gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Morphofunctional changes underlying intestinal dysmotility in diabetic RIP-I/hIFNβ transgenic mice (2011)

The pathogenetic mechanisms underlying gastrointestinal dysmotility in diabetic patients remain poorly understood, although enteric neuropathy, damage to interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) and smooth muscle cell injury are believed to play a role. The aim of this study was to investigate the morphological and functional changes underlying intestinal dysmotility in RIP-I/hIFNβ transgenic mice treated with multiple very low doses of streptozotocin (20 mg/kg, i.p., 5 days). Compared with vehicle-treated mice, streptozotocin-treated animals developed type 1 diabetes mellitus, with sustained hyperglycaemia for 3.5 months, polyphagia, polydipsia and increased faecal output without changes in faecal water content (metabolic cages). Diabetic mice had a longer intestine, longer ileal villi and wider colonic crypts (conventional microscopy) and displayed faster gastric emptying and intestinal transit. Contractility studies showed selective impaired neurotransmission in the ileum and mid-colon of diabetic mice. Compared with controls, the ileal and colonic myenteric plexus of diabetic mice revealed ultrastructural features of neuronal degeneration and HuD immunohistochemistry on whole-mount preparations showed 15% reduction in neuronal numbers. However, no immunohistochemical changes in apoptosis-related markers were noted. Lower absolute numbers of neuronal nitric oxide synthase- and choline acetyltransferase-immunopositive neurons and enhanced vasoactive intestinal polypeptide and substance P immunopositivity were observed. Ultrastructural and immunohistochemical analyses did not reveal changes in the enteric glial or ICC networks. In conclusion, this model of diabetic enteropathy shows enhanced intestinal transit associated with intestinal remodelling, including neuroplastic changes, and overt myenteric neuropathy. Such abnormalities are likely to reflect neuroadaptive and neuropathological changes occurring in this diabetic model.
Population, genetic, and antigenic diversity of the apicomplexan<i>Eimeria tenella</i>and their relevance to vaccine development (2015)

The phylum Apicomplexa includes serious pathogens of humans and animals. Understanding the distribution and population structure of these protozoan parasites is of fundamental importance to explain disease epidemiology and develop sustainable controls. Predicting the likely efficacy and longevity of subunit vaccines in field populations relies on knowledge of relevant preexisting antigenic diversity, population structure, the likelihood of coinfection by genetically distinct strains, and the efficiency of cross-fertilization. All four of these factors have been investigated for Plasmodium species parasites, revealing both clonal and panmictic population structures with exceptional polymorphism associated with immunoprotective antigens such as apical membrane antigen 1 (AMA1). For the coccidian Toxoplasma gondii only genomic diversity and population structure have been defined in depth so far; for the closely related Eimeria species, all four variables are currently unknown. Using Eimeria tenella, a major cause of the enteric disease coccidiosis, which exerts a profound effect on chicken productivity and welfare, we determined population structure, genotype distribution, and likelihood of cross-fertilization during coinfection and also investigated the extent of naturally occurring antigenic diversity for the E. tenella AMA1 homolog. Using genome-wide Sequenom SNP-based haplotyping, targeted sequencing, and single-cell genotyping, we show that in this coccidian the functionality of EtAMA1 appears to outweigh immune evasion. This result is in direct contrast to the situation in Plasmodium and most likely is underpinned by the biology of the direct and acute coccidian life cycle in the definitive host.
Serotonergic Neuronal Systems (1987)

A review of the anatomic organization of ascending serotonin projections is followed by recent findings showing that these axonal projections are not diffuse but have an intricate and orderly pattern. The dorsal and median raphe nuclei and the B9 cell group have overlapping but differential projections to all parts of the forebrain. While most raphe projections extensively overlap, the dorsal raphe projects most heavily to frontal cortex and striatum, while the median raphe predominantly innervates hippocampus and septum. Small clusters of raphe cells project in a mosaic pattern to multiple, widely distributed islands of cortex. Yet, a coarse topographic order is preserved in the ascending dorsal raphe projections. Recent studies demonstrate two classes of serotonin axon terminals that differ in axon morphology, cells of origin, regional distribution, and response to psychotropic drugs. Dorsal raphe axons are extremely fine and highly vulnerable to certain neurotoxic amphetamines, e.g., 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine; median raphe axons have large varicosities and are resistant to these mood-elevating drugs. We propose that there are two anatomically and functionally distinct serotonergic projections to cortex and that neurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus appear to play a major role in the control of affective state.
In-depth sequencing of the siRNAs associated with peach latent mosaic viroid infection (2010)

