gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Motion based adaptive calibration of pulse transit time measurements to arterial blood pressure for an autonomous, wearable blood pressure monitor (2008)

This paper presents a novel adaptive algorithm for calibrating non-invasive pulse transit time (PTT) measurements to arterial blood pressure (BP). This new algorithm allows complete calibration of PTT to BP without the use of an oscillometric blood pressure cuff or external pressure sensor. Further, the algorithm can be used to continually update the identified parameters in the calibration equation while the patient is wearing the device. The technique utilizes natural patient motion to generate a known change in the transmural pressure (input) acting on the arteries monitored by our device to produce a measurable change in pulse transit time (output). The natural motion includes varying the height of the sensor relative to the heart to alter hydrostatic pressure at the measurement site and adjusting proximal joint posture to vary the external arterial pressure at the measurement site. This new algorithm is applied to a unique wearable sensor architecture that combines two in-line PPG sensors, one located at the ulnar artery of the wrist and one located at the digital artery of the little finger along with a multi-axis accelerometer for height measurement. Initial human subject tests results using the new algorithm and device will be presented.
Real-time CT-video registration for continuous endoscopic guidance (2006)

Previous research has shown that CT-image-based guidance could be useful for the bronchoscopic assessment of lung cancer. This research drew upon the registration of bronchoscopic video images to CT-based endoluminal renderings of the airway tree. The proposed methods either were restricted to discrete single-frame registration, which took several seconds to complete, or required non-real-time buffering and processing of video sequences. We have devised a fast 2D/3D image registration method that performs single-frame CT-Video registration in under 1/15th of a second. This allows the method to be used for real-time registration at full video frame rates without significantly altering the physician's behavior. The method achieves its speed through a gradient-based optimization method that allows most of the computation to be performed off-line. During live registration, the optimization iteratively steps toward the locally optimal viewpoint at which a CT-based endoluminal view is most similar to a current bronchoscopic video frame. After an initial registration to begin the process (generally done in the trachea for bronchoscopy), subsequent registrations are performed in real-time on each incoming video frame. As each new bronchoscopic video frame becomes available, the current optimization is initialized using the previous frame's optimization result, allowing continuous guidance to proceed without manual re-initialization. Tests were performed using both synthetic and pre-recorded bronchoscopic video. The results show that the method is robust to initialization errors, that registration accuracy is high, and that continuous registration can proceed on real-time video at >15 frames per sec. with minimal user-intervention.
Toward Haptic Cinematography: Enhancing Movie Experience with Haptic Effects based on Cinematographic Camera Motions (2014)

International audience
Accelerometer-Based Detection of Food Intake in Free-Living Individuals (2018)

The goal of this pilot study is to evaluate the feasibility of using a 3-axis accelerometer attached to the frame of eyeglasses for automatic detection of food intake. A 3D acceleration sensor was attached to the temple of the regular eyeglasses. Ten participants wore the device in two visits (first, laboratory; second, free-living) on different days, reporting the food intake episodes using a pushbutton. Hold-one-out procedure was used to test the algorithm for food intake detection. The accelerometer signal was split into epochs of varying durations (3s, 5s, 10s 15s, 20s, 25s, and 30s); 152 time and frequency domain features were computed for each epoch. A two-stage procedure was used for finding the best feature set suitable for classification. The first stage used minimum Redundancy and Maximum Relevance (mRMR) to get the 30 top-ranked features and the second stage used forward feature selection along with a kNN classifier to get the optimum feature set for each hold-one-out set. The best average F1-score combined from laboratory and free-living experiments was 87.9 +/- 13.8% (Mean±Standard Deviation) for 20s epochs; and 84.7 +/- 7.95% for the shortest epoch of 3s. The results suggest that accelerometer may provide a compelling alternative to other sensor modalities, as the proposed sensor does not require direct attachment to the body and, therefore, significantly improves user comfort and social acceptability of the food intake monitoring system.
Multiple instrument distributed aperture sensor (MIDAS) for remote sensing (2004)

