gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Novel Depots of Buprenorphine Prodrugs Have a Long-Acting Antinociceptive Effect (2006)

An analgesic with a prolonged duration may be desirable in patients with long-lasting pain. In this study, we evaluated the antinociceptive effects and durations of action of three novel depots of buprenorphine esters buprenorphine propionate, enanthate, and decanoate given by IM injection, in rats. The pharmacokinetic profiles of buprenorphine in blood after IM injection of these depots were also evaluated. Antinociception was evaluated using the plantar test. Buprenorphine concentrations in blood were assayed using high-performance liquid chromatography. We found that the traditional form of buprenorphine HCl (in saline) produced a dose-related antinociceptive effect. A dose of 0.6 micromol/kg buprenorphine HCl (in saline) produced a significant antinociceptive effect lasting 5 h. The same dose of buprenorphine base, propionate, enanthate, and decanoate (in oil) also produced a significant antinociceptive effect with longer durations of action of 26, 28, 52, and 70 h, respectively. The pharmacokinetic studies demonstrated that all the buprenorphine esters were prodrugs of buprenorphine. We conclude that the novel depots of buprenorphine prodrugs: buprenorphine propionate, enanthate, and decanoate produced a long-acting antinociceptive effect after IM injection in rats.
Mammalian Models of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy: Pathological Characteristics and Therapeutic Applications (2011)

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a devastating X-linked muscle disorder characterized by muscle wasting which is caused by mutations in the DMD gene. The DMD gene encodes the sarcolemmal protein dystrophin, and loss of dystrophin causes muscle degeneration and necrosis. Thus far, therapies for this disorder are unavailable. However, various therapeutic trials based on gene therapy, exon skipping, cell therapy, read through therapy, or pharmaceutical agents have been conducted extensively. In the development of therapy as well as elucidation of pathogenesis in DMD, appropriate animal models are needed. Various animal models of DMD have been identified, and mammalian (murine, canine, and feline) models are indispensable for the examination of the mechanisms of pathogenesis and the development of therapies. Here, we review the pathological features of DMD and therapeutic applications, especially of exon skipping using antisense oligonucleotides and gene therapies using viral vectors in murine and canine models of DMD.
Wireless Medication Management System: Design and performance evaluation (2011)

To keep healthcare costs under control, a high-level of medication adherence, or compliance with medication regimen, must be achieved. In this paper, we show how wireless technologies can be used to improve medication adherence. More specifically, we present the design, operation, and evaluation of a wireless medication system, termed Smart Medication Management System (SMMS). We also present multiple metrics for quality of service and an analytical model for evaluating the medication adherence. The performance results show that very high medication adherence is achievable by SMMS for single and multiple medications even for patients with mild cognitive deficiency. The performance of context-aware reminders as implemented by SMMS is found to be most effective as compared to other interventions. Several powerful "composite" interventions are also proposed and evaluated for medication adherence. The results also show that with increasing hospitalization cost the healthcare savings due to improved medication adherence become even more significant. The proposed work forms the basis to provide personalized interventions to patients for improving medication adherence in multiple surroundings using wireless technologies.
Antinociceptive effect of prostatic acid phosphatase in a rat model of cancer-induced bone pain. (2014)

Our study demonstrated that PAP was involved in the maintenance of CIBP and could effectively suppress central sensitization by increasing spinal extracellular adenosine concentrations to exert a significant antinociceptive effect via the adenosine A1 receptor in CIBP rats. Therefore, our experiments suggest that the endogenous enzyme PAP may be a promising candidate for CIBP treatment.
Structure and mechanism of proton transport through the transmembrane tetrameric M2 protein bundle of the influenza A virus (2010)

