gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Cryptococcus neoformansInduces Macrophage Inflammatory Protein 1α (MIP-1α) and MIP-1β in Human Microglia: Role of Specific Antibody and Soluble Capsular Polysaccharide (2001)

We characterized the expression of the beta-chemokines macrophage inflammatory protein 1alpha (MIP-1alpha), MIP-1beta, and RANTES by primary human microglia after exposure to Cryptococcus neoformans. In the absence of specific antibody, C. neoformans failed to elicit a chemokine response, while in the presence of specific antibody, microglia produced MIP-1alpha and MIP-1beta in amounts comparable to those induced by lipopolysaccharide. RANTES was also induced but at much lower levels. In addition to MIP-1alpha and MIP-1beta mRNA, we observed a robust induction of monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 and interleukin-8 mRNA following incubation of microglia with opsonized C. neoformans. In contrast, cryptococcal polysaccharide did not induce a chemokine response even when specific antibody was present and inhibited the MIP-1alpha induction associated with antibody-mediated phagocytosis of C. neoformans. The role of the Fc receptor in the observed chemokine induction was explored in several experiments. Treatment of microglia with cytochalasin D inhibited internalization of C. neoformans but did not affect MIP-1alpha induction. In contrast, treatment with herbimycin A, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, inhibited MIP-1alpha induction. Microglia stimulated with immobilized murine immunoglobulin also produced MIP-1alpha and RANTES (MIP-1alpha > RANTES). Our results show that microglia produce several chemokines when stimulated by C. neoformans in the presence of specific antibody and that this process is likely to be mediated by Fc receptor activation. This response can be down-regulated by cryptococcal capsular polysaccharide. These findings suggest a mechanism by which C. neoformans infections fail to induce strong inflammatory responses in patients with cryptococcal meningoencephalitis and have important implications for antibody therapy.
Peltier Supercooling with Isosceles Current Pulses: A Response Surface Perspective (2017)

© The Author(s) 2017. Published by ECS. All rights reserved. Using a pulsed electrical current enables a temporary state in which a Peltier element achieves temperatures below that obtained with a steady current. This is referred to as supercooling. Supercooling is followed by a period of superheating during which Peltier heat transfer is diminished and the surface temperatures increases. Most studies have found that the duration of superheating is longer than the duration of supercooling. As a result, the current pulse generates a net heating instead of enhanced cooling. There are limited studies that have shown the possibility of net cooling during a current pulse. The objective of this paper is to discuss the operating conditions for which net cooling is possible and maximized. The interaction between pulse duration and pulse height using isosceles shaped current pulses on net cooling was investigated using response surfaces generated using electrical-thermal analogies in SPICE. Pulse duration ranged from 0.1 to 10.0 seconds and pulse height ranging from 1.01 to 6.0 times steady current. Response surfaces were used to map a variety of performance factors; including the transient time to achieve a minimum temperature, the pulse cooling enhancement, transient penalty and transient advantage. The optimal combination of pulse duration and pulse height was identified.
The Role of Dimension in Multivalent Binding Events: Structure–Activity Relationship of Dendritic Polyglycerol Sulfate Binding to L‐Selectin in Correlation with Size and Surface Charge Density (2011)

L-, P-, and E-Selectin are cell adhesion molecules that play a crucial role in leukocyte recruitment from the blood stream to the afflicted tissue in an acute and chronic inflammatory setting. Since selectins mediate the initial contact of leukocytes to the vascular endothelium, they have evolved as a valuable therapeutic target in diseases related to inflammation by inhibition of the physiological selectin-ligand interactions. In a previous study, it was demonstrated that dPGS, a fully synthetic heparin analogue, works as an efficient inhibitor towards L- and P-selectin in vitro as well as in vivo. Herein, the focus is directed towards the effect of size and charge density of the polyanion. The efficiency of L-selectin inhibition via an SPR-based in vitro assay and a cell-based flow chamber assay is investigated with dPGS ranging from approximately 4 to 2000 kDa. SPR measurements show that the inhibitory potential of highly sulfated dPGS increases with size and charge density. Thereby, IC(50) values from the micromolar to the low picomolar range are determined. The same tendency could be observed in a cell-based flow chamber assay with three representative dPGS samples. This structure-affinity relationship of dPGS suggests that the strong inhibitory potential of dPGS is not only based on the strong electrostatic interaction with areas of cationic surface potential on L-selectin but is also due to a steric shielding of the carbohydrate binding site by large, flexible dPGS particles.
Benchmarking autonomic capabilities: promises and pitfalls (2004)

