gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Insights into the role of progranulin in immunity, infection, and inflammation (2012)

PGRN, a pleiotrophic growth factor, is known to play an important role in the maintenance and regulation of the homeostatic dynamics of normal tissue development, proliferation, regeneration, and the host-defense response and therefore, has been widely studied in the fields of infectious diseases, wound healing, tumorigenesis, and neuroproliferative and degenerative diseases. PGRN has also emerged as a multifaceted immune-regulatory molecule through regulating the signaling pathways known to be critical for immunology, especially TNF/TNFR signaling. In this review, we start with updates about the interplays of PGRN with ECM proteins, proteolytic enzymes, inflammatory cytokines, and cell-surface receptors, as well as various pathophysiological processes involved. We then review the data supporting an emerging role of PGRN in the fields of the "Cubic of I", namely, immunity, infection, and inflammation, with special focus on its regulation of autoimmune syndromes. We conclude with insights into the immunomodulating, anti-inflammatory, therapeutic potential of PGRN in treating diseases with an inflammatory etiology in a vast range of medical specialties.
Some New Mercury Alloys for Use in Fluorescent Lamps (1977)

The vapor pressure of mercury is an important parameter in the design of fluorescent lamps. Mostly pure mercury is used to generate the required vapor pressure, but it is known that fluorescent tubes can be employed over a much wider range of ambient temperatures when mercury alloys are used as a source of the mercury vapor. The authors present evidence that mercury alloys for use in fluorescent lamps can be improved, especially where the ignition behavior is concerned.
A W-band direct-detection radiometric imaging array (2002)

We report a first W-band 1/spl times/4 direct detection radiometric imaging array based on MMIC technology. The imaging array was integrated with a W-band radiometric imaging system. Field image taken by the 1/spl times/4 imaging array in stepping push-broom mode shows excellent results. Successful demonstration of the 1/spl times/4 W-band radiometric imaging array indicates not only the maturity of MMW MMIC technology but also the feasibility of larger linear or two-dimensional radiometric imaging array based on the simple MMIC direct-detection approach.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">></ETX>
High Step up Dc-Dc Converter ForDistributed Power Generation (2014)

This paper presents, a high voltage gain DC-DC converter for distributed generation (DG) systems with MPPT controller. A high step-up ratio and clamp- mode converter are proposed to achieve high voltage gain and high efficiency. This can be obtained by using two capacitors and one coupled inductor. During the switch-off period, the capacitors are charged in parallel and during the switch-on period they are discharged in series by the energy stored in the coupled inductor. A passive clamp circuit is used to recycle the leakage inductor energy of the coupled inductor, thus voltage stress on the main switch is reduced. The control method for the circuit is implemented using a MPPT controller which tracks the maximum power of the sources. The converter is suitable for high power applications because of the reduced conduction loss and low input current ripple. The operating principle and MATLAB simulations are discussed in detail.
Mobility support in wireless Internet (2003)

The tremendous advancement and popularity of wireless access technologies necessitates the convergence of multimedia (audio, video, and text) services on a unified global (seamless) network infrastructure. Circuit-switched proprietary telecommunication networks are evolving toward more cost-effective and uniform packet-switched networks such as those based on IP. However, one of the key challenges for the deployment of such wireless Internet infrastructure is to efficiently manage user mobility. To provide seamless services to mobile users, several protocols have been proposed over the years targeting different layers in the network protocol stack. In this article we present a cross-layer perspective on the mobility protocols by identifying the key features of their design principles and performance issues. An analysis of the signaling overhead and handoff delay for some representative protocols in each layer is also presented. Our conclusion is that although the application layer protocol is worse than the protocols operating in the lower layers, in terms of handoff delay and signaling overhead, it is better suited as a potential mobility solution for the next-generation heterogeneous networks, if we consider such factors as protocol stack modification, infrastructure change, and inherent operational complexity.
Handbook of Evolutionary Computation (1997)

