gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Flicker Compensation for Archived Film Sequences Using a Segmentation-Based Nonlinear Model (2008)

A new approach for the compensation of temporal brightness variations (commonly referred to as flicker) in archived film sequences is presented. The proposed method uses fundamental principles of photographic image registration to provide adaptation to temporal and spatial variations of picture brightness. The main novelty of this work is the use of spatial segmentation to identify regions of homogeneous brightness for which reliable estimation of flicker parameters can be obtained. Additionally our scheme incorporates an efficient mechanism for the compensation of long duration film sequences while it addresses problems arising from varying scene motion and illumination using a novel motion-compensated grey-level tracing approach. We present experimental evidence which suggests that our method offers high levels of performance and compares favourably with competing state-of-the-art techniques.
Quality of commercial wine vinegars evaluated on the basis of total polyphenol content and antioxidant properties (2010)

Wine vinegar derived from fruit and grain contains a certain amount of phenolic compounds which are known to possess antioxidant properties. In this paper the quality of nine samples of wine vinegar commercially available in Bangkok was evaluated according to their total polyphenol content and antioxidant capacity compared to common distilled vinegar. The total polyphenol content was expressed in gallic acid equivalent, GAE (µg/ml sample) by FolinCioculteu method; while the antioxidant capacities were given as equivalent concentration of ascorbic acid (AAeq), Trolox (TLeq) and BHT (BHTeq) in µg/ml sample based on the ability to scavenge DPPH radicals and H2O2. Results showed that all wine vinegar samples evaluated contained greater levels of GAE (80.3-973.4 µg /ml) and antioxidant strength (22-3148 µg AAeq/ml, 15-2107 µg TLeq/ml and 140-19880 µg BHTeq/ml for DPPH scavenging activity and 462-15362 µg AAeq/ml, 270-8991 µg TLeq/ml and 194-6455 µg BHTeq/ml for H2O2 scavenging activity) compared to distilled vinegar. Among the nine samples of wine vinegar which were derived from different sources of fruit and grain, balsamic vinegar exhibited the strongest antioxidant capacity which correlated to the highest level of GAE. In addition, the total polyphenol content and antioxidant strength were closely correlated for the set of all the samples with r = 0.8022 for TLeq in DPPH scavenging activity and r = 0.8193 for TLeq in H2O2 scavenging activity. A close correlation between the two methods for antioxidant measurement was also observed (r = 0.9956). Moreover, the samples with darker colour tended to possess greater antioxidant strength in correlation with the higher total polyphenol content. This finding indicated that total polyphenol content and antioxidant capacity of wine vinegar products were varied depending on the source of raw materials. However, wine vinegar would be a good source of natural antioxidants compared to distilled vinegar.
Lipoxygenic micromethod for specific determination of lipase activity in serum and duodenal fluid. (1977)

On this week’s episode of Scratching the Surface, I’m joined by the design writer Steven Heller! Heller is the author or co-author of over one hundred books on design and visual culture, co-chair of the School of Visual Arts MFA Designer as Author program, and helped start SVA’s Design Criticism and Interaction Design programs. Steven and I talk about his career, design writing, and why most publications don’t need graphic design critics.\n
HCELL Expression on Murine MSC Licenses Pancreatotropism and Confers Durable Reversal of Autoimmune Diabetes in NOD Mice (2015)

