gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Acute increase in right atrial pressure by intracardiac stimulation releases atrial natriuretic peptide (1987)

We studied the effect of an increase in heart rate and/or in right atrial pressure (RAP) on the release of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) in 18 patients. In group 1 (n = 6), right ventricular stimulation (100, 120, 140 and 150 bpm) was used to increase RAP by asynchronous contraction of the right atrium and ventricle. Mean RAP increased from 3.9 +/- 0.2 to 8.3 +/- 0.6 mmHg (mean +/- SEM). Median ANP levels increased from 120 to 440 pg ml-1 (P less than 0.05). In group 2 (n = 6), right atrial stimulation below 140 bpm did not have any effect on ANP or RAP, but at a rate above 140 bpm RAP increased from 5.8 +/- 0.5 to 7.5 +/- 0.5 mmHg and ANP from 226 to 396 pg ml-1 (P less than 0.05). In group 3 (n = 6), RAP or ANP were not influenced by continuous right atrial stimulation at 110 bpm. Plasma cyclic GMP levels paralleled the changes in plasma ANP. Thus, an acute increment of RAP results in a release of ANP, but acceleration of heart rate alone has no effect on ANP secretion.
Circulating omentin-1 levels in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a meta-analysis (2016)

To investigate the association between circulating omentin-1 levels and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in women, a meta-analysis was performed. A systematic literature search using PubMed, Embase and Web of Science was carried out. Ten articles with 13 studies were included in this meta-analysis, which included a total of 1264 subjects (733 patients with PCOS and 531 controls). The pooled standard mean difference (SMD) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were used to estimate the association between omentin-1 levels and PCOS. Circulating omentin-1 levels were lower in PCOS with an SMD (95% CI) of -0.67 (-0.91, -0.43) and p = 0.000 (random-effects). However, significant heterogeneity was detected across studies (I<sup>2</sup>=73.6% and p = 0.000). The subgroup analysis suggested that omentin-1 levels in PCOS patients were associated with HOMA-IR ratio. Meta-regression analysis indicated region was the main source of heterogeneity (p = 0.048). The results of this meta-analysis suggested that circulating omentin-1 levels are significantly lower in women with PCOS compared with controls, which indicated that omentin-1 may play a role in the pathologic processes of PCOS.
An improvement of the endocrine diagnosis by high-performance liquid chromatography. (1993)

The assessment of catecholamines (NE, E), essential metabolites (VMA, HVA) and serotonergic metabolite 5HIIA in urine by HPLC with UV detection is of interest for clinical diagnosis concerning HTA, pheochromocytoma, neuroblastoma, carcinoid syndrome, hypotension, etc. In the same urine sample one can detect (following preliminary steps) by HPLC the above--mentioned biochemical parameters with good reproducibility and sensitivity.
&#x201C;Virostatics&#x201D; as a Potential New Class of HIV Drugs (2004)

The combination of three or more antiretroviral drugs is referred to as highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) and constitutes the standard of care for HIV-1 patients in industrialized nations. Although HAART is usually effective in reducing viral load and re-constituting CD4 counts, latent virus reservoirs persist, and as many as 60 years therapy [1, 2] may be required to eradicate the virus. Meanwhile, patients are likely to experience drug related toxicity and may have to change therapy due to the emergence of drug resistant strains. For these reasons, the search for different therapeutic approaches continues. A new concept of antiviral/cytostatic ("virostatics") drugs has been proposed within the context of HAART to restrict virus target populations (CD4(+) T lymphocytes), target viral reservoirs, and possibly restore immune functions, by reducing excess immune activation, a fundamental component of HIV/AIDS pathogenesis. These virostatics include drugs such as hydroxyurea, mycophenolic acid, leflunomide and rapamycin, which are currently used for other therapeutic indications; and other experimental drugs, which are not for human use. They utilize multiple novel mechanisms of action to impede HIV by targeting host cellular proteins that are not susceptible to mutation. Therefore, their resistance profile appears to be quite favorable. Since many of these drugs act by inhibiting the synthesis of deoxynucleotides, essential for HIV reverse transcription, they favor the incorporation of nucleoside analogues into viral DNA, thus synergizing with the antiviral activity of currently used nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTI). The rationale for the use of virostatics in HIV/AIDS, their mechanism of action, and ongoing preclinical and clinical research will be reviewed.
Separation of glycosylated haemoglobins using immobilized phenylboronic acid. Effect of ligand concentration, column operating conditions, and comparison with ion-exchange and isoelectric-focusing (1983)