From the Publisher:
Many scientists and engineers now use the paradigms of evolutionary computation (genetic agorithms, evolution strategies, evolutionary programming, genetic programming, classifier systems, and combinations or hybrids thereof) to tackle problems that are either intractable or unrealistically time consuming to solve through traditional computational strategies. Recently there have been vigorous initiatives to promote cross-fertilization between the EC paradigms, and also to combine these paradigms with other approaches such as neural networks to create hybrid systems with enhanced capabilities. To address the need for speedy dissemination of new ideas in these fields, and also to assist in cross-disciplinary communications and understanding, Oxford University Press and the Institute of Physics have joined forces to create a major reference publication devoted to EC fundamentals, models, algorithms and applications. This work is intended to become the standard reference resource for the evolutionary computation community. The Handbook of Evolutionary Computation will be available in loose-leaf print form, as well as in an electronic version that combines both CD-ROM and on-line (World Wide Web) acess to its contents. Regularly published supplements will be available on a subscription basis.
Hypertrophic burn scars: analysis of variables. (1983)

A major problem in patients surviving thermal injury is the development of hypertrophic burn scars. The current study was performed to determine the factors associated with an increased risk of the development of hypertrophic burn scars. Fifty-nine children (mean age, 3 years; mean TBSA, 14%) and 41 adults (mean age, 37; mean TBSA, 21%) followed from 9 to 18 months formed the study group. The location as well as time required for the burns to heal were recorded in addition to the age and race of the patients. Sixty-three (26%) of the 245 burn areas, in these 100 patients, became hypertrophic. No correlation between patient age and the development of wound problems was found. Blacks had more wound problems than others, if the burn wound took longer than 10 to 14 days to heal. The most important indicator of whether wound problems would occur, in our series, was the time required for the burn to heal. If the burn wound healed between 14 and 21 days then one third of the anatomic sites became hypertrophic; if the burn wound healed after 21 days then 78% of the burn sites developed hypertrophic scars. Based upon these results we have developed a selective, individualized protocol for the use of prophylactic pressure therapy in patients with spontaneously healing burn wounds.
Surface‐enhanced laser desorption/ionization‐time of flight‐mass spectrometry (SELDI‐TOF‐MS): A new proteomic urinary test for patients with urolithiasis (2004)

SELDI-TOF-MS is a highly sensitive protein-analysis tool capable of detecting minute protein profile differences between biological samples. As proteins have been associated with urinary tract calculi, protein-based urinalysis may offer insights into their diagnosis. The purpose of this study was to evaluate SELDI-TOF-MS as a potential method for identifying urinary biomarkers of urolithiasis. Midstream sterile urine samples were obtained from 25 male patients with a confirmed diagnosis of urolithiasis (test group) and 25 male subjects with no known history of the disease (controls). Urinary levels of oxalate, total protein, albumin, and osteopontin were determined. Protein profiles were generated using SELDI-TOF-MS.SELDI-TOF-MS profiling revealed a relationship between protein peak intensities at 67 and 24 kDa that differed between the two groups. The ratio of p67:p24 was found to be less than 1.0 in all of the control samples (mean 0.26), while 18 out of 25 (72%) of the test group samples displayed a ratio greater than 1.0 (total group mean 4.75, P<0.001). Albumin, total protein, and oxalate levels were higher in the test group than the controls. Although SELDI-TOF-MS is not yet in widespread use in hospital and diagnostic laboratories, this system represents a promising new method for rapidly identifying patients with urolithiasis.
Benefits and Challenges of Variable Compression Ratio (VCR) (2003)

<div class="htmlview paragraph">Potential benefits of Variable Compression Ratio (VCR) spark ignition engines are presented, based on an examination of the relationship between Compression Ratio, BMEP and spark advance at light load and full load. Alternative methods of implementing VCR are illustrated and critically examined. System control strategies are presented. Potential manufacturing constraints are identified and their influence on system configuration is examined. Fuel economy benefits attainable from other technologies such as cylinder deactivation, camless valve operation and GDI are shown to be inferior to the use of downsized boosted engines. VCR is identified as the key enabling technology of such downsized engines.</div>
Regulation of IgE antibody production by serum molecules. V. Evidence that coincidental sensitization and imbalance in the normal damping mechanism results in "allergic breakthrough". (1979)