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an immune-mediated disease resulting in destruction of insulin-producing pancreatic beta cells. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) possess potent immunomodulatory properties, garnering increasing attention as cellular therapy for T1D and other immunologic diseases. However, MSCs generally lack homing molecules, hindering their colonization at inflammatory sites following intravenous (IV) administration. Here, we analyzed whether enforced E-selectin ligand expression on murine MSCs could impact their effect in reversing hyperglycemia in nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice. Although murine MSCs natively do not express the E-selectin-binding determinant sialyl Lewis(x) (sLe(x) ), we found that fucosyltransferase-mediated α(1,3)-exofucosylation of murine MSCs resulted in sLe(x) display uniquely on cell surface CD44 thereby creating hematopoietic cell E-/L-selectin ligand (HCELL), the E-selectin-binding glycoform of CD44. Following IV infusion into diabetic NOD mice, allogeneic HCELL(+) MSCs showed threefold greater peri-islet infiltrates compared to buffer-treated (i.e., HCELL(-) ) MSCs, with distribution in proximity to E-selectin-expressing microvessels. Exofucosylation had no effect on MSC immunosuppressive capacity in in vitro assays; however, although engraftment was temporary for both HCELL(+) and HCELL(-) MSCs, administration of HCELL(+) MSCs resulted in durable reversal of hyperglycemia, whereas only transient reversal was observed following administration of HCELL(-) MSCs. Notably, exofucosylation of MSCs generated from CD44(-/-) mice induced prominent membrane expression of sLe(x) , but IV administration of these MSCs into hyperglycemic NOD mice showed no enhanced pancreatotropism or reversal of hyperglycemia. These findings provide evidence that glycan engineering to enforce HCELL expression boosts trafficking of infused MSCs to pancreatic islets of NOD mice and substantially improves their efficacy in reversing autoimmune diabetes. Stem Cells 2013;33:1523-1531.
Mammographic Breast Density, Dense Area, and Breast Area Differences by Phase in the Menstrual Cycle (2006)

Breast density, breast area, and dense area have small, but probably not clinically meaningful, increases in the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. However, there are other factors that may differ by menstrual cycle phase that we were unable to assess (e.g., breast compression), which may ultimately influence mammographic sensitivity by menstrual cycle phase.
Degradable magnesium‐based implant materials with anti‐inflammatory activity (2012)

Abstract The objective of this study was to prepare a new biodegradable Mg‐based biomaterial, which provides good mechanical integrity in combination with anti‐inflammatory function during the degradation process. The silver element was used, because it improved the mechanical properties as an effective grain refiner and it is also treated as a potential anti‐inflammatory core. The new degradable Mg‐Zn‐Ag biomaterial was prepared by zone solidification technology and extrusion. The mechanical properties were mostly enhanced by fine grain strengthening. In addition, the alloys exhibited good cytocompatibility. The anti‐inflammatory function of degradation products was identified by both interleukin‐1α and nitric oxide modes. The anti‐inflammatory impact was significantly associated with the concentration of silver ion. It was demonstrated that Mg‐Zn‐Ag system was a potential metallic stent with anti‐inflammatory function, which can reduce the long‐term dependence of anti‐inflammatory drug after coronary stent implantation. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A, 2013.
The Relationship between Composition of Gain and Circulating Hormones in Growing Beef Bulls Fed Three Dietary Crude Protein Levels (1988)

Twenty-one Simmental crossbred bulls (311 +/- 11 kg, 9 mo of age) were used to determine the effect of feeding 10, 12 or 14% CP on concentration of hormones in blood and the relationship of these hormones to composition of gain. Six bulls were slaughtered on d 0 to provide an estimate of initial carcass composition (9-11 rib section). Remaining bulls were assigned to dietary treatments. Blood samples were collected every 30 min from 0800 to 2000 on d 0, 66, 136 and 202 of treatment; bulls were slaughtered on d 203. Across all treatments, growth hormone (GH) declined (P less than .05) from d 0 to d 202. Free insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) was lowest (P less than .05) on d 0. In four randomly selected bulls, IGF-I fluctuated during the 12-h sampling periods. Within each treatment group, insulin was greatest on d 202 (P less than .05). Testosterone (T) increased from d 0 to d 66, then declined. Cortisol (C) was lowest on d 66. Thyroid hormones increased (P less than .05) after d 0. Growth hormone and IGF-I were correlated negatively with carcass fat percentage, fat accretion rate and fat thickness. IGF-I concentrations were correlated positively with percentage of carcass protein. Testosterone:cortisol ratio was not related to composition, but high T coupled with low C may be related to carcass leanness (mean carcass fat = 24.4%). These data suggest that GH and IGF-I are the hormones most related to composition of gain in growing beef bulls.
Software Maintenance through Supervisory Control (2011)