An innovative approach that enables greatly increased return from earth and planetary science remote sensing missions is described. Our concept, called Multiple Instrument Distributed Aperture Sensor (MIDAS), provides a large-aperture, wide-field, diffraction-limited telescope at a fraction of the cost, mass and volume of conventional space telescopes, by integrating advanced optical interferometry technologies. All optical assemblies are integrated into MIDAS as the primary remote sensing science payload, thereby reducing the cost, resources, complexity, integration and risks of a set of back-end science instruments (SI's) tailored to a specific mission, such as advanced SI's now in development for earth and planetary remote sensing missions. MIDAS interfaces to multiple SI's for redundancy and to enable synchronized concurrent science investigations, such as with multiple highly sensitive spectrometers. Passive imaging modes with MIDAS enable remote sensing at diffraction-limited resolution sequentially by each science instrument, as well as in somewhat lower resolution by multiple science instruments acting concurrently on the image, such as in different wavebands. Our MIDAS concept inherently provides nanometer-resolution hyperspectral passive imaging without the need for any moving parts in the science instruments. In its active remote sensing modes using an integrated laser source, MIDAS enables LIDAR, vibrometry, illumination, various active laser spectroscopies such as ablative, breakdown or time-resolved spectroscopy. The MIDAS optical design also provides high-resolution imaging for long dwell times at high altitudes, thereby enabling real-time, wide-area remote sensing of dynamic changes in planet surface processes.
High-efficiency, laser grooved, buried contact silicon solar cells (1988)

Improvements in the performance of silicon solar cells based on a novel, laser grooved, buried contact approach are described. Independently confirmed energy conversion efficiencies as high as 19.8% are reported for cells of 12 cm2 area, as are the resistivity dependence of efficiency, spectral response data, and the results of laser beam induced current scans. The potential for further improvement is also discussed.
A novel autophagy enhancer as a therapeutic agent against metabolic syndrome and diabetes (2018)

Autophagy is a critical regulator of cellular homeostasis, dysregulation of which is associated with diverse diseases. Here we show therapeutic effects of a novel autophagy enhancer identified by high-throughput screening of a chemical library against metabolic syndrome. An autophagy enhancer increases LC3-I to LC3-II conversion without mTOR inhibition. MSL, an autophagy enhancer, activates calcineurin, and induces dephosphorylation/nuclear translocation of transcription factor EB (TFEB), a master regulator of lysosomal biogenesis and autophagy gene expression. MSL accelerates intracellular lipid clearance, which is reversed by lalistat 2 or Tfeb knockout. Its administration improves the metabolic profile of ob/ob mice and ameliorates inflammasome activation. A chemically modified MSL with increased microsomal stability improves the glucose profile not only of ob/ob mice but also of mice with diet-induced obesity. Our data indicate that our novel autophagy enhancer could be a new drug candidate for diabetes or metabolic syndrome with lipid overload.
Identification of a Sporozoite-Specific Antigen from Toxoplasma gondii (2011)

Reduction of risk for human and food animal infection with Toxoplasma gondii is hampered by the lack of epidemiological data documenting the predominant routes of infection (oocyst vs. tissue cyst consumption) in horizontally transmitted toxoplasmosis. Existing serological assays can determine previous exposure to the parasite, but not the route of infection. We have used difference gel electrophoresis, in combination with tandem mass spectroscopy and Western blot, to identify a sporozoite-specific protein (T. gondii embryogenesis-related protein [TgERP]), which elicited antibody and differentiated oocyst- versus tissue cyst-induced infection in pigs and mice. The recombinant protein was selected from a cDNA library constructed from T. gondii sporozoites; this protein was used in Western blots and probed with sera from T. gondii -infected humans. Serum antibody to TgERP was detected in humans within 6-8 mo of initial oocyst-acquired infection. Of 163 individuals in the acute stage of infection (anti- T. gondii IgM detected in sera, or < 30 in the IgG avidity test), 103 (63.2%) had detectable antibodies that reacted with TgERP. Of 176 individuals with unknown infection route and in the chronic stage of infection (no anti- T. gondii IgM detected in sera, or > 30 in the IgG avidity test), antibody to TgERP was detected in 31 (17.6%). None of the 132 uninfected individuals tested had detectable antibody to TgERP. These data suggest that TgERP may be useful in detecting exposure to sporozoites in early T. gondii infection and implicates oocysts as the agent of infection.
Vibromyographic Quantification of Voluntary Isometric Contractile Force in the Brachioradialis (2006)

