gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Phytanic acid, a natural peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor agonist, regulates glucose metabolism in rat primary hepatocytes (2002)

Phytanic acid, a metabolite of the chlorophyll molecule, is part of the human diet and is present in normal human serum at low micromolar concentrations. It was previously shown to be a ligand of the 9-cis-retinoic acid receptor and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) a. PPAR agonists are widely used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Here, we report that phytanic acid is not only a transactivator of PPARa, but it also acts via PPARb and PPARg in CV-1 cells that have been cotransfected with the respective full-length receptor and an acyl-CoA oxidase-PPAR-responsive element-luciferase construct. We observed that, in contrast to other fatty acids, phytanic acid at physiological concentrations enhances uptake of 2-deoxy-D-glucose in rat primary hepatocytes. This result could be explained by the increase in mRNA expression of glucose transporters-1 and -2 and glucokinase, as determined by quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. Compared with the PPARg-specific agonist ciglitazone, phytanic acid exerts only minor effects on the differentiation of C3H10T1/2 cells into mature adipocytes. These results clearly demonstrate that phytanic acid acts via different PPAR isoforms to modulate expression of genes involved in glucose metabolism, thus suggesting a potential role of phytanic acid in the management of insulin resistance.
Optical Coherence Tomography: Principles and Applications (2006)

Foreword Section I:The Basics (math, waves, etc.) for the Nonphysical Scientist Light and Electromagnetic Waves Light in Matter Interference, Coherence, Diffraction, and Transfer Functions Section II: Optical Coherence Tomography: Theory Optoelectronics And Optical Components Noise and System Performance with TD-OCT and SD-OCT Polarization and Polarization Sensitive OCT (PS-OCT) Adjuvant Techniques: Absorption Spectroscopy, Contrast Probes, Phase Contrast, Elastography, and Entangled Photons Doppler Optical Coherence Tomography Digital Image Processing Techniques for Speckle Reduction, Enhancement and Segmentation of Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) Images Section III: Application of OCT to Clinical Imaging: Introduction Other Technologies Introduction to Clinical Research Design and Analysis OCT in Cardiovascular Medicine OCT in Musculoskeletal Disease OCT in Oncology Other Applications and Conclusions Index
Joint Video Coding and Statistical Multiplexing for Broadcasting Over DVB-H Channels (2008)

A novel joint video encoding and statistical multiplexing (StatMux) method for broadcasting over digital video broadcasting for handhelds (DVB-H) channels is proposed to improve the quality of encoded video and to decrease the end-to-end delay in a broadcast system. The main parts of end-to-end delay in a DVB-H system result from a time-sliced transmission scheme that is used in DVB-H and from the bit rate variations of service bit streams. The time-sliced transmission scheme is utilized in DVB-H to reduce the power consumption of DVB-H receivers. Variable bit rate (VBR) video bit streams are used in DVB-H to improve the video quality and compression performance. The time-sliced transmission scheme has increased the channel switching delay, i.e., switching to a new audio-visual service, in DVB-H. The used VBR bit streams increase the required buffering delays in the whole system. The different parts of end-to-end delay in a DVB-H system can be affected by the used video encoding and multiplexing methods. Different scenarios for encoding and StatMux of video sources for DVB-H application are studied in this paper. Moreover, a new method for jointly encoding and StatMux of video sources is proposed that not only decreases the end-to-end delay but also improves the average quality of compressed video by dynamically distributing available bandwidth between the video sources according to their relative complexity. Performance of the proposed method is validated by simulation results.
Critical and Independent Role for SOCS3 in Either Myeloid or T Cells in Resistance to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (2013)

