gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Neurotrophic growth factor responses to lower body resistance training in older adults (2015)

Resistance exercise is an efficacious stimulus for improving cognitive function in older adults, which may be mediated by the upregulation of blood-borne neurotrophic growth factors (NTFs) like brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1). However, the NTF response to resistance exercise and training in older adults is poorly understood. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to characterize the timing and magnitude of the NTF response following an acute bout of resistance exercise before and after 8 weeks of resistance training. Ten cognitively normal, older adults (ages 60-77 years, five men) were examined. The acute NTF response to resistance exercise was assessed via serum samples drawn at designated time points following exercise. This procedure was then repeated following 8 weeks of resistance training. BDNF increased immediately post-exercise (Δ9% pre-training, Δ11% post-training) then returned to resting levels while IGF-1 remained stable following resistance exercise before and after 8 weeks of resistance training. Basal levels of both NTFs were unaffected by the 8 week training period. We report a transient increase in serum BDNF following a bout of resistance exercise in older adults, which could have implications for the design of interventions seeking to maximize cognitive function in older adults.
Rapid, cost-effective measurement of chromatic dispersion of optical fibre over 1440–1625 nm using Sagnac interferometer (2005)

A technique for rapid, cost-effective measurement and monitoring of the chromatic dispersion of optical fibre using a Sagnac interferometer is reported. The interferometer incorporates an asymmetrically driven phase modulator and a novel optoelectronic feedback circuit. The chromatic dispersion of a 1 km-long singlemode fibre was measured over the range of 1440–1625 nm in less than 30 s.
A novel analytical framework for modeling nonlinear distortions in OFDM-based optical wireless communication (2013)

This paper presents an analytical framework to determine the impact of nonlinear distortions in an optical wireless communication system that employs orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM). The presented theory applies the Bussgang theorem, which has been widely used for the analysis of nonlinear effects on normally-distributed signals. This work proposes a new method to complete the well-known OFDM analysis approach based on the Bussgang theorem and describes how a closed-form analytical solution can be obtained for an arbitrary memoryless distortion. The framework is tested in a DC-biased optical OFDM system assuming two specific examples of nonlinear distortion caused by: (a) signal quantisation, and (b) a nonlinear light emitting diode (LED) characteristic.
Editorial Comment (2017)

No AccessJournal of UrologyAdult Urology1 Jun 2017Editorial Comment Michael B. Chancellor Michael B. ChancellorMichael B. Chancellor View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.juro.2017.01.090AboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookLinked InTwitterEmail "Editorial Comment." The Journal of Urology, 197(6), p. 1495 References 1 : OnabotulinumtoxinA vs sacral neuromodulation on refractory urgency urinary incontinence in women: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA2016; 316: 1366. Google Scholar 2 : Promise of urinary nerve growth factor for assessment of overactive bladder syndrome. LUTS2011; 3: 2. Google Scholar © 2017 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 197Issue 6June 2017Page: 1495 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2017 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.MetricsAuthor Information Michael B. Chancellor More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement PDF downloadLoading ...
Catalytic Asymmetric Synthesis of Aza-β-Lactams (2008)

This work describes the first catalytic asymmetric synthesis of aza-β-lactams through [2+2] cycloaddition of ketenes with azo compounds. A catalytic amount of planar-chiral 4-pyrrolidino pyridine (PPY) derivative (-)-1 accomplishes the formation of the desired heterocyclic products in good yields and enantioselectivities. A range of aryl alkyl ketenes is tolerated among which those bearing a secondary alkyl group gave superior results. Moreover, concise synthetic routes to the corresponding α-amino ­acids and hydantoins starting from the aza-β-lactams are presented (S. Bräse and co-workers Eur. J. Org. Chem. 2007, 266).
Mast Cell Heterogeneity: Effect of Anti-Allergic Compounds on Neuropeptide-Induced Histamine Release (1986)

