gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Cortical Networks Grown on Microelectrode Arrays As a Biosensor for Botulinum Toxin (2008)

Botulinum toxin (BoNT) is a potent neurotoxin produced by toxigenic strains of Clostridium botulinum. Botulinum toxin poses a major threat since it could be employed in a deliberate attack on the U.S. food supply. Furthermore, BoNT may be liberated in any insufficiently processed food containing a reduced oxygen atmosphere. Hence, rapid and reliable detection of BoNT in foods is necessary to reduce risks posed through food contamination. We present a BoNT biosensor employing living neural cultures grown in vitro on microelectrode arrays (MEAs). An MEA is a culture dish with a grid of electrodes embedded in its surface, enabling extracellular recording of action potentials of neural cultures grown over the array. Pharmaceutical grade BoNT A was applied to the media bath of mature cortical networks cultured on MEAs. Both spontaneous and evoked activities were monitored over 1 wk to quantify changes in the neural population produced by BoNT A. Introduction of BoNT A resulted in an increased duration and number of spikes in spontaneous and evoked bursts relative to control cultures. Increases were significant within 48 h of BoNT A dosage (P < 0.05). Application of BoNT A also induced unique oscillatory behavior within each burst that is reminiscent of early developmental activity patterns rather than the mature cultures used here. Three or more activity peaks were observed in 50% of the BoNT dosed cultures. Control cultures exhibited only a single activity peak. Thus activity of these cortical networks measured with MEAs could provide a valuable substrate for BoNT detection.
Antinociceptive Activity of New Imidazolidine Carbonyl Derivatives. Part 4. Synthesis and Pharmacological Activity of 8‐Aryl‐3,4‐dioxo‐2H,8H‐6,7‐dihydroimidazo[2,1‐c][1,2,4]triazines. (2005)

Abstract For Abstract see ChemInform Abstract in Full Text.
Transient photoconductivity in a discotic liquid crystal (1993)

Using a time-of-flight technique, different transport mechanisms, deep trapping, multiple shallow trapping, and ideal itrinsic transport, can be observed in the different temperature and phase regions of the liquid-crystalline photoconductor hexapentyloxytriphenylene. The temperature and field dependences of carrier mobilities up to 1\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}3}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$/V s have been determined; this value exceeds considerably the mobilities of the most commonly used organic photoconductors. The experiments reflect a variety of transport phenomena which are novel in the field of liquid-crystalline systems.
Voice conversion based on piecewise linear conversion rules of formant frequency and spectrum tilt (2002)

The paper proposes a new algorithm to convert the speech of one speaker so that it sounds like that of another. To modify formant frequencies and spectral tilt, the algorithm provides piecewise linear conversion rules which make it possible to control spectrum parameters in detail. Because the rules are statistically generated using training data, reliability of the conversion rules are guaranteed, and the rules are automatically generated for any pair of speakers. According to the conversion rules, formant frequencies and spectral tilt are modified by a formant modification algorithm based on the minimization of spectral distortion. Evaluation by listening tests shows that the proposed algorithm makes it possible to convert speaker individuality while maintaining high quality.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">></ETX>
The induction of nitric oxide‐mediated relaxation of human isolated pulmonary arteries by PACAP (1997)

1. The effects of pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating peptide (PACAP) and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) were analysed in human isolated circular segments of pulmonary arteries. Guinea-pig pulmonary arteries were used for comparison. The responses obtained were analysed in relation to the vascular endothelium and the nitric oxide (NO) synthase inhibitor NG-monomethyl L-arginine (L-NMMA). 2. PACAP and VIP induced concentration-dependent relaxations of precontracted pulmonary arteries. The maximal dilator response (Imax, %) and the potency (pEC50 value) were the same for both peptides, and there were no differences in the effects obtained on human and guinea-pig segments. PACAP and VIP were both more potent that acetylcholine (ACh). 3. Removal of the vascular endothelium abolished the PACAP induced dilator response in pulmonary arteries from both species. The VIP induced dilatation was unaffected, whereas the response to ACh was abolished. L-NMMA given before PACAP inhibited the dilatation. Furthermore, L-NMMA also reversed the dilatation already induced by PACAP and excess concentrations of L-arginine restored the dilator response of the L-NMMA treated arteries. 4. PACAP is a potent dilator of human pulmonary arteries. Although the dilator effect seems to be similar in amplitude to the one induced by VIP, the present results suggest differences in the underlying mechanisms of action (endothelium-dependency) between the two peptides.
Wear Testing of Friction Stir Spot Welding Tools for Joining of DP 980 Steel (2011)

