gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
A Secure AI-Driven Architecture for Automated Insurance Systems: Fraud Detection and Risk Measurement (2020)

The private insurance sector is recognized as one of the fastest-growing industries. This rapid growth has fueled incredible transformations over the past decade. Nowadays, there exist insurance products for most high-value assets such as vehicles, jewellery, health/life, and homes. Insurance companies are at the forefront in adopting cutting-edge operations, processes, and mathematical models to maximize profit whilst servicing their customers claims. Traditional methods that are exclusively based on human-in-the-loop models are very time-consuming and inaccurate. In this paper, we develop a secure and automated insurance system framework that reduces human interaction, secures the insurance activities, alerts and informs about risky customers, detects fraudulent claims, and reduces monetary loss for the insurance sector. After presenting the blockchain-based framework to enable secure transactions and data sharing among different interacting agents within the insurance network, we propose to employ the extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) machine learning algorithm for the aforementioned insurance services and compare its performances with those of other state-of-the-art algorithms. The obtained results reveal that, when applied to an auto insurance dataset, the XGboost achieves high performance gains compared to other existing learning algorithms. For instance, it reaches 7% higher accuracy compared to decision tree models when detecting fraudulent claims. The obtained results reveal that, when applied to an auto insurance dataset, the XGboost achieves high performance gains compared to other existing learning algorithms. For instance, it reaches 7% higher accuracy compared to decision tree models when detecting fraudulent claims. Furthermore, we propose an online learning solution to automatically deal with real-time updates of the insurance network and we show that it outperforms another online state-of-the-art algorithm. Finally, we combine the developed machine learning modules with the hyperledger fabric composer to implement and emulate the artificial intelligence and blockchain-based framework.
Photogranulation in a Hydrostatic Environment Occurs with Limitation of Iron (2021)

Filamentous cyanobacteria are an essential element of oxygenic photogranules for granule-based wastewater treatment with photosynthetic aeration. Currently, mechanisms for the selection of this microbial group and their development in the granular structure are not well understood. Here, we studied the characteristics and fate of iron in photogranulation that proceeds in a hydrostatic environment with an activated sludge (AS) inoculum. We found that the level of Fe in bulk liquids (Fe<sub>BL</sub>) sharply increased due to the decay of the inoculum but quickly diminished along with the bloom of microalgae and the advent of the oxic environment. Iron linked with extracellular polymeric substances (Fe<sub>EPS</sub>) continued to decline but reached steady low values, which occurred along with the appearance of granular structure. Strong negative correlations were found between Fe<sub>EPS</sub> and the pigments specific for cyanobacteria. Spectroscopies revealed the presence of amorphous ferric oxides in pellet biomass, which seemed to remain unaltered during the photogranulation process. These results suggest that the availability of Fe<sub>EPS</sub> in AS inoculums-after algal bloom-selects cyanobacteria, and the limitation of this Fe pool becomes an important driver for cyanobacteria to granulate in a hydrostatic environment. We therefore propose that the availability of iron has a strong influence on the photogranulation process.
Silicon Micromachines for Lightwave Networks (1999)

Silicon micromechanics is an emerging field which is beginning to impact almost every area of science and technology. In areas as diverse as the chemical, automotive, aeronautical, cellular and optical communications industries, Silicon micromachines are becoming the solution of choice for many problems. In my talk I will describe what they are, how they are buillt and show how they have the potential to revolutionize lightwave systems. Devices such as optical switches, variable attenuators, active equalizers, add/drop multiplexers, optical crossconnects, gain tilt equalizers, data transmitters and many others are beginning to find ubiquitous application in advanced lightwave systems. I will show examples of these devices and describe some of the challenges in attacking the billions of dollars in addressable markets for this technology.
Necrostatin‐1 protects against reactive oxygen species (ROS)‐induced hepatotoxicity in acetaminophen‐induced acute liver failure (2014)

