gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Patterns of secretion of human chorionic gonadotrophin by superfused placental explants and the embryo — placental relationship following maternal use of medications (1992)

There is great concern regarding maternal exposure to medications, especially in the first trimester of pregnancy because of the possible teratogenic effects. In the present study we have examined the consequences of maternal drug exposure in vivo upon placental secretion patterns of human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) and the relationship between the embryo and placenta in vitro. This was examined in samples obtained from various drug-exposed women following elective pregnancy termination at 8-9 weeks. The patterns of HCG secretion in superfused placental explants were different from those seen in control explants (without use of any medication). This was shown by changes in the pulse pattern and pulse frequency. In addition, the exposure of placental explants to various embryonic tissues modified HCG secretion in static cultures. In superfusion, co-perfusion with embryonic spinal cord tissue increased HCG secretion as opposed to that seen in similar incubations made with embryonic spinal cord tissue obtained from healthy women. Thus, our data suggest that maternal drug exposure alters both spontaneous hormone secretion by the placenta and the recently described embryo--placental relationship in vitro.
Optimal beam size for light delivery to absorption-enhanced tumors buried in biological tissues and effect of multiple-beam delivery: a Monte Carlo study (1997)

Optimal laser light delivery into turbid biological tissues was studied by using Monte Carlo simulations based on the delta-scattering technique. The goal was to deliver efficiently the maximum amount of optical power into buried tumors being treated while avoiding potential damage to normal tissue caused by strong optical power deposition underneath the tissue surface illuminated by the laser beam. The buried tumors were considered to have much higher absorption than the surrounding normal tissue because of selective uptake of the absorption-enhancement dye. The power delivering efficiency to buried tumors was investigated for various diameters of the laser beam. An optimal beam diameter was estimated to achieve the maximum product of the power coupling efficiency and the power delivered to the buried tumor. The distribution of power deposition was simulated for single-beam delivery and multiple-beam delivery as well. The simulated results showed that with an appropriate dye enhancement and an optimal laser delivery configuration, a high selectivity for laser treatment of tumor could be achieved.
Erythropoietin Therapy in Pre-Dialysis Patients with Chronic Renal Failure: Lack of Need for Parenteral Iron (2003)

<i>Background:</i> During erythropoietin therapy, scant information exists regarding the optimal target percent saturation of transferrin (TSAT), ferritin and the mode and amount of iron supplementation in pre-dialysis patients with anemia due to chronic kidney disease (CKD). <i>Hypothesis:</i> Pre-dialysis CKD patients may have different needs for iron supplementation than end-stage renal disease subjects during erythropoietin therapy. <i>Methods:</i> Retrospective analysis of pre-dialysis CKD subjects (n = 31) treated with erythropoietin at our institution. <i>Results:</i> In this population our results showed that target hematocrit (33–36%) was achievable with erythropoietin (mean subcutaneous dose 86 ± 17 [SD] units/kg/week) without parenteral iron therapy. The hematocrit increased from a mean baseline value of 28.4 ± 2.7 to 33.6 ± 3.4% at time 1 (4–9 weeks, p < 0.0001), and to 37.7 ± 4.5% at time 2 (10–20 weeks, p < 0.0001). The hemoglobin concentration increased from 9 ± 0.9 g/dl at baseline to 10.7 ± 1.1 g/dl at time 1 (p < 0.0001) and to 12 ± 1.5 g/dl at time 2 (p < 0.0001). Subgroup analyses of patients prescribed <200 mg oral elemental iron per day (n = 10), those with TSAT <20% and/or ferritin <100 ng/ml (n = 19), and those prescribed erythropoietin <80 units/kg/week (n = 12), all showed a significant increase in hematocrit and hemoglobin. <i>Conclusions:</i> Our data show that pre-dialysis CKD subjects respond adequately to erythropoietin at or lower than recommended erythropoietin doses without parenteral iron. This response extends even to subgroups with TSAT and/or ferritin levels deemed to indicate iron deficiency in CKD subjects, and may be due to lack of existence of functional iron deficiency in this group of patients.
Neuropathic pain in spinal cord injury: significance of clinical and electrophysiological measures (2009)