Suppressor of cytokine signalling 3 (SOCS3) negatively regulates STAT3 activation in response to several cytokines such as those in the gp130-containing IL-6 receptor family. Thus, SOCS3 may play a major role in immune responses to pathogens. In the present study, the role of SOCS3 in M. tuberculosis infection was examined. All Socs3(fl/fl) LysM cre, Socs3(fl/fl) lck cre (with SOCS3-deficient myeloid and lymphoid cells, respectively) and gp130(F/F) mice, with a mutation in gp130 that impedes binding to SOCS3, showed increased susceptibility to infection with M. tuberculosis. SOCS3 binding to gp130 in myeloid cells conveyed resistance to M. tuberculosis infection via the regulation of IL-6/STAT3 signalling. SOCS3 was redundant for mycobacterial control by macrophages in vitro. Instead, SOCS3 expression in infected macrophages and DCs prevented the IL-6-mediated inhibition of TNF and IL-12 secretion and contributed to a timely CD4+ cell-dependent IFN-γ expression in vivo. In T cells, SOCS3 expression was essential for a gp130-independent control of infection with M. tuberculosis, but was neither required for the control of infection with attenuated M. bovis BCG nor for M. tuberculosis in BCG-vaccinated mice. Socs3(fl/fl) lck cre mice showed an increased frequency of γδ+ T cells in different organs and an enhanced secretion of IL-17 by γδ+ T cells in response to infection. Socs3(fl/fl) lck cre γδ+ T cells impaired the control of infection with M. tuberculosis. Thus, SOCS3 expression in either lymphoid or myeloid cells is essential for resistance against M. tuberculosis via discrete mechanisms.
Homes, A.M. (2022)

A.M. Homes wrote her first novel when she was just 19 and an undergraduate at Sarah Lawrence College. First published in 1989, Jack presents a teenage boy's take on his parents’ divorce and his subsequent discovery that his father is gay. All he wants is a “regular family” and now he feels that his whole life has been “wrecked” or, at the very least, “dented.” “Normality,” however, proves from the outset to be a deception. The first real sign of trouble is when Jack's mother starts making pancakes for breakfast and smiling in a way “that looked like it'd been clipped from the pages of Family Circle.” Although very much an apprentice work, an adolescent's view of adolescence, Jack introduced readers to the thematic preoccupations that Homes has continued to explore in four further novels, three short story collections, and two works of nonfiction: the permutations and reconfigurations of family; the way that relationships function through debts, gifts, and acts of atonement; the conformist pressures of suburbia, and also of literary fiction. She has consistently described her work as “very American” and freely admits to the “line of morality” that runs through it.
Use of Sindbis virus-mediated RNA interference to demonstrate a conserved role of Broad-Complex in insect metamorphosis (2003)

The transcription factor Broad-Complex (BR-C) is required for differentiation of adult structures as well as for the programmed death of obsolete larval organs during metamorphosis of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. Whether BR-C has a similar role in other holometabolous insects could not be proven without a loss-of-function genetic test, performed in a non-drosophilid species. Here we use a recombinant Sindbis virus as a tool to silence BR-C expression in the silkmoth Bombyx mori. The virus expressing a BR-C antisense RNA fragment reduced endogenous BR-C mRNA levels in infected tissues (adult wing and leg primordia) via RNA interference (RNAi). The RNAi knock-down of BR-C resulted in the failure of animals to complete the larval-pupal transition or in later morphogenetic defects, including differentiation of adult compound eyes, legs, and wings from their larval progenitors. BR-C RNAi also perturbed the programmed cell death of larval silk glands. These developmental defects correspond to loss-of-function phenotypes of BR-C Drosophila mutants in both the morphogenetic and degenerative aspects, suggesting that the critical role of BR-C in metamorphosis is evolutionarily conserved. We also demonstrate that the Sindbis virus is a useful vehicle for silencing of developmental genes in new insect models.
A country economic memorandum for Malawi (2017)