This study investigated the ability of vibromyography (VMG) to accurately represent voluntary forearm muscle contractile force during attempted-isometric contraction of the brachioradialis. VMG signals were collected from the brachioradialis of healthy adult men (mean age, 26.6+/-9.8 years, N=24) during attempted-isometric contraction over a force range of 4.45 N to maximum sustained load. The VMG signals were decomposed using wavelet packet analysis techniques, and the corresponding wavelet packets were utilized in a multiple regression model for parameter reduction and identification of signal components which best correlated to muscle force. It was observed that just two wavelet components were sufficient to accurately predict muscle force (R2=0.984, P<0.0001). The signal force relationship observed is monotonic, though quadratic in form. More importantly, the wavelet data was able to predict absolute force output of the brachioradialis without normalization or prior knowledge of a subject's maximum voluntary force. These data show that VMG recordings are capable of providing a monotonic relationship between VMG signal and muscle force. Moreover, in contrast to EMG technology which can only provide relative force levels, VMG appears to be capable of reporting absolute force levels, an observation which is expected to lead to numerous applications in medicine and rehabilitation.
A Novel Human Cytochrome P450, CYP26C1, Involved in Metabolism of 9-cis and All-trans Isomers of Retinoic Acid (2003)

Retinoids are potent regulators of cell proliferation, cell differentiation, and morphogenesis and are important therapeutic agents in oncology and dermatology. The gene regulatory activity of endogenous retinoids is effected primarily by retinoic acid isomers (all-trans and 9-cis) that are synthesized from retinaldehyde precursors in a broad range of tissues and act as ligands for nuclear retinoic acid receptors. The catabolism of all-trans-retinoic acid (atRA) is an important mechanism of controlling RA levels in cell and tissues. We have previously identified two cytochrome P450s, P450RAI-1 and P450RAI-2 (herein named CYP26A1 and CYP26B1), which were shown to be responsible for catabolism of atRA both in the embryo and the adult. In this report, we describe the identification, molecular cloning, and substrate characterization of a third member of the CYP26 family, named CYP26C1. Transiently transfected cells expressing CYP26C1 convert atRA to polar water-soluble metabolites similar to those generated by CYP26A1 and -B1. Competition studies with all-trans, 13-cis, and 9-cis isomers of retinoic acid demonstrated that atRA was the preferred substrate for CYP26C1. Although CYP26C1 shares extensive sequence similarity with CYP26A1 and CYP26B1, its catalytic activity appears distinct from those of other CYP26 family members. Specifically, CYP26C1 can also recognize and metabolize 9-cis-RA and is much less sensitive than the other CYP26 family members to the inhibitory effects of ketoconazole. CYP26C1 is not widely expressed in the adult but is inducible by RA in HPK1a, transformed human keratinocyte cell lines. This third CYP26 member may play a specific role in catabolizing both all-trans and 9-cis isomers of RA.
Human Schlemm's canal cells express the endothelial adherens proteins, VE-cadherin and PECAM-1 (2002)

Purpose. The majority of resistance to outflow of aqueous humor resides at or near the inner wall of Schlemm's canal (SC). Transmembrane proteins that contribute to the generation of resistance to aqueous outflow likely participate in junctional complexes between SC cells. The purpose of the present study was to examine the expression of cadherins in SC cells that play a significant role in adherens junction complexes that control permeability of vascular endothelia. Methods. Identification of cadherin subtype mRNAs was examined by hybridization screening of three different SC cDNA libraries and by polymerase chain reaction analysis with degenerate primers. Expression of endothelial adherens proteins, vascular endothelial (VE)-cadherin and platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (PECAM-1), was examined by western blot analyses of whole cell lysates prepared from SC and trabecular meshwork cells and by immunofluorescence microscopy of frozen sections of human anterior chambers. As controls, bovine retinal, bovine aortic, human umbilical vein and human iliac vein endothelial cells were examined for VE-cadherin expression. Results. Screens of SC cDNAs revealed abundant expression of N-cadherin and VE-cadherin. Expression of VE-cadherin protein was identified in both inner and outer wall SC cells, appropriately localized to SC intercellular borders and appeared as a single band of approximately 130 kDa by western blot analysis. Specific labeling of PECAM-1 was similar to VE-cadherin and appeared as a single band of approximately 130 kDa by western blot analysis. Conclusions. VE-cadherin and PECAM-1 expression in SC suggests that SC cells are vascular in origin and contain adherens protein likely involved in restricting fluid flow across the inner wall of SC.
Towards Immunoproteasome‐Specific Inhibitors: An Improved Synthesis of Dihydroeponemycin (2005)

