gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Diversity of 16S rRNA Genes of New Ehrlichia Strains Isolated from Horses with Clinical Signs of Potomac Horse Fever (1995)

Ehrlichia risticii is the causative agent of Potomac horse fever. Variations among the major antigens of different local E. risticii strains have been detected previously. To further assess genetic variability in this species or species complex, the sequences of the 16S rRNA genes of several isolates obtained from sick horses diagnosed as having Potomac horse fever were determined. The sequences of six isolates obtained from Ohio and three isolates obtained from Kentucky were amplified by PCR. Three groups of sequences were identified. The sequences of five of the Ohio isolates were identical to the sequence of the type strain of E. risticii, the Illinois strain. The sequence of one Ohio isolate, isolate 081, was unique; this sequence differed in 10 nucleotides from the sequence of the type strain (level of similarity, 99.3%). The sequences of the three Kentucky isolates were identical to each other, but differed by five bases from the sequence of the type strain (level of similarity, 99.6%). The levels of sequence similarity of isolate 081, the Kentucky isolates, and the type strain to the next most closely related Ehrlichia sp., Ehrlichia sennetsu, were 99.3, 99.2, and 99.2%, respectively. On the basis of the distinct antigenic profiles and the levels of 16S rRNA sequence divergence, isolate 081 is as divergent from the type strain of E. risticii as E. sennetsu is. Therefore, we suggest that strain 081 and the Kentucky isolates may represent two new distinct Ehrlichia species.
Effects of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) on somatosensory evoked potentials in humans anesthetized with isoflurane and nitrous oxide (1993)

In order to examine the usefulness of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) as an adjuvant to anesthesia for surgery requiring intraoperative somatosensory evoked potential (SSEP) monitoring, we have studied the effects of ATP on SSEPs in patients anesthetized with isoflurane and nitrous oxide (N2O). A control recording of SSEP was performed while anesthesia was maintained with 0.5% end-tidal concentration of isoflurane in 60% N2O. The recordings were repeated after an ATP infusion had been added to this basal anesthesia at the rates of 100 micrograms.kg bw-1.min-1 and 200 micrograms.kg bw-1.min-1. SSEP was also studied when end-tidal isoflurane concentration was increased to 1.5% after cessation of ATP infusion. An infusion of ATP combined with 0.5% isoflurane and 60% N2O effectively inhibited an increase in blood pressure during surgery. The amplitude of the cortical component of SSEP was lowered by 1.5% isoflurane, which also increased both cortical and spinal latencies as well as central conduction time (CCT). In contrast ATP infusions at both rates induced no significant changes in latencies, amplitude and CCT. The results indicate that ATP infusion combined with 0.5% isoflurane in 60% N2O can be a useful anesthetic technique for intraoperative SSEP monitoring because adequate anesthetic depth can be maintained by a low concentration of anesthetics without further suppression of SSEPs.
Facile fabrication of superhydrophobic surface from micro/nanostructure metal alkanethiolate based films (2007)

A series of superhydrophobic surfaces with micro/nanostructure have been successfully achieved by a simple process via the reaction between metal (such as Cd and Zn) salts and alkanethiolates.
Whiteboards: Scheduling Blackboards for Semantic Routing of Messages & Streams (2005)

This paper presents a type of scheduling blackboard called whiteboards. Blackboards can simplify construction of systems with large numbers of heterogeneous components requiring a high number of fine-grained interactions. An increase in systems integration, for example in humanoid robotics and intelligent environments, has called for better solutions to support multi-module integration. Whiteboards extend the blackboard model in a number of significant ways that allow them to fill this role. Chief among their features are: an explicit temporal model; quality of service; both publish-subscribe and querying for data; both discrete and streaming data using the same API; explicit data wrappers; programming language independence; as well as a number of solutions to practical issues for improving development effort and runtime performance. Whiteboards consist of (i) a general-purpose message type format, (ii) ontologically-defined message and data stream types, and (iii) specifications for routing between system components. Whiteboards thus provide a development tool especially relevant for simulations of complex natural systems where symbolic data meets raw numerical data; systems with illdefined boundaries between sub-systems; and systems where the number of component states and interactions is considered to be relatively large. Examples include computer vision, speech recognition and robotics, ecosystems and biological systems. This paper describes the main constituents of whiteboards and their use.
Effect of coma and spherical aberration on depth-of-focus measured using adaptive optics and computationally blurred images (2012)

No author has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned.
Renegotiating International Project Agreements (2000)

The Essay examines the phenomenon of renegotiation of international project agreements, explores its nature and causes, and offers useful advice on how best to conduct the renegotiation process.
Host Identity Protocol (HIP) (2008)

