gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Heart rate variability as a measure of autonomic dysfunction in men with advanced cancer (2013)

Autonomic dysfunction is common in patients with cancer and may have considerable negative effects on quality of life and mortality. This study retrospectively compared heart rate variability measured by the standard deviation of normal-to-normal intervals (SDNN) to Ewing test score, a composite score from a battery of five defined autonomic tests, in detection of autonomic dysfunction in 47 men with advanced cancer. The Ewing test score has been validated for diagnosis of autonomic dysfunction but is time-consuming and requires considerable patient co-operation; we hypothesised that SDNN, a much simpler test, is a useful alternative. The patients were categorised into three groups according to Ewing score: ≤ 2 (mild or no autonomic dysfunction), 2.5-3 (moderate) and ≥ 3.5 (severe). The SDNN (mean ± SD) for the three groups were 57.1 ± 26.9 ms 62.3 ± 22.4 ms and 37.7 ± 20.3 ms respectively. A significant negative correlation was found between Ewing score and SDNN (r = -0.40, P = 0.005). A SDNN of ≤ 40 ms had 63% sensitivity and 75% specificity in the diagnosis of severe autonomic dysfunction (i.e. Ewing score ≥ 3.5). The positive predictive value of SDNN ≤ 40 ms in predicting moderate/severe autonomic dysfunction was 89%.
Smartphone Location-Independent Physical Activity Recognition Based on Transportation Natural Vibration Analysis (2017)

Activity recognition through smartphones has been proposed for a variety of applications. The orientation of the smartphone has a significant effect on the recognition accuracy; thus, researchers generally propose using features invariant to orientation or displacement to achieve this goal. However, those features reduce the capability of the recognition system to differentiate among some specific commuting activities (e.g., bus and subway) that normally involve similar postures. In this work, we recognize those activities by analyzing the vibrations of the vehicle in which the user is traveling. We extract natural vibration features of buses and subways to distinguish between them and address the confusion that can arise because the activities are both static in terms of user movement. We use the gyroscope to fix the accelerometer to the direction of gravity to achieve an orientation-free use of the sensor. We also propose a correction algorithm to increase the accuracy when used in free living conditions and a battery saving algorithm to consume less power without reducing performance. Our experimental results show that the proposed system can adequately recognize each activity, yielding better accuracy in the detection of bus and subway activities than existing methods.
The Qualcomm/SnapTrack Wireless-Assisted GPS Hybrid Positioning System and Results from Initial Commercial Deployments (2002)

During 2001/2002, several major CDMA-based wireless 
network carriers deployed Location Based Services (LBS) 
in Japan, Korea and the USA. The carriers chose 
Qualcomms gpsOneTM end-to-end system solution for 
these deployments. The two main components of the 
system are Qualcomms gpsOneTM client implementation 
and SnapTracks Position Determination Entity (PDE) 
server product. The applications range from gaming and 
personal navigation services to commercial security and 
Enhanced 911 (E911). It is anticipated that the number of 
future applications will expand to include a wide range of 
value added services (VAS). 
This paper describes the network architectures, messaging 
protocols, and positioning measurements used to support 
these applications. Processing GPS, terrestrial and other 
measurements concurrently presents several challenges. 
These complexities and the characteristics of the various 
measurement types are discussed. Positioning results 
from actual network data are presented to demonstrate the 
initial performance achieved.
Immunopathology of inflammatory bowel disease (2014)

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) results from a complex series of interactions between susceptibility genes, the environment, and the immune system. The host microbiome, as well as viruses and fungi, play important roles in the development of IBD either by causing inflammation directly or indirectly through an altered immune system. New technologies have allowed researchers to be able to quantify the various components of the microbiome, which will allow for future developments in the etiology of IBD. Various components of the mucosal immune system are implicated in the pathogenesis of IBD and include intestinal epithelial cells, innate lymphoid cells, cells of the innate (macrophages/monocytes, neutrophils, and dendritic cells) and adaptive (T-cells and B-cells) immune system, and their secreted mediators (cytokines and chemokines). Either a mucosal susceptibility or defect in sampling of gut luminal antigen, possibly through the process of autophagy, leads to activation of innate immune response that may be mediated by enhanced toll-like receptor activity. The antigen presenting cells then mediate the differentiation of naïve T-cells into effector T helper (Th) cells, including Th1, Th2, and Th17, which alter gut homeostasis and lead to IBD. In this review, the effects of these components in the immunopathogenesis of IBD will be discussed.
Elevated Glucose Attenuates Human Insulin Gene Promoter Activity in INS-1 Pancreatic β-Cells via Reduced Nuclear Factor Binding to the A5/Core and Z Element (2005)