This work considers the case of system maintenance where systems are already deployed and for which some faults or security issues were not detected during the testing phase. We propose an approach based on control theory that allows for automatic generation of maintenance fixes. This approach disables faulty or vulnerable system functionalities and requires to instrument the system before deployment so that it can later be monitored and interact with a supervisor at runtime. This supervisor ensures some property designed after deployment in order to avoid future executions of faulty or vulnerable system functionalities. This property corresponds to a set of safe behaviors described as a Finite State Machine. The computation of supervisors can be performed automatically, relying on a sound Supervisory Control Theory. We first introduce some basic notions of Supervisory Control theory, then we present and illustrate our approach which also relies on automatic models extraction and instrumentation.
An improved automated method for the measurement of thermal thresholds. 1. Normal subjects. (1985)

Clinical tests of thermal sensation are poorly quantified and not strictly modality specific. Previous automated thermal testing systems have had limited usefulness with high intra-and inter-individual variability. This paper describes an automated thermal system (Glasgow system) which is an extensive modification of previous techniques to answer these criticisms. It comprises a microprocessor-driven Peltier element and utilises the forced choice method of psychophysical analysis to determine the thresholds to thermal stimulation. In a control group of 106 healthy subjects the mean heat threshold for the wrist was found to be 0.23 degree C (SD = 0.06 degree C) and the mean cold threshold 0.15 degree C (SD = 0.05 degree C). Repeated determinations showed a maximum of 5% intra-individual variation in comparison to previously reported values of up to 150%.
Combination of Voriconazole and Caspofungin as Primary Therapy for Invasive Aspergillosis in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients: A Prospective, Multicenter, Observational Study (2006)

: Combination of voriconazole and caspofungin might be considered preferable therapy for subsets of organ transplant recipients with invasive aspergillosis, such as those with renal failure or A. fumigatus infection.
Vapor-Phase Exchange of Perchloroethene between Soil and Plants (2005)

Tree core concentrations of tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethene, PCE) at the Riverfront Superfund Site in New Haven, MO, were found to mimic the profile of soil phase concentrations. The observed soil-tree core relationship was stronger than that of groundwater PCE to tree core concentrations atthe same site. Earlier research has shown a direct, linear relationship between tree core and groundwater concentrations of chlorinated solvents and other organics. Laboratory-scale experiments were performed to elucidate this phenomenon, including determining partitioning coefficients of PCE between plant tissues and air and between plant tissues and water, measured to be 8.1 and 49 L/kg, respectively. The direct relationship of soil to tree core PCE concentrations was hypothesized to be caused by diffusion between tree roots and the soil vapor phase in the subsurface. The central findings of this research are discovering the importance of subsurface vapor-phase transfer for VOCs and uncovering a direct relationship between soil vapor-phase chlorinated solvents and uptake rates that impact contaminant translocation from the subsurface and transfer into the atmosphere.
Locally-adaptive perceptual quantization without side information for DCT coefficients (2002)

Existing JPEG/MPEG compliant perceptual coding methods do not fully exploit the local variation of perceptual masking thresholds. This work demonstrates that, for natural images with the same perceptual quality, the first-order entropy of the quantizer outputs can be reduced by 15 to 40 percent when optimal locally-adaptive perceptual quantization is used. Locally-adaptive perceptual quantization requires the perceptual thresholds to be available at the decoder. However, transmitting the thresholds is prohibited by the large amount of side information required. In this paper, a DCT-based method is introduced that performs locally-adaptive perceptual quantization without side information based on estimates of the perceptual thresholds from the already quantized data. Since no additional side information is required, this method is compliant with the bit stream syntax of the above mentioned standards.
Mechanical comparison of materials used for extra‐capsular stabilisation of the stifle joint in dogs (1997)

Monofilament nylon leader material would appear to have suitable mechanical properties for extra-capsular stabilisation of the cranial cruciate ligament deficient stifle. If possible the material should be sterilised using ethylene oxide.
Functional cell surface expression by a recombinant single‐chain class I major histocompatibility complex molecule with a <i>cis</i>‐active β<sub>2</sub>‐microglobulin domain (1994)