Excessive acetaminophen (APAP) use is one of the most common causes of acute liver failure. Various types of cell death in the damaged liver are linked to APAP-induced hepatotoxicity, and, of these, necrotic cell death of hepatocytes has been shown to be involved in disease pathogenesis. Until recently, necrosis was commonly considered to be a random and unregulated form of cell death; however, recent studies have identified a previously unknown form of programmed necrosis called receptor-interacting protein kinase (RIPK)-dependent necrosis (or necroptosis), which is controlled by the kinases RIPK1 and RIPK3. Although RIPK-dependent necrosis has been implicated in a variety of disease states, including atherosclerosis, myocardial organ damage, stroke, ischemia-reperfusion injury, pancreatitis, and inflammatory bowel disease. However its involvement in APAP-induced hepatocyte necrosis remains elusive. Here, we showed that RIPK1 phosphorylation, which is a hallmark of RIPK-dependent necrosis, was induced by APAP, and the expression pattern of RIPK1 and RIPK3 in the liver overlapped with that of CYP2E1, whose activity around the central vein area has been demonstrated to be critical for the development of APAP-induced hepatic injury. Moreover, a RIPK1 inhibitor ameliorated APAP-induced hepatotoxicity in an animal model, which was underscored by significant suppression of the release of hepatic enzymes and cytokine expression levels. RIPK1 inhibition decreased reactive oxygen species levels produced in APAP-injured hepatocytes, whereas CYP2E1 expression and the depletion rate of total glutathione were unaffected. Of note, RIPK1 inhibition also conferred resistance to oxidative stress in hepatocytes. These data collectively demonstrated a RIPK-dependent necrotic mechanism operates in the APAP-injured liver and inhibition of this pathway may be beneficial for APAP-induced fulminant hepatic failure.
Isolation and Characterization of <i>Poa </i><i>p</i> I Allergens of Kentucky Bluegrass Pollen with a Murine Monoclonal Anti-<i>Lol </i><i>p</i> I Antibody (1988)

The Poa p I allergens were isolated from the retentate fraction of a dialyzed preparation of an aqueous extract of Kentucky bluegrass pollen by means of a reverse immunosorbent prepared with a murine anti-Lol p I monoclonal antibody, Mab 290-A-167. By sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and preparative isoelectrofocusing, Poa p I was found to consist of a 35.8-kD component with an isoelectric point of 6.4 and a 33-kD component with one of 9.1 and designated as Poa p Ia (acidic) and Poa p Ib (basic), respectively. The relative protein content of these components was estimated from the intensity of the stained bands following sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Thus, Poa p Ia appeared to be the major protein constituent, and on Western immunoblot it also bound the monoclonal antibody to a greater extent than Poa p Ib. On the other hand, Poa p Ib was shown by Western immunoblot and autoradiographic analysis, to bind to a greater extent the IgE antibodies present in a pool of sera from grass-allergic individuals. Therefore, Poa p Ib was considered as the major allergenic component of Poa p I. By competitive inhibition of the radioallergosorbent test, it was demonstrated that the Mab inhibited the binding of Poa p I allergens to human IgE antibodies to the extent of 70%. Hence, it is suggested that Mab and human IgE antibodies recognize identical or closely related determinants of Poa p I allergens.
Overexpression of Different Isoforms of Glucosaminyl <i>N</i>-Deacetylase/<i>N</i>-Sulfotransferase Results in Distinct Heparan Sulfate N-Sulfation Patterns (2000)

Functional interactions of heparan sulfate (HS) with selected proteins depend on distinct saccharide sequences which are generated during biosynthesis of the polysaccharide. Glucosaminyl N-deacetylase/N-sulfotransferases (NDSTs) catalyze both the N-deacetylation and N-sulfation reactions that initiate the modification of the (GlcNAc-GlcA)(n) polysaccharide backbone. The N-acetyl/N-sulfate exchange is restricted to certain regions of the polysaccharide chains, and only these can be further modified by glucuronyl C5-epimerization and O-sulfation at various positions. To investigate whether NDST isoforms influenced differently the structure of HS, murine NDST-1 was overexpressed in human kidney 293 cells, and the structure of the HS produced was compared to HS from NDST-2 overexpressing cells [Cheung, W. F., Eriksson, I., Kusche-Gullberg M., Lindahl, U., and Kjellén, L. (1996) Biochemistry 35, 5250-5256]. The level of N-sulfation increased from 40% in control cells to 60% and 80%, respectively, in NDST-1 and NDST-2 transfected cells. Interestingly, the increase in N-sulfation was accompanied by an increased chain length, while no effect on IdoA content or O-sulfation was seen. The most extended N-sulfated domains were found in HS synthesized by NDST-2 transfected cells. Since both the N-deacetylase and the N-sulfotransferase activities were lower in these cells than in the NDST-1 overexpressing cells, we conclude that, in addition to the level of enzyme expression, the NDST isoform also is important in determining the N-sulfation pattern in HS.
Phosphorus Dynamics: From Soil to Plant (2011)