The approach used provided us a quantitative representation of the PLMVd-derived siRNAs retrieved from infected peach trees. These siRNAs account for a relatively large proportion of the small non-coding RNAs. Surprisingly, the siRNAs from some regions of the PLMVd genome appear over-represented, although these regions are not necessarily forming sufficiently long double-stranded structures to satisfy Dicer-like criteria for substrate specificity. Importantly, this large library of siRNAs gave several hints as to the components of the involved silencing machinery.
A Ratiometric Fluorescent Probe for Cysteine and Homocysteine Displaying a Large Emission Shift (2008)

4-(1H-phenanthro[9,10-d]imidazol-2-yl)benzaldehyde 1 was rationally designed as a novel ratiometric fluorescent probe for cysteine and homocysteine. Upon addition of cysteine or homocysteine, notably, the probe displayed a very large (125 nm) hypsochromic shift in emission due to switching off intramolecular charge transfer. This large emission wavelength shift may allow probe 1 to be employed for quantitatively detecting Cys/Hcy.
Advances in the medical management of acute coronary syndromes (1998)

Many advances in the treatment of acute coronary syndromes have been realized over recent years. In ST elevation myocardial infarction, new aggressive thrombolytic regimens improve early reperfusion and improve survival. The current focus is on bolus thrombolysis, glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibition, and low-molecular-weight heparin as adjuncts. In unstable angina and non-ST elevation myocardial infarction, two major advances are IIb/IIIa inhibition and low-molecular-weight heparin, each of which significantly improves the outcome of patients and which have just been approved for use by the Food and Drug Administration. Following acute coronary syndromes, cholesterol lowering with statin drugs has a major effect, even in the large group of patients with average cholesterol levels. Use of clopidogrel, a more potent antiplatelet agent than aspirin, appears to decrease recurrent ischemic events, which has highlighted the potential benefits of oral IIb/IIIa inhibitors, which are much more potent antiplatelet agents. An additional focus has been on ensuring that patients actually receive the currently available medications. With a great number of new medical treatments, the outcome of patients with acute coronary syndromes has improved and will continue to improve as we enter the next millennium.
Stem Cell-Based Microphysiological Osteochondral System to Model Tissue Response to Interleukin-1β (2014)

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic degenerative disease of the articular joint that involves both bone and cartilage degenerative changes. An engineered osteochondral tissue within physiological conditions will be of significant utility in understanding the pathogenesis of OA and testing the efficacy of potential disease-modifying OA drugs (DMOADs). In this study, a multichamber bioreactor was fabricated and fitted into a microfluidic base. When the osteochondral construct is inserted, two chambers are formed on either side of the construct (top, chondral; bottom, osseous) that is supplied by different medium streams. These medium conduits are critical to create tissue-specific microenvironments in which chondral and osseous tissues will develop and mature. Human bone marrow stem cell (hBMSCs)-derived constructs were fabricated in situ and cultured within the bioreactor and induced to undergo spatially defined chondrogenic and osteogenic differentiation for 4 weeks in tissue-specific media. We observed tissue specific gene expression and matrix production as well as a basophilic interface suggesting a developing tidemark. Introduction of interleukin-1β (IL-1β) to either the chondral or osseous medium stream induced stronger degradative responses locally as well as in the opposing tissue type. For example, IL-1β treatment of the osseous compartment resulted in a strong catabolic response in the chondral layer as indicated by increased matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) expression and activity, and tissue-specific gene expression. This induction was greater than that seen with IL-1β application to the chondral component directly, indicative of active biochemical communication between the two tissue layers and supporting the osteochondral nature of OA. The microtissue culture system developed here offers novel capabilities for investigating the physiology of osteochondral tissue and pathogenic mechanisms of OA and serving as a high-throughput platform to test potential DMOADS.
Rheology and Adherence of Pressure-Sensitive Adhesives (2006)

cited By 15
Constructal theory of flow architecture of the lungs (2004)

Here we explain the reasons why we have a bronchial tree with 23 levels ofbifurcation. Based on Bejan's Constructal Principle we found that the best oxygen access to the alveolar tissues as well as carbon dioxide removal is provided by a flow structure composed of ducts with 23 levels of bifurcation (bronchial tree) that ends with spaces (alveolar sacs) from where oxygen diffuses into the tissues. The model delivers the dimensions of the alveolar sac, the total length of the airways, the total alveolar surface area, and the total resistance to oxygen transport inthe respiratory tree. A constructal law also emerges: the length defined by the ratio of the square of the airway diameter to its length is constant for all individuals of the same species and is related to the characteristics of the space allocated to the respiratory process and determines univocally thebranching level of the respiratory tree.
Case Study in Water Shutoff Fluid Placement Using Straddled Through-Tubing Inflatable-Packers Technique (2007)