The M2 proton channel from influenza A virus is an essential protein that mediates transport of protons across the viral envelope. This protein has a single transmembrane helix, which tetramerizes into the active channel. At the heart of the conduction mechanism is the exchange of protons between the His37 imidazole moieties of M2 and waters confined to the M2 bundle interior. Protons are conducted as the total charge of the four His37 side chains passes through 2(+) and 3(+) with a pK(a) near 6. A 1.65 A resolution X-ray structure of the transmembrane protein (residues 25-46), crystallized at pH 6.5, reveals a pore that is lined by alternating layers of sidechains and well-ordered water clusters, which offer a pathway for proton conduction. The His37 residues form a box-like structure, bounded on either side by water clusters with well-ordered oxygen atoms at close distance. The conformation of the protein, which is intermediate between structures previously solved at higher and lower pH, suggests a mechanism by which conformational changes might facilitate asymmetric diffusion through the channel in the presence of a proton gradient. Moreover, protons diffusing through the channel need not be localized to a single His37 imidazole, but instead may be delocalized over the entire His-box and associated water clusters. Thus, the new crystal structure provides a possible unification of the discrete site versus continuum conduction models.
A Structural Basis for Metal Ion Mutagenicity and Nucleotide Selectivity in Human DNA Polymerase β<sup>,</sup> (1996)

When crystals of human DNA polymerase beta (pol beta) complexed with DNA [Pelletier, H., Sawaya, M. R., Wolfle, W., Wilson, S. H., & Kraut, J. (1996) Biochemistry 35, 12742-12761] are soaked in the presence of dATP and Mn2+, X-ray structural analysis shows that nucleotidyl transfer to the primer 3'-OH takes place directly in the crystals, even though the DNA is blunt-ended at the active site. Under similar crystal-soaking conditions, there is no evidence for a reaction when Mn2+ is replaced by Mg2+, which is thought to be the divalent metal ion utilized by most polymerases in vivo. These results suggest that one way Mn2+ may manifest its mutagenic effect on polymerases is by promoting greater reactivity than Mg2+ at the catalytic site, thereby allowing the nucleotidyl transfer reaction to take place with little or no regard to instructions from a template. Non-template-directed nucleotidyl transfer is also observed when pol beta-DNA cocrystals are soaked in the presence of dATP and Zn2+, but the reaction products differ in that the sugar moiety of the incorporated nucleotide appears distorted or otherwise cleaved, in agreement with reports that Zn2+ may act as a polymerase inhibitor rather than as a mutagen [Sirover, M. A., & Loeb, L. A. (1976) Science 194, 1434-1436]. Although no reaction is observed when crystals are soaked in the presence of dATP and other metal ions such as Ca2+, Co2+, Cr3+, or Ni2+, X-ray structural analyses show that these metal ions coordinate the triphosphate moiety of the nucleotide in a manner that differs from that observed with Mg2+. In addition, all metal ions tested, with the exception of Mg2+, promote a change in the side-chain position of aspartic acid 192, which is one of three highly conserved active-site carboxylate residues. Soaking experiments with nucleotides other than dATP (namely, dCTP, dGTP, dTTP, ATP, ddATP, ddCTP, AZT-TP, and dATP alpha S) reveal a non-base-specific binding site on pol beta for the triphosphate and sugar moieties of a nucleotide, suggesting a possible mechanism for nucleotide selectivity whereby triphosphate-sugar binding precedes a check for correct base pairing with the template.
Orientation-sensitive interpolative pyramids for lossless and progressive image coding (2000)

This paper presents a modified JPEG coder that is applied to the compression of mixed documents (containing text, natural images, and graphics) for printing purposes. The modified JPEG coder proposed in this paper takes advantage of the distinct perceptually significant regions in these documents to achieve higher perceptual quality than the standard JPEG coder. The region-adaptivity is performed via classified thresholding being totally compliant with the baseline standard. A computationally efficient classification algorithm is presented, and the improved performance of the classified JPEG coder is verified.
Co-activation of Sternocleidomastoid Muscles During Maximum Clenching (1993)