Despite decades of development efforts supported by significant amounts of foreign aid, Malawi has experienced weak and volatile economic growth over a sustained period of time and has fallen behind its peers. Moreover, growth has been distributed unequally, with little impact on poverty. Per capita income has improved only minimally in the 50 years since Malawi’s independence, and Malawi now has one of the lowest per capita incomes in the world. This new Country Economic Memorandum (CEM), aims to improve understanding of the puzzle of Malawi’s weak performance and to identify ways for Malawi to achieve robust and stable growth that includes the poor. This book summarizes and consolidates the extensive background technical work conducted for the CEM. It is structured as follows. First, it discusses Malawi’s macroeconomic situation and challenges in fiscal management, reviewing and drawing lessons from the instability, slippages, and shocks that Malawi has experienced since independence. Second, given how critical the agriculture sector is to poverty reduction in Malawi, it explores the current state of agricultural markets. Third, it looks at the factors that may constrain higher growth in the future and discusses challenges in private sector development and job creation. Finally, building on the analysis of challenges, the overview concludes with a summary of policy recommendations aimed at helping Malawi to achieve more robust and sustainable growth and poverty reduction in the future. The full list of background papers, each of which is available for download, is provided as appendix A to this book.
Energy-conscious compilation based on voltage scaling (2002)

As energy consumption has become a majorconstraint in current system design, it is essential to look beyond the traditional low-power circuit and architectural optimizations. Further, software is becoming an increasing portion of embedded/portable systems. Consequently, optimizing the software in conjunction with the underlying low-power hardware features such as voltage scaling is vital.In this paper, we present two compiler-directed energy optimization strategies based on voltage scaling: static voltage scaling and dynamic voltage scaling. In static voltage scaling, the compiler determines a single supply voltage level for the entire input program. We primarily aim at improving the energy consumption of a given code without increasing its execution time. To accomplish this, we employ classical loop-level compiler optimizations. However, we use these optimizations to create opportunities for voltage scaling to save energy, rather than increase program performance.In dynamic voltage scaling, the compiler can select different supply voltage levels for different parts of the code. Our compilation strategy is based on integer linear programming and can accommodate energy/performance constraints. For a benchmark suite of array-based scientific codes and embedded video/image applications, our experiments show average energy savings of 31.8% when static voltage scaling is used. Our dynamic voltage scaling strategy saves 15.3% more energy than static voltage scaling when invoked under the same performance constraints.
Volatility calibration with American options (2004)

In this paper, we present two methods in order to calibrate the local volatility with American put options. Both calibration methods use a least-square formulation and a descent algorithm. Pricing is done by solving parabolic variational inequalities, for which solution procedures by active set methods are discussed.
Solid immersion lens applications for nanophotonic devices (2008)

Solid immersion lens (SIL) microscopy combines the advantages of conventional microscopy with those of near-field techniques, and is being increasingly adopted across a diverse range of technologies and applications. A comprehensive overview of the state-of-the-art in this rapidly expanding subject is therefore increasingly relevant. Important benefits are enabled by SIL-focusing, including an improved lateral and axial spatial profiling resolution when a SIL is used in laser-scanning microscopy or excitation, and an improved collection efficiency when a SIL is used in a light-collection mode, for example in fluorescence micro-spectroscopy. These advantages arise from the increase in numerical aperture (NA) that is provided by a SIL. Other SIL-enhanced improvements, for example spherical-aberration-free sub-surface imaging, are a fundamental consequence of the aplanatic imaging condition that results from the spherical geometry of the SIL. Beginning with an introduction to the theory of SIL imaging, the unique properties of SILs are exposed to provide advantages in applications involving the interrogation of photonic and electronic nanostructures. Such applications range from the sub-surface examination of the complex three-dimensional microstructures fabricated in silicon integrated circuits, to quantum photoluminescence and transmission measurements in semiconductor quantum dot nanostructures.
Note: Sulfurospirillum barnesii sp. nov. and Sulfurospirillum arsenophilum sp. nov., new members of the Sulfurospirillum clade of the ε-Proteobacteria (1999)

Two strains of dissimilatory arsenate-reducing vibrio-shaped bacteria are assigned to the genus Sulfurospirillum. These two new species, Sulfurospirillum barnesii strain SES-3T and Sulfurospirillum arsenophilum strain MIT-13T, in addition to Sulfurospirillum sp. SM-5, two strains of Sulfurospirillum deleyianum, and Sulfurospirillum arcachonense, form a distinct clade within the epsilon subclass of the Proteobacteria based on 16S rRNA analysis.
Polymer-graphene composites by photocuring of a system containing benzophenone macromer (2016)

