gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Real-time compounding of three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiographic volumes: The phantom study (2009)

3D ultrasound has attracted considerable interest in recent years as a low cost, mobile and real-time imaging modality for interventional cardiac applications. However, the low image quality and small field of view have been two major barriers preventing 3D ultrasound from being widely accepted as a solution to the guidance of cardiac interventions. By using the 3D transesophageal echographic (TEE) probe, it is possible to acquire images with better quality compared to the images acquired from traditional transthoracic probe (TTE). However, the 3D TEE volume has even smaller field of view and is insufficient to cover the whole geometry of the heart. Previously, we have developed a technique to compound 3D TTE volumes in real-time. In this study, we extend this technique to compound 3D TEE volumes by using an electromagnetic tracking system. In this pilot study, two different types of phantoms were used to evaluate our technique. The results suggest our method is accurate and efficient. The compounding error is approximately 2.5mm.
Long-term Effects of Cognitive Training on Everyday Functional Outcomes in Older Adults (2006)

clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00298558.
Turbidimetry of rheumatoid factor in serum with a centrifugal analyzer. (1986)

We describe the simple, rapid turbidimetry of IgM rheumatoid factor in human serum by use of the Cobas-Bio centrifugal analyzer. Heat-aggregated human IgG is used as the antigen. The immunoturbidimetric reaction is monitored at 340 nm for 300 s, and the changes in absorbance after the antigen is added are used to prepare the standard curve. Test results are calculated from the stored curve and reported in int. units/mL, based on comparison with the WHO reference serum for rheumatoid factor. There is no interference from bilirubin (up to 340 mumol/L) or hemoglobin (up to 5600 mg/L). Serum samples with a triglyceride concentration greater than 2.20 mmol/L must be cleared of lipids before analysis. The standard curve is linear from 30 to 500 int. units/mL. Precision, accuracy, linearity, and sensitivity are quite acceptable. The CV was generally less than 5% for different concentrations of rheumatoid factor. Results agree well with those by a rate-nephelometric procedure on the Beckman ICS system (rs = 0.932). However, both correlate poorly with a modified classical Waaler-Rose test. Of 47 patients with rheumatoid arthritis, 34 had IgM rheumatoid factor in their serum, but the measured value did not reflect the activity of the disease.
A Second Pilus Type in <i>Streptococcus pneumoniae</i> Is Prevalent in Emerging Serotypes and Mediates Adhesion to Host Cells (2008)

Analysis of publicly available genomes of Streptococcus pneumoniae has led to the identification of a new genomic element containing genes typical of gram-positive pilus islets (PIs). Here, we demonstrate that this genomic region, herein referred to as PI-2 (consisting of pitA, sipA, pitB, srtG1, and srtG2) codes for a second functional pilus in pneumococcus. Polymerization of the PI-2 pilus requires the backbone protein PitB as well as the sortase SrtG1 and the signal peptidase-like protein SipA. Presence of PI-2 correlates with the genotype as defined by multilocus sequence typing and clonal complex (CC). The PI-2-positive CCs are associated with serotypes 1, 2, 7F, 19A, and 19F, considered to be emerging serotypes in both industrialized and developing countries. Interestingly, strains belonging to CC271 (where sequence type 271 is the predicted founder of the CC) contain both PI-1 and PI-2, as revealed by genome analyses. In these strains both pili are surface exposed and independently assembled. Furthermore, in vitro experiments provide evidence that the pilus encoded by PI-2 of S. pneumoniae is involved in adherence. Thus, pneumococci encode at least two types of pili that play a role in the initial host cell contact to the respiratory tract and are potential antigens for inclusion in a new generation of pneumococcal vaccines.
Efficient inhibition of intraperitoneal human ovarian cancer growth by short hairpin RNA targeting CD44 (2014)