Increasing evidence suggests that neuropeptides may be important stimuli for mast cell secretion. Neuropeptide-induced histamine secretion from rat mast cells was inhibited by a variety of clinical and experimental antiallergic agents. The profile of responsiveness to this panel of drugs exhibited by peritoneal (PMC) and intestinal mucosal mast cells (IMC) was similar to that previously reported when histamine release was immunologically induced. Thus, cromoglycate, theophylline and Ro 22-3747 inhibited peptide-induced secretion from PMC but not from IMC. In contrast, doxantrazole was effective against PMC and IMC. Differences between IMC and PMC could not be attributed to the IMC isolation procedure. The results confirm the heterogeneity of responsiveness to antiallergic drugs exhibited by these mast cell subpopulations and indicate that it is not limited to immunologically induced secretion but also occurs when a neuropeptide is the secretory stimulus.
Linear Hybrid Systems With Periodic Jumps: A Notion of Strong Observability and Strong Detectability (2019)

In this paper, two important structural properties, i.e., strong observability and strong detectability, are introduced for linear hybrid systems with periodic jumps. These properties are characterized in terms of geometric and algebraic conditions over the system matrices. The concepts and characterizations of the weakly unobservable subspace and the hybrid invariant zeros are also introduced, respectively. An algorithm to compute the weakly unobservable subspace is provided. In addition, it is shown that there exists a close relationship between the hybrid invariant zeros and the properties ofstrong observability and strong detectability. Some examples illustrate the proposed properties.
Optimal location and sizing of distributed storage systems in active distribution networks (2013)

Energy balance and ancillary services provided by distributed storage systems to active distribution networks represent two aspects of a single problem that needs to be properly treated in view of the typical distribution networks parameters. In this context, the paper focuses on the problem of the optimal siting and sizing of distributed storage systems. In particular, the paper proposes the formulation of a problem that accounts: (i) the voltage support of storage systems to the grid, (ii) the network losses and (iii) the cost of the energy-flow towards the external grid. As the formulated problem is mixed-integer, non-convex and non-linear, its solution requires the adoption of heuristic techniques. In this respect, a two-stage iterative procedure is proposed. The first stage of the procedure utilizes a genetic algorithm to provide locations and sizes of the distributed storage systems; the second stage evaluates the fitness of the solution provided by the first part by solving a daily AC optimal power flow. An application example, referring to the IEEE 13 busses test feeder, is included in order to demonstrate and discuss the efficiency of the proposed method.
Mass measurements of As, Se, and Br nuclei, and their implication on the proton-neutron interaction strength toward the <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:mrow><mml:mi>N</mml:mi><mml:mo>=</mml:mo><mml:mi>Z</mml:mi></mml:mrow></mml:math> line (2021)

Mass measurements of the nuclides $^{69}\mathrm{As},\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}^{70,71}\mathrm{Se}$, and $^{71}\mathrm{Br}$, produced via fragmentation of a $^{124}\mathrm{Xe}$ primary beam at the Fragment Separator (FRS) at GSI, have been performed with the multiple-reflection time-of-flight mass spectrometer (MR-TOF-MS) of the FRS Ion Catcher with an unprecedented mass resolving power of almost $1\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}000\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}000$. Such high resolving power is the only way to achieve accurate results and resolve overlapping peaks of short-lived exotic nuclei, whose total number of accumulated events is always limited. For the nuclide $^{69}\mathrm{As}$, this is the first direct mass measurement. A mass uncertainty of 22 keV was achieved with only ten events. For the nuclide $^{70}\mathrm{Se}$, a mass uncertainty of 2.6 keV was obtained, corresponding to a relative accuracy of $\ensuremath{\delta}m/m=4.0\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}8}$, with less than 500 events. The masses of the nuclides $^{71}\mathrm{Se}$ and $^{71}\mathrm{Br}$ have been measured with an uncertainty of 23 and 16 keV, respectively. Our results for the nuclides $^{70,71}\mathrm{Se}$ and $^{71}\mathrm{Br}$ are in good agreement with the 2016 Atomic Mass Evaluation, and our result for the nuclide $^{69}\mathrm{As}$ resolves the discrepancy between the previous indirect measurements. We measured also the mass of the molecule $^{14}\mathrm{N}^{15}\mathrm{N}^{40}\mathrm{Ar}$ ($A=69$) with a relative accuracy of $\ensuremath{\delta}m/m=1.7\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}8}$, the highest yet achieved with an MR-TOF-MS. Our results show that the measured restrengthening of the proton-neutron interaction ($\ensuremath{\delta}{V}_{pn}$) for odd-odd nuclei along the $N=Z$ line above $Z=29$ (recently extended to $Z=37$) is hardly evident at the $N\ensuremath{-}Z=2$ line, and not evident at the $N\ensuremath{-}Z=4$ line. Nevertheless, detailed structure of $\ensuremath{\delta}{V}_{pn}$ along the $N\ensuremath{-}Z=2$ and $N\ensuremath{-}Z=4$ lines, confirmed by our mass measurements, may provide a hint regarding the ongoing $\ensuremath{\approx}500$ keV discrepancy in the mass value of the nuclide $^{70}\mathrm{Br}$, which prevents including it in the world average of $Ft$ value for superallowed ${0}^{+}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{0}^{+} \ensuremath{\beta}$ decays. The reported work sets the stage for mass measurements with the FRS Ion Catcher of nuclei at and beyond the $N=Z$ line in the same region of the nuclear chart, including the nuclide $^{70}\mathrm{Br}$.
Seismic analysis of interlocking block in wall–foundation–soil system (2009)