Abstract Most of the wells in Sabriya Field (Northern Kuwait) produce from reservoirs, where multiple layers are opened to production. Problems related to non-desired water production are drastically affecting the oil production, and have been an ongoing concern. The exclusion of this water represents a challenging task by itself especially in case of multiple zones interval simultaneously producing, and where completion of the wells restricts considerably the convoyed down-hole tools configuration This paper covers water shut off case history of an oil producer that has shown according to the production data an increasing water production figures. The nature of water problem and the fact that the targeted section is located in-between multiple oil producer zones revealed the necessity of a complex thru tubing zonal isolation solution before performing the water shut-off treatment. Temporary coiled tubing conveyed straddle system was created using two thru tubing inflatable packers, isolating the top and bottom perforated zones in order to provide both proper zonal isolation and accurate treatment placement. The post water shut off treatment showed up to 70% water flow reduction from the targeted layer has been achieved.
Robust median filter with adaptive window length (1991)

The authors introduce a novel adaptive median filter algorithm which efficiently exploits the benefits of the variable size data window. The method exploits the noise rejecting properties of the long window sizes and the edge preservation of the short windows. Adaptive window lengths reduce the variance of the filtered signal considerably without degrading the accurate representation of the discontinuities. Finally, a computationally efficient implementation of the proposed adaptive median filter is presented. Examples show that the proposed method outperforms the conventional fixed window length median operators.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">></ETX>
High-sensitive piezoelectrically-transduced silicon disk micro resonator for on-chip human healthcare (2010)

In-home healthcare and smart nursing are highly promoted recently by progress and advances in micro electromechanical systems (MEMS) and wireless sensor network (WSN) technology. In this work, a piezoelectric lead zirconate titanate (PZT) thin film actuated and sensed single crystal silicon disk resonator with excellent system integration capability, low driving voltage and great mechanical quality factor (Q-factor) was successfully developed for trace amount of chemicals detection as well as for recognition of gas molecular from human breath. The Q-factor dependence on geometries of the disk and the PZT pattern was investigated and discussed both in air and under reduced pressure. The equivalent capacitance and resistance of the PZT film at resonant frequency were measured. Applications in on-chip human healthcare are expected after system integration with CMOS and other MEMS components.
The Protective Effects of α-Melanocyte Stimulating Hormone on Canine Brain Stem Ischemia (1997)

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the influence of α-melanocyte stimulating hormone(α-MSH), an anti-inflammatory antagonist of the production and action of proinflammatory cytokines, 26 dogs were divided into four groups and exposed to isolated, reversible brain stem ischemia in the presence or absence of α-MSH treatment. METHODS: Brain stem auditory evoked potentials (BAEPs) and regional cerebral blood flow were measured during ischemia and for 5 hours after reperfusion. Group I was composed of five dogs that underwent surgical preparation only. Group II was composed of seven dogs that were exposed to 20 minutes of ischemia without treatment. Group III was comprised of seven dogs exposed to 20 minutes of ischemia with α-MSH treatment before and during ischemia. Group IV was composed of seven dogs exposed to 20 minutes of brain stem ischemia with α-MSH treatment only during reperfusion. RESULTS: During the ischemic period, BAEPs were abolished in all animals within 10 minutes. With reperfusion, the BAEPs increased to approximately 36% of baseline in Group II dogs that received no treatment. However, this increase was approximately 63% in animals that received α-MSH both before and during ischemia (Group III). In Group IV dogs that received α-MSH only during reperfusion, BAEPs were increased approximately 10 to 14% more than in Group II during the late reperfusion period. CONCLUSION: The improved recovery of BAEPs in dogs treated with α-MSH suggests that this peptide may have neuroprotective effects in brain stem ischemia and reperfusion injury. This effect may be caused by an antagonistic action ofα-MSH on cytokine-induced ischemic brain damage.
TSAC: Enforcing Isolation ofVirtual Machines in Clouds (2014)

Virtualization plays a vital role in building the infrastructure of clouds, and isolation is considered as one of its important features. However, we demonstrate with practical measurements that there exist two kinds of isolation problems in current virtualized systems, due to cache interference in a multi-core processor. That is, one virtual machine could degrade the performance or obtain the load information of another virtual machine, which running on a same physical machine. Then we present a time-sensitive contention management approach (TSAC) for allocating resources dynamically in the virtual machine monitor, in which virtual machines are controlled to share some physical resources (e.g., CPU or page color) in a dynamical manner, in order to enforce isolation between the virtual machines without sacrificing performance of the virtualized system. We have implemented a working prototype based on Xen, evaluated the implemented prototype with experiments, and experimental results show that TSAC could significantly improve isolation of virtualization. Specifically, compared to the default Xen, TSAC could improve the performance of the victim virtual machine by up to about 78 percent, and perform well in blocking its cache-based load information leakage.
A compact Petri net representation for concurrent programs (1995)