A large percentage of spinal cord-injured subjects suffer from neuropathic pain below the level of the lesion (bNP). The neural mechanisms underlying this condition are not clear. The aim of this study was to elucidate the general effects of spinal deafferentiation and of bNP on electroencephalographic (EEG) activity. In addition, the relationship between the presence of bNP and impaired function of the spinothalamic tract was studied. Measurements were performed in complete and incomplete spinal cord-injured subjects with and without bNP as well as in a healthy control group. Spinothalamic tract function, assessed by contact heat evoked potentials, did not differ between subjects with and without bNP; nevertheless, it was impaired in 94% of subjects suffering from bNP. In the EEG recordings, the degree of deafferentiation was reflected in a slowing of EEG peak frequency in the 6-12-Hz band. Taking into account this unspecific effect, spinal cord-injured subjects with bNP showed significantly slower EEG activity than subjects without bNP. A discrimination analysis in the subjects with spinothalamic tract dysfunction correctly classified 84% of subjects as belonging to either the group with bNP or the group without bNP, according to their EEG peak frequency. These findings could be helpful for both the development of an objective diagnosis of bNP and for testing the effectiveness of new therapeutic agents.
Effect of Temperature on Pyrolysis Products from Biomass (2007)

In this work, biomass samples were converted to char, liquid, and gaseous products using pyrolysis process at different temperatures. The amount of char from pyrolysis of the biomass samples decreases with increasing the pyrolysis temperature. The highest liquid yields were obtained from the biomass samples between 650 and 800 K. The yield of char and the chemical composition of char can be calculated as functions of the pyrolysis temperature. There have been numerous other mathematical equations, which were created based on data from the physical or chemical compositions, proximate or ultimate analysis of the biomass fuels. The char components and higher heating values (HHVs) of biomass fuels were correlated with pyrolysis temperatures. There were highly significant linear correlation between the pyrolysis temperature of the biomass fuel and the fixed carbon content and HHV of char. The fixed carbon (FC) and HHV (MJ/kg) of the char from biomass as a linear function of pyrolysis temperature (T, K) was calculated using the following equations: For Eqs. (Equationa) and (Equationb) the correlation coefficients (r) were 0.9809 and 0.9983, respectively. Keywords: biomasschargaseous productliquidpyrolysistemperature Notes a MSW: Municipal solid waste.
RADIATION ACCIDENT DOSIMETRY ON PLASTICS BY EPR SPECTROMETRY (2010)

In case of acute exposure to ionizing radiation, the dose absorbed by the victims has to be rapidly and accurately assessed in order to choose an appropriate medical treatment. Tooth enamel and bone biopsies measured by EPR spectrometry are often used as dose indicators, due to the good radiation sensitivity and the stability of EPR radiation-sensitive signals. Nevertheless, the invasive sampling of teeth and bones limits the application of this technique to retrospective dosimetry. Therefore, we have investigated an alternative non-invasive methodology. We have surveyed with EPR spectrometry the dosimetric properties of the plastics that can be found in personal effects such as glasses (CR-39, polycarbonate), mobile phones (PMMA, polycarbonate), watches and buttons. Dose response, signal stability and effects of storage conditions were investigated. Significant signal fading limits the use for radiation accident dosimetry. Few plastics present the required characteristics to be used in case of a radiation accident.
In vivo recognition of Bacillus subtilis by desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (DESI-MS) (2009)

Desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (DESI-MS) of culture of the bacterium Bacillus subtilis as a biofilm growing on agar nutrient gives simple, high quality mass spectra dominated in both the positive and negative ion modes by signals due to the cyclic lipopeptide, Surfactin(C15). This in vivo experiment, performed by direct analysis of untreated microorganism samples under ambient conditions, allows rapid identification of this microorganism and the antibiotics that it produces. The result is suggestive of the capabilities of DESI-MS for in vivo microorganism characterization in general and for monitoring fermentation processes for the production of antibiotics and other biochemicals.
Novel Mycosin Protease MycP<sub>1</sub> Inhibitors Identified by Virtual Screening and 4D Fingerprints (2014)