Haemoglobins from diabetic and non-diabetic individuals have been separated by affinity chromatography using immobilized phenylboronate, which interacts specifically with diol-containing compounds such as glycosylated haemoglobin. The effects of ligand concentration, flow rate, column geometry, preincubation of sample, buffer composition and temperature have been investigated. Significant correlation was found between results from affinity-chromatography and ion-exchange and isoelectric-focusing methods. Isoelectric-focusing of the haemoglobin fractions obtained from affinity chromatography indicate that, in addition to haemoglobin A1c, some haemoglobin A is also bound to immobilized phenylboronic acid. Assays of haemolysates obtained from red blood cells incubated in glucose solutions suggest that unstable pre-(haemoglobin A1c) does not interfere. The assay is not affected by the presence of haemoglobin F.
Calculation of the Static Forces Among the Permanent Magnets in a Halbach Array (2009)

This paper concerns the analysis of the interaction force among the permanent magnets (PM) in a Halbach array as used in a moving-magnet planar actuator. The goal is to analyze the magnitude of these forces and to what extent the mechanical construction of an aluminium plate, on which the permanent magnets are mounted, is deformed by the interaction force among the permanent magnets. The interaction forces are obtained from analytical models which have been verified with an electromagnetic Finite Element Method (FEM) simulation. These results are used in a mechanical FEM simulation to determine the deformation of the magnet assembly.
Alias analysis of executable code (1998)

Recent years have seen increasing interest in systems that reason about and manipulate executable code. Such systems can generally benefit from information about aliasing. Unfortunately, most existing alias analyses are formulated in terms of high-level language features, and are unable to cope with features, such as pointer arithmetic, that pervade executable programs. This paper describes a simple algorithm that can be used to obtain aliasing information for executabie code. In order to be practical, the algorithm is carefut to keep its memory requirements low, sacrificing precision where necessary to achieve this goal. Experimental results indicate that it is nevertheless able to provide a reasonable amount of information about memory references across a variety of benchmark programs.
Virus-Inspired Function in Engineered Protein Cages (2019)

The structural and functional diversity of proteins combined with their genetic programmability has made them indispensable modern materials. Well-defined, hollow protein capsules have proven to be particularly useful due to their ability to compartmentalize macromolecules and chemical processes. To this end, viral capsids are common scaffolds and have been successfully repurposed to produce a suite of practical protein-based nanotechnologies. Recently, the recapitulation of viromimetic function in protein cages of nonviral origin has emerged as a strategy to both complement physical studies of natural viruses and produce useful scaffolds for diverse applications. In this perspective, we review recent progress toward generation of virus-like behavior in nonviral protein cages through rational engineering and directed evolution. These artificial systems can aid our understanding of the emergence of viruses from existing cellular components, as well as provide alternative approaches to tackle current problems, and open up new opportunities, in medicine and biotechnology.
Behavior of Nebulizing Solutions and Suspensions (1994)

