gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
PAPER 192: THE EFFECT OF SITTING PRESSURE ON ISCHIAL BLOOD FLOW IN SPINAL CORD INJURED PATIENTS VS. NON-INJURED CONTROLS (2010)

Purpose: Pressure ulcers at the ischial tuberosities are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in persons with spinal cord injuries. Current prevention strategies are not fully adequate and surgical treatment is not always effective. In order to develop a novel method of ulcer prevention using magnetic repulsion, we needed to establish the relationship between pressure developed at the level of the ischial tuberosities while seated and the associated changes in blood flow in the sub-ischial tissues. Our hypothesis was that a threshold pressure or “pressure-prescription” would emerge as a target we could subsequently aim for with magnetic offloading. Method: We performed a physiologic study comparing incremental pressure applied at the ischial tuberosities with alterations in the local cutaneous perfusion. Persons with spinal cord injuries were compared to uninjured controls in order to detect any significant differences in the pressure-perfusion relationship between these two groups. Subjects were progressively lowered onto a seat where perfusion was measured with laser Doppler perfusion imaging and pressure was recorded with a pressure mapping system. The mean perfusion vs. pressure curve was determined from a zero loaded position to a maximally loaded position. Results: Healthy controls exhibited stable cutaneous ischial tissue perfusion up to sitting pressures of 150mm Hg followed by a 10% increase in blood flow at higher peak pressures. In contrast, subjects with spinal cord injuries underwent an early decrease in perfusion of 20% up to pressures of 150mm Hg, with a subsequent leveling off of their flow at higher pressures. The spinal cord injured also demonstrated lower reperfusion values indicative of a weaker reactive hyperemia in response to pressure. Conclusion: Compared to uninjured people, individuals with spinal cord injuries appear to have inherent blood flow regulation differences in response to pressure at the sub-ischial tissues, possibly due to dysfunction of an autonomic phenomenon termed pressure-induced vasodilation. Furthermore, a threshold pressure for maintaining optimal perfusion remains elusive for both healthy subjects and persons with spinal injuries. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Targeting the altered blood flow response to pressure in patients with spinal cord injuries, pharmacologically or mechanically, may lead to a reduction in the incidence of decubital ulcers.
Orally active α-tocopheryloxyacetic acid suppresses tumor growth and multiplicity of spontaneous murine breast cancer (2009)

We recently demonstrated the antitumor efficacy of orally administered alpha-tocopheryloxyacetic acid (alpha-TEA), a redox silent and nonhydrolyzable derivative of naturally occurring vitamin E. In order to move alpha-TEA closer to the clinic to benefit patients with breast cancer, the present study had two goals. First, to determine the minimal effective treatment dose; and second, to test the efficacy of dietary administration of alpha-TEA in the clinically relevant MMTV-PyMT mouse model of spontaneous breast cancer that more closely resembles human disease. The minimal effective dose of alpha-TEA was evaluated in the transplantable 4T1 tumor model and we show a dose-dependent decrease of primary tumor growth and reduction of metastatic spread to the lung. Six-week-old MMTV-PyMT mice were treated with oral alpha-TEA for 9 weeks, with no apparent signs of drug toxicity. The alpha-TEA treatment delayed tumor development and significantly slowed tumor progression, resulting in a 6-fold reduction of the average cumulative tumor size. In addition, oral alpha-TEA caused an 80% reduction in spontaneous metastases. In situ analysis of tumor tissue identified apoptosis as an important mechanism of alpha-TEA-mediated tumor suppression in addition to inhibition of tumor cell proliferation. This study shows, for the first time, the ability of orally administered alpha-TEA to delay tumor onset and to inhibit the progression and metastatic spread of a clinically relevant model of spontaneous breast cancer. Our finding of the high efficacy in this tumor model highlights the translational potential of oral alpha-TEA therapy.
Tunneling vs. thermionic currents in multi-quantum well photovoltaic structures (2005)

