gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Improved Procedure Performance With Practice of Ultrasound Guidance Targeting Tasks (2019)

PURPOSE: To determine if repetitive practice of ultrasound guidance targeting tasks improves procedural skill in a simulated setting. BACKGROUND: Due to a decrease in ultrasound guided invasive procedures other training methods are required to insure all MFM fellows graduate with sufficient skill to independently perform these procedures. METHODS: 1st year medical students either practiced the targeting tasks during 4 weekly one hour sessions (training group) or had no training (controls). Afterward all performed a simulated amniocentesis (AC) and chorionic villus sampling (CVS). Procedures were timed and the presence of the following recorded: 1) proper angle of entry, 2) excessive (>0.5 cm) needle movement during aspiration, and 3) critical errors (touching the fetus during AC, touching the opposite uterine wall or amniotic cavity during CVS). RESULTS: There were 22 in the training group and 15 controls. AC completion time was 140±28 seconds (sec) vs. 211±62 sec in the training and control groups, respectively (p (0.0%) vs. 1/15 (6.7%), 3/22 (13.6%) vs. 7/15 (46.7%), and 6/22 27.3%) and 8/15 (53.3%) had improper angles, excessive needle movement (p (9.1%) vs. 10/15 (66.7%), 1/22 (4.5%) vs. 8/15 (53.3%), and 3/22 (13.6%) vs. 9/15 (60.0%) had improper angles, excessive needle movement, and critical errors, respectively (all p<0.05). DISCUSSION: Repetitive practice of the targeting tasks improved student performance in simulated AC and CVS. There appeared to be greater benefit for CVS performance. Regular practice of the targeting tasks will likely benefit MFM fellow training.
Specific Substitutions in the Echinocandin Target Fks1p Account for Reduced Susceptibility of Rare Laboratory and Clinical <i>Candida</i> sp. Isolates (2005)

An association between reduced susceptibility to echinocandins and changes in the 1,3-beta-d-glucan synthase (GS) subunit Fks1p was investigated. Specific mutations in fks1 genes from Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Candida albicans mutants are described that are necessary and sufficient for reduced susceptibility to the echinocandin drug caspofungin. One group of amino acid changes in ScFks1p, ScFks2p, and CaFks1p defines a conserved region (Phe 641 to Asp 648 of CaFks1p) in the Fks1 family of proteins. The relationship between several of these fks1 mutations and the phenotype of reduced caspofungin susceptibility was confirmed using site-directed mutagenesis or integrative transformation. Glucan synthase activity from these mutants was less susceptible to caspofungin inhibition, and heterozygous and homozygous Cafks1 C. albicans mutants could be distinguished based on the shape of inhibition curves. The C. albicans mutants were less susceptible to caspofungin than wild-type strains in a murine model of disseminated candidiasis. Five Candida isolates with reduced susceptibility to caspofungin were recovered from three patients enrolled in a clinical trial. Four C. albicans strains showed amino acid changes at Ser 645 of CaFks1p, while a single Candida krusei isolate had a deduced R1361G substitution. The clinical C. albicans mutants were less susceptible to caspofungin in the disseminated candidiasis model, and GS inhibition profiles and DNA sequence analyses were consistent with a homozygous fks1 mutation. Our results indicate that substitutions in the Fks1p subunit of GS are sufficient to confer reduced susceptibility to echinocandins in S. cerevisiae and the pathogens C. albicans and C. krusei.
Auger radiopharmaceutical therapy targeting prostate-specific membrane antigen in a micrometastatic model of prostate cancer (2020)