A compressed air source is needed to run a jet nebulizer; its operating pressure affects the aerosol flow through the nebulizer, the quantity of drug and/or solution leaving the nebulizer, and the droplet size. With increasing pressure, the output (gravimetric change during nebulization) will increase and the droplet size decrease. The temperature of the nebulizing solution will decrease by as much as 10°C due to energy loss from evaporation of droplets. Other important considerations in nebulizer therapy are taste, pH and viscosity of the solution. For those drugs which cannot be dissolved, the nebulizing behavior is different. In nebulizing suspensions, the drug particles must be micronized to a mass median diameter of l-2μm to give optimal output conditions from jet nebulizers with a droplet size of 3um mass median diameter. The solid drug particles leave the nebulizer through the medium of the droplets, and when a solid drug particle is larger than the droplet it will become trapped in the nebulizer. This has been illustrated in a separate experiment in which 0.5mg/ml budesonide was nebulized from eight different nebulizers. The droplet size as well as the output - calculated from the quantity of drug remaining in the nebulizer after 10 min nebulization - varied with type of nebulizer. A preferable way of determining drug delivery to a patient is to collect the aerosol on a filter during normal breathing and then analyse the drug content on the filter. Output characteristics can only be used for functional testing of nebulizers and in comparisons of different brands of nebulizers.
Taurine protects the antioxidant defense system in the erythrocytes of cadmium treated mice (2008)

The present study was undertaken to investigate the protective role of taurine (2-aminoethanesulfonic acid) against cadmium (Cd) induced oxidative stress in murine erythrocytes. Cadmium chloride (CdCl(2)) was chosen as the source of Cd. Experimental animals were treated with either CdCl(2) alone or taurine, followed by Cd exposure. Cd intoxication reduced hemoglobin content and the intracellular Ferric Reducing/Antioxidant Power of erythrocytes, along with the activities of antioxidant enzymes, glutathione content, and total thiols. Conversely, intracellular Cd content, lipid peroxidation, protein carbonylation, and glutathione disulphides were significantly enhanced in these cells. Treatment with taurine before Cd intoxication prevented the toxin-induced oxidative impairments in the erythrocytes of the experimental animals. Overall, the results suggest that Cd could cause oxidative damage in murine erythrocytes and that taurine may play a protective role in reducing the toxic effects of this particular metal.
Rapid genotypic detection of<i>Bacillus anthracis</i>and the<i>Bacillus cereus</i>group by multiplex real-time PCR melting curve analysis (2004)

Bacillus anthracis has four plasmid possible virulence genotypes: pXO1+/pXO2+, pXO1+/pXO2-, pXO1-/pXO2+ or pXO1-/pXO2-. Due to the lack of a specific chromosomal marker for B. anthracis, differentiation of the pXO1-/pXO2- form of B. anthracis from closely related Bacillus cereus group species is difficult. In this study, we evaluate the ability of sspE, pXO1 and pXO2 primers to discriminate individual B. anthracis and the B. cereus group genotypes using multiplex real-time PCR and melting curve analysis. Optimal conditions for successful multiplex assays have been established. Purified DNAs from 38 bacterial strains including 11 strains of B. anthracis and 18 B. cereus group strains were analyzed. Nine of the B. cereus group near-neighbor strains were shown by multilocus sequence typing to be phylogenetically proximate to the B. anthracis clade. We have demonstrated that the four plasmid genotypes of B. anthracis and B. cereus group near-neighbors were differentially and simultaneously discriminated by this assay.
RIG-I-Like Receptors as Novel Targets for Pan-Antivirals and Vaccine Adjuvants Against Emerging and Re-Emerging Viral Infections (2018)

Emerging and re-emerging viruses pose a significant public health challenge around the world, among which RNA viruses are the cause of many major outbreaks of infectious diseases. As one of the early lines of defense in the human immune system, RIG-I-like receptors (RLRs) play an important role as sentinels to thwart the progression of virus infection. The activation of RLRs leads to an antiviral state in the host cells, which triggers the adaptive arm of immunity and ultimately the clearance of viral infections. Hence, RLRs are promising targets for the development of pan-antivirals and vaccine adjuvants. Here, we discuss the opportunities and challenges of developing RLR agonists into antiviral therapeutic agents and vaccine adjuvants against a broad range of viruses.
LTβR Signaling Controls Lymphatic Migration of Immune Cells (2021)