Experiments presented in this paper were designed to test a new concept concerning the possible pathogenesis of the allergic phenotype. This concept, termed "allergic breakthrough" considers that one of the avenues toward the allergic phenotype involves coincidental sensitization combined with an imbalance in the normal damping mechanism that serves to limit IgE antibody production. The three predictions of this concept that can be tested experimentally are: 1) manipulations that are effective in heightening or re-establishing the damping mechanism should manifest persistence insofar as IgE antibody synthesis to the relevant allergen is concerned; 2) once allergic breakthrough has occurred, the height of production of IgE antibodies specific for the sensitizing agent should remain elevated at levels characteristic of the allergic phenotype, even after the threshold of damping activity has returned to a normal level; and 3) allergic breakthrough should display specificity in that breakthrough would occur in response to subsequent exposure to the specific antigen to which coincidental sensitization initially occurred, but not for other unrelated antigens. The studies presented herein confirm each one of these predictions, thereby providing substantial support for the validity of this concept as one possible distinguishing feature between individuals manifesting the nonallergic and allergic phenotypes, respectively.
THE EFFECT OF RAPAMYCIN ON KIDNEY FUNCTION IN THE SPRAGUE-DAWLEY RAT (1992)

The effects of rapamycin (RAPA) on kidney function and histology were investigated in the Sprague-Dawley rat and compared with cyclosporine. Drugs were administered orally in a Cremophor-ethanol formulation for 14 days in two separate studies. RAPA, at 1 mg/kg, had no effect either functionally or histologically on the kidney. At 10 mg/kg, RAPA depressed the gain in body weight by 20% in the rat but had only minor functional disturbances on urine output, plasma creatinine, and creatinine clearance in the kidney. It did not induce any histomorphologic abnormalities. CsA, at 25 mg/kg, produced functional alterations in the kidney including elevated plasma creatinine and depressed clearance of creatinine as well as depressed body weight gain (17%). Histologically, CsA induced proximal tubule damage. These results demonstrate that RAPA (10 mg/kg) does not produce nephrotoxicity in the Sprague-Dawley rat at doses three times higher than its effective immunosuppressive doses established in the rat.
High-level area estimation (2002)

Early power estimation requires one to estimate the area (gate count) of a design from a high-level description. We propose a method to do this that makes use of the concept of Boolean networks (BN) and introduces an invariant area complexity measure which captures the gate-count requirement of a design. The method can be adapted to be used at different points on the area/delay tradeoff curve, with different synthesizer/mapper tools, and different target gate libraries. The area model is experimentally verified and tested using a number of ISCAS and MCNC benchmark circuits and two different target cell libraries, on two different synthesis systems.
S100A8 Contributes to Drug Resistance by Promoting Autophagy in Leukemia Cells (2014)

Autophagy is a double-edged sword in tumorigenesis and plays an important role in the resistance of cancer cells to chemotherapy. S100A8 is a member of the S100 calcium-binding protein family and plays an important role in the drug resistance of leukemia cells, with the mechanisms largely unknown. Here we report that S100A8 contributes to drug resistance in leukemia by promoting autophagy. S100A8 level was elevated in drug resistance leukemia cell lines relative to the nondrug resistant cell lines. Adriamycin and vincristine increased S100A8 in human leukemia cells, accompanied with upregulation of autophagy. RNA interference-mediated knockdown of S100A8 restored the chemosensitivity of leukemia cells, while overexpression of S100A8 enhanced drug resistance and increased autophagy. S100A8 physically interacted with the autophagy regulator BECN1 and was required for the formation of the BECN1-PI3KC3 complex. In addition, interaction between S100A8 and BECN1 relied upon the autophagic complex ULK1-mAtg13. Furthermore, we discovered that exogenous S100A8 induced autophagy, and RAGE was involved in exogenous S100A8-regulated autophagy. Our data demonstrated that S100A8 is involved in the development of chemoresistance in leukemia cells by regulating autophagy, and suggest that S100A8 may be a novel target for improving leukemia therapy.
New Susceptibility Locus for NIDDM Is Localized to Human Chromosome 20q (1997)

