gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Quaternion Structural Similarity: A New Quality Index for Color Images (2011)

One of the most important issues for researchers developing image processing algorithms is image quality. Methodical quality evaluation, by showing images to several human observers, is slow, expensive, and highly subjective. On the other hand, a visual quality matrix (VQM) is a fast, cheap, and objective tool for evaluating image quality. Although most VQMs are good in predicting the quality of an image degraded by a single degradation, they poorly perform for a combination of two degradations. An example for such degradation is the color crosstalk (CTK) effect, which introduces blur with desaturation. CTK is expected to become a bigger issue in image quality as the industry moves toward smaller sensors. In this paper, we will develop a VQM that will be able to better evaluate the quality of an image degraded by a combined blur/desaturation degradation and perform as well as other VQMs on single degradations such as blur, compression, and noise. We show why standard scalar techniques are insufficient to measure a combined blur/desaturation degradation and explain why a vectorial approach is better suited. We introduce quaternion image processing (QIP), which is a true vectorial approach and has many uses in the fields of physics and engineering. Our new VQM is a vectorial expansion of structure similarity using QIP, which gave it its name-Quaternion Structural SIMilarity (QSSIM). We built a new database of a combined blur/desaturation degradation and conducted a quality survey with human subjects. An extensive comparison between QSSIM and other VQMs on several image quality databases-including our new database-shows the superiority of this new approach in predicting visual quality of color images.
Screwworms in Man in Missouri (1941)

Screwworms in Man in Missouri Get access George D. Jones George D. Jones Extension Entomologist, University of Missouri. Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic PubMed Google Scholar Journal of Economic Entomology, Volume 34, Issue 2, 1 April 1941, Page 320, https://doi.org/10.1093/jee/34.2.320a Published: 01 April 1941
The Synthesis of a c(RGDyK) Targeted SN38 Prodrug with an Indolequinone Structure for Bioreductive Drug Release (2010)

Preparation of a novel c(RGDyK) targeted SN38 prodrug incorporating an indolequinone structure for bioreductively triggered drug release is described. This design yields a prodrug that targets surface molecules on tumor cells (alpha(v)beta(3) integrins) and releases drug under bioreductive conditions. There are three moieties in the prodrug design, namely a therapeutic drug SN38, an indolequinone structure serving as a drug releasing trigger, and an alpha(v)beta(3) integrin targeting peptide c(RGDyK). Preliminary studies showed that SN38 is released in the presence of a bioreductive enzyme (DT-diaphorase).
Design of a novel planar LHM with broadband and double negative medium (2007)

We design the unit cell of the planar LHM which has broad bandwidth. The relative bandwidth of the LHM proposed in here is 36.5%, and the slab filled with a FR4 dielectric substrate. Then the geometry of the unit cell is not only cheaper fabrication but also lower loss. Moreover, the central frequency of the LHM can be tuned through changing the CSRR period along Z direction while keeping the relative bandwidth. The DNG property is shown by the simultaneously negative effective permittivity and effective permeability extracted from the transmission and reflection data of LHM slab, and it is confirmed by the equivalent method which is described in detail in this paper.
Regenerating corticospinal fibers in the Marmoset (<i>Callitrix jacchus</i>) after spinal cord lesion and treatment with the anti‐Nogo‐A antibody IN‐1 (2004)

Neutralizing the myelin-associated growth inhibitor Nogo-A in adult spinal cord-injured rats can promote regeneration of injured and compensatory sprouting of uninjured axons. Nogo-A is present in humans, making its neutralization a possible novel treatment option for paraplegic patients. In this study we examined the effects of an extensively used anti-Nogo-A antibody (mAb IN-1) on the regenerative capabilities of lesioned corticospinal tract (CST) axons in a primate, the Marmoset monkey. Unilateral thoracic lesions of the CST were performed in six adult Marmosets, followed by the application of mAb IN-1 into the cerebrospinal fluid circulation by a graft of hybridoma cells. A unilateral injection of biotin dextran amine into the motor cortex was performed to analyse sprouting and regeneration of the lesioned axons. In the control antibody-treated animal CST fibers stopped rostral to the lesion site and often showed retraction bulbs. In contrast, in four out of five mAb IN-1-treated animals fine labeled neurites had grown into, through and around the lesion site. Thus, this study provides first anatomical evidence that in primates, the neutralization of the myelin-associated inhibitor Nogo-A results in increased regenerative sprouting and growth of lesioned spinal cord axons.
Mesenchymal Cell Interaction with Ovarian Cancer Cells Triggers Pro-Metastatic Properties (2012)