This chapter contains sections titled: Introduction Experimental Methods Results and Discussion Summary and Conclusions Acknowledgements
Lack of screening test sensitivity during HIV-1 non-subtype B seroconversions (1996)

The shorter time since HIV infection required for sera to become reactive in third-generation EIA screening tests is due to better sensitivity for subtype B strains only. These results stress the importance of strict donor selection, the need to test screening kits against large panels of all subtypes, and the place of p24 antigen testing in closing the window of seroconversion.
April--June 2013 (2013)

Journal Article April—June 2013 Get access Werner Berg, Werner Berg Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Miklos Mudrony Miklos Mudrony * *Crowell & Moring, 7, Rue Joseph Stevens, 1000 Brussels. Email: WBerg@crowell.com and MMudrony@crowell.com. The authors thank Bastian Wick for his valuable assistance in preparing this report. The text considers information until 12 July 2013. Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Journal of European Competition Law & Practice, Volume 4, Issue 5, October 2013, Pages 445–452, https://doi.org/10.1093/jeclap/lpt051 Published: 01 October 2013
Comicolorization (2017)

We developed Comicolorization, a semi-automatic colorization system for manga images. Given a monochrome manga and reference images as inputs, our system generates a plausible color version of the manga. This is the first work to address the colorization of an entire manga title (a set of manga pages). Our method colorizes a whole page (not a single panel) semi-automatically, with the same color for the same character across multiple panels. To colorize the target character by the color from the reference image, we extract a color feature from the reference and feed it to the colorization network to help the colorization. Our approach employs adversarial loss to encourage the effect of the color features. Optionally, our tool allows users to revise the colorization result interactively. By feeding the color features to our deep colorization network, we accomplish colorization of the entire manga using the desired colors for each panel.
Pulse Spectrum Analysis in 205 Patients with Abnormal Liver Function Test (2006)

Background and Purpose: Pulse analysis is non-invasive and very popular in traditional Chinese medicine clinics. The aim of this study was to evaluate the possibility of pulse diagnosis. Methods: We carried out pulse spectrum analysis on 205 patients with possible liver diseases. Correlation between liver tests, which included T-Bil, D-Bil, SGOT, SGPT, ZTT, Alp, γ-GT, Cho, AIB and AIB/Glo, and ultrasound scanning were analyzed. We used six criteria for pulse diagnosis of liver abnormality to test for correlation. These were (1) C1≧3 and C1+C4≧4 or C1+C6≧4 (in intensity), (2) C1≦-3 (in intensity), (3) C6≧3 and C1+C6≧4 (in intensity. (4) C6≦-2 (in intensity) and C6≦-2 (in phase), (5) C1≧2 and C3≦-2 (in intensity) or C3≦-2 (in phase), and (6) C3≦-2 (in intensity) and C3≦-2 (in phase). For the intensity, C1 (liver) every 5% above normal was given one ”+”, every 5% below normal was given one ”-”. For C3 (spleen), C4 (lung), C6 (gallbladder), every 10% above normal was given one ”+”, every 10% below normal was given one ”-”. For the phase, every 10% delay in the traveling speed of the pressure wave was given one ”-”. Results: Only the ”+”, ”N” (N=normal) and ”-” states were considered, while quantities of ”+” ”-” were neglected. In pulse analysis, there are 311 (from intensity)×311 (from phase)=177, 147×177, 147 possible states (3 qualitative states and 11 harmonics). We considered only six criteria for liver abnormality and the correlation was very high, p＜0.001, Kappa=0.68. Conclusion: The results strongly suggest that pulse diagnosis theory has physiological and pathological importance, and is worthy of further study in the future.
Spermatozoa-like cell invaders (nuclear vlimata) in human neoplasia. (1993)