This paper presents a compact Petri net representation that is efficient to construct for concurrent programs that use explicit tasking and rendezvous style communication. These Petri nets are based on task int eraction graphs and are called TIG-based Petri nets (TPN)s. They form a compact representation by summarizing the effects of large regions of a program and making useful information about those regions available for program analysis. We present a flexible framework for checking a variety of properties of concurrent programs using the reachability graph generated from a TPN. We present experimental results that demonstrate the benefit of TPNs over alternate Petri net representations and discuss the applicability of Petri net reduction techniques to TPNs.
A Mechanism for Evolving Novel Plant Sesquiterpene Synthase Function (2011)

Plant sesquiterpene synthases, a subset of the terpene synthase superfamily, are a mechanistically diverse family of enzymes capable of synthesizing hundreds of complex compounds with high regio- and stereospecificity and are of biological importance due to their role in plant defense mechanisms. In the current report we describe a large-scale, high-resolution phylogenetic analysis of ∼200 plant sesquiterpene synthases integrated with structural and experimental data that address these issues. We observe that all sequences that cluster together on the phylogenetic tree into well-defined groups share at least the first reaction in the catalytic mechanism subsequent to the initial ionization step and many share steps beyond this down to proton transfers between the enzyme and substrate. Most significant is the previously unreported high conservation of an Asp-Tyr-Asp triad. Due to its high conservation, patterns in the phylogenetic tree as well as experimental and modeling results, we suggest that this Asp-Tyr-Asp triad is an important functional element responsible for many proton transfers to and from the substrate and intermediates along the plant sesquiterpene synthase catalytic cycle and whose position can be tuned by residues outside the active site that can lead to the evolution of novel enzyme function.
Why do trials for Alzheimer’s disease drugs keep failing? A discontinued drug perspective for 2010-2015 (2017)

There are dozens of drugs in development for AD with billions of dollars invested. Despite the massive investment in AD drugs and a burgeoning pipeline, there have been more setbacks and failures than treatment successes. Areas covered: The classes of drugs that have failed to date include the monoclonal antibodies, the gamma secretase inhibitors, dimebon, neurochemical enhancers, and one tau drug. Data for these compounds were sought through a PubMed search and a clinicaltrials.gov search. Expert opinion: The obvious question to be posed is: Why are they failing? Is the treatment of symptomatic dementia too late? Are the therapeutic targets incorrect? Are the clinical methodologies imprecise, misleading, or inaccurate? This review summarizes the drugs that have failed during 2010-2015 and offers possible theories as to why they have failed.
Development of dual bumper wall construction for advanced spacecraft (1971)

This paper describes research and development of the dual bumper wall construction for application to advanced spacecraft. Theoretical penetration mechanics were applied to size single and dual bumper test articles containing various amounts of multilayer insulation. Hypervelocity particle impact testing of candidate wall constructions was completed and the effectiveness established. The dual bumper wall was found to be over twice as efficient as the single bumper wall in resisting complete perforation, for impact velocities where projectile fragmentation occurs and where rear sheet penetration by these fragments is the major source of damage. Quantitative data are presented on the increased penetration resistance afforded by multilayer thermal insulation.
Expression of engineered wheat dwarf virus in seed‐derived embryos (1990)

Delivery of DNA into dry and viable embryos of wheat by imbibition in DNA solution was detected by monitoring the transient expression of chimeric genes. The gene expression vectors used comprise of a neomycin phosphotransferase II (NPT II) reporter gene, under the control of various promoters or as part of a cloned plant virus genome. The genome of wheat dwarf virus (WDV), a monopartite Gemini virus of gramineae, has been used to amplify the NPT II gene in embryos of wheat, thereby leading to high levels of transient expression. Constructions were designed which permitted NPT II expression only if inter‐ or intramolecular recombination had occurred.
Social selection: what does it contribute to social class differences in health? (1993)

Abstract Social selection, or the idea that an individual's health can influence their social mobility and, hence, their position in the social hierarchy, has been suggested as an important element in the process which produces social class differences in health. The present paper examines this idea by drawing together evidence from a range of published research. Direct selection according to health is judged to have little effect on class gradients. The logically distinct idea of indirect selection can be seen most usefully as referring to the accumulation of advantage or disadvantage during life.