Abstract Eponemycin, an antitumor and antiangiogenic epoxy ketone natural product, is previously shown to target proteasome for its activity. Although there have been many synthetic approaches developed, practical and efficient synthetic strategy for eponemycin has yet to be accomplished. Here, we report an efficient new route for the preparation of dihydroeponemycin, an active eponemycin derivative. This will aid the design of proteasome inhibitors with novel activity. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2005)
BCL-6 protein is expressed in germinal-center B cells (1995)

Structural alterations of the 5' noncoding region of the BCL-6 gene have been found in 40% of diffuse large cell lymphoma (DLCL) and 5% to 10% of follicular lymphomas (FL), suggesting that deregulated BCL-6 expression may play a role in lymphomagenesis. Nucleotide sequencing of BCL-6 cDNA predicted a protein containing six zinc-finger domains, suggesting that it may function as a transcription factor. Using antisera raised against N- and C-terminal BCL-6 synthetic oligopeptides in immunoprecipitation, immunoblot, and immunocytochemical assays, this study identifies the BCL-6 gene product as a 95-kD nuclear protein. Western blot analysis of human tumor cell lines representative of various hematopoietic lineages/stages of differentiation showed that the BCL-6 protein is predominantly expressed in the B-cell lineage where it was found in mature B cells. Immunohistochemical analysis of normal human lymphoid tissues indicated that BCL-6 expression is topographically restricted to germinal centers including all centroblasts and centrocytes. The BCL-6 protein was also detectable in inter- and intra-follicular CD4+ T cells, but not in other follicular components including mantle-zone B cells, plasma cells, dendritic cells, and macrophages. Immunohistochemical analysis of DLCL and FL biopsy samples showed that the BCL-6 protein is detectable in these tumors independent of the presence of BCL-6 gene rearrangements. These results indicate that the expression of the BCL-6 gene is specifically regulated during B-cell differentiation and suggest a role for BCL-6 in germinal center development or function. Because DLCL derive from germinal-center B cells, deregulated BCL-6 expression may contribute to lymphomagenesis by preventing postgerminal center differentiation.
A Stereo to Mono Dowmixing Scheme for MPEG-4 Parametric Stereo Encoder (2006)

In this paper, a signal-adaptive, stereo-to-mono downmixing scheme associated with MPEG-4 Parametric Stereo (PS) encoding is presented. The proposed scheme minimizes signal cancellation and coloration due to inter-channel phase misalignment. By using the inter-channel phase difference information which is calculated as a PS spatial parameter, the phase of the stereo signals are aligned. Subsequently, a simple averaging is carried out to mix the signals. The need to perform power equalization to preserve the overall power of the stereo signals in the downmix signal is eliminated. This leads to a significant saving of computational power. The scheme allows overall phase difference (OPD), one of the spatial parameter sent in PS bitstream, to be coded with minimum bit consumption. As a result, the entropy is reduced from 1.31 bits/symbol to 1 bit/symbol. This scheme is useful especially for stereo audio with a significant amount of side signal component.
Process of .sup.196 Hg enrichment (1993)

A simple rate equation model shows that by increasing the length of the photochemical reactor and/or by increasing the photon intensity in said reactor, the feedstock utilization of .sup.196 Hg will be increased. Two preferred embodiments of the present invention are described, namely (1) long reactors using long photochemical lamps and vapor filters; and (2) quartz reactors with external UV reflecting films. These embodiments have each been constructed and operated, demonstrating the enhanced utilization process dictated by the mathematical model (also provided).
Crystal Structure of a Charge Engineered Human Lysozyme Having Enhanced Bactericidal Activity (2011)

