gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
[Neurophysiological mechanisms of pain perception]. (1982)

Information on noxious stimuli is perceived in the periphery by free nerve endings and conveyed to the spinal cord by A delta and C-fibres. They mostly terminate within the substantia gelatinosa (SG) of the dorsal horn. Within this structure, transmission of pain information is modified by serotoninergic and enkephalinergic mechanisms. Neurones from the deeper layers of the dorsal horn relay pain information via the ventrolateral tract to the brain stem reticular formation and thalamic nuclei. From there, pathways to the somatosensory cortex, basal ganglia, and limbic structures were described, which probably mediate conscious perception, subconscious motor reactions and emotional colouring of pain perception, respectively. For the efferent control of pain transmission, the periaqueductal gray matter (PGM) is the central structure. Electrical stimulation of PGM can relieve patients at least temporarily from states of chronic pain. PGM is connected to the midbrain raphe nuclei, from where serotoninergic fibres descend to the spinal cord to modify pain transmission in neurones within SG. Enkephalin is present in the terminals of SG interneurones and reduces pain transmission by acting on opiate receptors on the terminals of nociceptive primary afferents and probably also postsynaptic sites. Analgesia produced by natural or electrical stimulation of other cutaneous afferents and by acupuncture is believed to be mediated by these enkephalin-containing interneurones within SG of the dorsal horn.
Unexpected Molecular Sieving Properties of Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework-8 (2012)

We studied molecular sieving properties of zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) by estimating the thermodynamically corrected diffusivities of probe molecules at 35 °C. From helium (2.6 Å) to iso-C4H10 (5.0 Å), the corrected diffusivity drops 14 orders of magnitude. Our results further suggest that the effective aperture size of ZIF-8 for molecular sieving is in the range of 4.0 to 4.2 Å, which is significantly larger than the XRD-derived value (3.4 Å) and between the well-known aperture size of zeolite 4A (3.8 Å) and 5A (4.3 Å). Interestingly, because of aperture flexibility, the studied C4 hydrocarbon molecules that are larger than this effective aperture size still adsorb in the micropores of ZIF-8 with kinetic selectivities for iso-C4H8/iso-C4H10 of 180 and n-C4H10/iso-C4H10 of 2.5 × 10(6). These unexpected molecular sieving properties open up new opportunities for ZIF materials for separations that cannot be economically achieved by traditional microporous adsorbents such as synthetic zeolites.
Thermodynamic Study of Cu-Nd Alloys by Mass Spectrometry. (1993)

The activities and partial molar heats of mixing were determined in a liquid Cu-Nd system at 1,600 K using a Knudsen cell and a quadrupole mass spectrometer. The ion intensity ratio for the alloy components was measured for the system and the thermodynamic values were calculated using a modified Gibbs-Duhem equation. The liquid Cu-Nd system shows strong negative deviations from ideal behavior. The partial and integral molar heats of mixing are compared with values in the literature.
Fabrication of a multilayer spiral coil by selective bonding, debonding and MEMS technologies (2016)

For the further miniaturization of integrated circuits, the integration of passive components on the chip is one approach. In DC-DC converter applications, the integration of the inductor with high inductivity is one problem. This paper addresses this problem by proposing a new technique for fabricating a multilayer spiral coil that is also useful as part of electromagnetic MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) actuators. The multilayer coil is made by stacking separately fabricated coil layers and joining them with a selective bonding and debonding technique.
Conoscopic holography (1985)

A new method for recording holograms using incoherent light is described. The method is based on optical propagation through birefringent crystals. Optical methods for the reconstruction of such a hologram are also presented.
Asymmetric GRIN Lensed Single Mode Fiber-to-Waveguide Coupler (2006)

0.6 dB coupling loss was observed for a lensed, asymmetric graded-index mode converter. The mode converter is used to couple light at 1550 nm from a single mode optical fiber to an on-chip waveguide with n=1.7
Bacterial infections of the small intestine and colon (1996)