As a preliminary step towards the use of cell surface single-chain class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules as T cell immunogens, we have engineered a recombinant gene encoding a full-length cell surface single-chain version of the H-2Dd class I MHC molecule (SC beta Ddm) which has beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2m) covalently linked to the amino terminus of a full-length H-2Dd heavy chain via a peptide spacer. The single-chain protein is correctly folded and stably expressed on the surface of transfected L cells. It can present an antigenic peptide to an H-2Dd-restricted antigen-specific T cell hybridoma. When expressed in peptide-transport-deficient cells, SC beta Ddm can be stabilized and pulsed for antigen presentation by incubation with extracellular peptide at 27 degrees or 37 degrees C, allowing the preparation of cells with single-chain molecules that are loaded with a single chosen antigenic peptide. SC beta Ddm can be stably expressed in beta 2m-negative cells, showing that the single-chain molecule uses its own beta 2m domain to achieve correct folding and surface expression. Furthermore, the beta 2m domain of SC beta Ddm, unlike transfected free beta 2m, does not rescue surface expression of endogenous class I MHC in the beta 2m-negative cells. This strict cis activity of the beta 2m domain of SC beta Ddm makes possible the investigation of class I MHC function in cells, and potentially in animals, that express but a single type of class I MHC molecule.
Planning a Large-Scale Progression of R&D - a Pilot Study in the Aerospace Domain (2006)

A prior case study reported in “ Programmatic Risk Balancing” [D. M. Tralli, IEEE Aerospace Conference 2003] established the suitability of adopting a lifecycle risk management decision-support tool to the planning of application projects across NASA’s Earth Science Enterprise. Here we report on a pilot study to gauge the suitability of this same approach for large-scale planning of a progression of research and development efforts in the Aerospace domain. The purpose of the study was to assess feasibility and utility, and to prototype adaptations to the approach as and when such adaptations were found to be needed. The novel challenges posed by this domain included: scale – the overall goal is to plan and monitor $ 1.5B worth of R& D spread over several years; scope – information spans task-level, project-level and program-level concerns; distributed expertise – the information on which to base decisions requires combining inputs from multiple geographically dispersed, busy people (i. e., they won’t be available to all meet concurrently, even via a teleconference); and novel problem domain aspects – for example the world continues to evolve as the multi-year R& D efforts take place, so that what might be desirable solutions to aim for this year may be rendered obsolete and unnecessary a few years hence as other capabilities mature, or alternately, may continue to be necessary but less sufficient as demands increase. The net result was promising: the approach worked, and a number of interesting observations could indeed be drawn from the accumulated information.
14-3-3ε Boosts Bleomycin-induced DNA Damage Response by Inhibiting the Drug-resistant Activity of MVP (2013)

Major vault protein (MVP) is the predominant constituent of the vault particle, the largest known ribonuclear protein complex. Although emerging evidence have been establishing the links between MVP (vault) and multidrug resistance (MDR), little is known regarding exactly how the MDR activity of MVP is modulated during cellular response to drug-induced DNA damage (DDR). Bleomycin (BLM), an anticancer drug, induces DNA double-stranded breaks (DSBs) and consequently triggers the cellular DDR. Due to its physiological implications in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cell fate decision, 14-3-3ε was chosen as the pathway-specific bait protein to identify the critical target(s) responsible for HCC MDR. By using an LC-MS/MS-based proteomic approach, MVP was first identified in the BLM-induced 14-3-3ε interactome formed in HCC cells. Biological characterization revealed that MVP possesses specific activity to promote the resistance to the BLM-induced DDR. On the other hand, 14-3-3ε enhances BLM-induced DDR by interacting with MVP. Mechanistic investigation further revealed that 14-3-3ε, in a phosphorylation-dependent manner, binds to the phosphorylated sites at both Thr52 and Ser864 of the monomer of MVP. Consequently, the phosphorylation-dependent binding between 14-3-3ε and MVP inhibits the drug-resistant activity of MVP for an enhanced DDR to BLM treatment. Our findings provide an insight into the mechanism underlying how the BLM-induced interaction between 14-3-3ε and MVP modulates MDR, implicating novel strategy to overcome the chemotherapeutic resistance through interfering specific protein-protein interactions.
Blackbody radiation from resistively heated multiwalled carbon nanotubes during field emission (2002)