Formulations incorporating benzophenone oligodimethacrylate (BP-DMA) and graphene structures (graphene oxide/GO, reduced graphene oxide/RGO) were exposed to UV/vis irradiation or femtosecond laser beam to achieve hybrid composites. All structures were characterized through various methods including 1H NMR and FTIR spectroscopies, optical microscopy, TEM, SEM/EDAX analysis, and DSC/XRD techniques. The photopolymerization of BP-DMA in monomer compositions with and without GO or RGO was investigated by photo-DSC and FTIR methods for determining the polymerization kinetic parameters. The photopolymerization experiments revealed a good photoreactivity of the monomers (degree of conversion: 65-77%) after 1 minute exposure to UV/vis irradiation and the addition of graphene (up to 0.5%), whereas the polymerization rate varied between 0.14 and 0.1 s-1. Moreover, two-photon photopolymerization of the formulations in presence/absence of GO or RGO nanosheets (0.1 wt.%) generated 2D microstructures by direct laser writing procedure. Also, the morphology and the properties of composites materials were analyzed.
Anatomical co-registration using spatio-temporal features of a non-contact near-infrared optical scanner (2014)

Non-contact based near-infrared (NIR) optical imaging devices are developed for non-invasive imaging of deep tissues in various clinical applications. Most of these devices focus on obtaining the spatial information for anatomical co-registration of blood vessels as in sub-surface vein localization applications. In the current study, the anatomical co-registration of blood vessels based on spatio-temporal features was performed using NIR optical imaging without the use of external contrast agents. A 710 nm LED source and a compact CCD camera system were employed during simple cuff (0 to 60 mmHg) experiment in order to acquire the dynamic NIR data from the dorsum of a hand. The spatio-temporal features of dynamic NIR data were extracted from the cuff experimental study to localize vessel according to blood dynamics. The blood vessels shape is currently reconstructed from the dynamic data based on spatio-temporal features. Demonstrating the spatio-temporal feature of blood dynamic imaging using a portable non-contact NIR imaging device without external contrast agents is significant for applications such as peripheral vascular diseases.
Magnetic Stimulation of the Sacral Roots for the Treatment of Urinary Frequency and Urge Incontinence: An Investigational Study and Placebo Controlled Trial (2002)

These results suggest that magnetic stimulation of the sacral roots may be useful for treating urinary frequency and urge incontinence.
Collaboration and Co-production in the Singapore Film Industry: Opportunities for Development through Strategic Alliances (2021)

This paper examines the significance of intangible resources as core competences that are likely to contribute most in an uncertain, changing and unpredictable environment such as the film industry. It identifies the nature and role of these resources which are mainly knowledge-based such as creativity, experience and reputation and how these could be brokered through coproduction and collaboration with foreign film companies. The objective of this paper is to examine how local firms shape their capabilities in order to enable them to renew their resource and capability bases. This paper maintains that coproduction is adopted as a strategic alliance for local firms in Singapore in order to gain benefits of international firms‘ tacit knowledge and ideas and to build on accumulated memories and experiences. This approach is viewed as a way to ride on the competences and successes of the well established firms and hence gained status in the process. This paper argues that while co-production and strategic partnerships may generate valuable learning opportunities for firms to gain access to the knowledge-based resources of their partners, they do not necessarily generate equal rewards and benefits for all parties concerned. It can be a zero-sum game in which failure to gain access to partner knowledge results in unequal benefits accruing from such alliances. Such a paradox presents enormous challenges for an emerging Singapore film industry trying to break into the global circuit.
Towards a cryptographic treatment of publish/subscribe systems (2014)

