting negotiation methodology provides for potentially 'better' designs as a result of differing agent viewpoints.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">></ETX>
Nickel hydroxides and related materials: a review of their structures, synthesis and properties (2014)

This review article summarizes the last few decades of research on nickel hydroxide, an important material in physics and chemistry, that has many applications in engineering including, significantly, batteries. First, the structures of the two known polymorphs, denoted as <i>α</i>-Ni(OH)<sub>2</sub> and <i>β</i>-Ni(OH)<sub>2</sub>, are described. The various types of disorder, which are frequently present in nickel hydroxide materials, are discussed including hydration, stacking fault disorder, mechanical stresses and the incorporation of ionic impurities. Several related materials are discussed, including intercalated <i>α</i>-derivatives and basic nickel salts. Next, a number of methods to prepare, or synthesize, nickel hydroxides are summarized, including chemical precipitation, electrochemical precipitation, sol-gel synthesis, chemical ageing, hydrothermal and solvothermal synthesis, electrochemical oxidation, microwave-assisted synthesis, and sonochemical methods. Finally, the known physical properties of the nickel hydroxides are reviewed, including their magnetic, vibrational, optical, electrical and mechanical properties. The last section in this paper is intended to serve as a summary of both the potentially useful properties of these materials and the methods for the identification and characterization of 'unknown' nickel hydroxide-based samples.
Prophylactic Oral Nystatin and Fungal Infections in Very-Low-Birthweight Infants (1988)

Prevention of systemic fungal infection in the very-low-birthweight infant is important since it is associated with a high morbidity and mortality. To determine if oral nystatin administration could prevent fungal colonization and infection, we evaluated 67 preterm infants with birthweights less than 1250 gm. Thirty-three infants received 1 ml (100,000 units/ml) of nystatin inside the mouth every 8 hours until 1 week after extubation. Oropharyngeal, rectal, blood, and urine cultures were obtained on the 1st day of life and weekly. Endotracheal cultures were obtained three times a week from intubated infants. Four (12%) of the 33 nystatin-treated infants had positive cultures, two (6%) developed systemic infection. The control group consisted of 34 infants, 15 (44%) had positive fungal cultures and 11 (32%) developed systemic infection. Fungi isolated were Candida species and Torulopsis glabrata. Colonized infants were dependent on the respirator (P less than 0.001), had indwelling catheters (P less than 0.01), and received antibiotics (P less than 0.05) for a longer period than infants free from fungi and their mortality was significantly higher (P less than 0.05). We conclude that prophylactic administration of oral nystatin reduces fungal colonization and infection in very-low-birthweight infants.
Scope and pathway of catalytic aminomethylation of olefins (1982)

ADVERTISEMENT RETURN TO ISSUEPREVArticleNEXTScope and pathway of catalytic aminomethylation of olefinsFelek Jachimowicz and Joseph W. RaksisCite this: J. Org. Chem. 1982, 47, 3, 445–447Publication Date (Print):January 1, 1982Publication History Published online1 May 2002Published inissue 1 January 1982https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/jo00342a013https://doi.org/10.1021/jo00342a013research-articleACS PublicationsRequest reuse permissionsArticle Views439Altmetric-Citations57LEARN ABOUT THESE METRICSArticle Views are the COUNTER-compliant sum of full text article downloads since November 2008 (both PDF and HTML) across all institutions and individuals. These metrics are regularly updated to reflect usage leading up to the last few days.Citations are the number of other articles citing this article, calculated by Crossref and updated daily. Find more information about Crossref citation counts.The Altmetric Attention Score is a quantitative measure of the attention that a research article has received online. Clicking on the donut icon will load a page at altmetric.com with additional details about the score and the social media presence for the given article. Find more information on the Altmetric Attention Score and how the score is calculated. Share Add toView InAdd Full Text with ReferenceAdd Description ExportRISCitationCitation and abstractCitation and referencesMore Options Share onFacebookTwitterWechatLinked InRedditEmail Other access optionsGet e-Alertsclose Get e-Alerts
Akt activation and augmented fibronectin production in hyperhexosemia (2007)

Dysmetabolic state in diabetes may lead to augmented synthesis of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins. In the endothelial cells, we have previously demonstrated that glucose-induced fibronectin (FN) production and that of its splice variant, EDB(+)FN, is regulated by protein kinase B (PKB, also known as Akt). In this study, we investigated the role of Akt1 in ECM protein production in the organs affected by chronic diabetic complications. We studied Akt1/PKBalpha knockout mice and wild-type control littermates. To avoid confounding effects of systemic insulin, we used 30% galactose feeding to induce hyperhexosemia for 8 wk starting at 6 wk of age. We investigated FN mRNA, EDB(+)FN mRNA, and transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta mRNA expression, Akt phosphorylation, Akt kinase activity, and NF-kappaB and AP-1 activation in the retina, heart, and kidney. Renal and cardiac tissues were histologically examined. Galactose feeding caused significant upregulation of FN, EDB(+)FN, and TGF-beta in all tissues. FN protein levels paralleled mRNA. Such upregulation were prevented in Akt1-deficient galactose-fed mice. Galactose feeding caused ECM protein deposition in the glomeruli and in the myocardium, which was prevented in the Akt knockout mice. NF-kappaB and AP-1 activation was pronounced in galactose-fed wild-type mice and prevented in the galactose-fed Akt1/PKBalpha-deficient group. In the retina and kidney, Ser473 was the predominant site for Akt phosphorylation, whereas in the heart it was Thr308. Parallel experiment in streptozotocin-induced diabetic animals showed similar results. The data from this study indicate that hyperhexosemia-induced Akt/PKB activation may be an important mechanism leading to NF-kappaB and AP-1 activation and increased ECM protein synthesis in the organs affected by chronic diabetic complications.