gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Biosurface Organic Chemistry: Interfacial Chemical Reactions for Applications to Nanobiotechnology and Biomedical Sciences (2005)

In this review, the field of biosurface organic chemistry is defined and some examples are presented. The aim of biosurface organic chemistry, composed of surface organic chemistry, bioconjugation, and micro- and nanofabrication, is to control the interfaces between biological and non-biological systems at the molecular level. Biosurface organic chemistry has evolved into the stage, where the lateral and vertical control of chemical compositions is achievable with recent developments of nanoscience and nanotechnology. Some new findings in the field are discussed in consideration of their applicability to nanobiotechnology and biomedical sciences.
Propionic acid and its esterified derivative suppress the growth of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus USA300 (2014)

Previously, we demonstrated that Propionibacterium acnes, a human skin commensal bacterium, ferments glycerol into short-chain fatty acids, including propionic acid. Propionic acid suppressed the growth of Staphylococcus aureus USA300, a community-acquired methicillin-resistant bacterium, in vitro and in vivo. In this study, it is demonstrated that the anti-USA300 activity of propionic acid persisted after buffering the acid with 4-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1- piperazineethanesulfonic acid. This suggests that the growth suppression of USA300 mainly resulted from the antimicrobial activity of propionic acid per se and not from the acidity of the medium. In addition, proprionic acid significantly reduced the intracellular pH of USA300 and exhibited broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli and Candida albicans. P. acnes showed a higher tolerance to propionic acid. Next, an esterified derivative of propionic acid was synthesised. Propionic acid and the esterified derivative were equivalent in their efficacy to suppress the growth of USA300 in vitro. The esterified derivative thus provides an alternative to propionic acid as an antimicrobial agent against S. aureus.
Tumor Necrosis Factor α Inhibits Glutamate Uptake by Primary Human Astrocytes (1996)

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is commonly associated with neurological disease that occurs in the apparent absence of extensive infection of brain cells by HIV, suggesting that indirect mechanisms account for neuropathogenesis in the CNS, perhaps including changes in the normal neuroprotective functions of astrocytes. To test this hypothesis, we examined the effect of the pro-inflammatory cytokine, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha), produced by HIV-1-infected macrophages and microglia, on glutamate transport by primary human fetal astrocytes (PHFAs). A dose-dependent inhibition of high affinity glutamate uptake sites was observed 12-24 h after addition of exogenous recombinant human TNFalpha to PHFAs. This effect was specific since it was blocked by a neutralizing monoclonal antibody directed against TNFalpha. Furthermore, the inhibitory effect was reproduced by a monoclonal antibody that is an agonist at the 55-kDa TNF receptor. These results suggest that the neurotoxic effects of TNFalpha may be due in part to its ability to inhibit glutamate uptake by astrocytes, which in turn may result in excitotoxic concentrations of glutamate in synapses.
Electrostatic force microscopy using a quartz tuning fork (2002)

We demonstrate an electrostatic force microscopy based on a quartz tuning fork with 50 nm spatial resolution and 1 pN force sensitivity. We use a tuning fork with a spring constant of 1300 N/m and a Q factor of 3000. A sharpened nickel tip is attached to a prong of the tuning fork as well as electrically connected to the electrode of the prong. By applying a dc bias to the tip, ferroelectric domain patterns are recorded and read out on piezoelectric thin film.
Functional expression of the CXC-chemokine receptor-4/fusin on mouse microglial cells and astrocytes (1997)

