gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Negative Regulation of the <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> Outer Membrane Porin OprD Selective for Imipenem and Basic Amino Acids (1999)

Pseudomonas aeruginosa OprD is a specific porin which facilitates the uptake of basic amino acids and imipenem, a carbapenem antibiotic. Resistance to imipenem due to the loss of OprD is an important mechanism for the loss of clinical effectiveness. To investigate the negative regulatory mechanisms influencing oprD expression, a gene upstream of the coregulated mexEF-oprN efflux operon, designated mexT, was cloned. The predicted 304-amino-acid mature MexT protein showed strong homology to LysR-type regulators. When overexpressed it induced the expression of the mexEF-oprN efflux operon while decreasing the level of expression of OprD. The use of an oprD::xylE transcriptional fusion indicated that it acted by repressing the transcription of oprD. Salicylate, a weak aromatic acid known to reduce porin expression and induce low levels of multiple antibiotic resistance in Escherichia coli, was able to induce imipenem resistance and reduce the expression of OprD but not multiple antibiotic resistance or OprN expression in P. aeruginosa. This was also demonstrated to occur at the level of transcription. Acetyl salicylate and benzoate, but not catechol, were also able to reduce the levels of OprD in the P. aeruginosa outer membranes. These OprD-suppressing compounds increased imipenem resistance even in a mexT-overexpressing and nfxC mutant backgrounds, suggesting that such resistance is independent of the MexT repressor and that oprD is influenced by more than a single mechanism of repression.
48 PREGNANCY AND FETAL CHARACTERISTICS AFTER TRANSFER OF VITRIFIED IN VIVO AND CLONED BOVINE EMBRYOS (2004)

This study was conducted to examine pregnancy progression and fetal characteristics following transfer of vitrified bovine nuclear transfer (NT) vs. in vivo-derived (Vivo) embryos. Nuclear transfer was conducted using skin fibroblast cells derived from cultured ear explants taken from an elite Holstein-Friesian dairy cow. Expanding and hatching blastocysts on Day 7 were vitrified using liquid nitrogen surface vitrification (Shen et al. 2004 Reprod. Fertil. Dev. 16, 158). Day 7 in vivo embryos, produced using standard superovulation procedures applied to Holstein-Friesian heifers (n = 6), were vitrified in the same way. Following warming, embryos were transferred to synchronized recipients (2 per recipient; NT: n = 81 recipients; Vivo: n = 20 recipients). Pregnancies were monitored by ultrasound scanning on Days 25, 45, and 75, and a sample of animals was slaughtered at each time point to recover the fetus/placenta for further analyses. On Day 25, the entire conceptus was weighed together; on Day 45, the fetus and placenta were weighed separately; on Day 75, the fetus was dissected and the major organs were weighed. Significantly more animals remained pregnant after transfer of in vivo-derived embryos than NT embryos at all time points: Day 25 (95.0 vs. 61.7%, P &lt; 0.01), Day 45 (93.3 vs. 39.7%, P &lt; 0.001), and Day 75 (90.9 vs. 19.8%, P &lt; 0.001). There was no significant difference (P = 0.10) in the weight of the conceptus on Day 25 from NT transfers (1.14 ± 0.23 g, n = 8) vs. Vivo transfers (0.75 ± 0.19 g, n = 8). On Day 45, there was no significant difference in the weight of either fetus (P = 0.393) or membranes (P = 0.167) between NT embryos (fetus: 2.76 ± 0.40 g, n = 12; membranes 59.0 ± 10.0 g, n = 11) or in vivo-derived embryos (fetus: 2.60 ± 0.15 g, n = 6; membranes 41.8 ± 5.2 g, n = 4). However, on Day 75, the weights of the fetus and several of the major organs were heavier from NT embryos (Table 1). These data suggest that the large calf syndrome is manifested after Day 45. Table 1. Fetal characteristics on Day 75 of gestation following transfer of vitrified in vivo-derived vs. NT blastocysts This work was supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
An Efficient Attack on All Concrete KKS Proposals. (2011)