An interlocking mortar less concrete masonry block building system was developed as a new structural component for masonry building construction. The interlocking mortar less block system will reduce construction time and cost of construction. Interlocking mortar less load bearing hollow block system is different from conventional mortared masonry system as the mortar layers are eliminated and instead the block units are interconnected through interlocking protrusions and grooves. Numerous analytical models have been developed to simulate the behaviour of the different types of structural masonry systems using the finite element (FE) technique.
Intelligible Lip-to-Speech Synthesis with Speech Units (2023)

In this paper, we propose a novel Lip-to-Speech synthesis (L2S) framework, for synthesizing intelligible speech from a silent lip movement video. Specifically, to complement the insufficient supervisory signal of the previous L2S model, we propose to use quantized self-supervised speech representations, named speech units, as an additional prediction target for the L2S model. Therefore, the proposed L2S model is trained to generate multiple targets, mel-spectrogram and speech units. As the speech units are discrete while mel-spectrogram is continuous, the proposed multi-target L2S model can be trained with strong content supervision, without using text-labeled data. Moreover, to accurately convert the synthesized mel-spectrogram into a waveform, we introduce a multi-input vocoder that can generate a clear waveform even from blurry and noisy mel-spectrogram by referring to the speech units. Extensive experimental results confirm the effectiveness of the proposed method in L2S.
Industry Updates from the Field of Stem Cell Research and Regenerative Medicine in February 2023 (2023)

Latest developments in the field of stem cell research and regenerative medicine compiled from publicly available information and press releases from non-academic institutions in February 2023.
From masochistic enzymology to mechanistic physiology and disease (2017)

The pioneering work of Eugene Kennedy in the 1950s established the choline pathway for phosphatidylcholine (PC) biosynthesis. However, the regulation of PC biosynthesis was poorly understood at that time. When I started my lab at the University of British Columbia in the 1970s, this was the focus of my research. This article provides my reflections on these studies that began with enzymology and the use of cultured mammalian cells, and progressed to utilize the techniques of molecular biology and gene-targeted mice. The research in my lab and others demonstrated that the regulated and rate-limiting step in the choline pathway for PC biosynthesis was catalyzed by CTP:phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase. This enzyme is regulated by its movement from a soluble form (largely in the nucleus) to a membrane-associated form where the enzyme becomes activated. Gene targeting in mice subsequently demonstrated that this gene is essential for development of mouse embryos. The other mammalian pathway for PC biosynthesis is catalyzed by phosphatidylethanolamine <i>N</i>-methyltransferase (PEMT) that converts phosphatidylethanolamine to PC. Understanding of the regulation and function of the integral membrane protein PEMT was improved when the enzyme was purified (a masochistic endeavor) in 1987, leading to the cloning of the <i>Pemt</i> cDNA. Generation of knock-out mice that lacked PEMT showed that they were protected from atherosclerosis, diet-induced obesity, and insulin resistance. The protection from atherosclerosis appears to be due to decreased secretion of lipoproteins from the liver. We continue to investigate the mechanism(s) by which <i>Pemt</i><sup>-/-</sup> mice are protected from weight gain and insulin resistance.
Efficiency of Red Onion Peel Extract Capsules on Obesity and Blood Sugar (2021)