With increasing demand of agricultural production and as the peak in global production will occur in the next decades, phosphorus (P) is receiving more attention as a nonrenewable resource ([Cordell et al., 2009][1]; [Gilbert, 2009][2]). One unique characteristic of P is its low availability due to
Neural Progenitor Cells (2013)

The discovery of stem and progenitor cells in the adult mammalian CNS challenged the long standing "no new neuron" doctrine and opened the door to the potential for cell replacement therapy. The proce
“Drugs was My Solution -- My Problem was Life”: Heroin Addiction and the Life Course Perspective (2016)

Heroin and other opiate dependencies affect individual users, interpersonal relationships, and communities. The purpose of this qualitative study was to better understand risk factors of heroin dependence by examining the life course paths of individuals who have been through addiction, treatment, and are currently in recovery. In-depth interviews were conducted with five participants in recovery. Participant narratives suggest that early childhood experiences, specifically parental abuse and social rejection, combined with substance abuse as a model for coping, influenced the development of addiction. Social support and self-awareness during and after treatment were effective components of sustaining recovery.
Enzyme function and control during conversion of grain starches to fermentable sugars (1982)

The use of dry extruders in cooking grains for fermentation has been investigated. It is possible to consistently achieve better conversion than with standard batch methods. Best performance is achieved at high temperature and low moisture content. The affect of substrate concentration, dextrose equivalence, and agitation on conversion of starch to sugar by enzymes has been investigated. The affect of alcohol and fungicides on conversion is reported. Enzyme kinetics are defined and discussed.
Gene-Specific DNA Methylation Changes Predict Remission in Patients with ANCA-Associated Vasculitis (2016)

ANCA-associated vasculitis is an autoimmune condition characterized by vascular inflammation and organ damage. Pharmacologically induced remission of this condition is complicated by relapses. Potential triggers of relapse are immunologic challenges and environmental insults, both of which associate with changes in epigenetic silencing modifications. Altered histone modifications implicated in gene silencing associate with aberrant autoantigen expression. To establish a link between DNA methylation, a model epigenetic gene silencing modification, and autoantigen gene expression and disease status in ANCA-associated vasculitis, we measured gene-specific DNA methylation of the autoantigen genes myeloperoxidase (<i>MPO</i>) and proteinase 3 (<i>PRTN3</i>) in leukocytes of patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis observed longitudinally (<i>n</i>=82) and of healthy controls (<i>n</i>=32). Patients with active disease demonstrated hypomethylation of <i>MPO</i> and <i>PRTN3</i> and increased expression of the autoantigens; in remission, DNA methylation generally increased. Longitudinal analysis revealed that patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis could be divided into two groups, on the basis of whether DNA methylation increased or decreased from active disease to remission. In patients with increased DNA methylation, <i>MPO</i> and <i>PRTN3</i> expression correlated with DNA methylation. Kaplan-Meier estimate of relapse revealed patients with increased DNA methylation at the <i>PRTN3</i> promoter had a significantly greater probability of a relapse-free period (<i>P</i><0.001), independent of ANCA serotype. Patients with decreased DNA methylation at the <i>PRTN3</i> promoter had a greater risk of relapse (hazard ratio, 4.55; 95% confidence interval, 2.09 to 9.91). Thus, changes in the DNA methylation status of the <i>PRTN3</i> promoter may predict the likelihood of stable remission and explain autoantigen gene regulation.
Poly(styrene)‐Supported Co–Salen Complexes as Efficient Recyclable Catalysts for the Hydrolytic Kinetic Resolution of Epichlorohydrin (2005)