The rise of drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis lends urgency to the need for new drugs for the treatment of tuberculosis (TB). The identification of a serine protease, mycosin protease-1 (MycP₁), as the crucial agent in hydrolyzing the virulence factor, ESX-secretion-associated protein B (EspB), potentially opens the door to new tuberculosis treatment options. Using the crystal structure of mycobacterial MycP₁ in the apo form, we performed an iterative ligand- and structure-based virtual screening (VS) strategy to identify novel, nonpeptide, small-molecule inhibitors against MycP₁ protease. Screening of ∼485,000 ligands from databases at the Genomics Research Institute (GRI) at the University of Cincinnati and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) using our VS approach, which integrated a pharmacophore model and consensus molecular shape patterns of active ligands (4D fingerprints), identified 81 putative inhibitors, and in vitro testing subsequently confirmed two of them as active inhibitors. Thereafter, the lead structures of each VS round were used to generate a new 4D fingerprint that enabled virtual rescreening of the chemical libraries. Finally, the iterative process identified a number of diverse scaffolds as lead compounds that were tested and found to have micromolar IC₅₀ values against the MycP₁ target. This study validated the efficiency of the SABRE 4D fingerprints as a means of identifying novel lead compounds in each screening round of the databases. Together, these results underscored the value of using a combination of in silico iterative ligand- and structure-based virtual screening of chemical libraries with experimental validation for the identification of promising structural scaffolds, such as the MycP₁ inhibitors.
<i>Antigen‐specific Apheresis of Pathogenic Autoantibodies from Myasthenia Gravis Sera</i> (2008)

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is usually caused by autoantibodies against muscle nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (AChR), which is composed of five subunits (alpha(2)betagammadelta or alpha(2)betaepsilondelta). Current treatments, including plasmapheresis, are nonspecific, causing several side effects. We aim to develop an antigen-specific alternative to plasmapheresis, since the latter removes indispensable plasma components in addition to anti-AChR antibodies. We are developing a method for the selective depletion of the anti-AChR autoantibodies from patients' plasma through the construction of "immunoadsorbent" columns carrying AChR domains. We have expressed the extracellular domains (ECDs, amino acids approximately 1-210/220) of all human muscle AChR subunits in Pichia pastoris and, in preliminary experiments, in E. coli. The ECDs were immobilized (individually or mixed) on Sepharose beads, producing Sepharose-ECD columns, which were tested for their immunoadsorbing capacity on MG sera and shown to specifically eliminate major autoantibody fractions from several MG sera. The immobilized ECDs remained stable and did not dissociate from their matrix after incubation with serum, whereas the procedure was neither toxic nor immunogenic in two experimental rabbits. Testing the intact or antibody-depleted MG sera and the affinity purified autoantibodies showed that both the intact sera and the purified autoantibodies, but not the antibody-depleted sera, could induce AChR loss in cell cultures and experimental MG in rats. This preliminary study suggests that the myasthenic potency of MG sera is entirely due to their anti-AChR antibodies and therefore their depletion should be of therapeutic value. We conclude that ECD-mediated immunoadsorption can be used as an efficient, antigen-specific therapy for MG.
Subthreshold micropulse diode laser treatment in diabetic macular oedema (2004)

Subthreshold micropulse diode laser and conventional argon laser treatment showed an equally good effect on visual acuity. Subthreshold micropulse diode laser showed a stabilising or even improving effect on macular oedema. The combination of primary diode laser and supplementary argon laser might be particularly favourable in reducing diabetic macular oedema.
Resistive ribbon thermal transfer printing: A historical review and introduction to a new printing technology (1985)

This paper describes a new high-quality thermal transfer printing process in which a printhead consisting of a linear array of small-diameter electrodes produces highly localized Joule heating of a resistive thermal transfer printing ribbon. The heat generated in the resistive ribbon results in the melting of a thermoplastic ink which is then transferred to a printable medium, such as paper, by contact. The origins of the technology in IBM are discussed, together with a description of the resistive ribbon materials and structure, the printhead, and some experimental printer performance values.
Pharmacology and clinical potential of guanylyl cyclase C agonists in the treatment of ulcerative colitis (2013)