The mRNA for the seven-transmembrane-spanning G protein-coupled receptor fusin/CXCR-4 is expressed in primary mouse astrocyte cultures and the transformed mouse microglial cell line, N9. Cell surface expression of fusin in these cells was confirmed by staining with a polyclonal anti-fusin Ab. The functional capacity of this chemokine receptor was examined by evaluating the calcium responses following stimulation of glial cells with the CXC-chemokine, stromal-derived cell factor-1alpha (SDF-1alpha). Both astrocytes and microglial cells mobilized calcium following stimulation with chemically synthesized SDF-1alpha. SDF-1alpha- and carbachol-mediated calcium responses of astrocytes were partially inhibited by treatment with pertussis toxin (PTx), suggesting receptor coupling to a combination of G alpha(i) and other G proteins. In contrast, the calcium responses of microglial cells to SDF-1alpha were completely PTx sensitive, while responses to carbachol stimulation were PTx resistant. The ability of SDF-1alpha to induce glial cell migration was also examined. Synthetic SDF-1alpha was a potent chemoattractant for mouse microglial cells at ligand concentrations of 10 to 500 ng/ml; peak responses were noted at 100 ng/ml. In contrast, astrocytes did not migrate toward a gradient of SDF-1alpha. The failure of SDF-1alpha to induce astrocyte migration was specific, as another chemokine, macrophage inflammatory protein-1alpha, triggered astrocyte chemotaxis.
Posttransfusion Purpura Associated with an Anti-Bakb (1989)

We describe a 46-year-old white woman with typical clinical features of posttransfusion purpura (PTP) whose serum held a platelet-specific alloantibody reactive with an antigen antithetical to Bak^a, i.e. anti-Bak^b. The specificity of the antibody was confirmed by family analysis, a population study (expected versus observed gene frequency: 0.3651 versus 0.3984; n= 105) and localization of the antigen on glycoprotein IIb in radioimmunoprécipitation. Typing of family members and blood donors for platelet antigens disclosed that the patient had been preimmunized by two blood transfusions in 1981, while fetomaternal incompatibility for Bak^b was ruled out (her three children and their father were Bak^b negative). Treatment of PTP with corticosteroids and platelet transfusions was ineffective, but infusion of high-dose intravenous IgG resulted in a rapid increase in the platelet count.
Thermoelectric micro converter for energy harvesting systems (2009)

This paper presents a solution for energy microgeneration through energy harvesting by taking advantage of temperature differences that are converted into electrical energy using the Seebeck effect. A thermoelectric microconverter for energy scavenging systems that can supply low-power electronics was fabricated using thin films of bismuth and antimony tellurides. Thin films of n-type bismuth (Bi2Te3) and p-type antimony (Sb2Te3) tellurides were obtained by thermal coevaporation with thermoelectric figures of merit (ZT) at room temperature of 0.84 and 0.5 and power factors (PF × 10−3 [W · K−1 · m−2]) of 4.87 and 2.81, respectively. The films were patterned by photolithography and wet-etching techniques. The goal for this thermoelectric microconverter is to supply individual electroencephalogram (EEG) modules composed by an electrode, processing electronics, and an antenna, where the power consumption ranges from hundredths of microwatts to a few milliwatts. Moreover, these wireless EEG modules allow patients to maintain their mobility while simultaneously having their electrical brain activity monitored.
EFFECTS OF EXOGENOUS INTERLEUKIN-10 IN A MURINE MODEL OF GRAFT-VERSUS-HOST DISEASE TO MINOR HISTOCOMPATIBILITY ANTIGENS (1994)

IL-10 is a regulatory cytokine of both T cells and monocytes. We have investigated the ability of IL-10 to regulate responses to alloantigens in vitro and in vivo. Addition of IL-10 to mixed lymphocyte cultures profoundly decreased the proliferation and IL-2 production by donor B10.BR cells stimulated with CBA cells expressing minor histocompatibility antigens. Administration of IL-10 for a period of 2 weeks after bone marrow transplantation decreased the expansion of CD4+and CD8+ donor T cells. In addition, splenocytes from BMT mice treated with IL-10 secreted less IFN-γ after stimulation with Con A in vitro. The suppression of the mitogen-driven proliferative response of lymphocytes from the IL-10-treated group could also be reversed with significantly less anti-IFN-γ antibody than for saline-treated controls. However, treatment with IL-10 was not sufficient to alter significantly the clinical course of graft-versus-host disease in CBA recipient mice as assessed by survival, weight loss, and splenomegaly. The results suggest that exogenous IL-10 suppresses the afferent Th1 response in a graft-versus-host reaction but does not significantly diminish the effector stage of graft-versus-host disease.
Amantadine in Senile Dementia: Electroencephalographic and Clinical Effects (1979)