Chronic exposure of pancreatic beta-cells to elevated glucose reduces insulin gene promoter activity, and this is associated with diminished binding of two beta-cell-enriched transcription factors, Pdx-1 and MafA. In this study using INS-1 beta-cells, overexpression of MafA, but not Pdx-1, was able to restore expression of a human insulin reporter gene (-327 to +30 bp) suppressed by elevated glucose. At issue, however, was that MafA also markedly stimulated an insulin reporter gene (-230 to +30 bp) that was only marginally suppressed by glucose, suggesting that glucose-mediated suppression of the insulin promoter involved elements upstream of -230. Using serial truncations and mini-enhancer constructs of the human insulin promoter, the majority of glucose suppression was localized to regulatory elements between -327 and -261. Nuclear extracts from INS-1 cells exposed to elevated glucose had reduced binding activities to the A5/core (-319 to -307), and to a palindrome (-284 to -267) and an E box (-273 to -257, E3) contained within the Z element. The A5/core binding complex was determined to contain MafA, Pdx-1, and an A2-like binding factor. Two mini-enhancer constructs containing the A5/core were suppressed by glucose and strongly activated by MafA. Glucose-mediated suppression of the Z mini-enhancer was not attenuated by overexpression of MafA or Pdx-1. Site-directed mutation of the A5/core, palindrome, and E3 elements attenuated glucose-mediated suppression. These data indicate that glucose suppression of human insulin promoter activity in INS-1 cells involves reduced binding of MafA to the A5/core. Changes in nuclear factor binding to the Z element, which functions as a strong activator element in primary islets and a negative regulatory element in simian virus 40 or T antigen transformed beta-cell lines, also participate in glucose suppression of insulin promoter activity.
Primary Sjögren’s Syndrome (2018)

Patients with primary Sjögren’s syndrome often present with mouth and eye dryness, fatigue, and pain, and they are at increased risk for B-cell lymphoma. Treatments include muscarinic agents and drugs used in systemic lupus erythematosus.
Denial-of-service attacks in OpenFlow SDN networks (2015)

Software-Defined Networking (SDN) has recently gained significant momentum. However, before any large scale deployments, it is important to understand security issues arising from this new technology. This paper discusses two types of Denial-of-Service (DoS) attacks specific to OpenFlow SDN networks. We emulate them on Mininet and provide an analysis on the effect of these attacks. We find that the timeout value of a flow rule, and the control plane bandwidth have a significant impact on the switch's capability. If not configured appropriately, they may allow successful DoS attacks. Finally, we highlight possible mitigation strategies to address such attacks.
A Double‐blind, Placebo‐controlled Investigation of the Effects of <i>Passiflora incarnata</i> (Passionflower) Herbal Tea on Subjective Sleep Quality (2011)

Passiflora incarnata is a traditional herbal sedative, anxiolytic and a popular sleep aid used for the treatment of sleep disturbance. Several controlled experiments have demonstrated enhanced sleep in laboratory animals, but clinical trials in humans are lacking. The aim of the present study was to investigate the efficacy of Passiflora incarnata herbal tea on human sleep, as measured using sleep diaries validated by polysomnography (PSG). This study featured a double-blind, placebo-controlled, repeated-measures design with a counterbalanced order of treatments (passionflower vs placebo tea), separated by a 1 week 'washout' period. Forty-one participants (18-35 years) were exposed to each treatment for a week, whereby they consumed a cup of the tea and filled out a sleep diary for 7 days, and completed Spielberger's state-trait anxiety inventory on the seventh morning. Ten participants also underwent overnight PSG on the last night of each treatment period. Of six sleep-diary measures analysed, sleep quality showed a significantly better rating for passionflower compared with placebo (t(40) = 2.70, p < 0.01). These initial findings suggest that the consumption of a low dose of Passiflora incarnata, in the form of tea, yields short-term subjective sleep benefits for healthy adults with mild fluctuations in sleep quality.
Second Annual GPCRs: From Orphan to Blockbuster (2004)