Nano treatments had a protective effect on liver, safety towards kidneys, lowering blood sugar, improving the efficiency comparing to the other samples and were more acceptable to the consumer.
Novel Nitrate Ion-Selective Microsensor Fabricated by Means of Direct Ink Writing (2023)

In this work, the stability, electrical conductivity, and versatility of graphite-based inks were taken advantage of to fabricate a nitrate potentiometric sensor. One other key property that was exploited for the design of an ion-selective electrode was the hydrophobicity of graphite. This prevented the formation of a water layer between the solid contact and the polymeric selective membrane. Moreover, given the use of printing technologies for electrode fabrication, it was possible to easily miniaturize the sensors and achieve lower fabrication costs. In this article, a printed sensor, composed of a graphite working electrode and a Ag/AgCl reference electrode, is presented and thoroughly characterized. The working electrode was modified with a well-known PVC-ionophore membrane, and the reference electrode was protected with a PVB-NaCl saturated membrane. It showed almost-Nernstian sensitivity of −(55.4 ± 0.7) mV/dec to NO3−, stability of up to 25 days of operation, limit of detection of 0.204 ± 0.009 mM, and repeatability of 99.02 % (N = 3). Coupled with its high selectivity compared with other anions, this low-cost, mass-producible sensor is a great alternative for environmental and industrial applications.
Human melanoma treated by boron neutron capture therapy: comparison of the clinical response with the predicted response. (1997)

We concluded that the outcome of our calculated dose values agreed well with the clinical response and that their compatibility indicated considerable validity for our approach. However, there are still some problems-uncertainty concerning the 10B concentration in tumor and skin, determination of the total absorbed dose, and a single curative dose for malignant melanoma-to be overcome with regard to clinical use of this therapy.
CCDC 1525152: Experimental Crystal Structure Determination (2017)

An entry from the Cambridge Structural Database, the world’s repository for small molecule crystal structures. The entry contains experimental data from a crystal diffraction study. The deposited dataset for this entry is freely available from the CCDC and typically includes 3D coordinates, cell parameters, space group, experimental conditions and quality measures.
In vivo monitoring of pH, redox status, and glutathione using L‐band EPR for assessment of therapeutic effectiveness in solid tumors (2011)

Approach for in vivo real-time assessment of tumor tissue extracellular pH (pH(e)), redox, and intracellular glutathione based on L-band EPR spectroscopy using dual function pH and redox nitroxide probe and disulfide nitroxide biradical, is described. These parameters were monitored in PyMT mice bearing breast cancer tumors during treatment with granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor. It was observed that tumor pH(e) is about 0.4 pH units lower than that in normal mammary gland tissue. Treatment with granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor decreased the value of pH(e) by 0.3 units compared with PBS control treatment. Tumor tissue reducing capacity and intracellular glutathione were elevated compared with normal mammary gland tissue. Granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor treatment resulted in a decrease of the tumor tissue reducing capacity and intracellular glutathione content. In addition to spectroscopic studies, pH(e) mapping was performed using recently proposed variable frequency proton-electron double-resonance imaging. The pH mapping superimposed with MRI image supports probe localization in mammary gland/tumor tissue, shows high heterogeneity of tumor tissue pH(e) and a difference of about 0.4 pH units between average pH(e) values in tumor and normal mammary gland. In summary, the developed multifunctional approach allows for in vivo, noninvasive pH(e), extracellular redox, and intracellular glutathione content monitoring during investigation of various therapeutic strategies for solid tumors.
An Expeditious Route for the Synthesis of Oxazepine Triazolo-β-Lactams through Intramolecular Metal-Free [3 + 2] Azide–Alkyne Cycloaddition (2020)