In an attempt to determine the degree of co-activation present in selected cervical muscles during clenching, we instructed 12 male subjects to produce four brief maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) efforts (clenching) in a position of maximum intercuspation. Surface EMG activity was recorded bilaterally from the masseter and sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscles. The contraction level for the SCM during clenching was reported as a percentage of the SCM's maximum activity achieved during maximum neck flexion against resistance. All EMG signals for the masseter and SCM were converted to a true RMS voltage signal and digitized at a 100-Hz sampling rate. Mean peak EMG voltage levels were determined for the activity recorded during each brief MVC task. All subjects demonstrated co-activation of the SCM during strong abrupt clenching efforts. The mean levels (+/- S.D.) of SCM activity were 11.8 +/- 9.6% (right) and 14.2 +/- 9.4% (left) of the MVC capacity. Fifty percent of masseter activity was required to achieve 5% activity of the SCM bilaterally, and there was a progressive development of the SCM co-activation which paralleled the masseter activation.
A novel approach to decision making of Mined Data using Dynamic Snapshot Pattern Recognition Algorithm (DS-PRA) (2014)

A new approach to pattern recognition and decision machines profiling is proposed, proved and tested. The technique adopts the Snapshot method dynamically as a function of both organization policy and the organization departments policies. Such policies are associated with individual products and services provided by the organization with departments policies derived from general organization profile with the organization policy being a function of the various departments profiles. It is proved through real data the ability of such algorithm to classify, detect and predict policy changes and identify differences between different organizations. Also, such algorithm combines the concepts of general Artificial intelligence through the use of knowledge bases and Neural Networks by utilizing a similar weights matrix.
A fast orientation and skew detection algorithm for monochromatic document images (2005)

Very often in the digitization process, documents are either not placed with the correct orientation or are rotated of small angles in relation to the original image axis. These factors make more difficult the visualization of images by human users, increase the complexity of any sort of automatic image recognition, degrade the performance of OCR tools, increase the space needed for image storage, etc. This paper presents a fast algorithm for orientation and skew detection for complex monochromatic document images, which is capable of detecting any document rotation at a high precision.
Benefits of GTO-based compensation systems for electric utility applications (1992)

The performance of reactive compensation systems based on gate-turnoff thyristors offers potential benefits compared to conventional compensators. The authors describe these benefits in applications involving increased steady-state loadability of heavily stressed systems; in improving the security of systems with heavy motor loads; in improving the transient stability of systems experiencing large power swings; and in adding damping to power swings. These performance benefits lead to the ability to solve specific application problems with less rating and with better stability than with conventional devices.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">></ETX>
<i>In situ</i> flaw detection by IR‐imaging during electron beam melting (2012)

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the possibility of in situ flaw detection for powder bed, beam‐based additive manufacturing processes using a thermal imaging system. Design/methodology/approach The authors compare infrared images (IR) which were taken during the generation of Ti‐6Al‐4V parts in a selective electron beam melting system (SEBM) with metallographic images taken from destructive material investigation. Findings A good match is found between the IR images and the material flaws detected by metallographic techniques. Research limitations/implications First results are presented here, mechanisms of flaw formation and transfer between build layers are not addressed in detail. Originality/value This work has important implications for quality assurance in SEBM and rapid manufacturing in general.
Association of Soy and Fiber Consumption with the Risk of Endometrial Cancer (1997)