Recent research into the pathogenesis of bacterial infections of the intestinal tract has revealed tantalizing new information on the origins of bacterial virulence. The strategies employed by different bacterial species to colonize or invade the intestinal epithelium and cause diarrhea may follow broadly similar patterns but differ in detail. Knowledge of bacterial virulence mechanisms is being exploited to develop novel rationally attenuated vaccines and treatment modalities, which, although still at an early stage of development, offer the promise of improved control of enteric infections in the future.
Suppression of Isoproterenol-Induced Apoptosis in H9c2 Cardiomyoblast Cells by Daidzein through Activation of Akt (2016)

Increased serum norepinephrine level is one of pathological processes relating to heart disease (HD). Estrogens are considered as potential therapeutics for the treatment of HD; however, estrogen supplementation shows some side-effects, such as increasing the risk of developing breast, endometrial and ovarian cancers. This study investigated the cardio-protective effects of daidzein (Dai), a selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) from soy bean extract, in H9c2 cardiomyoblast cells treated with isoproterenol (ISO), a norepinephrine analog. In this in vitro model, H9c2 cells treated with Dai at different concentrations showed no statistical difference in cell viability. TdT-mediated digoxigenin-dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) data and western blotting results indicated that Dai treated-H9c2 cells recovered from the damage induced by ISO. The recovery effects of Dai on ISO-induced damage were blocked by inhibition of Akt activation through adding Akt inhibitor. On the other hand, the fold changes of phosphorylated Akt (p-Akt)/Akt normalized with the control for con, 0.25, 0.5, 1, 3 and 24 h of treatment were 1, 2, 5, 13, 11 and 10, respectively. In conclusion, Dai ameliorates apoptosis of cardiomyoblasts induced by ISO through Akt signaling pathway.
Long-Lived States of Methylene Protons in Achiral Molecules (2022)

It is shown that long-lived states (LLS) involving pairs of methylene protons in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) can be readily excited in common molecules that contain two or more neighboring CH$_2$ groups. Accessing such LLS does not require any isotopic enrichment, nor does it require any stereogenic centers to lift the chemical equivalence of CH$_2$ protons. The excitation of LLS is achieved by polychromatic spinlock-induced crossing (poly-SLIC). In a variety of metabolites, neurotransmitters, vitamins, amino acids, and other molecules, LLS were created for the first time. One can excite LLS in several different molecules simultaneously. The lifetimes T$_{LLS}$ are typically 3 to 6 times longer than T$_1$.
Importance of Water-Volume on the Release of Microplastic Fibers from Laundry (2019)

The influence of laundry washing parameters on the release of microfibers (MF) from polyester textiles was studied. These fibers are an important type of microplastic pollution. However, the factors which affect MF release during laundry are poorly understood and more rigorous methods for quantifying this release are needed. A novel method was therefore developed using a tergotometer with eight 1000 mL washing vessels and the CIELab color space measure of lightness (<i>L</i>*). <i>L</i>* was related to the mass of released MFs by creating a calibration curve to quantify the amounts of MFs released from textiles during washing. This method was used to investigate the effect of water-volume, agitation, temperature, and duration of the wash on MF release. Counterintuitively, increased water-volume, characteristic of European "delicate" cycles, resulted in the greatest release of MFs. Full-scale testing was then carried out using domestic washing machines with real consumer cycles to determine the effect of cycle type on MF release. In the first wash, delicate wash cycles released 800 000 more MFs (94 mg/kg) per wash than a lower water-volume standard wash and also increased MF release in subsequent washing cycles (<i>P</i> < 0.05). These results indicate that a high water-volume-to-fabric ratio is the most influential factor for MF release, rather than agitation as previously thought. Therefore, consumers can reduce MF release by avoiding high water-volume washes (delicate cycles), transitioning to appliances that use a lower water-volume (North American high-efficiency washing machines), and ensuring that full wash loads are used.
A Comparative Study of Pyridine Containing Lewis Acid-Base Adducts as Additives for Li[Ni0.5Mn0.3Co0.2]O2/graphite Pouch Cells (2016)