Benchmarks provide a way to quantify progress in a field. Our goal is to produce a suite of benchmarks covering the four categories of autonomic capabilities: self-configuring, self-healing, self-optimizing, and self-protecting (IBM, 2003). This is not an easy task, however, and in this paper we identify several of the challenges and pitfalls that must be confronted to extend benchmarking technology beyond its traditional basis in performance evaluation.
Integrated Nanophotonic Biosensors for Point-of Care Diagnostics and Bioanalytical Applications (2019)

In an effort to address the requirements of next-generation healthcare systems, including personalized medicine, point-of-care diagnostics, and global health surveillance, I will introduce imaging-based portable nanoplasmonic biosensors integrated with microfluidic systems for various bioanalytical applications.
Hydrocarbon Fuels in Solid Oxide Fuel Cells:  In Situ Raman Studies of Graphite Formation and Oxidation (2008)

In situ Raman spectroscopy and linear sweep voltammetry were used to characterize graphite formation on Ni/YSZ cermet anodes in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) operating at 715 °C. The membrane electrode assemblies were run continuously with Ar-diluted H2 and exposed to intermittent bursts of hydrocarbons. The appearance and disappearance of carbon deposits was monitored as a function of cell potential and hydrocarbon fuel identity. The hydrocarbon fuels employed in these studies included methane, ethylene, and propylene. Kinetic modeling predicts that of these three fuels, propylene is the most reactive under the conditions of the SOFC experiments. Methane was predicted to be virtually unreactive in the gas phase. Limited exposure of the SOFC anode to methane led to no observable carbon deposits and no appreciable change in SOFC electrochemical performance. Extended exposure to a continuous methane feed resulted in the formation of highly ordered graphite as evidenced by a single feature (assigned as the “G” band) at 1585 cm-1 in the Raman spectrum. The addition of ethylene to the incident fuel leads initially to the formation of highly ordered graphite as evidenced by the rapid growth of the G band and a small “D” band (at 1365 cm-1) in the Raman spectrum. Subsequent additions of ethylene created more disorder and led to deteriorating SOFC performance. Small amounts of propylene added to the fuel feed formed disordered carbon having significant amounts of tetrahedrally coordinated carbon, and SOFC performance suffered reversible degradation. Applying an overpotential to the anode led to the disappearance of carbon deposits with the intensity of the D band diminishing more rapidly than the G band. The disappearance rates depended directly on the anode overpotential.
Gene expression analysis during acute hepatitis C virus infection associates dendritic cell activation with viral clearance (2015)

Viral clearance during acute hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is associated with the induction of potent antiviral T-cell responses. Since dendritic cells (DC) are essential in the activation of primary T-cell responses, gene expression was analyzed in DC from patients during acute HCV infection. By using microarrays, gene expression was compared in resting and activated peripheral blood plasmacytoid (pDC) and myeloid (mDC) DC from acute HCV resolving patients (AR) and from patients who become chronically infected (ANR), as well as in healthy individuals (CTRL) and chronically-infected patients (CHR). For pDC, a high number of upregulated genes was found in AR patients, irrespective of DC stimulation. However, for mDC, most evident differences were detected after DC stimulation, again corresponding to upregulated genes in AR patients. Divergent behavior of ANR was also observed when analyzing DC from CTRL and CHR, with ANR patients clustering again apart from these groups. These differences corresponded to metabolism-associated genes and genes belonging to pathways relevant for DC activation and cytokine responses. Thus, upregulation of relevant genes in DC during acute HCV infection may determine viral clearance, suggesting that dysfunctional DC may be responsible for the lack of efficient T-cell responses which lead to chronic HCV infection.
XFlavor: bridging bits and objects in media representation (2003)