CD44 is one member of a big glycoprotein family involved in adhesion of cells or cells and extracellular matrix (ECM). The heavily glycosylated CD44 has been proved to be a major receptor of hyaluronan and a marker of stem cells in ovarian cancer. Here, using short hairpin (shRNA) against CD44, we demonstrate that knockdown CD44 could inhibit cancer growth efficiently compared with controls. Plasmid targeting CD44 gene (pshCD44) or non-relative control sequences (pshHK) was constructed and delivered to ovarian cancer by biodegradable poly D, L-Lactide-co-glycolide acid nanoparticles (PLGANPs). Nude mice were utilized in an intraperitoneal model of ovarian carcinomatosis to assess antitumor efficacy in vivo. Antitumor efficacy was estimated by changes in tumor weights, proliferation (Ki-67), apoptosis (TUNEL) and angiogenesis (CD31 staining and alginate-encapsulated tumor beads assay) in tumor cells. As results, pshCD44 or pshHK could be effectively transfected into SKOV-3 cells by PLGANPs. Tumor weight in pshCD44/PLGANPs group was suppressed by 45% and 50% compared with those in pshHK/PLGANPs and untreated group, respectively (Ps < 0.001). Inhibition of cell proliferation, induction of apoptosis and reduction of angiogenesis in tumor cells of pshCD44/PLGANPs group also show significant difference compared with those in control groups (Ps < 0.05), respectively. These results indicate that pshCD44 delivered by PLGANPs might be a potential approach in ovarian cancer therapy, and point towards a mechanism involving the inhibition of angiogenesis, cellular proliferation and the induction of apoptosis.
Subband filters using allpass structures (1991)

A novel design technique for multichannel power complementary filters using a minimum number of allpass sections is investigated and new results are reported in this context. In particular, specific power complementary design procedures are given for the three-band case using two allpass sections and for the four-band case using two as well as three allpass sections. In both cases a free variable allows the extra freedom to shape the filters to have the desired bandpass characteristics. This idea is illustrated in the three-band case by generating a lowpass, a bandpass, and a highpass power complementary filter combination using two allpass sections. These digital power complementary structures are attractive for VLSI design, since the actual number of filters to be implemented is smaller than that in a conventional design.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">></ETX>
Subspace Detectors: Theory (2006)

Broadband subspace detectors are introduced for seismological applications that require the detection of repetitive sources that produce similar, yet significantly variable seismic signals. Like correlation detectors, of which they are a generalization, subspace detectors often permit remarkably sensitive detection of small events. The subspace detector derives its name from the fact that it projects a sliding window of data drawn from a continuous stream onto a vector signal subspace spanning the collection of signals expected to be generated by a particular source. Empirical procedures are presented for designing subspaces from clusters of events characterizing a source. Furthermore, a solution is presented for the problem of selecting the dimension of the subspace to maximize the probability of detecting repetitive events at a fixed false alarm rate. An example illustrates subspace design and detection using events in the 2002 San Ramon, California earthquake swarm.
The (4;11)(q21;q23) chromosome translocations in acute leukemias involve the VDJ recombinase. (1992)

Chromosomal region 11q23 is frequently rearranged in acute lymphocytic leukemias (ALLs) and in acute myeloid leukemias (AMLs), mostly in reciprocal exchanges with various translocation partners. The most common of these translocations is t(4;11)(q21;q23). It is present in approximately 10% of ALL patients, most frequently in very young children. We have recently cloned a region of chromosome 11, the ALL-1 locus, found to be rearranged in malignant cells from patients with the t(4;11), t(9;11), t(11;19), t(1;11), t(6;11), t(10;11), and del(11q23) chromosomal abnormalities. Here we report the cloning and characterization of chromosomal breakpoints from leukemic cells with t(4;11) aberrations. The breakpoints cluster in regions of 7-8 kilobases on both chromosomes 4 and 11. The presence of heptamer- and nonamer-like sequences at the sites of breakage suggests that the VDJ recombinase utilized for immunoglobulin gene rearrangement is also directly involved in these translocations. We also show that leukemic cells with t(4;11) express altered RNAs transcribed from the derivative chromosomes 11 and 4.
Functional Properties of Channels Formed by the Neuronal Gap Junction Protein Connexin36 (1999)