Photogeneration in the intrinsic region of a p-i-n device excites carriers in the conduction bands with non-zero currents. A special class of multi-quantum well photovoltaic structures (mqw-PV) is p-i-n PV structures where photo-generation may cause tunneling and or thermionic escape, from the intrinsic region. In this communication, we propose a formalism of tunneling versus thermal escape in p-i-n mqw-PV structures. The concept is a superlattice embedded in the intrinsic region of a p-i-n solar cell, which under illumination generates free carriers for current collection. We show that quantum size effects do matter in these devices and we compute the corresponding short circuit currents. We conclude that thermal and tunneling currents behave almost in a complimentary way: tunneling dominates at low temperatures and that thermal escape dominates at high temperatures. We report results at temperature levels (two extremes at -10and 100°C) and predict total current density values near an average of 60mA/cm2. We finally conclude that the main drawback of these devices is their compromised open circuit voltage.
Tuning Optoelectronic Properties of Ambipolar Organic Light‐ Emitting Transistors Using a Bulk‐Heterojunction Approach (2005)

Abstract Bulk‐heterojunction engineering is demonstrated as an approach to producing ambipolar organic light‐emitting field‐effect transistors with tunable electrical and optoelectronic characteristics. The electron and hole mobilities, as well as the electroluminescence intensity, can be tuned over a large range by changing the composition of a bimolecular mixture consisting of α‐quinquethiophene and N , N ′‐ditridecylperylene‐3,4,9,10‐tetracarboxylic‐diimide. Time‐resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy reveals that the phase segregation of the two molecules in the bulk heterojunction and their electronic interaction determine the optoelectronic properties of the devices. The results presented show that the bulk‐heterojunction approach, which is widely used in organic photovoltaic cells, can be successfully employed to select and tailor the functionality of field‐effect devices, including ambipolar charge transport and light emission.
Sol–Gel Preparation and Properties of Fluoride‐Substituted Hydroxyapatite Powders (2004)

Hydroxyapatite (HA) and fluor‐hydroxyapatite (FHA) powders were synthesized by a sol–gel method for usage as bone filler and drug carrier. Calcium nitrate and triethyl phosphite were used as precursors under an ethanol–water‐based solution. Different amounts of ammonium fluoride (NH 4 F) were incorporated for the preparation of FHA powders. With heat treatment above 400°C, a characteristic apatite phase was observed for all the sol–gel powders. However, the crystallization temperature decreased with increasing fluoride addition. The tricalcium phosphate (TCP) phase formed in the pure HA powder above 800°C was attenuated in the FHA powders, confirming an enhanced phase stability of the FHA powders. Increasing the F − addition improved crystallinity and increased the crystallite size, as was determined from X‐ray diffraction (XRD) analyses. The lattice parameters of the heat‐treated powders varied corresponding to the fluoride addition, i.e., a gradual decrease in the a ‐axis, while little change in the c ‐axis was observed with increasing fluoride addition, indicating a nearly complete substitution of fluoride within the apatite lattice. However, little difference was observed with heat‐treatment temperatures (400°–1000°C). The powders substituted with fluoride exhibited reduced dissolution rates in an in vitro solution as compared with the pure HA powder, suggesting the possibility of tailoring bioactivity with fluoride substitution.
Linear Algebra Continuous Dynamic Control for WMR (2017)

A trajectory tracking controller for wheeled mobile robot (WMR) is presented in this paper. The approach is based on the dynamic model of a nonholonomic mobile robot. The non linear dynamic model is used to find the expression of the control actions which make the robot follow a desired trajectory. The methodology for controller design is based in Linear Algebra theory. Experimental results in a Pioneer 3DX mobile robot are presented and compared with other approach of the literature.
Why compensating fibre nonlinearity will never meet capacity demands (2015)