Three Lewis acid-base adducts including pyridine boron trifluoride (PBF), pyridine phosphorus pentafluoride (PPF) and pyridine sulfur trioxide (PSO) were used as electrolyte additives in Li[Ni0.5Mn0.3Co0.2]O2/graphite pouch cells (NMC532/graphite). PBF, PPF and PSO have a common Lewis base (pyridine) but have different Lewis acids. Experiments included ultra-high precision coulometry (UHPC), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), gas evolution, long-term continuous charge-discharge cycling and charge-hold-discharge cycling. The results showed that cells containing PBF and PPF had the smallest voltage drop during storage at 4.5 V and at 60°C compared to cells with PSO and other additives such as triallyl phosphate (TAP) and vinylene carbonate (VC). UHPC results showed that the coulombic efficiency (CE) of the cells could be improved by using PBF or PPF either singly or in combination with other additives. The charge-hold-discharge cycling protocol can be used to distinguish the difference between additives relatively quickly compared to continuous cycling. Cells with 2% PBF had the best capacity retention compared to cells with the other additives at 40°C.
Hardware efficient learning on a 3-D optoelectronic neural system (2002)

Discusses the dual-scale topology optoelectronic processor (D-STOP) neural network, a scalable, optically interconnected neural network architecture. The authors present the tandem D-STOP system, which provides the connectivity needed for building fully-parallel neural networks with generic gradient-descent learning rules. The authors review the content addressable network (CAN) learning algorithm, a discrete learning algorithm that provides accelerated learning with reduced hardware requirements. The authors then show how the CAN algorithm can be effectively mapped onto D-STOP, and they investigate associated optoelectronic hardware tradeoffs.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">&gt;</ETX>
Is prosthodontic treatment age‐dependent in patients 60 years and older in Public Dental Services? (2014)

Prosthodontic treatment is a common procedure for the elderly as tooth loss is a reality in old age. Dentists take care of increasingly older patients with physiological age manifesting as cognitive impairment, frailty or multiple chronic diseases or who have side effects of medicines. We evaluated how patients' age affects prosthodontic treatment choice and whether we could identify the age when a change in practice occurs. In addition, we determined how common the treatment method of fixed prostheses is among patients aged 60 years or over in Public Dental Services (PDS) and how common rehabilitation of dentition with new dentures is compared with repair of existing dentures. Our data cover all patients aged 60 years and older (n = 130,060) treated in Helsinki PDS in 2007-2012. Data were aggregated into seven groups: 60-64, 65-69, 70-74, 75-79, 80-84, 85-89, and 90 years and over. During the 6-year period, the mean annual number of the population was about 114,000 and the mean annual number of patients treated with prosthodontics 1700. Prosthodontic treatment choices (repair, removable prosthodontics, fixed prostheses, fibre-reinforced composite fixed prostheses) vary by age; the older the patient, the rarer fixed or fibre-reinforced composite fixed prostheses and removable prostheses and the more frequent repairs (P < 0.001). Denture repair was virtually the only treatment that patients over 90 years received. Based on our results, the age at which prosthodontic treatment practices in PDS change is around 70 years. Beyond this age, fixed prosthodontic treatment modalities are very rare and repairs are more common.
Production scheduling project: Nutra manufacturing (2014)

In partnership with Nutra's Greenville manufacturing plant, this capstone design project focused on developing an improved scheduling process. The current scheduling system at Nutra encompasses a heavily manual process. This involves completing duplicate processes in multiple locations throughout the facility resulting in a delay of product state information. The proposed benefits of the product include improving usability of the system, simplifying the scheduling process, and implementing a dynamic system. One of the biggest issues with the current system is the transparency between scheduling tools. A Root Cause Analysis was conducted and core causes were identified as follows: untracked utilization, insufficient time and resources to implement needed systems, and no standardization. As a result, the final product will be designed to address these needs by developing a tool that tracks work in process (WIP), reduces the overall time to produce a schedule, and has flexibility to make schedule changes as needed.
Motion-and aliasing-compensated prediction using a two-dimensional non-separable adaptive Wiener interpolation filter (2005)