We report the observation of blackbody radiation from aligned multiwalled carbon nanotubes undergoing field emission. The light intensity correlates with fluctuations in the emission current. The onset of light emission occurs at an emission current of 1 mA/cm2 and corresponds to a temperature on the order of 1550 K. Beyond this critical current irreversible changes occur in the nanotube film. The correlation between light intensity and emission current provides convincing evidence for Joule heating and stable operation for nanotube temperatures up to at least 2000 K and emission current densities on the order of 10 mA/cm2.
Annotate-it: a Swiss-knife approach to annotation, analysis and interpretation of single nucleotide variation in human disease (2012)

The increasing size and complexity of exome/genome sequencing data requires new tools for clinical geneticists to discover disease-causing variants. Bottlenecks in identifying the causative variation include poor cross-sample querying, constantly changing functional annotation and not considering existing knowledge concerning the phenotype. We describe a methodology that facilitates exploration of patient sequencing data towards identification of causal variants under different genetic hypotheses. Annotate-it facilitates handling, analysis and interpretation of high-throughput single nucleotide variant data. We demonstrate our strategy using three case studies. Annotate-it is freely available and test data are accessible to all users at http://www.annotate-it.org.
Direct Strip Casting (DSC) - an Option for the Production of New Steel Grades (2003)

With two pilot plants in operation, the Direct Strip Casting (DSC) technology has reached a state from which it can be concluded that a DSC production process is feasible. The core of the process consists of a caster in which liquid steel is fed on an intensively cooled revolving belt. After solidification in a protective atmosphere, the yielded strip of about 10 mm in thickness is directly hot rolled without intermediate reheating. Thus, due to the reduced expenditures for hot rolling and reheating, substantial energy savings compared to conventional slab casting can be achieved. Moreover, the production of new high-strength, light-weight steels with an increased content of manganese, aluminium and/or silicon is enabled by the special features of the DSC process. The use of these steels in automotive applications would lead to further energy savings induced by significant weight reductions and an enhanced life cycle of the car body. Furthermore, also a higher share of scrap based strip steel production, requiring less than half of the energy needed for the blast furnace route, becomes conceivable for quality steel grades, as a higher content of tramp elements, e.g. copper and tin, is tolerable without quality losses (surface cracks). Finally, the compact design and the high productivity of the DSC process save capital and processing costs. In the paper, process development steps, material properties and energy saving potentials are outlined.
Characterization of the nucleic acid-binding activity of the avian reovirus non-structural protein σNS (2005)

The avian reovirus non-structural protein sigma NS has previously been shown to bind single-stranded (ss) RNA in vitro in a sequence-independent manner. The results of the present study further reveal that sigma NS binds poly(A), poly(U) and ssDNA, but not poly(C), poly(G) or duplex nucleic acids, suggesting that sigma NS has some nucleotide-sequence specificity for ssRNA binding. The current findings also show that sigma NS is present in large ribonucleoprotein complexes in the cytoplasm of avian reovirus-infected cells, indicating that it exists in intimate association with ssRNAs in vivo. Removal of RNA from the complexes generates a sigma NS protein form that sediments between 4.5 and 7 S, suggesting that RNA-free sigma NS associates into small oligomers. Expression and purification of recombinant sigma NS in insect cells allowed us to generate specific antibodies and to perform a variety of assays. The results of these assays revealed that: (i) RNA-free sigma NS exists as homodimers and homotrimers; (ii) the minimum RNA size for sigma NS binding is between 10 and 20 nt; (iii) sigma NS does not have a preference for viral mRNA sequences; and (iv) its RNA-binding activity is conformation-dependent. Baculovirus expression of point and deletion sigma NS mutants in insect cells showed that the five conserved basic amino acids that are important for RNA binding and ribonucleoprotein-complex formation are dispersed throughout the entire sigma NS sequence, suggesting that this protein binds ssRNA through conformational domains. Finally, the properties of the avian reovirus protein sigma NS are compared with those of its mammalian reovirus counterpart.