Tumor microenvironment is an important actor of ovarian cancer progression but the relations between mesenchymal cells and ovarian cancer cells remain unclear. The objective of this study was to determine the ovarian cancer cells' biological modifications induced by mesenchymal cells. To address this issue, we used two different ovarian cancer cell lines (NIH:OVCAR3 and SKOV3) and co-cultured them with mesenchymal cells. Upon co-culture the different cell populations were sorted to study their transcriptome and biological properties. Transcriptomic analysis revealed three biological-function gene clusters were enriched upon contact with mesenchymal cells. These were related to the increase of metastatic abilities (adhesion, migration and invasion), proliferation and chemoresistance in vitro. Therefore, contact with the mesenchymal cell niche could increase metastatic initiation and expansion through modification of cancer cells. Taken together these findings suggest that pathways involved in hetero-cellular interaction may be targeted to disrupt the acquired pro-metastatic profile.
Photodynamic Therapy induced Cell Death using ALA and 632nm Diode Laser in A549 Lung Cancer Cells (2004)

Background Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a new therapeutic method aimed at the selective destruction of cancer cells. The outcome is death of cancer cells through apoptosis or necrosis. The aim of this study was to investigate the characterization of PDT induced cell death in A549 lung cancer cells. Materials and Methods A549 cells were used as the lung cancer cell. 5 aminolevulinic acid (ALA) was used as the photosensitizer and a 632nm diode laser (Biolitec, Germany) as the light source. Cells were incubated with various concentrations of ALA. The 632nm diode laser was then administered for various laser irradiation times. The treated cells were incubated with 24, 48 and 72 hours. The cell viabilities were measured using the crystal violet assay and light microscopy. To observe the cell death mechanism after PDT, cells were observed under fluorescence microscopy after double staining with Hoechst 33342 and propium iodide after PDT. Results In the crystal violet assay at 24 hours after PDT with a 3.2 J/cm2 laser irradiation power, the cell viabilities were 89.56 ± 4.11, 87.67 ± 5.48, and 69.37 ± 8.84 with ALA concentrations of 10, 100, and 1 mg/ml, respectively. In crystal violet assay at 24 hours after PDT with 1mg/ml of ALA, the cell viabilities were 74 ± 19.85, 55 ± 6.1, and 49.06 ± 16.64% with 1.6, 3.2 and 6.4 J/cm2 laser irradiation powers, respectively. However, increasing the interval time after PDT did not change the cell viabilities. In the apoptosis assay, photodynamic therapy was inducing the apoptotic cell death. Conclusions This study shows the apoptotic anticancer effect of photodynamic therapy in A549 lung cancer cells. However, further evaluations with other cancer cells and photosensitizers are necessary.
MIF Is Necessary for Late-Stage Melanoma Patient MDSC Immune Suppression and Differentiation (2015)

Highly aggressive cancers "entrain" innate and adaptive immune cells to suppress antitumor lymphocyte responses. Circulating myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) constitute the bulk of monocytic immunosuppressive activity in late-stage melanoma patients. Previous studies revealed that monocyte-derived macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is necessary for the immunosuppressive function of tumor-associated macrophages and MDSCs in mouse models of melanoma. In the current study, we sought to determine whether MIF contributes to human melanoma MDSC induction and T-cell immunosuppression using melanoma patient-derived MDSCs and an ex vivo coculture model of human melanoma-induced MDSC. We now report that circulating MDSCs isolated from late-stage melanoma patients are reliant upon MIF for suppression of antigen-independent T-cell activation and that MIF is necessary for maximal reactive oxygen species generation in these cells. Moreover, inhibition of MIF results in a functional reversion from immunosuppressive MDSC to an immunostimulatory dendritic cell (DC)-like phenotype that is at least partly due to reductions in MDSC prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)). These findings indicate that monocyte-derived MIF is centrally involved in human monocytic MDSC induction/immunosuppressive function and that therapeutic targeting of MIF may provide a novel means of inducing antitumor DC responses in late-stage melanoma patients.
Towards a Data Semantics Management System for Internet Traffic (2014)