Spermatozoa-like cells (nuclear vlimata) have been identified in malignant cell cultures and embryonic cells, also common in the cytology and histology of all types of human neoplasia even after chemotherapy. A new mechanism of invasion of malignant cells has been described, according to which neoplastic cells behave and function as parasites using host-cells to divide, survive and eventually produce nuclear vlimata (bullets). Nuclear vlimata are the end cell products of incomplete, unequal, assymetrical division of neoplastic cells. The nuclear vlima exhibits similar morphology to spermatozoa and virus (head with, or without, tail) and invades the cytoplasm and/or nucleus of surrounding host-cells by a similar mechanism to sperm-oocyte interaction (fertilization) or viral cell infection, in the events of nuclear vlima-->tumor-->nuclear vlima-->tumor. The nuclear vlima head contains and transfers DNA, and when incorporated into the host-nucleus is indistinguishable from nucleoli and when in the cytoplasm is similar to sperm pronucleus, observed after sperm penetration of the oocyte. Function of nuclear vlimata is directly dependent on the specific extracellular matrix produced by malignant cells, consisting of glycosaminoglycans-protease-membranes. This mechanism of invasion constitutes the link of all scientific information concerning human neoplasia.
Formation of a disulfide bond in an octreotide-like peptide: A multicenter study (1996)

This chapter describes the formation of a disulfide bond in an octreotide-like peptide. Producing cyclized peptides with the correct structure can be achieved readily by either on-resin or post-cleavage techniques. Post-cleavage techniques are less expensive and provide reasonable yields of the desired product. However, on-resin techniques produce greater yields of the final product, but are more expensive to perform. It is best to use a combination of analytical techniques which complement each other in their ability to detect the correct product and unwanted byproducts. Coded samples of unpurified peptides can be characterized by amino acid analysis (AAA), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS), matrix-assisted, laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS), Edman sequencing, and spectrophotometric analysis following treatment with Ellman's reagent. These methods permit quantitation and evaluation of purity, and a measure of the amount of oxidized peptide.
Insulin-like growth factor-I prevents caspase-mediated apoptosis in Schwann cells (1999)

Both neurons and glia succumb to programmed cell death (PCD) when deprived of growth factors at critical periods in development or following injury. Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) prevents apoptosis in neurons in vitro. To investigate whether IGF-I can protect Schwann cells (SC) from apoptosis, SC were harvested from postnatal day 3 rats and maintained in serum-containing media until confluency. When cells were switched to serum-free defined media (DM) for 12-72 h, they underwent PCD. Addition of insulin or IGF-I prevented apoptosis. Bisbenzamide staining revealed nuclear condensation and formation of apoptotic bodies in SC grown in DM alone, but SC grown in DM plus IGF-I had normal nuclear morphology. The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-K) inhibitor LY294002 blocked IGF-I-mediated protection. Caspase-3 activity was rapidly activated upon serum withdrawal in SC, and the caspase inhibitor BAF blocked apoptosis. These results suggest that IGF-I rescues SC from apoptosis via PI 3-K signaling which is upstream from caspase activation.
Synthesis and conductivity of aromatic benzobisthiazole copolymers with main-chain diphenylamino units (1995)