Within the set of many identifier-locator separation designs for the Internet, HIP has progressed further than anything else we have so far. It is time to see what HIP can do in larger scale in the real world. In order to make that happen, the world needs a HIP book, and now we have it. - Jari Arkko, Internet Area Director, IETF One of the challenges facing the current Internet architecture is the incorporation of mobile and multi-homed terminals (hosts), and an overall lack of protection against Denial-of-Service attacks and identity spoofing. The Host Identity Protocol (HIP) is being developed by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) as an integrated solution to these problems. The book presents a well-structured, readable and compact overview of the core protocol with relevant extensions to the Internet architecture and infrastructure. The covered topics include the Bound End-to-End Tunnel Mode for IPsec, Overlay Routable Cryptographic Hash Identifiers, extensions to the Domain Name System, IPv4 and IPv6 interoperability, integration with SIP, and support for legacy applications. Unique features of the book: All-in-one source for HIP specifications Complete coverage of HIP architecture and protocols Base exchange, mobility and multihoming extensions Practical snapshots of protocol operation IP security on lightweight devices Traversal of middleboxes, such as NATs and firewalls Name resolution infrastructure Micromobility, multicast, privacy extensions Chapter on applications, including HIP pilot deployment in a Boeing factory HOWTO for HIP on Linux (HIPL) implementation An important compliment to the official IETF specifications, this book will be a valuable reference for practicing engineers in equipment manufacturing companies and telecom operators, as well as network managers, network engineers, network operators and telecom engineers. Advanced students and academics, IT managers, professionals and operating system specialists will also find this book of interest.
Electrical performance evaluations for a dielectric barrier discharge plasma actuator (2009)

Dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma actuator requires an operating voltage of several kilovolts. However, during the experiment, charge accumulated on the surface of the DBD plasma actuator can reduce the electric field at the location of a microdischarge and result in current termination. This study aims to investigate the maximum voltage the actuators can withstand before the electrical breakdown happens, by varying a number of parameters include the gapping designs and dielectric thicknesses. Besides, the required threshold voltage before the microdischarges can be generated is also described in this study.
QUANTIFICATION AND SIGNIFICANCE OF PROTEIN OXIDATION IN BIOLOGICAL SAMPLES* (2000)

Protein oxidation is defined here as the covalent modification of a protein induced either directly by reactive oxygen species or indirectly by reaction with secondary by-products of oxidative stress. Oxidative modification of proteins can be induced experimentally by a wide array of prooxidant agents and occurs in vivo during aging and in certain disease conditions. Oxidative changes to proteins can lead to diverse functional consequences, such as inhibition of enzymatic and binding activities, increased susceptibility to aggregation and proteolysis, increased or decreased uptake by cells, and altered immunogenicity. There are numerous types of protein oxidative modification and these can be measured with a variety of methods. Protein oxidation serves as a useful marker for assessing oxidative stress in vivo. There are both advantages and disadvantages to using proteins for this purpose compared to lipids and DNA. Finally, it is important to monitor the degree of oxidative modification of therapeutic proteins manufactured for commercial use. This review will examine various aspects of protein oxidation, with emphasis on using proteins as markers of oxidative stress in biological samples.
Plasma γ-Globin Gene Expression Suggests that Fetal Hematopoietic Cells Contribute to the Pool of Circulating Cell-Free Fetal Nucleic Acids during Pregnancy (2004)

gamma-Globin mRNA sequences can be detected and measured in fresh and frozen plasma samples. Plasma gamma-globin and GAPDH mRNA concentrations are affected by pregnancy. The increased posttermination gamma-globin mRNA concentrations seen in some patients suggest that the source of this message is fetal hematopoietic cells. Further study in pregnant women after 9 weeks of gestation is necessary to evaluate the potential of gamma-globin mRNA as a marker for fetomaternal hemorrhage.
Palladium-Catalyzed Asymmetric Allylic Alkylation of <i>meso- </i>and <i>dl</i>-1,2-Divinylethylene Carbonate (2006)

The palladium-catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylation of a 1:1 mixture of dl- and meso-1,2-divinylethylene carbonate is reported. For the first time, both the ionization and nucleophilic addition steps of the catalytic cycle act as enantiodiscriminating steps to give a single product in high enantiomeric excess. The reactions proceed in >98% ee to efficiently generate useful chiral building blocks from acrolein. The absolute and relative configurations of iso-cladospolide B and 11-epi-iso-cladospolide B were verified by total synthesis, solving an apparent discrepancy in the literature.
Leishmania major LmACR2 Is a Pentavalent Antimony Reductase That Confers Sensitivity to the Drug Pentostam (2004)