Current research efforts are focussed on overcoming the apparent limits of communication in single mode optical fibre resulting from distortion due to fibre nonlinearity. It has been experimentally demonstrated that this Kerr nonlinearity limit is not a fundamental limit; thus it is pertinent to review where the fundamental limits of optical communications lie, and direct future research on this basis. This paper details recently presented results. The work herein briefly reviews the intrinsic limits of optical communication over standard single mode optical fibre (SMF), and shows that the empirical limits of silica fibre power handling and transceiver design both introduce a practical upper bound to the capacity of communication using SMF, on the order of 1 Pbit/s. Transmission rates exceeding 1 Pbit/s are shown to be possible, however, with currently available optical fibres, attempts to transmit beyond this rate by simply increasing optical power will lead to an asymptotically zero fractional increase in capacity.
Bone morphogenetic protein 2-induced human dental pulp cell differentiation involves p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase-activated canonical WNT pathway (2015)

Both bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2) and the wingless-type MMTV integration site (WNT)/β-catenin signalling pathway play important roles in odontoblast differentiation and dentinogenesis. Cross-talk between BMP2 and WNT/β-catenin in osteoblast differentiation and bone formation has been identified. However, the roles and mechanisms of the canonical WNT pathway in the regulation of BMP2 in dental pulp injury and repair remain largely unknown. Here, we demonstrate that BMP2 promotes the differentiation of human dental pulp cells (HDPCs) by activating WNT/β-catenin signalling, which is further mediated by p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) in vitro. BMP2 stimulation upregulated the expression of β-catenin in HDPCs, which was abolished by SB203580 but not by Noggin or LDN193189. Furthermore, BMP2 enhanced cell differentiation, which was not fully inhibited by Noggin or LDN193189. Instead, SB203580 partially blocked BMP2-induced β-catenin expression and cell differentiation. Taken together, these data suggest a possible mechanism by which the elevation of β-catenin resulting from BMP2 stimulation is mediated by the p38 MAPK pathway, which sheds light on the molecular mechanisms of BMP2-mediated pulp reparative dentin formation.
Imaging c-MYC driven cancer metabolism with 18F-(2S,4R)4-fluoroglutamine (2013)

394 Objectives An emerging hallmark of cancer is that cell metabolism is reprogrammed in order to meet a cancer cell9s massive needs for cellular energy and substrates. The PI3K/Akt/mTOR oncogenic pathway has been implicated in glucose and the transcription factor c-Myc has been linked to addiction. “Glucose addiction” has been exploited in the clinic via 18F-FDG/PET imaging. However, heterogeneity exists across different cancer types regarding nutrient addiction, and a significant percentage of cancer patients imaged with 18F-FDG/PET turn up false negative scans. Recently, our lab developed a PET tracer for mapping glutaminolytic tumors, 18F-(2S,4R)4-fluoroglutamine, and demonstrated that it is selectively taken up by tumor cells. Here, we define the connections between cancer cell c-Myc expression, 18F-(2S,4R)4-fluoroglutamine uptake, 18F-FDG/PET uptake, and glutamine transporter expression in tumor cells. Methods The P493-6 Burkitt’s lymphoma cell line, which features high c-Myc expression that is repressible with tetracycline treatment, allowed us to easily modulate the level of c-Myc. We compared 18F-(2S,4R)4-fluoroglutamine/FDG uptake in P493-6 cells cultured with “LOW Myc” and “HIGH Myc” settings. Western blot analyses were performed to determine the protein levels of c-Myc and the known glutamine transporters in both Myc settings. Results It was demonstrated that 18F-(2S,4R)4-fluoroglutamine uptake is increased in the HIGH Myc setting when compared to the LOW Myc setting, and that tracer uptake is higher than that of 18F-FDG/PET in the HIGH Myc setting. Furthermore, we demonstrated that both 18F-(2S,4R)4-fluoroglutamine uptake and c-Myc expression are positively correlated with the protein expression levels of the ASCT2 and LAT1 glutamine transporters in tumor cells. Conclusions These data provide support for the clinical use of 18F-(2S,4R)4-fluoroglutamine as a metabolic imaging tracer for c-Myc driven tumors that cannot be imaged with traditional 18F-FDG/PET.
Trick Play Function for VOD with SVC source (2010)