Kabastianskii, Krouk and Smeets proposed in 1997 a digital signature scheme based on a couple of random error-correcting codes. A variation of this scheme was proposed recently and was proved to be EUF-1CMA secure in the random oracle model. In this paper we investigate the security of these schemes and suggest a simple attack based on (essentially) Stern’s algorithm for finding low weight codewords. It efficiently recovers the private key of all schemes of this type existing in the literature. This is basically due to the fact that we can define a code from the available public data with unusual properties: it has many codewords whose support is concentrated in a rather small subset. In such a case, Stern’s algorithm performs much better and we provide a theoretical analysis substantiating this claim. Our analysis actually shows that the insecurity of the proposed parameters is related to the fact that the rates of the couple of random codes used in the scheme were chosen to be too close. This does not compromise the security of the whole KKS scheme. It just points out that the region of weak parameters is really much larger than previously thought.
MOSFET parameters extraction in VDSM ULSI CAD with a parallel-programming strategy (2002)

In this paper, we develop an efficient optimization algorithm for MOSFET parameter extraction in VDSM ULSI circuit design, which combines a search-space smoothing strategy, smoothes a large number of local barriers and makes conventional heuristic searching much more efficient. The experiment was implemented with a parallel programming strategy on a distributed multi-computer system with improved computing efficiency. With such an algorithm, we can obtain global solutions much more easily and more accurately than conventional searching algorithms, and parameter extraction automation can make it possible to synthesize simple analog circuits with a small number of transistors.
Conditioning of Aggressive Water (2010)

Worldwide limestone (CaCO3) filtration is used in many treatment plants for the conditioning and (re)mineralization of drinking water. The goals are to increase the concentrations of Ca2+ and HCO3-, the pH and the Saturation Index (SI), thereby improving the quality of the water regarding corrosion control, buffering and taste. Typical applications include (very) soft groundwater with (very) low alkalinity and desalinated water. In Norway, some plants use a product made of ground natural limestone, called Micronized CaCO3 Slurry (MCCS), which is dosed as a slurry of fine particles (order of 1-2 ?m) into the raw water. In this research a study is made of the potential of MCCS as an alternative to limestone filtration. Experiments were performed to determine the dissolution kinetics of MCCS and other CaCO3-products, including natural limestone grains (1-2 mm) and two precipitated CaCO3 (PCC) powders (Heyer test powder and NanoPCC powder), that consist of even finer particles than MCCS (down to 0.088 ?m). The experimental setup consisted of jars containing water in which the CaCO3-product was introduced. An increase in conductivity as a function of time was observed, which could be used to describe the dissolution kinetics. As expected from theory, the dissolution kinetics are strongly influenced by the particle size of the CaCO3 and the driving force towards the chemical equilibrium. However, all CaCO3-products needed substantial detention times (30 minutes and more) to dissolve completely. This severely hampers the feasibility of MCCS as an alternative to limestone filtration, which can be operated with an Empty Bed Contact Time in the same order of magnitude. This finding can be explained by the fact that the available mass/volume of CaCO3 in a limestone filter is much higher than the available mass/volume of particles in the dosed slurry, thus compensating for the difference in particle size. It is concluded that MCCS is generally not a feasible alternative for limestone filtration as a stand-alone option for the conditioning and (re)mineralization of drinking water. Applications of MCCS will be limited and should either be found in combinations with coagulation/filtration (which is the actual mode of operation in Norway and limits the problems associated with non-complete dissolution of the CaCO3) or in combination with other conditioning and (re)mineralization methods (by dosing a limited amount of MCCS to the raw water, which limits the problem of the slow kinetics).
Effects of AgRP Inhibition on Energy Balance and Metabolism in Rodent Models (2013)