Flavor is a formal language developed for describing compressed bitstream syntax, especially the bitstreams representing multimedia objects. A translator is also available for translating a Flavor description into C++ or Java code. The code includes bitstream parsing and generating operations that can readily be used by software developers with essentially zero additional programming. After briefly describing the latest version of Flavor, we propose an extension - XFlavor - that provides XML features by transforming the traditional bitstream representation of multimedia data into a corresponding XML representation.
A monkeypox mRNA-lipid nanoparticle vaccine targeting virus binding, entry, and transmission drives protection against lethal orthopoxviral challenge (2022)

Abstract Monkeypox virus (MPXV) caused a global outbreak in 2022, fueled by behaviorally-altered and enhanced human-to-human transmission. While smallpox vaccines were rapidly deployed to curb spread and disease among those at highest risk, breakthrough disease was noted after complete immunization. Given the imminent threat of additional zoonotic events as well as the virus’ evolving ability to drive human-to-human transmission, there is an urgent need for the development of a MPXV-specific vaccine that is able to also confer broad protection against evolving strains and related orthopoxviruses. Here, we demonstrate that an mRNA-lipid nanoparticle vaccine encoding a set of four highly conserved MPXV surface proteins involved in virus attachment, entry and transmission can induce MPXV-specific immunity and heterologous protection against a lethal vaccinia virus (VACV) challenge. Compared to Modified Vaccinia Virus Ankara (MVA), which forms the basis for the current MPXV vaccine, mRNA-vaccination generated superior neutralizing and cellular spread-inhibitory activities against MPXV and VACV as well as greater Fc-effector Th1-biased humoral immunity to the four MPXV antigens and the four VACV homologs. Single MPXV antigen mRNA vaccines provided partial protection against VACV challenge, while combinations of two, three or four MPXV antigen expressing mRNAs protected against disease-related weight loss and death. Remarkably, the cross-protection by multivalent MPXV mRNAs was superior to the homologous protection by MVA, associated with a combination of neutralizing and non-neutralizing antibody functions. These data reveal robust protection against VACV using an mRNA-based vaccine targeting four highly conserved viral surface antigens, linked to the induction of highly functional antibodies able to rapidly control viral infection.
Large-scale stochastic learning using GPUs (2017)

In this work we propose an accelerated stochastic learning system for very large-scale applications. Acceleration is achieved by mapping the training algorithm onto massively parallel processors: we demonstrate a parallel, asynchronous GPU implementation of the widely used stochastic coordinate descent/ascent algorithm that can provide up to 35× speed-up over a sequential CPU implementation. In order to train on very large datasets that do not fit inside the memory of a single GPU, we then consider techniques for distributed stochastic learning. We propose a novel method for optimally aggregating model updates from worker nodes when the training data is distributed either by example or by feature. Using this technique, we demonstrate that one can scale out stochastic learning across up to 8 worker nodes without any significant loss of training time. Finally, we combine GPU acceleration with the optimized distributed method to train on a dataset consisting of 200 million training examples and 75 million features. We show by scaling out across 4 GPUs, one can attain a high degree of training accuracy in around 4 seconds: a 20× speed-up in training time compared to a multi-threaded, distributed implementation across 4 CPUs.
A oração portuguesa de tradição oral (2007)

A partir da leitura de três livros, estudamos neste artigo alguns dos aspectos da expressão e do conteúdo da oração portuguesa da tradição oral, especificidade textual que não pode ser satisfatoriamente compreendida senão à luz do especial ordenamento estético-literário que lhe é inerente.
Security aspects of quantum key distribution with sub-Poisson light (2002)