Although current Internet operations generate voluminous data, they remain largely oblivious of traffic data semantics. This poses many inefficiencies and challenges due to emergent or anomalous behavior impacting the vast array of Internet elements such as services and protocols. In this paper, we propose a Data Semantics Management System (DSMS) for learning Internet traffic data semantics to enable smarter semantics- driven networking operations. We extract networking semantics and build and utilize a dynamic ontology of network concepts to better recognize and act upon emergent or abnormal behavior. Our DSMS utilizes: (1) Latent Dirichlet Allocation algorithm (LDA) for latent features extraction and semantics reasoning; (2) big tables as a cloud-like data storage technique to maintain large-scale data; and (3) Locality Sensitive Hashing algorithm (LSH) for reducing data dimensionality. Our preliminary evaluation using real Internet traffic shows the efficacy of DSMS for learning behavior of normal and abnormal traffic data and for accurately detecting anomalies at low cost.
Efek Diuretik dan Daya Larut Batu Ginjal Dari Ekstrak Daun Mangkokan (Nothopanax scutellarium. Merr) (2010)

Research on the effects of diuretics and solubility of kidney stones of Mangkokan leaf (Nothopanax scutellarium Merr.) extract has been done. Testing the solubility of kidney stones performed on 4 groups of test animals, namely the control group (without extract), The treatment dose groups of 0.5%, 1%, and 2%. Level of kidney stones are dissolved in the control group, 0.5%, 1% and 2% are 0.00521%, 0.01232%, 0.02433% and 0.05669% respectively. These result indicate a difference in dissolving kidney stones. Diuretic effect tested on 15 white male rats were divided into 5 groups of tests, one positive control group (furosemide), 1 negative control group (tween 80 1%), 3 treatment groups (doses of 125; 250 and 500 mg/kg BW). The result showed that all of three doses of extract have diuretic effect.
Time optimal, parameters-insensitive digital controller for DC-DC buck converters (2008)

In this paper a digital control approach is investigated for time-optimal load step response of DC-DC synchronous buck converters intended for point-of-load applications employing low-ESR ceramic output capacitors. Unlike previously reported approaches, the proposed technique is insensitive to the power stage parameters, as its operation does not rely on the knowledge of the output filter inductance or capacitance. The time-optimal response is achieved through a single on/off switching action undertaken as soon as a load transient is detected. An asynchronous A/D converter has been employed, realized in a standard 0.35 mum CMOS process. The A/D converter quantizes the output voltage and triggers a nonlinear, event-based digital controller whenever a quantization level transition is detected. Time-optimal response is based solely on output voltage measurements and on the knowledge of the steady-state duty cycle, a number easily available within the digital controller. Effectiveness and properties of the proposed robust time-optimal approach are validated through both computer simulations and experimental tests on a synchronous buck converter prototype and a VHDL implementation of the control algorithm on an FPGA device.
Conservative Change to the Phosphate Moiety of Cyclic Diguanylic Monophosphate Remarkably Affects Its Polymorphism and Ability To Bind DGC, PDE, and PilZ Proteins (2011)

The cyclic dinucleotide c-di-GMP is a master regulator of bacterial virulence and biofilm formation. The activations of c-di-GMP metabolism proteins, diguanylate cyclases (DGCs) and phosophodiesterases (PDEs), usually lead to diametrically opposite phenotypes in bacteria. Analogues of c-di-GMP, which can selectively modulate the activities of c-di-GMP processing proteins, will be useful chemical tools for studying and altering bacterial behavior. Herein we report that a conservative modification of one of the phosphate groups in c-di-GMP with a bridging sulfur in the phosphodiester linkage affords an analogue called endo-S-c-di-GMP. Computational, NMR (including DOSY), and CD experiments all reveal that, unlike c-di-GMP, endo-S-c-di-GMP does not readily form higher aggregates. The lower propensity of endo-S-c-di-GMP to form aggregates (as compared to that of c-di-GMP) is probably due to a higher activation barrier to convert from the "open" conformer (where the two guanines are on opposite faces) to the "closed" conformer (where the two guanines are on the same face). Consequently, endo-S-c-di-GMP has selectivity for proteins that bind monomeric but not dimeric c-di-GMP, which form from the "closed" conformer. For example, endo-S-c-di-GMP can inhibit the hydrolysis of c-di-GMP by RocR (a PDE enzyme that binds monomeric c-di-GMP) but did not bind to Alg44 (a PilZ protein) or regulate WspR (a DGC enzyme that has been shown to bind to dimeric c-di-GMP). This work demonstrates that selective binding to different classes of c-di-GMP binding proteins could be achieved by altering analogue conformer populations (conformational steering). We provide important design principles for the preparation of selective PDE inhibitors and reveal the role played by the c-di-GMP backbone in c-di-GMP polymorphism and binding to processing proteins.
GaN Epilayer Grown on Ga2O3 Sacrificial Layer for Chemical Lift-Off Application (2011)