Networked video applications have become more and more popular. However, most commercially available video on demand (VOD) solutions still lack trick play features (fast forward, fast rewind etc.), because it usually needs high processing complexity and huge consumption of network bandwidth to support trick play function. On the other hand, H.264 Scalable Video Coding (SVC) will be adopted in more and more video contents, and have great impact on the video application. In this paper, we propose a mechanism to support trick play function for H.264 SVC video source. According to different fast speed, appropriate combination of temporal and SNR layers are selected and transmitted in server side. Performance evaluation results show that the proposed mechanism can effectively reduce network bandwidth consumption, while keeping satisfied quality of experience (QoE) for users.
Architectures for online error detection and recovery in multicore processors (2011)

The huge investment in the design and production of multicore processors may be put at risk because the emerging highly miniaturized but unreliable fabrication technologies will impose significant barriers to the life-long reliable operation of future chips. Extremely complex, massively parallel, multi-core processor chips fabricated in these technologies will become more vulnerable to: (a) environmental disturbances that produce transient (or soft) errors, (b) latent manufacturing defects as well as aging/wearout phenomena that produce permanent (or hard) errors, and (c) verification inefficiencies that allow important design bugs to escape in the system. In an effort to cope with these reliability threats, several research teams have recently proposed multicore processor architectures that provide low-cost dependability guarantees against hardware errors and design bugs. This paper focuses on dependable multicore processor architectures that integrate solutions for online error detection, diagnosis, recovery, and repair during field operation. It discusses taxonomy of representative approaches and presents a qualitative comparison based on: hardware cost, performance overhead, types of faults detected, and detection latency. It also describes in more detail three recently proposed effective architectural approaches: a software-anomaly detection technique (SWAT), a dynamic verification technique (Argus), and a core salvaging methodology.
A Peptide Domain on Gingipain R Which Confers Immunity against Porphyromonas gingivalis Infection in Mice (1998)

The cysteine proteinases referred to as gingipains R (gingipain R1 and gingipain R2) and gingipain K produced by Porphyromonas gingivalis are virulence factors of this periodontal pathogen which likely act by interrupting host defense mechanisms and by participating in the penetration and destruction of host connective tissue. To examine the effect of immunization with gingipains R on the ability of P. gingivalis to colonize and invade in the mouse chamber model, BALB/c mice were immunized intraperitoneally with the 95-kDa gingipain R1, the 50-kDa gingipain R2, or multiple antigenic peptide (MAP)-conjugated gingipain R-derived peptides and then challenged with P. gingivalis. Immunization of mice with the 95-kDa gingipain R1, the 50-kDa gingipain R2, or a peptide derived from the N-terminal sequence of the catalytic domain of gingipains R (peptide A) followed by challenge with P. gingivalis A7436 resulted in protection from P. gingivalis invasion. In contrast, immunization with peptides corresponding to either a sequence encompassing the catalytic cysteine residue of gingipains R (peptide B) or an identical sequence within the catalytic domains of gingipain R1 and gingipain K (peptide C), followed by challenge with P. gingivalis, did not protect animals, nor did immunization with a peptide corresponding to sequences within the adhesion/hemagglutinin domain of gingipain R1 (peptide D) which have been shown to be directly involved in the hemagglutinin activity of gingipain R1. However, the immunoglobulin G (IgG) titer obtained following immunization with peptide D was comparable to that obtained following immunization with the N-terminal peptide (peptide A). Competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, using either the 95-kDa gingipain R1 or gingipain K as the competing soluble antigen, indicated that 42 and 53% of the antibodies induced by immunization with heat-killed bacteria recognize gingipain R1 and gingipain K, respectively; however, even at very high concentrations, the 50-kDa gingipain R2 did not hinder IgG binding to P. gingivalis. These results indicate that antibodies directed to the amino-terminal region of the catalytic domain of gingipains R are capable of inducing a protective immune response against P. gingivalis infection in the mouse chamber model.
Characterization of Nanometer- to Micron-Sized Aluminum Powders: Size Distribution from Thermogravimetric Analysis (2007)