Here we describe an unprecedented synthetic approach to poly(styrene)-supported chiral salen ligands by the free radical polymerization of an unsymmetrical styryl-substituted salen monomer (H2salen = bis(salicylidene)ethylenediamine). The new method allows for the attachment of salen moieties to the polymer main chain in a flexible, pendant fashion, avoiding grafting reactions that often introduce ill-defined species on the polymers. Moreover, the loading of the salen is controlled by the copolymerization of the styryl-substituted salen monomer with styrene in different ratios. The polymeric salen ligands are metallated with cobalt(II) acetate to afford the corresponding supported Co-salen complexes, which are used in the hydrolytic kinetic resolution of racemic epichlorohydrin, exhibiting high reactivity and enantioselectivity. Remarkably, the copolymer-supported Co-salen complexes showed a better catalytic performance (>99 % ee, 54 % conversion, one hour) in comparison to the homopolymeric analogues and the small molecule Co-salen complex. The soluble poly(styrene)-supported catalysts were recovered by precipitation after the catalytic reactions and were recycled three times to afford almost identical enantiomeric excesses as the first run, with slightly reduced reaction rates.
Iterative channel estimation and decoding for a turbo-coded OFDM system via the EM algorithm (2002)

This paper proposes an OFDM receiver that iteratively estimates the channel during the iterative decoding process of a serially-concatenated code. To track a slowly time-varying channel, the receiver can update the channel estimate using decision-direction based on soft symbols to mitigate error propagation. When the channel changes so quickly that decision-directed updates cannot keep up, the receiver re-estimates the channel during the decoding process using the EM algorithm based on the transmitted symbol probabilities provided by the turbo decoder. The EM algorithm is used to approximate a maximum likelihood solution given the distribution of the transmitted symbols. With this technique, the iterative process of the EM algorithm is naturally combined with the decoding iteration. Improved coded performance is observed for both static and fast time-varying channels.
Spatial Memory Formation and Memory-Enhancing Effect of Glucose Involves Activation of the Tuberous Sclerosis Complex–Mammalian Target of Rapamycin Pathway (2006)

The tuberous sclerosis complex-mammalian target of rapamycin (TSC-mTOR) cascade integrates growth factor and nutritional signals to regulate the synthesis of specific proteins. Because both growth factor signaling and glucose have been implicated in memory formation, we questioned whether mTOR activity is required for long-term spatial memory formation and whether this cascade is involved in the memory-augmenting effect of centrally applied glucose. To test our hypothesis, we directly administered rapamycin (an inhibitor of mTOR), glucose, 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide-1beta-4-ribonucleoside (AICAR; an activator of AMP kinase), or glucose plus rapamycin into the dorsal hippocampus after we trained rats in the Morris water maze task. The results from these studies indicate that glucose enhances, whereas AICAR and rapamycin both impair, long-term spatial memory. Furthermore, the memory-impairing effect of targeted rapamycin administration could not be overcome by coadministration of glucose. Consistent with these behavioral results, biochemical analysis revealed that glucose and AICAR had opposing influences on the activation of the TSC-mTOR cascade, as indicated by the phosphorylation of ribosomal S6 kinase (S6K) and 4E binding protein 1 (4EBP1), targets of mTOR. Together, these findings suggest that memory formation requires the mTOR cascade and that the memory-enhancing effect of glucose involves its ability to activate this pathway.
Quasi-polarization-independent Mach-Zehnder coherence modulator/demodulator integrated in Z-propagating lithium niobate (1994)

We present in this paper recent results obtained in the area of coherence multiplexing and integrated optics. It is well known that coherence multiplexing requires two-wave interferometric modulators featuring large optical delays. We report a system formed by a pair of Mach-Zehnder interferometers integrated in a Z-propagating lithium niobate crystal, suitable for quasi-polarization-independent transmissions of signals by coherence modulation. The behavior and the working conditions are presented for the TE and TM polarization states of the light.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">></ETX>
Toward dialogue in the classroom: Learning and Teaching through Inquiry (2005)