Activation of brain melanocortin-4 receptors (MC4-R) by α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH) or inhibition by agouti-related protein (AgRP) regulates food intake and energy expenditure and can modulate neuroendocrine responses to changes in energy balance. To examine the effects of AgRP inhibition on energy balance, a small molecule, non-peptide compound, TTP2515, developed by TransTech Pharma, Inc., was studied in vitro and in rodent models in vivo. TTP2515 prevented AgRP from antagonizing α-MSH-induced increases in cAMP in HEK 293 cells overexpressing the human MC4-R. When administered to rats by oral gavage TTP2515 blocked icv AgRP-induced increases in food intake, weight gain and adiposity and suppression of T4 levels. In both diet-induced obese (DIO) and leptin-deficient mice, TTP2515 decreased food intake, weight gain, adiposity and respiratory quotient. TTP2515 potently suppressed food intake and weight gain in lean mice immediately after initiation of a high fat diet (HFD) but had no effect on these parameters in lean chow-fed mice. However, when tested in AgRP KO mice, TTP2515 also suppressed food intake and weight gain during HFD feeding. In several studies TTP2515 increased T4 but not T3 levels, however this was also observed in AgRP KO mice. TTP2515 also attenuated refeeding and weight gain after fasting, an effect not evident in AgRP KO mice when administered at moderate doses. This study shows that TTP2515 exerts many effects consistent with AgRP inhibition however experiments in AgRP KO mice indicate some off-target effects of this drug. TTP2515 was particularly effective during fasting and in mice with leptin deficiency, conditions in which AgRP is elevated, as well as during acute and chronic HFD feeding. Thus the usefulness of this drug in treating obesity deserves further exploration, to define the AgRP dependent and independent mechanisms by which TTP2515 exerts its effects on energy balance.
Infection of Mice with <i>Mycobacterium bovis</i>–Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) Suppresses Allergen-induced Airway Eosinophilia (1998)

It has been proposed that the increase in prevalence and severity of atopic disorders inversely correlates with exposure to infectious diseases such as tuberculosis. We have investigated this issue by combining an intranasal Mycobacterium bovis-Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) infection with a murine model of allergen, (ovalbumin [OVA]) induced airway eosinophilia. BCG infection either 4 or 12 wk before allergen airway challenge resulted in a 90-95 and 60-70% reduction in eosinophilia within the lungs, respectively, compared to uninfected controls. The inhibition of airway eosinophilia correlated with a reduced level of IL-5 production by T cells from the lymph node draining the site of OVA challenge. Interestingly, BCG infection of the lung had no effect on IgG1 and IgE OVA-specific serum immunoglobulin or blood eosinophil levels. Furthermore, BCG-induced inhibition of airway eosinophilia was strongly reduced in interferon (IFN)-gamma receptor-deficient mice and could be partially reversed by intranasal IL-5 application. Intranasal BCG infections could also reduce the degree of lung eosinophilia and IL-5 produced by T cells after Nippostrongylus brasiliensis infection. Taken together, our data suggest that IFN-gamma produced during the T helper cell (Th)1 immune response against BCG suppresses the development of local inflammatory Th2 responses in the lung. Most importantly, this inhibition did not extend to the systemic immunoglobulin response against OVA. Our data support the view that mycobacterial infections have the potential to suppress the development of atopic disorders in humans.
Three years of operation of AHI: the University of Hawaii's Airborne Hyperspectral Imager (2001)

The AHI sensor consists of a long-wave infrared pushbroom hyperspectral imager and a boresighted 3-color visible high resolution CCD linescan camera. The system used a background suppression system to achieve good noise characteristics (less than 1(mu) fl NESR). Work with AHI has shown the utility of the long-wave infrared a variety of applications. The AHI system has been used successfully in the detection of buried land mines using infrared absorption features of disturbed soil. Recently, the AHI has been used to examine the feasibility active and passive hyperspectral imaging under outdoor and laboratory conditions at three ranges. In addition, the AHI was flown over a coral reef ecosystem on the Hawaiian island of Molokai to study fresh water intrusion into coral reef ecosystems. Theoretical calculations have been done propose extensions to the AHI design in order to produce an instrument with a higher signal to noise ratio.
Variable-rate sub-band speech coding and matched channel coding for mobile radio channels (2003)