In the context of prediction with fractional-pel motion vector resolution it was shown, that aliasing components contained in an image signal are limiting the prediction accuracy obtained by motion compensation. In order to consider aliasing, quantisation and motion estimation errors, camera noise, etc., we analytically developed a two-dimensional (2D) non-separable interpolation filter, which is calculated for each frame independently by minimising the prediction error energy. For every fractional-pel position to be interpolated, an individual set of 2D filter coefficients is determined. As a result, a coding gain of up to 1,2 dB for HDTV-sequences and up to 0,5 dB for CIF-sequences compared to the standard H.264/AVC is obtained.
A standardized representation of spinal quality of motion (2014)

The experimentally determined torque-rotation curve of the lumbar spine is mathematically described with a proposed dual-inflection point Boltzmann equation. The result is a method for describing functional spinal unit motion data. The benefit of the model is that each of the coefficients has a specific meaning in relation to the torque-rotation curve: the points A and B identify the respective minimum and maximum rotations of the functional spinal unit, m1 and m2 indicate the inflection points of the curve where the stiffness changes markedly, and α1 and α2 are associated with the rates of change of the curve at m1 and m2, respectively. The dual-inflection point Boltzmann captures the full quality of motion of the spinal segment and can also be used to derive relevant parameters such as range of motion, midrange stiffness, and hysteresis.
Self-reported burden in patients with localized prostate cancer treated with stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT). (2018)

51 Background: Retaining quality of life in patients treated with SBRT for prostate cancer remains paramount. As such, balancing the benefits of treatment against the effects of therapy on patients is essential. The quality of life is influenced by the disease and treatment related burden. The EORTC QLQ-ELD14 (ELD14) is a validated questionnaire that can assess burden. This study reports burden trends in patients with prostate cancer treated with SBRT. Methods: All patients with localized prostate cancer treated with SBRT at Georgetown University Hospital from 2007 to 2016 were eligible for inclusion in this cross-sectional cohort. The ELD14 questionnaire was used to assess self-reported patient quality of life at time points before and following treatment. Initially, 267 patients (Median age of 70) responded to the ELD14 questionnaire. Approximately 30% received ADT. The specific questions reviewed for this study were focused on burden of disease and treatment. The responses to these questions were grouped into three clinically relevant categories (not at all, a little and quite a bit to very much). Results: Number of patients reporting quite a bit or very much burden from prostate cancer declined over time from 13% prior to treatment to 8% at 36 months post-SBRT. This was highest at one month post-SBRT (15%) and resolved to baseline by 6 months. Treatment burden similarly decreased over time from 10% to 3%. Patients treated with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) experienced greater burden than others. At initial consult, 19% of patients on ADT reported quite a bit or very much burden from their illness. At one month post-SBRT, this had increased to 27% and subsequently decreased to 16% at 36 months. Of those not receiving ADT, 12% reported having quite a bit or very much burden from illness initially, 9% at one month and 6% at 36 months. Conclusions: This cross-sectional study suggests that the burden of clinically localized prostate and its treatment with SBRT improves over time. Increased burden was noted in patients receiving ADT. These findings can inform decision making in improving quality of life for patients with prostate cancer treated with SBRT.
Quality Initiatives: Guidelines for Use of Medical Imaging during Pregnancy and Lactation (2012)