The authors conducted a case-control study among the multi-ethnic population of Hawaii to examine the role of dietary soy, fiber, and related foods and nutrients on the risk of endometrial cancer. Endometrial cancer cases (n = 332) diagnosed between 1985 and 1993 were identified from the five main ethnic groups in the state (Japanese, Caucasian, Native Hawaiian, Filipino, and Chinese) through the rapid-reporting system of the Hawaii Tumor Registry. Population controls (n = 511) were selected randomly from lists of female Oahu residents and matched to cases on age (+/-2.5 years) and ethnicity. All subjects were interviewed using a diet history questionnaire that included over 250 food items. Non-dietary risk factors for endometrial cancer included nulliparity, never using oral contraceptives, fertility drug use, use of unopposed estrogens, a history of diabetes mellitus or hypertension, and a high Quetelet's index (kg/cm2). Energy intake from fat, but not from other sources, was positively associated with the risk of endometrial cancer. The authors also found a positive, monotonic relation of fat intake with the odds ratios for endometrial cancer after adjustment for energy intake. The consumption of fiber, but not starch, was inversely related to risk after adjustment for energy intake and other confounders. Similar inverse gradients in the odds ratios were obtained for crude fiber, non-starch polysaccharide, and dietary fiber. Sources of fiber, including cereal and vegetable and fruit fiber, were associated with a 29-46% reduction in risk for women in the highest quartiles of consumption. Vitamin A and possibly vitamin C, but not vitamin E, were also inversely associated with endometrial cancer, although trends were not strong. High consumption of soy products and other legumes was associated with a decreased risk of endometrial cancer (p for trend = 0.01; odds ratio = 0.46, 95% confidence interval 0.26-0.83) for the highest compared with the lowest quartile of soy intake. Similar reductions in risk were found for increased consumption of other sources of phytoestrogens such as whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and seaweeds. Ethnic-specific analyses were generally consistent with these results. The observed dietary associations appeared to be largely independent of other risk factors, although the effects of soy and legumes on risk were limited to women who were never pregnant or who had never used unopposed estrogens. These data suggest that plant-based diets low in calories from fat, high in fiber, and rich in legumes (especially soybeans), whole grain foods, vegetables, and fruits reduce the risk of endometrial cancer. These dietary associations may explain in part the reduced rates of uterine cancer in Asian countries compared with those in the United States.
Effect of phytase from <i>Aspergillus</i><i>niger</i> on plant growth and mineral assimilation in wheat (<i>Triticum</i><i>aestivum</i> Linn.) and its potential for use as a soil amendment (2012)

Phytase from A. niger showed improvement in phytate phosphorus and mineral availability. Besides a plant growth-promoting effect, reduction in use of chemical fertilizers and soil improvement could be achieved simultaneously for maintaining the sustainability of agriculture.
Managing Objects in P2P DVEs. (2009)

Abstract —Peer to Peer Distributed Virtual Environment systems have become a scalable solution for supporting a large number of users. One of the main challenges for these systems is to solve the awareness problem, since it is necessary for providing a consistent view of the environment to each participant of the simulation. Although different strategies have been proposed, they exclusively focus on users. Nevertheless, most of current DVE systems include additional non-autonomous elements, denoted as objects, whose state should also be known to system clients. This paper studies the different attributes and characteristics that objects can have and can affect to their management. Based on this study, this paper presents an extension of a previously proposed avatar awareness method (COVER), re-designed and modified for providing object awareness in a distributed way. The performance evaluation results show that the resulting awareness technique allows system users to efficiently manage objects in a distributed way without affecting the overall performance of the system.
Pyrazolo[4,3-e]1,2,4-Triazolo[1,5-c]Pyrimidine Ligands, New Tools to Characterize A3 Adenosine Receptors in Human Tumor Cell Lines (2005)

Increased concentrations of extracellular adenosine are reached in ischemic or inflamed tissues but have also been detected inside tumoral masses. If this finding may account for an important role of adenosine in the pathogenesis of tumors remains to be determined in view of its contradictory effects on cell survival and proliferation. In particular, adenosine was found to exert its effects on proliferation and on cell death mainly through the A(3) adenosine receptor. Therefore, a complete pharmacological characterization of the subtype and number of the expressed A(3) adenosine receptors is necessary for the elucidation of the role of adenosine via A(3) receptors in a specific cell subtype. The lack of potent and selective radiolabelled A(3) receptor antagonists has been, in the past, the major obstacle in the characterization of structure, function and regulation of this adenosine receptor subtype. Recently, our group has identified a series of substituted pyrazolotriazo-lopyrimidine derivatives as potent and selective antagonists to human A(3) adenosine receptors. The most recent results obtained in this field will be summarized in the present review. Furthermore, the review will report the results of the biochemical and pharmacological characterization of A(3) receptors in different human tumor cell lines and the multiple A(3) receptor-sustained ways that could prime tumor development.
Particulate Matter Associated with Vehicles on the Road. II (1982)