A series of random rigid-rod benzobisthiazole copolymers containing various amounts of electron-rich diphenylamino groups were successfully synthesized. All the copolymers retained their solution anisotropy in polyphosphoric acid at the typical polymer concentrations (10-15%) from which high strength/high modulus PBZT and PBO fibers were spun. Upon doping with iodine vapor, the conductivity of the copolymers increased by at least 5-7 orders of magnitude (from <10{sup -10} S/cm to 2.0 x 10{sup -5} - 9.6 x 10{sup -4} S/cm). There is a monotonic increase in the electrical conductivity with an increase in the content of the diphenylamino active sites in the polymer backbones. The reverse is true for the thermal and thermo-oxidative stabilities of the copolymers. These results provide strong support to our hypothesis that PBX polymers can be made electrically conductive when easily oxidizable sites are present.
IR laserinduced thermolysis and UV laserinduced photolysis of 1,3diethyldisiloxane: chemical vapour deposition of nanotextured hydridoalkylsilicones (2001)

IR laser thermolysis and UV laser photolysis of gaseous 1,3-diethyldisiloxane proceed via different mechanisms: the former involves 1,1-H2 and ethene elimination, whereas the latter is dominated by 1,1-H2 and ethane elimination. The difference plays an important role in determining the composition of the solid nanotextured films deposited from the gas phase.
Detection of Toxic Compounds by Cavity Ring-Down Spectroscopy (1999)

Sensitive detection of gaseous toxic compounds of environmental concern by cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS) is demonstrated. In particular, CRDS is applied to the detection of nitrogen dioxide and four chlorinated aromatic volatile organic compounds. Detection limits in this feasibility study are in the parts-per-million range, but experimental improvements will enhance the sensitivity to the parts-per-billion range or better. For chlorinated aromatics, the sensitivity is found to be independent of the degree/site of chlorination. In this respect, it is superior to other laser-based methods such as laser-induced fluorescence and resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization that are quite strongly influenced by excited-state nonradiative decay induced by the presence of chlorine substituent(s). In addition, since CRDS is self-calibrating, fairly simple to implement and perfectly general, it promises to be a universal environmental toxic gas detector.
New techniques for efficient sliding thin-slab volume visualization (2001)

High-resolution three-dimensional (3-D) volumetric images obtained by today's radiologic imaging scanners are rich in detailed diagnostic information. Despite the many visualization techniques available to assess such images, there remains information that is challenging to uncover, such as the location of small structures (e.g., mediastinal lymph nodes, narrowed-airway regions). Recently, sliding thin-slab (STS) visualization was proposed to improve the visualization of interior structures. These STS techniques sometimes depend on user opacity specifications or extra preprocessing, and other rendering approaches that use the general STS mechanism are conceivable. We introduce two techniques for STS volume visualization. The first, a depth (perspective) rendering process, produces an unobstructed, high-contrast 3-D view of the information within a thin volume of image data. Results are a function of relative planar locations. Thus, rendered views accurately depict the internal properties that were initially captured as position and intensity. The second method produces a gradient-like view of the intensity changes in a thin volume. Results can effectively detect the occurrence and location of dramatic tissue variations, often not visually recognized otherwise. Both STS techniques exploit the concept of temporal coherence to form sequences of consecutive slabs, using information from previously computed slabs. This permits efficient real-time computation on a general-purpose computer. Further, these techniques require no preprocessing, and results are not dependent on user knowledge. Results using 3-D computed tomography chest images show the computational efficiency and visual efficacy of the new STS techniques.
How does pain rank as an animal welfare issue (2007)

Pain is one of a number of negative affects common to humans and animals, which functions to alert them to actual or potential injury and enable them to take evasive action. It is increasingly recognized that the brain modulates pain responses, and that it is associated with the development of an anxiety/fear syndrome in response to pain. Thus although it might be possible to estimate the negative affect caused by pain as a product of duration and stress responses to the injury, this would not take into account long term impact on anxiety/fear, which conditions animals to avoid, or wish to avoid, similar situations. Pain is the most commonly researched of all the freedoms normally associated with good welfare, with nearly as many scientific journal publications as the others (normal behaviour, fear/stress, hunger/thirst and discomfort) put together. However, surveys of university teachers of animal science students suggest that, although they recognize the need to avoid unnecessary pain in farm animals, they do not believe that current systems, which clearly inflict pain on the animals, needed changing. Hence students are being taught that certain painful procedures in animal production are acceptable and necessary. Amongst the wider student population, attitudes to the acceptability of practices that impact on animal welfare appear to be influenced by perceived differences in sentience between species. It is concluded that pain is perceived to probably be the most important animal welfare issue confronting modern animal management systems, but that some pain is considered by experts to be necessary for the systems to function effectively.
Keratinocytes regulate the function of melanocytes (2014)