Agonists of the transmembrane intestinal receptor guanylyl cyclase C (GCC) have recently attracted interest as promising human therapeutics. Peptide ligands that can specifically induce GCC signaling in the intestine include endogenous hormones guanylin and uroguanylin, diarrheagenic bacterial enterotoxins (ST), and synthetic drugs linaclotide, plecanatide, and SP-333. These agonists bind to GCC at intestinal epithelial surfaces and activate the receptor's intracellular catalytic domain, an event initiating discrete biological responses upon conversion of guanosine-5'-triphosphate to cyclic guanosine monophosphate. A principal action of GCC agonists in the colon is the promotion of mucosal homeostasis and its dependent barrier function. Herein, GCC agonists are being developed as new medications to treat inflammatory bowel diseases, pathological conditions characterized by mucosal barrier hyperpermeability, abnormal immune reactions, and chronic local inflammation. This review will present important concepts underlying the pharmacology and therapeutic utility of GCC agonists for patients with ulcerative colitis, one of the most prevalent inflammatory bowel disease disorders.
What can missing correspondences tell us about 3D structure and motion? (2008)

Practically all existing approaches to structure and motion computation use only positive image correspondences to verify the camera pose hypotheses. Incorrect epipolar geometries are solely detected by identifying outliers among the found correspondences. Ambiguous patterns in the images are often incorrectly handled by these standard methods. In this work we propose two approaches to overcome such problems. First, we apply non-monotone reasoning on view triplets using a Bayesian formulation. In contrast to two-view epipolar geometry, image triplets allow the prediction of features in the third image. Absence of these features (i.e. missing correspondences) enables additional inference about the view triplet. Furthermore, we integrate these view triplet handling into an incremental procedure for structure and motion computation. Thus, our approach is able to refine the maintained 3D structure when additional image data is provided.
Bimodality Revisited (2007)

Degree of bimodality is an important feature of a frequency distribution, because it could suggest heterogeneity, such as polarization or two underlying distributions combined into one. The literature contains several measures of bimodality. This article attempts to summarize most of those measures, with their attendant advantages and disadvantages.
Hair Analysis of Fatty Acid Ethyl Esters in the Detection of Excessive Drinking in the Context of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (2009)

A serious challenge in diagnosing fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is the need to document alcohol use during pregnancy. Maternal/paternal alcohol abuse affects the likelihood of fetal alcohol exposure, and hence the occurrence of FASD. The objective of the current study was to document the use of the fatty acid ethyl ester (FAEE) hair test, a biomarker of excessive alcohol use, in parents at risk of having children with FASD and quantify the prevalence of alcohol use in this population. Hair samples submitted for FAEE testing between October 2005 and May 2007 were evaluated (n = 324). Subjects consisted of the parents of at-risk children. Samples were analyzed using a previously published method. Briefly, samples underwent a liquid-liquid extraction, followed by headspace solid phase microextraction, and were then analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry using deuterated FAEE as internal standards. Limit of detection and limit of quantification values were between 0.01-0.04 ng/mg and 0.04-0.12 ng/mg, respectively. Positive levels for excessive drinking were ascertained using a cutoff level of 0.5 ng/mg, offering 90% sensitivity and specificity. The rate of positive hair samples for excessive drinking was 33.3% (32.4% among women and 35.4% among men) (n = 324). The majority of samples (62%) had cumulative FAEE levels above a level that excludes strict abstinence (0.2 ng/mg) and many (19%) were highly positive (above 1.0 ng/mg). Of 26 FAEE hair tests for which women were reported to be pregnant, 38% had FAEE hair levels above 0.2 ng/mg and 19% tested positive for excessive drinking, with levels above 0.5 ng/mg; 12% had levels above 1.0 ng/mg. The high rate of positive FAEE results demonstrates that the FAEE hair test corroborates the clinical suspicion of alcohol use in parents of children at risk for FASD. Our results suggest that FAEE hair analysis may be a powerful tool in detecting excessive alcohol use in the perinatal period.
Distribution in clusters of complement receptor type one (CR1) on human erythrocytes. (1989)