The security of quantum key distribution with sub-Poisson light sources is investigated. It is shown that a quantitative analysis of the security of such sources requires only two measured values, the efficiency and second-order correlation. These two numbers represent figures of merit, which characterize the performance of such light sources. We show that sub-Poisson light sources can offer significant improvements in communication rate over Poisson light in the presence of realistic experimental imperfections. We also investigate the amount of channel loss that can be tolerated for secure communication to be possible, and show that this only depends on the second-order correlation, provided the device efficiency exceeds a critical value. If this critical efficiency is exceeded, an inefficient source can perform as well as an efficient one at sufficiently high channel losses.
Assessing the Effects of a Perioperative Nutritional Support and Counseling in Gastrointestinal Cancer Patients: A Retrospective Comparative Study with Historical Controls (2023)

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of perioperative nutritional therapy care in gastrointestinal (esophageal, gastric, gastroesophageal) cancer patients on nutritional status and disease progression (complications, hospitalization, mortality). We considered 62 gastrointestinal cancer patients treated at the Center for Integrated Oncology (CIO), University Hospital Bonn, Germany (August 2017-July 2019). Of these, 42 patients (as intervention group: IG) received pre- and postoperative nutritional support with counseling, while 20 patients (as historical control group CG) received only postoperative nutritional therapy. Several clinical parameters, such as Body Mass Index (BMI), nutritional risk screening (NRS), phase angle, postoperative complications, length of hospital stay, and mortality, were determined. There were significantly fewer patients with gastric cancer/<i>CDH1</i> gene mutation and more with esophageal cancer in IG (<i>p</i> = 0.001). Significantly more patients received neoadjuvant therapy in IG (<i>p</i> = 0.036). No significant differences were found between the groups regarding BMI, NRS, complications, length of hospital stay, and mortality. However, the comparison of post- and preoperative parameters in IG showed a tendency to lose 1.74 kg of weight (<i>p</i> = 0.046), a decrease in phase angle by 0.59° (<i>p</i> = 0.004), and an increase in NRS of 1.34 points (<i>p</i> < 0.001). Contrary to prior reports, we found no significant effect of perioperative nutritional therapy care in gastrointestinal cancer patients; however, the small cohort size and infrequent standardization in nutritional status may possibly account for the variance. Considering that oncological pathways and metabolic nutritional pathways are interrelated, dividing patients into subgroups to provide a personalized nutritional approach may help in improving their treatment.
Abstract 1075: Conditionally active de novo IL-2 cytokine mimetics for targeted immunotherapy: de novo split technology (2020)

Abstract IL-2 is a highly potent, pleiomorphic cytokine approved for the treatment of melanoma and renal cell carcinoma. The therapeutic potential of this cytokine has been restricted by dose-limiting toxicities and off-tumor effects associated with systemic IL-2 administration. Scientists have long-pursued the development of targeted IL-2 variants to control biodistribution and improve the therapeutic index, e.g. IL-2-antibody fusions or immunocytokines. However, the potential benefit of targeting IL-2 is limited by the high affinity of the cytokine for its cellular receptor, which dominates biodistribution and results in activation of cells outside the tumor microenvironment. To address this challenge, we took advantage of the remarkable stability of Neoleukin-2/15 (Neo-2/15), a fully de novo cytokine mimetic that potently activates the beta and gamma subunits shared by the IL-2 and IL-15 receptors. We demonstrate that Neo-2/15 can be divided into two pieces that cannot signal individually, but that can recover their binding and cell-signaling potential when co-localized. Fusing the split molecules to independent targeting domains creates a modular and highly specific implementation of conditional activation. We demonstrate that if one split fragment is targeted to one tumor-associated antigen, and the complementary fragment is targeted to a second tumor-associated antigen, the ability to bind the IL-2 receptor and trigger signaling is only restored when these split fragments bind to the surface of cells expressing both targets. The split Neo-2/15 molecules have anti-tumor activity in syngeneic cancer models and have the potential to enhance the therapeutic index of cytokine mimetics in immunotherapy. To our knowledge, these are the first designed examples of strictly conditionally-active, targeted, cytokine-like molecules for immunotherapy. *Current affiliation for D-A.S.: Neoleukin Therapeutics Inc, Seattle, WA, USA. Citation Format: Alfredo Quijano-Rubio, Lestat R. Ali, Md A. Bhuiyan, Marc J. Lajoie, Michael Dougan, David Baker, Daniel-Adriano Silva. Conditionally active de novo IL-2 cytokine mimetics for targeted immunotherapy: de novo split technology [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 1075.
Bis(2,6-dimethylpyridyl)iodonium dibromoiodate (2006)