Human lysozyme is a key component of the innate immune system, and recombinant forms of the enzyme represent promising leads in the search for therapeutic agents able to treat drug-resistant infections. The wild type protein, however, fails to participate effectively in clearance of certain infections due to inherent functional limitations. For example, wild type lysozymes are subject to electrostatic sequestration and inactivation by anionic biopolymers in the infected airway. A charge engineered variant of human lysozyme has recently been shown to possess improved antibacterial activity in the presence of disease associated inhibitory molecules. Here, the 2.04 Å crystal structure of this variant is presented along with an analysis that provides molecular level insights into the origins of the protein's enhanced performance. The charge engineered variant's two mutated amino acids exhibit stabilizing interactions with adjacent native residues, and from a global perspective, the mutations cause no gross structural perturbations or loss of stability. Importantly, the two substitutions dramatically expand the negative electrostatic potential that, in the wild type enzyme, is restricted to a small region near the catalytic residues. The net result is a reduction in the overall strength of the engineered enzyme's electrostatic potential field, and it appears that the specific nature of this remodeled field underlies the variant's reduced susceptibility to inhibition by anionic biopolymers.
Role of the extracellular regions of the parathyroid hormone (PTH)/PTH-related peptide receptor in hormone binding. (1994)

The PTH/PTH-related peptide receptor is a member of a newly discovered family of G-protein-coupled receptors. Strikingly conserved features among these receptors include the positioning of eight extracellular cysteines and several other residues that are located predominantly within the membrane-embedded region. Deletion mutants or receptors with point mutations of the highly conserved cysteine residues were transiently expressed in COS-7 cells to evaluate PTH binding and PTH-stimulated cAMP production. Deletion of residues 61-105, which are encoded by exon E2 in the PTH/PTH-related peptide receptor gene, did not affect receptor function. An epitope derived from Haemophilus influenza hemagglutinin was, therefore, introduced into this portion of most receptors to allow the independent assessment of cell surface expression. PTH binding capacity was not reduced by the deletion of residues 258-278 in the first extracellular loop. Receptors with deletion of either residues 31-47 in the amino-terminal extension or residues 431-440 in the third extracellular loop failed to bind PTH, although expression of the receptor on the cell surface was only marginally reduced. Most other receptor mutants, including those in which each of the six cysteines in the amino-terminus was replaced by serines, failed to be processed and/or expressed appropriately, whereas the substitution of cysteine-281 or -351 had a less severe effect. The combined replacement of both cysteines concomitantly increased PTH binding and cell surface expression, suggesting the formation of a disulfide bond between these two residues. Our data indicate that residues near the amino-terminus and within the third extracellular loop are necessary for ligand binding, whereas more than 25% of the receptor's extracellular region appears not to be involved.
Acoustic and EM waves for speech processing (1998)

The use of low power EM sensors [Holzrichter, Burnett, Ng, and Lea, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 103, 62 (1998)] enable the determination of several articulator boundary motions, simultaneously—e.g., glottis, jaw, tongue, palate, lips, etc.—leading to new speech processing algorithms. By comparing EM sensor methods of pitch detection to established cepstral and autocorrelation techniques, a tenfold increase in pitch accuracy, a 100-fold reduction in processing time, and robust performance in the presence of high background acoustic noise are obtained. Investigations of the details of the EM sensor signal from the human glottal region indicate that it can be used to provide information on the instant excitation function of voiced speech. Using the ARMA approach, the excitation information is removed from the acoustic signal, yielding well-defined transfer functions, formant locations, and pitch normalized data. In addition, using the glottal timing information, pitch synchronous processing has been employed using ARMA, LPC, Cepstral, and other approximation techniques. The excitation function and the corresponding filter coefficients for each speech unit (e.g., the a’s and b’s from the ARMA approximation) enable one to reconstruct good quality personalized speech, without the need for residual information.