The expression and functional properties of connexin36 (Cx36) were examined in two communication-deficient cell lines (N2A-neuroblastoma and PC-12 cells) transfected with Cx36 and in hippocampal neurons that express the connexin endogenously. Transfected cells expressed the expected 2.9 kb Cx36 transcript and Cx36 immunoreactivity, whereas nontransfected cells were devoid of Cx36. The relationship between steady-state junctional conductance (g(j)) and transjunctional voltage was well described by a two-state Boltzmann equation. The half-inactivation voltage (V(0)), the ratio of minimal to maximal g(j) (g(min)/g(max)), and the equivalent gating charge were +/- 75 mV, 0.55, and 1.75, respectively, indicating that Cx36 exhibits very low voltage sensitivity. Conductance of single Cx36 channels measured with patch pipettes containing 130 mM CsCl was 10-15 pS (n = 15 cell pairs); despite this low unitary conductance, Cx36 channels were permeable to the dye Lucifer yellow. Hippocampal neurons expressed Cx36 both in vivo and in culture. The electrophysiological properties of channels in cultured hippocampal neurons were similar to those of the channels expressed by the transfected cell lines, and the neuronal channels were similarly permeable to Lucifer yellow. The unique combination of weak voltage sensitivity, small unitary conductance, and permeation by anions as large as second messenger molecules endows Cx36 gap junction channels with properties well suited for mediating flexible electrical and biochemical interactions between neurons.
PCR-based detection of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex in urine of HIV-infected and uninfected pulmonary and extrapulmonary tuberculosis patients in Burkina Faso (2004)

To evaluate a one-tube nested PCR-based analysis of urine for diagnosing pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) and extrapulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB) in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, a prospective analysis of urine samples from HIV- and non-HIV-infected adults with PTB and EPTB (case patients) and with pathology other than tuberculosis (TB) (control patients) was performed. Three groups of patients were classified as microbiological-positive and -negative PTB and EPTB on the basis of clinical signs and microbiological results. Urine from patients was analysed using the DNA extraction and Sechi's methods, both modified, for the detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value were calculated. The sensitivity of the test for the microbiological-positive PTB, microbiological-negative PTB and EPTB was 40.5 % (88/217), 66.7 % (20/30) and 57.1 % (48/84), respectively. The specificity was 98.2 %. Differences were observed in the two populations infected and not infected by HIV. This method is not appropriate for detection of new TB cases in the routine laboratory, but it can be useful for cases where the clinical and bacteriological diagnosis of TB is not conclusive.
Temperature measurement techniques for gas and liquid flows using thermographic phosphor tracer particles (2017)

Optical diagnostics for fluid temperature measurements continue to further our understanding of flows involving heat transfer and/or chemical reactions, which are intrinsic to key areas including energy production, the process industries, transportation, heating/cooling systems and naturally-occurring thermal convection. Besides temperature, all flows must also be described by their velocity. As these flows are often turbulent, an important capability is to measure both velocity and temperature at the same time to capture, for example, the turbulent heat flux term appearing in the energy conservation equation. This paper reviews temperature measurement techniques for fluid flows that are based on thermographic phosphors, which are materials that possess temperature-dependent luminescence properties. Phosphor particles are seeded into the fluid flow of interest. Following laser excitation, the luminescence of the particles is detected, and the temperature measurement is derived using either the spectral intensity ratio or the lifetime. The same particles can also be used for velocity measurements using well-established particle-based approaches, such as laser Doppler velocimetry (LDV) or particle image velocimetry (PIV), producing instantaneously correlated vector-scalar data. First introduced over a decade ago, this concept has since evolved and is currently capable of two-dimensional measurements in the temperature range 200–900 K. At lower temperatures a single-shot spatial precision better than 4 K is possible, as is imaging at sampling rates in the multi-kHz range. The approach is flexible, allowing, for example, techniques which probe single particles for point measurements with a 200 µm spatial resolution. Besides many validation experiments, the method has been applied in internal combustion engines, a falling film absorber, a high-pressure reaction vessel and in enclosed wind tunnels to study various turbulent heat transfer and reactive flow phenomena. The objective of this article is to provide the first review of this emerging field. The focus is on 1) the method: how has the principle of phosphor thermometry been used for flow measurements, and what instrumentation and processing steps were implemented; 2) how phosphor particles were characterised, and which phosphors are best-suited to temperature measurements in flows; and 3) the applications of the technique. Throughout, and with a detailed analysis of various sources of error, the review endeavours to compare the work and identify common aspects, advantages and limitations of the studies that led to successful flow measurements, and therefore should serve as a guide for researchers using the method. The article also briefly summarises the various challenges which the authors consider are key to the future development of these diagnostics.
Intraarticular ferritin‐bound iron in rheumatoid arthritis: A factor that increases oxygen free radical‐induced tissue destruction (1986)