A copper-free intramolecular azide–alkyne cycloaddition reaction of 4-hydroxymethyl-β-lactam with sodium azide has been described. The present approach involves the incorporation of an alkyne moiety through O-alkynylation of 3-hydroxy β-lactam with various propargylic halides. The generality of the method has been demonstrated by treating the corresponding tosylates or mesylates of the hydroxymethyl functionality of a variety of β-lactam-tethered terminal and internal alkynes with sodium azide in a one-pot three-step reaction to furnish novel oxazepane-β-lactam fused triazole scaffolds of diverse interest in good yield.
Computation Transport Phenomena in Chemical Engineering. Preparation of Monodispersive Fine Particles of Pb(Zr0.5Ti0.5)O3 from Complex Alkoxide. (1997)

The sol-gel method is applied to the synthesis of Pb (Zr0.5Ti0.5) O3 particles with various post treatments. After the reaction of Pb (OAc) 2, Zr (OBu) 4 and Ti (OEt) 4 in ethanol solvent at 73°C over different reaction times, complex alkoxide is subjected to ammonia water and acetonitrile as a cosolvent at various water concentrations. The selection of reaction conditions enables the production of highly monodispersive particles with an average diameter less than 100 nm.
Metabolomic Profiling of Fresh Goji (Lycium barbarum L.) Berries from Two Cultivars Grown in Central Italy: A Multi-Methodological Approach (2021)

The metabolite profile of fresh Goji berries from two cultivars, namely Big Lifeberry (BL) and Sweet Lifeberry (SL), grown in the Lazio region (Central Italy) and harvested at two different periods, August and October, corresponding at the beginning and the end of the maturation, was characterized by means of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and electrospray ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (ESI FT-ICR MS) methodologies. Several classes of compounds such as sugars, amino acids, organic acids, fatty acids, polyphenols, and terpenes were identified and quantified in hydroalcoholic and organic Bligh-Dyer extracts. Sweet Lifeberry extracts were characterized by a higher content of sucrose with respect to the Big Lifeberry ones and high levels of amino acids (glycine, betaine, proline) were observed in SL berries harvested in October. Spectrophotometric analysis of chlorophylls and total carotenoids was also carried out, showing a decrease of carotenoids during the time. These results can be useful not only to valorize local products but also to suggest the best harvesting period to obtain a product with a chemical composition suitable for specific industrial use. Finally, preliminary studies regarding both the chemical characterization of Goji leaves generally considered a waste product, and the biological activity of Big Lifeberry berries extracts was also investigated. Goji leaves showed a chemical profile rich in healthy compounds (polyphenols, flavonoids, etc.) confirming their promising use in the supplements/nutraceutical/cosmetic field. MG63 cells treated with Big Lifeberry berries extracts showed a decrease of iNOS, COX-2, IL-6, and IL-8 expression indicating their significant biological activity.
System A amino acid transporters regulate glutamine uptake and attenuate antibody‐mediated arthritis (2015)

Proliferation of rapidly dividing bone marrow-derived cells is strongly dependent on the availability of free glutamine, whose uptake is mediated through different amino acid transporters. The sodium-coupled neutral amino acid transporter (SNAT) family was previously reported to be associated with the development of collagen-induced arthritis in mice. Here, we tested the hypothesis whether impairment of SNAT proteins influences immune cell function and in turn alters arthritis development. The 2-(methylamino)isobutyric acid (MeAIB), a SNAT-specific substrate, was used to modulate the function of SNAT proteins. We demonstrate that glutamine uptake by murine naive lymphocytes, and consequent cell proliferation, is strongly associated with system A transporters. Physiological impairment of SNAT proteins reduced the antibody-initiated effector phase of arthritis, mainly by affecting the levels of circulating monocytes and neutrophils. MeAIB was also shown to affect the proliferation of immortalized cells, through trans-inhibition of SNAT proteins. Based on our observations, we conclude that SNAT proteins regulate the initial stages of lymphocyte activation by regulating glutamine uptake, and that the effector phase of arthritis can be affected by non-metabolized SNAT substrates. Most probably, metabolically active cells within both the adaptive and the innate immune systems are regulated by SNAT proteins and play a role in modifying arthritis development.
Supplementary Table 1 from Selenium and Bladder Cancer Risk: a Meta-analysis (2023)

Supplementary Table 1 from Selenium and Bladder Cancer Risk: a Meta-analysis