To test the hypothesis that a gene (or genes) in the "MODY1 region" of the long arm of chromosome 20 contributes to the development of NIDDM, we conducted linkage studies in 29 extended Caucasian families in which many members were affected with NIDDM. A total of 498 individuals, including 159 NIDDM patients with an average age at diagnosis of 47 years, were genotyped for eight highly polymorphic microsatellite markers spanning a 31-cM region on chromosome 20q12-13.1. Using affected sib-pair analysis, we obtained evidence suggesting linkage between NIDDM and markers D20S119, D20S178, and D20S197 (allele sharing identical-by-descent [IBD], 0.56 for all three; P = 0.005, P = 0.009, and P = 0.004, respectively). Multipoint nonparametric linkage (NPL) analysis also showed evidence for linkage of NIDDM with the same three markers. The evidence for linkage was much stronger (allele sharing IBD by affected sibpairs, 0.64 [P < 0.0001]; maximum NPL score, 3.3 [P = 0.009]) in the 14 families whose average age at diagnosis of NIDDM was above the median (47 years) for all families. In these 14 families, one particular allele of the microsatellite D20S197 was transmitted from heterozygous parents to NIDDM offspring more frequently than expected (P < 0.01). This indicates that the marker allele and the disease allele are in linkage disequilibrium, implying that they are in close proximity. Consequently, the recently identified MODY1 gene (hepatocyte nuclear factor 4) is an unlikely candidate gene for NIDDM in our families, since it is located about 8 cM centromeric of D20S197. In conclusion, we have identified a new region on chromosome 20q that contains one or more NIDDM genes distinct from the recently identified MODY1 gene.
Ascites in Cirrhosis: A Medical or Surgical Problem? (1990)

Fifty–seven cirrhotic patients with intractable ascites had a portosystemic shunt. In 35 patients, a peritoneovenous shunt had previously failed. Forty–six patients were in Pugh's class B and 11 were in class C. There were three operative deaths (5.3%). Fifty–three (98.2%) of the 54 survivors were cleared of ascites. In one patient, ascites persisted because of postshunt heart failure that resulted in a marked increase of caval pressure. Twenty–seven patients (50%) had late encephalopathy, which was severe and disabling in 12 (22%). One–and three–year survival rates were 72% and 36%, respectively. These results suggest that although portosystemic shunts are remarkably effective in dealing with ascites, the high rate of postoperative encephalopathy is a strong argument against their routine use in the management of intractable ascites in cirrhosis.
On finding disjoint paths in single and dual link cost networks (2004)

Finding a disjoint path pair is an important component in survivable networks. Since the traffic is carried on the active (working) path most of the time, it is useful to find a disjoint path pair such that the length of the shorter path (to be used as the active path) is minimized. In this paper, we first address such a minmin problem. We prove that this problem is NP-complete in either single link cost (e.g. dedicated backup bandwidth) or dual link cost (e.g. shared backup bandwidth) networks. In addition, it is NP-hard to obtain a k-approximation to the optimal solution for any k>1. Our proof is extended to another open question regarding the computational complexity of a restricted version of the min-sum problem in an undirected network with ordered dual cost links (called MSOD problem). To solve the minmin problem efficiently, we introduce a novel concept called conflicting link set which provides insights into the so-called trap problem, and develop a divide-and-conquer strategy. The result is an effective heuristic for the minmin problem called COLE, which can outperform other approaches in terms of both the optimality and running time. We also apply COLE to the MSOD problem to efficiently provide shared path protection and conduct comprehensive performance evaluation as well as comparison of various schemes for shared path protection. We show that COLE not only processes connection requests much faster than existing ILP based approaches but also achieves a good balance among the AP length, bandwidth efficiency and recovery time.
Virus validation studies of immunoglobulin preparations. (1996)