GaN-on-sapphire structure with a Ga2O3 sacrificial layer was employed for the chemical lift-off process application. The (01) β-oriented Ga2O3 thin film was first deposited on the c-plane sapphire substrate using pulsed laser deposition, followed by the GaN growth via metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy under N2 and H2 environment in sequence. From the transmission-electron-microscopy observation, the orientation relationship between GaN and β-Ga2O3 was identified as GaN[110]∥Ga2O3[010]. A GaN epilayer with an electroplated copper substrate was demonstrated using a chemical lift-off process where the Ga2O3 sacrificial layer can be laterally etched out with a hydrofluoric solution.
Complement and cytokine response in acute <scp>T</scp>hrombotic <scp>T</scp>hrombocytopenic <scp>P</scp>urpura (2013)

Complement dysregulation is key in the pathogenesis of atypical Haemolytic Uraemic Syndrome (aHUS), but no clear role for complement has been identified in Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (TTP). We aimed to assess complement activation and cytokine response in acute antibody-mediated TTP. Complement C3a and C5a and cytokines (interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, tumour necrosis factor, interferon-γ and IL-17a) were measured in 20 acute TTP patients and 49 remission cases. Anti-ADAMTS13 immunoglobulin G (IgG) subtypes were measured in acute patients in order to study the association with complement activation. In acute TTP, median C3a and C5a were significantly elevated compared to remission, C3a 63·9 ng/ml vs. 38·2 ng/ml (P < 0·001) and C5a 16·4 ng/ml vs. 9·29 ng/ml (P < 0·001), respectively. Median IL-6 and IL-10 levels were significantly higher in the acute vs. remission groups, IL-6: 8 pg/ml vs. 2 pg/ml (P = 0·003), IL-10: 6 pg/ml vs. 2 pg/ml (P < 0·001). C3a levels correlated with both anti-ADAMTS13 IgG (rs = 0·604, P = 0·017) and IL-10 (rs = 0·692, P = 0·006). No anti-ADAMTS13 IgG subtype was associated with higher complement activation, but patients with the highest C3a levels had 3 or 4 IgG subtypes present. These results suggest complement anaphylatoxin levels are higher in acute TTP cases than in remission, and the complement response seen acutely may relate to anti-ADAMTS13 IgG antibody and IL-10 levels.
Expression of basal cell keratin 15 and keratin 19 in oral squamous neoplasms represents diverse pathophysiologies. (2012)

Human epithelium contains keratin, which is expressed during differentiation. Depending on the target cell type, different types of keratin are expressed, and their alterations seem to represent changes in cell properties. The basal cells of oral epithelium express keratin 5 (K5), K14, K15 and K19, but their alterations in tumors are unclear. To address this issue and to seek possible diagnostic application, we examined the expression of these keratins in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and squamous intraepithelial neoplasm (SIN). cDNA microarray analysis of 43 OSCC revealed slight upregulation of KRT14, downregulation of KRT15 and KRT19, and unaltered KRT5 expression. There were great variations in KRT15 and KRT19 expression across each cancer. Well-differentiated OSCC tended to express more KRT15 and less KRT19 compared to moderately- or poorly-differentiated OSCC. KRT15 was positively correlated with differentiation-related keratin, KRT13. These observations were further investigated by immunohistochemical examination. K5 and K14 were ubiquitously expressed in all 50 OSCC and 50 SIN examined. K15 and K19 were generally downregulated, but were considerably retained in about half of the cases and showed diverse expression patterns. K15-positive cancers tended to show a well-differentiated phenotype, and K19-positive cancers tended to show more invasive tumor fronts. Most K19-positive cancers appeared to develop with little associating SIN. K19 was consistently downregulated in SIN, while K15 was downregulated mainly in high grade SIN. In summary, K15 and K19, unlike K5 or K14, are expressed variably in both SIN and OSCC, which reflects the differences in their pathogenesis and biological behaviors, suggesting their prospective applications as markers for subclassifying OSCC and SIN.
Endothelin-1 Promotes Ca <sup>2+</sup> Antagonist-Insensitive Coronary Smooth Muscle Contraction Via Activation of ε-Protein Kinase C (2004)