Thermogravimetric analysis was used to study the reactivity of aluminum powders in air, oxygen, and nitrogen. In addition, the data were used to characterize active Al content, Al oxide content, volatile impurity content, particle size, and particle size distribution. Weight gains from complete oxidation of the Al were used to calculate average particle sizes in the range of 30 to 500 nm. These particle sizes correlated well with particle sizes derived from surface area measurement. Particle size was also examined by scanning electron microscopy, and compared with crystallite size determined by x-ray diffraction. Particle size distributions were derived from thermogravimetric analysis data based on a model of uniform oxidation of Al from the exterior to the interior of the particle. The method is well suited for analyzing samples with broad particle size distributions, and in particular, for monitoring the presence of 500-5000 nm particles within nominally nanosized samples. Quantitative information was not obtained for particles around 100 nm or smaller, due to large variations in oxidation behavior below 700° C. Nitridation of Al powders was studied for extended times at 600° C. Surprisingly, 2 μm powder was nearly completely nitrided in 1 h, indicating that the nitride product has little inhibiting effect on the reaction.
Neuronal Functions of the Novel Serine/Threonine Kinase Ndr2 (2004)

We have identified a novel member of the Ndr subfamily of serine/threonine protein kinases, Ndr2, as a gene product that is induced in the mouse amygdala during fear memory consolidation and examined a possible function of this kinase in neural differentiation. Expression of Ndr2 mRNA was detected in various cortical and subcortical brain regions, as well as non-neuronal tissues. Its expression in the amygdala was increased 6 h after Pavlovian fear conditioning training and returned to control levels within 24 h. To study intracellular localization and functions of Ndr2, EGFP::Ndr2 fusion proteins were expressed in rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells and acutely isolated cortical neurons, thereby revealing an association of Ndr2 with the actin cytoskeleton in somata, neurites and filopodia, in spines and at sites of cell contact. Co-precipitation and pull-down experiments support this finding. Evidence for an involvement of Ndr2 in actin-mediated cellular functions further comes from the observation of decreased cell spreading and changes in neurite outgrowth that were associated with protein serine phosphorylation in transfected PC12 cells. Together, our data suggest that Ndr2 is an interesting candidate gene for the regulation of structural processes in differentiating and mature neuronal cells.
Convective-Dispersion Modeling in 3D Contrast-Ultrasound Imaging for the Localization of Prostate Cancer (2018)

Despite being the solid tumor with the highest incidence in western men, prostate cancer (PCa) still lacks reliable imaging solutions that can overcome the need for systematic biopsies. Dynamic contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging (DCE-US) allows us to quantitatively characterize the vascular bed in the prostate, due to its ability to visualize an intravenously administered bolus of contrast agents. Previous research has demonstrated that DCE-US parameters related to the vascular architecture are useful markers for the localization of PCa lesions. In this paper, we propose a novel method to assess the convective dispersion (D) and velocity (v) of the contrast bolus spreading through the prostate from three-dimensional (3D) DCE-US recordings. By assuming that D and v are locally constant, we solve the convective-dispersion equation by minimizing the corresponding regularized least-squares problem. 3D multiparametric maps of D and v were compared with 3D histopathology retrieved from the radical prostatectomy specimens of six patients. With a pixel-wise area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.72 and 0.80, respectively, the method shows diagnostic value for the localization of PCa.