The superfamily of G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) was discussed at a recent Cambridge Healthtech Institute meeting. Scientists working in both academia and industry participated in 2 days of talks that addressed important issues related to the use of GPCRs as targets. The meeting delved into questions and strategies surrounding receptor structure, lack of knowledge about endogenous ligands, novel methodology for identifying compounds from high-throughput screening, the development process from hits to leads, and what constitutes adequate proof-of-principle studies. This report highlights several presentations related to the ongoing search for more effective GPCR-targeted drug discovery efforts.
Monitoring Intracranial Pressure (1978)

This paper reviews the methods used in measurement and continuous monitoring of intracranial pressure. Terminology and measurement locations are reviewed. Practical considerations in monitoring are discussed along with the problems of monitoring particular sites. The limitations of the various methods are discussed as is the role of the Clinical Engineer in intracranial pressure monitoring.
cDNA cloning, expression studies and chromosome mapping of human type I serine/threonine kinase receptor ALK7 (ACVR1C) (2001)

Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) superfamily related growth factors signal by binding to transmembrane type I and type II receptor serine/threonine kinases (RSTK), which phosphorylate intracellular Smad transcription factors in response to ligand binding. Here we describe the cloning of the human type I RSTK activin receptor-like kinase 7 (ALK7), an orthologue of the previously identified rat ALK7. Nodal, a TGF-beta member expressed during embryonic development and implicated in developmental events like mesoderm formation and left-right axis specification, was recently shown to signal through ALK7. We found ALK7 mRNA to be most abundantly expressed in human brain, pancreas and colon. A cDNA encoding the open reading frame of ALK7 was obtained from a human brain cDNA library. Furthermore, a P1 artificial chromosome (PAC) clone containing the human ALK7 gene was isolated and fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) on metaphase chromosomes identified the gene locus as chromosome 2q24.1-->q3. To test the functionality of the ALK7 signaling, we generated recombinant adenoviruses containing a constitutively active form of ALK7 (Ad-caALK7), which is capable of activating downstream targets in a ligand independent manner. Infection with Ad-caALK7 of MIN6 insulinoma cells, in which ALK7 has previously been shown to be endogenously expressed, led to a marked increase in the phosphorylation of Smad2, a signaling molecule also used by TGF-betas and activins.
Preoperative Portal Vein Embolization: An Audit of 84 Patients (1999)

Preoperative portal vein embolization (PVE) was performed in 84 patients before extensive liver resection for various diseases. By the criteria of liver volumetric determination, some patients were candidates for PVE, whereas others were not, even though the same surgical procedure, such as extended right lobectomy (ERL), was scheduled. PVE using gelatin sponge powder induced hypertrophy in the nonembolized lobe (0%-171%; median, 30%) and proportional atrophy in the embolized lobe in 2 weeks without eliciting any major inflammatory or necrotic reaction, as evidenced histologically and by the minimal elevations in the serum aspartate transaminase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT) values. Alterations in the total bilirubin level and prothrombin time were also insignificant and transient, indicating that hepatocyte functions were not impaired by PVE. Not all patients who undergo PVE proceed with the scheduled hepatic resection procedure, so it is a great advantage that gelatin sponge causes minimal damage compared with other embolizing materials such as cyanoacrylate and absolute ethanol, which have been reported to induce an inflammatory reaction or histological alteration. Our multiple regression analysis showed that three factors, diabetes mellitus, a high total bilirubin level at the time of PVE, and being male, each reduced the extent of hypertrophy in the nonembolized lobe (r2 =.30). By contrast, cholestasis appeared to accelerate the process of atrophy in the embolized lobe (r2 =.16). In conclusion, PVE by gelatin sponge powder is a safe and effective preoperative maneuver that induces hypertrophy of the section of the liver that will remain after partial hepatectomy.
Modeling Gimbal Axis Misalignments and Mirror Center Offset in a Single-Beam Laser Tracking Measurement System (1995)