Certain forms of coronary artery disease do not respond to treatment with Ca2+ channel blockers, and a role for endothelin-1 (ET-1) in Ca2+ antagonist-insensitive forms of coronary vasospasm has been suggested; however, the signaling mechanisms involved are unclear. We tested the hypothesis that a component of ET-1-induced coronary smooth muscle contraction is Ca2+ antagonist-insensitive and involves activation of protein kinase C (PKC). Cell contraction was measured in smooth muscle cells isolated from porcine coronary artery, [Ca2+]i was measured in fura-2 loaded cells, and the cytosolic and particulate fractions were examined for PKC activity and reactivity with isoform-specific PKC antibodies using Western blot analysis. In Hank's solution (1 mmol/L Ca2+), ET-1 (10(-7) mol/L) caused a transient increase in [Ca2+]i (236+/-14 nmol/L) followed by a maintained increase in [Ca2+]i (184+/-8 nmol/L) and 35% cell contraction. The Ca2+ channel blockers verapamil and diltiazem (10(-6) mol/L) abolished the maintained ET-1-induced [Ca2+]i, but only partially inhibited ET-1-induced cell contraction to 18%. The verapamil-insensitive component of ET-1 contraction was inhibited by the PKC inhibitors calphostin C and epsilon-PKCV1-2. ET-1 caused translocation of Ca2+-dependent alpha-PKC and Ca2+-independent epsilon-PKC from the cytosolic to the particulate fraction that was inhibited by calphostin C. Verapamil abolished ET-1-induced translocation of alpha-PKC, but not that of epsilon-PKC. Phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (10(-6) mol/L), a direct activator of PKC, caused 22% cell contraction, with no increase in [Ca2+]i, and translocation of epsilon-PKC that was inhibited by calphostin C, but not by verapamil. KCl (51 mmol/L), which stimulates Ca2+ influx, caused 35% cell contraction and increase in [Ca2+]i (291+/-11 nmol/L) that were inhibited by verapamil, but not by calphostin C, and did not cause translocation of alpha- or epsilon-PKC. In Ca2+-free (2 mmol/L EGTA) Hank's solution, ET-1 caused 15% cell contraction, with no increase in [Ca2+]i, and translocation of epsilon-PKC that were inhibited by epsilon-PKC V1-2 inhibitory peptide. Thus, a significant component of ET-1-induced contraction of coronary smooth muscle is Ca2+ antagonist-insensitive and involves activation and translocation of Ca2+-independent epsilon-PKC, and may represent a signaling mechanism of Ca2+ antagonist-resistant forms of coronary vasospasm.
New terpolymers as hydrogels for oral protein delivery application (2008)

The purpose of this study is to develop novel intestinal-specific insulin delivery systems with pH-sensitive swelling and drug release properties. The glucose-6-acrylate-1,2,3,4-tetraacetate (GATA) monomer was prepared under mild conditions. Cubane-1,4-dicarboxylic acid linked to two 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate groups was the crosslinking agent (CA). Methacrylic-type polymeric prodrugs were synthesized by free-radical copolymerization of methacrylic acid (MAA), poly(ethylene glycol)monomethyl ether methacrylate, and GATA in the presence of cubane as a crosslinking agent. The composition of the crosslinked three-dimensional polymers was determined by FTIR spectroscopy. Equilibrium swelling studies were carried out in enzyme-free simulated gastric and intestinal fluids (SGF and SIF, respectively). Insulin was entrapped in these gels and the in vitro release profiles were established separately in both SGF (pH 1) and SIF (pH 7.4). Drug release studies showed that the increasing content of MAA in the copolymer enhances hydrolysis in SIF. In these cases, the biological activity of insulin was retained. These results were used to design and improve protein release behavior from these carriers.