Auger radiopharmaceutical therapy is a promising strategy for micrometastatic disease given high linear energy transfer and short range in tissues, potentially limiting normal tissue toxicities. We previously demonstrated anti-tumor efficacy of a small-molecule Auger electron emitter targeting the prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA), 2-[3-[1-carboxy-5-(4-[<sup>125</sup>I]iodo-benzoylamino)-pentyl]-ureido]-pentanedioic acid), or <sup>125</sup>I-DCIBzL, in a mouse xenograft model. Here, we investigated the therapeutic efficacy, long-term toxicity, and biodistribution of <sup>125</sup>I-DCIBzL in a micrometastatic model of prostate cancer (PC). <b>Methods</b>: To test the therapeutic efficacy of <sup>125</sup>I-DCIBzL in micrometastatic PC, we used a murine model of human metastatic PC in which PSMA+ PC3-ML cells expressing firefly luciferase were injected intravenously in NSG mice to form micrometastatic deposits. One week later, 0, 0.37, 1.85, 3.7, 18.5, 37, or 111 MBq of <sup>125</sup>I-DCIBzL was administered (intravenously). Metastatic tumor burden was assessed using bioluminescence imaging (BLI). Long-term toxicity was evaluated via serial weights and urinalysis of non-tumor-bearing mice over a 12-month period, as well as final necropsy. <b>Results</b>: In the micrometastatic PC model, activities of 18.5 MBq <sup>125</sup>I-DCIBzL and above significantly delayed development of detectable metastatic disease by BLI and prolonged survival in mice. Gross metastases were detectable in control mice and those treated with 0.37-3.7 MBq <sup>125</sup>I-DCIBzL at a median of 2 weeks post-treatment, versus 4 weeks for those treated with 18.5-111 MBq <sup>125</sup>I-DCIBzL (<i>P</i><0.0001 by log-rank test). Similarly, treatment with ≥18.5 MBq <sup>125</sup>I-DCIBzL yielded a median survival of 11 weeks, compared with 6 weeks for control mice (<i>P</i><0.0001). At 12 months, there was no appreciable toxicity via weight, urinalysis, or necropsy evaluation in mice treated with any activity of <sup>125</sup>I-DCIBzL, which represents markedly less toxicity than the analogous PSMA-targeted α-particle emitter. Macro-to-microscale dosimetry modeling demonstrated lower absorbed dose in renal cell nuclei versus tumor cell nuclei due to lower levels of drug uptake and cellular internalization in combination with the short range of Auger emissions. <b>Conclusion</b>: PSMA-targeted radiopharmaceutical therapy with the Auger emitter <sup>125</sup>I-DCIBzL significantly delayed development of detectable metastatic disease and improved survival in a micrometastatic model of PC, with no long-term toxicities noted at 12 months, suggesting a favorable therapeutic ratio for treatment of micrometastatic PC.
Telematic system for monitoring of asthma severity in patients' homes. (1998)

Despite advances in the treatment of asthma the morbidity and mortality of this disease has increased significantly in the past several years. Recent studies have shown that monitoring of asthma severity in the patient home especially combined with patient education can reduce incidence of asthma exacerbation and subsequent hospitalization. The existing methods for home asthma monitoring are limited by four factors; they completely rely on a patient's ability to document and to evaluate test results; there is no easy way for a physician to review data in a timely manner; they use imprecise tools for evaluation of asthma severity and they don't provide clinical decision support tools. The goal of this study is to develop and to evaluate a telematic system for asthma severity monitoring which will minimize patients' efforts in performing self-testing at their homes and allow prompt reciprocal exchange of all relevant information between patients and health care providers. In our setting, patients use portable spirometer and pocket-sized palmtop computer for data exchange. Our system allows daily serial monitoring of asthma severity at patients' homes using Forced Vital Capacity test and symptom diary. The results of the tests become available for physicians review immediately after completion of self-testing procedures via Web browser. The results can be transmitted from patients' homes (or any other remote location) to the medical records database via landline or wireless networks in several minutes. Each time the remote server receives patient's results, it invokes the application which tests the validity of data, analyzes parameters trends and dispatches corresponding messages for the patient and, if necessary, for physicians. Such an approach provides constant feedback loop between asthma patient and physician. The system has been tested in 10 healthy volunteers and asthma patients. Patients participated in the study from two to 21 days. The test results showed that the system provides reliable reciprocal exchange of all relevant information between a physician and asthma patient in home settings. Average transmission time from the patient's palmtop to the remote central data repository was about 1 minute for 14.4 Kbps landline modem, 6 minutes for cellular network and 8 minutes for RAM Mobile network. After transmission, the test results were immediately available for review at our web site.
Triphone based unit selection for concatenative visual speech synthesis (2002)