The calibration of robots and machine tools normally requires external pose measuring devices to provide precision cal ibration measurement data. Among the various coordinate measuring techniques, laser tracking systems based on in terferometry offer the potential for continuously producing noninvasive and highly accurate measurements over a large work volume. This article addresses the error modeling is sue for laser tracking coordinate measuring systems, which is crucial in the accuracy enhancement of such systems. Relative distance measurements provided by laser interfer ometers have an extremely high resolution. However, accuracy errors of a coordinate measuring machine based on laser tracking are dominated by geometric errors in the tracking mir ror system. Major geometric error sources include gimbal axis misalignments and mirror center offset. In this article a kine matic model for the single-beam tracker is developed in which a necessary and sufficient number of kinematic parameters are used to represent these two types of error sources for ar bitrary target positions. This model, together with its error model, which is also presented in this article, can be used for design, calibration, and control of single-beam laser tracking measurement systems.
Bifunctional silica nanoparticles for the exploration of biofilms of<i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> (2013)

Luminescent silica nanoparticles are frequently employed for biotechnology applications mainly because of their easy functionalization, photo-stability, and biocompatibility. Bifunctional silica nanoparticles (BSNPs) are described here as new efficient tools for investigating complex biological systems such as biofilms. Photoluminescence is brought about by the incorporation of a silylated ruthenium(II) complex. The surface properties of the silica particles were designed by reaction with amino-organosilanes, quaternary ammonium-organosilanes, carboxylate-organosilanes and hexamethyldisilazane. BSNPs were characterized extensively by DRIFT, (13)C and (29)Si solid state NMR, XPS, and photoluminescence. Zeta potential and contact angle measurements exhibited various surface properties (hydrophilic/hydrophobic balance and electric charge) according to the functional groups. Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) measurements showed that the spatial distribution of these nanoparticles inside a biofilm of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 depends more on their hydrophilic/hydrophobic characteristics than on their size. CLSM observations using two nanosized particles (25 and 68 nm) suggest that narrow diffusion paths exist through the extracellular polymeric substances matrix.
3PHEX: A new surfactant purification technique (2007)

We present a new procedure for purifying nonionic surfactants (alkyl polyglycolethers C i E j ). The method utilizes the well-known phase behavior of ternary systems of water, oil, and nonionic amphiphiles to simultaneously extract water-soluble and oil-soluble impurities. The three-phase extraction technique (denoted as 3PHEX) is easy to apply, it is efficient and yields reproducible results. For surfactants ranging from C6E3 to C18E8, we tabulate the optimal purification conditions.
In vivo accuracy of image guidance performed using optical tracking and optimized registration (2006)

The mean distance between the distal electrode contact and the distal end of the planned trajectory for the 42 targets was 3 +/- 1.5 mm. The most common error was in depth. The author's technique did not involve rigid skull fixation of electrodes because they were subsequently tunneled subcutaneously and later removed at the bedside of the patient. Errors in depth were known to be due to traction at the time of tunneling and not due to stereotactic factors. Correcting for depth along the electrode trajectory, the mean accuracy was found to be 2.4 +/- 1 mm.
Numerical study on source-distance dependency of head-related transfer functions (2009)

This paper investigates the source-distance dependency of head-related transfer functions (HRTFs) on the horizontal and median sagittal planes using the boundary-element method and a dummy head scanned with laser and computer tomography scanners. First, the HRTF spectra are compared among various source positions in a head-centered coordinate system, confirming that the major HRTF spectral features vary with source distance as stated in previous works. Furthermore, the HRTF spectra are compared in an ear-centered coordinate system, revealing how the outer ear angle of incidence affects the source-distance dependency of the HRTFs. Next, the comparison across coordinate systems reveals that the source-distance dependency of the ipsilateral HRTFs on the horizontal plane is mainly attributable to the outer ear angle of incidence, whereas the contralateral HRTFs vary with the source distance mainly due to the head's presence. Finally, results also show that, in an ear-centered coordinate system, the ipsilateral HRTFs do not depend strongly on a source distance greater than 0.2 m from the center of the head, whereas the contralateral HRTFs depend on source distance less than 1.8 m. Results also show that HRTFs on the median sagittal plane depend on a source distance of less than 0.4 m.
A comparison of soft-in/soft-out algorithms for 'turbo-detection' (1998)