The effect of digital transmission errors on a family of variable-rate embedded subband speech coders has been analyzed. It is shown that there is a difference in error sensitivity of four orders of magnitude between the most sensitive and the least sensitive bits of the speech coder. As a result, a family of rate-compatible punctured convolutional codes with flexible unequal error protection capabilities has been matched to the speech coder. On a Rayleigh fading channel with 4-DPSK modulation, as much as 5-dB gain in channel signal-to-noise ratio can be obtained by using four levels of error protection compared to only two levels in more conventional designs. The gain is achieved at no extra bandwidth requirement and at a negligible complexity increase. Among the results, analysis and informal listening tests show that with a four-level unequal error protection scheme, transmission of 12-kb/s speech is possible with little degradation in quality over speech is possible with little degradation in quality over a 16-kb/s channel with an average bit error rate of 2*10/sup -2/ at a vehicle speed of 60 mph.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">></ETX>
Aptamers in Therapeutics (2016)

Aptamers are single strand DNA or RNA molecules, selected by an iterative process known as Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Enrichment (SELEX). Due to various advantages of aptamers such as high temperature stability, animal free, cost effective production and its high affinity and selectivity for its target make them attractive alternatives to monoclonal antibody for use in diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Aptamer has been generated against vesicular endothelial growth factor 165 involved in age related macular degeneracy. Macugen was the first FDA approved aptamer based drug that was commercialized. Later other aptamers were also developed against blood clotting proteins, cancer proteins, antibody E, agents involved in diabetes nephropathy, autoantibodies involved in autoimmune disorders, etc. Aptamers have also been developed against viruses and could work with other antiviral agents in treating infections.
Influence of estrogen and normal flora on vaginal candidiasis in the rat. (1984)

The vaginal epithelium of randomly bred albino rats normally does not contain yeast. This study demonstrated that estrogen-primed, castrated rats could be colonized by Candida albicans following intravaginal challenge, whereas rats not treated with estrogen remained resistant to colonization. The bacteriologic conditions of the vagina were also studied in yeast-colonized and non-yeast-colonized rats. No evidence of bacterial interference with yeast colonization was obtained from this study since the vaginal flora of the estrogen-treated, yeast-colonized rats was more abundant and diverse than that of the non-estrogen-treated rats, which were resistant to yeast colonization. Scanning electron microscopy of the vaginal epithelium of yeast-colonized rats showed that C. albicans entered the mycelial phase during colonization of the vagina. It also appeared that the mycelia penetrate the cornified vaginal epithelial cells.
Technological improvements in position sensing (2007)

Purpose To describe new technological approaches and improvements to existing methods of measuring position in automation, sports and general applications. Design/methodology/approach Starts with interesting applications of established sensor technology in motorsports and aircraft manufacture. Then examines some new position sensors based on novel technology. Findings Optical techniques including lasers and linear encoding enable high precision position sensing over long distances. Laser scanning systems have some advantages over vision systems for pick and place applications. Differential global positioning system (GPS) and carrier‐wave techniques are giving millimeter accuracy to GPSs. Originality/value Highlights the more exciting aspects of position sensing.
Complementary Active Sites Cause Size-Selective Reactivity of Aluminum Cluster Anions with Water (2009)

The reactions of metal clusters with small molecules often depend on cluster size. The selectivity of oxygen reactions with aluminum cluster anions can be well described within an electronic shell model; however, not all reactions are subject to the same fundamental constraints. We observed the size selectivity of aluminum cluster anion reactions with water, which can be attributed to the dissociative chemisorption of water at specific surface sites. The reactivity depends on geometric rather than electronic shell structure. Identical arrangements of multiple active sites in Al16-, Al17-, and Al18- result in the production of H2 from water.
Development of a monitoring tape for hydrogen chloride gas using Metanil Yellow (1993)