Concatenative visual speech synthesis selects frames from a large recorded video database of mouth shapes to generate photo-realistic talking head sequences. The synthesized sequence must exhibit precise lip-sound synchronization and smooth articulation. The selection process for finding the best lip shapes has been computationally expensive [1], limiting the speed of the synthesis to far less than real time. In this paper, we propose a rapid unit selection approach based on triphone units. Experiments show that this algorithm can make the synthesis, excluding the rendering, 50 times faster than real-time on a standard desktop PC. We also developed a metric to test the quality of the synthesis objectively, and show that this measurement is consistent with subjective measurement results.
Regulation of Cell-Death and Immune Defense by receptors of the TNF/NGF family (2006)

Receptors of the TNF/NGF family control all aspects of immune defense and also play important roles in the regulation of embryonic developmental processes. Our studies are aimed toward elucidating the mechanisms that regulate the induction of two cardinal activities of these receptors: programmed cell death, an effect mediated by members of the caspase cysteine-protease family, which are activated by the receptors in a proteinsynthesis independent manner, and the induction of immune defense mechanisms through gene activation, which to a large extent relies on stimulation of transcription factors of the NF-kappa B family. We are applying genetic screens and proteomic approaches to identify the signaling proteins that participate in the induction of cell death and immune defense, and complement these in vitro studies by transgenic approaches for elucidating the in vivo role of these proteins.
Intel® Software Guard Extensions (Intel® SGX) Support for Dynamic Memory Management Inside an Enclave (2016)

We introduce Intel® Software Guard Extensions (Intel® SGX) SGX2 which extends the SGX instruction set to include dynamic memory management support for enclaves. Intel® SGX is a subset of the Intel Architecture Instruction Set [1]. SGX1 allows an application developer to build a trusted environment and execute inside that space. However SGX1 imposes limitations regarding memory commitment and reuse of enclave memory. The software developer is required to allocate all memory at enclave instantiation. This paper describes new instructions and programming models to extend support for dynamic memory management inside an enclave.
Expression, purification and characterisation of recombinant pallidipin, a novel platelet aggregation inhibitor from the haematophageous triatomine bug Triatoma pallidipennis (1996)

Pallidipin is a platelet aggregation inhibitor protein originating from the saliva of the haematophageous triatomine bug Triatoma pallidipennis. Its inhibitory effects are specific for collagen-induced platelet aggregation. The recombinant form of the protein was expressed in the periplasmic space of transformed Escherichia coli using a vector based on the alkaline phosphatase gene promoter and leader peptide. Recombinant pallidipin was purified in three chromatographic steps including cation exchange, anion exchange and size exclusion gel chromatography. SDS/PAGE and N-terminal amino acid sequencing showed that recombinant pallidipin had a molecular weight similar to that of the salivary protein (approximately 19 kDa) and had been correctly processed. The yield was 864 micrograms of pure protein from one litre of bacterial culture. The biological activity of recombinant pallidipin was assessed in a platelet aggregation assay using collagen at a concentration of 2 micrograms/ml as inducer, and the IC50 found to be 33 nM, similar to that determined for the native protein. When the collagen concentration used for induction was increased, higher pallidipin concentrations were also needed to achieve a comparable inhibition of platelet aggregation.
How a Network Can "Think Globally and Act Locally" and Avoid the Hazards of Incoherence in Distributed State Information (2007)

We are concerned by the fundamental impossibility of assuring complete agreement between nodes operating in a distributed asynchronous environment, recognizing that this is assumed in the current most widely considered ideas for ongoing dynamic provisioning in optical networks. We describe a concept for handling dynamic provisioning changes and ongoing network reconfiguration and incremental reoptimization in general which avoids this hazard, and obtains other benefits in efficiency, through the use of precise network time to effect synchronous globally optimal ongoing reconfigurations of network state. A prime motivation is the dependency of existing concepts on the real-time coherence of databases of network state at diverse geographic locations. Not only is the continual updating of such global state everywhere in the network an intensive real-time load, but incoherencies are theoretically inevitable and pose unquantifiable hazards. The new scheme removes the database coherency hazard, reduces total signaling volumes, removes the need for any signaling which is realtime-critical, and increases resource efficiencies in service provisioning. It also provides a framework in general for continually ongoing incremental or (if desired) total reoptimization of network configuration. <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">1</sup>
Corrosion resistance, surface mechanical properties, and cytocompatibility of plasma immersion ion implantation–treated nickel‐titanium shape memory alloys (2005)