The pleiotropic functions of lymphotoxin (LT)β receptor (LTβR) signaling are linked to the control of secondary lymphoid organ development and structural maintenance, inflammatory or autoimmune disorders, and carcinogenesis. Recently, LTβR signaling in endothelial cells has been revealed to regulate immune cell migration. Signaling through LTβR is comprised of both the canonical and non-canonical-nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) pathways, which induce chemokines, cytokines, and cell adhesion molecules. Here, we focus on the novel functions of LTβR signaling in lymphatic endothelial cells for migration of regulatory T cells (Tregs), and specific targeting of LTβR signaling for potential therapeutics in transplantation and cancer patient survival.
Semi-Supervised Random Forests (2009)

Random Forests (RFs) have become commonplace in many computer vision applications. Their popularity is mainly driven by their high computational efficiency during both training and evaluation while still being able to achieve state-of-the-art accuracy. This work extends the usage of Random Forests to Semi-Supervised Learning (SSL) problems. We show that traditional decision trees are optimizing multi-class margin maximizing loss functions. From this intuition, we develop a novel multi-class margin definition for the unlabeled data, and an iterative deterministic annealing-style training algorithm maximizing both the multi-class margin of labeled and unlabeled samples. In particular, this allows us to use the predicted labels of the unlabeled data as additional optimization variables. Furthermore, we propose a control mechanism based on the out-of-bag error, which prevents the algorithm from degradation if the unlabeled data is not useful for the task. Our experiments demonstrate state-of-the-art semi-supervised learning performance in typical machine learning problems and constant improvement using unlabeled data for the Caltech-101 object categorization task.
Ionization of Rydberg atoms by a circularly polarized microwave field (1990)

We report the first observation of the ionization of Rydberg atoms by a circularly polarized 8.5-GHz microwave field. The observed threshold field for ionization is E=1/16${\mathrm{n}}^{4}$, a value higher than that required for ionization by a linearly polarized microwave field. The origin of this threshold can be understood by transforming to a frame rotating at the microwave frequency. In the rotating frame no transitions occur, and level mixings alone are responsible for the ionization.
An attempt to computerized dictionary data bases (1980)

this paper. One is the system for a Japanese dictionary ( Shinmeikai Kokugojiten, published by Sansei-do) and the other is for an English-Japanese dictionary (New Concise English-Japanese Dictionary, also published by Sansei-do). Both are medium size dictionaries which contain about 60,000 lexical items. The topics discussed in this paper are divided into two sub-topics. The first topic is about data translation problem of large, unformatted linguistic data. Up to now, no serious attempts have been made to this problem, though several systems have been proposed to translate data in a certain format into another. A univer- sal data translator/verifier, called DTV, has been developed and used for data translation of the two dictionaries. The detailed construction of DTV will be given. The other sub-topic is about the problem of data organization which is appropriate for dictionaries. It is emphasized that the distinction between &apos;external structures&apos; and &apos;internal structures&apos; is important in a dictionary system. Though the external structures can be easily managed by general DBMS&apos;s, the internal (or linguistic) structures cannot be well manipulated. Some additional, linguistic oriented operations should be incorprated in dictionary data base systems with universal DBMS operations. Some examples of applications of the dictionary systems will also be given
Noise-Robust Voice Conversion Using High-Quefrency Boosting via Sub-Band Cepstrum Conversion and Fusion (2019)

This paper presents a noise-robust voice conversion method with high-quefrency boosting via sub-band cepstrum conversion and fusion based on the bidirectional long short-term memory (BLSTM) neural networks that can convert parameters of vocal tracks of a source speaker into those of a target speaker. With the implementation of state-of-the-art machine learning methods, voice conversion has achieved good performance given abundant clean training data. However, the quality and similarity of the converted voice are significantly degraded compared to that of a natural target voice due to various factors, such as limited training data and noisy input speech from the source speaker. To address the problem of noisy input speech, an architecture of voice conversion with statistical filtering and sub-band cepstrum conversion and fusion is introduced. The impact of noises on the converted voice is reduced by the accurate reconstruction of the sub-band cepstrum and the subsequent statistical filtering. By normalizing the mean and variance of the converted cepstrum to those of the target cepstrum in the training phase, a cepstrum filter was constructed to further improve the quality of the converted voice. The experimental results showed that the proposed method significantly improved the naturalness and similarity of the converted voice compared to the baselines, even with the noisy inputs of source speakers.
A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of ABT-594 in patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain (2009)