The distribution of CR1 on human E was studied using label-fracture and thin section electron microscopy. CR1 was found to be organized in clusters on unfixed cells and on cells that had been prefixed with paraformaldehyde or glutaraldehyde before labeling. The number of clusters/E ranged from 8 to 20 as estimated from the examination of freeze-fracture replicas of labeled cells. Clusters contained an average of 30 to 75 gold particles on cells from two donors which expressed 462 and 586 CR1 Ag sites/cell, as determined by flow cytometry. In thin section electron micrographs, gold complexes were seen surrounding an electron-dense material protruding from the membrane which represents compact aggregates of CR1. The maximal distance between gold particles and the membrane was 100 nm, which corresponds to the estimated length of the major allotypic form of CR1, as calculated from the primary DNA sequence of the molecule. The distribution in clusters of CR1 on the E membrane may provide the basis for an enhanced affinity of C3b-CR1 interactions on the plasma membrane of the cells and may explain the preferential binding of C3b-bearing immune complexes to E in vivo.
Direct, rapid transfer of estrone from liposomes to microsomes. (1980)

Estrone reaches the active site of microsomal UDPglucuronyltransferase (EC 2.4.1.17)via diffusion through the lipid phase of the microsomal membrane (Zakim, D., and Vessey, D. (
Embedded ECG Based Real Time Monitoring and Control of Driver Drowsiness Condition (2015)

In recent years preventing accidents under drowsiness state has become a major focus for active safety driving. To reduce the accidents rate, it is needed to provide an efficient safety measure. Literature says that, the drowsiness condition of driver is best monitored by using an eye blink sensor (or) fabric electrode (or) ECG Sensor. But by monitoring the drowsiness condition alone, the accidents cannot be avoided, unless vehicle speed is controlled. To overcome this problem, the proposed system is implemented with a handheld hardware model designed with ARM and an embedded electrocardiogram electrode which measures the heart rate of the driver. The electrode is fixed in the right thumb and left index finger of the driver to monitor the drowsiness condition. If the system identifies that the driver is in drowsy state, it follows the sequence of operation like alters the driver by a buzzer, sends a warning signal to the control room, monitor and control the speed of the vehicle by cutting the fuel supply to the engine. In addition to that, the LED fixed at the backside of vehicle alerts the rear vehicles to reduce its speed. The proposed idea verified using Lab VIEW software is also discussed.
Cardiac  1-adrenergic drive in pathological remodelling (2007)

The heart is richly innervated by sympathetic nerves, and both acute and chronic regulation of cardiac function via sympathetically released catecholamines acting on cardiomyocyte adrenergic receptors (ARs), is critical for circulatory homeostasis. Cardiomyocytes express alpha 1A- and alpha 1B-, and beta 1- and beta 2-AR subtypes, which are all members of the G-protein-coupled receptor superfamily that signal via interaction with heterotrimeric G-proteins. Cardiac function - both inotropy and chronotropy - is regulated predominantly by beta 1-AR. Activation of alpha 1-ARs also results in increased contractility, as well as changes in the electrophysiological properties and metabolic responses of the heart. Nonetheless, there is little evidence that cardiac alpha 1-ARs play a major functional role under normal physiological conditions. In pathological settings, alpha 1-ARs may function in a compensatory fashion to maintain cardiac inotropy when the beta-AR system is downregulated and uncoupled from G-proteins and effectors. In addition, as we consider here, recent evidence from clinical studies and from genetically engineered animal models indicates that alpha 1-ARs are importantly involved in both developmental cardiomyocyte growth, as well as pathological hypertrophy. In the presence of pressure overload or with myocardial infarction, activation of alpha 1-ARs, particularly the alpha 1A-subtype, also appears to produce important pro-survival effects at the level of the cardiomyocyte, and to protect against maladaptive cardiac remodelling and decompensation to heart failure.