Iron mobilized from ferritin is able to convert superoxide and hydrogen peroxide, which are produced in large amounts in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), to the extremely toxic hydroxyl radical. We have found that synovial fluid ferritin is increased significantly in RA patients compared with levels in controls. The high synovial fluid:serum ferritin ratio is compatible with the hypothesis that synovial fluid ferritin is derived from the synovial membrane. We found no difference in ferritin concentrations in the synovial membranes of RA patients compared with those of controls. Quantitative data on the amount of iron bound to ferritin showed that the level was 2.9 times higher in RA synovial membranes than in those of controls. Moreover, RA synovial fluid contained considerable amounts of iron bound to ferritin. Calculation of the iron saturation of ferritin revealed that RA synovial membranes contained a mean of 2,210 moles of iron per mole of ferritin: a significant elevation when compared with the mean value of 1,500 moles found in the synovial membranes of the controls. The decreased saturation of ferritin in RA synovial fluid, compared with that in the synovial membrane, could be caused by an uncompensated release of iron from ferritin, which has been induced by superoxide that is produced by stimulated granulocytes. The results demonstrate that in the joints of RA patients, sufficient ferritin loaded with iron is available to stimulate oxygen free radical damage.
ParaParse: A parallel method for XML parsing (2011)

Full manipulation of XML data has to rely on parsing process before hand. XML parsing is CPU intensive and tends to greatly affect the performance of XML application in a general way. Moreover, parallel computing is widely introduced to solve practical problems due to the popularization of multi-core computers. It is a natural and promising way to parallelize parsing process. Existing parallel parsing methods need pre-parsing stage to get proper data partitions. Unfortunately pre-parsing is often time consuming and difficult to be optimized. ParaParse presented in this paper is a novel parallel method for XML parsing. It has a rather light weighted data partition way and supports parsing arbitrarily partitioned XML segments in parallel. After that subtree merging is carried out to generate global XML tree. The parsing result can be further wrapped for sophisticated XML query. Experiment results show that ParaParse is suited to multi-core environment to realize parallel XML parsing.
Prism representation: a 3D ray-tracing algorithm for radiotherapy applications (1985)

Computing the intersection of a line with a volume, or 'ray tracing' as it is commonly known, is an integral component of three-dimensional radiotherapy dose calculation algorithms. Examples of ray tracing include the intersection of a ray from the radiation source with the patient, with heterogeneous volumes within the patient and with beam-modifying devices, such as a wedge or compensator. Ray tracing is also of primary importance in the field of three-dimensional computer graphics. Through the process of ray tracing, various display features, such as hidden surfaces, shadows, reflection and refraction, can be rendered simply and with startling realism. Advances have recently been made in three-dimensional ray-tracing methods in computer graphics. Due to the similarity of ray tracing in three-dimensional computer graphics and radiotherapy, these new techniques have an immediate application to the ray-tracing problems in three-dimensional radiotherapy dose calculations. The purpose of this paper is to present these advances and illustrate their use in radiation therapy.
T cell development and function in CrkL‐deficient mice (2003)