Nickel-titanium shape memory alloys are promising materials in orthopedic applications because of their unique properties. However, for prolonged use in a human body, deterioration of the corrosion resistance of the materials becomes a critical issue because of the increasing possibility of deleterious ions released from the substrate to living tissues. We have investigated the use of nitrogen, acetylene, and oxygen plasma immersion ion implantation (PIII) to improve the corrosion resistance and mechanical properties of the materials. Our results reveal that the corrosion resistance and mechanical properties such as hardness and elastic modulus are significantly enhanced after surface treatment. The release of nickel is drastically reduced as compared with the untreated control. In addition, our in vitro tests show that the plasma-treated surfaces are well tolerated by osteoblasts. Among the three types of samples, the best biological effects are observed on the nitrogen PIII samples.
Lipophosphonoxins II: Design, Synthesis, and Properties of Novel Broad Spectrum Antibacterial Agents (2017)

The increase in the number of bacterial strains resistant to known antibiotics is alarming. In this study we report the synthesis of novel compounds termed Lipophosphonoxins II (LPPO II). We show that LPPO II display excellent activities against Gram-positive and -negative bacteria, including pathogens and multiresistant strains. We describe their mechanism of action-plasmatic membrane pore-forming activity selective for bacteria. Importantly, LPPO II neither damage nor cross the eukaryotic plasmatic membrane at their bactericidal concentrations. Further, we demonstrate LPPO II have low propensity for resistance development, likely due to their rapid membrane-targeting mode of action. Finally, we reveal that LPPO II are not toxic to either eukaryotic cells or model animals when administered orally or topically. Collectively, these results suggest that LPPO II are highly promising compounds for development into pharmaceuticals.
An implementation-friendly binary LDPC decoding algorithm (2010)

We introduce an implementation-friendly binary message-passing decoding method for low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes that does not require the degree information of variable nodes or degree dependent parameters. For hard decision decoding, given its low-complexity, the implementation cost for variable node degree information is an important consideration. We develop an estimation method for the extrinsic error probability (EEP) as well as its analysis. The proposed method offers similar performance as the existing methods for time-invariant decoding in most cases, while it facilitates efficient circuit implementations of the LDPC decoder.
Continuous manufacture of yogurt. II. Procedure and apparatus for continuous coagulation (1977)

Abstract The procedure and apparatus for the continuous coagulation of yogurt are described. The continuous coagulation takes place in a plug‐flow fermentor. Prefermented milk is brought into this fermentor with the help of a centrifugal distributor, which avoids any undesirable mixing of the prefermented milk with the acidifying milk. A special stirring plate allows a stirring treatment in the coagulation tank. By this procedure the acidity and the viscosity of the final yogurt can be controlled between certain limits. The organoleptic characteristics of the continuous manufactured yogurt are good.
A Dual–Wavelength Thermal Infrared Scanner As A Potential Airborne Geophysical Exploration Tool (1976)