Nineteen patients with senile brain disease (including 2 with parkinsonian symptoms) were treated with amantadine in an oral dosage of 200--300 mg daily. Seven showed definite clinical benefits such as increased alertness and decreased agitation, and 2 others showed slight benefits. However, in only one instance was the benefit maintained without complications. Toxic effects such as overactivity, anxiety and visual hallucinations were observed in 8 patients. Withdrawal effects (e.g., lethargy and staggering) occurred when amantadine was discontinued. The electroencephalograms (EEGs) of all 19 patients showed a frequency increase, chiefly of occipital alpha activity, and sometimes a return to normal, irrespective of clinical changes. Toxic side effects were associated with particularly prominent EEG acceleration. In 10 of the 19 patients, the clinical changes were further validated by by additional psychologic assessments. Although the value of amantadine is limited when given in this way to patients with senile brain disease, it seems important to observe its effects in drug combinations aimed at correction of neurotransmitter imbalances.
Acute elevation of plasma D-dimer levels associated with rupture of an ovarian endometriotic cyst: Case report (2003)

A clinical case that suggested the involvement of blood coagulation cascades in the inflammation reaction induced by leakage of ovarian endometriotic cysts was encountered. Here, a rapid elevation in plasma D-dimer level (119.6 micro g/ml) was observed within 5 h after onset of ovarian cyst rupture. By contrast, the plasma fibrinogen level fell below normal range (105 mg/dl). During the following few days, the plasma D-dimer level fell acutely to approximately normal, while the fibrinogen level gradually increased to a high value (590 mg/dl). In addition, the anti-thrombin III level was slightly reduced on the day after rupture, though the concentration of blood platelets remained unchanged. Three days later, laparoscopic surgery showed the surface of the posterior wall of the uterus and peritoneum of the pelvic wall to be extensively covered with the leaked content of a right ovarian endometriotic cyst. Pathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of endometriotic cyst. In the endometrial stromal region, deposit of D-dimer was detected by immunohistochemical staining. These findings suggest that fibrin-derived degradation products in endometriotic cysts can affect coagulation cascades when they leak into the peritoneal cavity; they may also induce local inflammatory reactions, causing pelvic pain and/or extension of the endometriotic lesion.
Performance of DPSK with Convolutional Encoding on Time-Varying Fading Channels (1977)

The bit error probability performance of a differentiallycoherent phase-shift keyed (DPSK) modem with convolutional encoding and Viterbi decoding on time-varying fading channels is examined. We consider both the Rician and the lognormal channels. Bit error probability upper bounds on fully-interleaved (zero-memory) fading channels are derived and substantiated by computer simulation. It is shown that the resulting coded system performance is a relatively insensitive function of the choice of channel model provided that the channel parameters are related according to the correspondence developed as part of this paper. Finally, a comparison of DPSK with a number of other modulation strategies is provided.
Prevention of lethal respiratory vaccinia infections in mice with interferon-Î± and interferon-Î³ (2003)

The antiviral efficacy of interferons (IFNs) was evaluated using a vaccinia intranasal infection model in mice in this study. We provide evidence that intranasal administration of IFN-alpha and IFN-gamma (days -1 to +3) resulted in 100 and 90% survival against a lethal respiratory vaccinia infection (8 LD50) in mice, respectively; whereas no animals in the placebo group survived through the study period (21 days). The IFN treatment consisted of a single daily dose of 5x10(3) U per mouse for 5 consecutive days. The efficacy of IFN-gamma was evident even when the IFN-gamma treatments started 1-2 days after infection and when a lower dose (2x10(3) U per mouse) was used. The treatment of IFN-alpha and IFN-gamma reduced the virus titers in the lungs of infected mice by 1000-10,000-fold, when the administration started 1 day after infection. Our data suggest that IFN-alpha and IFN-gamma are effective in protecting vaccinia-infected mice from viral replication in lungs and mortality, and may be beneficial in other human orthopoxvirus infections.
Reducing Exposure to High Fluoride Drinking Water in Estonia—A Countrywide Study (2014)