In turbo--detection the &quot;turbo principle&quot; is applied to joint equalization and decoding. The performance of a turbo scheme strongly depends on the quality of the soft values passed between the soft--in/soft-- out decoders. In this paper we describe the differences between optimum and suboptimum soft--in/soft--out algorithms for equalization and decoding and compare them in a turbo--detection scheme concerning complexity and performance for perfect and mismatched channel estimation. Furthermore, a possibility to improve the soft--values of suboptimum algorithms which tend to be too optimistic is mentioned. I. INTRODUCTION AND PRINCIPLE OF TURBO--DETECTION The &quot;turbo principle&quot; which was first applied to parallel concatenated convolutional codes (&quot;turbo--codes&quot;) in [1] can be applied to many detection and decoding problems. The idea of turbo--codes is to build a strong code by concatenation of simple component codes so that decoding can be performed in steps using algorithms of managea...
Molecular Biology of Somatostatin Receptors (2007)

The diverse physiological effects of somatostatin are mediated by a family of cell surface receptors that bind somatostatin selectively and with high affinity. The somatostatin receptors are members of the seven transmembrane segment receptor superfamily and molecular cloning studies have identified five types, designated sstr1-5. The human somatostatin receptors vary in size from 364 (sstr5) to 418 (sstr3) amino acids with 46-61% amino acid identity between receptors, and 105 amino acids are invariant. The sequences of the seven putative alpha-helical membrane-spanning domains are more highly conserved than those of the extracellular N- and intracellular C-terminal domains. Two forms of sstr2 have been identified in the mouse, sstr2A and sstr2B, which differ in size and sequence of the intracellular C-terminal domain. These two forms of sstr2 are products of a common gene and are generated by alternative splicing with sstr2A and sstr2B being the products of the unspliced and spliced forms, respectively, of sstr2 mRNA. Thus, functional diversity within the somatostatin receptor family may result from the expression of multiple types as well as from alternative splicing. The five somatostatin receptors have distinct patterns of expression in the central nervous system and peripheral tissues. They have also been expressed in vitro and shown to have different pharmacological properties. Somatostatin analogues selective for sstr2, sstr3 and sstr5 have been identified which will facilitate in vivo studies of the functions of these somatostatin receptors. Such studies to date suggest that sstr2 mediates inhibition of growth hormone secretion and sstr5 mediates inhibition of insulin secretion. The molecular cloning and functional characterization of the somatostatin receptor family is a first step in elucidating the diverse effects of somatostatin on cellular functions.
Characterization of a catalytically efficient acidic RNA-cleaving deoxyribozyme (2005)

We previously demonstrated--through the isolation of RNA-cleaving deoxyribozymes by in vitro selection that are catalytically active in highly acidic solutions--that DNA, despite its chemical simplicity, could perform catalysis under challenging chemical conditions [Liu,Z., Mei,S.H., Brennan,J.D. and Li,Y. (2003) J. Am. Chem. Soc. 125, 7539-7545]. One remarkable DNA molecule therefrom is pH4DZ1, a self-cleaving deoxyribozyme that exhibits a k(obs) of approximately 1 min(-1) at pH 3.8. In this study, we carried out a series of experiments to examine the sequence and catalytic properties of this acidic deoxyribozyme. Extensive nucleotide truncation experiments indicated that pH4DZ1 was a considerably large deoxyribozyme, requiring approximately 80 out of the original 123 nt for the optimal catalytic activity. A reselection experiment identified ten absolutely conserved nucleotides that are distributed in three catalytically crucial sequence elements. In addition, a trans deoxyribozyme was successfully designed. Comparison of the observed rate constant of pH4DZ1 with experimentally determined rate constant for the uncatalyzed reaction revealed that pH4DZ1 achieved a rate enhancement of approximately 10(6)-fold. This study provides valuable information about this low-pH-functional deoxyribozyme and paves way for further structural and mechanistic characterization of this unique catalytic DNA.