Arsenicals and antimonials are first line drugs for the treatment of trypanosomal and leishmanial diseases. To create the active form of the drug, Sb(V) must be reduced to Sb(III). Because arsenic and antimony are related metalloids, and arsenical resistant Leishmania strains are frequently cross-resistant to antimonials, we considered the possibility that Sb(V) is reduced by a leishmanial As(V) reductase. The sequence for the arsenate reductase of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, ScAcr2p, was used to clone the gene for a homologue, LmACR2, from Leishmania major. LmACR2 was able to complement the arsenate-sensitive phenotype of an arsC deletion strain of Escherichia coli or an ScACR2 deletion strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Transfection of Leishmania infantum with LmACR2 augmented Pentostam sensitivity in intracellular amastigotes. LmACR2 was purified and shown to reduce both As(V) and Sb(V). This is the first report of an enzyme that confers Pentostam sensitivity in intracellular amastigotes of Leishmania. We propose that LmACR2 is responsible for reduction of the pentavalent antimony in Pentostam to the active trivalent form of the drug in Leishmania.
Solid polymer electrolytes which contain tricoordinate boron for enhanced conductivity and transference numbers (2012)

Here we report syntheses and study of composite solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) based on a poly(ethylene glycol)-in-Li triflate material that contains an organic-inorganic composite (OIC) in which boron species are incorporated into a silica network. The structure and properties of the SPEs synthesized were characterized by scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), 29Si, 11B and 13C solid state NMR, differential scanning calorimetry, and impedance spectroscopy. STEM allowed assessment of OIC particles in their native environment without removal of an organic component. The Lewis acid tricoordinate boron sites formed in OIC are proposed to have a stronger interaction with triflate anions than silica sites, which results in enhanced lithium ion conductivity and Li transference numbers at optimal boron concentrations. The optimum triethyl borate (TEB) concentration also leads to formation of smaller (higher surface area) OIC particles, which expose more boron sites to triflate anions. The SPE sample prepared with 10 mol% TEB exhibited a conductivity of 4.3 × 10−5 S cm−1 and a Li transference number of 0.89, which represents nearly single-ion conductor behaviour for the salt-in-polymer–borosilicate composite.
Describing and processing multimedia objects by Petri nets (2002)

We show how we can synthesize multimedia structures by executing formal models. The kind of model used here is an "ad hoc" arrangement of Petri nets and a multimedia algebra; multimedia objects are associated to places; music transformations are described by algorithms associated to transitions and coded by expressions based on the set of operators and on syntactic rules defined for this project. This approach allows the description of multimedia objects, as well as their transformation, at various levels of representation, with an interactive graphic user interface. We discuss how Petri nets (PNs) can be used for describing and structuring multimedia processes (MMPs). We define the notion of multimedia Petri net model (MMPNM), to describe a multimedia "score" that integrates different media such as video sequences, digital audio and MIDI sequences. We refer to MediaSynth, a software system we have developed as an experimental tool. MediaSynth is an integrated environment for the construction of MMPNMs.
Age, Gender, and Muscular Strength (1995)

Muscular strength can be measured by cable tensiometry, non-motorized dynamometry (e.g., handgrip dynamometer), motorized dynamometry, or with free weights or exercise machines. Advantages and disadvantages of each are discussed. Cross-sectional studies indicate that isometric and concentric strength levels peak between the second and third decade, remain unchanged until the fourth or fifth decade, and start to decline from about the fifth decade at a rate of 12% to 15% per decade until the eighth decade in men. Greater strength losses in both men and women have been suggested from the few longitudinal studies available on this topic. However, concentric strength levels in women tend to peak sooner, start to decline earlier, and decrease at a slightly slower rate than men. Age- and inactivity-induced sarcopenia explains some but not all of the losses in strength with age. There is a need to determine the separate roles of disease, inactivity, and normal aging on these losses. New findings from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging suggest a preservation of eccentric strength levels with age in women.
Clinical applications of computer-based speech training for children with hearing impairment (2002)

Computer-based visual speech training has become widely used both within medical and pedagogical rehabilitation in Sweden. When learning speech motor ability, clear instruction is of great importance in order for the learner to realise what is deviant and what is correct in his or her pattern of behaviour. The correct behaviour should then be established and automated through extensive training for it to be transferred to untrained situations. This paper discusses teaching strategies and reports positive training results obtained through the visually contrastive feedback that this modern technical speech training aid offers.
Protein film photoelectrochemistry of the water oxidation enzyme photosystem II (2014)