The results of our validation studies demonstrated that in addition to Cohn fractionation and immune neutralization, the two additional steps of solvent/detergent treatment and pH 4 exposure, mainly contribute to the safety of OCTAGAM with respect to both enveloped and non-enveloped viruses.
Rationally-engineered reproductive barriers using CRISPR & CRISPRa: an evaluation of the synthetic species concept in Drosophila melanogaster (2018)

The ability to erect rationally-engineered reproductive barriers in animal or plant species promises to enable a number of biotechnological applications such as the creation of genetic firewalls, the containment of gene drives or novel population replacement and suppression strategies for genetic control. However, to date no experimental data exist that explores this concept in a multicellular organism. Here we examine the requirements for building artificial reproductive barriers in the metazoan model Drosophila melanogaster by combining CRISPR-based genome editing and transcriptional transactivation (CRISPRa) of the same loci. We directed 13 single guide RNAs (sgRNAs) to the promoters of 7 evolutionary conserved genes and used 11 drivers to conduct a misactivation screen. We identify dominant-lethal activators of the eve locus and find that they disrupt development by strongly activating eve outside its native spatio-temporal context. We employ the same set of sgRNAs to isolate, by genome editing, protective INDELs that render these loci resistant to transactivation without interfering with target gene function. When these sets of genetic components are combined we find that complete synthetic lethality, a prerequisite for most applications, is achievable using this approach. However, our results suggest a steep trade-off between the level and scope of dCas9 expression, the degree of genetic isolation achievable and the resulting impact on fly fitness. The genetic engineering strategy we present here allows the creation of single or multiple reproductive barriers and could be applied to other multicellular organisms such as disease vectors or transgenic organisms of economic importance.
Tips, Stalks, Tubes: Notch-Mediated Cell Fate Determination and Mechanisms of Tubulogenesis during Angiogenesis (2011)

Angiogenesis is the process of developing vascular sprouts from existing blood vessels. Luminal endothelial cells convert into "tip" cells that contribute to the development of a multicellular stalk, which then undergoes lumen formation. In this review, we consider a variety of cellular and molecular pathways that mediate these transitions. We focus first on Notch signaling in cell fate determination as a mechanism to define tip and stalk cells. We next discuss the current models of lumen formation and describe new players in this process, such as chloride intracellular channel proteins. Finally, we consider the possible medical therapeutic benefits of understanding these processes and acknowledge potential obstacles in drug development.
A magic wand for the community dental office? Observations from the British Columbia Oral Cancer Prevention Program. (2007)

ral cancer is a deadly disease. It is often diagnosed late with considerable spread, resulting in a high mortality rate and treatment-associated morbidity. New devices entering the market have stimulated a re-newed interest in oral cancer screening among dental professionals. The British Columbia Oral Cancer Prevention Program (BC OCPP) is actively involved in research related to a variety of emerging technologies, including the intraoral application of devices aimed at improving visualization of oral mucosal ab-normalities based on a better understanding of the molecular and pathological alterations associated with premalignancy and cancer.One of these technologies, direct fluores-cence visualization (FV), has a long history of use in the detection of cancerous and pre-cancerous tissue at several sites, including the lung, cervix and skin.
Experimental Investigation of Partial Laser Surface Texturing for Piston-Ring Friction Reduction (2005)

An experimental study is presented to evaluate the effect of partial laser surface texturing (LST) on friction reduction in piston rings. In a previous study, 30% friction reduction was obtained with full LST where the full width of the piston ring is textured with a very large number of microdimples that act individually as microhydrodynamic bearings. In partial LST, only a portion of the piston-ring width is textured with high dimple density, producing a “collective” effect of the dimples that provides an equivalent converging clearance even with nominally parallel mating surfaces. Experimental results obtained with flat and parallel test specimens with partial LST are presented, confirming a previously published theoretical model and the advantage of partial over full LST. Friction reduction by LST with actual production-crowned piston rings and cylinder liner segments is not straightforward and needs further investigation.