Publish/subscribe mechanism is a typical many-to-many messaging paradigm when multiple applications want to receive the same message or when a group of applications would like to notify each other. Nonetheless, there exist only a few works that address the security issues for content-based publish/subscribe systems formally. Although the security requirements have been partially addressed by Wang et al., there is no formal definition for all of these security requirements in the literature. As a result, most of the existing schemes do not have any security proof and it is difficult to justify whether those schemes are really secure in practice. Furthermore, there is no comprehensive scheme that satisfies the most essential security requirements at the same time. In this paper, we introduce the first security model for important security requirements of content-based publish/subscribe systems. We also give a new security requirement for publisher authenticity, which means that the publisher is authenticated to publish certain types of notification only, and cannot publish other types of notification. We then exhibit a new scheme which fulfills most of the security requirements. Furthermore, we also provide a comprehensive proof for our concrete construction according to the new model.
Microbial metabolism of aromatic nitriles. Enzymology of C–N cleavage by <i>Nocardia</i> sp. (<i>Rhodochrous</i> group) N.C.I.B. 11216 (1977)

1. An organism utilizing benzonitrile as sole carbon and nitrogen source was isolated by the enrichment-culture technique and identified as a Nocardia sp. of the rhodochrous group. 2. Respiration studies indicate that nitrile degradation proceeds through benzoic acid and catechol. 3. Cell-free extracts of benzonitrile-grown cells contain an enzyme that catalyses the conversion of benzonitrile directly into benzoic acid without intermediate formation of benzamide. 4. This nitrilase enzyme was purified by DEAE-cellulose chromatography and gel filtration on Sephadex G-100 in the presence and absence of substrate. The purity of the enzyme was confirmed by sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis and isoelectric focusing on polyacrylamide gel. 5. The enzyme shows a time-dependent substrate-activation process in which the substrate catalyses the association of inactive subunits of mol.wt. 45000 to form the polymeric 12-unit active enzyme of mol.wt. 560000. The time required for complete association is highly dependent on the concentration of the enzyme, temperature and pH. 6. The associated enzyme has a pH optimum of 8.0 and Km with benzonitrile as substrate of 4mm. The activation energy of the reaction as deduced from the Arrhenius plot is 51.8kJ/mol. 7. Enzyme activity is inhibited by thiol-specific reagents and several metal ions. 8. Studies with different substrates indicate that the nitrilase is specific for nitrile groups directly attached to the benzene ring. Various substituents in the ring are compatible with activity, though ortho-substitution, except by fluorine, renders the nitrile invulnerable to attack. 9. The environmental implications of these findings and the possible significance of the enzyme in the regulation of metabolism are discussed.
Regulatory T Cells in the Control of Autoimmune Diabetes: The Case of the NOD Mouse (2005)

Over the last few years, there has been a revival of the concept of suppressor/regulatory T cells being central players in the control of various immune responses, including autoimmune responses and immune response to transplants, tumors, and infectious agents. It appears that regulatory T cells are diverse in their phenotypes, antigen specificity, and modes of action. Here we summarize studies from various groups, including our own, demonstrating that specialized subsets of regulatory T cells are pivotal in the control of autoimmune diabetes as well shown by the compelling evidence accumulated using the non-obese diabetic (NOD) mouse model. We also provide a discussion of the evidence showing that some biological products (such as CD3-specific monoclonal antibodies) are representatives of a new category of immunotherapeutic agents endowed with unique capacities to promote immunological tolerance (an antigen-specific unresponsiveness in the absence of long-term generalized immunosuppression) through their ability to induce immunoregulatory T cells.
The Structural Basis of Function of the TF●VIIa Complex in the Cellular Initiation of Coagulation (1997)

Cell surface tissue factor (TF), the major in vivo initiator of coagulation, activates coagulation by binding and allosteric activation of the serine protease factor. VIIa (VIIa). A graphic scheme to account for function of this initial bimolecular activation complex has emerged from the integration of structural with functional analyses. The VIIa light chain, specifically the Gla and EGF-1 domains, form extended hydrophobic contacts with TF which account for most of the free energy of binding. These contacts tether VIIa and facilitate interactions of the protease domain with TF necessary for induction of protease function. Several contact residues in the VIIa protease domain-TF interface are involved in the activation of VIIa by complex allosteric effects. Macromolecular substrate zymogens interact with both the VIIa protease domain and the carboxyl-terminal module of TF. Docking of the VIIa Gla-domain to the latter region of TF appears to contribute to substrate assembly. The current data suggest an extended embrace between TF and VIIa to form the bimolecular enzyme TF.VIIa.