The adapter protein CrkL has been implicated in multiple signal transduction pathways in hematopoietic cells. In T lymphocytes, the recruitment of CrkL-C3G complexes has been correlated with hyporesponsiveness, implicating CrkL as a potential negative regulator. To test this hypothesis we examined T cell activation in CrkL-deficient mice. The CrkL(-/-) genotype was partially embryonic lethal. In viable CrkL(-/-) mice, peripheral blood counts were normal. The thymus from CrkL(-/-) mice had 40% fewer cells compared to littermates, but the proportion of thymocyte subsets was comparable. There was no discernable alteration in T cell function as reflected by T cell numbers, expression of memory markers, IL-2 production, proliferation, and differentiation into Th1/Th2 phenotypes. Immunization induced comparable levels of IgG2a and IgG1 antibodies. Chimeric mice, generated by transfer of CrkL(-/-) fetal liver cells into irradiated RAG2(-/-) recipients, also showed normal T cell function, arguing against selection via partial embryonic lethality. Our results indicate that CrkL is not absolutely required for T cell development or function, and argue against it being an essential component of a negative regulatory pathway in TCR signaling.
Tear Levels and Activity of Matrix Metalloproteinase (MMP)-1 and MMP-9 in Vernal Keratoconjunctivitis (2003)

Increased levels and activity of MMP-1 and -9 and an imbalance between MMPs and TIMP may be involved in the pathogenesis of VKC.
Survey study of low-expanding high-melting, mixed oxides (1974)

Approximately 40 mixed oxide materials were prepared and characterized primarily as to their thermal expansion and meltingpoint behavior. Of particular interest were those materials which were stable, had melting points in excess of 1,400 deg C, and had low thermal expansions. (auth)
Capacitive touch sensing : signal and image processing algorithms (2011)

Capacitive touch sensors have been in use for many years, and recently gained center stage with the ubiquitous use in smart-phones. In this work we will analyze the most common method of projected capacitive sensing, that of absolute capacitive sensing, together with the most common sensing pattern, that of diamond-shaped sensors. After a brief introduction to the problem, and the reasons behind its popularity, we will formulate the problem as a reconstruction from projections. We derive analytic solutions for two simple cases: circular finger on a wire grid, and square finger on a square grid. The solutions give insight into the ambiguities of finding finger location from sensor readings. The main contribution of our paper is the discussion of interpolation algorithms including simple linear interpolation , curve fitting (parabolic and Gaussian), filtering, general look-up-table, and combinations thereof. We conclude with observations on the limits of the present algorithmic methods, and point to possible future research.
View-interpolation of sparsely sampled sinogram using convolutional neural network (2017)

Spare-view sampling and its associated iterative image reconstruction in computed tomography have actively investigated. Sparse-view CT technique is a viable option to low-dose CT, particularly in cone-beam CT (CBCT) applications, with advanced iterative image reconstructions with varying degrees of image artifacts. One of the artifacts that may occur in sparse-view CT is the streak artifact in the reconstructed images. Another approach has been investigated for sparse-view CT imaging by use of the interpolation methods to fill in the missing view data and that reconstructs the image by an analytic reconstruction algorithm. In this study, we developed an interpolation method using convolutional neural network (CNN), which is one of the widely used deep-learning methods, to find missing projection data and compared its performances with the other interpolation techniques.
High Incidence of Chlamydia pneumoniae in Sclerotic Heart Valves of Patients Undergoing Aortic Valve Replacement (1997)

Chlamydia pneumoniae has previously been demonstrated in the atherosclerotic lesions of various arteries, including the coronary arteries, and has been proposed to play a role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. A prospective study of the incidence of C. pneumoniae in the sclerotic valves of patients undergoing aortic valve replacement because of aortic stenosis and in the aortic valves of cases dying of non-cardiac reasons and undergoing forensic autopsy was undertaken. The results were correlated to serological markers of past (IgG) or persistent (IgA) C. pneumoniae infection. C. pneumoniae, as determined by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), was detected in the aortic valve in 19/39 (49%) patients and in 1/11 (9%) autopsy controls (p = 0.018) and confirmed by electron microscopy in one patient. There was no significant difference in the incidence rate of IgG or IgA antibody positivity between PCR-positive and PCR-negative cardiac patients. These results extend the hypothesis of a pathogenic role of C. pneumoniae in atherosclerosis to include also aortic valve sclerosis.