Abstract We are investigating a new airborne method for measuring surface temperatures that may be useful for identifying thermal anomalies of geologic origin. From Planck's equation we derive the valuable approximation that, for small temperature variations, the radiant emittance is proportional to the emissivity times the absolute temperature to the power of (50/wavelength in ¼m). From this, expressions are obtained for the emitted infrared (ir) radiation measured simultaneously in the 5 and 10 ¼m bands. Ratios of these expressions are shown to have the following useful properties at 288 K: (a) they are insensitive to surface emissivity variations for vegetated terrain, (b) they vary nearly as the 5th power of the surface temperature, and (c) they distinguish emissivity–related from temperature–related effects. We have made preliminary tests of this methodology at a field site in Scipio Center, New York. We have characterized the observed surface temperature variations, the significant effects of soil moisture, and separated out the purely emissivity–related features of vegetated terrain. Cluster analysis served to divide the ir data into groups that behave similarly as a function of the measured soil moisture. Two such distinct terrain groups were identified at the field site. The ir data were corrected for: (a) natural surface emissivity variations, (b) the intervening atmospheric path, and (c) the reflected sky radiation. The corrected surface temperature data were compared with calculated values computed from a model that simulates the surface temperature, using meteorological, hydrological, topographical, and soil thermal input parameters. The simulated mean surface temperatures, 291.9 K (group 1) and 291.6 K (group 2), differed only by, respectively, 0.0 K and 0.1 K from the measured mean surface temperatures. Our preliminary results suggest the potential for developing a new airborne geophysical method for isolating abnormal heat flows. Weak heat flows, about 10–20 times the terrestrial average, have the effect of raising the surface temperature about 0.1–0.2 K. These temperature anomalies would, with the methodology suggested, appear as a residual difference between the measured (corrected) surface temperature and the simulated surface temperature. Such surface temperature differences appear, from our research, to be measurable by airborne ir scanners when data over surface areas of 0.1km2 or larger are averaged. Accordingly, our research appears to support the conclusion that surface temperature enhancements of geophysical origin between 0.1 and 0.2 K can be identified using airborne infrared methods.
Prolonged Suppression of Insulin Release by a Somatostatin Analog (1978)

A somatostatin analog, [D-Ala5, D-Trp8]somatostatin, has been found to selectively inhibit insulin and GH release in rats. The release of these hormones is inhibited by an analog dose of 5 μg/kg in short term experiments (15 min from analog administration to blood sampling), while glucagon levels are not lowered by analog doses as high as 500 μg/kg. The lowered insulin to glucagon ratio results in hyperglycemia. [D-Ala5, D-Trp8]Somatostatin is also long acting; a 1 mg/kg dose results in hypoinsulinemia for 2 h and hyperglycemia for 3 h.
Study of winding method to reduce stray loss and stator core vibration of synchronous machine (2013)

The fractional slot windings are widely used in rotating machine in order to increase the flexibility of design and improve the voltage waveform. However, the MMF wave of fractional-slot windings are found to contain unique harmonic components, which are designated as even space flux harmonics, fractional flux harmonics, or both. They may cause stray loss and stator core vibration. This paper proposes new winding methods such as “novel interspersed windings” and “expanded group windings” to reduce these harmonics. The advantages of two proposed winding methods are verified by using numerical analysis and measurement test of winding model.
Contemporary Avian Influenza A Virus Subtype H1, H6, H7, H10, and H15 Hemagglutinin Genes Encode a Mammalian Virulence Factor Similar to the 1918 Pandemic Virus H1 Hemagglutinin (2014)

Influenza viruses from birds can cause outbreaks in humans and may contribute to the development of pandemics. The 1918 pandemic influenza virus has an avian influenza virus-like genome, and its main surface protein, an H1 subtype hemagglutinin, was identified as a key mammalian virulence factor. In a previous study, a 1918 virus expressing an avian H1 gene was as virulent in mice as the reconstructed 1918 virus. Here, a set of avian influenza viruses was constructed, differing only by hemagglutinin subtype. Viruses with the avian H1, H6, H7, H10, and H15 subtypes caused severe disease in mice and damaged human lung cells. Consequently, infections with avian influenza viruses bearing one of these hemagglutinins may cause enhanced disease in mammals, and therefore surveillance for human infections with these subtypes may be important in controlling future outbreaks.
SRB-TPS spray nozzle development for MSA-1 application (1979)

Different overspray suppression schemes are presented. A spray nozzle system for the Marshall Sprayable Ablator (MAS-1) material was developed. As a result of the development for MAS-1 a substantial cost and time saving was achieved by permitting a continuous spray operation.
MultiVizArch (2008)

This article presents an automated technique for visualizing large software architectures using multiple graphical representations, including multi-dimensional scaling, 2-D grid, and spiral layouts. We describe how our software visualization methods were applied to the Network Appliance operating system known as Data ONTAP 7G (ONTAP). We show how each method can be applied to comprehend a specific aspect of ONTAP. This approach can be used by software engineers, architects, and developers to better understand the architecture of their code.