Fluoride is a naturally occurring contaminant in groundwater in Estonia. There are several regions in Estonia with fluoride contents in public water supplies as high as 7 mg/L. Long-term exposure to high-fluoride drinking water may have several adverse health effects, primarily dental fluorosis. The opportunities for exposure reduction rely highly on water treatment technologies. Since 2004 public water suppliers in Estonia have made efforts to diminish fluoride content in drinking water systems. A follow-up study on a country level was carried out in 2004-2012 to analyze the changes in population exposure to excessive (over 1.5 mg/L) fluoride in drinking water and to get information about the reduction methods applied by public water supplies (PWS) to optimize the fluoride levels in public water system. The results showed that bigger PWS have been more effective in fluoride reduction measures than small PWS. The main methods used to lower the fluoride content were reverse osmosis technology and replacement of water sources with new ones (new drilled wells). As a result of all the measures taken the overall high-fluoride exposure has been reduced substantially (82%).
Lipophilic 1,3-xylyl-21-crown-6 macrocyclic polyether 2-carboxylic acids as biological mimics of the ionophore antibiotics (1990)

Twelve lipophilic 1,3-xylyl-21-crown-6 macrocyclic polyether 2-carboxylic acids, two lariat ether 1,3-xylyl-21-crown-6 macrocyclic polyether 2-carboxylic acids, and two 1,3-xylyl-28-crown-8 macrocyclic polyether 2-carboxylic acids were synthesized and tested for in vitro antibacterial activity, in vitro stimulation of rumen propionic acid production, and in vivo anticoccidial activity in chickens. These are biological screens relevant to animal health areas where the ionophore antibiotics such as monensin have found application. While the parent structure 1 without lipophilic substituents was biologically inactive, the lipophilic macrocycles were active in the two in vitro tests but not against chicken coccidiosis. One compound was tested in cattle and was found to increase levels of propionic acid in the rumen fermentation. This effect is considered an important factor for increasing the efficiency of feed utilization in cattle exhibited by the ionophore antibiotic monensin. The alkali ion salts of these lipophilic macrocyclic polyether carboxylic acids are very soluble in organic solvents and insoluble in water. These compounds are proposed to act as ion-transport agents and functional mimics of the ionophore antibiotics in the biological systems described above.
Diagnosis of acute cholecystitis with color Doppler sonography: significance of arterial flow in thickened gallbladder wall. (1994)

The presence of arterial flow in the thickened gallbladder wall is nonspecific and of limited value in the diagnosis of cholecystitis.
Large deletion of the <i>GJB6</i> gene in deaf patients heterozygous for the <i>GJB2</i> gene mutation: Genotypic and phenotypic analysis (2004)

Recent investigations identified a large deletion of the GJB6 gene in trans to a mutation of GJB2 in deaf patients. We looked for GJB2 mutations and GJB6 deletions in 255 French patients presenting with a phenotype compatible with DFNB1. 32% of the patients had biallelic GJB2 mutations and 6% were a heterozygous for a GJB2 mutation and a GJB6 deletion. Biallelic GJB2 mutations and combined GJB2/GJB6 anomalies were more frequent in profoundly deaf children. Based on these results, we are now assessing GJB6 deletion status in cases of prelingual hearing loss.
Digital Image Processing for Medical Applications (2009)

Image processing is a hands-on discipline, and the best way to learn is by doing. This text takes its motivation from medical applications and uses real medical images and situations to illustrate and clarify concepts and to build intuition, insight and understanding. Designed for advanced undergraduates and graduate students who will become end-users of digital image processing, it covers the basics of the major clinical imaging modalities, explaining how the images are produced and acquired. It then presents the standard image processing operations, focusing on practical issues and problem solving. Crucially, the book explains when and why particular operations are done, and practical computer-based activities show how these operations affect real images. All images, links to the public-domain software ImageJ and custom plug-ins, and selected solutions are available from www.cambridge.org/books/dougherty.
Differences in Nucleotide Hydrolysis Contribute to the Differences between Erythrocyte 6-Thioguanine Nucleotide Concentrations Determined by Two Widely Used Methods (2003)

The difference between 6-TGN concentrations measured by the two methods is attributable, at least in part, to differences in the extent of nucleotide hydrolysis. For optimization of thiopurine therapy, method-dependent therapeutic ranges are necessary, which precludes comparison of results from clinical studies derived with these methods. Efforts must therefore be made to standardize the analytical procedures for the determination of 6-TGN.
A SW performance estimation framework for early system-level-design using fine-grained instrumentation (2006)