Photosynthesis is responsible for the sunlight-powered conversion of carbon dioxide and water into chemical energy in the form of carbohydrates and the release of O2 as a by-product. Although many proteins are involved in photosynthesis, the fascinating machinery of Photosystem II (PSII) is at the heart of this process. This tutorial review describes an emerging technique named protein film photoelectrochemistry (PF-PEC), which allows for the light-dependent activity of PSII adsorbed onto an electrode surface to be studied. The technique is straightforward to use, does not require highly specialised and/or expensive equipment, is highly selective for the active fractions of the adsorbed enzyme, and requires a small amount of enzyme sample. The use of PF-PEC to study PSII can yield insights into its activity, stability, quantum yields, redox behaviour, and interfacial electron transfer pathways. It can also be used in PSII inhibition studies and chemical screening, which may prove useful in the development of biosensors. PSII PF-PEC cells also serve as proof-of-principle solar water oxidation systems; here, a comparison is made against PSII-inspired synthetic photocatalysts and materials for artificial photosynthesis.
Developing Core Competency/Core Technology (2002)

To realise the design characteristics and targets, the relevant core competency and core technology must be identified and developed. Without appropriate core competency and core technology in place, quite literally all inventions have little to no chance of effective commercialisation. Core competency must reach some level of maturation, and core technology must be significantly developed, before transfer to an invention. It is an impetuous move to transfer unproved technology into the market, as underdeveloped technology always bites back, and in the extreme leads to wholesale market failure.KeywordsCore CompetencyExplicit KnowledgeStrategic AllianceCore TechnologyCompetency DevelopmentThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
Modulation of gene expression and DNA adduct formation in HepG2 cells by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons with different carcinogenic potencies (2005)

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) can occur in relatively high concentrations in the air, and many PAHs are known or suspected carcinogens. In order to better understand differences in carcinogenic potency between PAHs, we investigated modulation of gene expression in human HepG2 cells after 6 h incubation with varying doses of benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P), benzo[b]fluoranthene (B[b]F), fluoranthene (FA), dibenzo[a,h]anthracene (DB[a,h]A), 1-methylphenanthrene (1-MPA) or dibenzo[a,l]pyrene (DB[a,l]P), by using cDNA microarrays containing 600 toxicologically relevant genes. Furthermore, DNA adduct levels induced by the compounds were assessed with (32)P-post-labeling, and carcinogenic potency was determined by literature study. All tested PAHs, except 1-MPA, induced gene expression changes in HepG2 cells, although generally no dose-response relationship could be detected. Clustering and principal component analysis showed that gene expression changes were compound specific, since for each compound all concentrations grouped together. Furthermore, it showed that the six PAHs can be divided into three groups, first FA and 1-MPA, second B[a]P, B[b]F and DB[a,h]A, and third DB[a,l]P. This grouping corresponds with the carcinogenic potencies of the individual compounds. Many of the modulated genes are involved in biological pathways like apoptosis, cholesterol biosynthesis and fatty acid synthesis. The order of DNA adduct levels induced by the PAHs was: B[a]P >> DB[a,l]P > B[b]F > DB[a,h]A > 1-MPA >/= FA. When comparing the expression change of individual genes with DNA adduct levels, carcinogenic potency or Ah-receptor antagonicity (the last two were taken from literature), several highly correlated genes were found, of which CYP1A1, PRKCA, SLC22A3, NFKB1A, CYP1A2 and CYP2D6 correlated with all parameters. Our data indicate that discrimination of high and low carcinogenic PAHs by gene expression profiling is feasible. Also, the carcinogenic PAHs induce several pathways that were not affected by the least carcinogenic PAHs.
Answering Patients' Needs: Oral Alternatives to Intravenous Therapy (2001)

Metastatic colorectal cancer has traditionally been treated with i.v. 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), with or without leucovorin (LV). 5-FU is administered as either an i.v. bolus or a protracted infusion. Although schedules using the latter method offer efficacy benefits (objective response rate, time to disease progression), protracted infusion schedules are often associated with medical complications, inconvenience, high costs, and poor quality of life. Issues such as quality of life and convenience have influenced treatment decisions, but the availability of oral fluoropyrimidines represents a new development in this domain. Studies have confirmed that the majority of patients prefer oral to i.v. chemotherapy. Questionnaire-based studies have also demonstrated a preference for home-based rather than hospital-/clinic-based therapy. This preference was one of the driving forces behind the development of the oral fluoropyrimidines capecitabine (Xeloda) and uracil plus tegafur (UFT). Oral agents offer patients a more convenient treatment option that can be administered at home, providing patients with a greater sense of control over their therapy, while avoiding the medical complications and psychological distress associated with venous access. This article highlights some of the problems associated with i.v. therapy and reviews the available data on patient preference, including results of a recent, randomized, phase II study. It also provides a critical evaluation of the efficacy and safety profiles of the only two oral fluoropyrimidines approved for prescription, capecitabine and UFT/LV (UFT/LV not available in Germany and the U.S.), compared with those of two infused, 5-FU-based regimens. Finally, the results of an interactive debate exploring the opinions of approximately 400 oncologists on the issues of oral versus i.v. therapy are presented.