ABT-594 is a neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (NNR) agonist that exhibits potent analgesic activity in preclinical models of acute, chronic, and neuropathic pain. The purpose of this phase 2, randomized, multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was to evaluate the safety and analgesic efficacy of ABT-594 in patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain (DPNP). A total of 266 DPNP patients were randomized 1:1:1:1 to receive placebo, ABT-594 150 microg BID, ABT-594 225 microg BID, or ABT-594 300 microg BID. Patients were titrated to a fixed-dose of ABT-594 over 7 days and remained at this dose for another 6 weeks. Compared to placebo, all three ABT-594 treatment groups showed significantly greater decreases on the average diary-based 0-10 Pain Rating Scale (PRS) score from baseline to final evaluation, the primary efficacy measure (placebo, -1.1; 150 microg BID, -1.9; 225 microg BID, -1.9; 300 microg BID, -2.0). The proportion of patients achieving at least a 50% improvement in the average diary-based PRS was greater in all three ABT-594 treatment groups. However, adverse event (AE) dropout rates were significantly higher in all three ABT-594 treatment groups (28% for 150 microg BID, 46% for 225 microg BID, and 66% for 300 microg BID) than for the placebo group (9%). Consistent with the expected side-effect profile of NNR agonists, the most frequently reported AEs were nausea, dizziness, vomiting, abnormal dreams, and asthenia. This study establishes proof of concept for NNR agonists as a new class of compounds for treating neuropathic pain.
Evolution of Saxitoxin Synthesis in Cyanobacteria and Dinoflagellates (2012)

Dinoflagellates produce a variety of toxic secondary metabolites that have a significant impact on marine ecosystems and fisheries. Saxitoxin (STX), the cause of paralytic shellfish poisoning, is produced by three marine dinoflagellate genera and is also made by some freshwater cyanobacteria. Genes involved in STX synthesis have been identified in cyanobacteria but are yet to be reported in the massive genomes of dinoflagellates. We have assembled comprehensive transcriptome data sets for several STX-producing dinoflagellates and a related non-toxic species and have identified 265 putative homologs of 13 cyanobacterial STX synthesis genes, including all of the genes directly involved in toxin synthesis. Putative homologs of four proteins group closely in phylogenies with cyanobacteria and are likely the functional homologs of sxtA, sxtG, and sxtB in dinoflagellates. However, the phylogenies do not support the transfer of these genes directly between toxic cyanobacteria and dinoflagellates. SxtA is split into two proteins in the dinoflagellates corresponding to the N-terminal portion containing the methyltransferase and acyl carrier protein domains and a C-terminal portion with the aminotransferase domain. Homologs of sxtB and N-terminal sxtA are present in non-toxic strains, suggesting their functions may not be limited to saxitoxin production. Only homologs of the C-terminus of sxtA and sxtG were found exclusively in toxic strains. A more thorough survey of STX+ dinoflagellates will be needed to determine if these two genes may be specific to SXT production in dinoflagellates. The A. tamarense transcriptome does not contain homologs for the remaining STX genes. Nevertheless, we identified candidate genes with similar predicted biochemical activities that account for the missing functions. These results suggest that the STX synthesis pathway was likely assembled independently in the distantly related cyanobacteria and dinoflagellates, although using some evolutionarily related proteins. The biological role of STX is not well understood in either cyanobacteria or dinoflagellates. However, STX production in these two ecologically distinct groups of organisms suggests that this toxin confers a benefit to producers that we do not yet fully understand.