The increasing demands of high-performance in embedded applications under shortening time-to-market has prompted system architects in recent time to opt for multi-processor systems-on-chip (MP-SoCs) employing several programmable devices. The programmable cores provide a high amount of flexibility and reusability, and can be optimized to the requirements of the application to deliver high-performance as well. Since application software forms the basis of such designs, the need to tune the underlying SoC architecture for extracting maximum performance from the software code has become imperative. In this paper, we propose a framework that enables software development, verification and evaluation from the very beginning of MP-SoC design cycle. Unlike traditional SoC design flows where software design starts only after the initial SoC architecture is ready, our framework allows a co-development of the hardware and the software components in a tightly coupled loop where the hardware can be refined by considering the requirements of the software in a stepwise manner. The key element of this framework is the integration of a fine-grained software instrumentation tool into a system-level-design (SLD) environment to obtain accurate software performance and memory access statistics. The accuracy of such statistics is comparable to that obtained through instruction set simulation (ISS), while the execution speed of the instrumented software is almost an order of magnitude faster than ISS. Such a combined design approach assists system architects to optimize both the hardware and the software through fast exploration cycles, and can result in far shorter design cycles and high productivity. We demonstrate the generality and the efficiency of our methodology with two case studies selected from two most prominent and computationally intensive embedded application domains.
Noise resistant graph ranking for improved web image search (2011)

In this paper, we exploit a novel ranking mechanism that processes query samples with noisy labels, motivated by the practical application of web image search re-ranking where the originally highest ranked images are usually posed as pseudo queries for subsequent re-ranking. Availing ourselves of the low-frequency spectrum of a neighborhood graph built on the samples, we propose a graph-theoretical framework amenable to noise resistant ranking. The proposed framework consists of two components: spectral filtering and graph-based ranking. The former leverages sparse bases, progressively selected from a pool of smooth eigenvectors of the graph Laplacian, to reconstruct the noisy label vector associated with the query sample set and accordingly filter out the query samples with less authentic positive labels. The latter applies a canonical graph ranking algorithm with respect to the filtered query sample set. Quantitative image re-ranking experiments carried out on two public web image databases bear out that our re-ranking approach compares favorably with the state-of-the-arts and improves web image search engines by a large margin though we harvest the noisy queries from the top-ranked images returned by these search engines.
Alcohol, the reward system and dependence (1994)

Evidence is presented to show that multiple neurotransmitter systems of the brain reward systems including GABA, glutamate, dopamine, serotonin and opioid peptides are involved in alcohol reinforcement. Dependence is associated with changes in many of these same systems, but also with changes in other neurotransmitters, such as brain corticotropin releasing factor. A midbrain forebrain circuitry that involves parts of the nucleus accumbens and amygdala is hypothesized to be the focus for the neuropharmacology of alcohol reinforcement.
Toxicology of Hydrogen Sulfide (1992)

Significant progress has been made in determining the action of sulfide on the primary target organs. It is reasonably clear that sulfide causes both K(+)-channel-mediated hyperpolarization of neurons and potentiation of other inhibitory mechanisms. It is not clear whether these processes are similar to those that occur in anoxia. Changes in perinatal and adult brain neurotransmitter content and release may be related to clinical impairment of cognition. H2S exposures at concentrations below the current occupational limits cause physiological changes in pulmonary function, thus suggesting that asthmatics are at risk. Studies of fetal and neonatal brain tissue have shown an abnormal development, and the long-term consequences of these neuronal changes have not yet been assessed. Finally, new approaches to therapy are required, such as the use of agents that actively remove sulfide from its sites of action. This may prove more useful in preventing some of the long-term adverse sequelae than the use of nitrites and hyperbaric O2, although the latter should be used in cases of pulmonary edema.
Framework for IP Performance Metrics (1998)

The purpose of this memo is to define a general framework for
particular metrics to be developed by the IETF's IP Performance
Metrics effort. This memo provides information for the Internet
community. It does not specify an Internet standard of any kind.