Mammalian keratinocytes compose the bulk of the epithelium, undergo keratinization, and form the dead superficial layer of the skin. These superficial keratinized cells are continuously replaced by cells derived from mitotic cells in the lowest layer of the epidermis (i.e., the basal layer). Melanocytes locate in the basal layer and do not keratinize; however, they can produce melanin pigments. Melanin is accumulated in small granules called melanosomes. The melanosomes are transported to dendrites from which the melanosomes are transferred to keratinocytes. Epidermal invaginations such as keratinocytes and melanocytes extend to the dermis to form hair follicles. In addition to these two cells, dermal fibroblasts are also required for the formation of hair follicles. The homeostasis of the epidermis and hair follicle is primarily regulated by the cellular interaction between keratinocytes and melanocytes. Keratinocytes stimulate melanocyte functions such as proliferation, differentiation, melanogenesis, and dendritogenesis. Using the techniques of tissue culture, biochemistry, and molecular biology, factors that have been derived from keratinocytes are hormones, growth factors, and cytokines such as α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone, adrenocorticotrophic hormone, basic fibroblast growth factor, nerve growth factor, endothelins, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, stem cell factor, leukemia inhibitory factor, and hepatocyte growth factor. These keratinocyte-derived paracrine factors have a key role in regulating melanocyte function through receptor-mediated signaling pathways, followed by maintaining epidermal and hair follicular homeostasis.
Efficient modular grasping: An iterative approach (2012)

This paper introduces a new modular approach to robotic grasping that allows for finding a trade off between a simple gripper and more complex human like manipulators. The modular approach to robotic grasping aims to understand human grasping behavior in order to replicate grasping and skilled in-hand movements with an artificial hand using simple, robust, and flexible modules. In this work, the design of modular grasping devices capable of adapting to different requirements and situations is investigated. A novel algorithm that determines effective modular configurations to get efficient grasps of given objects is presented. The resulting modular configurations are able to perform effective grasps that a human would consider “stable”. Related simulations were carried out to validate the efficiency of the algorithm. Preliminary results show the versatility of the modular approach in designing grippers.
Multiphase Flow Modeling of Surface Equipment in Managed Pressure Drilling Operations (2014)

Abstract Surface equipment for Managed Pressure Drilling operations handles a multiphase mixture of drilling mud, cuttings and reservoir fluid influx. It is mandatory for safe MPD operations that surface equipment be able to handle pressure surges, pressure drops as well as any phase change of the fluid without causing any safety issues. In MPD operations, the surface choke is a key surface manifold component through which the fluid passes before entering the measurement gauges or solids control processing. Depending on choke position and flow conditions, part of the fluid can change phase from liquid to gas as it flows through the chokes resulting in formation of a gaseous phase that can be problematic for the downstream flow measurement devices and equipment integrity. A detailed analysis of the phase transition of the fluid in the surface equipment is necessary that can elucidate design modifications to ensure accurate measurements for safe and efficient drilling operations. In this work, multiphase fluid flow is analyzed numerically using 3-D computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and a 1-D hydraulics network solver to understand the effects of choke positions on the overall pressure drop, pressure surges and onset of phase transformation to ensure surface equipment safety. 1-D hydraulics network results are validated against the 3-D CFD software as well as against experimental studies. Based on extensive numerical 1-D studies, look-up tables and charts were developed that help field personnel design the best surface equipment configuration, determine associated pressure drop and guard against the possibility of phase transformation.