The use of computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging has increased tremendously in the past 2 decades. Hence, pregnant and breast-feeding women, although generally healthier than the population at large, are also more likely to require contrast material-enhanced imaging. When a contrast-enhanced CT or MR imaging study is being considered for a pregnant or lactating patient, the potential risks to the fetus related to exposure to radiation, high magnetic fields, or contrast agents must be considered and weighed carefully against the risks of potential misdiagnosis due to withholding contrast agents and imaging studies. Fetal radiation doses up to 1 mGy are considered acceptable; with larger doses, the risk of carcinogenesis approximately doubles, although it remains low in absolute terms. No damage to a developing human fetus caused by MR imaging exposure has been documented. However, caution is advised, and risks and benefits must always be considered before evaluating a pregnant patient with MR imaging. The use of iodinated contrast agents is generally safe during pregnancy; nevertheless, these agents should be used with caution due to the risk of fetal hypothyroidism and should be administered only when the clinical situation clearly requires doing so. The use of gadolinium-based contrast agents during pregnancy remains controversial due to lack of human clinical data and potential toxicity. Use of all contrast agents is considered safe during lactation. It is hoped that this knowledge will help radiologists develop a consensus with their clinical colleagues regarding case management of pregnant and lactating patients.
The Influence of Reverse Total Shoulder Arthroplasty Implant Design on Biomechanics (2023)

Implant design for reverse total shoulder arthroplasty has evolved considerably from the modern design developed by Paul Grammont. The Grammont design had a medialized center of rotation and distalized humerus resulting from a 155° humeral neck shaft angle. These changes intended to decrease the forces on the glenoid component, thereby decreasing the risk for implant loosening and improving the deltoid moment arm. However, these features also led to scapular notching. The Grammont design has been modified over the last 20 years to increase the lateral offset of the glenosphere and decrease the prosthetic humeral neck shaft angle to 135°. These changes were made to optimize functional range of motion while minimizing scapular notching and improving active external rotation strength. Lastly, the introduction of preoperative planning and patient-specific instrumentation has improved surgeon ability to accurately place implants and optimize impingement-free range of motion. Success and durability of the reverse total shoulder arthroplasty has been contingent upon changes in implant design, starting with the Grammont-style prosthesis. Current humeral and glenoid implant designs vary in parameters such as humeral and glenoid offset, humeral tray design, liner thickness, and neck-shaft angle. A better understanding of the biomechanical implications of these design parameters will allow us to optimize shoulder function and minimize implant-related complications after reverse total shoulder arthroplasty.
Data from A Novel Molecular Pathway for Snail-Dependent, SPARC-Mediated Invasion in Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer Pathogenesis (2023)

&lt;div&gt;Abstract&lt;p&gt;Definition of the molecular pathogenesis of lung cancer allows investigators an enhanced understanding of the natural history of the disease, thus fostering development of new prevention strategies. In addition to regulating epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), the transcription factor Snail exerts global effects on gene expression. Our recent studies reveal that Snail is upregulated in non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), is associated with poor prognosis, and promotes tumor progression &lt;i&gt;in vivo&lt;/i&gt;. Herein, we demonstrate that overexpression of Snail leads to the upregulation of secreted protein, acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC) in models of premalignancy and established disease, as well as in lung carcinoma tissues &lt;i&gt;in situ&lt;/i&gt;. Snail overexpression leads to increased SPARC-dependent invasion &lt;i&gt;in vitro&lt;/i&gt;, indicating that SPARC may play a role in lung cancer progression. Bioinformatic analysis implicates transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β), extracellular signal–regulated kinase (ERK)1/2, and miR-29b as potential intermediaries in Snail-mediated upregulation of SPARC. Both the TGF-β1 ligand and TGF-β receptor 2 (TGF-βR2) are upregulated following Snail overexpression. Treatment of human bronchial epithelial cell (HBEC) lines with TGF-β1 and inhibition of TGF-β1 mRNA expression modulates SPARC expression. Inhibition of MAP–ERK kinase (MEK) phosphorylation downregulates SPARC. MiR-29b is downregulated in Snail-overexpressing cell lines, whereas overexpression of miR-29b inhibits SPARC expression. In addition, miR-29b is upregulated following ERK inhibition, suggesting a Snail-dependent pathway by which Snail activation of TGF-β and ERK signaling results in downregulation of miR-29b and subsequent upregulation of SPARC. Our discovery of pathways responsible for Snail-induced SPARC expression contributes to the definition of NSCLC pathogenesis. &lt;i&gt;Cancer Prev Res; 7(1); 150–60. ©2013 AACR&lt;/i&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;