Experiments at the Allegheny and Tuscarora Mountain Tunnels of the Pennsylvania Turnpike in 1975–1979 have resulted in a comprehensive description of the airborne particulate matter associated with highway traffic. Because of strong variations of traffic composition with time, emission rates of most species were resolvable into emission rates for each of the two vehicle categories: gasoline-powered vehicles and heavy-duty diesels. Thirty-four elements were identified, accounting for all of the vehicle-derived airborne particulate mass. The principal component was carbon (elemental and organic) from exhausts of heavy-duty diesels, which comprised on the average 10%–15% of the traffic. Per vehicle-kilometer, diesels were the preponderant source of most of the other species as well. Other emissions resulted from oxidation of diesel-fuel sulfur to H2SO4 (5% of the particulate mass total for traffic overall), inorganic additives and adventitious components of fuels and motor oils (10% of the overall mass total, over half of it Pb), tire wear debris (1%), and soil dust (10%), leaving unidentified the origins of only ∼3.5% of the mass. Soil dust accounted fully for seven of the elements and a prominent share of at least nine more. Size distributions of the component species proved to be generally consistent with the putative origins. The gross mass median aerodynamic diameter was 0.15 μm, similar to diesel exhaust particles. Comparison of compositions reported here with compositions of urban and rural ambient-air particulate matter leads to estimates that the primary particulate matter from vehicles can account for most ambient airborne particulate Br and Pb; much of the C., H, Ba, and extractable organics; a measurable share of the Mn, Mg, Ca, Sr, CI, and P; and inconsequential amounts of the others. It appears to account for ∼ 11% of the airborne [pacute]articulate mass in cities and ∼2% in a remote rural area in the Northeast.
Influence of Contact Potential on Slider-Disk Spacing: Simulation and Experiment (2004)

As slider-to-disk spacing becomes smaller than 10 nm, electrostatic and intermolecular forces become increasingly important. Even if the slider and disk are both grounded, a potential difference can exist between them due to the contact potential, which, as we show here, can generate an electrostatic force greater than the van der Waals force. We have developed a method for measuring the contact potential between the slider and disk by monitoring the induced slider motion with a Laser-Doppler-Vibrometer (LDV) and lock-in amplifier while applying ac and dc bias voltages. We find that the first harmonic of the ac driving frequency is minimized when the dc bias voltage cancels the contact potential. We have preformed air bearing modeling of the slider-disk interfaces that also incorporates electrostatic forces. From simulation, we find that the flying height is reduced and the pitch angle increased as the potential difference between the slider and disk is increased.
Ceria-Electrolyte-Based Mixed Potential Sensors for the Detection of Hydrocarbons and Carbon Monoxide (1999)

Mixed potential sensors based on zirconia electrolytes have been extensively investigated for the detection of and hydrocarbons in oxygen‐containing streams. In this paper, the response of a sensor operating at is reported for the first time and is compared to that of a zirconia sensor. The response of the ceria‐electrolyte sensor was more stable and reproducible than that of the zirconia‐electrolyte sensor. This difference in response has been attributed to an improvement in the oxygen reduction kinetics of the gold electrode on the ceria electrolyte. ©1999 The Electrochemical Society
A Reduced Order Model of Mistuning Using a Subset of Nominal System Modes (1999)

Reduced order models have been reported in the literature that can be used to predict the harmonic response of mistuned bladed disks. It has been shown that in many cases they exhibit structural fidelity comparable to a finite element analysis of the full bladed disk system while offering a significant improvement in computational efficiency. In these models the blades and disk are treated as distinct substructures. This paper presents a new, simpler approach for developing reduced order models in which the modes of the mistuned system are represented in terms of a sub-set of nominal system modes. It has the following attributes: the input requirements are relatively easy to generate; it accurately predicts mistuning effects in regions where frequency veering occurs; as the number of degrees of freedom increases it converges to the exact solution; it accurately predicts stresses as well as displacements; and it accurately models the deformation and stresses at the blades’ bases.