The crystal structure of the title compound, C14H18IN2+·Br2I−, isostructural with the Cl2I analogue, comprises discrete centrosymmetric cations and anions, both with linear coordination of the I atoms.
The Use of Unipolar Epicardial QRS Potentials to Estimate Myocardial Infarction (1985)

This canine study assesses the ability to predict whether the myocardium lying directly below epicardial recording sites is infarcted or normal. The results indicate that sufficient information is present in unipolar QRS waveforms to predict with 90 percent accuracy the state of the myocardium. A simplified classifier based only on the magnitude of the Q wave also provides sufficient information for reliable prediction.
Association of the PLEKHO2 and PLEKHH1 gene polymorphisms with type 2 diabetic retinopathy in a Taiwanese population (2012)

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a chronic retinal disorder, in which the retinal microvasculature is gradually altered, ultimately leading to blindness. Previous observations on clinical variations of the onset and severity of DR in various patients and populations suggest that genetic polymorphisms contribute to DR development. The present study was undertaken in an attempt to uncover new genetic factors contributing to the development of DR in a Taiwanese population. A well-defined Taiwanese population comprising persons with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) (n = 749) was recruited for this study. We conducted a genome-wide association study in an independent set of 174 patients with DR and 575 without DR, using Illumina HumanHap550-Duo BeadChip. Eleven single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with the most significant test statistics (p 1 10 -5 ) were selected from one of the models. Of the selected SNPs, rs832882 (G/A) (p = 2.29 10 -6 ; odds ratio (OR) = 1.49; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.11-2.00) and rs3742872 (G/A) (P = 1.19 10 -15 ; OR = 1.95; 95% CI = 1.02-3.72), both identified as having the most significant association with DR, are located in the intronic region of the gene encoding the pleckstrin homology (PH) domain-containing proteins family O member 2 (PLEKHO2) and family H member 1 (PLEKHH1), respectively. Functional prediction analysis strengthened the likelihood of participation of PLEKHO2 and PLEKHH1 in the development of DR. The current findings suggest that the rs832882 and rs3742872 polymorphisms may be harbouring retinopathy susceptibility in a Taiwanese population, and implicate the pathological role of PH domain-containing proteins in DR development.
Development of an Eddy Current Testing Method as Process Control for Additive Manufacturing of Metallic Components (2015)

Eddy current testing is one of the main nondestructive testing methods. It provides essentially information on surface and subsurface state of a structural component. Industrial non-destructive testing includes techniques such as X-rays, ultrasound and vibration analysis besides eddy current testing. These technics are absolutely crucial for safety and reliability of vital machinery components such as e.g. airplane wings or turbine blades, which are monitored at regular intervals by eddy current techniques to detect micro fatigue cracks. In this contribution, we discuss a new potential application of eddy-current testing which appeared while doing our research. Our research on future eddy current testing methods and instruments lead us to a new field, the online monitoring of additive manufacturing (3D printing). The industry is lately quite interested in additive manufacturing of metallic structures. These metallic structures could be used in near future directly as parts and not just as prototypes or models. The two main production processes are “Selective Laser Melting” (SLM) and “Selective Laser Sintering” (SLS). The component is manufactured from several hundreds or thousands of metal powder layers. These layers are deposited individually and a high-power laser fuses them. Many parameters influence this complex process and can lead to different types of defects or even to a complete failure of the manufactured part. Two of the main defects observed are delamination and porosity differences within the part. Partial delamination or porosity changes usually affects the mechanical strength of the part and a full delamination; a full delamination usually leads to a part failure, so there is obvious need to detect it as early as possible. In this paper we will present two main experiments for eddy current on-line monitoring and quality control. We will present tests on samples with different porosities and further eddy current testing on partly delaminated samples. The results of these tests will be presented and along with a method on how to differentiate these two failure modes. This work is part of an industrial cooperation with Sensima Inspection Sarl.