A porous cellulose tape impregnated with a processing solution that includes a pH indicator (Metanil Yellow; pH 1.2–2.3, red-yellow), glycerin and methanol is a highly sensitive means of detecting hydrogen chloride gas and is stable on exposure to light. When the sample including hydrogen chloride was passed through the tape, the colour of the tape changed from yellow to red. The degree of colour change was proportional to the concentration of hydrogen chloride gas at a constant sampling time and flow rate. The degree of colour change could be recorded by measuring the intensity of reflected light (555 nm). The detection limit was 0.1 ppm for hydrogen chloride gas with a sampling time of 40 s and a flow rate of 400 ml min–1. No interference was observed from ethanol (1 vol.-%), propan-2-oI (1 vol.-%), acetone (1 vol.-%), carbon dioxide (4.9 vol.-%), nitrogen dioxide (100 ppm), sulfur dioxide (50 ppm), acetic acid gas (24 ppm) or hydrogen fluoride gas (6 ppm). The relative intensities of hydrogen bromide and gaseous nitric acid were one quarter and one eighth of that of hydrogen chloride, respectively.
Analgesic Effects of Fatty Acid Amide Hydrolase Inhibition in a Rat Model of Neuropathic Pain (2006)

Cannabinoid-based medicines have therapeutic potential for the treatment of pain. Augmentation of levels of endocannabinoids with inhibitors of fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) is analgesic in models of acute and inflammatory pain states. The aim of this study was to determine whether local inhibition of FAAH alters nociceptive responses of spinal neurons in the spinal nerve ligation model of neuropathic pain. Electrophysiological studies were performed 14-18 d after spinal nerve ligation or sham surgery, and the effects of the FAAH inhibitor cyclohexylcarbamic acid 3-carbamoyl biphenyl-3-yl ester (URB597) on mechanically evoked responses of spinal neurons and levels of endocannabinoids were determined. Intraplantar URB597 (25 microg in 50 microl) significantly (p < 0.01) attenuated mechanically evoked responses of spinal neurons in sham-operated rats. Effects of URB597 were blocked by the cannabinoid 1 receptor (CB1) antagonist AM251 [N-1-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)-5-(4-iodophenyl)-4-methyl-N-1-piperidinyl-1H-pyrazole-3-carboxamide] (30 microg in 50 microl) and the opioid receptor antagonist naloxone. URB597 treatment increased levels of anandamide, 2-arachidonyl glycerol, and oleoyl ethanolamide in the ipsilateral hindpaw of sham-operated rats. Intraplantar URB597 (25 microg in 50 microl) did not, however, alter mechanically evoked responses of spinal neurons in spinal nerve ligated (SNL) rats or hindpaw levels of endocannabinoids. Intraplantar injection of a higher dose of URB597 (100 microg in 50 microl) significantly (p < 0.05) attenuated evoked responses of spinal neurons in SNL rats but did not alter hindpaw levels of endocannabinoids. Spinal administration of URB597 attenuated evoked responses of spinal neurons and elevated levels of endocannabinoids in sham-operated and SNL rats. These data suggest that peripheral FAAH activity may be altered or that alternative pathways of metabolism have greater importance in SNL rats.
Cuba—1965 (1966)

Joan Robinson, Professor of Economics at Cambridge University and one of England's foremost economists, has made frequent trips to the socialist countries in recent years. The following article sums up her impressions of her second visit to Cuba since the Revolution. Her most recent article in Monthly Review was "Korean Miracle" in the issue of January 1965. —The EditorsThis article can also be found at the Monthly Review website, where most recent articles are published in full.Click here to purchase a PDF version of this article at the Monthly Review website.
Sensor relocation in mobile sensor networks (2005)

Recently there has been a great deal of research on using mobility in sensor networks to assist in the initial deployment of nodes. Mobile sensors are useful in this environment because they can move to locations that meet sensing coverage requirements. This paper explores the motion capability to relocate sensors to deal with sensor failure or respond to new events. We define the problem of sensor relocation and propose a two-phase sensor relocation solution: redundant sensors are first identified and then relocated to the target location. We propose a Grid-Quorum solution to quickly locate the closest redundant sensor with low message complexity, and propose to use cascaded movement to relocate the redundant sensor in a timely, efficient and balanced way. Simulation results verify that the proposed solution outperforms others in terms of relocation time, total energy consumption, and minimum remaining energy.