There is increasing agreement among those who study classrooms that learning is likely to be most effective when students are actively involved in the co-construction of meaning through discussion of topics that are of significance to them. This paper reports the results of an extended collaborative action research project in which teachers attempted to create the conditions for such discussion by adopting an inquiry approach to the curriculum. A quantitative comparison between observations made early and late in the teachers’ involvement in the project showed a number of significant changes in the characteristics of teacher-whole class discourse, with a shift toward a more dialogic mode of interaction. Nevertheless, the frequency of stretches of “true discussion”, as defined by Nystrand et al. (2002), remained low. When the same observations were examined qualitatively, however, there was clear evidence of an increase over time in the teachers’ success in engaging students in co-constructing accounts and explanations. The paper concludes with a reconsideration of the purpose of “dialogue” in the classroom and of teachers’ goals and strategies in trying to achieve it.
Learning the language of viral evolution and escape (2021)

The ability for viruses to mutate and evade the human immune system and cause infection, called viral escape, remains an obstacle to antiviral and vaccine development. Understanding the complex rules that govern escape could inform therapeutic design. We modeled viral escape with machine learning algorithms originally developed for human natural language. We identified escape mutations as those that preserve viral infectivity but cause a virus to look different to the immune system, akin to word changes that preserve a sentence's grammaticality but change its meaning. With this approach, language models of influenza hemagglutinin, HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein (HIV Env), and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Spike viral proteins can accurately predict structural escape patterns using sequence data alone. Our study represents a promising conceptual bridge between natural language and viral evolution.
In vitro embryo culture in the production of identical merino lambs by nuclear transplantation (1990)

This study examined the viability of embryos developed in vitro from 8- to 16-cell stage blastomeres fused with enucleated oocytes. Of 209 blastomeres recovered and subjected to manipulation and electrofusion procedures, 190 (91%) fused successfully, with 86 (45%) of those undergoing cleavage up to the 4- to 16-cell stage when cultured for 66 h in a synthetic oviduct fluid medium. The viability of the embryos was examined by transferring them to recipient ewes and determining the ewes' pregnancy status by ultrasound on Day 45. Of 86 embryos transferred, 14 developed to fetuses in 8 of the 36 recipients, including four sets of identical twins and one set of quads. In contrast, with uncultured and unmanipulated embryos, 15 fetuses developed from 19 embryos transferred at a similar stage of development. The viability of embryos derived from manipulated zygotes cultured in vitro was comparable to that previously reported for studies employing in vivo culture, indicating the potential of in vitro culture systems based on a simple medium for nuclear-transplantation embryos.
Pharmacological Management of Chronic Neuropathic Pain – Consensus Statement and Guidelines from the Canadian Pain Society (2007)

Neuropathic pain (NeP), generated by disorders of the peripheral and central nervous system, can be particularly severe and disabling. Prevalence estimates indicate that 2% to 3% of the population in the developed world suffer from NeP, which suggests that up to one million Canadians have this disabling condition. Evidence-based guidelines for the pharmacological management of NeP are therefore urgently needed. Randomized, controlled trials, systematic reviews and existing guidelines focusing on the pharmacological management of NeP were evaluated at a consensus meeting. Medications are recommended in the guidelines if their analgesic efficacy was supported by at least one methodologically sound, randomized, controlled trial showing significant benefit relative to placebo or another relevant control group. Recommendations for treatment are based on degree of evidence of analgesic efficacy, safety, ease of use and cost-effectiveness. Analgesic agents recommended for first-line treatments are certain antidepressants (tricyclics) and anticonvulsants (gabapentin and pregabalin). Second-line treatments recommended are serotonin noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors and topical lidocaine. Tramadol and controlled-release opioid analgesics are recommended as third-line treatments for moderate to severe pain. Recommended fourth-line treatments include cannabinoids, methadone and anticonvulsants with lesser evidence of efficacy, such as lamotrigine, topiramate and valproic acid. Treatment must be individualized for each patient based on efficacy, side-effect profile and drug accessibility, including cost. Further studies are required to examine head-to-head comparisons among analgesics, combinations of analgesics, long-term outcomes, and treatment of pediatric and central NeP.